Tastes

Whiskey Del Bac Classic single malt, 46% abv, desert-made in Arizona. Tasted neat... for the third time. Copper color and very little coating legs in the glass. Apples, stone fruits, hint of caramel and vanilla and a little spice dust on the nose. Big flash of ethanol and baking spices in the mouth. Astringent and tannic, oak char, grain sweetness. Finish shows some sweetness and tingling mint and spices, but also an underlying ethanol burn that leaves me feeling like... heartburn. Tried this three different times to figure out what's going on here, and got really consistent results every time. Tried the Whiskey Del Bac Dorado single malt smoked with mesquite and LOVED it (4.75), and then tried the Classic and Dorado side by side. Really different outcomes. While this Classic is OK, it's not in the same class as the Dorado. Or maybe the Dorado's mesquite smoke just hides the distillate or barreling flaws inherent in the Classic. Disappointed... and left with that heartburn feeling. Ice definitely helps this whiskey--don't let your glass leave the bar without some. Update: I've been drinking down this bottle with ice, and I feel a little better about it over time. It shares a hint of the mesquite smoke that makes the Dorado so good IMHO (even though this is an unsmoked malt mashbill). Maybe it's the barrel or barrel char. And an ice cube solved the heartburn feeling. Be generous and call this a 3.0/5.0, a passing grade 60%.

70% rye masbill, charcoal filtered, 45% abv. Tasted neat. Copper color and decent legs in the glass. Sweet caramel, vanilla oak, and peanut shells on the nose. Rather light and missing rye spice. In the mouth, sweet and oak, earthy leather, and vanilla. Thick and coating (oily) mouthfeel, but not overly sweet--that's a winner! A little char smoke appears in the finish which highlights vanilla, oak, and some spicy and dry grassy rye notes. Average length, turning a little sour at the end. An average rye, not overly complex, nor ethanol-driven as happens in some cheaper ryes. At 45% abv this will mix well. Sipping it is OK; an ice cube doesn’t hurt but isn't necessary to tamp down off flavors or ethanol. And at the price... sure, mix away! Who doesn't want a Rye and Ginger from time to time, especially in dodgy bars where Jack rules. Nothing wrong with that.

50ml mini bottle ($2.95) tasting series. Tasted neat. Pale yellow copper and full coating legs in the glass. Nose is floral grain, vanilla oak, and a hint of spice. Sweet maple cereal mush, soft and mouth coating. Vanilla and cinnamon sugar cookies or graham crackers. The finish remains soft and sweet, but shows more oak tannins and baking spice. Average long finish, some stone mineral and dry sweet grass tingle. Little ethanol or astringency as I recall in the regular Jameson. Softer and rounder, and in that way more pleasant to sip. Not an over-complicated flavor profile, but a good easy entry level Irish.

50ml mini bottle ($2.95) tasting series. Tasted neat. Pale yellow and full coating legs in the glass. Nose is floral grain, sweet, stone fruit, and just a whiff of spice at the end. Light brown sugar cereal and vanilla in the mouth. Sweet and thin mouthfeel, with some ethanol bite. Finish is sweet and citrus, then dry grass, mineral, baking spice, and vanilla oak shows up. Finish is above average length, dry, tingling, and then a lingering saline astringent sour. Not a bad blended Irish--may be better with an ice cube to tamp down the sweet.

90 proof, tasted neat. Copper color and good coating legs in the glass. Nose is wood smoke, char, and sweet grain, light vanilla, and just a hint of chili pepper spice. Mesquite smoke like a bbq/smoked piece of meat in the mouth. Leather and vanilla oak over the top of sweet grain cereal and spicy sweet grass. Rich and full and mouth coating, with some ethanol warmth. Finish shows the light astringincy of that smoke and oak, as well as light baking spices, saline, and sweet charred chiles. Long and tingling and coating. An ice cube smooths and makes this drink sweeter, less spicy... but the mesquite remains. This really hits all my preferences--the smoke, sweet grain, and spice. Hate to say, I like the mesquite as much (or more) than peat. Maybe that's my western prejudice and scent memories--mesquite smoke hanging in cold winter air. Or maybe I'm just used to peat, tired of it, appreciating something similar but new and assertive. I'm guessing others won't like this as much for that reason, and that's ok. Gotta know what you like and your own biases. For me, this is a familiar terroir statement, and I don't see what others call artificial smoke flavors. It's breaking new ground (alongside Balcones), and it's a good American single malt whiskey.

Another in my series of 50ml minibottle tastings, neat, and $2.50. From the Wiser website: "An award-winning blend of corn and rye distillate, aged in 10 years in new white oak, once used American bourbon, and used Canadian whisky casks. This whisky is at its best when sipped neat or on the rocks." Light orange copper color and average coating legs in the glass. Nose is light--dry sweet grass, vanilla, citrus. In the mouth, butterscotch and werthers hard candy, with a little oak (very little for a triple barrel?) and a small astringent ethanol burst. Light thin mouthfeel. In the finish, a citrus astringency shows up with rye spice and a tingling mint mouthfeel. Pleasant, but not rich. Kinda a sweet and sour flavor profile. No bad, but not deep. Don't know why it makes me think of Old Grand Dad, but without the 100 proof kick. Orange color and citrus overtones? Still... Worth the price of admission.