Tastes
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Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Whiskey
Tennessee Whiskey — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed June 27, 2021 (edited July 31, 2022)375ml Bottle 64.8% proof Barrel 18-8284 Bottled: 11/5/18 Friday night. June. Playoff hockey. Islanders at Tampa. Game 7. Winner advances. A ballsy whiskey is ripe for this scenario. Mets already won game 1 of their double header. Yankees/Red Sox. A busy sports night in New York. Thanks to my buddy in Connecticut who provided me a nice 375ml bottle of this JD. The nose is straight forward and unabashedly vanilla, caramel and brown sugar. Settling in, cola notes rise to the surface (a natural Jack and Coke?). Baking spices, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. Peanut brittle, milk chocolate, Big Red chewing gum, black tea and leather. Quite a potpourri of aromas. Immediately the palate is anesthetized on the slightest draw with pins and needles as it begins to numb. Regroup. The palate is acclimated. Ready to go for more. Spicy, dry and sweet. Gingerbread, cinnamon rolls with sugar frosting (think Cinnabon). However the earthy notes keep a good baseline. Leather, tobacco and ginger root. The high proof makes this hot to the touch. But not edgy or sharp. With a good dose of water, the sweetness bubbles up. Caramel, toffee, milk chocolate, like a Heath Bar in liquified form, maple syrup and black tea. A drying, oaky finish that lasts a fair length of time. Orange rind, trace amounts of charcoal and cigar tobacco ride you out. Contrastingly to the diluted sweetness is the earthy finish. This is the not your classic JD. This is a serious and no nonsense JD. Bookers or ECBP serious. Sipping it neat was a challenge in that the heat made you work for the flavors. Watered down made it approachable and is recommended. The contrasting aromas; sweet and earthy flavors provide a bit of everything. What I want out of a whiskey. Balance of earth/spice and sweet. This one meets that criteria. Well crafted. When Jack flexes it muscle, it can produce some quality top shelf whiskey. [92/100][Tasted: 6/25/21] -
Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram
Single Malt — Speyside , Scotland
Reviewed June 5, 2021 (edited July 31, 2022)Flashback three years ago. SDT was well into its journey. Extra samples were thrown in to share. @Generously_Paul, self-proclaimed Tamdhu’s number one fanboy, eponymous, generously shared this rare treat. I have not much exposure with Tamdhu, but my travel-mates have nothing but exceptional praise. Now, finally, I pull this from the depths… This is a sherried scotch for sure. However, this needs time to settle in and really reveal its nose. Raisins, jammy grapes, milk chocolate. Twizzler licorice, brown sugar, buttered whole wheat toast. Fruity and sweet. More time, oak, almonds and walnuts with cinnamon and nutmeg spices, subtly, hover and weave amongst the fruity sweetness. A plethora of aromas all moving and dancing together. Drawing on the dram, it enters velvety and slick. The bite you would expect and brace for does not appear. But what does appear. Rich and deep sherry and citrusy fruits. Cherries, oranges, dried pineapple and kumquats. Added to it is an earthiness of light coffee, matcha tea, black tea, dark chocolate, all with a touch of mineral. That bite that you braced for on the initial draw, bites at the start of the finish. The spininess crescendos and at it peak, blocks all remaining flavor. But it works it’s way down. Oak, cinnamon, dark chocolate and almonds, all drying with drying oak. Long lasting. A deepened sherried scotch. One of the deepest that I can recall. Glenfarclas or Macallan, but much more deeply rich. The high proof is undetectable and sips as at 48 abv or 50 abv. Balanced, rich, deep in aroma and flavor. I sat and contemplated this one and really came to a realization that what I expressed in words is only what I could relate or compare to, but there is so much more that I could not get to, find or expose. Another sample or two and maybe I could. Which only illustrates the complexity of this dram while retaining approachability. Now, if I only had a mild cigar, which would pair quite well. Thanks @Generously_Paul for this rare tasting sample that has sat in my backlog way too long. [95/100][Tasted: 6/4/21] -
Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2021 FAE-01
