Tastes
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Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof Rye
Rye — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed October 15, 2020 (edited February 14, 2022)Tasted neat. Wow! WT has serious kung fu. I love WTRB and I hoped for a lot from this expression. I'm not disappointed. Fruity, a lot of spices, ginger, mint, forward menthol, bold - this isn't for the rye shy. Compared with EH Taylor rye, this is full color and the EHT is faded, lacking in contrast, and veiled. That's actually a little hard to say because the EHT is a superb rye. This is just in a different class, especially considering its price point. Not cheap, but setting the mark for the style. Highly recommended.69.99 USD per Bottle -
Quickly revisiting this at 25% left in the bottle. This isn't rye. Full stop. Just like Templeton rye isn't rye (confession - I like Templeton for what it is) and Casamigos Reposado or Casa Azul tequila isn't tequila (flame me if you must) - and in that statment I mean that these don't taste very much like taste standards of the category would suggest. They are sweeter. They are almost caricatures. They may be tasty, but they are not representative and, to me this doesn't taste like rye. I'd also say it really can't be used in a cocktail like another rye. Definitely not in a Manhattan. Not in an Old Fashioned. Maybe in a sour for someone with no taste for whisky... This is too sweet to be considered a good rye. It tastes kinda okay at first. But then it becomes cloying and thick and uninteresting. I'm deducting half a point from my first impression. Getting through the rest of this bottle will be a chore. I think I'll finish it off by sipping it with soda in a highball. Hard pass on another.
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George Dickel 13 Year Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whisky (Fall 2005)
Tennessee Whiskey — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed October 11, 2020 (edited February 16, 2022)A brief whiskey review - George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond 2005 13 year old versus 2008 11 year old. Let me start by saying this right up front; I love George Dickel whiskey. Especially this expression. I'd not had any Dickel before trying the first gen BiB and I was an instant fan. There's a reason this took whiskey-of-the-year and for under $40 its a steal. But what happens when one expression is done and another is released? Let's find out... Both are tasted neat, and with a few drops of steam-distilled water, from a glencairn. Plenty of time was allowed for the whiskey to rest before tasting. They are indistinguishable in color and viscosity, showing slight sheeting and thin legs. On the nose the 13 y.o. is a caramel candy bomb with notes of minerality. The 11 hits me as maybe being just a touch more intensely aromatic, but that could be because the is the first pour from a fresh bottle. They are close. Very close. On the palate the 13 delivers on its sweet promise with caramel and cherry notes, barrel char, bitter oak, demarara sugar, and a finish that hints of ginger and clove. It's a classic sweet bourbon taken to a silky, smooth finish by the Lincoln County process of filtering. Lovely. My first impression of the 11 year is that it is slightly more caramel, slightly less cherrry, a bit more oaky, and just a touch drier. I don't think I could tell the difference if I weren't tasting them side-by-side. This may be the better choice for an Old Fashioned or Manhattan cocktail. They are close in character as befits the label. With 3 drops of water (drops) the 11 year old is creamier, a bit less peppery on the finish. In both cases the caramel is pushed forward by the water. These are very, very close. My wife, whose taste buds are not to be dismissed and who often calls my attention to the smallest of details, says the 11 is the better of the two. According to her "it's not close". For me, a blind tasting would be challenging. These are excellent examples of the distiller's art. Nicole Austin, the master distiller at GD Diageo, is a real artist and her touch has pushed these into my regular rotation along with Wild Turkey Rare Breek, Knob Creek, and Old Grand Dad 114. The 13 is gone, but wise money might bunker 1 or 2 for future tastings. The 11 is here and readily available under $40. Definitely a buy recommendation from me! My scale for reviewing starts at 1-star (unacceptable under any circumstances) and proceeds to 5-star (a perfect example of the expression). Most "mass market" whiskies should be on the bell curve at or near 2.5. Good is 3. Anything above a 4 is part of my "curated" collection. Both of these releases sit at a solid 3.75 for me, and lean towards a 4.0 (Rare Breed territory). All I can say is that I don't intend to run out...36.99 USD per Bottle -
George Dickel 11 Year Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whisky (Fall 2008)
