Tastes
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Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey Barrel Select
Rye — Indiana , USA
Reviewed March 22, 2021 (edited November 20, 2022)"2019 selection from Big Red Liquors, bottle #40 of 240, nicknamed "Savory." Now I love a good spicy rye, in fact, all rye should focus on the spice, but a savory rye is much harder to find, and even harder to master. I definitely know I won't be pursuing the sweet version, but considering how hard to the "savory" barrel pick is outside of Indiana, I'm glad I got it. The same color as the other barrel pick I've tried, but this is pretty expected. The scent is a great balance between raw grain and spicy rye. The spice grows, eventually making me pull back from the ethanol. When I go back to smell again, I get a very faint hint of tropical fruit (banana?), which spells good things for a savory profile. A medium raw grain begins the flavor, with the tropical fruit thought popping back into my head right before the rye spice grows to take over. Once this peaks, if you don't introduce air, then it ends here and it's a pretty good rye whiskey. However, if you introduce air with the finish, it almost becomes a banana flavored whiskey. What makes this even better is the spice factor doesn't back down, so you're still well aware that rye is the star here. Savory is such a difficult flavor profile to get right, especially when most people prefer sweet, spicy, or something else before savory. Even then, it's much harder to get right in a whiskey, especially a rye whiskey where spice should always be the main focus. Tropical fruit and banana isn't necessarily the first thing I think about when I think "savory," but as far as tasting notes go in a whiskey, I think this barrel nailed it. This is a great pick, with the only disappointment being that this barrel pick profile is infinitely spicier than the "Spice" pick, which is worlds upside-down. The only way I can see this barrel or profile being approved upon is if it was left at barrel proof. At that point, I'd be happy to pay double without question to keep this flavor profile around on the bar. -
Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey Barrel Select
Rye — Indiana , USA
Reviewed March 17, 2021 (edited November 20, 2022)2019 selection from Big Red Liquors, bottle #39 of 240, nicknamed "Spice." MGP is an absolute leader when it comes to rye whiskey, and Rossville Union (among other products) proves it. Prior to this bottle, I've only had the barrel proof, and that's all I needed to sample before pursuing more. I've seen this single barrel pick and two others ("Savory" and "Sweet," the former of which I also purchased) about a year ago, and I don't know why I haven't purchased sooner. Excited to find out if it was worth the daydreaming or not. Good color, moderately dark. In my mind, I know exactly to what whiskeys I'll compare this, being that this is supposed to sell the spicy side of rye. Disappointingly, it's actually corn sweetness that I get most on the nose, which I would imagine makes up a large part of the brother mash bill used which only contains half the amount of rye (rye whiskey should never see the light of day if made with less than 95% rye). I can smell good, fresh rye as a grain, yet mellowed some by the barrel, but really the only spice I'm detecting comes from the ethanol. Thankfully, the taste does build to some spiciness. The initial flavor is still a majority of sweet, but the rye spice digs into the gums to burn from the inside rather than on the whiskey itself. This is enjoyable and burns even hotter with introduced air, but the finish presents a curious malty note, which does not blend well at all with the fresh grassy and minty flavors of the rye grain that also come out during the finish. The continuing burn is decent, but not really all that unique. So, this is good, and if this is anything like what standard Rossville Union tastes like, then it's definitely a winner. My beef is that someone, somewhere, thought that the predominant flavor here was spice, compared to the other barrels tasted. If this is truly the spiciest barrel offered that year, then I yield, but I doubt it, because I've had plenty of rye whiskeys that can burn like horseradish, and MGP should certainly be a distillery to figure out that magic recipe. Although, as I said earlier, the issue may lie in the use of the super low 51% rye mash bill (if truly used in this batch), because the real key to making a rye whiskey spicy and sticky to the gums is, if you can believe it, rye.25.0 USD per Bottle -
Cruzan Single Barrel Aged Rum
Aged Rum — US Virgin Islands
