2023

Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Tale of Two Islands

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Tale of Two Islands

59.11% ABV
$90
Website
Barrell Cask Finish Series Tale of Two Islands
We would like to thank Barrell Craft Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Blender Says

In 2018, Barrell Craft Spirits produced a very limited release of our Tale of Two Islands Rum: a Jamaican Rum matured in peated Islay single malt barrels. To create it, the blending team filled previously used Islay Single Malt Whisky casks with a small amount of Barrell Rum Batch 001. We let it mature and the result was a deeply intense Jamaican rum with just a touch of misty peat smoke. With separate distillation, aging, and finishing influences from Jamaica, Kentucky and Islay, this was a truly unique spirit.

For the Cask Finish: Tale of Two Islands blend, the team took the empty casks that held the Tale of Two Islands Rum, and used them to finish a blend of straight bourbon whiskeys. The sweetness of the rum and the smokiness of the Islay casks mingle together with the underlying bourbon that continues the Tale of Two Islands.

BLEND COMPONENTS:
Indiana: 5, 6, & 9 years old
Maryland: 5 & 6 years old

  • A blend of straight bourbon Whiskeys
  • Further matured in Tale of Two Islands barrels
  • Bottled in Kentucky
  • 118.22 proof cask strength bottling

DERIVED MASH BILL:
Corn: 73%
Rye: 23%
Malted Barley: 4%

FLAVOR NOTES
This is a classic bourbon with notes of old-fashioned donut and coconut macaron. Over time, that bourbon slowly leeched the brooding peatiness left behind in the barrel staves by smokey Islay whisky. A splash of water unlocks wild, tropical volatiles that are the calling card of Jamaica’s ester-packed rums.

​Neat
Appearance: Rich mahogany.
Nose: All the hallmarks of high-re bourbon are tinted with the smoke of Islay malt. It singes the sage, torches the marshmallow, flambés the banana, and grills the peach. Apricot and candied cherry round out the stone fruit character while coconut macaron complements the banana.
Palate: Dark chocolate, espresso, and malty porter set the stage. They usher in a different side of Islay, this time its tarry, inky side. The texture is waxy with some gritty tannin that highlights its chalky mineral character. Underneath, it’s still a fruity bourbon, exhibiting notes of candied lemon peel, nectarine, and plum sauce, all enhanced by the rum that previously sat in the barrel.​
Finish: The waxy texture turns greasy with clarified butter, brisket, and lemon oil. They leave behind burnt caramel, blackberry, and peppercorn.
With a splash of spring water
The fruits are tinged with pink, becoming grapefruit, watermelon, and lychee. A conga line of pineapple, papaya, and creamsicle issue forth from the rum barrel. Honeycomb and almond croissant anchor everything firmly in bourbon territory. Black licorice, rootbeer, and lavender reflect back the palate’s herbal side.

What Gary Says

Nose: Fruity with subtle Islay smoke and herbal notes, apricots, pears, peaches and cherries with a bit of coconut and sage.
Palate: Dark chocolate, fruity with orange, coffee, grapefruit, lemon, caramel with subtle peat and pepper.
Finish: Moderately long and a bit sharp with fruit, caramel and pepper.
Comments: I was really looking forward to this one, as I’m a big fan of Islay whisky. That part is subtle, which to be honest is what I look for in a finish (as many tend to be heavy handed so that dominates the spirit). Barrell Craft Spirits has always done an amazing job with finishing to keep it dialed back, although I was sorta hoping this one they might let go a bit longer – or that the rum aging in the Islay cask already took much of that smokiness with it. This is still a really interesting whiskey, with just a hint of that Islay swagger remaining. A bit of water brings out more grapefruit and grilled peaches on the nose, and some honey and anise on the palate.

