August 2019

Glenrothes 18 Yr (1999)

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Glen Rothes 1999
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
The Unchillfiltered Collection Signatory Vintage

46% ABV
$74
Website

What the Bottle Says

Distilled at GLEN ROTHES Distillery
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distilled 1999
Aged: 18 years
Distilled on: 19.11.1999 (Nov 19, 1999)
Bottled on: 04.06.2018 (Jun 4th, 2018)
Matured in: Hogshead
Cask No: 12582
Bottle No: 49

Due to no chillfiltration, this whisky may turn cloudy when stored in a cool place. It is both more full bodied and full flavoured.
Natural Colour

What Gary Says

Nose:  Honeyed malt, vanilla, not-quite-ripe peaches, almonds, hint of grapefruit rind with some floral notes.
Palate:  Sweet peaches in honey with a nutty spice kicking in, subtle with hints of dried apricots, milk chocolate and pepper.
Finish:  Moderately long with honey, a hint of oak and pepper spice.
Comments:  Glenrothes or Glen Rothes? Per their web-site, it is ‘Glenrothes’, but listing it as it is labeled on the bottle (not sure if I’m helping avoid confusion, or creating it unnecessarily). Anywho, this is a very smooth and subtle pour – nothing really ‘jumps out’ to me. A great price for an 18 yr single malt, although age isn’t everything. This is the first Glenrothes I’ve had the pleasure of trying, and apparently ‘honey’ is squarely in their house style, which I definitely picked up.

Rating: Stands Out

Glenrothes 18 Yr (1999) Read More »

J.T.S. Brown Bottled in Bond

/ / Bourbon, Review /

J.T.S. Brown Bottled in Bond
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$10-$12
Website (ok, not their web-site, but the closest thing, eh)
JTS Brown Bottled in Bond

What the Distillery Says

(No mention of this brand on their web-site, so below is what is on the bottle)
J.T.S. Brown Kentucky’s Finest
Established 1855
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
100 Proof
Distilled and Aged in Kentucky, Bottled by
J.T.S. Brown’s Son Company, Bardstown, Kentucky

Distilled by Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc
D.S.P.-KY-1
Louisville, Kentucky

What Gary Says

Nose:  A tad hot, charred oak and vanilla, hint of caramel with a bit of cinnamon, and a trace of dried mint.
Palate:  Crushed vanilla wafers with a watered-down caramel sauce, bit of oak with a sharp bite of cinnamon candies.
Finish:  On the shorter side, drying with cinnamon.
Comments:  This is definitely a ‘value brand’. No age statement, although as ‘Bottled in Bond’ it is at least four years old (I’d guess it is pretty close to exactly four years old). My Dad would point out that this was the whiskey that ‘Fast Eddie’ Felson (played by Paul Newman) drank in “The Hustler“.  If you like ‘smooth’ bourbon, this ain’t it – although adding a bit of water brings out some corn sweetness and softens the edges a bit – without completely losing them). This drinks a little hotter than 100 proof to me, and is edgy like bourbon aged at the top of the rickhouse. But for $10, it is a pretty serviceable bourbon – and there aren’t many at that price point that meet that bar in my opinion.

Rating: Average

J.T.S. Brown Bottled in Bond Read More »

WhistlePig Single Barrel 13 yr

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

WhistlePig 13 Year Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey
Selection by Dekalb Bottle House, Atlanta GA
Barrel 3323

60.5% ABV
$90
Website
WhistlePig 13 Year Private Selection

What the Bottler Says:

(Note – what follows is what they say about WhistlePig 10 Year Straight Rye; the Private Selection program allows for a custom label, but includes the “10 Year” age statement despite samples being older. This particular barrel was 13 years old)
The spirit of entrepreneurship.
Fortune, superb taste, and hustle lead us to the discovery of an aged Rye Whiskey stock in Alberta, Canada. We rescued the stock from misuse as a blending whiskey, aged it in new American Oak with a bourbon barrel finish, then hand-bottled this rye on its own. We’re honored to present the most awarded Rye Whiskey in the world.

NOSE: Allspice, orange peel, anise, oak, char and caramel
PALATE: Sweet; hints of caramel and vanilla, followed by rye­spice and mint
FINISH: Long finish; warm butterscotch and caramel.