Reviewed March 17, 2021 (edited February 17, 2022)2019 barrel pick, Big Red Liquors, nicknamed "S'mores." I've been meaning to expand my rum arsenal, and I'm sure I knew deep down that there were single barrels of rum sold, I just never thought I'd be able to find any. With this being a pretty great price point, and coming from one of my favorite stores, this seems exciting. And calling it "S'mores" has got to be the cherry on top. Really great color, rivaling medium and even longer aged whiskeys that I've had. There's a slight haziness which I imagine is just a product of distilling rum, but again, the deep chestnut hue is very attractive, especially with the low, base proof. The oak is the first note I get on the scent, but what shocked me is that I had to pull away fairly quickly due to a high ethanol burn. Coming back, and this may just be placebo, but I really feel like marshmallow and cocoa powder are also on the nose. There is just the faintest note of some citrus on the fade-away. The flavor is weak at first, but opens into raw and harsh oak. I would have thought this would be the only wood flavor, but it actually turns to toasted oak, and then charred rather quickly, inputting wood spice, caramel, and so much vanilla into the palate. I get no chocolate flavor here, but there is some marshmallow near the finish, slightly toasted. The finish is slightly hot, but goes back to focusing on the wood mingling, and this is where I can finally tell this is a rum, with the toasted sugar spirit riding out well. First off, this smells so much better than it tastes, but it definitely doesn't taste bad. It's much hotter than is to be expected from 80 proof, and although I have longer aged rums in my collection, the oak flavor from this is very deep, and given that it's a single barrel, it's actually impressive in the end. I wouldn't really use the word "s'mores" for the flavor itself on this one, but again, it's a great single barrel rum to have, and even better that it's a barrel pick. -
Tasting from a 50ml sample. No knowledge of this prior, just can never turn down 50ml samples of new things. The scent has quite a sweetness to it, that reminds me of pure corn whiskey new make, and likely has to do with the organic corn choice of the base spirit here. There's also some lighter vegetal notes, like cucumber and other green skinned veggies. The juniper smells like a good amount in there, enough to where the black pepper notes are even prominent, but it is being overshadowed by the sweet/base spirit. The first sip showcases a light body, and the sweetness is first up, but not nearly as much as found in the scent. The same light vegetal notes come back, and almost matches the veggies you'd find in grandma's backyard during the summer. The juniper comes in last, and finishes things off with a surprising spice kick, that lingers much longer than I would have expected it to. There's a characteristic here that feels like this gin is too sweet, and almost syrupy. It doesn't taste like that, but does feel like it a bit. It's got the body of a cheaper spirit, but the taste of a higher quality one at the same time. I've never seen a full size bottle of this anywhere (although I may have simply never been looking for it), but this seems like the perfect gin to strictly have around for G&Ts, where it would blend perfectly with the mixer and just let the flavor come through. So long as the price is good, I would recommend this with a bar spout on top, and just go to town.
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This is the second gin I'm trying from this distiller, the first being the rye variant. 19 seems like a great number for botanicals; it seems at first a little high, but it has room to insert some unique items, like the cilantro. I am also excited that there are so many of them that are steeped as opposed to added to the gin basket, so I look forward to a different blend to taste. There is mostly floral and herbaceous notes on the scent, but no one thing that overpowers another. It smells like it would taste fantastic with some citrus, but I don't actually get any on the nose. You can tell juniper is there, but it's definitely an afterthought behind the other botanicals. The initial taste is certainly floral, and almost sweet, but I can still tell it's a gin. The taste really just develops from the smell that you get from standing in a National Park garden, but I still just vaguely get a citrus note suggestion, and if it's anything, I'd call it lemon and lime peels that were dried out and then rolled in sugar. The finish feels light, but the flavors that have been tasted thus far still shine evenly until the palate is completely cleared. This is especially nice given the slightly higher 90 proof on a gin. This variant was very impressive. I did not purchase the green label, which in all research seems like it would be the brand's flagship gin, but even without trying that one, I would argue that this should be the one that any gin novice turns to if they want an awesome American gin spin that is still very approachable for most casual drinkers. With the rye version also having it's own impressive notes to it, I am looking forward to purchasing full size bottles from this distillery, minus the green label variant, since I couldn't care less about California "specialties."
