Tastes
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Corowa Distilling Co. Corowa Characters
Single Malt — New South Wales, Australia
Reviewed January 16, 2020 (edited October 6, 2022)Australian Single Malt Whisky Tasting (Part 1), The Oak Barrel, Sydney 16 January 2020, Whisky #1 Nose: Cereal aromas well to the front with a little fruity note in support (red berries and grapes, but it's a dry fruity note rather than strongly fragrant). There is a light leatherwood honey quality and the faintest suggestion of smoke (but it might be something else I'm mistaking for smoke). The cask aroma is fresh and clean. Palate: The arrival is mainly centered on cereal, full and rounded baking spice notes and a little sultana in the background. It's dry rather than sweet, but certainly not too dry. As it develops, more spice emerges together with lots of crisp barley grist (which is the central flavour component), some light preserved fruits and even a little dark fruit. It becomes slightly sweeter as it progresses and the texture is good. Finish: Medium/short. Malty and lightly fruity. This is a product of a young distillery located in the township of Corowa in New South Wales, right on the Murray River which is the border between NSW and Victoria. They are using locally produced barley and Australian casks for this expression. The whisky is aged for two years in ex-red wine casks (first fill, I think) and you definitely get the sensation of fresh young oak and a subtle red fruit presence throughout the profile (but it's not what I call a strongly fruity whisky). The nose reminds me of both G.Rozelieurs Blue and Hellyers Road Pinot Cask. All three are fresh, cereal-led and feature the unmistakable aroma of young red-wine casks. It's a slightly winey aroma with a woody background that is closer to plywood than old, seasoned oak. That may not sound complimentary but on the contrary, it's a pleasant and clean aroma - just not one that suggests age. Adding water is not necessary as this whisky is easily quaffable at 46% with the alcohol content barely registering on the senses. It is also of debatable value as while it does unearth a little honeyed note on the palate the plywood aromas are over-emphasized and turn a little like wet cardboard. I enjoyed this - it's young, fairly simple and direct (you could be harsh and say juvenile) but it has a fresh and vibrant honesty that is very welcome. It is also competitively priced for an Australian whisky and piqued my interest in trying more of their expressions. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)100.0 AUD per Bottle -
Bols corenwijn 2 jaar vatgerijpt
Genever — Amsterdam , Netherlands
Reviewed January 14, 2020 (edited August 5, 2022)Nose: Fragrant resinous oak, pot-pourri, an oily aroma like turpentine wood, cider, malt vinegar, sweet corn, linseed oil. Palate: Sweet and mild malty arrival that turns warming and herbal in the development. There is a hint of juniper, coriander and other spices together with some cask presence. The palate is well balanced and the texture is lightly oily. Finish: Medium. The malt character from the palate gently subsides into an aftertaste that is first slightly bitter/sour but finally sweet. An excellent spirit that can be enjoyed neat, over ice, with a spot of bitters or as a mixer. Corenwyn differs from genever by containing a higher proportion of malt spirit, and it is more likely that corenwyn will be aged. There is a distinct progression in this family of spirits. Jonge genever is the closest to gin, having a relatively low malt spirit content and a similar herbal character, however the botanicals are more subtle and muted. Oude genever has more malt spirit content and may be either unaged or aged for a couple of years. Corenwyn (i.e. corn-wine) is at least 51% malt spirit and usually matured for at least 2-3 years but it can be aged for longer periods and I've seen examples that are 12 years old. As it ages the barrel influence becomes profound and resinous qualities take over the profile. I enjoy old corenwyn very much, but not as a daily tipple, and jonge genever is OK but a little ordinary. For me the sweet spots are in the middle: oude genever and young corenwyn, where the spirit and barrel are in a pleasant state of balance. I could drink this as an everyday tipple and if whisky was not available it would be my spirit of choice. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)75.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nose: Fruity and floral with aromas centered on sweet, rich citrus. Juniper provides the second leg but is not overly prominent, and some warm spicy tones add the third leg of the stool to create balance. Palate: Sweet and creamy arrival with just a little spice. As it unfolds in the mouth the spice notes enlarge and fill the palate in a satisfying manner. There is a richness and density of texture that is very pleasant and a slightly honeyed note. Finish: Medium. Some pine needles and resin give the finish a lift. A rich and full-bodied classic London gin with a hefty presentation throughout the profile and a subtle sweetness, but it is not that far from the origins of the breed. It's most enjoyable and worth the money, but not outstanding in any way. The official Distiller notes are on target but I would not rate this gin as highly. It's certainly above average, but no more than that. "Above Average" : 81/100 (3 stars)70.0 AUD per Bottle
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Balcones FR. OAK Texas Single Malt
American Single Malt — Texas, USA
