March 2021

Barrell Bourbon Batch 028

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Barrell Bourbon Batch 028

54.43% ABV
$90
Website
Barrell Bourbon Batch 028
We would like to thank Barrell Craft Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Blender Says

Barrell Bourbon Batch 028 is a blend of 10 and 11-year-old barrels created from a marriage of three distinct sub-groups of barrels. The first was aroma forward with notes of tropical fruit, citrus zest and exotic spices, identified to drive the nose of the final blend. The second group had a richness in the middle palate and a sweet, almond-like body. The third group was peppery and tannic, adding backbone and a savory, woodsy and earthy component. The final blend of Batch 028 allows each of these groups to shine through. It presents a bouquet of ripe tropical and sweet flower aroma backed up by a robust punch of rustic wood in the cadence and finish.

  • A blend of straight Bourbon Whiskeys
  • Distilled and aged in Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana
  • Selection of 10 and 11-year-old barrels
  • Aged in American white oak barrels
  • Bottled in Kentucky
  • 108.86 proof cask strength bottling

FLAVOR NOTES
The bourbon begins with bright citrus, heady florals, and lively minerals. Sweetness is kept in check by a preponderance of opposing forces. That balance vanishes on the finish when it explodes with tropical fruits then gently fades away leaving only smoked sea salt at the end.

​Neat
Appearance: An earthy orange hue, much like antique yarn dyed with tradition and left to age.
Nose: Maraschino liqueur and dried apricot lay a gentle, fruity foundation that recalls a boisterous chardonnay. Some rather sappy woodsy notes of rosemary and bamboo shoots. A touch of richness from cocoa butter and tallow.
Palate: Fruity in nature, yet well-balanced, so that nothing overwhelms. Candied praline sweetness is balanced by a smoked sea salt minerality. Brown butter richness is cut by a radicchio bitterness. Champagne-like acidity is matched by chalky tannin.
Finish: Complex and tropical, it first explodes with lychee, grapefruit peel, dragonfruit, and strawberry. Some dusty tannin on the tongue gives it length, evolving through lightly oxidized oolong tea and peppery gin until only smoked sea salt lingers.

With a few drops of spring water
The fruitiness is juicier, with cascara, purple plum and rosehip tea. Spices abound, including sassafras and black walnut, salmiak and dill.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Chocolate covered cherries, vanilla crème brûlée with cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg, oak, blood orange, floral notes with a subtle mineral undertone.
Palate:  Caramel sauce over berries in vanilla pudding, pepper and oak with a nutty vitamin note, cinnamon, orange bitters, tad nutty with a hint of raisins.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with oak and orange zest.
Comments:  Yet another really solid blend from the folks at Barrell Craft Spirits. The Dickel notes are a bit more prominent on this than the last few batches, but has a lot of depth and interesting characteristics, with a solid balance between the sweetness, spice and oak notes. A bit of water tamps down the mineral/vitamin notes and thickens the mouthfeel, and brought out more of a dark fruit sweetness.

Rating: Stands Out

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Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection Single Barrel

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection Single Barrel 107 Proof
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Barrel 7167070 | Barrel Filled 9/3/2015 | Hand Selected by: Sherlock’s Rye, Rye Baby

53.5% ABV
$35
Website
Ezra Brooks Distillers Collection

What the Bottle* Says

Hand Picked from Extraordinary Barrels
Sour Mash | Charcoal Mellowed
Distilled and Aged in Kentucky for Lux Row Distillers Bardstown, Kentucky
* The producer doesn’t mention this product on their web-site, so pulling what details I can from the bottle!

What Gary Says

Nose:  Crack of rye spice, dried mint, lemon zest, vanilla, grassy, oak, nutmeg and a hint of clove.
Palate:  Vanilla, oak, salted caramel, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, bit of tangerine.
Finish:  Short side with vanilla, mint and pepper.
Comments:  Another not complicated bourbon, but solid higher proof high rye bourbon. Takes water well, bringing out some notes of popcorn on the palate.

Rating: Stands Out

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Rebel Distiller’s Collection 113 Proof

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Rebel Distiller’s Collection 113 Proof
Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey

Barrel 7112054 | Barrel Filled 6/16/2015 | Hand Selected by: Sherlock’s Lucky 13

56.5% ABV
$40
Website
Rebel Distillers Collection 113 Proof

What the Bottle* Says

Hand Picked from Extraordinary Barrels
Wheated | Defiantly Smooth
Distilled and Aged in Kentucky for Lux Row Distillers Bardstown, Kentucky
* The producer doesn’t mention this product on their web-site, so pulling what details I can from the bottle!

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel corn, charred oak, coffee cake with vanilla icing and a hint of anise.
Palate:  Caramel with chocolate, cinnamon, anise, vanilla, honey, nutty notes of almonds and hazelnuts.
Finish:  Bit short with slightly burned snickerdoodles and oak.
Comments:  Not old or complex, which isn’t what you’d expect on a 5 yr old near-barrel proof bourbon, but a solid high proof wheater. I tried this side by side against a recent Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, and by comparison this was similar with a bit more corn and a bit less spice. Takes water really well, with more chocolate coming in. If not for the short finish, this would be a solid ‘Must Try’. As a single barrel product, I’d expect some variability, but priced fair enough that taking a flyer is probably worth it.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Laphroaig Càirdeas Port & Wine Casks

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Laphroaig Càirdeas Port & Wine Casks
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

52% ABV
$90-$100
Website
Laphroaig Cairdeas Port and Wine

What the Distillery Says

TWO REDS ARE BETTER THAN ONE. INTRODUCING THE 2020 CÀIRDEAS – AN INSTANT CLASSIC CRAFTED WITH RUBY PORT BARRIQUES AND RED WINE CASKS
Our 2020 annual release of Laphroaig Càirdeas, Port & Wine Casks, continues our long history of innovation. A unique marriage of our classic Laphroaig whisky rested in second-fill Ruby Port ‘barriques’ along with whisky double matured in ex-Bourbon barrels followed by ex-red wine casks. Soft, round and warming, it’s an incredible ‘friendship’ that charts continents, styles and flavours.

