Reviews
-
My Internet crashed today which is a terrible thing to do to a tech head. No fishing because the weather is weird. What's a guy to do? A Scotch whisky tasting, of course! Three interesting and inexpensive 12 year blends are my focus today. Let's examine each in turn. The nose on the Old Parr is earthy with notes of rich wildflower honey, loam, ripe apples and pears with top notes of oxidized sherry. Buchanan's is lighter with prominent notes of Worther's Original, apple skins, strawberries, and slight lemon. The Chivas is the lightest of the three. Granny Smith apple, dry autumn fields, fresh berries and dry grain are all in play. On the taste buds these are fierce competitors. I haven't had Chivas since maybe the last century. Let's say this is new to me. Light apple skins, honey and barley grain make for a delicate sip. Sherry fruits come in mid palate. The finish is short. This is easy. Buchanan's is in my regular rotation. It lies between Dewar's 12 (a very close friend) and Johnnie Walker Black, which are also in my regular rotation. These are my "Rob Roy" stalwarts. Dependable and satisfying. The Buchanans has a richer mouth feel than the Chivas, and a little more intense flavor. Both seem to be cut from similar cloth and it would be hard to tell one from the other if they weren't tasted side by side. Old Parr is richer still. Creamier mouth feel accompanies a waft of smoke, raw honey and echoes of Spanish sherry. Simply lovely. The take-away? These are all more than acceptable whiskies and all are competitively priced. I can't imagine anyone tasting these three and finding any one of them objectionable. They are all pretty darn good! If I had to pick, my favorite today would be the Old Parr. That's just where my taste buds lead me right now. Tomorrow it could easily be one of the others. I'm happy they're all in my cabinet. Slaite!
-
My Internet crashed today which is a terrible thing to do to a tech head. No fishing because the weather is weird. What's a guy to do? A Scotch whisky tasting, of course! Three interesting and inexpensive 12 year blends are my focus today. Let's examine each in turn. The nose on the Old Parr is earthy with notes of rich wildflower honey, loam, ripe apples and pears with top notes of oxidized sherry. Buchanan's is lighter with prominent notes of Worther's Original, apple skins, strawberries, and slight lemon. The Chivas is the lightest of the three. Granny Smith apple, dry autumn fields, fresh berries and dry grain are all in play. On the taste buds these are fierce competitors. I haven't had Chivas since maybe the last century. Let's say this is new to me. Light apple skins, honey and barley grain make for a delicate sip. Sherry fruits come in mid palate. The finish is short. This is easy. Buchanan's is in my regular rotation. It lies between Dewar's 12 (a very close friend) and Johnnie Walker Black, which are also in my regular rotation. These are my "Rob Roy" stalwarts. Dependable and satisfying. The Buchanans has a richer mouth feel than the Chivas, and a little more intense flavor. Both seem to be cut from similar cloth and it would be hard to tell one from the other if they weren't tasted side by side. Old Parr is richer still. Creamier mouth feel accompanies a waft of smoke, raw honey and echoes of Spanish sherry. Simply lovely. The take-away? These are all more than acceptable whiskies and all are competitively priced. I can't imagine anyone tasting these three and finding any one of them objectionable. They are all pretty darn good! If I had to pick, my favorite today would be the Old Parr. That's just where my taste buds lead me right now. Tomorrow it could easily be one of the others. I'm happy they're all in my cabinet. Slaite!
-
My Internet crashed today which is a terrible thing to do to a tech head. No fishing because the weather is weird. What's a guy to do? A Scotch whisky tasting, of course! Three interesting and inexpensive 12 year blends are my focus today. Let's examine each in turn. The nose on the Old Parr is earthy with notes of rich wildflower honey, loam, ripe apples and pears with top notes of oxidized sherry. Buchanan's is lighter with prominent notes of Worther's Original, apple skins, strawberries, and slight lemon. The Chivas is the lightest of the three. Granny Smith apple, dry autumn fields, fresh berries and dry grain are all in play. On the taste buds these are fierce competitors. I haven't had Chivas since maybe the last century. Let's say this is new to me. Light apple skins, honey and barley grain make for a delicate sip. Sherry fruits come in mid palate. The finish is short. This is easy. Buchanan's is in my regular rotation. It lies between Dewar's 12 (a very close friend) and Johnnie Walker Black, which are also in my regular rotation. These are my "Rob Roy" stalwarts. Dependable and satisfying. The Buchanans has a richer mouth feel than the Chivas, and a little more intense flavor. Both seem to be cut from similar cloth and it would be hard to tell one from the other if they weren't tasted side by side. Old Parr is richer still. Creamier mouth feel accompanies a waft of smoke, raw honey and echoes of Spanish sherry. Simply lovely. The take-away? These are all more than acceptable whiskies and all are competitively priced. I can't imagine anyone tasting these three and finding any one of them objectionable. They are all pretty darn good! If I had to pick, my favorite today would be the Old Parr. That's just where my taste buds lead me right now. Tomorrow it could easily be one of the others. I'm happy they're all in my cabinet. Slaite!
