Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey 40% ABV $15 Website What the Distiller Says: These are the three principles by which Abraham Overholt (1784-1870) lived and made his whiskey. He’s the father of American distilling and took uncompromising pride in his product — a legacy which continues today.
Old Overholt is the oldest of The Olds, a relic you can drink. This famous Straight Rye Whiskey has a distinctive flavor and appeal that, after Prohibition, made it the most popular spirit in the country.
Agreeable means you get along. And Old Overholt does just that. It’s renowned for its outstanding mixability in classic cocktails like the Old Style Manhattan (look it up). The one and only Old Overholt is 80 Proof and aged 3 years.
What Richard Says: Nose: Beam-y rye. What I mean by that is that it’s the clear intersection of the classic rye nose of mint, herbs, and spices and the Beam (distiller) house style. Tour Beam in Clermont and the warehouse ooze this smell. Palate: Light, unoffensive but a little young. This rye seems, either through mashbill or youth to show a lot of the flavors on new corn make. Obviously, it’s at least 51% rye but that corn distillate nature is swimming in the background. Finish: It gets hotter the longer it sits on the palate. Comments: While not my favorite rye by any stretch it is a serviceable addition to the cocktail bar. I use it in making Manhattans and as a ginger ale mixer. Rating: Average
(From 2014; note packaging has since changed) 46% ABV $25 to $30 Website What the Bottler Says: The U.S. Government Standards require “rye whiskey” to be made from a mash of at least 51% rye grain. For Redemption Rye we use a mash of 95% premium rye grain for a spicy and bold flavor and we use premium rye, which costs more but is well worth it, because when you use good ingredients you get good rye whiskey.
The U.S. Government Standards also require that rye whiskey be aged in “new charred oak barrels” which means that new oak barrels are burned on the inside, and it’s from the charred wood and the expansion and contraction of the whiskey in and through the wood of the barrel through the seasons that whiskey gets its amber color and the flavor is smoothed. The standards do not specify a minimum time the rye whiskey needs to stay in the barrel, but once it has been in the barrel for 2 years it earns the designation of “straight” rye whiskey. Redemption Rye is aged for over 2 years.
We bottle in small batches which allows us to leave the whiskey in the barrels longer for the most flavor and color. We empty the barrels and filter for particles, cut it down to 92 proof and bottle it immediately so that the most flavor from the barrel makes it into the bottle. We then mark each bottle with the batch and bottle number by hand.
Then the bottles are packed into cases and shipped around to the country, and that’s the Redemption Rye process! So enjoy this fine rye responsibly and share our pride in this great American Spirit.
What Richard Says: Nose: Holy mint nose Batman! This one screams it’s rye-ness on the nose. Palate: Licorice, more mint, and homemade rock candy. Finish: Cracks off the palate like a bat breaking home run. Short and minty. Comments: My “official” review tasting of this has been sitting a while. When I first got the bottle I thought it was young, brash, and only useful in cocktails. However, giving it some resting time with a good bit of head space (large whiskey to cap space for air) and this has mellowed out nicely. For a young (around two years) sourced rye from LDI…MGP or whatever the hell they are called now in Indiana, this isn’t bad. Rating: Average
Zafra Master Reserve Rum Aged 21 Years 40% ABV $35 to $45 Website What the Distiller Says: In Spanish, ZAFRA refers to the act of harvesting sugarcane: it is the moment in time when nature rewards men for months of dedicated and arduous labor. After the harvest, our skilled Master Distiller transforms the gathered cane into rum and, after careful maturation in selected oak casks, the alchemy is complete, converting aged rum into the masterpiece we call ZAFRA MASTER RESERVE. We invite you to celebrate the ageless ZAFRA tradition with us as you delight your senses with this rare rum treasure.
What Richard Says: Nose: Vanilla, brown sugar, berries, and caramel. Palate: Oak, brown sugar, and cherries jubilee. Finish: Light oak and quick on the finish. Comments: When I was new to aged rum I saw this on the shelf for around $35. I asked myself how could anything aged for 21 years be $35 dollars. I don’t know a lot about taxes in Panama but by whiskey standards that’s crazy. So I passed on this bottle many time. Finally, one day I decided out of nowhere to take the plunge. I wasn’t disappointed. This isn’t the greatest aged rum in the world but for the price it’s a very nice value. Rating: Stands Out, Great Value
Compass Box The General Blended Scotch Whisky Bottle 1625 53.4% ABV $300 to $350 Website What the Blender Says: It’s been a good year for sourcing ridiculously rare parcels of extraordinary whisky.
Two different companies approached us recently with similar stories: they each had several casks of Blended Scotch that had been blended at quite young ages, then not required and put back into cask and left to age. One parcel was 33 years-old and the other was…well, I’m afraid I can’t tell you. (By telling you the age of the other parcel, some might argue we are in violation of the UK’s Scotch Whisky Regulations – citation 2009 No. 2890. But that’s another story.)
