Tastes

I'm upping my previous review of a 4.0 for a few reasons. The other night I was feeling like a lighter dram and poured myself a generous measure of Oak Cross. After consuming said dram, I remembered that this bottling is what's listed as the "vatted Highland malt" on CBW's recipes, and a part of this whisky is in all their other whiskies as well, so naturally I poured myself a bit of Peat Monster to test this theory, and lo and behold, having had Oak Cross first amplified the taste of Peat Monster! I tried the same procedure with Spice Tree the next night, and The Spaniard the night after that. Having Oak Cross as a "warmup" to the other CBW offerings made all the others more enjoyable! While this one isn't their best offering (keeping in mind that when these guys have a bad day it looks like a good day at most other places...), it cuts right to the core of what John Glasser is going for in his quest for whisky "deliciousness", and therefore my rating for this one gets a boost and a hearty salute.

I’ve reviewed this one already on the old Distiller page for the earlier edition of this and my original review holds up. This is what I said previously: ”This is without a doubt one of the most unique and tasty whiskeys I’ve ever tried. Due to the multi-national composition of the blend, it’s hard to pin down as one type. Imagine the taste of a bourbon with the complex spicy mid-palate of a rye with the smoky finish of an Islay or Island. The perfect desert dram and something perfectly unique for your collection!" I would add to that by saying that the category of blended American whiskey doesn’t get much press but with Scotch blenders like Compass Box reviving the blend category to the level of art, I think we can expect similar American offerings in the future, including from the folks at High West.

I’ve tasted this one before but it bears repeating because it’s just so damn good. Bourbon was my gateway into the world of whiskey and not long after I began exploring bottles I first tried Four Roses Single Barrel. That bottle is now gone through the great liver in the sky, but has since been replaced, and friends, tonight’s sampling is just as good as I remember it being the first time I tried it all those years ago. Nose starts off soft. Palate is chewy, with rich caramel, butterscotch, and cherry notes. While Four Roses uses a high rye in their mashbill, it’s not overly spicy, which is what I tend to prefer in bourbon. You got a bite at the end from the proof and the tannins from the barrel but then it just sits with you for oh so long and warms your soul. Friends, this is a magnificent bourbon and I can not recommend it highly enough. Don’t hesitate to snatch this one off the shelf if you see it. Cheers!

I have to admit I was disappointed by this one. The reviews looked so promising. I saw it in a bar and thought I’d try before I sunk the money into a bottle. Nose is aggressive. A little water rounded it off and gave off a note not unlike Honey Nut Cheerios, if you could get drunk off those. Taste was pleasant enough. Typical single pot still maltiness. Not a bad pour by any means, and I would happily drink it again if someone offered it, but not something for my home bar I think.

The nose on this one is certainly unique, but I don't know that I love it. Reminds me of over-ripe bananas (before you freeze them or make banana bread out of them). On the palate it is certainly smooth, and a notable improvement than the standard Jack, but I don't know if that's enough to make it better. Finish isn't very long, and the "double mellowing" doesn't do much for me. Glad I only got a sample of this and not the bottle. It's not that it's offensive, it just doesn't have much to offer.

This is a whiskey that I hear about all the time, but have only got around to trying now. It's on all the lists of best budget bourbons, and friends have raved about it for years. I'm almost ashamed that I'm only now getting around to it. This is a tasty sipper that I plan on keeping around. On the nose, I get the usual bourbon handshake, plus some added baking spices and a lingering banana note. Maybe it's young spirit, but I don't really care. I like the smell. Return visits bring out some cloves and a lingering smell of being back in wood shop in high school. Taste is fairly standard as bourbons go. Bit of a nip from the alcohol, but a warm finish with notes reminiscent of cinnamon. A little water smooths things out more and brings out more of the caramel toffee notes. This is a great, standard bourbon offering, particularly if you're just getting into bourbon and looking for an entry point. It's not quite as hot as some other budget bourbons like Jim Beam or Old Forester, and it's good value for the dollar (about $20 in TX). I suspect it'll hold up well with ice as well, which is important with summer right around the corner.

I had the good fortune to attend an Amrut tasting event tonight with one of the brand ambassadors at the Seven Grand whiskey bar in downtown Austin. I got to try five different expressions from Amrut over the course of the evening, plus some delightful punch made with their peated single malt. This one ranks #3 out of 5 for the evening. The nose hits you with cut grass, vanilla, LOTS of peat, and almost makes you think you're smelling Lagavulan. Doesn't taste the same as Lag though, which doesn't mean it was bad. It had a creamy, vanilla taste once you got past the peat, reminiscent of a cross between a Laphroig and a Highland malt. Very intriguing.

I had the good fortune to attend an Amrut tasting event tonight with one of the brand ambassadors at the Seven Grand whiskey bar in downtown Austin. I got to try five different expressions from Amrut over the course of the evening, plus some delightful punch made with their peated single malt. Wow, what a whisky! I haven't had too many port finishes, as they're damn expensive usually and I'm not the biggest fan of wine finishes, but this one almost reminded me of a sweet red wine mixed with bourbon. The nose was just incredible. I wish my whole house smelled like this one. That being said, the brand rep said there were 60 bottles allocated to all of Texas, which likely means a high price tag. I was most glad I got to try this one though, and it ranks #2 out of 5 for my tastings tonight.

I had the good fortune to attend an Amrut tasting event tonight with one of the brand ambassadors at the Seven Grand whiskey bar in downtown Austin. I got to try five different expressions from Amrut over the course of the evening, plus some delightful punch made with their peated single malt. I got lots of notes of raisins, figs, and some baking spices from the barrel. The taste was almost sweet, and didn't bely the cask strength of this expression. The finish wasn't as long as I'd expect for a CS whisky. This one was unique to me. I've had plenty of sherry finishes, but not a lot of madeira finishes. I'd rank this #4 out of 5 pours for the evening, mostly because I'm not the biggest fan of wine finishes, but also because even if I had enjoyed this one more, it's very rare and most likely prohibitively expensive.

I had the good fortune to attend an Amrut tasting event tonight with one of the brand ambassadors at the Seven Grand whiskey bar in downtown Austin. I got to try five different expressions from Amrut over the course of the evening, plus some delightful punch made with their peated single malt. This one ranked #1 of the evening for me, if for nothing else that I can afford it and it's available in my area. The peat is really thoughtfully blended into this pour, and doesn't overpower the Indian malted barley, and the finish just goes on forever. It almost reminds me of High West Campfire. I'm adding this one to my collection for sure. I can see why Jim Murray liked it so much when it first came out.