Gary

Managing apostle and whiskey enthusiast

Maker’s Mark Private Select – Tower Wine & Spirits 2018

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Maker’s Mark Private Select

Exclusive Oak Stave Selection – Tower Wine & Spirits
55.25% ABV
$70
Website

What the Distiller Says

At Maker’s Mark, our wood-finishing series was created to explore new, unique expressions of our signature whisky. Beginning as fully matured Maker’s Mark® at cask strength, Private Select is created by adding 10 custom wood finishing staves to each barrel. It’s then aged in our limestone cellar to extract a unique, flavorful taste profile. Participants in this special barrel program get their say in the selection of these wooden staves. The finishing staves can be any combination of five flavor profiles chosen especially for this program. With 1,001 possible stave combinations, each expression of Private Select has a customized finish and taste profile that is unique, yet undeniably Maker’s®. Maker’s Mark Private Select® is available in select markets and also at our distillery.

Below are the notes on the different staves
The Maker’s 46® stave: The one that started this whole experiment. It delivers notes of dried fruit, vanilla and spice that you may be familiar with if you’ve tried Maker’s 46.
The Baked American Pure stave: Baked American Pure is American oak that’s slowly toasted. It adds notes of brown sugar, vanilla, caramel and spice.
The Seared French Cuvée stave: Seared French Cuvée is a French oak stave that’s cooked with infrared heat. It imparts toasty notes of oak and caramel.
The Roasted French Mocha stave: Roasted French Mocha is French oak cooked on high in a convection oven. It adds pleasant traces of char, maple and cacao.
The Toasted French Spice stave: Toasted French Spice is a French oak stave, cooked at both high and low temperatures in a convection oven. This stave has a flavor profile of smoke, coumarin and spice.

The finishing with the additional staves is typically 9 weeks.

This specific barrel’s stave selections were:
Baked American Pure 2: 3
Seared French Cuvée: 1
Maker’s 46: 1
Roasted French Mocha: 4
Toasted French Spice: 1

What Gary Says

Nose:  On the sharp side, nutty caramel corn with cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla; subtle wood and leather notes; bit of water brings out more spice notes (reminds me more of a rye mashbill bourbon in terms of spice pop).
Palate:  Bright/sharp and sweet, vanilla wafers with caramel drizzled, shaved chocolate and toffee with a dusting of cinnamon; bit of water actually thickens the mouthfeel, tones down the sharp edges, amplifying the caramel and bringing subtle fruity notes.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying, with just a hint of pepper spice.
Comments:  This particular bottling has more of an edge and kick than standard Maker’s Mark – which you might expect with the higher proof alone. The finishing staves do add a really nice spicy character that I don’t pull out of Maker’s Mark typically. For the longest time, Maker’s Mark was a one label producer, which was the exception. But since coming out with Maker’s 46 just a few years back, they’ve stepped up their game with not only the cask strength, but these private selections. Most distilleries have a private barrel program, and while true that each barrel is unique – if you pull a barrel of say Buffalo Trace (for illustrative purposes only, not to single them out)- that barrel was destined to be part of a batch of Buffalo Trace, so in many cases it isn’t going to be too far from that brand profile. The 1,001 stave combinations really provides purchasers the chance to get something even more unique than the typical private barrel selection. While I applaud this innovation, I do wish they offered some aging “tiers”. I get logistically they need to have some predictability, but I can’t help but think what the same stave combination would do with say 12 weeks versus 9. I dunno – maybe they experimented and found too fewer than 9 and you’re not really getting much, and much over there it changes the profile from being “Maker’s Mark finished with” to something entirely different. Either way, if you’re a fan of Maker’s Mark, I wouldn’t shy away from trying one if you have the chance.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Compass Box The Story of the Spaniard

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box The Story of the Spaniard
Batch TS 2018-A (June 2018)
43% ABV
$70
Website

What the Producer Says

THE STORY OF THE SPANIARD
BLENDED MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

A showcase of malt whiskies aged in Spanish wine casks.
The newest addition to our range, we plan to produce this malt whisky once or twice per year, depending on our ability to source the quality of Spanish wine casks we require.

A long time ago, a friend and I journeyed through the South of Spain, stopping by every little village bar we could. They were tiny little bars filled with heavy smoke, serving beers and liquors I had never heard of.

