August 2019

Compass Box Stranger & Stranger

/ / Other Spirits, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Stranger & Stranger

46% ABV
$180 – $200
Website
Compass Box Stranger and Stranger

What the Blender Says

WE HAVE COMBINED SCOTCH MALT WHISKY WITH WHEAT & BARLEY SPIRIT

Some may call it sacrilege, but we thought the addition of one year old ‘sacrificial spirit’ would be the perfect component to use in our limited edition blend to celebrate ten years of collaboration with our good friends at the package design company Stranger & Stranger.

In the 30 plus design projects we’ve worked on together, we typically provide a core idea and direction, but for this special project, we let Stranger & Stranger design what they liked. All I told them was we were working on a recipe incorporating some amazing one year old grain spirit we had used to season some experimental American oak barrels.

We had been calling this one year old ‘sacrificial spirit’ because we didn’t know what it would be like after a year in these crazy new barrels. Turned out, it was amazing, filled with intense wood spice and exotic shades of vanilla character.

Typical of the way we ordinarily work with Stranger & Stranger, a simple idea captured their imagination and inspired their work. Here, it was ‘sacrificial spirit’ which they used as a springboard for the intricate and fascinating design of this limited edition.

You’ll find aromas and flavours in this Stranger spirit that remind you of custard and dark sugars, fresh apple and an appealing herbal character. It has a sweetness on the palate that will call you back to the glass, owing to just one percent of the recipe using our delicious sacrificial spirit.

We hope you’ll share and enjoy with friends and family this celebration of the ten year collaboration between Compass Box and Stranger & Stranger.

AVAILABILITY
Release of 4,802 bottles worldwide. Bottled September 2018.

BOTTLING DETAILS
Bottled at 46%. Not chill-filtered. Natural colour.

RECOMMENDATIONS
This spirit would be sublime served as a post prandial, with ice, or mixed into a classic cocktail such as an old fashioned.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Lovely floral and malty sweetness, vanilla buttercream frosting, honeysuckle, peach pie, pears, a spring garden with a hint of sea air.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with fruity sweetness, peaches and pears dusted with nutmeg, honey; sharpens mid-palate with some white pepper notes.
Finish:  Long with spice notes, honey, and pepper.
Comments:  Compass Box does it again. This is a lovely, sweet, nuanced dram. Technically, this isn’t a ‘whisky’ because of the 1% ‘sacrificial spirit’ (which is grain spirit from Girvan that hadn’t been aged three years; the minimum age requirement to be labeled Scotch whisky). But with 99% of the blend containing single malt whisky ranging in age from 17 to 22 years old, that 1% doesn’t make the end result taste ‘un-whisky like’. Whatever you call it, I’d call it delicious. If this was closer to $140, I’d call it a ‘Must Buy’ – but still highly recommend seeking out an opportunity to try it!

Rating: Must Try

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Old Forester Statesman

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Forester Statesman
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

47.5% ABV
$50
Website
Old Forester Statesman
We would like to thank Brown-Forman and Weber Shandwick for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Inspired by the dynamic characters in the film,”Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” Old Forester Statesman offers bold flavor blended to a smooth 95 proof from hand-selected casks of our famed Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky from the warmest places in the warehouse. Because true character is only revealed after a little heat, the Statesman product offers an exceptional balance of heat and spice.

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Devil’s food, clove and oak spice with an undercurrent of raw vanilla
TASTE: Buttery leather is quickly dominated by a bold flash of pepper, cinnamon bark and sharp citrus
FINISH: Intense spice and eucalyptus which fade into orange cream and caramel

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sharp caramel corn with coffee cake, charred oak, vanilla, rickhouse mustiness with a hint of orange blossom.
Palate:  Caramel sauce over coffee cake and vanilla ice cream, sharpens with oak, nutmeg, a bit of cinnamon, a hint of clove, and pepper spice; bit of water brings out a lovely orange creamsicle note.
Finish:  Moderately long with caramel, oak and pepper.
Comments:  This has some lovely baking spices going on, which isn’t surprising in Old Forester. I tried this shortly after it was released and didn’t care for it, although I’m not sure why (great example of ‘any given Sunday‘). I had an opportunity to try it recently at an Old Forester Taste Through History event and thought “Wow – this is pretty tasty! Why didn’t I like it?” Oh well – bygones. I’m thankful for the opportunity to spend some quality time with this one, as it really is a solid pour. It is on the sharp side, but a little water softens those edges and brings out some really nice orange notes. A nice addition to the Old Forester lineup!