-
I'm exploring various vermouths to better understand how the different flavors work in cocktails. I had no experience with this brand before purchase, nor have I read any reviews. This vermouth has lovely aromatics that are lush and ripe with berries and fruit and a good dose of spice. On the palate this immediately makes me think of cinnamon dusted Fig Newton cookies with an earthy element and a dominant nature. Its extremely tasty served on ice and an easy sipper with a full body and good mouth feel. I'm not a fan of this in a Manhattan. Like Carpano Antica this vermouth is a bit of a bully with a dominant nature that works best with barrel proof rye or bourbon. Even then, this is a Vermouth that is assertive. Good, but not great. In a Negroni things are a bit different. Campari is a bully and has met its match here. The two in combination made for a potent, flavorful and nicely balanced cocktail Perfect with a London Dry gin and equally impressive in a Boulevardier. This is a quality vermouth. Probably not going to be a regular on my vermouth shelf in the fridge, but it may make the occasional appearance for Negroni week. It is a bit spendy at $15 for a 375ml bottle.
-
Willett Family Estate Small Batch Rye 4 Year
Rye — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed November 10, 2024 (edited November 24, 2024)I'm a devoted rye head and have been since before rye was on the upswing. I love that fruity-spicy combination that it can provide. The depth and breadth of flavors available in rye is only matched by the enormity of variation in barley malt whiskey... and even then... This isn't my first bottle of this whiskey. I was gifted a bottle of this expression several years back. I recall liking it, but not enough to re-up. A few cases sitting at my local Costco was too much of a temptation. Tasted here neat from a grappa copita as an adjunct to a black coffee. This is a favorite pairing of mine. On the nose its all classic rye notes. It's sweet with caramel, wood notes, hard candy (butterscotch and toffee), noughat, and black pepper. On the palate this is rich and creamy. I get Juicy Fruit gum, black pepper, wood tannins, creamy caramel, dill, grass and sweet cream. This is really easy to sip and is nicely complex. There's very little ethanol although this still has a punch. It's a rock in a velvet glove. It hides it 107+ proof extremely well without getting "in your face" like WTRBrye or KCSBrye is wont to do. Very good and a wonderful sipper, this makes a killer Manhattan when paired with a worthy vermouth. Vya sweet wasn't a good match, but my trusty Cocchi di Torino clicked into place easily. Carpano was a bit too over-the-top and the nature of this rye was lost. A Perfect Manhattan with a 50/50 of Dolin Dry and M&R sweet 2:1 with a couple dashes of Angostura was near perfect (see what I did there?) served up. All in all this is more a sipper than a cocktail rye. Nice in any application, it finds some very tough competition from the likes of Elijah Craig and Wild Turkey at substantially lower price points. I'm glad I bought the bottle, but i'm not sure I'll re-up with the plethora of aged ryes now coming on the market. At $55 this isn't a deal, but its a good bottle.54.99 USD per Bottle -
New Riff 4 Year Single Barrel Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed October 13, 2024 (edited June 27, 2025)This bottle has been quietly waiting for a while in my liquor closet, a gift from a friend. Finally broke it out and found it to make absolutely smashing Old Fashioned with turbinado simple and Angostura. I'm on my last dram and thought it might be good to get my impressions down. On the nose this hits rich, oaky, with lot's of wood sugars. It smells like I remember my grandpa's wood shop smelling when he was finishing a piece of furniture. On the palate this is a wonderful combination of oily sweetness and black pepper. The balance is near perfect, the flavor rich without tasting of ethanol. It's strong and the finish is sweet, moderately long and extends well into the throat. I get a lot of figs, brown sugar, cinnamon, black pepper, some ginger. This reminds me of Old Forester 1910, but maybe better? I'd love to sbs them... Certainly this is hotter at 105.8 proof and more forward, but both share that thick, rich and sweet supporting structure. This is a very good bourbon. As with all Single Barrels, the trick is getting another one. One thing is sure and that is that I'll be getting another bottle (or several) of New Riff expressions! -
Código 1530 Rosa Tequila
