Tastes

I couldn't decide which whisk(e)y to have this evening, so I reached for the Springbank Green 12, and realized that I'd yet to review it--even if it's already 20% gone. I rarely see Springbank of any sort in my neck of the woods, so I don't drink it often. (Separately, I was recently at Trevor's in Scottsdale, AZ and they had more bottles of Springbank than I've ever seen in one place--but that's another story). The first thing one notices upon removing the bottle from its box, and even moreso when pouring, is its pale straw color; Springbank proudly notes on the back of the bottle that it is "free of artificial colouring." The nose shows peach, hay, salt, pineapple upside-down cake, a whiff of smoke, and gentle peat. The palate is full, almost oily, with both sweet and salty elements, and the 46% ABV becomes apparent. White pepper and smokiness on the long finish. 4.25 on the Distiller scale. Apparently this expression is no longer available, as it does not appear on the Springbank website at the time of writing. An Internet search shows that this bottle is available for $700-800, and while I don't recall what I paid for it a few years back, I believe it was around $100. Only 9,000 bottles produced. 46% ABV, non-chill filtered. 100% organic barley. Aged in American bourbon casks. As always, tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Balvenie stopped producing (or releasing) this whisky a couple of years ago, and when I heard the news I scooped up a couple of remaining bottles around town. Because of the scarcity, I don't drink this too often. My last tasting note was August 27, 2002. The "DoubleWood" nomenclature refers to the fact that this whisky is aged in both whisky and sherry oak casks. Clear darker burnt orange color. Very pleasant nose showing apple, golden raisins, dates, vanilla extract, pomander, and honey is followed by a welcoming, gentle spiciness (43% ABV), lingering sweetness, some length with a touch of char on the back end. What I'd initially noted on my review in August 2022 as a "monochromatic flavor profile" now strikes me instead as restrained, belieing the dark brown canister emblazoned with the gold all-caps "DoubleWood." While it is an easy whisky to drink, patience is rewarded. More enjoyable than my last tasting; 4.0 on the Distiller scale. As always, tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Not dissimilar to my review on 5/6/22. Clear burnt orange. Noticeable sherry influence, which is expected. In addition to the brown sugar and strawberry preserves, noticeable Chinese five spice, tangerine, caramel, and graham cracker. Some disjointedness with noticeable ethanol (51.2% ABV) lacking integration; knocked down half a point as a result. Penultimate pour from this bottle; tasted in a Glencairn glass.

Since this bourbon just won Whisky Advocate's Whisky of the Year, I had to go grab a bottle ($41.99 at my local shop; well above the $30 that WA says it can be found for). Deep clear mahogany color. Sweet nose shows peanut brittle, butterscotch, some orange, and light brown sugar. Sweetness continues on the palate, along with a little char. There is a subtle bitterness on the finish, though not offputting; like a dark espresso, giving way to some lingering vanilla. Only the faintest spiciness (just 8% rye in the mashbill), and the 100 proof drinks smoothly. It's annoying that this bourbon is sold in a nonstandard 700ml size. This effectively means that you are paying an extra 7.1% per bottle compared to a normal 750ml. Alternatively, there are 16.9 standard 1.5oz shots in a standard 750ml bottle, whereas there are only 15.8 shots in a 700ml bottle. This is my second taste, after trying it last night as well. All in, an enjoyable bourbon, but not overly complex. Much better value if it could be found for $30, but if you're drinking it neat, only $2.66 for a 1.5oz pour at the price I paid--far cheaper than any bourbon you'd find in a bar or restaurant. Would I buy it again? Yes. 3.75 on the Distiller scale. N.B. All whiskies tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

I last tasted this on 5/23/22, and remarked that this bottle wasn't as good as I'd remembered with previous bottles, and thus a retasting was warranted. Unfortunately, this tasting confirms the one in May. It's unfortunate, because a couple of prior bottles I've had were much better. Oiled teak is an apt color descriptor. OF 1920 has a very nice nose, but goes downhill from there--if only it could live up to the olfactory intensity! Hedonistic, penetrating nose of graham cracker, maple syrup, chocolate covered cherries, banana bread, navel oranges, nutmeg, juicy apple skins, and a sprig of mint. Mouthfeel shows an oily viscosity, quickly transitioning to a sharp bitterness on the finish, before revealing some long-lingering vanilla. This bourbon is all about setting high expectations, and ultimately failing to deliver on that promise. 3.5 on the Distiller scale.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C922 Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (ECBP) is bottled uncut, straight from the barrel, without chill filtration. It is released three times per year: January (“A”, or first batch; month 1), May (“B”, or second batch; month 5), and September (“C”, or second batch; month 9). This bottle is the third release of 2022: hence C922. The mashbill is 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye. It carries a 12-year age statement. Fruity nose, with cherry coke syrup, apple pie, cinnamon, clove, some subtle tangerine, and a whiff of cool spearmint. On the palate, super sweet chocolate covered cherries and lots vanilla oakiness, with a modestly viscous mouthfeel. The finish begins with more of that sweet vanilla oak, a pleasantly bitter espresso, freshly crushed pine needles, and a lingering tangerine reappearance, preceded by some noticeable heat—but that’s both wanted and expected when drinking a 124.8-proof bourbon. ECBP is always one of my favorite bourbons, and I try to find each of the three releases each year. I already have this year's A122 (reviewed 6/25/22). I've not yet seen the B522, and were it not for the sharp eyes of a good friend of mine who found the C922 for me in an adjacent state, I wouldn't have this one either. The $99 retail was $15-20 more than what I usually pay, but I'd not yet been able to find this release. 4.25 on the Distiller scale. N.B. All spirits tasted neat in Glencairn glasses.