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Highest rated gin on Distiller, eh? Well, it certainly costs it. I opted for the half bottle, not only due to the high cost, but also because I really don't think this is going to meld as well as I've heard; 47 botanicals has got to be too many. I haven't looked at all of them, but I have to imagine that around 30 is when you won't be able to taste individual flavors, and likely around 40 is when you'd have to start raiding your pantry just to be able to fill out all 47. Still though, most things that Germany produce are superior, so let's see what happens. This already starts out as intimidating, because even as I smell citrus, tea, and very slight juniper and black pepper, knowing that there are somehow 40 other things that I haven't picked up on is disappointing, and makes me think that I should be discovering much more on the scent. What I do get is very approachable, but only for a few seconds, as after that, the proof begins to burn away any of the more delicate notes. The initial taste is very citrus forward, but not so much in a fresh, juicy way, but more as if you're chewing on candied citrus peels. There is a flavor of black pepper and black pepper related botanicals, but the spice from these ingredients don't actually propagate. If you've had at least several different gins before, you'd be able to tell this is a juniper based spirit, but it's very faint, and quite easy to let the other botanicals take the lead. The finish lets whatever flavors you've been tasting ride themselves out without interruption, but if you're paying attention, you can still tell with the gums tingling that the proof of this gin is higher than most others. Honestly, this is a tasty, refreshing gin. However, there are many parts about it that are intimidating and seem to encourage amateur tasters to stay away. You could easily convince me that only 10-15 botanicals are used here, when in fact, that number would be less than a third of what is actually used. As I thought initially, I'm sure there was a line crossed where the distiller knew that the individual botanicals would no longer be able to be tasted, and instead opted on making a conglomerate that, although tastes good, only does so when a specific amount of all 47 botanicals are used, and would otherwise fall apart if not followed to the letter. I think it's because so many botanicals are used that the price is likely so high, as well, which is obviously fair to the consumer, but one would think is super frowned upon. Combine all of that, and it's easy to think you've got a "top shelf," "classy" gin, only used for sipping, when in reality, this would absolutely rock in a martini, and would still probably shine in a gin & tonic, but I can see being far too scared or cheap to try it. I'm sure all of that is somewhat unintentional, but it follows suit with the poisonous American whiskey community, which encourages consumers to savor the product instead of use it how it always should be, no matter what: how they like to drink it.
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Tasting from a 50ml sample. This may take the cake for the most ghostly whiskey I've found yet. No age statement, sure, that's unfortunately standard practice now, but no idea where it's even from, either? But wait, we do know that this "Texas" bourbon is from somewhere in KY, sure, that makes sense. At this point, why even put a label on it at all? Kentucky should just start putting these young whiskeys in clear, plain glass bottles with a handwritten statement that says, "Guess, *******" and truly, people will still buy it. This is pretty light in color, which I expected. However, it even looks watery, but hopefully this is a factor of being so young. The scent does have a good handful of typical, standard bourbon (vanilla, rye spice, mild oak, etc), with a good balance, but again, very light overall. Every time I go back to the glass to refresh the scent, I get a very quick hint of something wet, earthy, and very shockingly unpleasant, but it fades into the above notes quickly, so I hope this doesn't stick around. The initial taste isn't really much, because the body is so light that most of the flavors take time to warm up. The first and only flavor I get initially is weak corn whiskey, with a slight hint of the earthy wetness from the smell. This is both boring and unpleasant, until the finish develops with some air, and some good rye spice starts kicking things up. At first, I thought this is where the good flavors would start appearing, but instead, the wet corn mash doesn't actually go away, and combined with the rye, just makes the previous taste seem spicy and harsh. As I try to move my gums about to see if anything else changes, the only new note I discover is a metallic tang, which I usually get from very low quality whiskeys or spirits from low quality stills. This finish continues, and unfortunately is only reset by a new taste, which only seems like a hostage situation to me. Okay yeah, this wasn't going to surprise me if it was bad, but the fact that it's bad AND chooses to hide behind so much smoke and mirror behavior is just shame on the whiskey community, and should cause any self-respecting dedicated consumer to want to shy away from the craft; I know that feeling.
