Tastes
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I'm a rye fan. I love a rye sidecar neat with a hot cup of good black coffee on those special brunch mornings. For the last few years my rye of choice was the bog standard 86 proof Jack Daniels Straight Rye. It's a good tasting, soft whiskey that fit this use perfectly and I typically keep a bottle in the cabinet for just such an occasion. Unfortunately it seems that bottle, which was readily available in my market for under $20, seems to be no more. In its place we have 100 proof bottled-in-bond rye. Let's take a taste. For this tasting I'm neat side-by-side with the 90 proof JD Single Barrel rye. On the nose the two are very, very similar as to be expected. The BiB has a hotter ethanol note accompanied by a slightly more intense caramel sweetness note. On the palate the single barrel is sweet and nicely complex, with a very slight peppery finish and a modest fade. It's a nice sipper, better than the original Straight Rye in every way. There's a definite wood and barrel foundation and the liquid also offers up slight dill, apple pie crust, and a ghost of limey citrus on the back of the tongue. In comparison the BiB Rye is drier. Much drier in fact, with more prominent oak and barrel elements. The fruitiness is reticent, the vanillins and sugars from the wood are pushed a bit forward. There's a slight brineyness that I didn't get with the single barrel. It's hotter in the finish and doesn't strike me as being quite as well integrated as the single barrel. In a Manhattan(2:1:2) I think the choice of vermouth is going to make or break the cocktail. The JDBiB doesn't like my Cnia Mata Spanish vermouth, is happier with Cocchi di Torino or with Martini Rossi sweet. Those later vermouths are more intensely flavored and possibly sweeter than the Cnia. This is a good rye, but it's not really my jam. I'd rather mix with Wild Turkey 101 Rye or sip neat with Russel's Reserve 6 or one of the Sagamore expressions. Or the Jack Daniels Single Barrel for that matter. This is a fine rye whiskey and a good extension for the Jack Daniel's line-up. That said, it's unlikely I'll replace this bottle in my regular rotation. It's a bit too expensive for a casual mixer and not quite good enough to satisfy as a solo act. A good effort, but maybe not as impressive at the Triple Mash for the same kind of money.32.99 USD per Bottle
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This is a surprising bottle from Beam. I enjoy a lot of their products. I've been a Knob Creek fan since its introduction in 1992. I've had Black. Black Extra Aged, Beam Single Barrel, Beam Bottled-in-Bond and more than a few "limited" releases. Among my favorite was the now gone Distiller's Cut 100 proof release that was ultimately replaced by Old Tub. When I started hearing rumblings about this "new" 7 year age statement Black I just jumped right in... Let's go. Not really new, Black now has a 7 year age statement and that is an upgrade. I purchased this bottle on sale for $21 with a free 4 pack of Fever Tree ($6) mixer, so this is hitting the stack-outs and promotions. Let's start with a side-by-side comparison between the JBB7 and Elijah Craig Small Batch (ECSB), both of which are under 100 proof (90 and 94 respectively) and under $30. The ECSB I sells for $26.99 in my market, about 15 - 20% more expensive than the JBB7. On the nose this is a contest of near equals. I did this comparo in a NEAT glass after a few minutes rest and both pours are from freshly opened bottles. Judging just the aroma, the Beam is sweet but the EC is sweeter and a bit richer. I get vanilla, caramel, barrel char, and ethanol from both. The JBB7 leans towards root beer, the ECSB towards white cake frosting. The Beam goes down easy on the palate with a near syrupy mouthfeel, nicely balanced sweetness, definite wood and cask notes, and builds to a medium black pepper spice on the mid palate. The finish is moderate, sweet and with just the slightest hint of oak tannins and bitterness at the end of the fade. It's very impressive for a $22 bottle and reminiscent of that discontinued budget favorite - Distiller's Cut. I have one bottle of that limited 100 proof release left and coincidently just polished off my next-to-last bottle last week. The ECSB is a bit less syrupy with a slightly thinner mouthfeel. It comes on stronger with a bit more spice and it has a little longer finish. It's not quite as rich as the JBB7. Its higher proof is not