2011

Jim Beam 7 Year

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Premium Aged Seven Years Old
40% ABV/80 Proof
$15 to $20
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
Jim Beam 7 Year Old has been aged and extra 3 years in new charred white oak barrels. Extra time in the barrel gives the bourbon a unique and mellow taste worth the wait. For over 200 years, the Beam family has continued to use the highest quality ingredients in making the world’s finest bourbon.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Cherries, caramel, vanilla.
Palate: Sweeter and smoother than standard JB. All that cherry and vanilla continue on the palate. It’s almost like Red Stag light, but not in a bad way.
Finish: The finish is very short and muted.
Comments: This is a sneaky little booger. It looks almost exactly like it’s 4 year old white label younger brother except for a red cap. Personally, I like this better than both the White and Black Label Jim Beam. You could make an argument that this is watered down Bakers given the same age and formula but they aren’t really the same. I think this is a great value buy.
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value

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Jim Beam in August

/ / Bourbon, Richard's Blog

We did a slew of Old Grand Dad reviews in June and then took a little Highland Park break in July. This was mostly because I had some HP stuff I couldn’t wait to get into. Well, now that August is here we’re going to finish going through Jim Beam’s bourbon family with these guys:

1. Jim Beam 7 Year Old
2. Baker’s
3. Booker’s
4. Knob Creek

I also have some Costco private label Beam juice to review. That should do it for August unless I can find some of the ever elusive Beam’s Choice or break down and buy some Old Crow.

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
44% ABV/88 Proof
$125
Available in select specialty retailers

What the Distillery Says:
Matured for the majority of its life in bespoke Oloroso Matusalem sherry butts and bottled at 44% alcohol by volume, the body and character of this extraordinary expression is the perfect complement to a fine cigar. The sherry cask proportion is 70
percent and 30 percent American white oak.

Color: Deep amber gold in colour with glittering highlights.
Nose: Aromas of orange marmalade, honey and citrus fruits abound in sensual profusion.
Taste: The long years spent in the finest Oloroso sherry wood deliver intense notes of crushed almonds, cinnamon and spice to complete the nose of this remarkable expression.
Finish: On the palate creamy vanilla, toffee and sweet pineapples open, followed by rich mango, crushed pear and kiwi fruits. An aftertaste of unsurpassed elegance.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Sherry, orange, and a consistent savory note that I find in a lot of Dalmore.
Palate: Sweet, nutty, and a little spicy on the back end of the palate.
Finish: That nuttiness from the palate really lingers. Vanilla and spicy oak through end of a long slow finish. I don’t really get any of the fruit but still a very nice finish.
Comments: Apparently, ever since the refresh of the Dalmore portfolio Richard Paterson keeps getting questions about what happened to the old Cigar Malt. Well, this isn’t it but it is very nice. It’s not quite Dalmore at the top of it’s game like The MacKenzie but it’s still a stand out dram. I’ll have to take some more time with this and pair it up with a few cigars.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Laura with The Baddish Group for providing us a sample for review.

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Highland Park 25 Year

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 25 Years
48.1% ABV/96.2 Proof
$250 to $350
Available at select retailers

What the Distillery Says:
First released in 1998, Highland Park 25 Years Old is a phenomenal whisky; it has a rich amber glow and an unmistakable taste of smokiness and heather honey with, as you would expect from Highland Park, a hint of peat.

The remarkable complexity of this whisky is due in part to the fact that half of it is matured in first fill Sherry casks. These are very expensive and generally used sparingly in the industry. However, they impart maximum flavour; Highland Park 25 Year Old proves it.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Natural colour; dark red golden, clear and bright
What Richard Says:
Nose: Lots of sherry, heather, cherries, and oak. It’s fruitier than I would’ve thought.
Palate: Rich, heavy on sherry and oak but not “too oaky” by any means. Honey and nice peatiness.
Finish: Very smooth and dry with a little lemon zest.
Comments: Highland Park just ages really well. The only thing I’ve had from the distillery better than this is the 30 year old. Price is really the only thing that keeps me from telling you to run right out and buy a bottle. Another knockout dram from Highland Park.
Rating: Must Try

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New U.S. Releases – July ‘11

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

It’s been a busy summer. We have a whole mess of new stuff coming in.

Highland Park Earl Haakon
Timeframe: July 2011
ABV: 54.9%
Price: $260
This 18 year old is the third Earl Magnus release. It’s supposed to be a darker take on both the Magnus series and the standard 18 year old. It’s named for Saint Magnus’s “deceitful and murderous” cousin!

HighWest 36th Vote
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 36%
Price: $45
This is High West’s “Barreled Manhattan” celebrating Utah’s vote to repeal Prohibition. It’s 2 parts High West Rye, 1 part sweet vermouth and bitters that was put together and aged for 90 to 120 days in rye whiskey barrels.

Auchentoshan Bordeaux Cask
Timeframe: Summer 2011
ABV: 58%
Price: $75
This limited release is an 11 year old Auchentoshan matured in Bordeaux casks and comes non-chill filtered. You read that right, not finished but fully matured in Bordeaux casks.

Auchentoshan Valinch
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: 57.5%
Price: TBD
This new release is a response from the distillery to long time fans requesting a cask strength, non-chill-filtered version of the Auchentoshan Classic. It gets its name from the pipette used to draw the whisky out of the cask.

Black Bull Special Reserve No. 1
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: 46.6%
Price: $105
This is Duncan Taylor’s newest Black Bull extension. This blend uses a 50% malt to grain ratio like the 12 and 30 year olds. There’s only 978 bottles of this so grab it if you can.

Tomatin Decades
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: 46%
Price: $115
Those familiar with the Parker’s Heritage Golden Anniversary release will be familiar with this idea. To celebrate Master Distiller Douglas Campbell’s 50th year of serve this is mixture of whiskies from all the decades of Mr. Campbell’s career. Only 9,000 bottles worldwide!

Tomatin 30 Year Old
Timeframe: Late 2011
ABV: 46%
Price: $200
This new release is replacing the old 25 Year Old. It will be an ongoing limited release of 2,000 bottles per year.

Kilchoman Spring 2011 Release
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 46%
Price: $65
The latest Kilchoman release is a marriage of three and four year old whiskies aged in first-fill bourbon barrels. The four year old component was finished in oloroso sherry casks.

American Spirit Whiskey
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 40%
Price:
Marketed as an alternative to vodka, this new white dog release comes to us from a Charleston, SC bottler.

Arkansas Young Bourbon Whiskey
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 46%
Price: $24.99/375ml
This one is a new wheated bourbon from Rock Town Distiller in Arkansas.

Laphroaig Cairdeas
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 50.5%
Price: $65
Laphroaig’s latest in this release series is an 8 year old aged exclusively in Maker’s Mark barrels. Apparently, the barrels and warehouse location make this 8 year old worthy of a price tag rivaling the old 15 year old. You’ll have to decide for yourself.

Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve
Timeframe: August 2011
ABV: 44%
Price: $125
This new limited release from Dalmore isn’t a replacement for the old Cigar Malt. Rather this is a whole new expression the vein of other recent limited releases. This one is specifically formulated for cigar pairing. Some of our good friends were nice enough to send me a review sample so I hope to have that posted this weekend.

As always, if we missed or misstated anything please let us know.

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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