2022

Jameson Bow Street 18 Years

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review / ,

Jameson Bow Street 18 Years
Cask Strength Irish Whiskey

55.3% ABV
$170-$190
Website
Jameson Bow Street 18 Year Cask Strength

What the Distillery Says

A special place in our hearts required a whiskey to match.
Jameson Bow Street 18 Years is a special blend of rare pot still and grain Irish whiskeys produced at the Midleton distillery. After ageing for almost two decades, these whiskeys are married together and spend their final finishing period in our original home, at the Jameson Distillery Bow Street in Dublin.

Launched in 2018, this whiskey is our rarest release and is bottled once per year, at cask strength.

Nose: Rich wood-driven influence with deep toffee notes and spice.
Taste: Toffee and oak remain consistent with hints of leather and vanilla along with a subtle sherry nuttiness creating depth and complexity.
Finish: Long and full with the sweet toffee notes slowly fading while the toasted oak and spice linger throughout until the very end.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla, butterscotch, toffee, angel food cake, soft oak, honey, almonds, floral, bit of leather and milk chocolate.
Palate:  Toffee, honey, oak, sherry notes of raisins, milk chocolate, caramel, spicy with clove and nutmeg.
Finish:  Moderately long, nutty with caramel and spices.
Comments:  The grain component in this blend shines through. Water thickens this nicely, and brings out more malty grain notes (but don’t get me wrong – it doesn’t come across as ‘young’) and tamps some of the spiciness. I liked this one more each time I went back to sample it. Not sure I like it enough to shell out the coin (although I still kinda regret not buying a cask strength Jameson when visiting their visitor center in Dublin; this really does shine at the higher ABV).

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Broken Barrel Hersey Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Broken Barrel Hersey Rye

Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished with Broken Barrel Staves

52.5% ABV
$35
Website
Broken Barrel Heresy Rye Whiskey
We would like to thank Broken Barrel Whiskey Co. and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Rye | Re-imagined

This Rye whiskey is distilled in Owensboro Kentucky – just like our bourbon. However, it is unlike any rye whiskey you’ve ever tasted. Charred French oak gives a woody body to the spirit, while ex-bourbon (still soaked from the previous tenant) and ex-sherry cask staves all join forces to create a fiery, yet balanced and smooth taste and finish. We use the same proprietary Oak Bill™ to embolden this rye whiskey and give it an uncommon and untraditional taste and character.

Call it sacrilegious, call it untraditional, call it heresy—we won’t be offended. But trust us. Once you taste it, you may begin to question the tradition yourself.

Mash Bill:
95% Rye
5% Malted Barley

Oak Bill™
40% French Oak Staves
40% Ex-Bourbon Cask Staves
20% Sherry Cask Staves

Heresy Rye Whiskey was awarded the Gold Medal in 2019 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for rye whiskies.
Batch 001 | Launched August 2018

What Gary Says

Nose:  Soft rye spice with mint eucalyptus, bit of dill and vanilla.
Palate:  Bright with mint, citrus zip, baking spices and black cherries.
Finish:  Short with mint, cocoa, pepper and dried fruit notes.
Comments:  I’ve remarked before that rye whiskey is the one whisk(e)y type that I find which “isn’t as bad” young, and that continues to be the case. Don’t get me wrong – I’d prefer a well aged rye over something young (in this case, it is 2 yrs old)!  But in the context of the previous Broken Barrel whiskies, I did like this one the best.  The stave treatment does lend to some dark fruit notes on the palate and finish, which round out the herbal and more citrus notes of the rye nicely. Bit of water tamps the edges a bit, although I wouldn’t add a lot.

Rating: Stands Out

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Broken Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Broken Barrel Cask Strength
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Broken Barrel Staves

57.5% ABV
$45
Website
Broken Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey
We would like to thank Broken Barrel Whiskey Co. and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Broken Barrel Bourbon features a unique blend of corn, rye, and barley that makes it perfectly balanced to infuse. We partnered with an incredible world-class Kentucky Bourbon distillery to select the finest bourbon base for our products. The bourbon is aged a minimum of one year (it has to be) to be called a Kentucky Bourbon, which also ensures a specific quality we’re looking for before incorporate our Oak Bill™.

WHAT IS THE OAK BILL?

After a minimum of one year in new charred oak barrels, the bourbon is dumped to steel tanks, where each batch of Broken Barrel is hit with new French oak staves, ex-bourbon barrel staves, and a blend of ex-sherry cask staves.

