1792 Sweet Wheat Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 45.6% ABV $30 to $35 Website What the Distillery Says: Crafted with sweet and delicate wheat instead of the more traditional rye, this bourbon is quite distinctive from most. The soft wheat delivers a subtle and smooth taste with gentle layers of flavor. Each sip expresses a harmony of sweetness and dryness.
TASTING NOTES A well balanced bourbon with delicate body. Notes of vanilla and caramel are complimented by a touch of white oak tannins. This is further mingled with dried fruit to deliver a richly smooth flavor.
What Gary Says: Nose: Enigmatic . . . a bit of young corn sweetness, but hints of some age in the subtle wood (some sources state this is about 8 yrs old) Palate: Very, very soft mouthfeel – pleasant sweetness comes through, but very little spice. Finish: A hint (more of a tease) of a spice note, and then dissipates. Comments: When I first sniffed this pour, I thought “Yep – Barton”, as there is a familiar resemblance there, but more like cousins than brothers. I like 1792, and this just left me wanting a bit more spice – which isn’t surprising for a wheated bourbon. I think if someone gave me this to sip without me thinking about 1792, I would enjoy it for what it is – although at the price point, I am likely to pass. Rating: Average
What Richard Says: Nose: Honey and caramel corn. Palate: Lovely creamy vanilla and caramel sweetness. It reminds me a bit of a well spiked eggnog. Finish: A little spicy kick at the end. Comments: Very delicious and enjoyable. I find a bit more here than I do with a Makers, Weller, or Old Fitzgerald. It’s a nice balancing interplay of sweet and spicy. More please! Rating: Stands Out
Spirit of America Handcrafted Bourbon 43% ABV $35 What the Distillery Says: Our Father, Mike Roberts, had three true passions in life: family, entrepreneurship, and baseball. He also had a vision and a keen sense of seeing winners long before they ever became successful. After getting out of the service, he started his career in the spirits industry working for two industry legends: his cousin, Jules Berman, the original importer of Kahlua into America and his father, Joe Roberts, who ran the entire East Coast for Jules and later started his own creative marketing consulting company. After Kahlua, Mike worked for Glenmore Distillers in New York before relocating to South Florida in 1977 and taking a position with Florida Beverage Corporation. Mike was recruited by Southern Wine & Spirits in 1985. After 15 years with them, he took early retirement and began one of his true passions, entrepreneurship.
In 2013, we found the perfect team and launched our own Distillery in America’s Heartland in Downtown Indianapolis. In April 2014, we formed Hobson & Roberts Distilling Company. From this distillery, we are proud to bring you a line of fantastic tasting Whiskies and Bourbons that are 100% produced and bottled in the USA, and one Dad would be proud to call a winner.
In his spare time from 1990 – 2012, he ran one of the most respected 18u travel baseball programs in the country, The Florida Pokers. He was responsible for sending over 300 players to college to earn a degree and another three dozen into the Major Leagues. Coaching baseball and mentoring the youth of America is something he took great pride in.
During his time in the liquor industry and coaching baseball he tinkered with taking a risk on a brand he trademarked and briefly launched in 1980. Knowing this country needed to get back to its roots, back to creating jobs in the USA, and regaining a passion for being American; he knew this was the right time for “Spirit of America™”. Unfortunately he never found the right product, partner, and time to launch it.
Dad passed away Dec 27, 2012, never having the opportunity to see this one through. As a tribute to a man that did so much for so many, who Served His Country and lived his life by the true Spirit of America: Honor, Pride, Integrity & Hard Work, we went searching for that partner.
In 2013, we found those partners in Jake Ireland and Master Distiller, Stuart Hobson and launched our own Distillery in America’s Heartland in Downtown Indianapolis. In April 2014, we formed Hobson & Roberts Distilling Company. From this distillery, we are proud to bring you a line of fantastic tasting Whiskies and Bourbons that are 100% produced and bottled in the USA, and one Dad would be proud to call a winner.
In honor of the Spirit of America and for the men and women who defend our country, we are donating $1 from every bottle sold to Hope for the Warriors®. Please raise a glass with us to toast not only our Father, but to the true SPIRIT OF AMERICA. Love You Dad!!
Spirit of America™ Bourbon is a unique, wheated, American Bourbon born in the Heartland of the USA and handcrafted to be the greatest American Whiskey in the world. Proof: 86 Mash Bill: 51% Corn, 45% Wheat, 4% Malted Barley Tasting notes: Warm smell of Vanilla, toasted oak, spice and sweet caramel Finish: Sweet and Smooth
Our partner, MGP selects only the finest Midwestern wheat and Indiana provides a home to the perfect year round climate for this crop. Distilling from wheat is easier to use and matures at a much faster rate. This allows a younger bourbon to provide an amazingly mellow tasting experience every bit as good, if not better, than older aged rye and corn bourbons. Our master distiller selects small batches of Spirit of America™ to blend and bottle in our own classic house style, leaving you with a long lasting, satisfying finish that stands up to any palate. SOA is a bourbon lovers dream; Truly a World Class Bourbon.