Rating: Stands Out

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Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Amburana

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Amburana

58.21% ABV
$90
Website
Barrell Cask Finish Series Amburana
We would like to thank Barrell Craft Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Blender Says

Amburana casks are challenging to work with, as they impart strong cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and vanilla spice notes. True blending expertise is required to enhance the bourbon with Amburana and maintain balance. The Barrell Craft Spirits blending team created a bourbon blend of two mash bills with different char levels finished in Amburana casks. A vatting of individual casks without finishing was layered in to add depth, richness and complexity, ensuring the bourbon shines through first and foremost.​

Rather than working with cubes, spirals, staves, or other oak alternatives like many producers, Barrell Craft Spirits’ Chief Whiskey Scientist Tripp Stimson sourced true 53-gallon barrels made from sustainably harvested amburana wood to finish bourbon. It took a full year of R&D to hone in on the right timing and conditions that would create just the right balance of flavor concentration, layering in those heady tropical spice notes without losing the delicious flavor of the bourbon itself.

The wood’s strong impact within a short time frame demands a level of expertise that goes far beyond just filling it with bourbon, waiting a few months, and then bottling. Barrell Craft Spirits’ approach involves the delicate art of blending and small adjustments to proof, temperature, and other conditions that allow the amburana contribution to shine while complementing the natural attributes of the bourbon, rather than overpowering it.

BLEND COMPONENTS:
Indiana: 5, 6, 7, & 10 years old
Kentucky: 5 years old

  • A blend of straight Bourbon Whiskeys
  • Further matured in Amburana barrels
  • Bottled in Kentucky
  • 116.42 proof cask strength bottling

DERIVED MASH BILL:
Corn: 75%
Rye: 21%
Malted Barley: 4%

FLAVOR NOTES
An intense baking spice character centered around cinnamon fills every nook and cranny of the tasting experience. It’s a veil through which one experiences the aromas of chocolate, walnut, and toasted sourdough. The palate also has a narrative driven by cinnamon and spicy ginger beer with cameos from marmalade, tarragon, and hefeweizen. A healthy splash of water foregrounds passionfruit, goldenrod, and honeycomb.

​Neat
Appearance: Russet.
Nose: Cinnamon, and a lot of it. Along with other baking spices, it suffuses nearly every other aroma. Heavily spiced horchata, café de olla, and banana bread all feature it. Apple fritters and cracker jacks toe the line between sweet and savory.
Palate: The texture is rich and buttery. Here, too, those oak-derived spices predominate, with licorice root joining the assemblage. Pumpkin pie is reinforced by masala chai and ginger beer. More traditional bourbon flavors of tarragon, verjus, and lemon meringue pie keep the oak in check.
Finish: An array of citrus peels welcomes in cider apple and dirty martini. Sweeter than the palate, notes of hefeweizen and dark cuban rum persist on the tongue thanks to some grippy tannin.
With a splash of spring water
The sweet and savory balance begins to teeter. As sweetness gains the upper hand, one finds white chocolate, honeycomb and graham cracker. Then it seesaws the other way revealing sugar-snap pea and skillet cornbread. A bit of the underlying whisky surfaces here to show off honeydew melon, passionfruit, and jasmine. The palate paints a botanical portrait with strokes of lilac and chive blossom. It’s anchored in loamy soil with a salty streak along the finish.

What Gary Says

Nose: Lovely baking spices, vanilla undertones, bit of caramel, loads of cinnamon, baked goods (banana nut bread and oatmeal cookies), nutmeg, clove, honey and a hint of floral notes.
Palate: Caramel, cinnamon, dark chocolate, anise, nutmeg, ginger with a citrus zip and oak.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with orange bitters, cinnamon hot candy and espresso.
Comments: Loads of baking spices! Very interesting, spicy and with an edge (might have thought this was rye if tasting blind). A bit of water brings out some graham cracker on the nose and more fruity notes on the palate. Another really solid blend with a unique finish (one I’d certainly never tried before).

Rating: Stands Out

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Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 001 The Journey

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

Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 001 The Journey
Blend of 3 Aged Whiskies

57.5% ABV
$200
Website
Whiskey JYPSI Legacy
We would like to thank Whiskey JYPSI and CHQ Media for sending us samples to review.

What the Producer Says

STORY OF INNOVATION
Categorizing whiskeys by “mash bill” has become a short-hand way of indicating the style and character of the finished liquid inside the bottle. Whiskey JYPSI’s Legacy took that shorthand and replaced the weight of each grain in the recipe with the percentage of individual fine-aged spirits in our blends. A deconstructed mash bill, if you will, using some of the finest spirits available anywhere as the components of our whiskey. Regardless of geography, boundaries or borders.

