Tastes

What to say about MGP? It’s everywhere. Every bottle you’ve spotted and wondered how it got there is probably a startup using youngish MGP juice (or Dickel) and waiting for their own (often questionable) stock to mature (or not...). Where I find MGP really shines is when it’s blended intelligently into something unique. Enter Belle Meade. Known mostly for their lovely cask finishing (except perhaps the Cognac), this is a newish blend from the house of Nelson, replacing the previous single cask barrel proof options. I followed up on this after a highly enjoyable trip through their sherry cask finished bourbon last year. The nose surprises me. For as much rye as MGP uses, I don’t get much spice on first sniff. In fact, apart from some faint bourbony notes, there’s not much on the nose at all. Fortunately, a sip rectifies the nose. This has such a lush, velvety mouthfeel. It’s like bourbon port. The sip is instantly mouth coating, and the spice builds in a crescendo all the way across your palate and down your throat, with a long finish that warrants sitting and contemplating what just happened before you take the next sip. Stunning. I’m told the old cask strength Belle Meades were outstanding. Too bad I missed the boat on those, but I’m happy to have this. If you’re looking for some affordable, well-aged MGP for your collection, this bottle is probably quietly sleeping on a store shelf near you while others obsess over the latest special releases and horsey tops. Highly recommend you check out a bottle.

Well by dumb luck I bumbled into Total Wine on a Monday to see what was left after the hordes had picked over the store during the weekend, and what to my surprise do I find but Eagle Rare at MSRP! I do dislike the hype machine, and I thought my concerns were validated by the unbalanced and overtly cherry neck pour, but after a week or two I can’t find any fault in this bourbon. It’s just damn good, and I can see why the BT fanbois loose their shit over mashbill 1 goodies. Nose is flawless. Toffee, brown sugar, some cherry, lotta char. It’s terribly well balanced on the palate with an oily coating mouthfeel that makes up for the low proof. The finish isn’t super long but it pulls you back in the same way a box of Girl Scout cookies beckons you with a “It’s ok. Eat the whole sleeve of thin mints” motif. I will enjoy this bottle. For $35 this is a real treat. Now here’s the rub. This doesn’t make it to Texas very often, and when it does, it’s either in 375s or marked up to something ridiculous like $90. Not cool, Texas. Not cool. Of all the not cool things that happen here, that’s high on my list. This is good bourbon. Well worth MSRP. It’s better that standard Buffalo Trace by a significant amount, and on par with Weller Special Reserve in my book. An easy sipper and a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Cheers all!

We got walloped here in the Lone Star State last week. Lots of good people here in Texas lost power, potable water, and some lost even more than that. The wife and I were quite fortunate to ride out the storm with our utilities and our pipes intact, but there were some tense moments throughout the week. Many strong, cask strength bourbons were consumed to cope with the stress (and keep warm). About a week later, you'd never know it snowed here. It's 80 degrees at the end of February, the humidity is in the mid 70%s, and the first signs of spring are poking through the ground. Even my sorry ass front lawn is beginning to creep back to life along with my liver. After a storm like that, I needed to dial back a bit. I had forgotten this in the back of my liquor cabinet, and decided to see what five months of air in a bottle down about a third tastes like. This bottle tastes like spring, and spring tastes pretty damn good. I'll spare you the usual detailed tasting notes. I happen to agree with the Distiller review. Prominent notes to me are apricot, pineapple, sourdough bread, and some barrel char. What's more important about this bottle is that it represents a market shift for American Single Malt. It's almost what Glenlivet would taste like if it were aged in new, charred oak instead of the traditional refill barrels. While still a young-ish category, many American Single Malt producers have had an unfortunate entry to mass-market appeal because their entry level products are often $60 and above. This bottle (along with the Balcones Lineage) show up at a respectable $40 entry price, and appear to be the beginning of a shift in the core lineup for these producers. I haven't been too excited about ASM as a category so far, but if this is what the future holds for them, then I do believe in another five to ten years we may have a very diverse and tasty category on our hands. Cheers!