Makers' two BRT bottlings (BRT is short for barrel rotation) are the latest iterations of its Wood Finishing Series. BRT-02 begins life as MM Cask Strength, and adds French Oak staves, kept in the cooler bottom of the rickhouse. Beautiful deep-orange tinted clear mahogany. Effusive nose shows caramel, butterscotch, Chinese five spice, mincemeat, peanut brittle, warm Raisinettes, and vanilla, with a touch of ethanol. Some heat on the palate, with a slightly viscous mouthfeel, with more caramel and sweet oak, finishing with a long pull of vanilla. All in, a sweet, powerful, hedonistic, and cerebral bourbon. Bottled at 109.4 proof. 4.5 stars on the Distiller scale. N.B. All spirits tasted neat in Glencairn glasses.

Clear, dark mahogany. Nose gushes fruity apple butter and strawberry jam; sweet sorghum syrup and caramelized sugar; some sherryish hazelnut; and notes of new tire rubber (complexly appealing) and saline (saline solution, not a salty seaweed Islay salinity). Lightly viscous mouthfeel on the palate with a biscuity blueberry scone element and hint of parrafin. Apple butter returns on the finish, along with gently spicy white pepper and some vanilla extract. 43% ABV. As I mentioned in my 4/21/22 note, I'm a fan of Edradour not only for its enjoyable complexity but also for its very small, artisanal production. And while the following is not always the case, I note that this is one of numerous examples where my rating differs sharply with that given by Stephanie Moreno (who rates it an 84). 4.25 on the Distiller scale. N.B. Last note 4/21/22 N.B. All spirits tasted neat from a Glencairn glass

I'm on my second Glencairn glass (neat, of course) of Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit right now. My current thoughts are essentially the same as my note from 7/7/22; the only difference is the "dusty" element seems a little more prominent, and thus I'm knocking it down a quarter point. Because of the similarity, I'll repeat my previous note here: Wild Turkey's Kentucky Spirit is a single-barrel release, bottled at 101 proof. This one was bottled on 4/30/2020 from barrel 1448, stored in Warehouse A, on rick 37. Clear mahogany color. Vanilla, roasted marshmallow, milk chocolate, orange oil, Red Delicious apple skins, and a musty/dusty (though not unpleasant) undernote. Palate has tobacco and leather, in addition to some welcome--and expected--heat, finishing with char, oak, and vanilla. Kentucky Spirit is a model of restraint. It doesn't need to be showy. It's neither hazmat-strength nor the watery bourbon minimum of 80 proof. It isn't young and aggressive; neither is it too old and overcome with woody tannins (the #4 "alligator" char used by Wild Turkey helps). It is polished and smooth. There is no age statement on the bottle, but WT's website states that it is aged 8 years. Postscript With all due respect, I continue to find wide variance in Stephanie Moreno's Distiller reviews (see my reviews on Compass Box Hedonism and Glendronach Allardice 18 Year). Her note is worth repeating here: "The nose hits you with a big hit of oak along with sweet caramel and vanilla notes. There's also a touch of orange peel and dried herbs to be found as well. Moving on the the taste, you'll find butterscotch candies mixed with peppery oak flavors, apple skins and baking spices. The mouthfeel is on the thin side and the length of the finish is average. Could stand to be a bit more complex." Five different olfactory descriptors. Four different palate notes. And ending with "could stand to be a bit more complex"? for a score of 84? Logically inconsistent. To be fair, Kentucky Spirit is a single-barrel bourbon, which means there will be variance from barrel to barrel. That does not, however, mean that a review should be intemperate. N.B. All spirits tasted neat in separate Glencairn glasses.

As I said previously on my 5/19/22 note, this is a polarizing, love-it-or-hate-it whiskey. One of my best bourbon-drinking friends is in the latter camp, while I'm unabashedly in the former. One of the first rules of tasting, whether wine or whisk(e)y, is to ascertain typicity: something is what it is in part because of the similarities it shares with others of its clan, as well as its differences with others. Bourbon should taste like bourbon. But bourbon this ain't. This is hedonistic, ostentatious, noncomformist whiskey. On the uniqueness spectrum, this one is way out on the tails of the distribution. A lot of similarities with my previous note: its description as the love child of a frozen Mudslide cocktail and a Russian Imperial Stout is apt. But there's also a certain 70s-style ambrosia-like fruitiness, with maraschino cherry, grated coconut, a little tangerine, and canned pineapple. Espresso. And some cooling spearmint. This is a whiskey that can be discussed over an entire evening. More of the same in the mouth. A lot of lingering Swiss Miss instant cocoa on the long finish (and I mean that in the most complimentary way). I could drink this all day long. This is one of those whiskies that must be tried if you ever get the chance. Aside from the whiskey itself, you've never had, nor will you ever have, anything quite like it. A strong 4.5 on the Distiller scale. N.B. All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.