Tastes

Jim Beam is one of my favorite distilleries and when I found out that they were releasing three different 17-year old bourbons from different locations, I was thrilled and hopeful to possibly locate a bottle for a reasonable price. After many months of searching, I was beginning to lose hope and began debating paying a secondary premium, but thankfully patience and luck prevailed as my local liquor store received a small allotment and I was fortunate to be able to secure one. Now let's dive in to find out if it was worth the wait. The nose is rich and dense starting with a mix of powdered sugar dusted pecan sticky buns, anise and dusty leather-bound books then dark chocolate covered espresso beans and sweet potato pie followed by blackberry jam, cherry strudel and blood orange that transitions to mild spearmint, cloves and antique polished mahogany with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a rich syrupy mouthfeel starting with butterscotch pudding, cinnamon sugar dusted churros and spicy dark chocolate ganache then weathered catcher’s mitt before a mild rye spice that quickly fades to freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by blackberry jam, caramelized peaches over vanilla gelato and blood orange that transitions to mild baking spices, spearmint and lacquered antique mahogany furniture with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long, starting with weathered catcher’s mitt and mild rye spices that slowly fades to butterscotch creme brûlée, caramelized peaches, blackberry pie, dark chocolate covered pretzels, candied ginger and antique polished mahogany. Oh yeah, this was absolutely worth the wait!!! Once I opened the bottle, I could tell this was something special with a rich and dusty traditional bourbon flavor profile with the addition of berries that is nearly flawless in every aspect without veering towards a high tannic bitterness that could have easily occurred due to the long aging. If you're a Beam fan like me, this is one to look out for and at a price of $175, it's a bargain to find a 17-year old bourbon that can compete with many of the allocated and over-priced releases today.

For our quarterly virtual tasting with @PBMichiganWolverine , @ctbeck11 , @Richard-ModernDrinking and @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington , @PBMichiganWolverine was kind enough to treat us to a round the world assortment of drams. First was a single cask IB 14 year Tamdhu (Scotland) Second was the 2022 Chichibu Peated Edition (Japan) Third was the Chattanooga Islay Finish (America) that was bottled at 47.5% ABV. Fourth might have been a Thomson Saison Yeast Cask #39(New Zealand) that was bottled at 53.4% ABV Fifth might have been an Elements of Islay Bn7 (Scotland) that was distilled in 2001 and aged for more than 16 years in a pair of oloroso sherry butts before being bottled at 55.7% ABV. Last of the night was this 12 year old Teeling (Ireland) that was aged in an Amburana cask before being bottled at 46% ABV. The nose is a very straightforward yet delightful pineapple upside down cake that has a dash too much cinnamon and mild ethanol burn which carries over to the palate with a medium viscosity and minor sourness before a finish that veers into an earthy clay bitterness akin to enjoying a piece of cake before a sudden backhand to the face from a perturbed spouse after their pottery class due to stumbling upon a poorly hidden receipt of an exorbitant whiskey purchase. This started out promising with those creamy pineapple cake notes found on the nose and palate, but that finish is simply too much for me as I’m more sensitive towards bitter flavors than others and that clay bitterness overpowers all those cakey delicious pineapple notes that I would have really liked to linger on the finish. Overall, this was another fantastic virtual tasting with a hell of a lineup of delicious drams and I look forward to our next round and what surprises are in store for our little group.