We know little of the component whiskies, only that, being Blended Scotch Whisky, they were blends of both single malt and single grain whiskies. We could tell by tasting that some were aged in former American whisky casks and some in sherry casks. But the provenance wasn’t really important, because each parcel had matured into something extraordinary in flavour, and to us, as blenders, they each represented distinct and complementary flavour profiles.
And this is where things got interesting for us. While each parcel was compelling in its own right, we had the feeling that by combining them in the right proportions, we could make something even more interesting. So we experimented for many weeks, blending the two together at different proportions before landing on the recipe in this bottle.
The result is a whisky with the “antique” character lovers of old whiskies seek out.
Availability Limited Release of 1,698 individually-numbered bottles. Bottled in November 2013.
Flavour Descriptors It has extraordinary depth, with aromas and flavours reminiscent of spices, dried fruits and old sherry wine character. The palate is very soft, a virtue of blending malt whisky with grain whisky, and the finish is very, very long.
Recommendations This is a classic late-night-and-into-the-early morning whisky.
Bottling Details Bottled at 53.4% Not chill-filtered Natural colour
What Richard Says: Nose: Oh God, that is amazing. There is just something about old scotch. Light sweet sherry, orange marmalade, apricots, and old furniture polish. Palate: Old book leather, fine aged tobacco, cinnamon, clove, cardamon, oatmeal raisin cookies, and rich old oak furniture. Finish: A little dusty but in a good way. It’s like settling into an old leather arm chair in a gentleman’s study that was closed up for a while. There’s a dry oak and dusting of Dutch processed cocoa powder finish that lingers for what seems like hours. Comments: Oddly, the best thing about this whisky isn’t even the whisky itself. It’s the conversation we (GBS members) had with John Glaser about this while tasting it for the first time. The guy’s knowledge and passion really shine through. This new limited release is the result of two blends that came into the possession of Compass Box. According to Mr. Glaser one is around 33 years old and of unknown province. This one came via a whisky broker. The other is around 40 years and came from Gordon and MacPhail. The uniqueness of this whisky has many layers. It’s very old. It is a blend of blends. And those blends were pre-blended and aged as blends subsequent to blending. The back story is almost as interesting as the whisky. Rating: Must Buy
Compass Box Flaming Heart Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 2012 Edition 48.9% ABV $100 to $120 Website What the Blender Says: Flaming Heart is back. Every few years, when we have the appropriate combination of aged whiskies, we are able to blend and bottle a new edition of the award-winning Flaming Heart. This is our fourth. It is a big, smoky malt whisky with rich, concentrated vanilla and spice character. It is unlike any other whisky, owing to the combination of distillery whiskies we use and the variety and quality of the casks.
This is a whisky inspired by a rock song.
Appropriate, perhaps, as rock music has long been associated with rebellion against various societal norms. And our humble company has been associated, for better or for worse, with a reaction against the “traditions” of Scotch whisky production.
We like to think of our approach as reflecting a craft ethos –making whisky better for the sake of it. Flaming Heart is an ideal example of this approach.
It is a whisky that combines Highland single malt whiskies aged on the highest quality, new French oak, with a heavy-peated Islay single malt. And for the first time, we add to this edition of Flaming Heart a small portion of whiskies aged in sherry casks, providing added layers of richness and complexity.
In the melodramatic parlance of a rock lyric, it is a whisky born of fire, yet one with a big heart. Share and enjoy.
Availability Limited release of 9,147 bottles. Bottled in August 2012.
Flavour Descriptors A big, complex, smoky malt whisky with rich, concentrated vanilla and spice character.
Recommendations Sipped neat or with the addition of water, to taste.
Distillery Sourcing Single malt whiskies from distilleries located in the Northern Highlands, Islay, Speyside and Islands. Primarily from the south shore of Islay and the village of Brora (Highlands).
Wood A combination of refill American oak (ex-Bourbon), new French oak (heavily toasted) and sherry casks.
Bottling Details Bottled at 48.9%. Not chill filtered. Natural colour
What Richard Says: Nose: A nice smokiness laying low behind a sherry drizzled treacle tart. Wisps of peat float in and out at the edges. Palate: So viscous it’s almost gooey. A quick hit of salty sea air and smoking fish followed by a rich berry sweetness that hits you late in the mouth. Finish: A campfire built in an old whisky barrel. Comments: I’m guessing since “Monster” is already taken then “Flaming Heart” was as aggressive a name as they could come up with. This is a massive whisky. The flavors are bold, agressive, and in your face. No holds barred for sure. That being said I think this is more a testament to blending prowess more than large scotch. There are so many bold flavors here but they augment each other instead of fighting for air time. The worst thing about this dram is that Flaming Heart is a periodic limited release. How I was able to get a bottle two years after it’s release is beyond me. This should be a wait list worthy scotch! Rating: Must Buy
