Tag Archives: Single Barrel

Four Roses Single Barrel OBSK (McScrooge’s Hand Selected 2014)

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Four Roses Single Barrel

9 Years – 3 Months, 59.2% ABV

I picked up this private selection Four Roses Single Barrel OBSK at McScrooge’s in Knoxville, TN.  It was aged 9 years, 3 months in Barrel QS 88-3D and bottled at 59.2% ABV on March 13, 2014.  If you don’t know the different recipes of Four Roses, then this is their high rye mash bill (60% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley) fermented using their K strain of yeast (full-bodied flavor with light spiciness).  For comparison, their regular Single Barrel uses their OBSV recipe, which employs the same mash bill with the V yeast strain (creamy with delicate fruitiness).

I’ve been collecting private barrel selections from different stores in order to gain a wider varied sampling of the Four Roses recipes and, at this point, I’m only missing the OBSO and OESO.  The remaining 8 recipes have been collected from 4 different stores and I’ll eventually plan to review them all, although too late for you (or I) to secure any more. 😉  In any case, here is what I learned of this OBSK.

Rich caramel with light barrel char are the first to greet your nose, followed by sweet tobacco, straw, cocoa and dark cherries.  Water brings out some spiciness, otherwise everything remains the same.

The taste is consistent with the aroma, with rich caramel, light tobacco, marzipan, straw and just a hint of cherries and a light dusting of cocoa.  After a few sips, the cherries become a bit more prominent as the finish becomes long and spicy with lingering bitter caramel, tobacco and the light fruitiness.  Additional spices – ginger, pepper – join in around mid-palate before that long finish arrives.  With water, the spices remain moderately bold, while tobacco is somewhat subdued in favor of the fruit and some candy, specifically lemon drops and red hots appear.  The mouthfeel improves a bit too as the whiskey becomes nice and chewy without the alcohol drying out the palate.  In the end, you’re left with lingering marzipan, cinnamon and dark cherries with a nice, leathery feel that just goes on for a long time.

This is a an excellent whiskey for sure, combining the spiciness of rye with the lightly spicy strain of yeast to create a lively dance of spices across a montage of barrel flavors while the barrel proof ensures that the flavors remain full and the oily texture endures.  I picked up this bottle two years ago for about $60, but I suspect that similar offerings should still be available for a similar price, although Four Roses private selections aren’t as prominent as they were back then.  If you can find some, then I highly recommend exploring at least the OBSV, OBSQ and OBSK.  I can’t wait to try the other eight recipes!

Michters Tasting

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US1-lineup3Spec’s hosted a tasting of Michter’s US♦1 product line with Trent Roberts of Chatham Imports/Michter’s Distillery available to tell us about the history of Michter’s and some details about the production of their whiskey.  Here’s what we tasted:

Michter’s US♦1 Sour Mash ($43) – Lots of sweet corn on the nose with caramel, vanilla, cherries, lemon drops, straw and sweet tobacco. The taste is similarly caramel, vanilla, ginger, straw, sweet corn and green pepper with a mildly charred, oily leather finish with notes of spice, sweet corn and pine sap.  If you like a sweet corn whiskey, then this is your stuff.  It’s bolder on the nose than on the palate and has a lot to offer, but the green notes detract from the overall balance a bit.  Still a solid, if not overpriced offering.

Michter’s US♦1 Bourbon ($42) – Very similar to the Sour Mash, but less sweet on the palate; however, the sweet notes carry through to the finish better than with the Sour Mash.  Some milk chocolate and mild spice on the nose with lemon drops, tart cherries and pepper on the palate that I didn’t detect with the Sour Mash.  Overall, I like this a bit better, but it’s still overpriced compared to some Evan Williams offerings.

Michter’s US♦1 Rye ($42) – A milder rye than I’m used to with a tendency more toward sweet fruits and candies than the bold spices.  The spices are still there, but the sweet flavors dominate with notes of dark cherries, dark chocolate, candied fruit and a bit of corn, caramel and vanilla.  Like the bourbon, the sweetness carries through to the finish quite well. It’s the same theme here as above… a nice whiskey that’s a bit overpriced.

Michter’s US♦1 American ($40)- The standout of the evening, but not necessarily the best whiskey.  It’s different than the others, being a 4-grain whiskey, and uniquely flavored as compared to most whiskey that I’ve tasted.  There’s lots of rich chocolate with marshmallow to accompany the typical caramel, corn and dark fruits of a bourbon or rye with great balance and a long finish.  It’s fun to drink, pares amazingly well with good chocolate (and we did this tonight) and offers good complexity as well.  It’s got a good chewy feel to it, yet the sweetness probably relegates it to a dessert whiskey.  That’s okay with me as I would prefer that to an overly sweet liqueur.  I highly recommend this one if the chocolate profile appeals to you.

