August 2011

New U.S. Releases – August 2011

/ / Bourbon, Other Whisk(e)ys, Scottish Whisky

August was a big month for new stuff. Here’s the rundown on what broke through the Whisk(e)y Apostle Fortress of Solitude.

Parker’s Heritage Collection 2011 – Cognac Finish
Timeframe: October 2011
ABV: 50%
Price: $85
This annual release is one of a handful I look forward to every year. This year’s release is 10 Year Old bourbon from the Evan Williams recipe that spent six more months finishing in 2 to 3 year old Limousin oak casks used for cognac. You don’t really see that much finishing in the bourbon category compared to scotch and other whiskeys. This should be very interesting.

Cooper’s Mark Bourbon
Timeframe: Now
ABV: TBD
Price: $25
This was an under the radar find. It’s a independent bottling (source unknown) by Fast Forward Brands, LLC out of Englewood Colorado.

Glenfiddich 1974 Vintage Reserve
Timeframe: September 2011
ABV: TBD
Price: TBD
This year’s Glenfiddich Vintage Reserve will be a vatting of 1974 Glenfiddich. This will be the first vatted Vintage Reserve from Glenfiddich. Only 1,000 bottles will be available.

Local 47th Ward Blend Whiskey
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 47%
Price: TBD
Koval in Chicago is adding a blend to their stable of single grain whiskeys. This will be a blend of four grains: malted barley, wheat, oat, and rye.

Buffalo Trace White Dog #’s 2 & 3
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 62.5%
Price: $15.99/375ml
The existing White Dog Mash #1 is seeing a couple of stable mates this fall. Buffalo Trace is releasing a wheated bourbon mash and a rye mash for sampling pleasure.

Drambuie 15 Year Old
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 43%
Price: $56/liter
Have you ever wanted an older, more premium Drambuie? No, me either. However, soon there will be one for you anyway.

WhistlePig “Jr” & White Pig
Timeframe: Spring 2012
ABV: TBD
Price: TBD
Sometime in the next 6 months the folks behind WhistlePig 10 Year Rye hope to release a younger version in the 5 to 7 year old range and a white dog product called White Pig. I still have yet to get my hands on the original WhistlePig So I don’t know how exited I am yet but I’m always for more variety in the whiskey.

Collier and McKeel Tennessee Whiskey
Timeframe: Now
ABV: TBD
Price: TBD
This is a craft distiller operating out of Nashville. They have a new Tennessee Whiskey (and white dog) on the market. They use smaller barrels for aging similar to what we’ve seen at a number of other craft distillers.

2011 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch
Timeframe: September 2011
ABV: 55.05%
Price: TBD, but most likely in line with the 2011 LE Single Barrel
This year’s release of 3,500 bottles is a comingling of four different bourbons. The component whiskeys will be a 13 Year Old OBSK, 13 Year old OESQ, 12 Year old OESV, and a OESK aged 11 years.

E. H. Taylor Single Barrel
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 50%
Price: $59.99
This is the second release in the E.H. Taylor line. This release is bourbon aged 11 years and 7 months years in Warehouse C, which was actually built by Col. Taylor in 1881. I never got to try the first release so I’ll be looking hard for this one.

Masterson’s Rye
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: TBD
Price: $79
35 Maple is releasing this 10 year old rye. This is another 10 Year old sourced rye. It will be interesting to see how it stacks up to Jefferson’s and WhistlePig.

Hakushu
Timeframe: October 12th
ABV: TBD
Price: TBD
No word yet on which Hakushu releases will hit the U.S. but it will be nice to see this lightly peated Suntory product on the shelves. Note to the Land of the Rising Sun…more whiskeys please!

Isle of Skye 12 Year Old
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 43%
Price: TBD
We’ve had the 8 year old for some time but I’m glad to see more EU exclusives making it across the pond!

Forty Creek John’s Private Cask No.1
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 40%
Price: $69.95
John Hall is a great innovator in Canadian Whisky. What’s even better is that unlike most of his counterparts in our neighbor to the north, he doesn’t keep all the really good stuff in Canada. I can’t wait to try this one!

That is all for August. I can’t wait to see what September holds!

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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Jim Beam Devil’s Cut

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
45% ABV/90 Proof
$25
Widely Available

What the Distillery Say:
As bourbon ages, a portion of the liquid is lost from the barrel due to evaporation—that’s the “Angel’s Share.” After aging, when the bourbon is dumped out of the barrel, a certain amount of whiskey is left trapped within the wood of every barrel.
We call that the “devil’s cut.”