Tequila Blanco — Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed September 19, 2024 (edited October 17, 2024)Purchased on a lark from Total wine. I looked at the reviews here first, and thought it might be worth a chance. I guess it sort of was. On the nose it's light and sweet. There is a bit of roast agave, slight ethanol, a bit of powdered sugar, and some berry notes from the wine. On the palate it's very light, slightly sweet, with a bit of fruitiness at mid palate and the slightest hint of white pepper on the fade. It's quite delicate In a tequila martini, this is completely squashed. It doesn't work. I wouldn't recommend this as a tequila for any kind of a cocktail as it seems to be a bit on the watery and light side. It has a pleasant enough flavor profile, and it's easy to drink neat. Put it on ice, or add another ingredient and it capitulates immediately. I assume this would be nice if I kept it in the freezer and offered icy little shots to friends around the pool on a hot day. And it doesn't completely fail when sipped neat from a grappa capita. But that doesn't make it worth the price of entry.45.99 USD per Bottle -
Siete Leguas Blanco Tequila
Tequila Blanco — Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed September 18, 2024 (edited October 17, 2024)Today's cocktail adventure is a tequila tasting. Specifically, we are tasting an assortment of blanco (also known as silver or plata) tequilas neat. This summer has been a summer of tequila martinis and this is a search for the best to make that scrumptious cocktail. The four tequilas examined here are Don Fulano, G4, Siete Leguas and our house pour Olmeca Altos. On the nose the Olmeca is sweet with mild vegetal and vanilla notes. The 7 is more intense with a notable cooked agave note. The G4 is a bit tamer than the 7, but also adds in some spice notes. The Don is clean and sweet and perhaps the most delicate. On the taste buds the Olmeca is a fine tequila. Slight black pepper, cooked agave, powdered sugar, and leafy green notes make it an interesting pour without any unnecessary rough edges. This is an excellent budget tequila and we buy it by the handle. The Siete Leguas has far deeper flavor than the Olmeca, with a richer and oilier mouthfeel, ample black pepper, cooked agave and cactus notes. The G4 is both smoother (I hate that descriptor but it works here) and perhaps a bit more nuanced. Very nice sipper! Easy on the tongue, lovely on the fade. The Don Fulano adds a bit of licorice (think Good'n'Plenty), some interesting funkiness, the all important agave and a bit more heat. This is expected as this is a higher proof (100 versus 80) but its certainly not evident in perceived ethanol. Silky and rich are apt descriptors. Both my wife and I prefer the Siete Leguas in a tequila martini. Dee also prefers it neat. My wife says that the G4 has a more pronounced finish with some oily, diesel type notes. She says she prefers Olmeca in the second place and is a bit turned off by the higher proof and funkiness of the Don Fulano. I concur with her about the Siete Leguas in a tequila martini, but I LOVE the funkiness and higher power of the Don Fulano when tasted neat. It's my favorite here, with Siete Leguas bringing up second place and a tie between the Olmeca and the G4. This last bit is important as the G4 is nearly twice the price of the Olmeca so this specific expression is unlikely to find its way into rotation again. Having said that, it's really quite good. So what about this tequila martini? Well it's a 2:1 mixture of tequila to Bianco Italian vermouth. We really like the (very inexpensive) MARTINI & ROSSI bianco here. I'd also like to try the Carpano and see if this extra cost brings any extra flavor, but I'm skeptical. I can say with certainty that Dolin Blanc just didn't hit the high notes in this cocktail. Stir the aforementioned ingredients in a mixing glass over ice with a couple dashes of orange, lemon or lime bitters (or no bitters at all, which my wife prefers). Strain and serve over a large cube (Old Fashioned style for my whiskey loving friends) or even better, over a large cube of pressed coconut water (Dee insists on this). Yes, it's as good as it sounds and it will certainly cure what ails you. Cin cin!45.99 USD per Bottle -
Don Fulano Fuerte Tequila
Tequila Blanco — Tequila Valley, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed September 18, 2024 (edited October 17, 2024)Today's cocktail adventure is a tequila tasting. Specifically, we are tasting an assortment of blanco (also known as silver or plata) tequilas neat. This summer has been a summer of tequila martinis and this is a search for the best to make that scrumptious cocktail. The four tequilas examined here are Don Fulano, G4, Siete Leguas and our house pour Olmeca Altos. On the nose the Olmeca is sweet with mild vegetal and vanilla notes. The 7 is more intense with a notable cooked agave note. The G4 is a bit tamer than the 7, but also adds in some spice notes. The Don is clean and sweet and perhaps the most delicate. On the taste buds the Olmeca is a fine tequila. Slight black pepper, cooked agave, powdered sugar, and leafy green notes make it an interesting pour without any unnecessary rough edges. This is an excellent budget tequila and we buy it by the handle. The Siete Leguas has far deeper flavor than the Olmeca, with a richer and oilier mouthfeel, ample black pepper, cooked agave and cactus notes. The G4 is both smoother (I hate that descriptor but it works here) and perhaps a