Michter’s US♦1 Barrel-Strength Rye ($70) – This rye is bolder in flavor than the normal rye offering with more complexity and more interesting, longer finish.  Although not the most interesting whiskey of the evening, it’s the best crafted one with a nice aroma, plenty of fruit, spice, candy and grain flavors in nice balance and a moderately long finish with notes of chocolate, tobacco and spice.  Still, we return to the overall theme and hurts Michter’s product line… price.  There are better barrel strength rye whiskeys out there at the same price or less, like Willet 2-5 Year Single Barrels and Smooth Ambler Old Scout 6-8 Year offerings.  I’d check those out instead.

Cedar Ridge Iowa Bourbon

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Single Barrel Bourbon, No Age Statement, 40% ABV, $38

Single Barrel Bourbon,
No Age Statement,
40% ABV, $38

I picked up this bottle on a trip to Breckinridge, Colorado a couple of years ago and have been working on it slowly and sharing it with others who have never heard of it.  Today, I decided to jot down some notes and actively work to empty the bottle in order to make room for more stuff.  Cedar Ridge claims that this is the first bourbon to be produced in Iowa and it’s even distilled there, not sourced like Breckinridge Bourbon (and so many others).  It’s a single barrel offering and this is bottle 267 from barrel 189 (can’t find a bottling date or age).

The nose is minty with hints of vanilla, caramel, barrel char and sweet corn.  At only 40% ABV, there’s still a good bit of alcohol burn and you’ll have to work to get past that to smell the fresh-cut cedar, but it’s worth it.  It’s different, but I like it.

The whiskey hits the palate with vanilla, sweet corn, wintergreen and develops a spicy bite before finishing with a mildly woody alcohol burn at the back of the throat.  There are further notes of cardboard, powdered lemon drop, bitter honey, white pepper, black pepper and a hint of persimmon.  The finish mostly lingers in the back of the throat with mild tannins, remnants of mint and a good burn.  It’s not a bad drink, but it’s lacking any kind of balance and comes across more like a minty rye whiskey than a bourbon after you get past the brief entrance.

For me it was worth the admission just to try an Iowa bourbon, but I’m done with it.  It doesn’t really stand on its own merit even at $38.  Get a bottle of Four Roses Single Barrel instead and you’ll discover how something like this should really be executed.

StraightBourbon D/FW Gathering #3

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Jefferson 21 Year RyeThis time the gathering occurred at the beautiful home of one of the SB members in Wylie.  He had a great collection of whiskey (mostly bourbon and rye) and was very generous in allowing us to taste several good whiskies.  Here’s what I sampled:

Four Roses Small Batch:  I’m surprised that I’ve not tasted this before, but I was glad to get a chance today.  It’s fruity, flavorful and a great value at $25-30 here. It made LiquorHound’s list of 10 best bourbons under $30 and it’s easy to see why.

Parker’s Heritage Collection #7, Promise of Hope:  A very solid and interesting bourbon, but nothing stellar.  I don’t think that this one is worth the effort of seeking out (and it’s very rare).

Rittenhouse 25 Year Rye:  This is by far the oldest rye that I’ve ever tasted and I’m quite certain that I’ll never find or be able to afford a bottle, so it was quite exciting to get a sample.  A very minty profile for sure, with good woody flavor, mild burn (50% ABV) and a nice balance of vanilla and caramel as well.  It doesn’t have the fruit flavors that I favor in a rye, but neither does Rittenhouse 100 Bottled-in-Bond, so this must be the profile of their whiskey.  It’s a very solid and well executed aged rye whiskey.

Jefferson 21 Year Rye:  Another heavy hitter, this time with much less mint and much less bold.  This is an easy drink with good complexity and I enjoyed it a lot while watching the fountains in the pool from the back porch.  There’s not a lot of wood as you might expect from the age and it’s nicely balanced and mildly complex.  I’d like to spend more time getting to know this one… especially by the pool.

My contributions for the gathering were: Smooth Ambler Old Scout 8 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon (55.7% ABV), Stagg Jr. Batch #3, Old Forrester Birthday Bourbon 2010, StraightBourbon Blend (60% Old Weller Antique and 40% Weller 12 Year), Copper Fox Rye and Four Roses 9 Year & 3 Month Single Barrel OBSK (59.2% ABV McScrooge’s Selection Barrel QS 88-3D).  I think they were thoroughly enjoyed and you’ll be hearing more about them here as I get to them myself.

Straight Bourbon D/FW Gathering

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Heaven Hill Select StockWe held our second gathering of the D/FW contingent of the StraightBourbon forum today in Colleyville and it was a relaxing time with some great whiskey.  Here’s the rundown:

Smooth Ambler Old Scout 8 Year Old Straight Bourbon (1789b) – 61.5% ABV, stone fruit, caramel, vanilla, tobacco, not too hot.