easily found and neither of these presents a "cheap whiskey" alcohol note, thankfully. The ECSB is definitely spicier, but not necessarily a spicy bourbon, if that make sense. I really like ECSB. Its one of those bottles I almost always have hanging around. It is inexpensive and its sins are those of omission compared to its more elevated relatives. The JBB7 has a lot more barrel character, is a more complex and is equally easy to drink. I hate to say it, but JBB7 may have kicked the ECSB out of my regular rotation. An obvious comparison is to the Jim Beam Old Tub. JBOT is a bottled-in-bond, non-chill filtered bargain bottle that I've used quite a bit for mixing and enjoy on a big rock from time to time. It's a nice whiskey for an Old Fashioned Compared side-by-side the JBB7 has a richer and more pleasant nose than the JBOT. It's simply more complex, more interesting with less of a 'young whiskey' ethanol note. In terms of flavor on the palate there isn't much of a contest here. The JBOT is drier, hotter and less rich. The JBB7 is simply a better product. Considering the JBOT retails for $24.99 in my market, that makes the JBB7 an easy buy for 10% less. When I was getting JBOT for $16.99 I might have stayed the course, but it seems like Beam is making some significant changes and I expect to see something happen with the JBOT in the not so distant future. Compared to my workhorse Wild Turkey 101 (WT101), its more of a toss-up. The WT101 is more fruity and brighter on both the nose and the palate. It's a battle of budget titans and neither is vanquished. I can see keeping both in stock; the WT101 for its mixability in a bourbon Manhattan and the JBB7 for its love of bitters and demerara sugar in a properly made Bourbon Old Fashioned. Comparing this whiskey with more upmarket competitors like Widow Jane, Barrel or Stagg Jr, the competition heats up. Each of the later three offers a richer, more nuanced experience albeit at triple the selling price. The Barrel and Stagg in particular are both over 110 proof and therefore really aren't in competition. The Widow Jane 10 year is more complex and is just better tasting, IMHO. Wow! This is a real bargain and an outstanding bourbon by any measure. At less than $25 this is a raging steal that kicks Buffalo Trace to the curb and sets a real benchmark (yes, it's better than Benchmark) for its price point. Highly recommended!21.99 USD per Bottle
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Maestro Dobel Diamonte Tequila
Tequila Reposado — Tequila Valley, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed May 14, 2024 (edited June 16, 2024)Purchased on an impulse during a restocking run to my lls. I purchased a small assortment of plata tequilas to experiment with Tequila Martinis. 2 parts tequila, 1 part bianco or blanc vermouth and a couple dashes of bitters of some sort makes for a very good cocktail. Garnish with a lime medallion, lemon twist, olive or (my favorite) a big, fat caper. The Tequila Martini is simple, but also complex and boozy. This bottle of clear reposado was in a stack out marked down to $19.99 and the young lady at the register gave it her highest recommendation. How could I pass it by? Tasting notes from a neat pour in a grappa copita. The nose is pretty tame with prominent vanilla, some light cactus/agave notes, powdered sugar and alcohol. Honestly its not bad, but its also not that interesting. On the palate this is a sweet vanilla bomb with extremely light vegetation coloring the background. The pro reviewer hit it right with Good & Plenty candy. I definitely get that. Reticent doesn't begin to describe this profile, its downright limp. This is incredibly easy to drink, boring as hell and obsequious in a way that would make a bottle of Casamigos envious. In fact, let me quote from my review of Casamigos Blanco Tequila on this site: "I hate the word "smooth" but I'm sure that's how many fans describe this. I'm thinking more "bland", "expected", "stereotype", and even "the MacCallan of tequila". In other words - and let's be perfectly clear here - this tastes good. Everyone will like it. Some will love it. A few will make a note in passing that they've had it and it doesn't need to be revisited because it's just not that interesting" This is in the same vein but not quite as refined as the Casamigos. Yes, this does taste 'good' in that its pleasant and has no bad or challenging aroma, taste or texture. There is nothing offensive about it, but it's not the right tequila for a cocktail. Much less for one that features the spirit as intensely as a Tequila Martini. And that's the problem, really. This is, imho, a tequila for people who don't like tequila. It's lost its soul and there's just nothing left there with which to work. I'll pass on getting another for the bar.39.99 USD per Bottle -