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St. George Dry Rye Gin
Modern Gin — California, USA
Reviewed February 18, 2021 (edited July 12, 2022)As a lover of rye whiskey, this is exciting. I've been so focused on the botanicals in gins that I've completely disregarded the base spirit, and what it had to be or could be. I expect this is to be a potent, spicy gin, so I'm hoping the simple botanical use is enough to come through a powerful body. The scent on this is easily black pepper, so much of it, like the legal amount needed to put in a proper sausage gravy to get it to turn gray. It's not just black pepper, though, but like the pepper was freshly ground on citrus peels, flower petals, and some tea leaves; very simple botanical choices, but that's good considering these are not the star here. This is room temperature at the moment, so to say the initial taste is hot would be unfair... For now. Tea and juniper are the first notes I get, followed by a floral body, with citrus coming much later, like half a minute past the finish. I couldn't help but compare this with a rye whiskey profile since I don't have any other gin to go off of, so I was expecting fresh cut grass, mint, and just a bit of wine-y malt. However, the botanicals actually keep the base spirit from getting too spicy, and allow only a fraction of the grass and rye spice through that's enough to taste, but not to experience or feel. That last paragraph took long enough to type that I was able to breathe some air in past a recent sip, and after a few breaths, a fresh rye bread taste manifested almost immediately. The botanicals had faded since then, so this was just that bread-y, minty taste, which I didn't think I would get. This leads me to believe that this gin could be really unlocked and discovered with very minimal or simple changes, like on ice, or with a lemon peel, but the uniqueness wouldn't hold up in a cocktail, unless it was seriously showcasing the gin itself. I take it the barrel aged version of this that Distiller mentioned is not ready yet, since I didn't see it in stores, but that would definitely be something I would snag to see how these flavors transform, despite absolutely loathing barrel aged gins in general. That, or a navy strength version would certainly kick ass, in more ways than one. -
Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin
Modern Gin — Ireland
Reviewed February 15, 2021 (edited June 24, 2021)Tasting from a 50ml sample. Alright, so they got me with the buzzword "gunpowder." Honestly, I'd do anything to smell gunpowder again anyway, so maybe that's why we're here. However, this has a good amount of botanicals, good quality citrus fruits, and the aforementioned special tea, which even if it's just buzz, tea is always a good botanical choice. Low juniper scent, and great citrus. It seems to be a blend between bitter oil and fresh juice of the citrus, which is great, so long as it's balanced. The proof is, at first, just a background thought, but after the citrus and additional floral notes fade, the proof becomes harsh and causes an almost instant recoil. The initial taste is slightly spicy, with a body that is both oily and still light. The first notes are floral, and the tea, but nothing special. The bitter citrus now comes through, and builds somewhat slowly to a spicy, peppery finish. This is the first time that the juniper actually makes itself obvious. Okay, so this is definitely doused in bait, with the "gunpowder," fancy bottle, and glass color. Having said that, this is still a moderately good gin, with more focus on the floral side without sacrificing the body, citrus, or juniper notes. This is also one of few gins with a good tea note, but since myself and likely very few others know what gunpowder tea is without the internet, it's more of a guessing game to seeing how true to form it is. -
Tasting from a 50ml bottle. I've seen some ads for this gin several years ago, but I was not interested in creative or unique gins at that time. Now, several years later, it's clear this distillery has done quite well, since I'm able to easily find some of their spin-off/one-off variants locally. I was not even aware they have 2 different proof versions, but given how bordering close the ABV is, I wouldn't imagine a difference can really be detected. The botanical amount here seems appropriate for a modern gin, but I'm very curious about using 2 different stills, and how that will translate during tasting. A very floral scent, with just a hint of herbaceous, but not light, with the juniper and, surprisingly, the proof both tagging along for the initial scent. There is some citrus present, but I get the bitter pith rather than oil or juice. The rose is slightly detectable at a further distance from the glass, but the cucumber seems to only be somewhat detectable just because I was told it was in here. Wow, the initial taste is quite hotter than I would have expected. After getting past that, citrus oil makes a surprise appearance, and in a pretty moderate amount, too. Floral botanicals make up a good portion of the middle palate, but this is still on a very hot body, bordering black pepper and other spices that are usually much more toned down. At this point, I would say this is a pretty boring gin, but with surprisingly good proof and a bit of spiciness left on the gums. However, after letting the finish play out for a couple minutes, I am finally able to get some of the bitter cucumber rind, and some more floral notes in addition to the rose. All-in-all, this is not as unique in taste as it was to describe, but I wouldn't mind having it around just because it could easily cut through overly sour or sweet cocktails and remind you that a good gin exists within it. If you were wanting to get this because of the rose and cucumber addition (which I remember was the part that was hammered home the most on the recent ads), I would pass, because I can only get it during a room temperature neat tasting, and even then it was several minutes later. It definitely wouldn't hold up as unique in a cocktail, but perhaps one of their other, new, playful offerings could give you something a little bit more fun.
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