Instead of blending the grains before fermentation, Whiskey JYPSI lived up to its name – sourcing individual aged whiskey components from various origins, and ultimately blending them to recreate our version of the mash bill.

We began by selecting only the highest quality, fully aged mature spirits that beautifully expressed the individual primary grains in that mash bill. Truly, each component in the blend would be an outstanding product by itself. Then we developed multiple prototypes, using combinations of these fine spirits of various ages and cooperage as our inputs. Blending three distinct spirits, each at different stages of development, created unexpectedly rich layers of aroma and flavor – and deep wood character – not generally found in spirits.

After more than two years of development, experimentation and tasting exercises with experienced whiskey tasters, reviewers and advisors, the company’s first product was born.

Introducing Legacy Batch 001, named “The Journey.” Because literally and figuratively, it has been one. And the result is a whiskey unlike any other. Smooth, complex and unconventional. A remarkably crafted blend of three fine aged whiskeys.

70% Indiana bourbon made from 99% corn and 1% malted barley. Distilled in Indiana, and aged 7 and 8 years for a smooth corn character, this bourbon component retains its rich and sweet corn character, with structure and depth from the cask.

21% Canadian rye made from 91% rye and 9% malted barley. Distilled in Alberta, Canada, and aged 20 years, this is a highly esterified and perfumed rye whiskey with pronounced butterscotch, spice and finesse that comes from spending the last two decades in barrels.

The last 9% of this remarkable blend is 100% malted barley from Indiana. Aged four years, this malt-forward American Single Malt has a beautiful balance of rich, nutty malt character – and strong vanilla, smoke and caramel notes borrowed from its new American oak casks.

And we called it Whiskey JYPSI to celebrate those who think differently, reinvent the rules, and seek greater adventure and purpose in life. Those who live life with a “JYPSI Spirit.” Like the remarkable team who’ve given birth to this remarkable liquid.

What Gary Says

Nose: Corn bread, fruity with apples and pears, caramel, baking spices, malt and soft oak.
Palate: Thick and chewy mouthfeel, caramel, peanut butter, milk chocolate, mint, but of cinnamon and pepper.
Finish: Long and syrupy with caramel, chili spice and honey.
Comments: I absolutely love the thick, viscous, chewy mouthfeel on this whiskey. The nose is nice, but the palate was an intense surprise. This is one of those drams that improves given some time in the glass. The bottle is a cool package if you are into that sorta thing, with a solid/heavy topper. A bit of water brings out some citrus notes, and doesn’t thin down the mouthfeel. If this was priced closer to half the SRP, this would be a solid Must Try and borderline Must Buy.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII Straight Bourbon Whiskey

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII
Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$100
Website
Remus Repeal Reserve VII 2023 Straight Bourbon Whiskey
We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us samples to review.

What the Distillery Says

Ross & Squibb Distillery Master Distiller Ian Stirsman announced the upcoming release of Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII Straight Bourbon Whiskey in September 2023. The limited-edition bourbon is the seventh-annual offering of the distillery’s award-winning Remus Repeal Reserve Bourbon collection. Bottled at 100 proof/50% ABV, Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII retails for a suggested $99.99 per 750-ml bottle and will be available in limited quantities starting in September 2023 in honor of National Bourbon Heritage Month.

Created by Stirsman and the distillery’s team of master distillers and master blenders, Series VII is comprised of barrels aged between 9-16 years from its 175-year-old Lawrenceburg, Indiana, distillery. Made in Ross & Squibb’s signature high-rye style, Remus Repeal Reserve features a new medley of bourbons each year, allowing Stirsman and his team to experiment with their various mash bills and aged reserves.

Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII is comprised of:

  • 6% 2007 Bourbon (21% Rye)
  • 26% 2013 Bourbon (21% Rye)
  • 26% 2013 Bourbon (36% Rye)
  • 21% 2014 Bourbon (21% Rye)
  • 21% 2014 Bourbon (36% Rye)

Series VII leads with aromas of caramelized pecans, candied cherry and maple syrup. The taste begins with rich caramel, maple and candied raisin, leading to a candied cherry, barrel char and rich cinnamon body. The finish delivers intense cinnamon and peppermint spice, with lingering notes of vanilla, caramel and oak.

