Tastes
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Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye
Canadian — Manitoba, Canada
Reviewed April 26, 2020 (edited November 27, 2020)My first recorded taste, but I've had a lot of this. It's something of a guilty pleasure, in fact. I drink this on ice 80% of the time. CRNHR is a totally casual drink for me when I'm just hanging around the house and want something tasty that I don't have to pay any attention to. This is it! This is candy - butterscotch, vanilla and a blush of pepper to let you know its a grown-up candy. If you try it neat you'll get a smidge of dill, a bit of allspice. On ice or off, the barrel's influence is there. This is a solid Canadian rye, not as colorfully full flavored as Lot 40 but it doesn't need to apologize for offering up its own take on being a polite, flavorful dram. This is a solid offering, a bit ahead of the pack in fact. Not long ago I ran into a 50% off sale on this. I wish I'd bougth a dozen bottles, but as it was I think I absconded with 3. At the going price of $30 or so for a 750 this isn't a steal but it is a solid value. I think bottles of this will find a way in and out of my cabinet for years to come. -
Dad's Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Barrels
Rye — Pennsylvania, USA
Reviewed April 22, 2020 (edited December 5, 2022)I'll start by saying this; I love ryes of all types and I'm a big fan of finished whiskies. I've had a lot of sherry finished American whiskey, but I don't think I've ever had a port finished American whiskey. When I saw this bottle on the shelf there wasn't a lot to think about. I've never had a Dad's Hat rye before, so I can't separate the finish from the base. This is a classic Pennsylvania Rye and the mashbill is 80% rye, 15% barley malt and 5% rye malt. I expect it to have a full flavor. Tasted neat from a glencairn. The pour is a dark rose copper with good sheeting and thick legs on the swirl. The nose is big with notes of cedar, ripe orchard fruits, allspice, fruitcake, and port wine. It's very aromatic and there's a lot there to take in. What's not big in the nose (admittedly this glass rested a good 15 minutes after the pour) is alcohol. This is a very clean dram, tidy and lovely. On the taste buds this is creamy, sweet and just so slightly peppery. The barrel notes are quite distinguishable and the port wine barrel contribution is beautifully present, forming a foundation for the rye's baking spice spectrum of flavors. A viscous wash of dessert flavors presages the mid-palate wood. Then there's just the slightest touch of lemon pith late on the tongue before a slow, gentle dissolve into white pepper and caramel. It's very easy to drink. This is good. I think I like the Belle Meade Cask Strength Sherry Finish a bit more, and I think that is because of its higher proof and bolder cut. At 94 proof, Dad's Hat isn't a lightweight, but its comfy profile makes it feel soft and inviting. Like a 72 Buick LeSabre. Just slow down and enjoy this ride. I definitely like this better than the BM non-cask version, however. The very reasonable price for this bottle makes it an easy one to recommend. It tastes great, has plenty going on for the experienced palate, and remains sweet & creamy for those who are just approaching rye. If you like finished whiskey, or are a Speyside or HIghland fan looking for a tryst with something fresh, Dad's Hat has a lot to offer. This is a very nice after-dinner dram to enjoy with a Rocky Patel.42.99 USD per Bottle -
It's been a while since I've had this. I keep a bottle or two in the liquor closet in case friends would like a nip, but I've not developed much of a fascination for it. I think my last taste of BT was in 2016 or thereabouts... I was in a local LS just a day or two ago and they had BT 1 liter bottles for $28 - 1 per customer - and I figured it might be a good social isolation candidate for revisitation. I'm half way through that bottle, here's my update. Tasted neat from a glencairn. The nose is much sweeter than I recall. Vanilla, caramel, slight ethanol, touch of latex paint. It's not off-putting., but after spending some time sniffing, tasting and contemplating I have to say the nose, while not objectionable, isn't really impressive. With this being under $30/liter I'm not expecting miracles, but I fail to see why people will chase this and take selfies with their "trophy" when it's really no more impressive than a Woodford or a Dickel. Just based on the nose, I expect a sweet and inoffensive profile but I'm not geting any trace of magic. On the tongue this is a sweet bourbon with a short(ish) finish. It's got some nice candy notes and a good bit of vanilla and some solid barrel oak. The finish is definitely off. There's a sour or bitter note to the finish that just leaves me cold. It's an okay whiskey, but I just can't bring myself to love it. I have the same reaction to Gentleman Jack and Woodford Reserve. Nothing wrong with them, but there's nothing to excite, either. Everyone knows what this tastes like, so let's cut to the chase. I'm not going to wax poetic about it, it's boring. As in, this isn't a great whiskey. It's not complex, it's cloyingly sweet, it has a short, sour finish. It's a solid drink for its price point, but I"ll buy Evan Williams BiB, Evan Williams Single barrel, or Jim Beam BiB before I'll buy this again. My scale is 1 to 5 and a median whiskey should score a 2.5. Most big name, mass market bottles are going to land between 2 and 3. Over 3 is good. 4 and above is truly superb. This is an okay whiskey, completely average in every way. I'll even give it an extra quarter point for great marketing.28.0 USD per Bottle