To create Jim Beam® Devil’s Cut™, an extraordinary new bourbon experience, we developed a proprietary process that actually pulls the rich whiskey trapped inside the barrels’ wood after they’re emptied. We hold this barrel-treated extract until it develops the proper balance of bourbon notes, then blend it with 6 year old bourbon and bottle at 90 proof. The result: a robust, premium bourbon with deep color, aroma and character.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Initially it’s very sharp, tannic, and alcoholic. Water opens it to be more citrus and botanical.
Palate: The cherry sweetness of Jim Beam is in the back lurking in the shadows but it’s well behind the smoke and oak. Water does nothing good for the palate. It brings forth a little fruitiness but kills the rest of the flavor.
Finish: It’s all smoke and wood on the finish. It’s a medium length finish and a little dry.
Comments: Fred Noe and the folks at Jim Beam don’t want to get too specific about the “proprietary process that actually pulls the rich whiskey trapped inside the barrels’ wood after they’re emptied” but it sounds a hell of a lot like sweating barrels which is something folks in Kentucky have been doing for years. Most likely the “Devil’s Cut” that’s being mixed with 6 year old Jim Beam is either some residual left after dumping or alcohol sweated out with water and heat. Either way it’s an interesting idea. It’s not nearly as harsh as 4 year old Jim Beam White Label and not as sweet as JB 7 Year. I like it. It’s not a stand out bourbon but it’s interesting. One odd side note; with this filling in the 6 year old spot Beam now has products at every year from 4 through 9. That seems a little extreme to me but they’re selling it so who am I to argue.
Rating: Average

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Old Crow

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Crow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
40% ABV/80 Proof
$8 to $10 per liter
Found on bottom shelves around the country

What the Distillery Says:

They don’t really say a whole lot. Press on bottom shelf brands is sparse at best.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rubbing alcohol, moldy flowers, and wet dog.
Palate: Harsh, a little sweet, and did I mention harsh? Better than Black Velvet though.
Finish: I wish this didn’t stick around as long as it does. It’s bitter and hot on the finish.
Comments: I saw this four $4 a pint when I was at the store recently and thought what the hell. Interestingly, I purchased it the same day I picked up a bottle of Macallan 18 Year Old so I got a pretty funny look from the guy behind the counter. This is an old brand with history dating back to the 1830’s. It’s named after James Crow, a Scottish immigrant who started distilling near Frankfort back then. It was a favorite drink of Ulysses S. Grant but his Old Crow is not this Old Crow. Old Crow now is a 3 year old straight bourbon made from the Jim Beam recipe by Beam Global/Fortune Brands. It’s what you would expect from such a product. No surprises here. I would definitely regulate this to the mixer cabinet if you’re unfortunate enough to own a bottle.
Rating: Probably Pass

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Kirkland’s Signature Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Kirkland Signature Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
51.5% ABV/103 Proof
$20 per liter
Costco Exclusive

What the Distillery Says:
This Kirkland Signature “small batch: bourbon has been aged 7 years in charred American white oak barrels. Complex aromas of caramel, molasses, citrus, and spice with a faint smoky background and a long rich finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: A little musty with hints of cherries.
Palate: Very sweet and peppery with a lot of oak. It gets a little tannic with water.
Finish: Very dry on the finish with a good bit of linger.
Comments: This little jewel from Costco is a Beam product although they try pretty hard to hide it. It’s listed as distilled and bottle by The Clear Springs Distilling Co. in Clermont and Frankfort, Kentucky. Clears Springs was a name owned by Beam until it was sold to Buffalo Trace right before this bottling was released. We had to dig up the federal filing for the label to ascertain that this was actually made by Beam. Looking at just the label and raw specs it looks like it would be Baker’s with just a bit more water. However, it actually tastes more like Knob Creek. I don’t actually know how they make this because bulk whiskey sales are kind of like the elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about in bourbon circles. But to me this tastes like Knob and Baker’s love child. It’s as good as either but for less than half the price.
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value

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Booker’s

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Booker’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
62.45% ABV/124.9 Proof
$56 to $60
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
In 1992, Booker Noe introduced his own signature bourbon, Booker’s® True Barrel Bourbon. Inspired by a 200-year-old tradition, Booker’s is the first bourbon bottled straight-from-the-barrel, uncut and unfiltered. First created as a holiday gift for his special friends, Booker’s whiskey was so well-received that he decided to make it available to bourbon lovers worldwide; much to the joy of spirit connoisseurs everywhere.

Unlike anything you have ever tasted, Booker’s is one of the only uncut, unfiltered, straight-from-the-barrel, bourbons available today. It’s bottled at its natural proof of between 121 and 127, and aged between six and eight years. Booker’s Bourbon delivers a range of intense flavors from oak tannin and smoky vanilla to lighter tones of mocha and coffee. Add spring water to customize the taste and finish to your palate. The complexity provided by this straight-from-the-barrel bourbon makes Booker’s the rarest, absolute best bourbon you’ll ever taste.

Tasting Notes
Age: 6 to 8 years
Proof: 121 to 127
Color: Deep, rich, smoky amber
Aroma: Big oak, vanilla, smoky charcoal
Taste: Intense, fruit, tannin, tobacco
Finish: Clean, long, intense

What Richard Says:
Nose: I would expect the nose to be very hot at bottling proof but it’s surprisingly muted. With water it turns to burnt sugar, leather, and oranges.
Palate: Oily, peppery, and hot. Water sweetens the pot and tamps down the heat and pepper. Candied apples come to mind.
Finish: Hot and lingering. Water makes it clean and short.
Comments: Nothing against Booker or his namesake bourbon but I like this one the least of the Small Batch Collection. It’s a nice bourbon and it definitely stands out from the crowd but it doesn’t really do anything for me.
Rating: Stands Out

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