Tastes

It's the thought that counts with this one. Since I got it for playing the "organ" for a Greek Orthodox wedding in Cleveland the summer of '14, I am afraid I will always be biased towards tolerance for these good folks. A few great things come out of Cleveland - Lebron, Great Lakes Brewing, wine, Lebron returning - but this was not one of them. This sets my throat on an ether-fed fire like only a city with a burning river could do, and then sweetens the palate with tangy, oxidized pale sucrosy remorse. Props for the creativity, but whiskey is something most often best created with patience. Beyond the oxidized aging, this whiskey is hollow. Yet, simplicity may be it's redemption but for the price. The drink does open up with ice and my locals tell me that it is typically consumed this way.

I bought a bottle of Grant's back in the days when we first got married and lived by the discount liquor store. It was so cheap I couldn't pass it up, and the triangular bottle added a uniqueness factor. Still had a bit of this left when I took my candidacy exam in Feb. '14, but stat exam questions and a open fireplace finished it off that night. It pales in comparison to my collection now, but was the smokiest bottle I owned back then. I like the dried hay reference, I think this is what kept me drinking it. Otherwise, a pale scotch best served with some ice and low expectations. Something needs to soften the harshness of the liquor that is imbalanced with the flavor profile.

[4/29/15] The extra proof is probably the only discernible difference between this and Crown standard. Good whiskey with a mild rye hint but clear and sweet base. Mild fruit remnants are understated.

[4/29/15] This is what Jack was intended to taste like. Stronger barrel taste adds legitimacy and strength to the flavor. Not too much proof but a slight bite with hidden sweet and rash sour. [4.17.2016] An updated test on new bottle agrees. The stronger proof benefits the bottling (and drinker) with less dilution of flavor. More charcoal and sooty, earthiness combined with stronger barrel flavors. Without these Jack Daniels isn't very special.

[4/29/15] This was actually better than I expected. Smokier/peatier than I expected. Smooth, sweet and light apple - perfect follow to Crown Apple the same night.

This is too sweet to rate higher in my book. But probably the easiest drink for a beginner in the whiskey-on-the-rocks field. Nose resembles maple syrup on buttered pancakes, but the false maple flavoring after a sip is closer to "maple" bacon. For those folks at Crown Royal listening, maple bacon Crown would be the next perfect blend. Hop to it!

During my undergrad, my roommates would take the short drive over to Windsor. Before the era of passports or Canada cards to cross the border, Windsor was the proverbial "land of milk and honey" where a Freshman could get sloshed, gamble and find a cheap place to crash for the night. I never went. Something about the idea of hammering cheap vodka and huddling in my buddy's trunk to get through te border after losing my wallet sounds like 9 kinds of wrong. This whiskey feels the same. Stephanie is right about the see-saw between sweet and bitter that when drank straight makes you want to hurl, before being left with that stereotypical chest-hair growing bitter and burn at the end. But it does make a fair mixer if you want to spike a perfectly good Coca-Cola with a bit of the devil. I have it in my collection because a) it was only $3 after rebate, and b) everyone has that friend who can't respect a nice whiskey - this is for that friend.

4/18/2015. If this is "easy like Sunday morning"... I wouldn't want to go to his church without some spare water. First impression is a classic scent of wood aging and sweet caramel, but the first sip sears the throat. I don't believe in watering anything down, so I got the experience of smoking a pack without inhaling millions of carcinogens. This is the burn that sorts the men from the boys; I love it. Strong flavor of new oak aging a classic with vanilla, caramel and a hint of wheating (cherry notes) masked with a stiff barrel proofing. Great whiskey - only complaint is the oiliness. A little time or water will bring out the deep smoke.

4/13/15. At DMK, in vibrant northern Chicago, this glass was a sip of smooth bliss after a LONG day of science speak. Caramel, toasty cereal and malty sweetness with a hint of wood spice afterburn. I only wish it was more complex, but simple whiskeys have a place in my home.

Soft spoken this is, but you won't be after a few glasses of it. Soft barrel notes and a dirty water shade. I'd drink this on ice all night long. But add a lemon and lime wedge to 7 fingers on ice, and this is a perfect cheap patio sipper. I call this the "Ohio River". Rock on, Sloopy, rock on.