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Mellow Corn Bottled in Bond Whiskey
Corn — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed April 15, 2020 (edited July 27, 2020)This is a follow-up to my earlier taste. I've used Mellow Corn in quite a few interesting cocktails, from a highball to a curious negroni cousin using ambrato vermouth. Try it in a recipe where you'd normally use a vodka or gin and you might be surprised. This does need a bit more love from that side of the aisle, but right now I want to concentrate on this neat. This is a subtle whiskey. It's light and bright and sweet and creamy. The mouthfeel isn't thick or oily, but it's rich none the less. There's a very nice corn sweetness that delights the taste buds when the mood calls for a treat. This is the cocktail equivalent of a bonbon. The proof is evinced by a bit of heat, a blush of white pepper, and the most tentative of Kentucky hugs. Mellow Corn is a light sipper. I'm not a big fan of buttered popcorn, but my wife is. With social distancing a dominant part of our world, we spend more than a few evenings binging old movies or new series. When she opts for the popcorn, I'll be having my own version - a bottled in bond liquid corn version. On my scale of 1 to 5, an average, well-produced product will score a 2.5. The bell curve should see most reviews landing between 2.0 and 3.0. Mellow Corn is running with the pack, maybe with a nose on the downward-sloping curve and at a value price point. That's a win.17.0 USD per Bottle -
I grew up with the taste of the Irish and Canadian whiskies so popular and common in the eastern MA region where I lived in my DNA. I still have a taste for both, and I'm definitely a Red Breast fan. It's a lovely drink and I've pretty much had one or both RB and GS on my shelf for at least 6 or 7 years now. I've not tasted this expression before now. Tasted neat from a glencairn. Allowed to rest about 5 minutes after the pour before evaluation. The nose is sweet with candy aromas - noughat, caramel, and honey. Theres a rush of ripe fruit - cherries and apples, plums, figs. There's a fair amount going on in the glass. On the taste buds this is dessert in a glass. The flavors deliver what the nose promises and this has a full spectrum of fruits and sweets layered over a creamy foundation of well aged malt. There is a good barrel influence and a nice warmth to the intermediate-length finish. If you like sherry finished whiskies, this will definitely fit the bill. I do, and it does. This is a great guilty pleasure and I"m sure it will find its way into repeat rotation. An above average dram, for certain!69.99 USD per Bottle
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This expression has been on my bar for about a year and I've enjoyed many trips to this bottling. The pour is a burnished yellow-gold. Full sheeting on a swirl with a few low tears marking this wisky's path back to the bottom of the glencairn. On the nose this is pure Islay. Iodine and band-aids, new yellow rubber boots and barbeque smoke, brine and succulents, malt and peat, floral and sweet. Helen Keller said that smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles. The nose of this whisky proves her observaton right. My nose has taken my imagination on an adventure in the bowl of this tasting glass. Simply magnificent! The taste is one of roasted meaty, smoky tobacco over a salty, honey-dipped drop of silky... Okay, that's a bit much. Am I being over enthusiastic? I like Islay scotches. By way of an example, I give you Lagavulin 16 and Laphroaig 10. The Lagavulin is a near perfect sip for me while Laphroaig doesn't cut it. The Laphroaig is lacking subtlety, in my opinion. It's brash and made up, like a trashy tart in a cheap bar. The Lagavulin fascinates me, like a mysterious contessa in her best evening garb. But the Ardbeg, well that's the gal I'd most like to bring home. Plenty of complexity balanced with a bouncy nature that just says "drink me". I like this whisky a lot. I ask you to pardon my exuburance, you've read the review thus far so I'll just cut to the chase. This is a 4 star whisky. It's a full bodied Islay of near ideal proportions and, at 108.4 proof and non-chill filtered, this just ticks the boxes for me one after another. I hope I never run out.79.99 USD per Bottle
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Florida Cane Premium Vodka
Unflavored Vodka — Tampa FL, USA
Reviewed April 6, 2020 (edited May 6, 2020)I just made a couple of vodka Collins' is out of this vodka. Fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1:1 simple syrup, soda water as a topper, garnished with a lemon wheel. It was a perfect drink but it tasted like ass. I tasted every ingredient separately because I couldn't believe the vodka could do this. I have kept this full bottle of vodka in the freezer next to a bottle of Sobieski. That bottle tastes fine- no musty funk. It was only opened for a previous taste. Full to the neck. There is nothing else in the freezer besides ice and some bottles of liquor. The cocktails were undrinkable. The rest of the bottle was a drain pour. I'm adjusting my review accordingly. This is not a liquor I would ever recommend purchasing. -
