Kirkland Signature Sherry Cask Blend

Kirkland Signature Blended Scotch Whisky
Sherry Cash Finish, Aged 21 Years

40% ABV
$79.99
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What the Bottler Says:
This Kirkland Signature 21-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky has been created using a selection of some of Scotland’s finest single malt and grain whiskies. Matured in ex-Bourbon casks for a minimum of 21 years, the whiskies are then blended together and finished in Sherry casks. The result is a blended Scotch that is dark amber in color with aromas of Sherry and an intense yet subtly complex taste of fruit and toffee, which give way to a long, gentle, warming finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich, chewy, meaty, and slightly sweet sherry notes dominate the nose.
Palate: Rather mellow and uninspiring. Let it roll around in the mouth a bit and sherry notes come through with a sweet and tannic undercurrent. Berry compote and dried caramel flakes drive the sweetness.
Finish: Wine tannic and wet toothpicks. This one finishes kind of blah.
Comments: This bottling is the sherry forward blend that preceded the current 24 year old bourbon cask blend under Costco’s Kirkland Signature label. I’m a big sherry nut but this I like less than the newer blend. The sherry is heavy handed and a bit of a one trick pony. Beyond the sherry it is rather bland. If I was to recommend this to someone it might be as a table whisky at the hunting shack for a Macallan devotee.
Rating: Average

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Kirkland Signature Scotch Bourbon Cask Blend

Kirkland Signature Blended Scotch Whisky
Aged 24 Years, Bourbon Cask Matured

40% ABV
$89.99
Kirkland Signature Cask Blend
What the Bottler Says:
Combining the knowledge of some of Scotland’s master distillers, and using only the purest waters from Scotland’s Highland lochs, this Kirkland Signature Scotch Whisky was matured for almost a quarter of a century in hand-picked ex-Bourbon Oak casks. The result is a blended Scotch that is dark amber in color with aromas of freshly sliced apples and malted barley. It is full-bodied with notes of toffee, dried fruit and oak. These flavors linger on the palate and give way to a long, smooth, warming finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Orange zest, dried honeycombs, and under ripe apples. At the back there is just the slightest bit of tobacco.
Palate: This is a very smooth easy drinking blend that drinks a bit younger than it is. There are wisps in the flavor of that polished leather and sweet pipe tobacco note from old scotch but not as much as you would expect. Mostly, what comes through is caramel drizzled fruity sweetness.
Finish: This finishes a little more on the woody side but the blender is right about the long, warming finish.
Comments: Greatest scotch find ever from Costco? No. Although for age statement whores finding a 24 year old blended scotch for under $50 could be a steal. In terms of what it’s the bottle you can find better, more interesting (although younger) scotches at this price point but this isn’t a bad buy at all either.
Rating: Stands Out

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JW Dant Bottled in Bond

J.W. Dant Genuine Sour Mash Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Bottled in Bond

50% ABV
$12-$15
Dant
What the Distiller Says:

Really not a damn thing. Dant is historical brand that you can read more about . Heaven Hill owns and produces the brand now and from looking at their website you would never know it existed.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Vanilla, bit of pepper spice, bit of oak; textbook rye bourbon.
Palate: Caramel corn, bit of maple & root beer.
Finish: Short and drying.
Comments: I found myself liking this more with each sip, although never loving it. A very solid/serviceable bourbon, but not memorable. If someone asked me to pick my favorite 3 bottles for under $18, I don’t know that this one makes the cut (I’d go with Heaven Hill 6yr BIB, Ezra Brooks 7yr 101, and Ancient Ancient Age 10-Star). But there’s nothing off-putting about this bourbon – and there are a LOT of options out there that I would select this over.
Rating: Average

What Richard Says:
Nose: Black pepper, toffee crisps, vanilla bean ice cream, and an earthy woodiness.
Palate: Creamy, easy drinking, caramel sweetness with vanilla and black pepper around the edges.
Finish: It finishes younger and hotter like you would expect. Alcohol heat, dry oak, more pepper at the top of the throat. There is also this weird rubber band flavor mid finish.
Comments: What would younger Elijah Craig taste like? Well here you go. It’s essentially the same bourbon more or less but much younger. It’s not going to knock your socks off but hell it’s less than $15 a bottle. I enjoy it much more than white label Jim Beam. It’s a solid campfire or back yard barbecue bourbon. And it dances circles around most of the craft whiskeys I’ve had!
Rating: Average

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Angel’s Envy Cask Strength 2015

Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels
2015 Release
63.45% ABV
$169.99
Website
caskbottle2015
What the Bottler Says:
Ranked the “Best Spirit in the World” by Spirit Journal, Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon Finished in Port Barrels is unlike any whiskey you’ve ever tried. Angel’s Envy is releasing fewer than 8,000 bottles of our award winning Cask Strength this year, so don’t miss your chance to pick up a bottle or two of this rare and delicious spirit.