Smooth Ambler Old Scout 9 Year Old Straight Bourbon (1789b) – 54.5%, more cherry, less tobacco, sweet, less heat.

Smooth Ambler Old Scout 10 Year Old Straight Bourbon (1789b) – 58.5%, good balance of characteristics from 8 & 9, best of bunch.

George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon  2013 – much like old scout with more heat and more flavor, better chocolate and tobacco with dark fruit. Fantastic.

Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon (around 2008) – mild heat, muted flavors compared to GTS, lots of wood… I was disappointed.

StraightBourbon Blend (dusty) – This was blended at our last gathering from old paper label bottles of Weller 12 Year Old and Old Weller Antique.  It has a similar to profile to the Pappy Van Winkle above, but with more aroma, more flavor, less wood and better balance.  This is fantastic stuff!

Heaven Hill Select Stock 2013 (StraightBourbon Batch #1) – This is an 8 Year Old wheated bourbon finished in second fill Cognac barrel for 19 months and bottled at 63.8% ABV.  It’s spicy and hot with lots of dark fruit and only mild cognac influence that I can detect… fantastic stuff!

Heaven Hill 6 Year Old Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Notes of lemon drop, vanilla, cherry and slightly tannic… a very good whiskey, but not available around here (Kentucky only apparently).

George Dickel Barrel Select 14 Year Old – Mild spice, vanilla, plum, pear, apple, cherry… not as dark as the wheated bourbons. It’s far better than any Jack Daniels that I’ve had, but still not a great whiskey.

Blanton’s Single Barrel #281 Kentucky Straight Bourbon (2014) – Lots of fruit and candy, like lemon drop and cherry, with notes mild tobacco.  Very good!

Blanton’s Single Barrel #244 Kentucky Straight Bourbon (1999) – This one was more woody and slightly medicinal.  I preferred the 2014 with more sweetness and without these characteristics.

Elmer T. Lee Commemorative Edition – Another very good whiskey with a nice balance of dark fruit, candy and wood.  I’m glad I bought a bottle when they were available.

MB Roland Kentucky Apple Pie – This wasn’t at all what I expected… in a good way.  It tasted like liquid Gala or Macintosh apples spiced with cinnamon, allspice and a bit of clove.  It’s not very sweet, but is very rich tasting.

Smooth Ambler Old Scout 6 Year Old – Very similar to 8 year old special selection above, but less bold… still very good.

Penderyn Single Malt – Welsh whiskey that is finished in madeira casks.  Reminds me of Stranahan’s without the rustic elements.  For me, the finish mutes the qualities of the malt and leaves the flavor somewhat flat with an overripe black currant flavor dominating the profile.

The highlight for me was the Heaven Hill Select Stock and I’m really looking forward to tasting Batch #2 with 27 months in cognac barrels… it should be even better.  Honorable mentions are George T. Stagg and Old Scout 10 Year Old, which were both excellent whiskies.  I already have a bottle of Stagg (same 2013 vintage) and will be on the lookout for a barrel proof selection of Old Scout.  The surprises of the day were Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Old, which was not near as good as I expected, and MB Roland Kentucky Apple Pie, which far exceeded my expectations.

Private Tasting

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GlenDronach Cask Strength, Batch 3Another whiskey tasting hosted by a fellow aficionado, which included (brace yourself):

Old Grand Dad 114° 1980 ($18) – Notes of cherry, vanilla, lemon, pear, tobacco, char, anise… somewhat tannic… very good!

Brenne Single Malt ($60) – dark red grape, bubble gum, strawberry, ice cream, black pepper, overripe banana… very interesting and a decent dram.

Linkwood 18 Year Old Sherry Butt 1988 (Cadenhead’s Cask Ends) – 58.7% ABV with notes of gunpowder, sulphur, ginger, cherry, white pepper, apple, grass… spicy and tangy with too much sulphur

Balvenie 15 Year Old Single Barrel Sherry Cask #4449 ($90) – bright fruits, ginger, lemon, woody finish, clove, bitter honey… sounds better than it is…. not impressed

Balvenie 15 Year Old Single Barrel Sherry Cask #4443 ($90) – milder nose than #4449… same notes, but sweeter with additional clove… better balance than #4449 and the winner of the two, but neither of these is as good as the now discontinued 15 Year Old Single Barrel (Bourbon Cask), which is excellent

Amrut Single Cask August 2012, Batch 10 ($74) – 61.8% ABV with notes of cardamom, clove, lemon, ginger, truffle, pear, honey, black pepper… distinct earthiness about this one… very good

Amrut Intermediate Sherry ($119) – 57.1% ABV and has a mild earthy sweet nose with a woody finish… notes of cinnamon and cherry… very good

Balvenie 42 Year Old 1971 Cask #5034 Sample #130613031 – We were quite fortunate to have 1 of only 3 bottles in the world present for this tasting tonight.  This is one of the components of Tun 1401, Batch #9… 52.4% ABV and mildly earthy with notes of truffles, straw, fresh cut grass, apple, pear, mild honey and white pepper with a mildly woody finish… it just got better and better as I let my pour linger for the rest of the evening… outstanding!