Enjoying a tour of some of the brands I haven't touched in years for whatever reason. The journey continues with Crown Royal, this taste coming from a 50ml nip that came complete with a little purple bag. I love it! Tasted neat from a glencairn. The light amber pour has some sheeting and clingly legs after a swirl. The nose is immediately off-putting with sharp ethanol and traces of acetone right up front. I'm going to give it a good 10 minutes to sit before evaluating. After a good, long wait elements of caramel and faint vanilla make an appearance. Most of the chemical/alcohol notes faded away. What's left is the opposite of complex. The first sip reveals a sweeter taste with a creamier mouthfeel than the nose advertised. The upfront is actually pretty good, but the follow through is choppy and disconnected. There's a bitter finish that makes me not want another sip. And then comes a rather interesting lemony bit that makes me wonder if I'd taste it again on another sip. Wash, rinse, repeat. Cloying introduction, sour departure. I'll drink this on the rocks, or mixed, anyplace where this is the best choice I have. It's not horrible for a fully mainstream, mass market name brand delivered in a plastic bottle. That does't mean I want it in my cabinet. It is, at it's best. wholly average. My scale of 1 to 5 places the peak of the bell curve at 2.5. Most competent, but unremarkable, whiskies will be found between 2 and 3 on this scale. Hard pass on buying a bottle.19.99 USD per Bottle
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It's been at least 12 years since I last had this - and then it was mixed with coca cola. I've probably sipped on this bottle once, but I don't recall. The bottle in question was gifted by a family member, is full to the neck but has been opened and has been in my posession for at least 5 years. That said... Black Velvet is a Canadian whisky. In fact, its the number 2 selling Canadian whisky after Crown Royal. Its owned by Heaven Hill and produced in the Black Velvet Distillery in Lethbridge, Alberta. Tasted neat in a glencairn. I let the drink rest for about 5 minutes before evaluating. The pour is a brassy, light color. Not much viscosity to the swirl. The nose has immediate notes of grain alcohol, and something a bit sweeter with fruity notes. Overall the nose is indistinct and thin. On the palate the thin nature continues. The whiskey is a bit watery, with no appreciable finish. It's not satisfying at all. There's a little drop of sweet, a bit of alcohol and then a flash of white pepper. Finally, there's a bit of a bitter aftertaste. I have no idea what I'll do with the rest of this bottle. This isn't something I'll drink neat again, it's definitely a non-descript mixer. Smooth? Sure, because there's nothing going on. Sweet? Maybe a little. Interesting? God no. (review update: after further consideration I realized I'd never drink this and won't serve it to friends, so down the drain it went) My scale is 1 to 5, with 2.5 being the peak of the bell curve. Most competent whiskies will end up between 2 and 3. For me, this one doesn't make the cut. I'm quite sure there are worse whiskies out there, and I hope I none of them end up in my cabinet. Hard pass.8.99 USD per Bottle
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Until I saw this in my local liquor store, I'd never even heard of this brand. I found it at an ABC in a sale rack for $2 for a 100ml sample. Its 80 proof, straight bourbon aged "at least 36 months." You never know how things will turn out, so I figured I'd give it a shot. The whiskey is very light in color and comes in a plastic bottle. I tasted this neat in a glencairn. The nose immediately after the pour is pretty weak, but there's nothing offensive about it. Actually, I'm kind of surprised that there aren't any acetone or ethanol notes. I let the pour sit for about 10 minutes before evaluating. After the rest the nose on this is mild,but slightly paint-like with sweet notes that remind me of buttered popcorn at the movies. There's just not a lot there to like (or not like). Overall its pretty nondescript on the nose. This whiskey is pretty thin. There are minor tears after a swirl and very little sheeting. First sip, this is sweet and actually pretty nice. It's very mild. There is a soft pepper-like finish that lasts for a few seconds. I'm getting a bit of vanilla, sweet caramel and the slightest bit of spice. Clearly a low proof and I don't think this will work too well in a cocktail. I can see this in something like a "smoked" old fashioned with too much demerara - the kind of sweet, innocuous old-fashioned served by "whiskey bars" to the newly minted bourbon lovers who just know life would be completely different if they could only score a bottle of Pappy... But no way this stands up to vermouth. Or soda. Maybe coca cola if you just don't like the taste of whiskey. Its very watery and lacking in body. Anyway, it doesn't suck. At least not completely. I think I like it better than JB white label (which I don't care for at all), but its been a couple years since I last sampled that one. It's actually acceptable if price is a serious concern and your expectations are modest. I'll pick this neat over JD Old No. 7 neat every time... On my scale a 2.5 is peak of the bell curve. Clearly the majority of competently made mass market whiskey should land between 2 and 3 on this scale. Zackaraiah Harris is in that group, scoring a surprising 2.25 (an extra quarter point for being a great value). No, I'm not likely to buy another bottle. I've purchased Jim Beam Repeal Prohibition bourbon on sale for the same price and I thought that to be a better product. Zack is a pass, but I'm not a hater...9.99 USD per Bottle
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