November 2015

Whiskies of The World 2015 – Atlanta (pt. 1)

It’s been a few weeks since the Whiskeys of the World event in Atlanta, and while I apologize to the event’s organizers for the lateness in my write up, it’s been nice to ruminate on the experience. I’ve been to a lot of these types of festivals over my whisk(e)y drinking life and they all have positive and negative aspects. I’m going to start off by talking about the event itself and then move on to some of the specific whiskeys and whiskies that spoke to me in some way.

(Edit: This post ended up being a lot longer than I intended so, I’m going to separate the event review from the spirits reviews, breaking it up into two posts.)

As previously stated, I’ve been to a lot of events like this one. However, this is the first one I’ve tackled since moving back to Atlanta. All my basis for comparison comes from my eleven years in New York City. From larger events like WhiskyFest to smaller events like Whisky on the Hudson and the Bourbon and Bacon Festival, I managed to keep busy during the festival season. I watched as the scene changed, as the consumers became more knowledgeable, and the faces in the crowd began to take on more diversity.

I bring all this up, not to tout my experience level, but to point out a short fall in the local scene. While Atlanta is certainly behind New York, the crowd is closer to catching up than the exhibitors. I saw men and women of various ethic backgrounds all coming to the tables looking to be educated, and many who were already educated and hungry for more. Unfortunately, many of the ambassadors where not that knowledgeable about the products on the tables. I thought we had advanced past the concept of “pour bunnies” and hired guns dressed in a kilts. Now don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with having pretty girls or roguishly charming dudes pouring me a dram. I do, however, expect them to know a little about what’s in the bottle. I’m not expecting everyone behind the table to have encyclopedic knowledge of whisky in general, but if you are going to hire an actor to pour for you, give them a script (and a good one!). There are some really great ambassadors out there. I’d like to see more of them make it to Atlanta.

There were also a number of exhibitors who clearly did not want to be there. If the brand ambassador can’t get excited about the brand, no one is going to get excited. As is to be expected (or at least hoped for), the craft distillers tended to know the most about their products and to be the most excited. It was an all out party at the Palmetto table. I’m hoping that next year the rest of the exhibitors up their game. Otherwise, people are going to lose interest.

Now, with all that grousing, you would think I didn’t have a good time. Well, I’m just a curmudgeon. I had a pretty good time. There were a good number of whiskies represented. I enjoyed the smoking porch. And I realize that, to the brand ambassadors, we live in a lower tier market. Some folks don’t have enough faith that Atlanta can be a whisk(e)y city like Chicago, New York, or San Francisco. Well, frankly, those folks are lazy and full of crap. We here at Whisk(e)y Apostle proselytize as a hobby, and we turn people on to whisky all the time. Imagine the ground we could cover if we got paid for it!

Honestly, I want to thank the organizers of Whiskies of the World for bringing an event of this size to Atlanta. If you look at the other cities on their list, the only first tier market is San Francisco. I don’t know if this is an attempt to capitalize on the under served markets or if there is a legitimate desire to bring markets like Atlanta into the top tier. Either way, I think it’s awesome.

Thanks to Whiskies of the World and Becca at 360 Media for hooking me up with a press pass. I’m forever grateful.

For more information and news about future Whiskies of the World events go to their website.

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Singleton of Glendullan

The Singleton Single Malt Scotch Whisky of Glendullan
Matured for Twelve Years

40% ABV
$40 to $50
Website
Singleton of GD
What the Distiller Says:
The youngest of The Singleton distilleries by a year, Glendullan brings a light, delicate, greenwood flavour to the family of three. This is the gift of the American oak casks, the insides of which the liquid caresses to yield a whisky with the subtle softness of fresh orchard fruits.

Built in 1897, the last of seven distilleries founded in Dufftown, Glendullan was the brainchild of blenders from Aberdeen by the name of William Williams and sons. With solid business acumen and a private railway siding, the Williams gave Glendullan a healthy start in life. So solid in fact that it took the barley shortages of the Second World War to halt production – though the momentous world event caused only a seven year blip in the history of this exceptional malt.

American Oak brings subtle, honeyed hints to The Singleton of Glendlullan range, with a touch of European Oak offering a balancing dryness. It’s this combination that rounds off the edges and enhances the sweet vanilla and orchard fruit flavours.

