Tastes
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To start with I like Forty Creek Barrel Select it is an easy-drinking and smooth Canadian whiskey. It is affordable at around $20 a bottle and it mixes well with coke and such. The in the glass I like the darker color. On the nose however it has too much ethanol for my liking. The body is a very typical Canadian whiskey in that it is fairly thin but I do taste some wood notes and a little vanilla sweetness. The finish is somewhat dry but not bad. This mixes well with most things but it is thin. Overall I believe this is a good value but it is not good for me as Rich and Rare Reserve and it is more expensive in my area. While not bad it is not a game-changer. Enjoy.20.0 USD per Bottle
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John Barr Blended Scotch Reserve Blend
Blended — Scotland
Reviewed January 18, 2021 (edited January 25, 2023)As I continue my journey to find a tasty low-cost scotch I found john Barr on my list of things to try. I like RTheriot and Tango's review as far as the flavors. In the glass, it has a nice light amber hue and it coats the sides nicely. The nose has some sweetness and with smoke and a hint of charcoal on it. The first taste is standard blended scotch to me with some sweetness along with a more medicinal taste which is Iodine I am assuming and a bit of smokiness. The flavors do linger a bit more than I expected and with a bit of ice the flavors smoothed out very nicely. The finish lingered a bit with the peat/iodine being replaced with sweetness. So all in all it is not a bad scotch for the price I got it for $19 on sale and for that I am not upset at it. The scotch does make a really good High Ball and that is the only drink I have made with it. The more I drink scotch the more I wonder if I will ever really like it as much as I enjoy bourbon. I have found a few that are very pleasant to drink and the flavor is fruity and light like Glenmorangie 10yr or McClelland's Highlands Single Malt and I will continue to look until I can't drink anymore. I still consider myself a bourbon man but the other whiskey's do have a certain appeal to them. Enjoy!19.0 USD per Bottle -
Cocchi Americano
Other Aromatized Wine — Piemonte, Italy
Reviewed January 5, 2021 (edited April 17, 2022)I have been on a vintage drink adventure and the Vesper Martini was on the list of those drinks. Cocchi Americano Bianco Aperitif is the closest thing to the original Kina Lillet on the market today. This wine is very good to amazing all by itself. I like it after a meal as a digestive. It is sweet and has a mildly bitter finish but it works so well together. In making a Martini this is very different from all of my other Vermouths in that it is sweet and not dry. With Plymouth Gin in a 1 to 1 Martini is out of this world. With Roku or Sutlers, Gin I use a 3 to 1 ratio and it is excellent. I even put a few ounces in a chicken dish and it was great. I love this stuff. Also, Cocchi is very stable as a bottle usually lasts about 4 weeks after opening it in the fridge. I am looking forward to trying some of the other offerings from Cocchi and I can't recommend this highly enough. Enjoy.20.0 USD per Bottle -
Cragganmore 12 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed December 29, 2020 (edited August 23, 2021)Over the Christmas break, I was able to spend time with my parents in GA. Some time ago my dad was given a bottle of Cragganmore 12yr which was placed in the back of the liquor cabinet and forgotten. Well, I was moving stuff around and asked him about it and he had never tried it so we opened it, and here are the results. In the Glencairn, it is a light tawny color that does not cling to the glass very much. The nose is light with some fruit notes along with the sharp end I associate with Scotch and I wonder if it is peat or something else. The body is nice in its own way as it is light. The fruit comes out more and neat there is some heat but a few drops of water smooths it way down. The flavor is like fruitcake with extra vanilla in it plus the smokiness is more present with a touch of water. The finish starts sweet and ends kind of bitter for my tastes. Overall this is the best Scotch I have had to date. The flavors really work well and having it right after a meal like I did was perfect. If the bottle is $60 then it may be a nice gift or special occasion drink. As for the comparison of Scotch to Bourbon, I am still firmly in the Bourbon camp but this is a fine drink and it is now associated with some fine memories for me so I will keep it as long as I can. Happy New Year and enjoy.60.0 USD per Bottle -
Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey
Blended — Ireland
Reviewed December 29, 2020 (edited March 28, 2021)I may have found my new favorite Irish whiskey. Proper No. 12 is an excellent Irish whiskey and is priced just right. This has a medium-light amber color in the glass and a sweet nose with apples and pears along with vanilla. The body is light and sweet with the fruitiness and vanilla rushing through your mouth. It reminds me of Bushmill's Red label with the fruitiness and body. The finish is quick and smooth with no real complaints from me. This is an easy recommendation from me this is fantastic and I need to try this against Powers and Bushmill's Red to see which one I like the most. The more I drink this whiskey the more I like it. It is very flavorful for an Irish whiskey and in my area, it is roughly the same price as Tullamore and it has so much more flavor. Happy New Year to everyone and I hope the upcoming year is better than 2020 was. Enjoy.23.0 USD per Bottle -
Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition
Blended — Ireland
Reviewed December 20, 2020 (edited November 13, 2023)I opened a bottle of this stuff about a week ago and was not impressed when I first opened it so I gave it a week to breathe and see what happened and I was very sad by what I tasted. First I want to start off with Irish whiskey should be smooth and light at least that is what I like about it. This whiskey is nice in the Glencairn with a light to medium amber hue and it coats the glass nicely as well. The nose is slightly sweet but also it has the faint scent of beer which is off-putting it smells like they washed the bottle with an IPA then put the whiskey in it. The body was too sharp and the finish was not good and bitter. So as you can see I was not impressed by this expression of Jameson. I really struggled to taste this again for the review I have not enjoyed anything about this. I do not mind regular Jameson and Black Barrel was good but this stuff is not pleasant for me to drink. This is a never buy again.30.0 USD per Bottle -
