Tastes
-
Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed August 6, 2023 (edited January 9, 2024)I'm not going into a lot of detail on the tasting notes here. This is a single barrel so there's variation from bottle to bottle and batch to batch. Suffice it to say that this is a thicker richer creamier version of wild turkey 101. Unfortunately at $60 it's more expensive than Rare Breed near me, which makes it a little bit less compelling.59.99 USD per Bottle -
I'm just finishing the last dram of my bottle. I came to this whiskey with no real knowledge of its origin story. That's one of the problems with bourbon in particular; there are so many stories and most of them are from brilliant marketing minds. At this point in my journey I tend to tune most of that out, sampling new expressions based on recommendations from friends, acquaintances and the occasional random bon vivant. Either that or I buy based on an interesting label, concise shelf-talker, or colorful stack-out. This is a pretty cool bottle and the shelf-talker mentioned Legent being finished in wine and sherry casks, so it was almost inevitable that it would end up in my rotation. This last sample from a bottle that's been open several weeks was enjoyed from a grappa coppita. The nose delivers a caramel and tart wine greeting followed by milk chocolate covered cherries. These are the notes I get, but somehow they are delivered sans saccharine or excess sweetness. The bouquet is ultimately woody and dry, moderately complex and slightly spicy. On the palate this opens with a sweet note that quickly dries, leaving a sweet aftertaste. There is a bit of ginger and black pepper, keeping this nicely balanced. Overall this is an above average sipper that combines the sweetness of a Jim Beam Single Barrel with a little bit of the bite of Old Grand Dad and the fruitiness of something like a Starward Nova. The finish is short and clean. Legent is just a bit thinner than optimal and that keeps this from getting a full four stars from me. That said, it is very nice and a good value. Where this whiskey really can shine is in a Manhattan cocktail. This bourbon loves vermouth. Carpano Classico, Carpano Antica, Cocchi di Torino, Martini & Rossi Ambrato all blended beautifully. Another bottle will likely find its way back into my collection as the weather cools this autumn and the clear drinks give way to darker spirits, and Manhattans take over from Martinis at the cocktail hour.34.99 USD per Bottle
-
Old Forester 1897 Bottled In Bond
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed July 20, 2023 (edited August 17, 2023)This is the final taste of the bottle, enjoyed neat from a grappa copita. The nose off this polished walnut liquid is sweet with caramel, waxy crayons, burnt sugar, and slight ethanol. These notes lie on a bed of cherry cough drops. Its moderately complex, appealing and inviting but not exceptional in any way. On the palate this is slightly drier than the 1910. It doesn't have the sweetness or lushness of that expression, which is my favorite so far of the Old Forester Whiskey Row series. That said, it does have a measure of sweetness all its own that's balanced nicely by oak, barrel char and a hint of woody bitterness. The finish is moderate and fades to a dry, oaky smolder of black pepper. I've had this neat, on ice and in several cocktails. This was really at its peak in an Old Fashioned, particularly if a bit of Luxardo cherry syrup is used as the sweetener. It's quite good in almost any whiskey forward stirred cocktail. And maybe that's the problem with this expression. At near $55 it's not twice as good as Wild Turkey 101, or Knob Creek. It's a good cocktail whiskey, but it's priced with solid sippers that offer more complexity and a richer experience. 1897 is good stuff, but not exceptional.54.99 USD per Bottle -
Casamigos Blanco Tequila
Tequila Blanco — Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed July 11, 2023 (edited August 17, 2023)Purchased at Costco for the princely sum of $48 or so as an impulse buy. I'm not big into blanco tequila other than for mixing cocktails, although I love mezcal. And maybe mezcal, a recent addition to my fascinations, is why I'm impulse buying tequila; to see what I may have missed? I don't know. The answer is far less important than the question. And the question is 'what does this tequila taste like and is it worth adding to the bar?" Tasted neat from a shot glass, a copita and in cocktails as diverse as a tequila martini (60ml Blanco Tequila, 30ml Bianco Vermouth, orange bitters, orange twist garnish), Margarita, Mexican Mule and as a chilled shot (no training wheels). The nose is agave forward with a bit of lime citrus, vanilla, mint, coconut & slight ethanol. On the palate this is pleasingly sweet, very simple in profile and easy to drink. 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. Count me there as a member of that group. This is the tequila to bring to a party for people who want to do shots of tequila but are turned off by rough edges. You know, adults and like that. This isn't a cocktail tequila, lacking the spine to show through in a Margarita or other juice-forward concoction. I mean, it's okay and all but... there's better. No way this works in a good Bloody Maria, it's way too soft. Good taste if not at all demanding or daring, overpriced and a good flex for gift giving. Above average but not really... so 3 stars is a good compromise rating.48.99 USD per Bottle -
