Category Archives: Whiskey

Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Rye (5 Year)

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Single Barrel Rye, 5 Years,
55% ABV, $30

This is from barrel #58, bottle #53 of 192. I’ve had a 3 and 4 year old selection from Spec’s, but I picked up this bottle from Total Wine in Orlando for $30 (usually about $38-40 here).

This pour is a slightly cloudy golden amber. The nose is toffee, vanilla, grass, honey, straw, dark cherry, pear and a bit of charred wood. He taste is vanilla, caramel, apple, pear, cherry, lemon, ginger and black pepper. The spice and fruits are nicely balanced all the way through to the sweet, spicy and mildly oaked finish. A little water reveals a bit of tart cherry, bitter orange, Granny Smith apple… the flavor really comes alive! On the finish I now notice a bit of apple and honey, while the spice is turned up a bit as well. A little more water accentuates the ginger just a tad along with an appearance of clove. There’s still plenty of caramel and vanilla about midway through as the fruit and spice subside.

This is a great rye whiskey and you can’t go wrong here. I just hope the barrel you find is as good as this one. The three I’ve had have all been good, but this is probably the best one. You’re really missing out if you don’t add water to this one, since that’s when it really comes alive.  You can also make a fantastic Sazerac with this one!

Wild Turkey Straight Rye 101

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Straight Rye, 6-8 Years,
50.5% ABV, $19

This was discontinued last year in favor of the 81 proof version, but its rumored that this one will eventually return. Who knows if it will be the same stuff or not, but I had to grab some before it disappeared to see what all of the hype was about as this whiskey has quite the reputation.

The color is a really nice clear golden amber. Moving on to the aroma, I smell honey, straw, toffee and slight orange peel and cherry. The taste is almost malty with citrus and spice… lemon, ginger, white pepper, vanilla, peach, pear, cherry and green apple. On the finish its peppery and mildly oaky with a bit of lingering orange and cherry. Adding a tiny bit of water changes things dramatically. The pepper is subdued while the ginger flavor remains. The fruits are much less tangy and the flavor is more wood, but the finish is mostly the same with an additional straw flavor. The fruits are a more rounded collection of cherry, pear, peach, pomegranate and persimmon (you heard that right) with a mild caramel base.

This is a very good rye whiskey and easier to approach than the younger Willets or Rittenhouse 100. I still think that both of them are better, though. If this one comes back in good form and at a reasonable price (i.e. less than the Willets), then I’ll go for another bottle. By the way, this stuff is great in a Mint Julep or Sazerac.

Found Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2010

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Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2010

I stopped into a store that I’d never seen before and happened upon a bottle of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2010 for $24.  That’s about the best deal I’ve found yet.  Aside from the inaugural release in 2002, the 2007 is widely considered to be the best release and the 2009 release is generally considered to be the worst.  The 2010 got a lot of praise from Jason Pyle on his Sour Mash Manifesto, Geoff Kleinman on Drink Spirits and Lance Mayhew.  Chris Morris, Brown-Forman Master Distiller told BourbonBlog,

This year’s vintage release of Old Forester is crafted from a 72 barrel batch that was put into barrels on October 24, 1997. These barrels were evenly matured together in the very middle of Warehouse K, on the 5th floor in ricks 42, 43 and 45, surrounded by open space. This environment allowed the barrels to easily breathe during maturation and develop a rich fruit and spice character.

There have been many who have generally been critical of all of the releases and didn’t like this one either. Personally, I’m excited to have found this one, especially at this price, and I’m looking forward to giving it a taste.

The 2013 Spirit Journal World’s Top 120 Spirits

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Spirit JournalF. Paul Pacult has published his Top 120 Spirits for 2013 and here’s how I fared with the list:

7. Parker’s Heritage Collection Master Distiller’s Blend of Mash bills Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (USA) 63.5% abv, $80.

I know of 4 batch releases of this sixth release from the Parker’s Heritage Collection, but this doesn’t match any of them.  Perhaps this was a pre-release batch that he reviewed, after all he is a special guy in the world of spirits.  My bottle is the most current release at a whopping 69.7% ABV and considered by many to be the best batch of the four.

32. Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (USA-2012) 66.2% abv, $70.

I have the 2011 edition of this limited annual release from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, but I’ve yet to open it.

56. Merlet Crème de Cassis de la Saintonge Boisée Liqueur (France) 20% abv, $25.

I have a bottle of this that a friend of mine picked up for me in Paris last year.  It’s quite good!

60. William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (USA) 61.7% abv, $70.

This is another one in my cabinet from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and I’m looking forward to opening it.  It’s a wheated bourbon and I don’t have any experience with this type, so I need to open it soon.