What Richard Says: Nose: I took this to a gathering to see what others thought and one comment that kind of stuck was the similarity to Maker’s Mark on the nose. Light and slightly sweet, nutty with a wisp of vanilla and bit of licorice.. Palate: Sweet…like REALLY sweet. It almost borders on liqueur sweet. Vanilla cream filling and caramel chews. Finish: Light and fleeting. Comments: As far as I know, this is the first commercially released bottling of MGP’s new wheated mashbill bourbon that they started distilling in 2013. For that alone the curiosity might make me buy this. Add to it the unusually high wheat percentage mashbill and I can feel the whiskey acquisition disorder kicking in. However, the two years of age kind of works the other way. After tasting it I can say it is much better than I expected. This new mashbill has serious promise. At two years this is easily drinkable. It’s really more of a mixer but it’s not bad on it’s own either. Rating: Stands Out
Our thanks to Simply the Best PR for sending over a bottle for review.
In advance of the Whiskies Of The World event in Atlanta, I was given the opportunity to interview James Johnson of Thirteenth Colony via email. Thirteenth Colony is located in Americus, Georgia and has been winning awards with their whiskey since 2013.
Tell our readers a little about who you are and about Thirteenth Colony:
Thirteenth Colony Distilleries began as a casual conversation among friends about making whiskey for friends, family & employees. That conversation eventually lead to Thirteenth Colony Distilleries becoming Georgia’s first craft distillery. With each product offering we are determined to maintain the Thirteenth Colony commitment to producing only the highest quality, handcrafted spirits. We are committed to offering spirits in the southern tradition of pride in our products, great quality in every bottle, use of local ingredients and a personal and friendly touch in all we do. We began our spirits journey with the intent of making unique distilled spirits as gifts to our friends, our employees and our families. The saying “made by friends for friends” is more than a saying; it is how our journey in distilled spirits began, it permeates all our business dealings, it guides our product development and tells the essential story of Thirteenth Colony.
I hope you don’t take offense, but with all small batch and craft distillers, I try to get the ugly question of MGP out of the way early. Do you make all the whiskey in your bottles or do you source from MGP or other distilleries?
We both produce and source. For instance, we were recently introduced to some unique whiskey from our friends out west and decided we had to have it. We’re in the development process to launch new sour mash whiskey early next year. It’s delicious, and unlike any other we could create in our climate in. Private purchases have non-disclosure agreements, but among others, we have a few rare barrels of bourbon purchased years ago, on a lark before the bourbon boom. As they near the 10 year mark, we look to launch limited one time release. We pride ourselves on unique products, processes, flavors, and aim to continue bringing new and innovative brands to the market. We continue to produce spirits and look at options to address inventory and sales growth. Our goal now and always, has been to create the best tasting spirits possible at an affordable price for our friends and family to enjoy.
Tell us a little bit about your award winning whiskies:
Southern Corn Whiskey was our first whiskey release, and we couldn’t be happier with all of the accolades it has received since. Derived from a mash of 99% Corn & 1% Barley, we age our Corn Whiskey in used bourbon barrels for 3 years & bottle it at 95proof.
Gold medal – 2011 World Spirits Competition
91 Points from Wine Enthusiast 2015
Featured in magazine 2015, which listed 13th Colony’s Southern Corn Whiskey as the best spirit produced in the state of Georgia.
Southern Rye Whiskey was our second release. Southern Rye Whiskey is an American classic with a distinctive spicy flavor and a slightly sweet finish. Southern Rye is derived from a mash of 96% rye grain and 4% barley grain and aged in new charred oak barrels. Our distinctively flavored Rye Whiskey is finished with French oak spirals and bottled at 95proof.
Gold medal – 2013’s Fifty Best Domestic Rye Whiskey
Southern Bourbon is our most recent whiskey released in December of 2013. This traditional Bourbon is produced from a mash bill of 70% corn, 25% Rye, and 5% Malted Barley; then meticulously aged for 4 years in custom charred American Oak Barrels for a smooth, rich, and slightly sweet finish.
90 Points & Gold Medal – 2014 Beverage Tasting Institute
Do you use full sized barrels in your aging process?
Yes, we use full size 53 gallon barrels to age our whiskeys.
What sets Thirteenth Colony apart from other distillers (both the big guys and the little guys)?