González Byass Vermouth La Copa Extra Seco
Vermouth — Jerez, Spain
Reviewed July 7, 2023 (edited August 17, 2023)Just purchased a 375 of this as I explore vermouth and sherry wines in the context of building cocktails. Here's the skinny on this one - best gin Martini vermouth I've had yet. Beats out Dolin Dry, Martini & Rossi, Noilly Pratt, Cinzano and a host of others. In fact, this is the best Martini vermouth I've tried so far. And I mean a lifetime of Martini's, btw. This is just ideal in a 3:1 with Botanist and a few drops of saline. Nothing more is needed. Delicate, light, complex, and satisfying. This vermouth offers hints of cinnamon, sweet grains, spice and green botanicals over a layer of tart, complex Fino sherry. There are notes of lemon, baking spices, bittering agents, floral elements and more. And its all in a harmonious balance whether consumed chilled, on ice or in a stirred cocktail. Impressive as a cocktail component and pretty tasty solo. Top recommendations!25.0 USD per Bottle -
A gift from a visiting friend, this is my first experience with this distillery. Tasted neat from a NEAT tasting glass after a few moments rest. I've had this on a few occasions already and the bottle is about 2/3 full after this pour. It's been open for about a month. The pour is a very pale apple juice brassy color, painfully clear. The nose is all in on the apples with strong notes of sweet apple juice, tart apple skins, green apples, red delicious apples, green pears, slight lemon, lemongrass, slight grain and almost no ethanol note. This is very, very complex and also very dainty and delicate. After a while there's just the slightest hint of ash and an ephemeral note of something resembling mercurochrome. I'm loving this complexity while the whisky never becomes overpowering. Very impressive. On the palate this maintains its delicacy. There is a sweet blush of butter and honey up front that quickly dissolves into an assortment of orchard fruits, primarily Honeycrisp apple, green pears, green tea, and graham crackers. As the flavor begins to fade there's a nice transition to ginger, allspice and finally cracked pepper. The finish is moderate, fading cleanly to a lemony tartness with a bit of the bitter lemon pith left on the back of the tongue. I don't have a lot of experience with Japanese whisky. I've had Toki (not a fan), Nikka Grain (quite nice if ultimately a bit too reticent to hold my attention), Nikka From the Barrel (yes, please), Yamazaki 12 (I remember liking it but I don't remember specifics about it) and this. If this is typifies an excellent Japanese whisky, then I've done myself a disservice by not paying more attention to the category. Taken on its own this is a top tier distillate, full stop. I use a simple grading system based on bell curve distribution. Mass market quality product (Beam, JD, Woodford, Dewar's) will hover between 2 and 3. Truly good product emerges at 3.5 and above 4 are the stand-out products that offer unique tasting adventure balanced with a reachable price point. This is such a whisky. This is absolutely above average. Well above average, in fact.
-
Tasted neat at room temperature side-by-side with Kirkland French Vodka. I'm not a vodka fan, certainly not a vodka snob. This started because my wife and I really like a Cajun Martini (https://www.liquor.com/cajun-martini-cocktail-recipe-5218591) pool-side and I needed to buy vodka. Naturally I wanted to know which is the best to get and that's how I started tasting mid-shelf vodkas. ,On ithe nose there is a very slight sugary cake-frosting note to the Wheatley that I don't get from the Kirkland. They are very, very close and that's why I do these sbs - no way to parse out differences so slight over time based on memory alone. Both smell "like vodka" with the Kirkland giving a slightly more ethanol-centric note. On the palate the Wheatley is definitely sweeter, but also a bit thinner in mouthfeel. The Kirkland is richer, a bit more peppery and has a slight bitterness in a fast finish. The Wheatley is altogether a more approachable, sweeter take while still retaining a significantly neutral personality. This is like comparing "Snowbound" white paint with "Atrium" white paint. Yes they are different but at the end of the day they are white paint. Both are clean and neutral and perhaps sweeter and less hot than Sobieski, thinner and not quite as earthy as Luksusowa, and no where near as transparent in flavor as Smirnoff 100 proof. This bottle set me back about $28 for a handle. The Kirkland is $20. The Sobieski is $17. I have to be honest, I did like the Wheatley best in the Cajun Martini, though. Something about that sweetness. Or was that just the particular pepper I used? Recommended if the additional costs doesn't matter to you. If it does, opt for the Sobieski or Kirkland.