For our quarterly virtual tasting with @PBMichiganWolverine , @ctbeck11 , @Richard-ModernDrinking and @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington , @PBMichiganWolverine was kind enough to treat us to a round the world assortment of drams. First was a single cask IB 14 year Tamdhu (Scotland) Second was the 2022 Chichibu Peated Edition (Japan) Third was the Chattanooga Islay Finish (America) that was bottled at 47.5% ABV. Fourth might have been a Thomson Saison Yeast Cask #39(New Zealand) that was bottled at 53.4% ABV Fifth might have been this Elements of Islay Bn7 (Scotland) that was distilled in 2001 and aged for more than 16 years in a pair of oloroso sherry butts before being bottled at 55.7% ABV. The nose starts with mildly astringent citrus underscored with light smoke then dark chocolate covered figs and light seaside minerality followed by lightly grilled creamy orchard fruits that transitions to mild baking spices with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting mildly sour before quickly veering towards an ashy bitterness that slowly fades to mocha, mild smoke and seaside minerality then creamy yet slightly sour tropical fruit that transitions to mild baking spices with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length starting with cocoa powder dusted figs that fades to creamy tropical fruits and a light earthy bitterness. I remember liking this a lot more the night we had it together, but tonight I’m finding an astringency that really holds this back from climbing to the heights I’ve found through so many other Bunnahabhain offerings. It’s still a very enjoyable dram that I think many would likely rate higher than me as I tend to be more sensitive towards sour flavors than most.

For our quarterly virtual tasting with @PBMichiganWolverine , @ctbeck11 , @Richard-ModernDrinking and @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington , @PBMichiganWolverine was kind enough to treat us to a round the world assortment of drams. First was a single cask IB 14 year Tamdhu (Scotland) Second was the 2022 Chichibu Peated Edition (Japan) Third was the Chattanooga Islay Finish (America) that was bottled at 47.5% ABV. I believe fourth was this Thomson Saison Yeast Cask #39 (New Zealand) that was bottled at 53.4% ABV. The nose starts rich and malty followed by light sour red berries and ever so slight oak spice with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with mildly sour red berries that quickly veers towards a slight peppery spice before creamy malty notes appear along with light coffee followed by mildly sour citrus and red berries that transitions to mild baking spices with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length starting with a creamy and sour mix of citrus and red berries that fades to the background of rich malt and chocolate covered espresso beans. Overall, a really unique dram that reminds me of an enjoyable red ale without the carbonation and a much higher ABV. I’m thrilled to see New Zealand finally having some quality whisky being produced there and I think this is well worth the cost of $70 for a different style of dram.

For our quarterly virtual tasting with @PBMichiganWolverine , @ctbeck11 , @Richard-ModernDrinking and @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington , @PBMichiganWolverine was kind enough to treat us to a round the world assortment of drams. First was a single cask IB 14 year Tamdhu (Scotland) Second was the 2022 Chichibu Peated Edition (Japan) Third was the Chattanooga Islay Finish (America) that was bottled at 47.5% ABV. The nose is a mildly rich and smoky treat that the creamy caramel and stewed fruits are upfront but underscored by a mild smoke that fades to chocolate covered candied nuts and light leather with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel with the mild smoke upfront with a light bitterness that fades to butterscotch caramel over flambéed apples followed by freshly lit pipe tobacco and light flinty minerality then mildly sour and creamy citrus that transitions to mildly bitter black tea with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length starting mildly smoky that fades to the background as the creamy fruits emerge along with butterscotch caramel and mild earthy notes. This poor dram came after the Chichibu and was a hard transition that the smoke was hard to find after a very smokey dram and tasted mildly astringent. Revisiting it tonight by itself allows for the smoke and flavors to really shine through and I'm very impressed by what the team at Chattanooga accomplished with the Islay cask adding mild smokey notes that are balanced with those traditional bourbon flavors. Now I am hopeful that they will take this experiment to the next stage and release a cask strength version for some of us proof hounds, as I'd love to try this as a bigger, bolder and richer edition.