Aromas of dark chocolate and menthol with pink peppercorns open up to an extraordinarily complex flavour. Toasted peaches, charred marshmallows and a hint of plum jam intertwine with Laphroaig’s iodine rich peat smoke to create a limited edition that lingers long on the palate and the memory.

FRIENDS ONLY
On Islay there is a saying; We don’t make friends easily but the ones we do are for life. Launched in 1994, Friends of Laphroaig are fans, friends and followers of our distillery from all over the world. Never short of an opinion or two they help Laphroaig explore new expressions, attend tastings and sometimes even visit the distillery at Laphroaig’s home on Islay. To reward the loyalty of its following, each year we launch exclusive bottlings within the Càirdeas series.

Càirdeas means ‘friendship’ in Gaelic and, each year, a limited-edition bottling is crafted by distillery manager and fifth generation Islay native, John Campbell, available exclusively to Friends of Laphroaig.

TASTING NOTES
COLOUR: Rose Gold
NOSE: Dark chocolate and menthol with pink peppercorns. Toasted peaches and charred marshmallows and hint of plum jam, all intertwined with Iodine rich peat smoke.
BODY: Full bodied.
PALATE: Honey Sweet with medicinal smoke.
FINISH: Mouth Warming and mouth coating with a lingering finish and slat on the lips

What Gary Says

Nose:  Port wine, berries, iodine, sea air, earthy with chocolate and a hint of barbecue pork with honey glaze.
Palate:  Sweet entry, fruity with strawberries, peaches and plums, peat, cinnamon, clove and port.
Finish:  Moderately long, damp with tart fruit preserves and peat.
Comments:  I’m a fan of Laphroaig, and like some finishes of it (PX Cask is one of my favorites), so I had higher hopes for this one. I expected to like this, and I do – but I can’t say I love it. Not sure I’d go for this over the 10 year cask strength. It is squarely Laphroaig with that peaty medicinal theme, but it feels out of balance. At first sniff I get some fruitiness, but then it is dominated by this earthy mineral note smothered in peat (which I don’t mind).

Rating: Stands Out

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Alipus San Juan del Rio Mezcal

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Alipus San Juan del Rio Mezcal

47.5% ABV
$50-$60
Website
Alipus San Juan Del Rio Mezcal

What the Producer Says

Alipús Mezcal is a gift born from the soul of our land. It captivates us with its various presentations, each one a unique expression connecting us to the families that create their particular elixir for the delightful enjoyment of the world. Alipús Mezcal is an open invitation to Mexico as your second home.

Founded in 1999, Alipús started out as an alternative project supported by Los Danzantes Distillery. The idea was to create a map of Oaxacan mezcals showing how the conditions where each is produced differentiates the final product, with distinct soils, waters and climates having a singular influence on the land where each mezcal is grown.

Alipús seeks to promote and develop awareness about traditional mezcal producers in Oaxaca – in particular about their knowledge and high-quality products. Current distribution and branding efforts have resulted in superlative reviews and increased economic development for traditional mezcal farmers where before there was very little.

100% maguey Espadín (Agave angustifolia Haw.)
Roasting: Stone-lined pit at ground level.
Milling: Millstone pulled by horse.
Fermentation: 2,500-liter pine vats.
Distillation: Discontinuous double distillation in copper stills.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Master mezcaleros: Joel, René, Abelio Antonio Juan and Rodolfo Juan Juárez.
Soil: San Juan del Rio, Tlacolula, Oaxaca. Tierras blancas, poor in organic material, with stony, silt texture.
Palenque elevation: 1,125 MASL.
Altitude at which the maguey is planted: 1,250 to 1,700 MASL

TASTING NOTES:
Color: Clear.
Aroma: Caramel, roasted maguey, citrus, spices and herbs.
Palate: Herbal and mineral notes. Light, rugged flavors. Fresh acidity with medium lingering flavor.
Pairing: Enchiladas mineras, scrambled eggs, aged cheese, garnachas istmeñas (meat pies).

What Gary Says

DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Mezcal (so read at your own risk!)
Nose:  Earthy smokiness, edging on peaty, more vegetal with agave and grilled poblano peppers.
Palate:  Thick and viscous mouthfeel, sweet, earthy with a smokey bit of lime, tangerine and orange, pepper, subtle corn.
Finish:  Short in length, really dry with tobacco and roasted lime.
Comments:  My third and last of the three samples from the Flaviar Mezcal tasting box, and the most different of the three. More smoke and earthiness, less corn, more lime. Hard to pick if I liked this more than the Rey Campero Espadin Mezcal; this reminds me more of a peaty Scotch than a corn-distillate white dog. I really liked it. Really thick and viscous, like a nice non-chill filtered single malt. Last reminder –  given my inexperience in this category, I’m not comfortable assigning any different rating for these three. I enjoyed this one the most, but can’t really inform if it was a good, average, great example of the category – so will leave it as Stands Out. If anyone finds I’m short-changing any, that’s the reason why.

Rating: Stands Out

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