-
Thompson Saison cask single cask
Single Malt — New Zealand
Reviewed June 28, 2023 (edited July 6, 2023)Enjoying a sample courtesy of @PBMichiganWolverine. Tasted neat from a NEAT glass after a bit of rest. The nose has a bit of vanilla and caramelized sugar, but that's in the background. Up front this is dry grass, almond, and ghosts of young, green fruit like immature grapes. Interesting. On the palate I'm struck by the silky mouthfeel. There's more sweetness in the palate than the nose suggests. Caraway and dark chocolate notes emerge after an initial burst of sweet, dark raisins and a molasses-like note that's far more dry than that syrup, but has the dark elements of that taste profile. The finish is relatively quick and there's a bit of sweet and bitter that hang around for a few long seconds after the swallow. Very interesting whiskey. I'm reminded of Koval millet whiskey here, only with much less spice and greater richness. This is worth exploring if you find a bottle. -
Rothman & Winter Orchard Peach Liqueur
Fruit Liqueurs — Austria
Reviewed May 31, 2023 (edited July 6, 2023)I purchased this on a lark from a LLS that had it on close-out pricing at $10 for the bottle. I took a flier and this time that chance was a complete win! Both on the palate and on the nose all I can say is WOW! Peaches and more peaches. Sweet. Very, very rich. Very deep and full flavor. A truly excellent flavored brandy. This is excellent neat and is quite enjoyable after a meal on a big piece of ice. The killer app is to add about 1/2 ounce to an Old Fashioned made with a cask strength bourbon in place of the simple syrup. Holy smoke! I'm very glad I took a chance on this and I'll have no problems ponying up the $30 per bottle for the apricot and maybe one or two others. Recommended if you need a really well made flavor modifier for your cocktail needs. -
I'm not going to become obsessed with vodka, but my recent consumption of Cajun martinis has me leaning in that direction at this moment in time. While at Costco, I just couldn't resist taking a shot at this expression, reported to be the equivalent of Grey Goose at half the price. I wouldn't know, I don't drink a lot of vodka so I will compare this to the Sobieski, Luksusowa and Smirnoff Blue I've recently reviewed on this site. Tasted in the aforementioned Cajun Martini, 4:1 Vodka Martini, Reverse Martini and neat. On the nose this is slightly sweet, otherwise very neutral. On the palate this retains the sweetness of the nose and adds a rich 'bready' note that reminds me of the center portion of grocery store white bread. It's subtle but adds a "comfort food" vibe to the experience. Of particular note is mouthfeel, which is silky and rich. Nicely creamy with very little pepper or heat, this is a clean and delivers a fast, muted finish. Overall I like this the most of the four vodkas I've examined recently. This is the best balanced by far, and the most interesting on its own. It is at least equal to the Sobieski in the jalapeno concoction where the rye vodka's spicy DNA works with the vegetal elements of the pepper. The Kirkland is better in the other applications where I've tried it. Good price, good value, definitely recommended as a quality house vodka. At $21 for a 1.75 liter bottle, this is an easy buy. One thing I'll add to this - the bottle is stupidly large and heavy. It's tall enough to potentially present some storage issues, as if finding a spot for the Luxardo Maraschino wasn't annoying enough. I score on a simple scale that follows a bell curve. A 1 on this scale is well below average, most mass market offerings will cluster around 2.5. Kirkland French Vodka is a bit ahead of the curve.
Results 11-20 of 262 Reviews