Richland Single Estate Old Georgia Rum
Aged Rum — Georgia, USA
Reviewed December 20, 2020 (edited June 7, 2022)I had a chance not long ago to take the tour of this distillery's second site in Brunswick, GA, and sample their wares after the tour and it is worth the money. This was another chance to support a small business and to try something different. A buddy in my Guard unit went there and raved about it so last weekend I took my dad to the distillery and we sampled 5 of their offerings and had a great time. This rum that I am reviewing is aged 4 to 5 years in virgin oak charred barrels and then bottled. In the Glencairn, it is medium amber and very smooth with vanilla and oak on the nose. The body is very smooth and with caramel notes and oak moving to the finish of a buttery sugar cookie end. This rum is outstanding it should be sipped and enjoyed slowly like a good whiskey and if you mix it do not beat it up this is a nice drink. The rum is a bit pricey but it is very good and it is keeping a small business afloat so, for now, it is worth it. Enjoy.60.0 USD per Bottle -
Conniption American Dry Gin
Modern Gin — North Carolina , USA
Reviewed December 15, 2020 (edited October 7, 2021)Before I begin the review I want to thank BDanner for recommending this gin to me. In the last year especially I have been trying in my small way to support local business during the China Virus craziness and that goes for local/small distilleries as well. When I travel now I try to reach out to people in the area and get recommendations on local spirits that I can not find in coastal South Carolina and then pick one or two and try them. With that said one to the review. As you can see from the score I really like this gin. On the nose, this clear liquid comes alive with amazing scents. You can smell juniper but it is not overpowering and cardamon (I actually went to my spice cabinet and opened coriander and cardamon to smell them with the gin) this gin has a ton of citrus notes in it as well. The body is very much citrus and ethanol. However, for 88 proof, it is fairly smooth to sip on. There are several flavors I still can't identify but they are quite pleasant and really round out the gin. The finish is very nice and long for a gin. For people that like the peppercorn finish that Beefeater and Tanqueray have you may be disappointed with this gin. As far as cocktails are concerned this is a special animal. The drinks I have made so far ranged from absolutely amazing to dear lord what have I done. A Martini made with this gin is one of the best I have ever had using Noilly Prat Extra Dry vermouth all of the flavors compliment each other very well. The same with a Vesper using Cocchi Americano and Reyka vodka the citrus notes again work so well together it is an amazing drink. With the Gin and Tonic, it is a mixed bag of squirrels with regular tonic and maybe a squeeze of lime great, but with Indian River Elderflower or Mediterranean tonic water nearly a crime against man and nature. Also, with an Aviation cocktail, it is not very good with the Creme do Violette. To me, it was like having a flower flavored lemonade. So overall how is the gin it is wonderful and I will continue to get this when I travel to North Carolina in the future. The price above is a good bit high as I got this bottle for $26 plus tax. This is a special gin and I look forward to making other drinks with it. Conniption American Dry gin should be in your bar if you like gin. Enjoy.26.0 USD per Bottle -
James E. Pepper 1776 Straight Bourbon (100 Proof) Beige Label
Bourbon — Indiana (bottled in Kentucky), USA
Reviewed December 14, 2020 (edited November 13, 2023)Earlier this year I bought a bottle of James E Pepper 1776 Straight Rye and after it was opened for a bit I really enjoyed the whiskey inside. I have read mixed reviews about this bourbon and when I saw it on sale for $25 I gave it a try. Before I begin with the review I have to say that I did a pour when first opened the bottle and I was not impressed so as with the rye bottle I let it rest for a few weeks and once again the oxygen did its job. In the Glencairn, it has a dark tawny to light amber color and it coats the glass nicely. On the nose, I get woody notes right off the bat and then some vanilla and maybe honey. There is a sweet scent that I am not sure of. The body is full and hot. The sweetness is there with the vanilla and light caramel the wood is also there and maybe too much. The finish is somewhat bitter or astringent with some char and sweetness rounding it out. Overall, I was disappointed in this bourbon. It may be too young or the mash bill is not to my liking but this is not something I will repurchase anytime soon. To be a straight bourbon whiskey it has to be at least 2 years old I think they should age it a good bit longer and maybe it will smooth out the rough edges. This does make a decent Old Fashioned and a good Manhattan, but you must use good sweet vermouth with it or the bitterness of the bourbon makes this drink too bitter. I wish I had better things to say about this alas I do not its big bold flavor is wasted on a bitter finish.30.0 USD per Bottle -
So once again I venture into the inexpensive brandy shelf and with the help of friends I came away with a winner. This is an excellent drink and if more brandies were like this I would drink more brandy. In the Glencairn is has a tawny color and it coats the glass nicely. On the nose, it is lightly fruity with white grapes/raisins but not too sweet there is vanilla and a touch of spice. The body is drier than I expected the other brandy I enjoy is E and J XO brandy and it is quite sweet and is better as a dessert. Remy VSOP the body is where this shines to me as the flavors linger with vanilla and spices and a very present oak flavor that is pleasant. Sadly I don't taste the cocoa so many others do but I am trying to expand my palate. The finish is long and lingering with dried fruits and spices. This is an excellent drink for the price and it makes an outstanding Brandy Old Fashioned. As for sipping neat, I have had this several times and it is very enjoyable. I am open to suggestions for other Brandies and Cognacs to try so please share your favorites. Enjoy!12.0 USD per Bottle
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