I'm on a quest to find the best blended scotch for my "handle" shelf of liquor. The everyday pours. The cocktail bases. The bulk buys. The stuff that's affordable enough that you don't think about it when playing around with a new idea. It was inevitable that Costco would become involved. In one fell swoop I brought home this, it's bigger 17 Year old Speyside Single Malt brother, its Kirkland London Dry gin cousin and distant cousin (and repeat visitor) Kirkland French Vodka. For this review, I tasted from a bottle that's been open a couple weeks. This scotch was sampled neat from a NEAT tasting glass. On the nose this gives up apple juice, slight ethanol, very faint notes of plum and whiffs of barrel wood. This is not a very forward nose, but the aromas are pleasant and quite appropriate for a quality blended scotch. On the palate the entry is sweet, soft and silky. This is a very easy neat sipper with little trace of ethanol, a fruity sweetness that fades to something like wet cornflakes in milk, and a trace of lemony, pithy wood bitterness. The finish is lightning fast and fades cleanly. I'm sitting here trying to find something to complain about. The sins of this blended scotch are sins of omission. It doesn't "do" all the things amazing scotch can do flavor wise, but it really doesn't do anything wrong. What it does it gets right in a soft, submissive way. In a Rob Roy I found this scotch really loves the sweet vermouth, but it becomes a costar and really not a headliner. The vermouth is allowed to dictate the personality of the cocktail. I tried Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Martini & Rossi sweet, and Cnia Mata Tinto Reservo Spanish vermouth. In each instance I could easily taste the vermouth and discern how the cocktail as a whole changed its face. There's nothing here to hate, or even dislike. This is a solid, inexpensive, pretty unexciting but completely solid blended scotch whisky. For the price this is one of the great VFM deals, getting an extra quarter star for affordability. I have no qualms about this in my glass. I rate on a scale of 1 to 5 where the vast majority of product is going to find itself on a bell curve. Any quality, competent product should score between 2 and 3, with the peak at 2.5. This is definitely at that peak. If you're in the market for a budget handle ($36 in my market) and you have a Costco membership, this is an easy decision.22.0 USD per Bottle
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My first time with this blended scotch. I've purchased this, along with Kirkland 12 Year Blended scotch, Dewar's 12, Cutty Sark Prohibition to look for a winner in the "handle of scotch" category. I love an occasional Rob Roy, Bobby Burns, scotch & soda, or pour on the rocks (particularly with a large coconut water cube). Which of the blends is the best choice? I'm looking at all these and comparing them to Johnnie Walker Black, Naked Malt, Monkey Shoulder and others, trying to keep my cocktail game fresh. Tasted neat from a grappa copita, this blend is nicely honeyed, with sweet breakfast cereal, apples, slight pears and a whisper of dry smoke. This isn't the smoke I associate with a Islay, but more along the lines of the ashy smoke I get from a lot of mezcals. It's slight, unusual and somewhat pleasant. You know what's not pleasant? That damned pour spout restrictor on the Buchanan's bottle. Very unnecessary, but I'll think of it as a nod to Luxardo Maraschino and move on... On the tongue this whiskey has a sweet entry, nice bit of malty body with a cigarette ash overlay and a fast, sweet finish with some traces of black pepper. It's nicely balanced, offers some dry fruitiness and is a bit more complex than the Kirkland 12 blend. It's not as "juicy" as the Dewars 12. In a Rob Roy this is excellent. I'm pouring them 2:1 and using Cnia Mata Spanish Tinto Reservo which is something like the love child of Punt e Mes and Antica. The Buchanan's is robust enough to stand up to this potent-but-detailed vermouth. with good mouthfeel, flavor development and really good standing power against the slight dilution of the ice. This is a very, very good blended scotch. Its price, in my Tampa region market, falls somewhere between Dewars 12 and Johnnie Walker Black. I like it enough to put it into rotation, but it will be hard for me to justify buying it in handles. I'll be revisiting this in the future. I see there's a pineapple version of this and I'm wondering if that might work in a wonky Rob Roy cousin. That might be worth the experiment. As it stands this is a solid blend. It's not a great vfm and not indispensable on my bar but worth the price of entry to find out.32.0 USD per Bottle