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed May 23, 2021 (edited July 31, 2022)I hold a small affection toward Makers. It started years ago when I was becoming more of an established whisky imbiber (probably because of the uniqueness of the wax seal). I have yet to sample or taste any of the wood finishing series; this being my obvious first. This sample was provided by Distillers master of sharing, @PBMichiganWolverine The aroma is not as bold and in your face. But the aroma is present. A caramel and leather base supports sweetness and fruitiness. A cinnamon-rich peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. With all that, over time, a fresh, humid mild cigar begins to make its presence. Overt but not harsh or brash. There is a deep, rich flavor intensity in its raw form. Take maple syrup and add red pepper flakes: sweet and spicy. There is a fruitiness and an earthy quality to the fruitiness that, after repeated sips, becomes increasingly growing in intensity. Maraschino cherries, green bananas, milk chocolate and oaken flavors meld and mix in a final blast then slowly fade to the finish. A bit of water keeps does not radically alter the whisky much from the undiluted pour. However, a metallic quality becomes a new player to the palate. Slightly off putting, but does not distract or diminish the experience. A wooden finish with cherry oil, vanilla and nuttiness and charcoal fade, surprisingly, relatively quick, though not immediate. When you sip, you will most likely know it’s Makers (not necessarily a bad thing). The nose and palate are pleasing. The high abv is not obvious and raises a hint of a high proof whisky. Preferable neat in its full form. But to extend your palate life, a small ice cube may be a way to do that. Good flavor and a easy sipper which makes an enjoyable dram. [88/100][Tasted: 5/21/21] -
BHAKTA 50 Year Brandy
Other Brandy — Armagnac , France
Reviewed May 15, 2021 (edited October 27, 2021)So, the only other half century + spirit I had the good fortune of tasting was the Craigellachie 51. I also had the good fortune to share that experience with none other than @PBMichiganWolverine So, Pranay, ever gracious, provided me a sample of this “through the ages”Armagnac. Conceptually it’s like jumping in with Bill and Ted and their excellent adventure and going through centuries and decades, stealing pours, instead of iconic people, and blending them. So, partially to enjoy something good after a few days of unbalance from the vaccination (punched my card full) and because it’s been awhile since I actually had some time to sample, I figured I would treat myself. The color is deep and rich of mahogany, like a Hacker boat. It’s been sitting in my Coptia glass for about ten minutes and the aromas are immediately present. However, let it sit, and sit, and sit but taking in the notes over time. Baking spices are evident; prominently nutmeg. Cinnamon, cloves and oranges (like those kindergarten crafts we made for mom for Christmas), lemon zest and pineapples, raisins and apricots. Some dry Merlot-like notes seep through, but in the depths of the spirit. All about the nose exists this presence of and old, damp, musty cellar or library books. A similar experience with the Craigellachie 51. Like it was forever lost in a basement corner an recently discovered. Wonderful! The initial arrival brings a varietal wave of flavors and sensations. Sweetness, then peat which rolls into a front forward prickle and then stone fruits and sherry. Apricots, raisins, Luxardo cherries and plumbs provide the fruitiness. Vanilla and caramel add some sweetness. All about, just so slight and not overpowering is the earthy, smoky peat with some oak and black pepper spices. A long welcoming finish as you don’t wish this to fade with any rapidity. Cigar ash lingers all about. Fruity, black cherries with black pepper and oak tannins with a touch of earthy minerals ride the smoky ash for what seems endless. It has been a long while since I recall experiencing something this rich, earthy and sweet. I can get lost in this spirit and not want to be found. This smells and sips more as a scotch then a brandy. This may be worthy of a $375 price tag. Take your time to enjoy the full experience. Thanks again @PBMichiganWolverine for sharing. A wonderful pour. #WWD. [Tasted: 5/14/21] For more information about this Armagnac, if you are interested: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/joemicallef/2021/01/16/tasting-an-extraordinary-old-brandy-bhakta-50/amp/ -
Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon
Bourbon — Indiana (bottled in Nevada), USA
