December 2023

Broken Barrel x Black Hjerte Collaboration Collection

Broken Barrel x Black Hjerte Collaboration Collection

Blended Rye Whiskey Finished With Coffee Liqueur Barrel Staves

53.5% ABV
$95
Website
Broken Barrel x Black Hjerte
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’s newest release, Black Hjerte, an industry first, showcases a blended Rye Whiskey finished in two types of coffee liqueur barrels from Laurel Canyon Spirits. The result of both masterful blending by the company’s founder, Seth Benhaim, along with his sourcing of Laurel Canyon’s Black Hjerte Barrel-Aged Coffee Liqueur Barrels, is a warm and inviting whiskey that ushers in the winter months unlike any whiskey produced before. The blend features both Kentucky Straight Rye and Kentucky-distilled Light Whiskey, offering a truly exceptional tasting experience. The Oak Bill combines 2/3 of its staves from the standard Black Hjerte Coffee Liqueur, while the remaining 1/3 features staves from a limited-edition Blood Orange Coffee Liqueur barrel.

As soon as the golden amber spirit hits the glass, the aromas conjure an alluring blend of roasted coffee, vanilla, buttercream, and charred oak.

On the palate, the whiskey is a symphony of flavors that begin sweet, with caramelized sugar and orange zest notes, intertwined with rich and mildly bitter coffee notes. The result is a beautifully balanced fusion of coffee liqueur and whiskey, where the spirit’s underlying grain and vanilla tones gracefully share the spotlight with the coffee’s deep, earthy complexity. The finish is velvety and enduring, with a lingering and warming citrus sweetness from the blood orange liqueur staves.

Intended to be sipped neat or used to craft a ultra-premium cocktail, this coffee liqueur finished whiskey barrels guarantees a one-of-a-kind taste profile that is to be expected from Broken Barrel Whiskey, upholding their 2023 Icons of Whiskey – Brand Innovator of the Year title.

Mash Bill:
51% Rye
48% Corn
<1% Malted Barley

Oak Bill™
66% Coffee Liqueur Barrels
33% Blood Orange Coffee Liqueur Barrels

What Gary Says

Nose:  Oak with medium-dark roasted coffee, smoke, cigar paper, a hint of vanilla and toffee.
Palate:  Caramel, blood orange, coffee liqueur, vanilla, nutmeg and a touch of cinnamon.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with coffee, cinnamon, caramel and pepper.
Comments:  The coffee liqueur influence is nice, and the blood orange shines through on the palate. A bit of water brought out hints of maple and salted caramel on the nose, and brought those forward on the palate as well. I enjoyed sipping on this.  I did find the underlying base whiskey to be overpowered. I inquired more into the whiskey and appreciate their disclosing that the rye is 3.5 years old (distilled by Owensboro, a 95% rye mash bill w/ 5% malted barley) and the light whiskey is 6 years old (distilled by Beam, a 99% corn and 1% malted barley mash bill). The mix is right around 50% rye (although somewhere there’s a typo because no ratio of those mash bills result in posted end result; and Owensboro does make a 95/5 rye). In any event, the coffee liqueur is dominant and I don’t pick up any rye whiskey notes (although to be fair, a blend of the two without any finishing staves might come across like a bourbon, and there are some bourbon notes on the palate). Often I criticize when the finish is ‘heavy handed’ – but I think for this brand, the finish IS the point. And like I said, I enjoyed it, which ultimately is what matters most!

Rating: Stands Out

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Broken Barrel Honey Smoke: Reserva

Broken Barrel Honey Smoke: Reserva

Straight American Whiskey Finished with Broken Barrel Staves

55% ABV
$80
Website
Broken Barrel Honey Smoke: Reserva
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 Whiskey is excited to announce its latest offering of Single Barrel whiskeys – a return of its immensely popular Honey Smoke [2022], with some slight updates to the offering and a sizable increase in its distribution and accessibility.
Building off the 2022 release of the Honey Smoke Rye (101 Proof, 180 Bottles), the new single barrels of Honey Smoke Reserva will feature a Kentucky-distilled American Whiskey, bottled at 110 Proof with a 6-Year age statement. The whiskey has also updated the Oak Bill to blend both Honey Barrel staves with Texas Sotol barrel staves, providing an even deeper, earthier and smokier complexity than last year’s release. The older whiskey, higher proof and longer finishing time (now over 5 months) lend to an all-around masterpiece that promises to be one of the most distinctive tasting spirits every produced. The new Oak Bill provides another industry-first for Broken Barrel, using Sotol and Honey in combination to finish a Kentucky whiskey, which has never been done before.
On the nose, the earth and terroir of the sotol hog the spotlight, while the sweetness of honey waits patiently in the glass to be discovered when sipped. With the earthy complexity of barrel aged Texas sotol, a truly extraordinary elixir offers the senses both enchanting aromas of honeycomb sweetness mixed with charcoal and woodiness.
On the palate, a remarkable flavor unfolds with familiar hints of vanilla and spice, harmonized beautifully with golden honey sweetness that balanced the grain and oak. The smoke underpins the entire experience with a constant but never overwhelming presence that separates this whiskey from traditional bourbons and ryes. It is a fascinating union, creating a compounding unique flavor profile, departing from last year’s release that had vegetal and floral notes.
The finish is a testament to the brand’s innovative genius, leaving lasting impressions of sweet, spice and warming smoky flavors. These single barrels are expected to move quickly and can be found in select states and online retailers.