Rich, complex, layered and beyond beautiful, Broken Barrel boldly goes where other whiskies won’t – and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Mash Bill:
70% Corn
21% Rye
9% Malted Barley

Oak Bill™
40% French Oak Staves
40% Ex-Bourbon Cask Staves
20% Sherry Cask Staves

A note about Staves – there is a tremendous amount of surface area when using staves to age and flavor a whiskey – much more than merely using the inside of a barrel. There are several more surfaces making contact with the liquid, each adding its own character and flavor.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Salted caramel, candy corn, vanilla, bit of oak and subtle dark fruits.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with caramel and toffee, sharpens with pepper spice and cinnamon, dark fruit notes of black cherry and raisins.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with pepper, oak and dried fruits.
Comments:  Very similar to the Small Batch – guessing it is the same spirit just bottled at a higher proof.  Bit tannic/sharp, although some water tamps that a bit. Similarly young, although I found dialing this in around 105 proof or so definitely brings it up a notch over the Small Batch.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Broken Barrel Small Batch Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Broken Barrel Small Batch
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Broken Barrel Staves

47.5% ABV
$35
Website
Broken Barrel Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey
We would like to thank Broken Barrel Whiskey Co. and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Broken Barrel Bourbon features a unique blend of corn, rye, and barley that makes it perfectly balanced to infuse. We partnered with an incredible world-class Kentucky Bourbon distillery to select the finest bourbon base for our products. The bourbon is aged a minimum of one year (it has to be) to be called a Kentucky Bourbon, which also ensures a specific quality we’re looking for before incorporate our Oak Bill™.

WHAT IS THE OAK BILL?

After a minimum of one year in new charred oak barrels, the bourbon is dumped to steel tanks, where each batch of Broken Barrel is hit with new French oak staves, ex-bourbon barrel staves, and a blend of ex-sherry cask staves.

Rich, complex, layered and beyond beautiful, Broken Barrel boldly goes where other whiskies won’t – and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Mash Bill:
70% Corn
21% Rye
9% Malted Barley

Oak Bill™
40% French Oak Staves
40% Ex-Bourbon Cask Staves
20% Sherry Cask Staves

A note about Staves – there is a tremendous amount of surface area when using staves to age and flavor a whiskey – much more than merely using the inside of a barrel. There are several more surfaces making contact with the liquid, each adding its own character and flavor.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla bean, bit of alcohol, corn flakes with a hint of sherry.
Palate:  Sweet with vanilla, caramel, subtle toffee, baking spices with cinnamon, cherries and raisins.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with spice notes and dried fruit.
Comments:  Similar to the Broken Barrel California Oak, this tastes fairly young to me (and is 2-3 years old) – but I like this better. I was surprised with the note of alcohol on the nose at this proof, and that to me speaks to the immaturity of the spirit – even given time in the glass. As I’m not a big wine guy (but do like some sherry matured and finished whisk(e)y!), I definitely preferred this better. I think this use of different barrel staves in various quantities provides some interesting possibilities (similar to Maker’s Mark use of finishing staves, but used within a barrel); just wish they would use more mature spirits.

Rating: Average

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Broken Barrel California Oak

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Broken Barrel California Oak
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Broken Barrel Staves

44% ABV
$35
Website
Broken Barrel California Oak Bourbon Whiskey
We would like to thank Broken Barrel Whiskey Co. and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

TWO WORLDS COLLIDE

Born in Northern California, raised in Southern California, our founder Seth has California running through his blood. Enamored with Kentucky, and loyal to home, he combined his two favorite states into one award-winning bottle of whiskey. Distilled in Owensboro Kentucky – this Straight Bourbon whiskey is finished with 80% Central Coast Cabernet barrel staves, and 20% French Oak staves. The charred virgin French oak gives a common character found in the wine, while also rounding the sweet dark fruit flavors bleeding from the freshly dumped wine barrels. The marshmallow forward, cherry center, and oak-heavy finish lingers, while remaining balanced and approachable. As our Founder says:

“California Oak was created as a bourbon that could seamlessly bring the wine drinker into the world of whiskey. This is a step into our world and a every day sipping whiskey made to be drank neat, and often.”​

Mash Bill:
70% Corn
21% Rye
9% Malted Barley

Oak Bill™
20% French Oak Staves
80% Central Coast Cabernet Wine Barrel Staves
​
Broken Barrel California Oak Bourbon was awarded the Gold Medal in 2020 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for finished bourbon.

Batch 001 | Launched March 2020

What Gary Says

Nose:  Soft oak, red wine cask, corn bread, dark fruit notes with subtle cherry.
Palate:  Sweet with vanilla, light caramel, nutmeg, subtle baking spices with red wine notes.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, damp with spice notes and tannic oak.
Comments:  This tastes like fairly young whiskey to me. That’s distinctly different than what I would call ‘small barrel craft’, as there isn’t anything objectionable, but it also isn’t very exciting. Very easy to drink, and not priced outrageously.  When ‘straight bourbon whiskey’ is on a label of a bottle of whiskey without an age statement, that should mean it is 4 years old.  I reached out and was informed that this product (and the other bourbons to be reviewed here forthcoming) are registered with the TTB as Distilled Spirits Specialty (DSS), and because it is stave finished versus barrel finished, it is not allowed to have any further age statement beyond “Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey”.  If that is how the TTB handles this, put me squarely in the camp of believing they are doing a disservice to consumers, as this only leads to confusion. But I digress – this is younger than 4 years old (2-3 years old, and I’d guess closer to the 2 year mark).  As there are more and more bourbons with cask finishes (which this isn’t exactly that, being finished with staves rather than IN various casks), this doesn’t stand out like it might have 5 years ago. The immaturity of the spirit may disappoint whiskey enthusiasts expecting something resembling a four year old bourbon.

Rating: Average

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