Well goodness me, between dry January and the irritating paradox of having more work to do when working from home, I nearly forgot to drink any whiskey! Let’s fix that by getting into one of many bottles of bourbon I scored at a year end clearance sale in December. Four Roses Single Barrel is a popular bottle on this platform, and indeed, it was one of the first bourbons I ever purchased. What does it’s more premium shelf mate have in store I wonder? Wow. This is a totally different bourbon. Good different. Nose has so much. Cedar, wintergreen, rich, spicy oak, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice, hint of citrus, and dare I say, some hops! One of the best bourbon noses I’ve come across. Palate is super mouth coating. There’s that non chill filtering right there. Did you even by that box of cheap chocolates in a cheesy heart box from Walgreens and fish out the caramel coated ones first because they didn’t suck like the rest? (It is almost Valentines Day...). This bourbon tastes like a proper version of those treats. Caramel with milk AND dark chocolate up front, followed by some vanilla, hazelnut, and barrel char. The rye spice shows up on the finish to coat your tongue on the way down your throat, leaving your lips tingling. Wow. Wow wow wow. First rate stuff, and at $52, a steal. The nose is amazing, and the chocolate caramel thing going on with the palate is just lovely. I forgot to mention the extra long finish with just the right amount of hug. I’m gonna have some fun with this bottle. If you like many Distiller users love the Four Roses SiB, check this one out next. Whereas that one is super fruit forward, this one retains the spice and brings out the dessert flavors. Great drams all around. Cheers!

After many years and hundreds of whiskies, I finally got around to trying Blanton’s. We get a pathetic allocation of BT products in Texas beyond the entry level Buffalo Trace and Weller products. I’ve seen EH Taylor twice since moving here. I’ve seen Eagle Rare a handful of times but for over double MSRP. I’ve seen Stagg Jr and Blanton’s exactly once. The Blanton’s was going for $130 and paired with a bottle of wine that I can only assume the store was trying to offload on some unassuming bourbon purist. My good neighbor picked this up and was kind enough to share a few pours with me tonight. Maybe something’s wrong with me, but I find I really don’t care for the Buffalo Trace bourbon profile. I can’t recall being wowed by any of their expressions over the years, which leaves me scratching my head as to why they are so popular. Maybe it’s because they all have that “sweet oak” profile (which I certainly detect) and Americans have a notorious sweet tooth, or maybe it’s because Buffalo Trace has a crack marketing team. Either way, I feel there’s much better bourbon out there readily available on store shelves that you don’t have to fight one another in line to acquire. Anyways. This is classic Buffalo Trace profile. Extra sweet caramel and pronounced vanilla, bit of maple, some barrel char. It is indeed a “smooth” sipper, but I like a some depth and fight in my bourbon. This is more a dog who rolls over on its back waiting for a belly rub and a “who’s a good boy?!” If this were $40 (same as 4 Roses SiB, less than 1792 SiB or Russell’s Reserve...all objectively better bourbons) and NOT highly allocated, I might keep this around. For now, I’m happy with my readily available no -allocated products, despite my lack of horsey tops. Cheers.

