The Ileach Peaty Islay Single Malt 40% ABV $35 Website What the Bottler Says For centuries the stormy waters of the Atlantic Ocean has not only shaped the character of the people of Islay but also the character of their famous whiskies. In many ways this fine malt mirrors the character of Islay people – strong yet gentle, warm yet mellow, but with a maturity beyond its years. Robust peaty, with that unmistakable breath of the seashore, The Ileach is “a true man from Islay”
Tasting Notes: Nose: Earthy smoky peat and salty ocean Breeze Palate: Pungent peat smoke, chewy sweet malt, pepper, tar and a touch of iodine Finish: Long and warming. Smoky ashes of the peat fire
What Gary Says Nose: Bright peat, medicinal, seaweed, earthy, subtly sweet, charred oak, notes of rubber. Palate: Sweet, young malt, honey, hint of vanilla, bit of pepper with earthy oak notes, thin. Finish: Short and drying. Comments: This is a mystery single malt – allegedly from the same source throughout (the reason I used the 50 mL picture is because this is what the bottle I bought looked like; in case anyone knows of variations based on labels). It has a pretty nice nose for a young malt, and by the nose I thought maybe Laphroaig. The palate was a bit of a step back though – thin and not as nice as the nose. I bought this mini as I’d never heard of/seen the label before, and it was inexpensive. For the price, there are other single malt bottlers I’ve tried and enjoyed more for less. Rating: Average
Exclusive Oak Stave Selection – Tower Wine & Spirits 55.25% ABV $70 Website
What the Distiller Says
At Maker’s Mark, our wood-finishing series was created to explore new, unique expressions of our signature whisky. Beginning as fully matured Maker’s Mark® at cask strength, Private Select is created by adding 10 custom wood finishing staves to each barrel. It’s then aged in our limestone cellar to extract a unique, flavorful taste profile. Participants in this special barrel program get their say in the selection of these wooden staves. The finishing staves can be any combination of five flavor profiles chosen especially for this program. With 1,001 possible stave combinations, each expression of Private Select has a customized finish and taste profile that is unique, yet undeniably Maker’s®. Maker’s Mark Private Select® is available in select markets and also at our distillery.
Below are the notes on the different staves The Maker’s 46® stave: The one that started this whole experiment. It delivers notes of dried fruit, vanilla and spice that you may be familiar with if you’ve tried Maker’s 46. The Baked American Pure stave: Baked American Pure is American oak that’s slowly toasted. It adds notes of brown sugar, vanilla, caramel and spice. The Seared French Cuvée stave: Seared French Cuvée is a French oak stave that’s cooked with infrared heat. It imparts toasty notes of oak and caramel. The Roasted French Mocha stave: Roasted French Mocha is French oak cooked on high in a convection oven. It adds pleasant traces of char, maple and cacao. The Toasted French Spice stave: Toasted French Spice is a French oak stave, cooked at both high and low temperatures in a convection oven. This stave has a flavor profile of smoke, coumarin and spice.
The finishing with the additional staves is typically 9 weeks.
This specific barrel’s stave selections were: Baked American Pure 2: 3 Seared French Cuvée: 1 Maker’s 46: 1 Roasted French Mocha: 4 Toasted French Spice: 1
What Gary Says
Nose: On the sharp side, nutty caramel corn with cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla; subtle wood and leather notes; bit of water brings out more spice notes (reminds me more of a rye mashbill bourbon in terms of spice pop). Palate: Bright/sharp and sweet, vanilla wafers with caramel drizzled, shaved chocolate and toffee with a dusting of cinnamon; bit of water actually thickens the mouthfeel, tones down the sharp edges, amplifying the caramel and bringing subtle fruity notes. Finish: Moderately long and drying, with just a hint of pepper spice. Comments: This particular bottling has more of an edge and kick than standard Maker’s Mark – which you might expect with the higher proof alone. The finishing staves do add a really nice spicy character that I don’t pull out of Maker’s Mark typically. For the longest time, Maker’s Mark was a one label producer, which was the exception. But since coming out with Maker’s 46 just a few years back, they’ve stepped up their game with not only the cask strength, but these private selections. Most distilleries have a private barrel program, and while true that each barrel is unique – if you pull a barrel of say Buffalo Trace (for illustrative purposes only, not to single them out)- that barrel was destined to be part of a batch of Buffalo Trace, so in many cases it isn’t going to be too far from that brand profile. The 1,001 stave combinations really provides purchasers the chance to get something even more unique than the typical private barrel selection. While I applaud this innovation, I do wish they offered some aging “tiers”. I get logistically they need to have some predictability, but I can’t help but think what the same stave combination would do with say 12 weeks versus 9. I dunno – maybe they experimented and found too fewer than 9 and you’re not really getting much, and much over there it changes the profile from being “Maker’s Mark finished with” to something entirely different. Either way, if you’re a fan of Maker’s Mark, I wouldn’t shy away from trying one if you have the chance.
