The Glenrothes Select Reserve Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 40% ABV $45 Website What the Distillery Says John Ramsay, our Malt Master, has crafted a selection of The Glenrothes which typifies the distillery house character – ripe fruits, citrus, vanilla and hints of spice.
The Select Reserve is a first for us. A non-Vintage-specific selection carefully chosen by John and produced to the same high quality standards as The Glenrothes Vintage selections; only here we select and vat from casks from different years.
Appearance: Pale golden Bouquet: American oak, vanilla and coconut, hint of plums/p> Palate: Full malty flavour, medium sweet, vanilla and orange zest Finish: Long and slightly spicy
Produced to the same exacting quality standards as the Vintages, Select Reserve is a vatting of casks distilled in different years.
It has been crafted to typify all that is The Glenrothes in its early prime. What we call the ‘House Style’. Laden with ripe fruits, citrus, vanilla and hints of spice, the Select Reserve is the essence, the very heart of The Glenrothes range in terms of taste and flavour. From this expression all other Vintages are born.
What Richard Says Nose: Light vanilla and malty oak. Palate: A lovely, silky sweetness of orange blossom honey and dried fruit. Finish: Lingering with doses of black pepper and more malty oak. Comments: This introduction to Glenrothes in their “house style” focuses around cereal grains and vanilla/fruit sweetness. Not a game changer by any means but it’s pleasant, easy to drink and won’t break the bank. If you want to mix up your malt rotation then give it a try. Rating: Stands Out
Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Selected by the Georgia Bourbon Society 60% ABV $35-$45 Website What the Distillery Says Our distillers handpick exceptional barrels to be enjoyed in their full, unblended glory. COLOR: Our darkest and deepest amber and henna color. TASTE: Deep and complex flavors of vanilla, nuts and oak. AROMA: Robust vanilla and caramel notes; slightly smoky. FINISH: Long and full, perfect for easygoing sipping.
What Gary Says Nose: Hot and thick, sweet vanilla, brown sugar, nutty caramel and cinnamon with pepper spice undertones and oak; with water the heat is tamped down and spice notes pop (cinnamon, anise, allspice) as well as the oak; reminds me of a breeze through a rickhouse. Palate: Warm and sharp, viscous sweet honey with vanilla, cinnamon, caramel, hints of gingersnap cookies and brown sugar, bits of chocolate; with water the mouthfeel thins a bit but the flavor remains intense, nutty cinnamon with honey and sugar-cookies. Finish: Moderately long and honeyed before drying out. Comments: I generally like high proof pours, but this one out of the gate is a bit on the hot side for me (but only a bit). Luckily it takes water like a champ without losing the intensity of flavor. This barrel was 10 yrs, 10 months, and 15 days old when we dumped it (one of the great things about doing a Knob Creek barrel pick was we literally got to help dump the barrel and see it bottled, rather than having to wait months for the bottles to arrive), and the proof out of the barrel was 138.4. It was stored on the 7th floor of a 9 story rickhouse, so up there a ways – although I would have expected this to be more oaky with that information. There is oak for sure, but the sweetness and spice really stand out, and the oak is more of a background player – which is right up my alley. As a private selection, you won’t find this on the shelves, but the couple of other store picks I’ve tried were quite nice – so if priced favorably, I’d recommend grabbing one. Rating: Must Try
What Richard Says Nose: Toffee, furniture varnish, leather oil, vanilla extract, and a bit of that classic Beam peanut funk. Palate: Caramel, black pepper, empty cigar boxes, cinnamon Red Hots, dark cocoa powder, and burnt brown sugar. Finish: Surprisingly dry for such a luscious whiskey. Comments: This is a private selection but I’ve had several and I have yet to taste a bad one. These say 9 years on the bottle but the ones being privately picked by liquor stores tend to be a fair bit older. Usually in the 10 to 12 year range. So for $40 you can get an 11 year old, near barrel strength straight bourbon from a large prominent distiller. Uh, this is probably one of the best bourbon deals out there right now. Rating: Must Buy
High West Bourye Limited Sighting A Blend of Straight Whiskeys 46% ABV $80 Website What the Blender Says A unique and premium blend of rich bourbon and rye whiskeys, making for a premier sipping whiskey and one of High West’s all time favorites.
Bourye is best enjoyed around a campfire while looking at the Milky Way. Sip straight or with a little water. Not recommended with ice
Bourye is a combination of “Bou” for bourbon and “rye” for..well, rye whiskey. Because combining bourbon and rye is a bit unusual, we couldn’t help thinking of the jackalope. Honestly, we didn’t think anyone would like the name!
The jackalope, also called an antelabbit, is an antlered species of rabbit, a cross between a jack rabbit and an antelope. It is rumored that pockets of jackalope populations continue to persist in the American West, its native home. In the old West, when cowboys would gather by their campfires to sing at night, jackalopes would frequently be heard singing back, mimicking the voices of the cowboys. When chased, the jackalope will use its vocal abilities to elude capture. For instance, when chased by people it will call out phrases such as, “There he goes, over there,” in order to throw pursuers off its track. Legend suggests the best way to catch a jackalope is to lure it with whiskey, as they have a particular fondness for this drink. Once intoxicated, the animal becomes slower and easier to hunt (believe it or not, all this mythology is true, we didn’t make any of this up). That’s why High West created Bourye®, our proprietary blend of mature Bourbon and Rye, both favorites of real cowboys and sure to attract even the most finicky of jackalopes. All whiskeys in this carefully crafted blend are a minimum of 10 years old and sourced from multiple distilleries. See highwest.com for technical details and sourcing, that’s not a secret. However, the proportions are! Bourye® is best enjoyed around a campfire while looking at the Milky Way. Important! Jackalopes will attack if cornered or provoked. To avoid injury, quickly fall to the ground, remain calm and still, while humming the Roy Rogers song, “Happy Trails to You” (we did make this up!).
