June 2011

New U.S. Releases – May 2011

/ / Bourbon, Other Whisk(e)ys

All the news in May seemed to focus on American whiskey. That’s never a bad thing. We’ve got some interesting news from Buffalo Trace and a bunch of craft distillers and bottlers rounding out the mix.

Kinnickinnic Blended American Whiskey
Timeframe: Summer 2011
ABV: 43%
Price: TBD
This is an interesting offering from The Great Lake Distillery. They are sourcing Kentucky straight bourbon and blending it with stuff they are making in house. Binny’s has it on the way but I don’t have a hard date on availability yet.

Griff’s Cowboy Whiskey
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: TBD
Price: TBD
I have very little information on this one. I know it’s coming out of Iowa and they were pouring it at WhiskyFest Chicago. That’s about it.

Breckenridge Bourbon
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 43%
Price: TBD
This is a sourced bottling around two years old. The Breckenridge Distillery owns the brand. There seems to be a lot of sourced 2 to 3 year old bourbon and rye hitting the market lately. I’m all for independent bottlers but most of what’s coming out is pretty young and rough. Maybe some of these guys should follow the lead set overseas and lay some of these barrels down for a while before bottling them. Just a thought.

Bainbridge Battle Point Organic Wheat Whiskey
Timeframe: Summer 2011
ABV: 43%
Price: $47
Small batch wheat whiskey made by Bainbridge Organic Distillers in Washington State. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on some of this!

Buffalo Trace Single Oak
Timeframe: May 2011
ABV%:
Price: $46.35 for 375ml bottles
This is something really exciting from Buffalo Trace. In their quest to make the perfect bourbon they have launch a massive endeavor to try and isolate what makes the best bourbon. The project goes back more than 10 years and the output is more than 1,396 different bourbon combinations. The first batch came out in May. The whole thing is more than I can put in this post. You really should check it out at http://www.singleoakproject.com.

That’s it for May!

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

New U.S. Releases – May 2011 Read More »

Early Times 354

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Early Times 354 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
40% ABV/80 Proof
$15 to $17
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
Experience where bourbon begins.

A little bourbon history: Early Times started out as a bourbon back in 1860, and remained so until the early 1980s.

It all started with our founder, Jack Beam (Jim’s uncle), who began working at his family’s distillery at the tender age of 15. In short order, he was running the operation and in 1860 built his own distillery at Early Times Station, Kentucky.

Beam named his whisky Early Times, both as a tribute to its place of origin and as a nod to the old-world craftsmanship that goes into making it. He believed in the early times method of whisky-making: mashing grain in small tubs, boiling the beer and whisky in copper stills over open fires. It’s an abiding belief that has stayed with the Early Times brand ever since.

By 1953 Early Times was the best-selling bourbon in the world. As the vintage advertising from that era proclaimed, Early Times is “the whisky that made Kentucky whiskies famous.” Steeped in bourbon history, Early Times Distillery’s federal permit, No. 354, is the longest held in Kentucky.

Today Early Times pays homage to its rich bourbon heritage with Early Times 354 Bourbon.

This classic, full-bodied bourbon honors that philosophy – delivering superior taste and exceptional value. In fact, Early Times 354 Bourbon was preferred by Jim Beam drinkers in a national, independent taste test.*

Crafted with pure water, select grains and proprietary yeast, carefully distilled, matured for four years in select oak barrels and bottled at 80 proof, it’s the newest (and in a way, the oldest) member of the Early Times family.

Tasting Notes

Color: Deep amber

Aroma: Spicy with sweet fruit, fresh oak and delicate corn notes underscored by a layer of vanilla and caramel

Taste: A lively entry with spice, caramel and vanilla that melt into a mixture of fresh and dried fruit notes

Finish: Warm with subtle hints of apple and corn

What Richard Says:
Nose: Caramel, vanilla, oak, a hint of pipe smoke, and fruit.
Palate: A little vanilla, and fruit but it’s pretty bland, yet harsh. More than anything it tastes young.
Finish: Oak and a little tart.
Comments: This is much better than regular Early Times. Even still, this is still a little too young. I think it makes a fine mixer or on the rocks but I’d pass on drinking this straight.
Rating: Probably Pass

We want to thank Brown Forman for providing us with a bottle for review.

Early Times 354 Read More »