Have you ever met a celebrity? Or a politician? Or someone with a public profile? Somebody who you’ve seen hyped and advertised foe years and years and built up an expectation of that person, good, bad, or otherwise? What was your reaction when you met that person? Did they meet your expectations, or did they come up short? I suspect ones first time drinking a MacAllan feels similar. MacAllan is one of the few names in the whisky world that non-whisky people know. It’s given as a gift as a symbol of corporate dick measuring. It’s featured in movies and television as a symbol of luxury. Older bottles sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. With all that hype, it may seem inevitable that the actual whisky is a letdown, but damnit all of MacAllan doesn’t make good stuff. Nose is redolent of rich oloroso, with clear evidence of quality casks. Perfumey, floral, fruity, nutty, and deeply enticing. MacAllan always shines on the nose. The palate translates that nose with the addition of the signature MacAllan almond/marzipan note I get from their spirit. Rich, creamy, and lovely. Finish is only medium length, but like a fine meal, you enjoy every bit of it. I must admit, I didn’t think I would like this. I didn’t want to like it. It’s overpriced (I got it on sale for $65...about $5 more than I would pay for a 12 year single malt). It’s overhyped. The packaging is ridiculous with all the holograms and security seals (see a 2017 issue of Whisky Advocate for more info). But the whisky inside is good. Very tasty. Easy to drink. Good dram to introduce someone to single malt scotch, and a bottle I will continue to enjoy. Cheers!

Quick hit: somebody brought this over for Christmas dinner. Of all the different MGP products that have flooded the market, this one is decidedly middling. I appreciate the 50% ABV and the unfiltered nature, but despite that, this one still falls flat. Nice vanilla notes, but the oak is muted. Reminds me a bit too much of poor quality Canadian whiskey. You can do a lot better if you’re in the mood for MGP bourbon. If you can find the Smokewagon Uncut Unfiltered or an older Smooth Ambler, go for that. If not, grab anything from Belle Meade.

It's that time again. That magical time of year when all the "Best Whiskey of the Year" lists come out. I've been searching around and found that most of these lists consist of highly aged Scotch and limited release or allocated Bourbon, and while I'm sure these drams are delicious, the fact remains that most of us will likely never taste most of these, so over the next five days, I present to you this longhorn's humble top 5 whiskies of 2020. Most of us could agree that this was not our best year. However, all the time spent at home resulted in expanded imbibing of our favorite brown beverage. This is the criteria for my list: (1) The whiskey has to be readily available on store shelves. No special releases. This means the most excellent Wild Turkey Masters Keep expressions I tried and rated this year are out, though you should feel confident to buy on sight. (2) Every dram on my list is $80 or less. Everyone should be able to taste great whiskey, and yes, I realize my definition of "great" might be different than others, but that's the fun of what we all do here, and (3) I had to have tasted it in 2020. None of the whiskies on my list were released this year, but this year is when I finally got around to them. I was ready to give up on bourbon at the end of last year. After several years of sampling, it seemed like they all more or less tasted the same. I was also put off by the notion of paying over $40 for a bottle of whiskey made in this country, since I could get some scotch, old duties and all, for $60 or less. Then the tariffs hit, and suddenly Talisker 10 cost $90. What's a longhorn to do? Well, I regrouped and gave our native spirit another go, and wow I'm glad I did. Ever the perennial and consistent favorite, Wild Turkey comes out swinging again. While I adored this year's Masters Keep, and I polished off a bottle of Rare Breed early in the year, this bottle was the standout star for me. Just a perfectly balanced dram of spicy brown sugar, rich toffee, and salted caramel. I haven't read a bad review anywhere of this dram. Even the "off" bottles seem to be consistently above average. Whatever it costs near you, it's worth it. It's about $50 consistently where I'm at. No special gimmicks. No major promotions. Just damn good bourbon, and that's why Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon is my #1 whiskey of 2020. Thanks to all here in the Distiller community that made this year more bearable with your tastings, your insights, and the community. Being able to share our mutual notes and interests was one of the highlights of my year, and I feel that my palate (and waistline!) have broadened as a result of having known all of y'all. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to everyone here, and cheers to more great whiskey in 2021!