Reviewed January 13, 2020 (edited September 24, 2022)Nose: Deep and intense nose. Burned butter, cognac, plum pudding, baked fig and orange tart, dark almost-burnt Christmas cake. There's a note that isn't smoke but it's reminiscent of something scorched - it's vaguely like a wood-fired cooking stove. Lots of warm (but not hot) spices. With water the nose opens and shows some vanilla but most prominently it showcases the quality of the casks with an aroma of fresh, crisp well-managed barrel. Palate: A no-holds-barred arrival of strong alcohol, hefty baking spices, dark fruitcake, espresso, very dark chocolate and very strong oak tannins. Again there's that phantom almost-but-not-quite smoky presence and a hefty treacle flavour. The texture is medium. With water this whisky really shows its complexity and depth. It gains sweetness, more spice, considerably more fruitiness (of a less baked quality) and changes character in a very pleasant manner. Finish: Medium/long. Baking spices, dark chocolate and prickly baked fruit that slowly subside into a mildly oaky aftertaste. There's a little puff of aromatic smoky spice right at the end. Adding water intensifies the bitter chocolate note in the finish, considerably lengthens it, and a cereal sweetness appears. This is a big, bold and assertive whisky that is also quite stylish and certainly not a simple bludgeon to the senses. The relatively high proof is not overpowering and has surprisingly little burn. It's mellow but not soft or simple. This is more a cutlass than a club, more a cutting wit than a crude tirade. Being much more used to Scottish malt whisky the profile is a little unusual to my palate, but there are similarities. The nose in particular reminds me of very high proof sherried whisky but it has a distinctive nature. That elusive smoke thing is quite individual but at its heart the nose has the dryness of malt rather than the sweetness of corn. Like all really good noses, it keeps evolving and opening in the glass. The palate is demonstrative and has some of the characteristics of rye whisky but really it is its own thing - Texas malt. I think this is relatively young (2-3 years?) and you taste that youth, but you also sense a greater maturity than would be expected. This is a kid who grew up quick. Adding water uncovers malty notes in the palate and personally I preferred it diluted (but then I always taste high-proof whisky both neat and watered). I really enjoyed this whisky and slowly nosed and sipped it for about an hour while watching a film. I don't think there was any Australian allocation for this particular expression but other Balcones whiskies are available here for around AUS$110-140 which is quite reasonable. I must obtain more of their offerings. My thanks to @Soba45 who shared a tasting dram received from @PBMichiganWolverine. Much appreciated, good sirs. "Very Good" : 86/100 (4 stars) -
Nose: Rotting fruit, especially bananas, undertones of sherry and wood. There are faint diesel and brown sugar notes. Palate: Sweet, woody and tobacco on the arrival. There are strange plastic and fruit flavours as it develops, with sweetness eventually coming to the fore. There are also definite orange and apricot notes. The texture is OK but there is an overall sensation of something synthetic. Finish: Medium. It finishes a little sour and fruity, with an afterthought of sherry. I really wasn't sure what to make of this. @Soba45 sent me the tasting sample and he is certain that it is aged for a single day, but I could not find any information about it online. It's curious because to be legally sold as "whisky" in Australia the spirit must be, among other things, at least 2 years old. All the examples of Grove whisky I could find on the internet say they are aged for 2 or 3 years. Anyway, regardless of its origins it did not make a good impression and I frankly thought it has as much relationship to fine whisky as does Domestos. However, as I was nosing it and pondering its odd nature it suddenly hit me - this is much, MUCH more like rum than whisky. It has both a nose and palate that you could be forgiven for mistaking for a really funky, greasy old Jamaican rum, and if that was what I'd been told it was I'd score it much higher. However as a whisky this is just a fail. I have no idea how much this cost but the Grove 2 year old Single Malt Whisky sells for around $170, and if it is anything like this that is highway robbery. "Poor" : 60/100 (1 star)
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Heaven's Door Double Barrel Whiskey
Blended American Whiskey — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed January 13, 2020Nose: Fruity and floral with apricot, strawberries and cherries. Cinnamon and brown sugar dusted apple Danish. There's just enough spicy but fragrant oak to give the nose good structure. [The dry glass aroma is all brown sugar and spicy oak]. Palate: The entry is spicy but not hot, and quickly softens in the development. It's a friendly but well-defined arrival with dill, clove and caraway flavours and the development has real progression with little wavelets of spice rolling through it. Vanilla, berries, some ashy treacle and a little licorice appear as it evolves. The texture is good - reasonably full but there is a very light astringent touch that I like a lot. Finish: Medium/short. The spicy oak notes are the last to fade and there is a mild minty/menthol note and some oily dill from the rye component that lasts into the aftertaste. I quite enjoyed this bourbon but sadly my sample bottle had leaked and there was only about 10 ml left to taste, so I had to really search for aromas and could not taste it with water. There is supposed to be an allocation coming to Australia soon but the anticipated price is $199 and I'm not paying that much. I would pay around $100, but no more. Thanks to @Soba45 for the tasting sample. "Good" : 83/100 ( 3.5 stars)199.0 AUD per Bottle -
Kraken Black Spiced Rum
Spiced Rum — Trinidad & Tobago