Reviewed April 24, 2021 (edited July 31, 2022)Bottled: March 15, 2021 Batch Number: 50 59.96% abv So, I have been hearing/reading recently about Smoke Wagon. Is it because of marketing, increased distribution or is the word of mouth speaking true to the quality? Can a sourced whiskey be that good? So, I happen into my local shop. I peruse. Do a double-take and see this SW Uncut Unfiltered on the shelf. Mentally justify the expense and thinking about a quote from my favorite urban poet Tyrone Green, I said, “What the heck!” Pours into the glass a color of rusty brown. Light and steady stream of vanilla, brown sugar and dark chocolate on initial nosing. Slowly, beneath the vanilla current, baking spices begin to emerge. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice. More time, more emergent aromas. Tangent from the spices, tropical fruits become noticeable. Pineapples and shaved coconut with chocolate like a Somoa cookie. Earthy qualities eek out after a good thirty minutes. Worn leather gloves with cedar, rubbed and worked in, provides a close to home, warming sensation. Dark chocolate, vanilla extract, black pepper: take those three, mix and blend. A spicy sweetness on first arrival. It crescendos into a spicy cayenne pepper hotness and flavor distinction become blurred and diminished. Not because the flavor vanished, but because the tongue become anesthetized. As you become acclimated, black tea with honey, cherries, apples, caramel with oak and cinnamon provide a potpourri and rides to the finish. A teaspoon of water smoothes the edginess, brings forward more of the brown sugar and vanilla flavors as well as drawing forward more oak tannins. However, water does not drastically alter the core characteristics of the whiskey. A tossup if you want to add water. In the end, it will actually stretch the bottle, and that’s a good thing. Oak, wood char, black pepper, grenadine, tobacco, pickled and ginger fade their way, slowly. The sweetened black tea re-emerges and provides a smidge of earthy sweetness finish. I sampled this over two weeks so I can chew on this one. This is a solid, rich, full bourbon. Balanced well with all the right ingredients. Bountiful nose that you can take in all evening. Palate is sweet and spicy without being overblown. I bought this partially on blind faith and partially on curiosity of the hype. I must say Batch 50 does not disappoint. I would like to compare other batches, but from what I read , this batch was one of the better batches. I will be sure to keep this one in the library. [92/100][$75][Tasted: 4/16/21: 4/23/21]75.0 USD per Bottle -
Ohishi Sherry Single Cask Whisky
Other Whiskey — Kumamoto, Japan
Reviewed April 11, 2021 (edited July 31, 2022)What do you get when you distill rice, age it in sherry casks, not once but twice? I would venture to say, you get a sherry infused whisky (I think I have learned from here that the barrel does influence the distillate, lol). I guess the truer question(s) is how well does the barrel influence the distillate? Does the type of grain used make a difference? A rich, dark amber color with a touch of gold. The sherry aromas pop. Reminiscent of Glendronach or Macallan. Raisins, figs and cinnamon and soft leather. There is a nutty aroma of almonds and/or walnuts with a gentle sweetness. Brown sugar, caramel and vanilla. Brings me, in my minds eye, to a crisp November day; autumn colors; pumpkins, gords and straw. Light and bright with a sweet bite. Sherry forward, though almost cognac-like rounded with sweetness. Raisins, cinnamon infused maple syrup, brown sugar and black cherries. The cinnamon provides a small prickly and spicy sensation. All the flavors, like the color, are rich and deep, in contrast to the mouthfeel. As it fades, the oak drying tannins encompass the palate with dark stone fruits and raisins and vanilla that fade after a medium length of time. A rice whisky that smells and drinks more of a scotch or cognac. Dense and rich in flavor. A pour for a day when you can cozy up, grab a good book/Kindle or mild cigar, slow time and take in the aromas and flavors. The choice of casks was a perfect pairing to the rice grain used as the basis of the lightweight rice distillate. This is a good pour. I don’t know what this retails for or if it’s readily available. But this was one I will remember and am glad I had the chance to taste. Thanks @PBMichiganWolverine for this sample, back as an extra from the SDT days. [90/100][Tasted: 4/10/21] -
On Fridays, after working late, I usually just have a low cost whiskey (Wild Turkey, Aberfeldy, JW, etc) for a wind down while I catch up on a series (currently Cobra Kai on Netflix... yeah, I know...). So, I happened to grab this just to change things up a bit. It fits my Friday checklist. What the heck, why not give it a go? Will it be in the rotation? Not sure... Take a swatch of worn, tanned leather and rub in ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, caramel and apple pie filling. Now, blend all that together, into the leather and inhale. No dominant aroma, but a blend of aromas all at once, all together. Gentle on the intake. A ground cornmeal porridge foundation that supports a subtle brown sugar and vanilla sweetness. A tinge of orange zest is detectable as you continue to sip your way through the pour. A current of spice pulses through of black pepper and cinnamon which begin before the start of the finish and intensifies on the swallow and the fades into the finish. The touch of oak dryness and char remain with a spicy tingle, all which hangs around for a fair length of time. For a sub $35 bottle, this is a satisfying bourbon. That is, there is flavor, though not broad; there is sweetness, though not overt: there is spice though not overwhelming. A decent, affordable goto bourbon for simple moments or moments where you just want to sip and not escape too far, or just be in the moment. The higher ABV is an added bonus that helps when you throw in some ice. Better than I expected. I think worthy for my Friday rotation. [84/100][$32][Tasted: 3/27/21]32.0 USD per Bottle