Notes of apple and pear, chewy raisins and juicy red strawberry fruit, all perfectly balanced by a smooth, drying spiciness. A special selection of American and European Oak casks makes sure that those fruity, natural flavours stay in perfect balance throughout maturation.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Sherry and stewed fruits on the nose.
Palate: Sweet vanilla cream with more light fruity notes and a fair does of grainy maltiness.
Finish: Light, short, and pleasant.
Comments: Summed up in one phrase I would says a pleasant, easily drinkable daily dram. This isn’t a knock your socks of scotch but it’s not supposed to be. This is a Glenlivet or Glenfiddich 12 competitor in terms of flavor and price. It stands up admirably.
Rating: Average

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Jim Beam Soft Red Wheat

Jim Beam Signature Craft Soft Red Wheat 11 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon
45% ABV
$50 (375ml)
Website
JB_SC_Harvest_Wheat
What the Distillery Says:
Jim Beam® Harvest Bourbon Collection™ best exemplifies the merger of tradition with unique experimentation and exploratory craftsmanship. It’s the ultimate experience for the truest of whiskey adventurers, a product 11 years old with the passion of seven generations of whiskey making.

Color: Golden honey to amber
Aroma Slightly soft with mild oak notes
Taste Sweet and softly spicy; caramel, vanilla, slight light brown sugar sweetness
Finish Light bodied and very approachable

What Gary Says:
Nose: Vanilla with a bit of cinnamon, sweet without much wood; soft anise with subtle stewed peaches.
Palate: Soft, sweet corn, with a touch of fruit (pears and apples).
Finish: Moderate in length, and wet.
Comments: The nose has a familiar “Beam” hint to it (which I apologize for failing to describe better than that!) I would not have guessed this was 11 yrs old; as it is very soft, mellow, and smooth. I didn’t get much wood at all, which isn’t a bad thing. This is a very approachable, easy to drink whiskey – although it is priced such that it is more of a novelty than something I would stock in the bar.
Rating: Average

What Richard Says:
Nose: Richer and less hot alcohol funky than normal Beam. Honeysuckle and cinnamon candies.
Palate: Nice soft creamy mouthfeel. Toffee and corn pudding sweetness playing with a surprising spicy back that would almost make me think of of rye bourbon.
Finish: Peppery and viscous.
Comments: Beam goes wheat. A curiosity that most bourbon geeks should try. The continuity of the Beam yeast is an interesting counterpoint to the new wheated mashbill. It’s very easy to drink and enjoyable. However, at $50 for a half bottle it’s not a $100 bottle of bourbon for sure. For the casual drinker I can’t say that this should move to the top of your list.
Rating: Stands Out

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William Heavenhill Small Batch

William Heavenhill Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Third Edition)
50% ABV
$130
Website

What the Distillery Says:
For William Heavenhill, distilling was a family tradition. By some accounts, Heavenhill corn whiskey supplied Bardstown’s historic Talbott Tavern in the early 1800s. The limestone spring William used to make his Bourbon was the same spring that inspired our company’s original name: The Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery.

Each edition of William Heavenhill is different than the previous one. A new edition is released every Fall exclusively at the Bourbon Heritage Center. This third edition of William Heavenhill is an extremely limited and unique offering. It has been aged for 132 months under the careful supervision of our Master Distillers Parker and Craig Beam. Comprised of less than 12 barrels, this small batch Bottled-In-Bond product is the perfect addition to any whiskey connoisseur’s collection.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Sweet caramel, vanilla, crème brulee with a hint of anise; subtle oak and a wisp of smoke.
Palate: Starts like candy (I’m picturing a Heath bar?) before dancing over to spicy, and finishes softly; rice pudding & peach chutney.
Finish: Medium in length, and soft.
Comments: Wow – what a great balance between the sweetness and spice! I sampled this at the gift shop just as I was coming down with a cold, so I didn’t pick one up (couldn’t really taste anything). Had no idea what I was missing out on. This is a lovely whiskey that is right in my wheelhouse. Sweet, but not cloyingly so. Spicy, but not to sharp. It takes me on a mellow rollercoaster through all of my favorite places.
Rating: Must Try

What Richard Says:
Nose: Soft and rich. Candy and sweet cherry liqueur with notes of black licorice and vanilla cream.
Palate: Sweet, rich, and delicious. Toffee and cherry candy sweetness playing with a nice rye spiciness and woody back note.
Finish: Light wood and little smokey hints.
Comments: Delicious. This is a whiskey that gets better every time I taste it. The editions change year to year but if you happen to come across this you really have to try it.
Rating: Must Try

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