Reviewed January 12, 2020 (edited January 16, 2020)Appearance: Transparent dark brown. Aroma: Vanilla, cola flavoured gummy bears. Flavour and Texture: Sweet, a teaspoon of vanillin and simple syrup in every sip. Caramel, a tiny hint of coffee and it fades out into a thin coffee aftertaste. The texture is slightly thick. I don't think I've ever tasted sweetened vanilla essence before, but I sure have now. I had expected something named after a fearsome denizen of the deep to be spicy and aggressive - you know, lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, orange and bright flavours with a hefty funkiness - but this is very sweet, mild and shy. In fact it's barely recognisable as having rum as a base. I'm not sure I can finish my tasting sample as it's actually making me feel ill. From the generally favourable scores that appear here it's obvious that this is enjoyed by many folks, and who am I to say they are wrong, but for me it's so far removed from my comfort zone it's hard to know how to rate it. "Bad" : 50/100 (0.25 stars)61.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nose: Sweet corn, orange zest, sweet mild vanilla, freshly mown hay, cherry flavoured sweets, a mild note of good oak cask. It's a friendly nose (did I mention it's sweet?) with just enough heft. [The dry-glass smells of sandalwood and sweat]. Palate: Sweet arrival, some extremely well behaved mild spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, caraway) which persist through the development, gaining further sweetness in the process. The development brings out orange notes and a nutty quality together with vanilla, caramel and brown sugar. The texture is good and you certainly don't notice that this is 100 proof. Finish: Medium. A little sweet spiced vanilla on the aftertaste. A nice bourbon, very drinkable and there are no off-notes anywhere but it's a bit generic. It starts off with just the right amount of oak, progresses through mild spiciness and finishes on a sweet note. Good stuff - not much more I can say, it's just "average-good". I did notice, however, that in Australia this is $160, which is absurd beyond all reasoning and if I had paid that much I'd be very annoyed because it's just not *that* good. I'd pay half that but to charge the same for this as for Springbank 12 year old? I think not. Thanks to @Soba45 for the tasting sample. "Average" : 79/100 (2.75 stars)160.0 AUD per Bottle
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Little Book Chapter 3: The Road Home
Blended American Whiskey — Kentucky , USA
Reviewed January 12, 2020 (edited April 1, 2020)Nose (neat): Rye spice, leather, tobacco, very fine oak notes, cedarwood, salt-water taffy and roasted peanuts. Over time the nose fills out further as vanilla, caramel, mint and menthol notes emerge. Nose (watered): A pleasant marriage of the notes that are apparent when neat, but a great deal of the bold character is lost. It tends to become merely a very nice example of the Jim Beam house nose. Palate (neat): Big, spicy and dry arrival with a fair amount of heat. There are certainly identifiable notes such as cinnamon, dill, clove and sour cherry, but any nuance is throttled by the overly busy oak tannins. This palate is so dry, bitter and hot it is almost a caricature. Palate (watered): Much softer arrival, still spicy and dry but the heat is tamed and the whisky is considerably more welcoming. Most importantly, the palate opens and develops to clearly display dark fruit, brown sugar, toffee, espresso and an excellent chewy woodiness. Overall water provides desperately needed balance and allows the whiskey's undeniable qualities to shine, and I thought the texture was also greatly improved. Finish (neat): Long. Dominated by hot and bitter spices that eventually just wear off. Finish (watered): Still long, but the bitter notes are now balanced by just the right degree of sweetness. A dark cherry and chestnut wood flavour is distinct in the aftertaste. When first poured neat there is a blast of ethanol on the nose - let it rest for 10 minutes and this blows away leaving the whiskey more approachable. It's authoritative but a little austere and it reminded me slightly of some dry cask-strength Speysiders I've nosed. On the whole, however, I thought it was a very good nose. The palate, on the other hand, leaves a great deal to be desired. The arrival was promising but it quickly took a wrong turn in the development, which to me seemed more like a collapse of the arrival into a melange of bitterness. To be quite honest I thought it bordered on undrinkable. However generous dilution completely transformed the palate, and the spirit is certainly bold enough to take water with no effort at all. I'm sure there are more seasoned bourbon drinkers than I who would love the neat palate, but for me it was just out of control and needed the discipline of water, which I thought rendered it far more elegant. If I rated this as neat I'd give it 2 stars and consider it a failure, however with water it's a 4-star dram, so I'm splitting the difference and rating it at 3. Many thanks to @Soba45 for the tasting sample. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars) -
Nose: Fruity and crisp, with notes of fragrant citrus, green tea and light spice. There is a slightly unusual character to the profile. Palate: Sweet and mild arrival, fruity and earthy but the juniper is restrained. There is a berry-fruit aspect and a mild spicy note appears on the mid palate that reminds me a little of green shiso leaf, but it may be the influence of the sake foundation. The texture is silky. Finish: Medium/short. Not a powerful aftertaste but it is crisp and clean. A smooth, easy to drink gin that is very palatable. The character is not profound but what is there is good. It's of the mild Hendricks school of composition with added fruity-cereal notes from the sake. It's well balanced and certainly worth a try, but not a top-shelf spirit. Many thanks to Warwick for the tasting sample. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)70.0 AUD per Bottle
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