Thirteenth Colony Distillery is a family run distillery that consists of just a handful of wonderful folks that make all of the magic happen. We pride ourselves in the quality of our small batch spirits, and pay extra close attention to all of the little details that set our whiskeys apart. We even bottle & label all of our spirits by hand. Our whiskeys are truly small batch, blending only a few barrels together to make each batch. We take the extra time to make sure every bottle that reaches the shelf is up to our meticulous standards. None of our spirits leave our distillery, unless we would be proud to pour them for our families & friends.
For our readers outside of Georgia, what is your distribution like?
You can find our spirits almost anywhere in Georgia, but we also have distribution in: Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vermont. If you are attending the Whiskies of the World event in Atlanta, GA on Friday, October 23, be sure to drop by Thirteenth Colony and have a dram.
Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whiskey Bourbon Barrel Reserve Aged 14 Years 43% ABV $49.99 Website What the Distillery Says: In a class of its own, the Glenfiddich Bourbon Barrel Reserve 14 Year Old uniquely delivers a bourbon heart with the soul of single malt.
Our Malt Master, Brian Kinsman patiently waits for 14 years as the whisky matures in ex-bourbon American Oak casks, and then finishes the whisky in deep charred new American Oak barrels supplied by The Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky.
The result: a rich, sweet and vibrant single malt. Its a whisky that delivers beautifully complex flavours of woody spices combined with ripe summer fruit, resulting from the spirit’s interaction with the casks.
COLOUR: Copper Oak NOSE: Deep vibrant vanilla notes with hints of citrus, caramalised brown sugar and cinnamon. Baked apple and ripe summer fruits and balanced with the rich oaky aromas. TASTE: Beautifully rich and sweet with layers of creamy toffee, woody spices, candied orange peel and fresh toasted oak. FINISH: Long lasting with lingering sweetness.
What Richard Says: Nose: This explodes on the nose with the smell of fried apple pies. Baked apples seasoned with cinnamon and brown sugar and drizzled with vanilla glaze. The single most “it smells exactly like this…” nose I’ve come across. No “hints” of this or that. As soon as I stuck my nose in the glass I smell the bakery at Mercier Orchards in north Georgia. Palate: The mouthfeel benefits from the the six more proof points over their 12 and 15. It gives it a bit more richness and depth. The palate flavors don’t jump out as much as the nose. There is a very mellow sweetness playing with the wood. Not the most dynamic palate. Finish: Dry and chewy. It reminds me of chewing on a toothpick too long. Comments: This U.S. exclusive release is something rare…a new single malt from an established distiller hitting the market age stated and at or below $50. Well, Glenfiddich has the capacity and stocks to do silly things like give people something they deserve instead of what marketing comes up with as an answer to poor forecasting. Is this some crazy new dynamic from Glenfiddich? No, it’s just a solid malt for a decent price. Really, the flavor profile and finish are a tad too bland for me but damn if I couldn’t smell this all autumn. Rating: Stands Out
Our thanks to William Grant & Sons USA for providing us with a sample to review.
Hibiki Japanese Harmony Suntory Whisky 43% ABV $65 Website What the Distillery Says: Hibiki was created to be the paragon of the Suntory blend. The name Hibiki literally means “resonance” in Japaneses, and reflects the Suntory Corporate philosophy to “live in harmony iwht people and nature.” Hibiki celebrates Japanese nature and the subtleties found in the 24 seasons of teh traditional calendar, reflected in the 24 facets of its bottle design. Hibiki is a harmonious blend of innumerous malt and grain whiskies from Suntory’s distilleries, which are meticulously blended to create a full orchestra of flavors and aromas. The Hibiki Japanese Harmony is the epitome of the Hibiki blend. Subtle, noble and harmonious, Hibiki Japanese harmony is a perfect introduction to Japanese Whisky and the award winning House of Suntory Whisky.
Luminous. Delicate. A transparency that unveils complexity.
Color: amber Nose: rose, lychee, hint of rosemary, mature woodiness, sandalwood Palate: honeylike sweetness, candied orange peel, white chocolate Finish: subtle, tender long finish, with hint of Mizunara (Japanese oak)
What Richard Says: Nose: This one needs a lot of time for the nose to open up. Initially it smells great from across the table but not much when you nose it directly. Give it time and it shows rose oil and honey while walking in the woods right after it rains. Plum pudding and cloves. Palate: Delicate, almost effervescent sweetness. Poached pears dusted in cocoa powder. Finish: Drawn out with a light spiciness playing off the oak. Comments: This is fine whiskey but it doesn’t really stand up to the 12 year old. The pricing on the two is very close and I think you would do yourself a favor to just go ahead and get the aged stated Hibiki. Rating: Stands Out