In one place, an elderly man took it upon himself to teach us about the local Sherry wines. They captured my imagination with their nutty, saline character and tremendous spectrum of style. Years later, when I discovered Scotch whisky, I was reacquainted with Sherry through whiskies aged in former Sherry casks, which are known for the rich, deep flavours they provide. I’ve been drawn to this style of whisky ever since.

Inspired by an eponymously named bespoke whisky we recently created for a bar in New York City called The Spaniard, we decided to explore this style further to create a malt whisky blend with its core whiskies aged in Spanish Sherry and Spanish red wine casks. We’ve named it THE STORY OF THE SPANIARD as a nod to my chance encounter with that elderly gentleman in the South of Spain, all those years ago.

In this, our first release, 48% of the whiskies have been aged in ex-Sherry casks and 25% in ex-Spanish red wine casks. We may change the type of casks from year to year based on availability and experimentation, but Spanish casks – either Sherry wine casks or Sherry-style wine casks – will always play the key role.

BOTTLING DETAILS
Batch TS 2018-A (June 2018).
Bottled at 43%. Not chill-filtered.
Natural colour.

FLAVOUR DESCRIPTORS
Full, soft and sumptuous on the palate with notes of citrus peel, red wine and spices. The finish is long, with hints of rich vanilla panna cotta, ripe berries and cherries.

DISTILLERY SOURCING
Made entirely of Highland single malt whiskies from distilleries in and around the villages of Doune, Longmorn, Alness and Aberlour.

RECOMMENDATIONS
This is a whisky ideal for late evening sipping, served on its own or with a large ice cube or splash of water. Serve in a wine glass as a nod to the Spanish wine cask maturation!

WOOD
Whiskies aged in a mixture of American, European and French oak cask types, some of which previously held Spanish Sherry or red wine.

What Gary Says
Nose:  Musky sherry sweetness, mincemeat pie with dates and figs, worn leather with lingering smoke.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, rich dark fruits (figs, dates, sultanas, plums) with toasted orange zest, honey, allspice, pepper spice and a hint of clove.
Finish:  Long with a rich, creamy texture and trailing fruit notes.
Comments: Damn you John Glaser and team over at Compass Box! I’m not sure how they do it, but they’ve got me dialed in. This is simply a lovely, delicious dram. I like sherry, but not necessarily ‘sherry bombs’. This is right in my wheelhouse where you can’t miss the sherry influence, but that’s just one member of the band; this isn’t a solo act by any means. When I think of balance in terms of whiskey, it means avoiding one flavor or note dominating, and Compass Box does this exceptionally well. This is a nicely balanced whisky, with sherry sweetness but also spice and smoke. For the proof, this has a lot of flavor, and a lovely texture to it. I had the good fortune to try this before I bought one, but if you’re a fan of most of Compass Box’s other offerings, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick one up blind.
Rating: Must Try

NOTE:  Their web-site has downloads with the breakdown (image below), as well as a link to request more information.  Per their request, I won’t publish the additional details here they they will provide to anyone who inquires – but they are happy to provide them if you inquire.  We here at Whisk(e)y Apostle are BIG fans of their transparency (oh – and their whisky is pretty great too 🙂 )

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Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon
44% ABV
$40
Website

What the Distiller Says
SMALL BATCH BOURBON WHISKEY
A traditional bourbon, from an untraditional place.
Our original, flagship, and defining product, the award-winning Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey.

ONLY WYOMING INGREDIENTS
The Big Horn Basin has everything we need to make great bourbon, and it is important to us to source our ingredients locally. The consistency and uniqueness of these whiskey elements make for a better bourbon that stands apart. It’s the Whiskey of the West.

LOCAL CORN, WHEAT, BARLEY, RYE AND NO GMOS.
WE KNOW WHO GROWS. Brent Rageth from Rageth Farm in Byron, Wyoming has worked with Wyoming Whiskey from the start to select strains of non-GMO corn, wheat, barley, and winter rye for specific starch and sugar yields, the building blocks of bourbon making. We use a corn strain that matures in 92 days, and is hand-selected by Brent. Rageth Farms also delivers summer and winter wheat that is grown exclusively for Wyoming Whiskey, and a winter rye that will be the key ingredient for a couple of rye products that are on the near horizon.