67. El Tesoro de Don Felipe Añejo 100% Agave Tequila (Mexico) 40% abv, $59.

This is my favorite tequila and I’ve still got another bottle of it left from a clearance deal I happened upon over a year ago.  I also have the blanco and reposado from El Tesoro and they’re quite good as well.

85. Laphroaig Cask Strength 10 Years Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland) 55.3% abv, $60.

I’ve had a sample of this from a friend and it’s a bold Islay whisky.  I prefer Ardbeg Ten, but this one suits the preferences of many.  I spent too much time evaluating it at cask strength and my mouth was becoming numb by the time I had added enough water to bring it down to a realistic level.  I plan on giving this one another try.

86. Dos Maderas 5 + 3 Years Old Superior Reserve Rum (Guyana/Barbados) 40% abv, $38.

I finished my bottle of this one last year and it was pretty good, if not bit too sweet.  I like this much better than Dos Maderas PX (5+5), which is finished in Pedro Ximenes Oloroso Sherry casks, as that one is overly sweet for my taste.

87. Herradura Blanco 100% Agave Tequila (Mexico) 40% abv, $55.

Last year, I bought a sample pack of Herradura Blanco, Reposado and Anejo.  I liked the Anejo the best.

92. Santa Teresa 1796 Ron Antiguo de Solera (Venezuela) 40% abv, $39.

My brother introduced me to this Jamaican rum.  While it was good, I consider Appleton Estate Extra 12 Year Old Jamaican Rum to be better.

97. Rhum Barbancourt Réserve Spéciale 8 Year Old Rum (Haiti) 43% abv, $23.

I’m on my second bottle of this rhum agricole (i.e. cane juice rum) and it was a slow start for me with this one.  At first, I was totally unimpressed and considered it a bit over-aged, but as time wore on I came to appreciate it more and more.   It’s got a “reedy” flavor to it that takes a bit of getting used to.  Now, I don’t think I would be without it and plan to try other rums of this style.

99. WhiskeyPig Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 10 Years (Canada) 50% abv; $70.

This one is 100% rye (most rye whiskeys are around 90-95%) and is bottled in Vermont.  I found a bottle in Louisiana about a year ago, but now it’s readily available here in Texas.  I’ve not opened my bottle yet, but my friends tell me that I’m in for a real treat when I do.

114. Balcones 1 Texas Single Malt Whisky Special Release (USA) 52.7% abv, $68.

This local distillery in Waco, TX has won many awards with their Texas Single Malt.  Personally, I find it to be the best of the young or no age statement (NAS) malt whiskys that I’ve tasted.  It’s bursting with flavor and has a nice dry finish.

Balcones Tasting at Trinity Hall Pub

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Balcones CollectionTrinity Hall hosted a tasting of the collection of whiskeys from Balcones Distilling in Waco, TX. Chip Tate, master distiller, and Winston Edwards, brand ambassador, were both present. As we progressed through the entire collection, Chip gave some insight into the history and details of each one. It was thoroughly enjoyable (Mark and Ken were great company, as well as our new friend, Terry, from Cedar Hill) and each of the whiskeys was very good in its own right. The highlights of the evening were a tasting of Balcones 5th Anniversary Texas Straight Bourbon (only a single barrel produced), then (on the “down low”) a sample of Brimstone Resurrection with a complimentary Balcones-labeled Glencairn whisky glass (thanks, Chip!). The latter could quite possibly be the best whisky I’ve tasted. I’ll let you know when I get a bottle. 😉

Bunnahaiban Toiteach

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Islay Single Malt, No Age Statement,
46% ABV, $79

Pronounced “Toch Chach”, here’s what the distiller says about the name:

Toiteach means smoky in Scots Gaelic, reflecting the seeming contradiction that this peaty paradox represents.

This is a great smelling whisky that I’ve been looking forward to tasting for a while. The smell is of sweet grass, butterscotch, malt, tobacco, smoke, candied ginger, pear, honey, dark cherry and lemon. It’s really great on the nose!

The taste is sweetly smokey, but less so than Ardbeg Ten (my reference Islay Malt to date). It’s starts out tangy, sweet and malty with notes of lemon, lots of ginger, butterscotch, toffee and straw. The pepper arrives quickly and lasts through to the finish of light wood, slight leather, mild smoke and a continuance of the toffee. A little water tones down the tartness, but not the spices. The wood becomes a bit more prominent and the smoke becomes subtle. Midway through, there’s a more pronounced arrival of toffee and vanilla with the addition of apricot and honey. I also notice a slight iodine finish that I didn’t notice before.