Tennessee Whiskey — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed October 11, 2020 (edited December 13, 2020)A brief whiskey review - George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond 2005 13 year old versus 2008 11 year old. Let me start by saying this right up front; I love George Dickel whiskey. Especially this expression. I'd not had any Dickel before trying the first gen BiB and I was an instant fan. There's a reason this took whiskey-of-the-year and for under $40 its a steal. But what happens when one expression is done and another is released? Let's find out... Both are tasted neat, and with a few drops of steam-distilled water, from a glencairn. Plenty of time was allowed for the whiskey to rest before tasting. They are indistinguishable in color and viscosity, showing slight sheeting and thin legs. On the nose the 13 y.o. is a caramel candy bomb with notes of minerality. The 11 hits me as maybe being just a touch more intensely aromatic, but that could be because the is the first pour from a fresh bottle. They are close. Very close. On the palate the 13 delivers on its sweet promise with caramel and cherry notes, barrel char, bitter oak, demarara sugar, and a finish that hints of ginger and clove. It's a classic sweet bourbon taken to a silky, smooth finish by the Lincoln County process of filtering. Lovely. My first impression of the 11 year is that it is slightly more caramel, slightly less cherrry, a bit more oaky, and just a touch drier. I don't think I could tell the difference if I weren't tasting them side-by-side. This may be the better choice for an Old Fashioned or Manhattan cocktail. They are close in character as befits the label. With 3 drops of water (drops) the 11 year old is creamier, a bit less peppery on the finish. In both cases the caramel is pushed forward by the water. These are very, very close. My wife, whose taste buds are not to be dismissed and who often calls my attention to the smallest of details, says the 11 is the better of the two. According to her "it's not close". For me, a blind tasting would be challenging. These are excellent examples of the distiller's art. Nicole Austin, the master distiller at GD Diageo, is a real artist and her touch has pushed these into my regular rotation along with Wild Turkey Rare Breek, Knob Creek, and Old Grand Dad 114. The 13 is gone, but wise money might bunker 1 or 2 for future tastings. The 11 is here and readily available under $40. Definitely a buy recommendation from me! My scale for reviewing starts at 1-star (unacceptable under any circumstances) and proceeds to 5-star (a perfect example of the expression). Most "mass market" whiskies should be on the bell curve at or near 2.5. Good is 3. Anything above a 4 is part of my "curated" collection. Both of these releases sit at a solid 3.75 for me, and lean towards a 4.0 (Rare Breed territory). All I can say is that I don't intend to run out...38.99 USD per Bottle -
B&B by Bénédictine
Herbal/Spice Liqueurs — France
Reviewed September 21, 2020 (edited December 28, 2020)I spent part of the early 80's on the far side of the stick, so vodka-based cocktails and sweet liquers are a part and parcel of my history. It should not be a surprise that B&B and I are old friends. This is my first recorded taste, and my first critical reaction, to this sweet treat. This particular sample has been tasted neat in a glencairn from a bottle that's 1/3 full and likely dates from sometime in the earliest years of this century... or maybe even the late 90's The nose is a melange of candied orange, spiices, sweet syrup, slight grape and a touch of ethanol. It's not particularly impressive, but it's not completely off-putting. I'm not so far gone that I don't still enjoy the occasional stop at Dairy Queen. My first reaction is that there's not a lot of depth to this flavor profile. The taste is far more attractive than the nose. This is sweet, inoffensive, clearly "orangy" like a Grand Marnier, but soft and silky without the GM's hard edges. Very silky with a creamy mouthfeel, there is a honeyed, sweet, thick profile that tells you immediately that this is dessert and one is enough. Way back then I used this is a sweetener, particularly in an Old Fashioned. I used to mix 1.5 oz of Maker's Mark, .5 oz b&b and top with a splash of soda and drank the bejesus out of that combination on my afternoons off. Sweet, easy to drink, & potent were winning hat tricks for me then. Sometimes I'd mix it up and use an aged (anejo) tequila as the engine of the drink. I think I'll use the remainder of this bottle for a mixer in similar cocktails going forward. I am pretty sure I've purchased my last bottle, however. This is just too sweet for a developed palate, and far too lacking in subtlety. Kind of like the alcohol version of pixie sticks. I don't think I'll ever drink this neat again. 2.25/522.99 USD per Bottle -
Tanqueray No. TEN Gin
Distilled Gin — Scotland