Compass Box The Story of the Spaniard Batch TS 2018-A (June 2018) 43% ABV $70 Website What the Producer Says
THE STORY OF THE SPANIARD BLENDED MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
A showcase of malt whiskies aged in Spanish wine casks. The newest addition to our range, we plan to produce this malt whisky once or twice per year, depending on our ability to source the quality of Spanish wine casks we require.
A long time ago, a friend and I journeyed through the South of Spain, stopping by every little village bar we could. They were tiny little bars filled with heavy smoke, serving beers and liquors I had never heard of.
In one place, an elderly man took it upon himself to teach us about the local Sherry wines. They captured my imagination with their nutty, saline character and tremendous spectrum of style. Years later, when I discovered Scotch whisky, I was reacquainted with Sherry through whiskies aged in former Sherry casks, which are known for the rich, deep flavours they provide. I’ve been drawn to this style of whisky ever since.
Inspired by an eponymously named bespoke whisky we recently created for a bar in New York City called The Spaniard, we decided to explore this style further to create a malt whisky blend with its core whiskies aged in Spanish Sherry and Spanish red wine casks. We’ve named it THE STORY OF THE SPANIARD as a nod to my chance encounter with that elderly gentleman in the South of Spain, all those years ago.
In this, our first release, 48% of the whiskies have been aged in ex-Sherry casks and 25% in ex-Spanish red wine casks. We may change the type of casks from year to year based on availability and experimentation, but Spanish casks – either Sherry wine casks or Sherry-style wine casks – will always play the key role.
BOTTLING DETAILS Batch TS 2018-A (June 2018). Bottled at 43%. Not chill-filtered. Natural colour.
FLAVOUR DESCRIPTORS Full, soft and sumptuous on the palate with notes of citrus peel, red wine and spices. The finish is long, with hints of rich vanilla panna cotta, ripe berries and cherries.
DISTILLERY SOURCING Made entirely of Highland single malt whiskies from distilleries in and around the villages of Doune, Longmorn, Alness and Aberlour.
RECOMMENDATIONS This is a whisky ideal for late evening sipping, served on its own or with a large ice cube or splash of water. Serve in a wine glass as a nod to the Spanish wine cask maturation!
WOOD Whiskies aged in a mixture of American, European and French oak cask types, some of which previously held Spanish Sherry or red wine.