Mash Bill:
99% Corn
1% Malted Barley

Oak Bill™
50% Ex-Honey Barrel
50% Ex-Sotol Barrel

What Gary Says

Nose:  Soft, subtle, charred oak, smoke, earthy with a hint of vanilla in back.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with vanilla, honey, allspice, nutmeg and a pepper bite at the end.
Finish:  Moderate in length, wet and syrupy with honey and smoke.
Comments:  The heavy corn mashbill is a good choice for the honey and Sotol barrel staves (a bourbon or rye might have dominated the finishing with barely a hint). This is a nice, unique whiskey. A bit of water brings out cornflakes by a campfire on the nose, and on the palate it brings out more vanilla and a touch of caramel. While there is a bit of smoke on this, I wouldn’t call this ‘smokey’ necessarily. Someone who appreciates an Islay whisky might argue this isn’t smokey, but if you’re comparing this to a corn whiskey – there’s definitely more smoke and earthy notes.

Rating: Stands Out

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Lock Stock & Barrel 16 Year Rye

Lock Stock & Barrel 16 Year
Straight Rye Whiskey

53.5% ABV
$160
Website
Lock Stock & Barrel 16 Year Straight Rye Whiskey

What the Producer Says

Lock Stock & Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey is double distilled from a rare mash bill of 100 percent rye grain. A “robust cut” is selected by master distillers, then the unfiltered spirit is aged in new charred American Oak barrels in cold weather. Lock Stock & Barrel 16-year is a tightly woven fabric of aromatics, with notes that suggest roasted acorns, sour grass, wild cherries, stewed blackberry, dried pear and sassafras.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Christmas spice, cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, hints of clove and anise, sour oak, subtle orange zest, honey, bit of brown sugar and cocoa.
Palate:  Chewy and warm mouthfeel, chocolate orange, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, mint, pepper and oak.
Finish:  Long and damp with citrus, white pepper and honey.
Comments:  This is a really nice spicy rye! The oak is there as you’d expect with 16 years, but it isn’t overoaked. A bit of water brings out some eggnog on the nose, and orange bitters on the palate. While I miss the days of 7 year cask strength rye for $50 or less, in this market coming in at $10 a year for high proof rye with age is reasonable.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Longmorn 18 Year Old Double Cask Matured

Longmorn 18 Year Old Double Cask
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

48% ABV
$108 (700 mL)
Website
Longmorn 18 Year Old Double Cask Matured Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Bottle Says

Double Cask Matured
American Oak Barrels and Hogsheads
Elegant and fruity on the nose with notes of sweet pear and mango followed by creamy toffee and orange marmalade. The palate is rewarded with soft fudge and ripe juicy pear. Incredibly smooth and long finish with a touch of nutty oak.
Non Chill-Filtered

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich and thick, fruity with pears, peach cobbler, hint of mango, butterscotch, buttered biscuits, leather, pipe tobacco and brown sugar.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel, fruity with honey, maple candies, peaches, pears, smoke, praline and a bit of nutmeg.
Finish:  Long and damp with citrus notes, oak and a touch of pepper.
Comments:  I love Longmorn. There, I said it, and I’m not ashamed. I have many fond memories of putting a hurting on various independent bottlings of Longmorn over the years, made better given the company (but don’t get me wrong – these were some stellar bottles. This is a distillery bottling, and might be the first that I’ve had – so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  Not sure why – it’s freaking delicious – and ridiculously good given the price. Even with shipping to the states (which I despise paying for), this one would easily be worth it. A bit of water brings out more tropical fruit notes on the nose, and tamps the smoke on the palate bring the peaches to the forefront. I only added water to see what would happen, and was rewarded by watching it cloud up nicely. This is a delightful dram neat though.

Rating: Must Buy

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Dewar’s 12 Year vs Dewar’s 12 Year

Dewar’s 12-Year-Old (older vs newer)
Blended Scotch Whisky

40% ABV
$25-30
Website

Comparing Older vs Newer Bottling

If the older one isn’t being made anymore, why bother? Well, when I posted a review in 2022 of the newer version, someone commented that they tried it and didn’t like it – preferring the older version. I hadn’t had Dewar’s 12 in ages, so I sought to find an older bottling in case this helps fans of the label with how they are different.  This comparison is from a couple of blind side-by-side comparisons, and is focused on the differences.

The Differences

 

Older
Newer
Package
Colored Glass Bottle

Dewar's 12 Year Blended Scotch older bottle

Clear Glass Bottle

Dewars 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky

What Gary Found Different

Older
Newer
Nose:Subtle with apples, vanilla, floral notes and malt.Richer with honey suckle, apples, pears, vanilla, peaches, subtle soft smoke with an earthy mineral note.
Palate:Creamy with a round mouthfeel, vanilla, malt, pears, apples, honey and a subtle earthy note.Creamy mouthfeel with more flavor intensity, fruity with peaches, kiwi, pears, apples and a bit of nutmeg.
Finish:Moderate in length, damp with honey and dried fruit.Moderate in length with vanilla, honey and fruit notes (pretty similar here).
Comments:Nothing off-putting here to me, but also nothing that really stands out. This reminds me of what I had thought ‘blended scotch’ was before I had experienced some truly remarkable blends (thanks Compass Box for opening my eyes there!)When I was sent a sample of this to review last year, I was really surprised by how much I liked it.  6 months after that review was posted, a reader remarked on it that he much preferred the old, so I sought a bottle of the older version out for just this tasting.  Glad I did, as I’ll sleep well knowing I don’t need to go and dusty hunt for them!  This is absolutely a step up in my opinion; more flavor depth and complexity for the same price?  Thank you Dewars!
Rating:
Average
Stands Out/Must Try

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