Reviewed September 18, 2020 (edited December 28, 2020)I'm a big Martini fan. Negronis too. Not too much on the G&T but I'm not a hater by any means. Tasted in a classic Martini w M&R dry vermouth and garnished w a twist I found this both sweeter and slightly more citrus than my usual Bombay Sapphire. This is a really solid London Dry. Tasted neat the sweet citrus up front gives way very quickly to a resinous pine juniper. Very full-bodied, but with a notable shot of alcohol. There is a bit of a sterile note to it on the nose. It's not going to replace Sipsmith or the Botanist on my bar, but that said you're likely to find a bottle on my bar for quite some time to come. 4.25/529.99 USD per Bottle -
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed September 17, 2020 (edited December 19, 2020)I've not had a lot of Old Forester expressions. A few years ago I had a OF Birthday bourbon at a restaurant, and I think I tried a couple of their more ordinary expressions at some events. I know I've never had a bottle of Old Forester bourbon in my cabinet, though I did have a bottle of OF rye that I thought was kind of okay. It's going to be fun exploring their full range. This is a pretty well-known juice, so I won't bore you with the details. The nose hits me as a slightly brighter and fruitier version of the Cherry cola that I got from the Chattanooga 111. There's definitely indication of the proof with a sharp ethanol note. The taste is sweet up front with a spicy body and warm finish. It's got a good silky mouth feel. This drinks a little hot and isn't quite as well integrated as WTRB or KCsib. Still, I can see why it has its adherents. This is a solid bourbon. It may not be the best value bottle out there, but it's certainly a contender for an ethusiast's shelf space. 3.75/5 and I'd happily drink this again. I may even spring for another bottle.59.99 USD per Bottle -
Highland Park 10 Year
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed September 10, 2020 (edited August 27, 2022)How about a wee dram? This Highland Park 10 year single malt, single cask weighs in at a near unimaginable 129 proof! This is from the single cask series and was selected for the Tampa Bay Whiskey Society. In the glass this is the palest straw color. A swirl show thick sheeting with a few, slow tears. The nose on this is particularly challenging. The alcohol gets in the way if your nose gets too close! After an appropriate rest this is wonderfully floral, with notes of honey, white bread, iodine, and more. It's both complex and subtle. First impression on the palate is sweet, and then it hits. The profile is giant! Technicolor! Everything from light peat smoke to wet wood, hard butterscotch candies, juicy fruit gum, clover, brine, and more is present. When I purchased this at Gaspar's Liquor Shoppe in Tampa I was told a drop of water is a catalyst for excellence with this pour, so I added a 1/2 teaspoon of chilled, distilled water to my glencairn. Yes! The whole of it becomes more coherent. Grassy notes, honeysuckle, shortbread, ginger, clove and more make an appearance. This is a dram that rewards patience and studied examination I'm gobsmacked by this whisky. It's awesome! Definitely not a sip for every palate, and definitely not typical of a top shelf scotch, this is more like Godzilla took over a distillery and tossed everything from the town into the pot. And it works! I rate from 1 to 5 with 5 being perfect. This isn't perfect, but it's damned good. Really, really damned good. 4.25/5 -
How about a casual side-by-side whiskey tasting for Labor Day fun? Here's a match-up I think a LOT of folks are wondering about: Old Tub bottled-in-bond and Jim Beam bottled-in-bond! Old Tub, as you probably know, is a special release in the same vein as Distiller's Cut (and I"m a fan of that release). Both of these are 100 proof, bottled-in-bond (minimum 4 years old), from the same mashbill. Likely the only difference other than the label and bottle shape is the non-chill-filtered natue of the Old Tub. For those of you unfamiliar with it, chill filtering is a method in whisky making for removing residue. In chill filtering, whisky is cooled to between −10 and 4 °C (14 and 39 °F), often roughly 0 °C (32 °F), and passed through a fine adsorption filter. This is done mostly for cosmetic reasons – to remove cloudiness – rather than to improve taste or consistency. Some whiskey afficianados believe the filtering process can affect flavor by removing conjoiners and other large molecules that impact our perceptions of flavor. Starting with appearance - there's no way to tell the difference. These are visually identical. On a swirl the JBbib has slightly less sheeting and tears - perhaps showing that it's a touch thinner. Keep in mind, both are identical proof. On the palate tasted neat from a glencairn the Old Tub has a slight shot of caramel, a bit of dry peanut shells, some sweet vanilla, and a short, clean ginger/cinnamon finish. There' just the slightest hint of clove after the swallow and a short peppery tingle. It's nice, but not serious. I like it for a lot of casual applications. The Jim Beam Bottled-in-bond expression has a slightly thinner nose (maybe, not sure I could tell blind) and a slightly thinner, drier, hotter taste profile. It's like the caramel is toned down a semi-stop and the ginger is brought up. I've had a lot of this