Tastes

Note: My bottle was a Dubai market exclusive single cask 19yr old—-but was too lazy to create a whole new SKU here. Ex-bourbon matured, 43% Golden straw in color. Nose is incredible…honey, waxy, nutmeg. Taste is elegant. You can tell there’s quality behind the cask. Warm honey, vanilla, a bit floral. I’m normally not a fan of Glenmorangie, but there are some exceptions I really love ( the last one was the Signet first batch). This falls in that category. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was a slight heat of cinnamon at the end, but I’m being picky. Overall, great cask selection. And why this was for the Dubai market…who knows. @Richard-ModernDrinking @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington @pkingmartin And @ctbeck11 —-I sampled a dram while pouring this out for our tasting. Will be including this one.

I so much hate doing this. Just a few days ago when I declared the 2022 Russel’s Reserve 13 as my all time favorite bourbon, it got quickly replaced by this one. The RR13 is not in the same league as this. In fact, not a single bourbon I’ve ever had is in the same league as this. I went to a Diwali party last night, where the host had an outdoor table set up. On the side, he had an open bar with a few bottles of wine, and some standard single malts ( Lag 16, Amrut , John Paul, Balvenie, Talisker 10). Nothing we haven’t seen in the middle shelf of a wine and spirits store. But instead, on the way to the kitchen, I noticed there were some exquisite bottles in his home bar. There, I noticed some rarities, all unopened, except this and a Balvenie 25. Afterwards I asked him about this one in particular and what his thoughts were on it. Instead, he asked me for my thoughts on it, and offered a generous 2 ounce pour. This is unlike any bourbon I’ve had. The nose is pipe tobacco, oak, and a musty funk that I would associate with a Hampden rum or even a Springbank. I’ve not had this funk-style aroma in bourbon. Taste——wow. Oily mouthfeel. Sweet icing, vanilla, floral honey. But…there’s that musty funk again. Like old library books. Last time I had something like this was in a 51yr Craigellechie. This is not normal for a bourbon. In fact, outside some very old single malts, it’s just not normal. I’ve had hundreds of bourbons so far, out of which I can count on one hand which are ingrained in my memory: Garrison Cowboy, 2014 Four Roses LESB, RR13 2022. This outmatches all of the. (Granted I’ve not had Pappy or any BTAC) I don’t have the slightest idea what this cost, but I imagine secondary only at this point, and I’m guessing $500 or so. A stunner of a bourbon, easily best in class and top 3 in category

I had always been curious of Four Gate. They seem to have really good reviews here, and they seem to be master blenders combining with interesting finishes. The price has always held me back—-at $200, seems like a gamble if you haven’t had a sample previously. Well, this one here is a bourbon and rye blend , finished for some time in Australian tawny port wines. Bourbon is from KY, rye from MGP. I'm a big fan of Aussie tawny port, so I figured a finishing in one might be in my sweet spot. One thing for sure…Aussie tawny ports are big and bold fruity, so I can see a big cask influence. Nose on this is great….loving the red plums, berries, and oak. Cherries , mint. Rye dominant. Taste….wasn’t as impressed. The port is clearly in the driver’s seat. Rye is followed after…just not operating like an orchestra, more like individual players. I’m getting disjointed flavors from the rye, bourbon, and port. Instead of a silky cohesive taste, just feels too discombobulated. I expected more from a $200 bottle purchase. @Richard-ModernDrinking @pkingmartin @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington @ctbeck11 would be interesting to get your take on this….this was one of the samples for our last tasting. I wasn’t impressed at all, but might be one of those things that YMMV.

Wow. Wow. And wow. I’ve had a few good bourbons ( Cowboy, ECBP, not any Pappy or BTAC yet), but this has to be my new favorite bourbon I’ve ever had. Unfortunately it was just an ounce pour. Nose is maple syrup and caramel apples. Fantastic aroma that just makes you want to nose it all day. Taste …really well balanced between fruit and oak. Intensity is dialed up to a 11, but it’s not intense the way Cowboy or ECBP is…this is much more elegant. It’s really is a masterclass on balance between fruit and oak. I’ve not had the RR10 or their single barrel, but I’m guessing it’s no where as good as this. This is superb cask management and selection, with the right rickhouse placement. Price is an issue…MSRP is a mere $100, but retailers have this marked 6-8x of that.