Barrel Type(s): Whiskeys aged in new, charred white American oak barrels Nose: Vanilla Butter toffee, Spiced Marzipan, Roasted Nuts, Dried Pineapple Taste: Sweet Honey Nougat, Rich Caramel, Dark Ginger Cake, Mulling Spices, Dried Stone Fruit. Finish: Long & Rich, Roasted Pecan, Molasses, and Crème Brûlée
What Gary Says Nose: Musty oak with brown sugar (wisp of bbq sauce?), dry leaves, hint of smoke, cloves and mulling spices. Palate: Wow! Starts rich with a deep sweetness before an uptick of spice (but never sharp); incredibly well balanced between honey, clove, and cinnamon. Finish: Long with a bit of pepper. Comments: I’ve been a fan of High West’s Bourye since I first tried it (and in fact play “mad scientist” at home; experimenting with various combinations of bourbon and rye). This is really delicious. When I first tried this, my immediate thought was “Holy @#$% – where do I get one of these RIGHT NOW?!” The nose is lovely – the kind I could just smell for the better part of an evening – but the palate on this just blew me away. It isn’t intense/dense with flavor like a higher proof whiskey might be, but this may be one of the best balanced pours I’ve had. I think this is my Goldilocks whiskey (at least at the moment). Not too sweet, not too spicy, not too oaky – just right. Rating: Must Try
What Richard Says Nose: Deep rye forward bourbon-ish notes. This reminds me more of single barrel Four Roses than other MGP ryes or bourbons I’ve tried. Cinnamon, smoky, sweet tobacco, and something earthly like gardening mulch. Palate: Big caramel and cinnamon flavors jumping forward. Finish: This finishes strong with spicy cinnamon Red Hots and a big kick of wood. Comments: Big, bold, delicious, and yet approachable. This whiskey is all the things that I find myself seeking more often in my drinks. Compared to the prior (2015) release that version was more muted on the nose and more wood forward in both palate and finish. This version is a masterclass in blending American whiskey. The balance is fantastic. David Perkins really shines with this release. Rating: Must Try
Rabbit Hole Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 47.5% ABV $50 Website What the Distiller Says Bourbon is an act of faith. The barrel builds a strong foundation of vanilla and wood. Atop that, we bet on an unorthodox, four-grain mash promising spice and honey and a fresh apple breeze. When we first poked the thief into the darkness of the barrel, our faith was rewarded: a whiskey of remarkable maturity and self-possession, with spice on the front and custard in the finish.
What Gary Says Nose: Young, corn sweet with sour oak and a hint of cinnamon. Palate: Sweet entry – caramel, vanilla, corn syrup – with a bit of a spike kick at the end. Finish: Short and drying. Comments: I wasn’t familiar with Rabbit Hole when I first tasted it. On my initial nosing, I have to admit I wrote it off as another craft whiskey producer using small barrels – as it smelled young, but more oak influence than you’d expect (a combination I often find as a tell-tale sign that small barrels were used). That isn’t the case – they verified that they are using 53 gallon barrels (although they are done to a lower char than some others, and are wood fired). On the palate, it hits me much better delivering the quintessential “bourbon” highlights of caramel, vanilla and a bit of a kick. While still young, it fares better on the palate than on the nose. When I’m evaluating a new, typically young (craft) bourbon – I ask myself “Do I like this better than Evan Williams Black Label?” (and yes, I talk to myself – the whiskey is strictly medicinal). For almost all new/craft bourbon, I find the answer is “Nope”. Rabbit Hole is definitely a step up, as I’m not quite sure the answer is no (although not a clear “Yes!” either). While better than most new stuff in that regards, I couldn’t justify shelling out the money for this. I do think this has the potential to be really tasty down the road, and will keep an eye out on future releases. But for $50 – I’d be pretty disappointed, and don’t expect offerings with more age to be priced more reasonably. Although I would love to be disappointed on that note in the future! Rating: Probably Pass
What Richard Says Nose: There is a general lightness to the nose more reminiscent of grain alcohol than a bourbon. Palate: It comes forward very aggressively with black pepper, cinnamon, corn pudding, and malted milk balls. Finish: Hot. More pepper, oak, and general heat. Comments: The youth of the spirit shows in the aggressiveness of it. However, hot and peppery flavors and finishes are not exclusive to the young. The lack of depth in the nose really shows that this needs more time in the barrel. Rating: Average
We would like to thank Rabbit Hole for providing us with a sample for review.
Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Matured 21 Years 43% ABV $130 to $170 Website What the Distillery Says Sultanas and hazelnuts; dried fruits and rich spice
Christmas cake, honey, and rich fruit – with a long cinnamon finish. Matured exclusively in hand-selected sherry casks for 21 years. Perfect after dinner or, frankly, anytime.
What Richard Says Nose: Baked raisins, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a big meaty dose of sherry. Palate: Oozing with fruity honey and apple cider centering around a big chunk of oak. Revisiting comes back to a chocolate orange and well worn cedar. Finish: Hot cinnamon kicks you in the mouth and then settles into a lingering black pepper and oak. Comments: Sherry bomb? Check! If you don’t have a predilection toward sherry malts then this isn’t going to be some kind of “damn, this is what I’ve been missing” malt moment. It is going to be a damn fine dram and for sherry malt drinkers this is a definite must try. Rating: Must Try