expression. It's a "go to" for casual on-the-rocks after work sipping. Tasted with a couple drops of water (literally, drops) brings forward the sweetness in both drams, but the JBbib benefits. When a drop is introduced into whiskey it pushes oils and alcohol to the surface, sometimes intensifying the flavor. Adding more water and swirling does the opposite and dilutes the proof. Adding a drop to either of these brings forward the sweetness added by the oak - and the bottled in bond expression needs that just a bit more. I think I could tell these apart in a blind tasting and maybe I'll do that later on. Right now I'm calling it this way... JBbib is $19.99 on sale, $22.99 regular price. OT is running about $23.99 in the Tampa market. They are both very solid bourbons. I like the Old Tub a little better, but I won't pay a 20% premium for it. They are nearly identical save for the chill filtering. What I've learned here is that chill filtering, as I've suspected, can thin out a drink and make it a bit drier and less sweet and rich. But it's a pretty subtle effect and one worth tasting for on your own. The way I rate whiskey is by a 5 point scale where a 1 is a trash drain pour, and a 5 is a perfect dram. Any competent, average whiskey (or whisky) should place 2.5 at the peak of the bell curve. Both of these are solid at 2.75, but neither "blows away" the other. In fact, I think most drinkers won't be able to tell the difference unless there's a side-by-side tasting like this.19.99 USD per Bottle
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Old Tub Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed September 7, 2020 (edited October 7, 2020)How about a casual side-by-side whiskey tasting for Labor Day fun? Here's a match-up I think a LOT of folks are wondering about: Old Tub bottled-in-bond and Jim Beam bottled-in-bond! Old Tub, as you probably know, is a special release in the same vein as Distiller's Cut (and I"m a fan of that release). Both of these are 100 proof, bottled-in-bond (minimum 4 years old), from the same mashbill. Likely the only difference other than the label and bottle shape is the non-chill-filtered natue of the Old Tub. For those of you unfamiliar with it, chill filtering is a method in whisky making for removing residue. In chill filtering, whisky is cooled to between −10 and 4 °C (14 and 39 °F), often roughly 0 °C (32 °F), and passed through a fine absorption filter. This is done mostly for cosmetic reasons – to remove cloudiness – rather than to improve taste or consistency. Some whiskey afficianados believe the filtering process can affect flavor by removing conjoiners and other large molecules that impact our perceptions of flavor. Starting with appearance - there's no way to tell the difference. These are visually identical. On a swirl the JBbib has slightly less sheeting and tears - perhaps showing that it's a touch thinner. Keep in mind, both are identical proof. On the palate tasted neat from a glencairn the Old Tub has a slight shot of caramel, a bit of dry peanut shells, some sweet vanilla, and a short, clean ginger/cinnamon finish. There' just the slightest hint of clove after the swallow and a short peppery tingle. It's nice, but not serious. I like it for a lot of casual applications. The Jim Beam Bottled-in-bond expression has a slightly thinner nose (maybe, not sure I could tell blind) and a slightly thinner, drier, hotter taste profile. It's like the caramel is toned down a semi-stop and the ginger is brought up. I've had a lot of this expression. It's a "go to" for casual on-the-rocks after work sipping. Tasted with a couple drops of water (literally, drops) brings forward the sweetness in both drams, but the JBbib benefits. When a drop is introduced into whiskey it pushes oils and alcohol to the surface, sometimes intensifying the flavor. Adding more water and swirling does the opposite and dilutes the proof. Adding a drop to either of these brings forward the sweetness added by the oak - and the bottled in bond expression needs that just a bit more. I think I could tell these apart in a blind tasting and maybe I'll do that later on. Right now I'm calling it this way... JBbib is $19.99 on sale, $22.99 regular price. OT is running about $23.99 in the Tampa market. They are both very solid bourbons. I like the Old Tub a little better, but I won't pay a 20% premium for it. They are nearly identical save for the chill filtering. What I've learned here is that chill filtering, as I've suspected, can thin out a drink and make it a bit drier and less sweet and rich. But it's a pretty subtle effect and one worth tasting for on your own. The way I rate whiskey is by a 5 point scale where a 1 is a trash drain pour, and a 5 is a perfect dram. Any competent, average whiskey (or whisky) should place 2.5 at the peak of the bell curve. Both of these are solid at 2.75, but neither "blows away" the other. In fact, I think most drinkers won't be able to tell the difference unless there's a side-by-side tasting like this.23.99 USD per Bottle
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