Rating: Stands Out

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Uncle Nearest 1884 Premium Small Batch Whiskey

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Uncle Nearest 1884 Premium Small Batch Whiskey

46.5% ABV
$50
Website
Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey
We would like to thank Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey and The Brand Guild for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, the super premium whiskey from Tennessee and the first spirit brand in history to commemorate an African-American, is excited to announce the launch of Uncle Nearest 1884 Premium Small Batch Whiskey. The brand revived the little-known story of Nathan “Nearest” Green, the first known African-American master distiller, back in 2017, and launched a namesake whiskey in his honor that has since won 40 awards and expanded into all 50 states and 10 countries (with shipping available to 148 countries). The brand can now be found in nearly 6,000 stores, bars and restaurants. A 7-year-old minimum whiskey, Uncle Nearest 1884 commemorates the final year Nearest is believed to have put his own whiskey into barrels before retiring from distilling.

Uncle Nearest 1884 is unique in taste and curation while celebrating Nearest’s legacy. The barrels used to create each batch are selected by Fawn Weaver, CEO and co-founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, to ensure each bottle contains a blend of the highest-quality liquid, maintaining Uncle Nearest’s signature smoothness. The release of this particular offering honors Nearest’s memory through his family’s personal involvement in the blending process, with each batch curated by a different descendant of the legendary master distiller and the back label of each bottle signed by the descendant who created that batch. The first bottles hitting shelves are curated by Victoria Eady-Butler, great-great-granddaughter of Nearest, shareholder of Uncle Nearest and its Director of Administration.

“If my great-great-grandfather were alive today, I know how proud he would be to see us keeping his legacy alive through the continued growth of this brand,” said Victoria Eady-Butler. “When Fawn first agreed to shine a light on our ancestor by putting his name on a bottle, we never could have imagined where Uncle Nearest would be two years later, with people around the world knowing the name Nearest Green. I speak for our entire family when I say we’re thrilled to be a part of his legacy.”

The small batch offering is a fresh departure from the whiskey brand’s other products, while still utilizing the elements that made Nearest’s whiskey so renowned. Uncle Nearest 1884 is lighter bodied, allowing it to be sipped by those who prefer a lower proof spirit. The bright off-white and gold label stands out on the shelf against its darker labeled counterparts and at $49.99 SRP, 1884 is the most accessible of Uncle Nearest’s super premium product line to-date without straying from the spirit’s premier quality and taste. 1884 is bottled at 93-proof, another nod to Nearest, as it is believed his whiskey was bottled at or near that proof.

“We set out to cement Nearest’s legacy and to ensure his contributions to the Tennessee Whiskey industry would never again be forgotten,” said Fawn Weaver. “With every bottle containing the signature of the descendant who created it, Nearest’s family is picking up where he left off. More than one million glasses of Uncle Nearest have been raised around the world in salute of this great innovator. This ensures millions more will be raised over the next year.”

The first batch of Uncle Nearest 1884 debuted exclusively on July 19, 2019 at Tales of the Cocktail, the world’s premier cocktail festival, in New Orleans, Louisiana during a conversation on “Kentucky Bourbon vs. Tennessee Whiskey: Battle of the Premiums,” led by Weaver. The new whiskey was met with high regard by all who tasted it, with respected writer G. Clay Whittaker encapsulating the sentiment best: “At 7 years of age, it’s already a modern value bottle at that price, not to mention that the whiskey inside is one of the most refined crowd-pleasers we’ve tasted this year.” The release date also marked the two-year anniversary since the launch of the Uncle Nearest brand and the release of its first expression, Uncle Nearest 1856, rounding out the company’s portfolio of super premium whiskeys.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sweet and smooth with vanilla custard, dried oak, caramel, toffee, and hints of multi-vitamins.
Palate:  Sweet and creamy with caramel and vanilla, nutmeg, notes of maple syrup, oatmeal raisin cookies (without the raisins), cinnamon, clove, and a mineral note.
Finish:  Moderately long with vanilla, light maple syrup, oaky spice and mineral notes.
Comments:  From everything I’ve read this is a blend of Tennessee whiskey from two distilleries, neither being Jack Daniels. Being 7 years old (although the bottle doesn’t include the age, not that I don’t trust the story), that whittles the list of potential distilleries down a fair amount. I definitely pick up some George Dickel (which isn’t a bad thing!), with their house style having those notes of multi-vitamins/minerals, although this is a bit more nuanced than that. Kudos to the blending team. This is a smooth, tasty whiskey. At $50, you’re paying a bit of a premium – but value is in the eye of the beholder.