THE YEAST
THE SECRET STUFF. While our Mash Bill is in clear view, ask any distiller about their yeast and you’ll usually get a deafening silence. We’ll give you this much. To attain our profile, we use a combination of 2 yeasts; a high-yield yeast and a second proprietary yeast that yields a bit less, but produces a slightly fruitier alcohol.

TASTING NOTES
COLOR: dark amber
NOSE: floral, with a hint of vanilla bean and caramel pudding
PALATE: floral with brown baking spices and browned butter, vanilla crème, caramel, and a hint of cinnamon
MOUTHFEEL: light and smooth with vanilla bean and cinnamon spice filling the mouth cavity, hint of mint
FINISH: medium length finish with toffee. Spice and vanilla fade.

What Gary Says
Nose:  Vanilla flan, caramel toffee with a hint of nutmeg, oak, and subtle floral notes.
Palate:  Sweet caramel creme candies, vanilla, honey, subtle uptick of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Finish:  Moderate in length, soft with vanilla notes fading.
Comments:  Many ‘craft’ distilleries start up with young product aged in small barrels. When Wyoming Whiskey got started, it was younger (labels included a 3 yr age statement), but they age all of their whiskey in new, 53 gallon white American Oak barrels from Independent Stave (char level 4 for those keeping score at home). For those unfamiliar with their history, Steve Nally (former Maker’s Mark master distiller and 2007 Bourbon Hall of Fame inductee) was their first master distiller, and was instrumental in the setup of the distillery, selection of the mashbill, and I’m sure insisted on the use of 53 gallon barrels (not to suggest anyone else in Wyoming Whiskey was looking to do different). His experience was invaluable at establishing a quality distillery. He left a few years back to return to Kentucky where he had lived most of his life, and while his involvement at Wyoming Whiskey isn’t any secret, I was disappointed that there is zero mention of him on their web-site (which otherwise is very well done, with a lot of information). I get that they want to focus on the here/now, and the current distillery team, but seems to me that if a member of the Bourbon Hall of Fame helped setup my distillery – and I’m emphasizing tradition, etc – I’d call that out.
Enough about all that – the whiskey itself is a pleasant, soft, smooth sipping bourbon. I believe fans of wheated bourbons (such as Maker’s Mark, the Weller lineup, Larceny, the Old Fitz lineup, etc) would find this a pleasant enough pour. It isn’t a complex pour, and at 5 yrs old (per their web-site, this is 5 yrs old; the label inexplicably lacks any age statement) you wouldn’t expect a lot of complexity. There isn’t anything offputting. In fact, and I mean this as a sincere compliment, I would never have guessed this as a “craft whiskey”.  Aged in 53 gallon barrels for a respectable period of time, and lacking those tannic notes or ‘young whiskey’ notes often associated with craft whiskey, this stands out big time in that category.  That said, for the money, there are plenty of other bourbons I’d pick up (although to be fair, I’m more of a rye-mashbill bourbon kinda guy). If I lived in or near the state of Wyoming and wanted to support local business, different story – I wouldn’t hesitate to pick one up (or explore their other offerings). I do understand the pricing difference (larger distilleries have long paid the enormous expense associated with their fixed costs), and if you’re supporting other local business, this would be a bargain in comparison to most craft whiskey I’ve had (and not just a bargain, but a better executed whiskey!)
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Wyoming Whiskey and Colangelo & Partners for sending us a sample to review.

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Bulleit Barrel Strength Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Bulleit Barrel Strength Frontier Whiskey
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

60-65% ABV (exact varies by batch)
$60
Website
Bulleit Bourbon Barrel Strength
We would like to thank Bulleit and Taylor for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

In 2015, Bulleit Founder, Tom Bulleit traveled the globe sharing sips of a new, unreleased style of Bulleit Bourbon with some of the world’s top bartenders. As a whiskey built by the support of the bartending community, Tom wanted to know what they would think about an addition based on higher proof instead of new flavors or finishes. The feedback was overwhelming and reinforced the decision to officially launch Bulleit Barrel Strength Frontier Whiskey in his home state of Kentucky in 2016. Bulleit is now proud to announce the national expansion of Bulleit Barrel Strength across the United States.

