Gary

Managing apostle and whiskey enthusiast

Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon

43% ABV
$20
Website

What the Distillery Says

Created in 1870, Old Forester is the only bourbon continuously distilled and marketed by the founding family before, during and after Prohibition. At 86 proof, Old Forester delivers a genuine bourbon experience, with rich, full flavor and a smooth character that is ideal for sipping neat, on the rock, with a splash of water or in a classic cocktail.

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Sharp and sweet, with a strong floral character that swirls with hints of mint, rich tobacco leaf and vanilla. A touch of oak and pine provides a strong underpinning.
TASTE: Sharp at first, but softens quickly, with hints of oak, sweet corn and rye grain character. Spicy, with soft vanilla and light orange notes.
FINISH: Long, warm and slightly drying. Nice level of sweetness.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Crisp, sharp rickhouse must with vanilla, baking spices, and subtle spearmint with eucalyptus.
Palate:  Caramel toffee with notes of vanilla and cinnamon.
Finish:  On the short side, sweet with notes of light-roasted coffee.
Comments:  Old Forester 86 proof is a fairly basic/standard Kentucky Straight Bourbon. For my money, it is a small step up from Evan Williams (although I do appreciate that both are offered at 86 proof rather than 80!). A little more spice and nuance make this a quite serviceable bourbon.

Rating: Average

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Legent Bourbon Whiskey

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Legent Bourbon Whiskey

47% ABV
$35
Website

What the Distillery Says

A Bourbon Unlike Any Other.
Legent™ is a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey partially finished in wine and sherry casks. But it’s more than that. It pushes the boundaries for how bourbons can be created while remaining true to the core of bourbon’s principles. It’s a collaboration between two whiskey legends – Fred Noe & Shinji Fukuyo – and two unique styles of whiskey making.

Three Barrels, One Unique Taste.
Three different types of barrels are used to create the unique flavor profile of Legent. Each one imparts its own unique characteristics to this boundary-pushing bourbon.

Bourbon Barrel Aging.
From these barrels, Legent absorbs char notes and rich, traditional bourbon cues like layers of caramel, oak and vanilla.

Sherry Cask Finishing.
Sherry casks add complex layers of spice, raisin and heavy dried fruit flavor. These casks also help give Legent its deeper, reddish color.

Red-Wine Cask Aging.
French oak wine casks impart different oak notes than traditional white oak bourbon barrels. These red-wine casks also give Legent mild, fruity undertones and a light acidity.

Legent Neat or On The Rocks.
As you drink Legent neat or on the rocks you’ll notice it change quickly as it sits on your tongue. It starts like a bourbon – rich, warm and oaky. Then, like a Japanese whisky, it features both complex layers of dried fruits and spice. Adding an ice cube or two accentuates Legent’s already bright, smooth and unexpectedly long finish.

What Gary Says

Nose: Caramel, chocolate covered cherries, raisins, ripe red grapes, honey, wine cask, charred oak.
Palate: Sweet with caramel, honey,  tart cherries, grapes, balanced with allspice and wine notes, a hint of oak.
Finish:  Moderately long, on the wet side with notes of canned fruit salad syrup lingering.
Comments:  If you like finished bourbons, this is well executed. I’ll admit – I was skeptical at first, as it is easy to over-do it with too many different casks where the result is just a mess. I get the bourbon foundation, the expected fruit notes from the sherry finishing, and the wine cask influence. Well balanced between the three without losing any of them. Having said that, I can’t say I love it. Personal preference, but I’ve yet to find a red-wine cask aging or finishing on bourbon that I’ve really liked. Just not in my wheelhouse. But I’m glad I tried this, and respect the craftsmanship at work.

Rating: Stands Out

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Four Roses Small Batch Select

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Four Roses Small Batch Select

52% ABV
$55-$60
Website
Four Roses Small Batch Select

What the Distillery Says

A NEW MEMBER OF THE FAMILY
SMALL BATCH SELECT
NON-CHILL FILTERED
104 PROOF
Small Batch Select launching in Kentucky, New York, California, Texas and Georgia.  It will launch to additional locations in the future.

Crafted from six Unique Bourbon Recipes:
OBSV, OESV, OBSK, OESK, OBSF & OESF

This entirely new Bourbon marks the biggest addition to Four Roses’ storied history since Brent Elliott became Master Distiller, so we sat down with him to get a bit more information about this new product. Here’s what Brent had to say:

“We wanted to add something to our lineup that brings that pure experience you get with a non-chill filtered Bourbon, while also showcasing some of our recipes and flavors that aren’t as forward facing in our other existing bottles. While Small Batch Select can certainly be one of your special occasion Bourbons, we want it to be more accessible so you don’t hesitate to open up that bottle and enjoy it any time.”
-Brent Elliott, Four Roses Master Distiller

On the nose, Four Roses Small Batch Select offers raspberries, clove and nutmeg. As it hits the palate, it opens into flavors of apricot, ripe berries, vanilla and light oak. The finish lingers with notes of spearmint and a touch of cinnamon.