Got a generous pour of this from @Richard-ModernDrinking, my buddy from across the Hudson. It seems as if High West has limited releases as store picks, and this might be one of those. I’ve never had a Manhattan, so hard to compare. Every Sunday evening, it’s my turn to cook. And tonight, making stir fry in red pepper peanut sauce. Now you see, I have a habit while cooking….I need either a glass of wine, or a pour of whiskey. One pour takes me through the entire cooking. I got this habit from my friend back in business school, we’ll call her “S”. S lived with her boyfriend off campus. But, everytime her boyfriend’s god fearing Bible Belt parents came to visit, she temporarily moved into my apartment. She had a habit of cooking while finishing half a bottle of Jack. Yes. Half a bottle. Neat. By the end of cooking, she’d be passed out on the sofa. But I noticed that the more she drank, the better the taste of her cooking. So…I used to buy her a bottle every other day, and she made these amazing meals. Only for me to have alone, as she was passed out. I was fine with that arrangement. Hence…that habit I have now, except it’s just a pour and I’m not passing out. Anyway—-this particular pour : At first aroma, I’m hit with maraschino cherries and sweet vermouth, with a heavy dose of alcohol vapors. The palette carries through with the cherries again, but a strong taste of vanilla and licorice. If this is what a Manhattan taste like, I really need to try one. It’s deceptively good. Thanks for the pour Richard !

I had a last minute weekend trip to Toronto, for a family visit. On the way to Niagara, we stopped over the Forty Creek distillery. Personally, I love distillery visits. You get to sample a wide variety of items, and buy something that’s made just for the distillery visitors center. I had a few pours of various whiskeys, but this one stood out the most. It’s a 2022 limited one time winter limited release. Canadian whiskey, infused with ice wine from the local Niagara wineries. So, technically, not really a whiskey I guess, but not a liquor as well. But this was made to celebrate Bill Ashburn’s 35 years as master blender at Forty Creek. It’s copper pot distilled, winter rye with barley. And ice wine of course. Aroma is jammy, preserves. Sweet, like peaches. Taste is not what I expected….haven’t had Forty Creek before, but was very favorably impressed. Maple syrup, strawberry, shortbread, and some oak. Really well made. Well made enough for me to buy a $85 bottle , and have it signed by the master blender himself.

We (as in @pkingmartin , @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington , @Richard-ModernDrinking and @ctbeck11 ) had our quarterly online tasting. This was one of the spectacular pours of the evening, this one courtesy of @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington. The other four were 1) Bardstown Chateau Laubade batch 1 2) Craigellechie 13 Armagnac finished , 3) Barrell 20yr Seagrass, and 4) 2021 Lagavulin 12 I’ve had the Knob Creek 15 before, which I bought for a mere $60 when it came out. I thought it was okay, but at $60, I’m not going to complain. Originally, I assumed this might be the same Knob Creek, just a different label. It’s not…way more complex. Nose is dark fruits, vanilla, oak. Classic bourbon. Palette—-classic high quality bourbon. Leather wrapped, oak, some rye, vanilla and maple. This is the definition of high quality classic bourbon. Not sure the price on this…but anything less than $150, I’d be a buyer. The layers of complexity launches it to a whole new level of that store pick 15yr Knob Creek I had some time back. Thanks to @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for the pour!

We (as in @pkingmartin , @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington , @Richard-ModernDrinking and @ctbeck11 ) had our quarterly online tasting. This was one of the spectacular pours of the evening, courtesy of @ctbeck11 . The other four were 1) Bardstown Chateau Laubade batch 1 2) Craigellechie 13 Armagnac finished , 3) Lagavulin 12 2021 and 4) 15yr Jacob’s Well. I wasn’t a fan of the regular Seagrass. I didn’t dislike it, just that I didn’t like it as much as their previous Dovetail or Armida. Not something I’d go out and buy. But this….this is a different beast. It probably shares the DNA with the regular Seagrass, but it’s evolved to an elegant silky pour. You gotta add water to this. The heat is simply too much. But, once you do, you’ll get aromas of honey, sweet fruits, maple syrup. Palette is buttery, molasses, dark cherry, and oak. It’s really elegant. The 800 lb gorilla in the room though is the price. At $500, it’s way on the upper end, and above most of the affordability range, including mine. But, should you happen to treat yourself or someone special to a memorable gift , this would be a great one to consider. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the pour!

We (as in @pkingmartin , @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington , @Richard-ModernDrinking and @ctbeck11 ) had our quarterly online tasting. This was one of the spectacular pours of the evening. The other four were 1) Bardstown Chateau Laubade batch 1 2) 2021 Diageo Special Release Lagavulin 12, 3) Barrell 20yr Seagrass, and 4) 15yr Jacob’s Well. This was sent courtesy of @Richard-ModernDrinking I would never have thought Craigellechie and Armagnac marry well. But it makes sense. There’s a certain rustic quality about Craigellechie, which is shared by Armagnac. In this case, the Armagnac is subtle, and let’s the malt be front and center, but you know it’s there…makes it’s presence known, just not assertively. Nose is herbal, briny, lemons. Whiff of sulfurous smoke. Taste : oolong tea, lemons, some earthiness. Really well balanced. Tasted blind, I’d have guessed Springbank 10. In fact, if you can’t find Springbank, buy this instead. For $65-70, this is a great VFM. In fact, I immediately bought one this afternoon. Thanks again @Richard-ModernDrinking for the generous pour!