Rating: Stands Out

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George Dickel Bottled in Bond

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review / , ,

George Dickel Bottled in Bond

50% ABV
$36 – 40
Website
George Dickel Bottled in Bond

What the Distillery Says

George Dickel is excited to announce the brand’s newest limited release – George Dickel Bottled in Bond. Bold and balanced, this 13-year-old whisky is rooted in authenticity – reflective of Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.’s commitment to honestly producing quality whisky.At 100 proof, George Dickel Bottled in Bond can be enjoyed neat or on the rocks in addition to being well-suited for many of your favorite cocktails. Whisky drinkers can purchase this high quality, 13-year-old whisky at local fine wine and liquor stores in specific markets.

The Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 was initially passed to guarantee a spirit’s authenticity and quality. Like other spirits with the Bottled in Bond distinction, George Dickel Bottled in Bond has been aged and bottled according to a special set of regulations from the U.S. government. To be labeled Bottled in Bond, the whisky must be produced:
During One Distillation Season: Fall 2005 (13 Years Old)
By One Distiller: George Dickel brand
At One Location (Produced and Aged At): Tullahoma, TN
Bottled at 100 Proof

What Gary Says

Nose:  Oak with brown sugar, caramel, toffee, minerals/vitamins, slightly burnt brownies, charcoal ash, a hint of rubber bands.
Palate:  Sweet caramel toffee with dark honey and molasses, turtle brownies with walnuts and burnt corners, a bit of a sharp pepper spice with oak.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with fudge, pepper, oak, and that mineral note.
Comments:  Kudos to George Dickel for releasing a 13 yr bottled-in-bond for under $40. Seriously, even if you’re not a Dickel fan (I get why the mineral/vitamin note can put some off), whisk(e)y fans from all walks of life should take a moment to appreciate that and applaud. This one seems to get better every time I pour it. My first taste I thought was too oaky (at least for my preference), and I almost didn’t buy a bottle based on that one tasting. Glad I gave it another chance, as it is delicious, and a terrific value. While there is oak as you’d expect in a 13 yr Tennessee whisky – it isn’t overly so. If you know you’re a fan of Dickel already, I’d consider this a ‘Must Buy’. If you can take it or leave it, I’d certainly seek out the opportunity to try it!

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy; Great Value

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Four Roses Super Premium

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Four Roses Super Premium

43% ABV
$50 (bottled for the Japanese market)
Website
Four Roses Super Premium

What the Bottle Says

(No mention of this product on Four Roses website, and this is one of the worst labels I’ve seen on a bottle. The gold print is very difficult to read.)
Four Roses Super Premium
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Four Roses Bourbon was born and crafted in the traditions of old Kentucky. From producing a unique sour mash to ageing the Bourbon in hand made, charred oak barrels, the same traditions prevail to produce Four Roses Super Premium, a Bourbon of rare smoothness, richness and strength.

The Four Roses distillery is a Kentucky landmark and the home of one of the world’s premier Bourbons. Age old craftsmanship and the rugged Kentucky climate work a special magic to create this smooth, mellow Bourbon.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Freshly baked vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting, subtle baking spices, buttered popcorn, a hint of oak.
Palate:  Sweet vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce, a hint of corn sweetness.
Finish:  Short, sweet and slightly drying with notes of vanilla.
Comments:  They’re right about ‘smooth’. Its been a bit since I’ve had Four Roses Bourbon (sometimes referred to as “Yellow Label”, but it no longer has a ‘Yellow Label’ and during a tour they made it clear no one should refer to it that way), but this reminds me more of that than any other Four Roses product. From what I recall, that had more spice than this, and more of those floral notes I associate with Four Roses. I’m not sure I would have picked this out of a blind lineup as being a Four Roses bourbon. While nothing offputting, it is a little too smooth and bland for my taste. I definitely wouldn’t go out of my way to seek it out, being a Japanese offering.

Rating: Average

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