bit more nuanced. Very nice sipper! Easy on the tongue, lovely on the fade. The Don Fulano adds a bit of licorice (think Good'n'Plenty), some interesting funkiness, the all important agave and a bit more heat. This is expected as this is a higher proof (100 versus 80) but its certainly not evident in perceived ethanol. Silky and rich are apt descriptors. Both my wife and I prefer the Siete Leguas in a tequila martini. Dee also prefers it neat. My wife says that the G4 has a more pronounced finish with some oily, diesel type notes. She says she prefers Olmeca in the second place and is a bit turned off by the higher proof and funkiness of the Don Fulano. I concur with her about the Siete Leguas in a tequila martini, but I LOVE the funkiness and higher power of the Don Fulano when tasted neat. It's my favorite here, with Siete Leguas bringing up second place and a tie between the Olmeca and the G4. This last bit is important as the G4 is nearly twice the price of the Olmeca so this specific expression is unlikely to find its way into rotation again. Having said that, it's really quite good. So what about this tequila martini? Well it's a 2:1 mixture of tequila to Bianco Italian vermouth. We really like the (very inexpensive) MARTINI & ROSSI bianco here. I'd also like to try the Carpano and see if this extra cost brings any extra flavor, but I'm skeptical. I can say with certainty that Dolin Blanc just didn't hit the high notes in this cocktail. Stir the aforementioned ingredients in a mixing glass over ice with a couple dashes of orange, lemon or lime bitters (or no bitters at all, which my wife prefers). Strain and serve over a large cube (Old Fashioned style for my whiskey loving friends) or even better, over a large cube of pressed coconut water (Dee insists on this). Yes, it's as good as it sounds and it will certainly cure what ails you. Cin cin!56.99 USD per Bottle -
G4 Blanco Tequila
Tequila Blanco — Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed September 18, 2024 (edited April 4, 2025)Today's cocktail adventure is a tequila tasting. Specifically, we are tasting an assortment of blanco (also known as silver or plata) tequilas neat. This summer has been a summer of tequila martinis and this is a search for the best to make that scrumptious cocktail. The four tequilas examined here are Don Fulano, G4, Siete Leguas and our house pour Olmeca Altos. On the nose the Olmeca is sweet with mild vegetal and vanilla notes. The 7 is more intense with a notable cooked agave note. The G4 is a bit tamer than the 7, but also adds in some spice notes. The Don is clean and sweet and perhaps the most delicate. On the taste buds the Olmeca is a fine tequila. Slight black pepper, cooked agave, powdered sugar, and leafy green notes make it an interesting pour without any unnecessary rough edges. This is an excellent budget tequila and we buy it by the handle. The Siete Leguas has far deeper flavor than the Olmeca, with a richer and oilier mouthfeel, ample black pepper, cooked agave and cactus notes. The G4 is both smoother (I hate that descriptor but it works here) and perhaps a bit more nuanced. Very nice sipper! Easy on the tongue, lovely on the fade. The Don Fulano adds a bit of licorice (think Good'n'Plenty), some interesting funkiness, the all important agave and a bit more heat. This is expected as this is a higher proof (100 versus 80) but its certainly not evident in perceived ethanol. Silky and rich are apt descriptors. Both my wife and I prefer the Siete Leguas in a tequila martini. Dee also prefers it neat. My wife says that the G4 has a more pronounced finish with some oily, diesel type notes. She says she prefers Olmeca in the second place and is a bit turned off by the higher proof and funkiness of the Don Fulano. I concur with her about the Siete Leguas in a tequila martini, but I LOVE the funkiness and higher power of the Don Fulano when tasted neat. It's my favorite here, with Siete Leguas bringing up second place and a tie between the Olmeca and the G4. This last bit is important as the G4 is nearly twice the price of the Olmeca so this specific expression is unlikely to find its way into rotation again. Having said that, it's really quite good. So what about this tequila martini? Well it's a 2:1 mixture of tequila to Bianco Italian vermouth. We really like the (very inexpensive) MARTINI & ROSSI bianco here. I'd also like to try the Carpano and see if this extra cost brings any extra flavor, but I'm skeptical. I can say with certainty that Dolin Blanc just didn't hit the high notes in this cocktail. Stir the aforementioned ingredients in a mixing glass over ice with a couple dashes of orange, lemon or lime bitters (or no bitters at all, which my wife prefers). Strain and serve over a large cube (Old Fashioned style for my whiskey loving friends) or even better, over a large cube of pressed coconut water (Dee insists on this). Yes, it's as good as it sounds and it will certainly cure what ails you. Cin cin!42.99 USD per Bottle
Results 1-10 of 281 Reviews