Tastes
jonwilkinson7309
Majoring in whisk(e)y, with minors in rum and mezcal. I have a collection of about 200 bottles, with a focus on American craft and Islay, Highland and Island Scotches. If you'd like to trade samples@ please contact me at [email protected].
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Wanderback American Single Malt Batch No. 3
American Single Malt — Washington (aged in Oregon), USA
Reviewed May 23, 2020 (edited August 3, 2020)And then there was one...Batch 3. I've previously reviewed Batch 1 and 2, with Batch 1 being my preference. So where does Batch 3 fall? Batch 3 is aged for a minimum of five years and finished in port barrels. It returns to Batch 1's ABV of 45%, versus the 50% ABV for Batch 2. Perhaps it's that reduction, an extra two years in the barrel, or both, but the slightly harsh edge of Batch 2 is gone, and the bold, rich mocha from Batch 1 returns, better than ever. The port finishing is apparent on both the nose and palate, but far from overbearing. It's a very nice compliment to the underlying malt. I really enjoyed this one and I'm looking forward to Wanderback's future releases. And some good news - according to Wanderback's website, Batch 4 is coming soon. -
Wanderback American Single Malt Batch No. 2
American Single Malt — Washington (aged in Oregon), USA
Reviewed May 21, 2020 (edited July 16, 2020)Some months ago, I bought a three batch combo pack of Wanderback malts from Seelback's. I found Batch 1 to be a rich, robust malt, precocious and mature beyond its two years. On to Batch 2! This whiskey is a year older, with the final six months spent in used rum casks. The nose is sweet - berries and pear, along with some chocolate pastry. There's also faint savory note that carries over to the palate. At first it reminded me of V8 juice, and then a tomato based stew. It's actually not a bad note on either the nose or palate, just a bit odd. The rum notes are prominent on the palate. While the rum finish doesn't obscure the rich malt notes, it does mute them a bit. And the odd savory savory note flits around above it all. The ABV of Batch 2 is a bit higher that Batch 1 - 50% versus 45%. I'm not sure that's a good thing, as Batch 2 come across as little bit harsh in comparison. Had I tried both drams in a blind tasting, I likely would have guessed that Batch 1 had spent more time in the barrel. I wrote this review after sitting with this whiskey for the third time. Initially, I found it to be rather disjointed. That has improved, and perhaps it's starting to settle down with some additional air in the bottle. Despite it's flaws, it's started to grow on me a bit. But it doesn't live up to the promise of Batch 1, and is overshadowed by Wanderback's subsequent release, Batch 3. That's my next review! -
Plantation Trinidad 1997 Single Cask (Kilchoman Whisky Cask Maturation)
Aged Rum — Trinidad
Reviewed May 11, 2020 (edited August 3, 2020)On occasion I'll see the comment, "Maybe I got a bad bottle" in a review here. I've never questioned a dram in that way, until now. My understanding is that oxidation, UV light and heat or temperature swings can alter a liquor's flavor, or otherwise cause it to denature or break down. But short of a distributor or store being dumb enough to store bottles in direct sunlight or a hot attic, it seems unlikely (albeit possible, but not something I've knowingly encountered). The only other option would be a defective cork. But wouldn't that be apparent when opening the bottle? Which brings me to this Plantation; rum from Trinidad with a portion of the aging done in used casks from Kilchoman. I've had at least a half-dozen different Plantation rums, and to my palate, they've ranged from good to excellent. As far as Kilchoman is concerned, I could probably spend an afternoon curled up in one of their used casks and enjoy every minute of it. And yet, this rum is horrid. On the palette, there's an immediate and strong hit of smoke that I can only describe as liquid ashtray. The smoke does give way, but it's replaced by a wave that leaves me thinking of fetid pond water slightly sweetened. It seems impossible that Plantation guru Alexandre Gabriel and his team would send something this awful out into the world. Which, for the first time in my spirits experience leads me to say, "Maybe I got a bad bottle." Opinions? I'm reserving a numeric rating until I have a bit more insight. -
This is a very nice whiskey that I'll probably never buy (this review is based on a 2 ounce sample). That's not because I have no idea when I'll find myself in an airport again. While it's probably one of the better travel retail exclusive bottles at the moment (at least I think it's still a TR exclusive) it doesn't stand out from the rest of Laphroaig's offerings. I'd love to try this alongside the 10 and the 10 Cask Strength, because it seems to be highly similar to both, with an ABV somewhere in between. It certainly has the same ashy peat, sea salt, vanilla and medical notes. If the An Cuan Mor was priced midway between the 10 and the 10 Cask Strength, I probably would buy it. But it appears to run about $100, around $40 more than I think it's worth in comparison to the 10s. But who knows? Maybe the next time I'm in an airport (and thrilled to be traveling again), the excitement will get the better of me. It's certainly not a bottle I'd be unhappy to consume.