What Gary Says Nose: Musky sherry sweetness, mincemeat pie with dates and figs, worn leather with lingering smoke. Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, rich dark fruits (figs, dates, sultanas, plums) with toasted orange zest, honey, allspice, pepper spice and a hint of clove. Finish: Long with a rich, creamy texture and trailing fruit notes. Comments: Damn you John Glaser and team over at Compass Box! I’m not sure how they do it, but they’ve got me dialed in. This is simply a lovely, delicious dram. I like sherry, but not necessarily ‘sherry bombs’. This is right in my wheelhouse where you can’t miss the sherry influence, but that’s just one member of the band; this isn’t a solo act by any means. When I think of balance in terms of whiskey, it means avoiding one flavor or note dominating, and Compass Box does this exceptionally well. This is a nicely balanced whisky, with sherry sweetness but also spice and smoke. For the proof, this has a lot of flavor, and a lovely texture to it. I had the good fortune to try this before I bought one, but if you’re a fan of most of Compass Box’s other offerings, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick one up blind. Rating: Must Try
NOTE: Their web-site has downloads with the breakdown (image below), as well as a link to request more information. Per their request, I won’t publish the additional details here they they will provide to anyone who inquires – but they are happy to provide them if you inquire. We here at Whisk(e)y Apostle are BIG fans of their transparency (oh – and their whisky is pretty great too 🙂 )
Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon 44% ABV $40 Website What the Distiller Says SMALL BATCH BOURBON WHISKEY A traditional bourbon, from an untraditional place. Our original, flagship, and defining product, the award-winning Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey.
ONLY WYOMING INGREDIENTS The Big Horn Basin has everything we need to make great bourbon, and it is important to us to source our ingredients locally. The consistency and uniqueness of these whiskey elements make for a better bourbon that stands apart. It’s the Whiskey of the West.
LOCAL CORN, WHEAT, BARLEY, RYE AND NO GMOS. WE KNOW WHO GROWS. Brent Rageth from Rageth Farm in Byron, Wyoming has worked with Wyoming Whiskey from the start to select strains of non-GMO corn, wheat, barley, and winter rye for specific starch and sugar yields, the building blocks of bourbon making. We use a corn strain that matures in 92 days, and is hand-selected by Brent. Rageth Farms also delivers summer and winter wheat that is grown exclusively for Wyoming Whiskey, and a winter rye that will be the key ingredient for a couple of rye products that are on the near horizon.
THE YEAST THE SECRET STUFF. While our Mash Bill is in clear view, ask any distiller about their yeast and you’ll usually get a deafening silence. We’ll give you this much. To attain our profile, we use a combination of 2 yeasts; a high-yield yeast and a second proprietary yeast that yields a bit less, but produces a slightly fruitier alcohol.
TASTING NOTES COLOR: dark amber NOSE: floral, with a hint of vanilla bean and caramel pudding PALATE: floral with brown baking spices and browned butter, vanilla crème, caramel, and a hint of cinnamon MOUTHFEEL: light and smooth with vanilla bean and cinnamon spice filling the mouth cavity, hint of mint FINISH: medium length finish with toffee. Spice and vanilla fade.
What Gary Says Nose: Vanilla flan, caramel toffee with a hint of nutmeg, oak, and subtle floral notes. Palate: Sweet caramel creme candies, vanilla, honey, subtle uptick of cinnamon and nutmeg. Finish: Moderate in length, soft with vanilla notes fading. Comments: Many ‘craft’ distilleries start up with young product aged in small barrels. When Wyoming Whiskey got started, it was younger (labels included a 3 yr age statement), but they age all of their whiskey in new, 53 gallon white American Oak barrels from Independent Stave (char level 4 for those keeping score at home). For those unfamiliar with their history, Steve Nally (former Maker’s Mark master distiller and 2007 Bourbon Hall of Fame inductee) was their first master distiller, and was instrumental in the setup of the distillery, selection of the mashbill, and I’m sure insisted on the use of 53 gallon barrels (not to suggest anyone else in Wyoming Whiskey was looking to do different). His experience was invaluable at establishing a quality distillery. He left a few years back to return to Kentucky where he had lived most of his life, and while his involvement at Wyoming Whiskey isn’t any secret, I was disappointed that there is zero mention of him on their web-site (which otherwise is very well done, with a lot of information). I get that they want to focus on the here/now, and the current distillery team, but seems to me that if a member of the Bourbon Hall of Fame helped setup my distillery – and I’m emphasizing tradition, etc – I’d call that out. Enough about all that – the whiskey itself is a pleasant, soft, smooth sipping bourbon. I believe fans of wheated bourbons (such as Maker’s Mark, the Weller lineup, Larceny, the Old Fitz lineup, etc) would find this a pleasant enough pour. It isn’t a complex pour, and at 5 yrs old (per their web-site, this is 5 yrs old; the label inexplicably lacks any age statement) you wouldn’t expect a lot of complexity. There isn’t anything offputting. In fact, and I mean this as a sincere compliment, I would never have guessed this as a “craft whiskey”. Aged in 53 gallon barrels for a respectable period of time, and lacking those tannic notes or ‘young whiskey’ notes often associated with craft whiskey, this stands out big time in that category. That said, for the money, there are plenty of other bourbons I’d pick up (although to be fair, I’m more of a rye-mashbill bourbon kinda guy). If I lived in or near the state of Wyoming and wanted to support local business, different story – I wouldn’t hesitate to pick one up (or explore their other offerings). I do understand the pricing difference (larger distilleries have long paid the enormous expense associated with their fixed costs), and if you’re supporting other local business, this would be a bargain in comparison to most craft whiskey I’ve had (and not just a bargain, but a better executed whiskey!) Rating: Stands Out
We would like to thank Wyoming Whiskey and Colangelo & Partners for sending us a sample to review.