For our quarterly virtual tasting with @PBMichiganWolverine , @ctbeck11 , @Richard-ModernDrinking and @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington , @PBMichiganWolverine was kind enough to treat us to a round the world assortment of drams. Second was the Chichibu Peated 2022 edition that was bottled at 53.5% ABV. The nose is soft and subtle with light peat smoke emerging underneath a tropical fruit smoothie along with light floral aromas and sandalwood incense that is absolutely heavenly with a perfect balance and mild ethanol burn. The taste is a velvety rich mouthfeel with the peaty smoky notes emerging first with sun soaked asphalt and burnt rubber along with a mild iodine that then fades to the background of roasted earthy notes that are balanced by rich tropical fruits and a subtle floral note emerging followed by light baking spices and sandalwood incense with medium ethanol. The finish is long, starting with a mild peaty earthy smoke that fades to creamy tropical fruits along with freshly brewed espresso and sandalwood that lingers for minutes after each sip and slowly reveals additional floral and fruity notes. I’m an avid Chichibu fan and this is no slouch in their releases that are shockingly still in stock at The Whisky Exchange for around 200 pounds which is an absolute bargain in terms of pricing for Chichibu. If you haven’t tried a Chichibu, it might be worth it for you to grab one while they are available overseas as it appears even with shipping it’d still be half the cost compared to the local liquor stores around me.

For our quarterly virtual tasting with @PBMichiganWolverine , @ctbeck11 , @Richard-ModernDrinking and @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington , @PBMichiganWolverine was kind enough to treat us to a round the world assortment of drams. First off was this 14 year old Tamdhu single cask that was bottled at 58.8% ABV. At first the nose is mildly overpowering with a high ethanol burst that begins to dissipate with time revealing layers of tropical fruits with rich caramels underscored with mildly sour red berries and a light spice that carries over to the palate with a rich velvety mouthfeel with a mild sourness and spice before the long and velvety finish with tropical fruits leading before fading to light earthy spices. I’m not sure the cost of this one and I believe @PBMichiganWolverine blessed by the whiskey gods and given this for free, but if this is under $150, I’d strongly recommend it as it was a real treat to start off our tasting.

The nose is soft and subtle starting with powdered sugar dusted over grilled lemon and limes along with mild diesel fumes and burnt rubber smoke then dark chocolate covered espresso beans and seaside rocky minerality followed caramelized mangoes, pineapple and lychee that transitions to oyster shells and mild black tea with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with creamy tropical fruits that quickly fades to the background of smoked seafood, seaweed and moderate ocean brine then spicy dark chocolate mocha followed by grilled pineapple, apricots and charred lime that transitions to mild baking spices and black tea with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length starting with moderate smoke of burnt rubber and asphalt with black pepper that fades to slightly sour tropical fruits, grilled seafood and mild black tea. A really enjoyable easy sipper that the nose is surprisingly soft and sweet upfront with a mild smoke along with creamy citrus and mild ocean brine that carries over to the palate but the smoke is far more prevalent with moderate ocean brine and slightly sour fruits that finishes starting moderately smokey and earthy before fruits and grilled seafood close out the experience. These were originally released for less than $100 and I think are well worth it, if you happen to stumble on a dusty bottle like @ctbeck11 did who was very generous to give this one to me. Above $100, I'd pass and just reach for either their Ooggie or Corry as I like both of them better than Perpetuum.

The nose is bold and rich starting with tangy barbecued brisket, grilled figs and slightly sour blueberries followed by dark chocolate truffles topped with sea salt and mild campfire smoke then balsamic strawberries, sautéed apples and caramelized peaches that transitions to mild baking spices and black tea with high ethanol burn. The taste is a rich oily mouthfeel starting with creamy orchard fruits that quickly veers to charred meats topped with tangy barbecue sauce and moderate black pepper spice that fades to a spicy mocha, bacon wrapped dates and seaside rocky minerality then balsamic strawberries, tart blueberries and caramelized peaches that transitions to mild baking spices and black tea with high ethanol burn. The finish is long, starting with bacon wrapped dates and caramelized peaches that fade to moderate campfire smoke, seaside rocky minerality and dark chocolate mocha that lingers for minutes. This is a hell of a big, bold and smokey treat that those 5 years of aging in an oloroso cask have added mildly sour and rich berries to the smokey spirit without overpowering the underlying flavors. There is a bit of youthful sourness to the dram that holds it back slightly along with a moderate pepper spice, but it is just a bold smokey beast that is incredible to taste with a finish that seems to linger on forever. At a price of around $250, this is a smokey indulgent treat that I think any fan of Octomores or peated whisky would highly enjoy and is one of the best Octomores I've ever tried.