Bruichladdich 22 Year Old October 9, 1991 (Exclusive Casks) – 50.6% ABV with a briny, spicy sweetness of honey, ginger, white pepper, black pepper, vanilla and  cereal… very good stuff!

Probably Speyside’s Finest Distillery 22 Year Old June 1991 Single Cask Refill Hogshead ($120) – This was a Binny’s selection that is probably from Glenfarclas at 50% ABV… notes of honey, white pepper, ginger, apple and pear with a great mouth feel… excellent!

Yamazaki 18 Year Old ($200) – nice balance with great mouthfeel… notes of dark fruit, honey, pear, mild spice, mild wood… excellent!

Glendronach Cask Strength 2013, Batch #3 – 54.9% ABV with earthy notes as well as caramel, vanilla, tobacco, truffle, ginger and pear… outstanding!

Aberlour A’Bunadh Batch #45 ($70) – 60.2% ABV with notes of ginger, bright fruits and pepper… another very good batch.

MacAllan Cask Strength ($80) – 60.1% ABV from a sherry cask… notes of ginger, pepper, honey and cocoa… pretty good.

Brora 30 Year Old 2007 6th Edition – fantastic as when I had it before… farmy, earthy, fruity, spicy… outstanding!

Strathclyde 29 Year Old Single Grain 1980 (Duncan Taylor Cask #1497) ($180) – 56.7% ABV best Scotch grain whiskey I’ve tasted… fruity, mild spice… very nice.

JJ Neukomm Single Barrel Missouri Malt Whiskey – cherry wood, tannic, green apple, herbal, anise… not bad, but nothing great.

Ardbeg Corryvreckan L9 2009 – less peated than any Ardbeg I’ve had… fruity, sweet, slightly medicinal… typical Ardbeg and very good.

There were 4 others after this that I missed:  Ardbeg Auriverdes, Glen Mhor 26 Year Old 1978 (Scott’s Selection), KaVaLan Single Malt 2013, KaVaLan Single Malt Port Cask Finish 2012.  I was just too tired to continue at this point.  I did get a quick taste of Auriverdes in order to decide whether I wanted a bottle on hold for me… it was pretty good, but I passed at $82.

These private tastings have been the most rewarding and interesting, if not the most grueling.  For tonight, the highlight for me was the Glendronach Cask Strength, with the Balvenie 42 Year Old Cask Sample as a close second.  Of course, I was delighted to have another go at Brora 30, which is one of the best whiskies that I’ve tasted.  Honorable mentions go to Probably Speyside’s Finest Distillery 22 Year Old, Yamazaki 18 Year Old and Strathclyde 29 Year Old Single Grain.

Knob Creek 9 Year Old Single Barrel Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon

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Straight Bourbon, 9 Years,
50% ABV, $34

Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve is a hand-selected higher proof offering of their flagship bourbon.  This barrel (#464) was selected by Simon Taylor of Spec’s in Dallas and it’s #10 for this year on my advent list.  I talked about this whiskey with Simon and that discussion convinced me to try his selection (I even had him sign it for me).  There was another barrel selected by Spec’s that day and I may have to try that one as well, since Simon said that it was a close second for him (he described it as “caramel fruit salad”).  Hold on a minute… I’m getting ahead of myself.  I haven’t even poured the whiskey yet.

Okay, it’s in the glass smelling grand!  There’s straw, caramel and a good spicy burn with notes of vanilla, cherry, cocoa, black pepper and pear.  The aroma is fairly bold without water.  A bit of water tones down the burn and brings the pepper and other flavors into balance; however, I don’t notice any other flavors.

The taste is hot and bold, with plenty of vanilla, cinnamon, honey, caramel, tobacco, lemon and apple.  Adding a bit of water causes the peppery spice to mellow and persist into the finish.  Additional notes of cherry, ginger and overripe pear arrive and the tobacco becomes more a hint of powdery cocoa.  The finish persists very long with a good chewy feel and a spicy, woody flavor with just a hint of that cocoa I mentioned earlier.  There’s a mild lemon sourness midway through that retreats about as quickly as it arrives – over a couple of seconds – and works well with the spices.

This is a very good whiskey and one that I enjoy quite often.  I don’t expect that it’ll last very long, so I’d best secure that other bottle before they disappear.  It offers a lot to keep your interest and is easy to drink without demanding too much attention.  I recommend a splash of water with this one as well.

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!

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!