This is a really good whisky. There are aspects that I prefer over Ardbeg Ten (aroma, spice, fruits) and others that don’t compare as well (not enough smoke and too much wood, not to mention the iodine, which I’m not a fan of). Still, its one that I’m likely to buy and spend more time with (thanks for the sample, Mark) as there’s enough here to keep me interested and hoping for more… even at $80.

Glenmorangie Nectar D’or

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Single Malt, 12 Year, 46% ABV, $50

This is Glenmorangie Original 10 Year Old that is finished for an additional 2 years in Sauternes “barriques.”

It has an aroma of straw and honey enveloped in a bit of tobacco, lemon drops and ginger.  I find it to be sweet and malty and sometimes accented with a note of wood. There are also notes of cherry, toffee, grass and pear.

The taste is tangy and sweet while the finish is peppery and dry.  Initially, I detect lemon, cherry, orange, honey, toffee and soft straw, then a hint of tobacco and ginger arrive next as a finish of white pepper, leathery oak, vanilla and lemon take over.  The lemon fades fast from a burst of tangy heat that develops mid-palate.  After a while, a bitter wood flavor develops in the background while the leather and tangy pepper linger on.  There’s a lot of sweetness up front, but its thin a midst the tangy burn that develops quickly.  A bit of water reveals more pepper and lemon (not what I was hoping for), along with cardboard, bitter white grape and a maltier flavor.

I’ll have to try their Original 10 Year Old again for comparison, but I think its probably better, which leads me to conclude that the Sauternes finish is not as good as sherry or port.  I’ve tasted both of those (La Santa and Quinta Rubin) and both were better than this as I recall.

Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Bourbon (6 Year)

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Single Barrel Bourbon
(Barrel 1307, Bottle 140/192),
6 Years, 61.3% ABV, $40

This bottle was from a barrel selected by Spec’s Wine & Spirits, Houston, TX.

Nosing reveals straw, caramel, honey, vanilla, maple syrup, lemon drops and charred wood. With a good amount of water, the smell of grass becomes more prominent along with notes of candied cherries, overripe banana and tobacco.

Flavors of lemon, green apple, ginger, honey, cherries, caramel and grass arrive early. The finish is tart and slightly leathery with a good amount of burn. Adding water reveals a bit of cardboard, graham cracker and light tobacco and transforms the finish into a long, spicy experience with plenty of burn and a remaining leathery tart mixture.

This is a decent whiskey, but not great… especially for the price.  The flavor is reminiscent of Eagle Rare 10 with more fruit and spice, but not as well executed.

Corsair Triple Smoke

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Single Barrel Malt, No Age Statement, 40% ABV, $50

This is Whisky Advocate’s 2013 Artisan Whisky of the Year. Here’s Corsair’s description of their unique whiskey:

We take three fractions of malted barley, each smoked by a different fuel – cherry wood, peat, and beechwood – to craft this deeply complex whiskey.

It’s a single barrel malt whiskey, not just a single malt (i.e. from a single distillery) or a small batch. This is the smallest of batches.

If you like peated malts, then the nosing is wonderful, rich and different, yet familiar. The aroma is a sweet mixture of rich, intense smoke, tobacco, hay, grass, toffee and overripe fruit, particularly peach, banana and dark cherry. I love the smell of this whiskey!

Wow! The flavors are huge! It starts with tart sweet fruit and transitions smoothly to wood and smoke without losing the sweetness, then introduces spicy ginger and white pepper that slowly fades along with the smoke. The finish is lightly woody with just a hint of smoke and a mildly lingering malt flavor. The fruit on the entry is cherry, banana and ripe peach along with sweet vanilla, honey and toffee. The vanilla and toffee carry through with the spices while the smoke dances around in the background. I’m falling short on the description of this fantastic whisky. It’s fabulous! If you can find it, then get some!

Redbreast 12 Year Old Single Potstill Irish Whisky

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Single Pot Still Irish, 12 Years, 40% ABV, $45

Single Pot Still Irish,
12 Years, 40% ABV, $45

My nose is a bit off due to allergic reactions to the Spring (this is Texas), but I’m trudging forward as best as I can. I may follow up with some additional notes. In any case, this whisky produces smells of creamy dark caramel, ginger, dark cherry, grass, ripe apple and malted dark chocolate.

I taste ginger, apple, lemon zest, vanilla, dried peach, creamy caramel and white pepper. The finish is mildly leathery with the white pepper persisting beyond everything else along with a bit of wood. This is a tasty, spicy whisky without too much sweetness or bitterness. The fruit and candy flavors work well with the overall flavor profile.

This is such a huge step up from Jameson Irish Whisky because everything seems to come together nicely in a way that livens up the experience. Jameson is thin by comparison. I’m definitely glad that I picked this one up and, of course, I’ll have another dram on St. Paddy’s Day.