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I'm on a Kirkland roll lately. Here goes... tasted neat Nose is slightly sweet, piney, and with a slight "aspirin" bitterness note that's not at all objectionable. There's a fair bit of ethanol, but again this isn't objectionable at all. It's really a solid gin aroma. Compared to Bombay Sapphire (different style, I know) it is lacking in complexity and has only a trace of floral elements. That noted, there's nothing here to make me pump the brakes. On the palate this offers a little less juniper than the nose promises. It's sweet and relatively soft with a fast finish and minimal complexity. This is a fair London Dry style and nothing about it makes me wish I had poured something else. My Monkey 47 is in no danger, but for the money this is solid. Comparatively the Sapphire is far more floral, complex and has a significantly greater level of complexity. This is exactly what I expected. Thinking about my experiences with other budget gins, this is certainly a better choice that G & J Greenall. It's both less expensive and better integrated. I've had the Kirkland in a Martini, 50/50, on rocks, in a G&T, Negroni and with soda. In no case have I been let down. This is just a solid budget gin. It's approaching Beefeater level quality for about half the price and that's impressive on its own. Yes, I'll buy this again. Great for those times when you want a gin to experiment with, Very good for freezer-door or batched cocktails, a bargain when you're pouring in volume for friends and overall just a great deal. A quality average gin with above average value ($20 for a 1.75). Who want's to argue with that!
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Aberlour 16 Year Double Cask Matured
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed April 11, 2024 (edited April 22, 2024)I've been working on this bottle of Aberlour 16 for a while now, enjoying a sip every now and then. This has become a nightcap favorite, a scotch I'll pour to sit and watch TV or read. A recent purchase of a bottle of Kirkland 17 Year Speyside prompted me to add this re-review as part of my side-by-side comparison. This whisky was enjoyed neat from a NEAT tasting glass On the nose the Aberlour is a bit mustier with an earthier note of clay, ripe orchard fruit, figs and vanilla bean than the soft and even more delicate Kirkland. Both are nearly devoid of ethanol and represent the complex and approachable personality of a good Speyside single malt well. On the palate the Kirkland is drier than the nose suggests, but far from dry. Nice integration of sherry fruits, brandied cherry, ripe apples rides on a wave of breakfast cereal. The Aberlour is drier still, richer and earthier with notes of dark chocolate. If I may apply a metaphor, the Kirkland is between the stacks of the public library and the Aberlour is in the leather seating of a private library. Very much similar, yet meaningfully different experiences. The Aberlour 16 is suave, sophisticated, subdued and multidimensional. It delivers a melange of fruitcake, baker's chocolate and wet cereal grains in a very cohesive and enjoyable package. Aberlour 16 is an excellent scotch whisky, even if its near $100 price point doesn't make it a bargain. It's worth its price.99.0 USD per Bottle -
kirkland speyside single malt 17 year
Other Whiskey — speyside, Scotland