It's that time again. That magical time of year when all the "Best Whiskey of the Year" lists come out. I've been searching around and found that most of these lists consist of highly aged Scotch and limited release or allocated Bourbon, and while I'm sure these drams are delicious, the fact remains that most of us will likely never taste most of these, so over the next five days, I present to you this longhorn's humble top 5 whiskies of 2020. Most of us could agree that this was not our best year. However, all the time spent at home resulted in expanded imbibing of our favorite brown beverage. This is the criteria for my list: (1) The whiskey has to be readily available on store shelves. No special releases. This means the most excellent Wild Turkey Masters Keep expressions I tried and rated this year are out, though you should feel confident to buy on sight. (2) Every dram on my list is $80 or less. Everyone should be able to taste great whiskey, and yes, I realize my definition of "great" might be different than others, but that's the fun of what we all do here, and (3) I had to have tasted it in 2020. None of the whiskies on my list were released this year, but this year is when I finally got around to them. Coming in at #2, I present the only Scotch on my list this year, and a humble blend no less. I'm often asked what my "favorite" scotch is, or what my "favorite" distillery is, or what the "best" value for a good scotch is. There's a different answer to each of those questions, and it doesn't always stay the same. I pulled back from buying as much single malt this year because of the damn import tariffs here in the USA, and stuck mainly to my bottles of Glendronach and Ardbeg I had purchased last year, while purchasing mainly North American spirits. After a lengthy period of Bourbons, Ryes, and Canadian whiskies, I started to take another look at the blended scotch section at the store, which hadn't been impacted by tariffs. Compass Box was an early favorite of mine when I was first exploring scotch, and this bottle may be their best offering of any of their products. Peat? Check. Sherry? Check. Malt? Check. Grain? Check. This bottle quite literally is the "compass" to the four corners of Scotch whisky. Got a friend that wants to get into scotch? Tell them to buy this bottle, and then whatever flavors they like, you can point them further in that direction. Plus, it's just a delicious whisky, which of course is what John Glaser was going for in the first place. #2 whiskey of the year for 2020 is the Compass Box Glasgow Blend. Special thanks to @ScotchingHard for putting this one on my radar this year. Cheers!

It's that time again. That magical time of year when all the "Best Whiskey of the Year" lists come out. I've been searching around and found that most of these lists consist of highly aged Scotch and limited release or allocated Bourbon, and while I'm sure these drams are delicious, the fact remains that most of us will likely never taste most of these, so over the next five days, I present to you this longhorn's humble top 5 whiskies of 2020. Most of us could agree that this was not our best year. However, all the time spent at home resulted in expanded imbibing of our favorite brown beverage. This is the criteria for my list: (1) The whiskey has to be readily available on store shelves. No special releases. This means the most excellent Wild Turkey Masters Keep expressions I tried and rated this year are out, though you should feel confident to buy on sight. (2) Every dram on my list is $80 or less. Everyone should be able to taste great whiskey, and yes, I realize my definition of "great" might be different than others, but that's the fun of what we all do here, and (3) I had to have tasted it in 2020. None of the whiskies on my list were released this year, but this year is when I finally got around to them. Coming in at #3 is perhaps the most unique entrant on my list this year. Once derided, MGP juice is now sought after product in its well-aged format, which seems to hit its stride around 9-11 years. Some of these "craft" startups that build a line around MGP product are starting to come into their own, either by aging the juice further, doing unique cask finishes, or in the case of this bottle, both. I wanted to included the Wild Turkey Masters Keep Revival on this list, but it violates my rule of no special releases. This bottle is still readily available and checks all the right boxes for a finished bourbon. Finishing a bourbon in sherry casks is different than finishing a Scotch/Irish/Japanese whisky in a sherry cask. The latter tends to be dominated with the sherry, making it a much more sherry-forward experience. Because bourbon is a...feistier spirit shall we say, I want the sherry to complement and envelop the bourbon, not mask its inherent spicy, caramel flavors. This bottle achieves this splendidly, with a oaky, spicy, mature MGP bourbon wrapped in a fruity, jammy sherry blanket. If you're not careful, you'll find yourself with an empty bottle faster than you'd like. At around $80 depending on your market, this is the most expensive bottle on my list this year. If that's a bit steep for your budget, may I also recommend the equally excellent Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve for about $20 less depending on your market. Cheers!