“We believe we have some of the best whiskey in the world aging here at the Ross & Squibb Distillery. The Remus Repeal Reserve series allows our team the opportunity to showcase these great spirits, as well as showcase our expertise at blending our best barrels to create a special medley each year,” said Stirsman. “As the latest in this award-winning collection, Series VII is certain to be a highly sought-after and much-enjoyed member of the Remus Repeal Reserve family.”

What Gary Says

Nose: Caramel, maple syrup, raw walnuts, vanilla with subtle oak.
Palate: Thick mouthfeel, caramel, chocolate, raw honey, cinnamon, maple candies, cherries, pears and pepper.
Finish: Moderately long with vanilla, mint, pepper and cinnamon.
Comments: The Remus Repeat Reserve Series continues to impress me. This is a rock solid, complex, well balanced and spicy bourbon. In an age when other ‘limited edition’ offerings are going for twice the suggested retail price, I think this is on the same level making it a no-brainer for me. I enjoyed last year’s Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI just a tad less than the Series V, and while I don’t have any of the Series V left to compare it to – I like this more than last years.

Rating: Must Try

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Baker’s 13 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Baker’s 13 Year Old
Unfiltered Single Barrel
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

53.5% ABV
$130
Website
Bakers 13 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon
We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Baker’s® Bourbon is excited to announce the return of Baker’s® 13 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon, a limited-time offering highlighting the influence that extra-aging, warehouse and barrel storage location, and environment has on each and every unique bourbon barrel.

Originally released in 2019 when the brand reemerged as a single barrel product, Baker’s 13 Year Old is aged at least six additional years than the brand’s classic offering. While the single barrel bourbon showcases distinct nuances between each individual barrel, fans can expect to experience more robust vanilla, caramel, and toasted oak flavors in this special, extra aged expression.

“Baker’s Bourbon celebrates the individual characteristics in each and every barrel, and this 13 Year Old expression takes that experience even further as the distinct flavors from the barrel develop over time,” said Fred Noe, Seventh Generation Master Distiller. “We received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback the first time we released this 13-year-old edition, and I’m proud to bring it back for whiskey fans who appreciate something special from Baker’s as a true gem within our Small Batch portfolio.”

While the notes of every barrel of Baker’s 13 Year Old offer a unique tasting journey, you can expect a few defining characteristics:

● Proof: 107
● Age: Minimum of 13 Years
● Nose: Fruit, vanilla and caramel
● Palate: Medium-bodied with flavors of oak and toasted nuts, with vanilla and fruity notes
● Finish: Robust, medium long, warmly rounded
● Sipping Suggestion: A neat pour or on the rocks to taste the distinct nuances from each barrel’s individual aging experience

Fans can also learn more about what shapes the distinct tasting notes of their bottle by heading to the Single Barrel Journey page on the Baker’s website. After entering the serial number found on the bottle’s neck tag, Baker’s fans can follow along to see how weather, length of aging and warehouse location affected the barrel and liquid of their personal bottle.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Warm, vanilla, toasted crème brûlée, caramel drizzle, oak, hint of peanut brittle with some subtle fruit notes.
Palate:  Cream mouthfeel with caramel, vanilla, mixed nuts (some lightly salted, some cinnamon glazed), oak, bit of apple and raisins along with brown sugar.
Finish:  Moderately long and thick with caramel, oak and spice notes.
Comments: I’ve always been a Baker’s fan, and thought it was one of the most under-rated of the Beam small batch collection. I think part of that is the proof point of 107, which for my money – if you’re not going cask strength – this is a damn fine place to be. This is a really nice bourbon, and fans of Baker’s won’t be disappointed. As a single barrel, there is apt to be some variation but I can’t see the fine folks at Beam selecting barrels for this that would stray too far. The house style of Beam (that peanut/nutty note) comes through, and is balanced really nicely with oak and spice, while not approaching anywhere close to over-oaked. Another really nice addition to the Baker’s saga!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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