Reviewed April 11, 2024 (edited April 19, 2024)I keep seeing this one discussed on various chat boards and forums. For $60 its reputed to hit far above its price point. I walked into my local Costco on the right day, they had a skid of cases just opened. The worker there said he expected them all to be gone in 24 hours, it's a hot ticket. I grabbed one immediately (had to hold back from getting 2, I'm impulsive that way) to put in my basket along with Kirkland 12 Year Blended scotch, which is part of my dig into affordable blends for cocktails. Reviews forthcoming. This expression was tasted neat, on a single large cube, and in a Rob Roy. For comparison I did a side-by-side with Aberlour 16. On the nose the Kirkland is sweet, fruity and a bit tropical with notes of coconut, apples, and pears. Ethanol is, thankfully, absent or nearly so. This smells to me like a soft, sweet Macallan with the intensity turned down. The Aberlour is similar in its gentle demeanor. It is a bit mustier with an earthier note of clay, ripe orchard fruit, figs and vanilla bean. On the palate the Kirkland is drier than the nose suggests, but far from dry. Nice integration of sherry fruits, brandied cherry, ripe apples rides on a wave of breakfast cereal. The Aberlour is drier still, richer and earthier with notes of dark chocolate. If I may apply a metaphor, the Kirkland is between the stacks of the public library and the Aberlour is in the leather seating of a private library. Very much similar, yet meaningfully different experiences. There's no need to go into too much detail about the Rob Roy. Sufficient to say this single malt loves the play with a quality sweet vermouth. I used Cnia Mata Spanish Tinto Riservo, an excellent vermouth that has much of the strengths of both Punt e Mes and Antica, but with great balance and finesse. The Kirkland is really quite a nice cocktail whisky! As expected, ice dulls the nose, sweetens the flavors and dilutes much of what makes this so special. That said, the Kirkland 17 remains a sweet sipper that agrees with a drop of water or a cube of ice. Dealer's choice. At the end of the day, this is simply an excellent scotch whisky. It's satisfying in every way. One could wish for a bit more assertive character, perhaps clearer indications of its time in the barrel. But for the price, this is an easy recommendation. The Aberlour is about $100 local to me and loses decisively in the value equation. Costco, this is an impressive achievement. Yes, I should have bought two!60.0 USD per Bottle -
Aberfeldy 12 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed February 26, 2024 (edited April 19, 2024)First time I've had this. Great buy at Costco and I couldn't resist for under $30. Warning, I'm a Dewar's fanboy, so no surprises on my reaction to this easy sipper. Tasted neat from a glencairn. The nose is sweet malt, fresh cosmic apples, and the slightest of floral notes that dance above a delicate barrel note. On the palate this is easy to sip. Dewar's 12 Double Aged is my house pour for cocktails like the Rob Roy, Bobby Burns, Penicillin and almost anything that uses scotch whisky, including the occasional Old Fashioned. I also love a wee dram over a coconut water ice cube when I'm just kicking back. I think this is a far more fulfilling drink in many ways. This is not a sherried scotch, but there's ample orchard fruit to be found in its spectrum. Apples, pears, apricots and muskmelon all make an appearance. Slight black pepper, soft vanilla, and sweet woody notes fill in the blanks. The finish is fast, clean and sweet. No peat smoke to be found... For the price, this is well above average. It's certainly not the best scotch I've had, but it'll do on any day that ends in a "y".34.99 USD per Bottle -
I've been enjoying this in various Martini riffs and in a G&T with FT Elderflower tonic and a slice of lemon. My first time tasting this gin. Let's dive in. On the nose this is very similar to Bombay Sapphire. In fact, its nearly indistinguishable. Very delicate, little ethanol. Perhaps even a touch richer. Tasted neat this again in the same flavor family as Bombay Sapphire, our house "rack" pour. It plays just a touch sweeter and richer but not by too much. Neither is particularly juniper forward. Both offer moderate citrus and herbal notes with delicate florals in the background against a foundation of light juniper. The Famers has a bit more Angelica and is set apart by the traces of elderflower making it a bit more floral and complex. Both had similar levels of black pepper and spice. In a Martini I thought the Famers distinguished itself nicely, but certainly didn't light up the sky. The vermouth in a 3:1 cocktail swamped the differences. In a G&T they were essentially indistinguishable to my wife and I, and she is a devout Sapphire believer. This is using the aforementioned Fever Tree Elderflower tonic. I like this quite a bit, but considering its $28 for 750 versus $32 for 1.75l, I think I'll stick with Sapphire.
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