Perfection is a patient man’s game. So we waited until Angel’s Envy reached the perfect level of maturity. We judge only a handful of barrels exceptional enough for our lengthy finishing process. The result? Even at 127.9 proof—our highest ever—every sip is worth savoring. A remarkably complex and unfiltered spirit, we suggest you enjoy it neat or with just a splash of water to release the flavor nuances, and perhaps with a few friends who appreciate outstanding whiskey. Angel’s Envy Cask Strength was worth waiting for, not it’s worth sharing.

Appearance: Rich gold with an amber depth.
Nose: Heavy caramel with vanilla up front, followed by roasted almonds, orange peel citrus and faint blueberry.
Palate: Pound cake, root beer, candy corn, honey, then tart strawberries, blackberries, figs, slight black pepper on the finish.
Finish: Less port forward than previous years, but while the port finish is distinct, the bourbon itself shines through the finish.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Comfy leather chair (where someone had smoked a pipe with vanilla tobacco the night before), rich fermented fruit (peaches, plums), bit of maple syrup.
Palate: Delicious – warm (maybe a tad hot?), nice port sweetness but with some kick, dark rich cherries, apricot jam on toast, hints of toffee and caramel.
Finish: Moderate to long, lingers nicely before drying out.
Comments: I’m a fan of the cask strength offering for sure. I think if you like Angel’s Envy, this is more than that at cask strength – I get a bit more port influence. It takes water rather well, and is one of those pours I could sip and think about for a long time, or just sit back and savor mindlessly. If it were priced at around half of what it is (which would put it on par with other limited editions, like Four Roses Small Back LEs, or Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection), I’d be a customer. At the current price point – while I really like drinking it – there are other options I’d go for.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: The rich savoriness of fortified wine overlays the burnt sugar and vanilla notes of the bourbon.
Palate: Angel’s Envy kicked up times 10. Dark fruit, sweet and savory candies, with hints of allspice and cloves. Vanilla lays over the whole thing in a lovely well balanced way.
Finish: Even at cask strength this finishes easy. With a little water the port notes play with the peppery spice and make this really enjoyable.
Comments: Elijah Craig 12 Year: $30 to $35. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: $50 to $55. With Eagle Rare to Stagg Jr. you see about the same thing. I enjoy Angel’s Envy and I think the cask strength releases are great but damn they want to charge too much. Instead of a modest increase for the cask strength version they charge about 3 1/2 to 4 times the price. That’s just silly to me. This is stellar $75 bottle of bourbon. Nearing $200 I can’t recommend buying it. But hey, somebody will buy it.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Angel’s Envy for sending over a sample for review.

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1792 Port Finish

1792 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels
44.45% ABV
$40
Website
1792-Port-Finish-Bottle-Straight-On-2

What the Distiller Says:
The marriage of expertly crafted bourbon whiskey and port wine barrels join together to create this distinct bourbon. 1792 Port Finish Bourbon delivers an elegant flavor profile like no other. This bourbon was aged for many years in new white oak barrels before spending another two years extracting the subtle, yet sweet flavors from port wine barrels. The rich vanilla characters of American oak mingle with the delicate fruit notes from port to create this magnificent whiskey.

Tasting Notes
A rich aroma of apple and fruit mingling with noticeable vanilla. The taste is soft, yet balanced. Filled with toasted caramel, jam-like fruit, and a touch of licorice. A clean, somewhat lingering finish completes the taste.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Port-prominent; rich and heavy stewed fruit sweetness.
Palate: Dark flavor with port-sweetness dominating the bourbon a bit; the rye spice speaks up near the end.
Finish: Lingers nicely.
Comments: If you like port and port-finished whiskies, I think you will probably enjoy this. On my first tasting, I thought it was a nice balance between the bourbon and port influence – but on later tastings; I found the port influence a bit heavier than I prefer. I’d love to see this with a bit less port with more of the bourbon spice showing up, but I still applaud Barton for trying some new things. Priced just below (at least here in Atlanta) Angel’s Envy – a similar port-finished bourbon – it might be the least expensive way to find out if you like port finished bourbon – but I would recommend finding this on premise to try first.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: Heavy port forward nose with lots of dark jammy fruits.
Palate: The port is really heavy handed on the palate. It kind of beats the Barton bourbon down into submission. It’s really more like a high octane port than a bourbon.
Finish: Slow transition from sweet port to a slightly spicy bourbon.
Comments: Bad? No, if like you port then this is a very tasty drink. I think the two years in port barrels was too much and the port is overly dominant. You don’t have the same nice interplay as Angel’s Envy, Midwinter Night’s Dram, or a nice port finished scotch. Personally, I really like port so I find this enjoyable but if you don’t like port you aren’t going to like this.
Rating: Stands Out

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