Each of the Bourbons selected for Small Batch Select have been aged for six and seven years.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, caramel apples, baking spices, vanilla bean, blood orange, floral notes with subtle oak and a hint of mint.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel that starts sweet before the spice kicks in; fruit salad with toasted caramel, mandarin oranges, nutmeg, allspice, hint of cinnamon.
Finish: Moderately long, damp with oak and trailing spices.
Comments:  Props to Four Roses for offering what whiskey geeks want: non-chill filtered, high proof whiskey. It takes water well, and is nicely balanced. If this was $40 or $45, it would be a no-brainer “Must Try”. Don’t get me wrong – it is very good whiskey, and I doubt fans of Four Roses would be disappointed. Although if you’re on a tight budget, might want to try this at a bar first.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky

53% ABV
$75
Website

What the Distillery Says

A TIMELESS WHISKY
A timeless style of malt whisky, Balcones “1” Texas Single Malt breathes new life into centuries of distilling tradition with classic techniques and ingredients adapted for New World tastes. Opening aromas bear hints of toffee and overripe fruits. On the palate, layers of toasted malt and honey give way to mellow notes of baked pears and apples. A long finish is accompanied by cinnamon and cloves. Texas made, Texas proud, we hope you enjoy the whisky we owe our success to as much as we enjoy making it.

NOSE: ripe, buttered stone fruit, banana and pears; honey and rose water with delicate citrus accents
TASTE: silky and full on the palate; lightly toasted bread with fresh butter and marmalade
FINISH: long finish with lingering toast and burnt sugar notes morphing into rich malt and wood flavors with counterbalancing acidity

What Gary Says

Nose:  Chocolate, caramel, rice pudding, sherry cask, oak with spent matches.
Palate:  Bitter chocolates with hazelnut, cracked pepper on smashed and baked green plantains.
Finish:  Moderate in length, drying with a bit of pepper notes.
Comments:  When I first nosed this, it reminded me a bit of a highland single malt. My brain keeps pulling towards a sherry-cask influence without any fruit, which is different. On the palate; completely different. Aged “at least 22 months”, so quite young and immature – which shows. More interesting than the Baby Blue, but not something I’d seek out – especially at this price point. I will give them props for having 50 mL bottles (which is how I came to try it).

Rating: Average

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Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky

46% ABV
$40
Website

What the Distillery Says

A TRUE ORIGINAL
The first Texas whisky on the market since Prohibition, Baby Blue is crafted from roasted heirloom blue corn. This rich and oily maize adds new sophistication to the corn whisky tradition while keeping the freshness and verve of classic American distilling. Intentionally youthful, Baby Blue captures the essence of this prized corn with a round nuttiness, roasted overtones and refined complexity. The mouthfeel is viscous with a soft finish. A true Texas original that we are delighted to share with the world.

NOSE: melted butter, kettle corn, vanilla, toffee, cinnamon and nutmeg, fresh bread and honey, fresh ground coffee, baking chocolate
TASTE: tropical fruit, slight apricot, brown sugar, cotton candy, sweet tea with lemon, smoked chilis
FINISH: medium long warming, late cinnamon/leather spice, mint and green peppercorns

What Gary Says

Nose:  Warm, fresh corn tortillas, corn bread with loads of butter, buttered popcorn with some oak and smoke throughout; a bit on the sharp side.
Palate:  Thin mouthfeel, creamed corn with sugar and a subtle honey note.
Finish:  Short with notes of buttered popcorn.
Comments: The nose is interesting, not super ‘sweet’ like some other corn whiskies, but a more savory corn nuance. The palate is pretty unremarkable for me; my initial thought is that it is fairly ‘doggy’ (if you’re familiar with white dog). This is aged “at least 6 months”, and while the nose is intriguing, its youth is very apparent on the palate. I get that the heat in Texas might make this way too oaky given the age we typically see in a more northern climate. But then maybe the warehouses need to have some level of climate control to prevent that? Or ‘Texas’ whiskey will have that heavy oak influence as a characteristic? I’ll admit – I’m not a huge corn whiskey fan. But when you can get a bottled-in-bond corn whiskey for $15 or so, I can’t imagine where I’d spend $40 on a 6 month old bottle.

Rating: Probably Pass

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