What Gary Says:

Nose: Rich salted caramel with toasted lemon zest, charred oak, pine needles, dried dill, hint of mint, thyme, cinnamon, and orange essence.
Palate: Rich mouthfeel with a lovely warm sweetness, caramel with chocolate orange, allspice, a bit of cinnamon, some ginger and pepper spice.
Finish: Long with notes of caramel and minty pepper spice.
Comments: Considering the WhistlePig 10 Yr 100 proof is only $15 less than this was, this was a no-brainer to pick up without having tried it. You don’t see 13 yr cask strength ryes for under $100 anymore. This is the 2nd cask strength private selection of WhistlePig that I’ve had, and both were damn delicious. 100 proof is nothing to sneeze at, but the extra 10% ABV plus a few more years does some lovely things to this whiskey. I’m sure this is long since sold out, but if you see a private pick that is reasonably priced and you’re a fan of rye whiskey – I’d recommend grabbing it.

Rating: Must Buy

WhistlePig Single Barrel 13 yr Read More »

WhistlePig 10 Year Straight Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

WhistlePig 10 Year Straight Rye

50% ABV
$75 – $80
Website
Whistlepig 10 yr Straight Rye

What the Bottler Says

The spirit of entrepreneurship.
Fortune, superb taste, and hustle lead us to the discovery of an aged Rye Whiskey stock in Alberta, Canada. We rescued the stock from misuse as a blending whiskey, aged it in new American Oak with a bourbon barrel finish, then hand-bottled this rye on its own. We’re honored to present the most awarded Rye Whiskey in the world.

NOSE: Allspice, orange peel, anise, oak, char and caramel
PALATE: Sweet; hints of caramel and vanilla, followed by rye­spice and mint
FINISH: Long finish; warm butterscotch and caramel.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Crisp rye spice, pine, dill, lemon-scented furniture polish, allspice, soft oak, orange zest, mint, with a hint of peach cobbler.
Palate:  Nice rounded mouthfeel, bright/sharp, vanilla with a lemon/lime zest pop, some mint, oak, caramel, and pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with spice and caramel.
Comments:  This is a very solid rye, with all of the spice-pop you’d expect and hope for. I get a lot of pine notes in the Alberta Distillers ryes, and this is no exception. While quite solid, I’ve always thought it was priced a bit high. No, I can’t point to another 10 yr, 100 proof rye at the same price point (although just a couple of years prior, I was picking up 10 yr Canadian rye under the Jefferson’s label at only 90 proof, but for under $40). For me, while I do enjoy this, there are others I enjoy as much for less money.

Rating: Stands Out

WhistlePig 10 Year Straight Rye Read More »

Compass Box Affinity

/ / Other Spirits, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Affinity
A Blend of Scotch Whisky & Calvados

46% ABV
$125 – $150
Website
Compass Box Affinity

What the Blender Says

Classic flavours emerge from an unexpected kinship.
Sometimes in life there are two things with a shared nature, a kinship. They are somehow meant to be together, despite apparent differences. Such is the case, we believe, with Scotch whisky and Calvados.

Scotland and Normandy are both northern European; they share a cool, maritime climate. While one grows principally cereals, and the other is known for its apples, these agricultural products have a long history of usage together, especially in baking. We saw an opportunity for a new collaboration.

We have been blending Calvados with Scotch whisky at home and in our blending room for years. The flavour combination is classic: apples and spice riffing off dried fruits and vanilla. When we were able to source Calvados of the right quality, and in enough quantities, we decided to share our private experiments with the world.

Orchard fruit notes are common to both Calvados and Scotch malt whisky. Many Calvados producers double-distil in pot stills, just like their Scottish cousins. Maturation in French oak is another aspect of their shared DNA.

These two spirits share richness, sweetness and complexity; the Calvados lends an intensity and length to the finish which enhances the character of the Scotch whiskies.

Serve over ice, mix with amari and vermouth into a unique twist on a boulevardier, or pair with a deliciously sweet tarte tatin. We think you’ll agree that these two spirits really do have an affinity for one another.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Spiced baked apples with honey, heather just off the sea coast, subtle note of banana, a winey note that hints at apple cider vinegar.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, apple wine with pears, vanilla, baking spices, hints of almonds and walnuts with a bit of pepper spice.
Finish:  Long, rich with a nutty pepper spice.
Comments:  The second limited edition ‘non-whisky’ from Compass Box recently – although if given it in a blind tasting, I might have guessed it as whisk(e)y finished in apple wine casks. It isn’t ‘un-whisk(e)y-like’ to me anyways, despite 37.5% of the blend being Calvados, which is an apple and/or pear brandy from Normandy in France. Whisky or not, it is definitely delicious, and dangerously drinkable.

Rating: Must Try

Compass Box Affinity Read More »