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Connemara Turf Mór (Travel Retail Exclusive)
Single Malt — Ireland
Reviewed March 21, 2021 (edited July 31, 2022)This was in a pile of samples that, of course, came from @PbMichiganWolverine. Well, anyways, a pour of this tonight is what is in store. Take old school bbq charcoal, throw some apples, apricots, pears on top of that grill. Drizzle honey over the fruit. Grill and flip. Throw some cedar chips on the briquettes. Now, lastly, take a fresh orange and squeeze the juice over the grilled, smoked fruit. A sweet and charcoaled fruity aromas. Lightweight and thin, there is a subtle sweetness with razor sharp edges. Once you work past the jaggedness, vanilla, cigar ash, lemon/orange citrus, apples, apricots and pears medley, that were previously grilled, all come through the palate. All the in a burst which slowly, like a fading firework, fade away. The prickly sensation with cigar ash and black pepper fade with a touch of woodiness. The ash remains leaving the palate ashy and charcoaled and mentholated. There is the cleanness that is often found in Irish whiskey. The ash and sweet are nicely balanced, weighted towards the tobacco ashy side. A nice, peated Irish whiskey. Light, elegant and enjoyable. [84/100][Tasted: 3/20/21] -
Terroir. Outsourced. Potato. Potatoe. Does it make any difference? It sounds as if Waterford believe it most certainly does. I think there is something unique, or old-school, about it. Farm to consumer (no factory) and somewhat refreshing. I am an Irish whiskey fan and look forward to tasting the results of their idea and belief. There is an ever present ethanol note that hovers over the lighter aromas. Irish profile of fresh fruit and sweetness, malt and yeast. Take a bowl, throw in diced green bananas, Granny Smith apples, vanilla sweet cream, cinnamon, barley sugary, Frosted Mini Wheats. Stir around and breathe it in. A healthy breakfast nose. Now take in what is fresh in your aromatic senses and spin that 90 degrees. A thick, viscous, velvety texture coats that palate. Dessert that’s saccharine (to put it mildly). Lemon shortcake, white pepper, graham crackers, fresh ginger, apples, honey all coated with confectionery sugar. The ginger zing follows to the finish as the oak tannins push forward with vanilla and small amount of barrel char. This rides out for an enjoyable medium length. A good, full balance of aromas and flavors. The youthfulness is detectable. Vibrant and bright. The practice of doing it all in-house is intriguing and, in this case, holds true promise. If this matures for another few years, this just may be the upper echelons of whisk(e)ies. Full, undiluted aroma and flavor. Thanks @PbMichiganWolverine for the great sample (and supplying everyone who as tasted this on Distiller thus far). [90/100][Tasted: 3/6/21]
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Peat. Loved or hated. For those who love it, Ardbeg may be the standard of peated scotches. Their core/standard range of scotches are benchmarks, measures as to the quality of a peated scotch. Thanks to @Telex for offering this sample, from way back when. As it rests and opens, images of a chilled autumn beach days comes to mind. Cedar wraps containing bacon, smoked with spearmint notes waft with a maritime brine. Not dense in peat. Rich. Dark honey, dark roast coffee and dark chocolate shavings with an earthiness. A slick texture with sweetness and earth. Sherry with dark chocolate, lemon citrus, charcoal. There is a youthful spiciness that doesn’t appear until late towards the beginning of the finish with cracked black pepper and ground cinnamon. A long lasting finish with the spicy tingle slowly fading into charcoal, tobacco, oak and the associated drying tannins. This is an Ardbeg-lite. The normally strong peat and earth are diluted, comparatively to, say, the 10 year. It’s enjoyable though the lack of maturity has deprived the dram of more potential flavors. In fairness, it’s a solid dram but is outshined by the core three. It will appeal; enjoyable, youthful but lacks a bit comparatively to its siblings. [87/100][Tasted: 2/13/21]
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