Distilled in Kentucky from the highest quality ingredients, this new variant is a barrel strength version of Bulleit Bourbon with the same high-rye mash bill. Bulleit Barrel Strength won Best Straight Bourbon and received a Double Gold Medal from the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and earned a score of 92 at the 2017 Ultimate Spirits Challenge – continuing Bulleit’s history of sharing award-winning whiskeys.

The barrels selected to create Bulleit Barrel Strength were emptied and combined into a single batch without the inclusion of any additional water after the whiskey was removed from the barrels. Aged and bottled at Stitzel-Weller in Louisville, Ky., this new offering allows bartenders and fans of great whiskey the opportunity to taste Bulleit Bourbon straight out of the barrel, uncut and non-chill filtered.

BULLEIT BARREL STRENGTH WHISKEY TASTING NOTES
Nose: Gentle spiciness and sweet oak aromas
Taste: Smooth with tones of maple, oak and nutmeg
Finish: Long, dry and satiny with light toffee flavor, but with deepened oak notes

Because Bulleit Barrel Strength is being bottled straight from the barrel, uncut and unfiltered, the ABV will vary by batch, but will generally range from 120 – 125 in proof.

What Gary Says

Nose:  A tad hot, salted caramel, vanilla, maple/chocolate fudge, oak with subtle cinnamon and a hint of anise.
Palate:  Thick, viscous mouthfeel, rich chocolate fudge with a caramel drizzle, vanilla, hint of maple candies, cinnamon and nutmeg with a bit of pepper spice at the end
Finish:  Moderately long, pepper spice drying into notes of cocoa.
Comments:  I was really excited to hear about this. When I read ‘barrel proof’, ‘uncut’, and ‘unchillfiltered’ – I get chills (forget raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens – THESE are a few of my favorite things!) Does it always add up to an amazing bourbon? No, but it seems to increase the chances I’ll enjoy it. This is one that delivered on that expectation – right in my wheelhouse. Just a lovely rich sweetness. I know their tasting notes and other reviews I’ve read talk a lot about maple, and I get a hint of that – but for me this is rich, chocolate fudge. The thick mouthfeel is lovely as well, and doesn’t really thin out with a few drops of water (which this takes like a champ).  This delivers on everything I look for in a barrel proof bourbon – intense flavor, sweetness, spice, and not too much oak.

Rating: Must Try

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Sonoma Cherrywood Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Sonoma Distiller’s Edition: Cherrywood Rye Whiskey
47.8% ABV
$50
Website

What the Distiller Says

About Sonoma Distilling Co.
Owner/whiskeymaker Adam Spiegel, distilling since 2010
Non-GMO grains milled in-house
Direct-fire heated 250-gallon Copper Alembic pot stripping stills
Barrel size: 15, 30 and 53 gallons of new American Oak from Minnesota & Missouri
3rd degree charred, 12-24 month dry aged wood

Seasonal Release: Spring

MASH BILL
80% Unmalted Rye (Origin: California)
10% Wheat (Origin: California)
10% Cherrywood Smoked Barley (Origin: Wyoming; Smoked in Petaluma, CA)

AGED: A minimum of fifteen months with majority of blends above two years

FLAVOR PROFILE: Dried figs, toasted almonds, brandied cherries, and new leather.

What Gary Says
Nose:  Bright, orange/citrus spice with smoke, subtle notes of furniture polish and balsamic vinegar.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, rich fruit notes of cherry and bitter orange, hint of cinnamon with pepper spice kicking in at the back.
Finish:  On the short side with subtle pepper spice.
Comments:  Of the four whiskies, I found this to be the most complex and unique. The orange notes remind me a little of Grand Marnier (like if a few drops of that were added to rye whiskey). I thought the inclusion of wheat in a rye whiskey mashbill was quite odd (not sure I’d ever seen that), and as is my nature – I couldn’t help but wonder what this would be like with 100% rye. I don’t pick out what the wheat is bringing to the party, but I also don’t pick out anything negative about it. This is a nice, unique whiskey I’d be more than happy to sip neat, as well as throw into a Manhattan.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Sonoma Distilling Co. and Verdant PR & Marketing for sending us a bottle to review.

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