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A number of good recent Laphroaig reviews have reminded me that (a) I hadn't had Laphroaig in quite a while, and (b) I had two Laphroaig samples waiting to be consumed - Lore and An Cuan Mor. I started with the Lore. From the first nosing and sip, it both impressed me and surprised me. It has a deep richness, a meat char peat, a nice fruity sweetness playing in the background, and the trademark medicinal notes at low volume. Overall, it drifts a bit closer to Ardbeg than any other Laphroaig I've had. In fact, if I had tasted this blind, I'm not entirely sure I would have correctly identified it as a Laphroaig. I was surprised enough that I decided a reality check was in order, so I opened the An Cuan Mor. I'll review that one separately, but the ashy peat and medicinal notes jumped out at me, confirming my initial impressions of the Lore - it's a Laphroaig, but a bit different. One caveat here is that I've never had any of the old Laphroaigs, and apparently the Lore has some has some old juice in it. So perhaps it is a typical Laphroaig - a typical older Laphroaig. Regardless, this is a very nice whiskey, and well worth the price. At $100-120 its just a shade less expensive than some of the great "18s" - Highland Park, Talisker, and Caol Ila, but in my opinion it holds it's own in that league.
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Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon
Bourbon — Texas, USA
Reviewed March 30, 2020 (edited July 17, 2020)Ahhh, Balcones. There's no mistaking it. If you're familiar with Balcones, this whiskey won't take you by surprise. In fact, if you're familiar with Balcones, I suspect that if you were served this bourbon in a blind tasting you'd say "this is Balcones" before you'd even determined it was a bourbon. On my palate, this bourbon has more in common with other Balcones whiskeys than it does with any bourbon I'm familiar with. This pot still bourbon has the mocha/caramel note of Balcones Rye. It has the bold roundness of the Single Malt, and some of the smoked corn found in the Brimstone. Having said that, it's absolutely not a classic bourbon, nor does it have the complexity of some other four-grain bourbons. But I find it quite enjoyable, if a bit simple and straightforward. Notwithstanding the weak Distilller review and the mixed user reviews, I decided to try it for no other reason than it was 28 bucks. The VFM is strong here. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to come up with more than a few whiskeys under $30 that I'd prefer to drink.28.0 USD per Bottle -
Privateer Navy Yard Rum
Navy Rum — Massachusettes, USA
Reviewed March 19, 2020 (edited April 1, 2022)Despite hearing a lot of great things about Privateer over the past year or so, I resisted buying a bottle to give it a try. The distillery is about a 40-minute drive from our home, giving me the opportunity to sample before buying, A couple of weekends ago, while the event cancellations were starting to pour in but before social distancing was a catchphrase, my wife and I decided we needed to get out of the house and do something fun. Off to Privateer! To summarize: the distillery tour was great, the distillery itself is beautiful, the Privateer folks are fanatical about creating great rum, and everything we sampled was exceptional. Privateer's slogan is "True American Rum:", and they're dead set in their mission to create world-class rum. Specially sourced molasses, no additives or sweeteners, meticulous distilling and aging processes, and weekly cleaning of the stills, for starters. But perhaps the best evidence of what Privateer has achieved is this - Velier (if you're not familiar with Velier, it's an Italian bottler that selects and bottles rum from the world's finest distilleries, such as Hampden, Foursquare, and Caroni) will be bottling select Privateer casks soon. As for the Navy Rum, it had some stiff competition from the other rums we tried, but it was one of my favorites. Just a bit of spice, and some great notes on both the nose and palate of brown sugar, tobacco, leather, and oak. The oak may be the standout note. I've seen other reviews that describe it as pencil-shavings, but to me, it's a crisp, dry oak burst that's I've never quite experienced elsewhere. Beautiful. My wife grabbed one of Privateer's recipe cards for a "Navy Yard Julip", and she whipped up a batch the following evening. Although I'm really not a cocktail enthusiast, I was impressed with how well this rum held up to and complimented the mint and simple syrup. We left Privateer with six bottles, although it might have been more if not for the fact that the distillery is easily accessible (in addition to their core products, they have numerous "distiller's draw" limited editions). Six bottles of really good craft spirits can be an expensive proposition, but our haul averaged just over $40 per bottle. Excellent VFM, IMO. If you like rum and haven't tried Privateer yet, get some! I also think Privateer would be a hit with whiskey enthusiasts who often find rum to be too sweet or syrupy. Because there's no added sugar, the sweetness is kept in check while the barrel notes shine. -
McKenzie Single Barrel Bourbon, Barrel No. 1768
Bourbon — New York, USA