60-65% ABV (exact varies by batch) $60 Website We would like to thank Bulleit and Taylor for sending us a sample to review.
What the Producer Says
In 2015, Bulleit Founder, Tom Bulleit traveled the globe sharing sips of a new, unreleased style of Bulleit Bourbon with some of the world’s top bartenders. As a whiskey built by the support of the bartending community, Tom wanted to know what they would think about an addition based on higher proof instead of new flavors or finishes. The feedback was overwhelming and reinforced the decision to officially launch Bulleit Barrel Strength Frontier Whiskey in his home state of Kentucky in 2016. Bulleit is now proud to announce the national expansion of Bulleit Barrel Strength across the United States.
Distilled in Kentucky from the highest quality ingredients, this new variant is a barrel strength version of Bulleit Bourbon with the same high-rye mash bill. Bulleit Barrel Strength won Best Straight Bourbon and received a Double Gold Medal from the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and earned a score of 92 at the 2017 Ultimate Spirits Challenge – continuing Bulleit’s history of sharing award-winning whiskeys.
The barrels selected to create Bulleit Barrel Strength were emptied and combined into a single batch without the inclusion of any additional water after the whiskey was removed from the barrels. Aged and bottled at Stitzel-Weller in Louisville, Ky., this new offering allows bartenders and fans of great whiskey the opportunity to taste Bulleit Bourbon straight out of the barrel, uncut and non-chill filtered.
BULLEIT BARREL STRENGTH WHISKEY TASTING NOTES Nose: Gentle spiciness and sweet oak aromas Taste: Smooth with tones of maple, oak and nutmeg Finish: Long, dry and satiny with light toffee flavor, but with deepened oak notes
Because Bulleit Barrel Strength is being bottled straight from the barrel, uncut and unfiltered, the ABV will vary by batch, but will generally range from 120 – 125 in proof.
What Gary Says
Nose: A tad hot, salted caramel, vanilla, maple/chocolate fudge, oak with subtle cinnamon and a hint of anise. Palate: Thick, viscous mouthfeel, rich chocolate fudge with a caramel drizzle, vanilla, hint of maple candies, cinnamon and nutmeg with a bit of pepper spice at the end Finish: Moderately long, pepper spice drying into notes of cocoa. Comments: I was really excited to hear about this. When I read ‘barrel proof’, ‘uncut’, and ‘unchillfiltered’ – I get chills (forget raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens – THESE are a few of my favorite things!) Does it always add up to an amazing bourbon? No, but it seems to increase the chances I’ll enjoy it. This is one that delivered on that expectation – right in my wheelhouse. Just a lovely rich sweetness. I know their tasting notes and other reviews I’ve read talk a lot about maple, and I get a hint of that – but for me this is rich, chocolate fudge. The thick mouthfeel is lovely as well, and doesn’t really thin out with a few drops of water (which this takes like a champ). This delivers on everything I look for in a barrel proof bourbon – intense flavor, sweetness, spice, and not too much oak.