Reviewed March 16, 2020 (edited August 3, 2020)This is a single barrel offering available in limited quantities from Seelbach's. As of this writing, it's still in stock but the total number of bottles is very limited (204). But even if you can't get this specific bottle, I believe it's representative of the high-quality bourbon McKenzie is producing. So I felt a review was in order. I love exploring craft offerings, but I'm not always rewarded for those efforts. Certainly, there are many craft products that are average (or worse), overpriced, or both. But I've purchased enough craft spirits that are gems to ensure I'll keep hunting craft. This bottle is one of those gems. The mashbill is corn-65%, spelt-13%, wheat-11%, wheat malt-6%, and barley malt -5%. If I had been asked to describe the perfect wheated bourbon, I would have mentioned notes of vanilla, oak, caramel maybe some fruit. Bold but not harsh, and certainly not one dimensional This bottle has all of that and more. The ABV of 52% seems to be perfect - this dram bursts with flavor without any harshness. I was so impressed with this whiskey that I felt that a reality check was in order, so I opened a bottle of Weller Antique 107. The 107 is a wonderful dram, but there's no question in my mind - I prefer this McKenzie over the Weller (I've repeated the comparison on three different days prior to writing this review). That's not to say the McKenzie is better - that's a matter of personal taste. Comparatively, the Weller is more spicy and feels like it's wound a bit tight. The McKenzie takes my palette on more of a ride, and I find it to be a better example of a wheated bourbon in terms of the flavor profile. This is the second McKenzie bourbon that I've tried, with the first being their Bottled in Bond (also wheated). McKenzie also has a mashbill with rye that I can't vouch for. But if you're contemplating any of their wheated offerings, go for it! -
Mezcal Vago Arroqueño en Barro by Tío Rey
Mezcal Joven — Oaxaca, Mexico
Reviewed March 10, 2020 (edited August 3, 2020)During a recent visit to Old Town Tequila in San Diego, the manager noticed a bottle of Del Maguey Arroqueno in my hand. "If you like that, I have another arroqueno in the back that's even better." Del Maguey is the only arroqueno mezcal I've had (thanks to a sample from @pbmichiganwolverine) but it's spectacular. So I was slightly skeptical, but intrigued. I told the manager I was interested and he retreated to the stock room, returning several minutes later with a bottle of Vago Arroqueno en Barro. I'm familiar with Vago, having tried the excellent espadin and elote. So I bought it. "Barro" translates to "mud" or "clay". Here, it is descriptive of the small clay pots used for distilling, as well as the impact the clay distilling has on both the nose and palate with a solid base of earth and clay notes. The smoke is quite light for a joven mezcal, but wonderful. The clay and smoke are complimented by notes of agave, tropical fruit, dark fruits, and mint. It's all wonderfully balanced. So is it better than the Del Maguey? That's a matter of preference. The Del Maguey is bold and powerful, deep and complex. The Vago is rustic, earthy and far more subtle. While I might be more likely to replace the Del Maguey, the Vago is different than any mezcal I've had and is exceptional in its own right. The Vago team is apparently quite fanatical about the entire process, down to the type of ink used on the labels. Vago uses some labor-intensive and time-consuming distillation techniques, and its mezcals are produced in very small batches - usually between 200 and 500 liters. It's a true craft effort that shines.Old Town Tequila Factory Restaurant & Cantina -
Split Rock Organic Bourbon Whiskey
Bourbon — Maine, USA
Reviewed February 28, 2020 (edited May 10, 2020)I was introduced to Split Rock Distilling last fall at a food and spirits expo in Portland Maine. My conversation with the two founders of Split Rock, Matt and Topher, was the highlight of the day. They were super friendly, but also seriously committed to their craft. As soon as they learned I was a whiskey enthusiast, they started passionately describing their products. Among other things, I got a good lesson in the art of small barrel aging. I was very excited to try the organic four-grain (60% corn, 20% wheat, 15% barley, and 5% percent rye) bourbon, and it was a winner. Each of the grains brought some distinct and discernable qualities to the show - vanilla and caramel from the corn and wheat, some cereal grain from the barley, and a nice little hit of baking spice on the finish from the rye. It was all integrated into a solid package from the nose to finish. Matt and Topher got high-fives. I bought a bottle and opened it about a week later, mentally preparing a glowing Distiller review as I was pulling out the cork. But tragedy struck. The taste was vastly different - the palate was dominated by a vegetal maltiness. I set the bottle aside and revisited it several times since, but no change. It's certainly not awful, but not great either. And oddly, the closest comparisons I can think of are two American single malts - Swift and Virginia Distillery, neither of which I'm highly enamored with. It's baffling to me that a whiskey with 15% barley tastes like it's 100% barley. It took five months to get around to writing this review because it took me this long to come to terms with it. Perhaps I was a bit traumatized. But despite the disappointment, I'm not going to give up on these guys. They have just released two straight bourbons (aged three years in somewhat larger barrels, available at 88 proof and cask strength). When I get the time, I'll be making a trip to the distillery.
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