Gary

Managing apostle and whiskey enthusiast

Crown Royal Noble Collection 13 year old Blenders’ Mash

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

Crown Royal Noble Collection 13 year old Blenders’ Mash

45% ABV
$50 – $60
Website

What the Distillery Says

Crown Royal 13-Year-Old Blenders’ Mash, the third expression in the Noble Collection, is a rare stock of our Canadian Whisky made with a mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye and 4% barley malt. It is one of the five unique whiskies that comprise our signature blends. Carefully aged in new, charred American white oak barrels for no less than 13 years. The complexity of the liquid intensifies with the aging process, bringing out richer and deeper notes of caramel and fruit. This remarkably smooth and layered whisky is hand selected from our reserve stock, revealing its noble roots with every sip.

The Crown Royal Noble Collection is a series of limited annual releases that celebrates the skilled craftsmanship of our distillers and blenders – and their dedication to the art of creating extraordinary whiskies.

APPEARANCE: Amber
NOSE: Crown Royal 13-Year-Old Blenders’ Mash begins with a nose of orchid fruits, butterscotch with a hint of toasted oak.
TASTE: Crown Royal 13-Year-Old Blenders’ Mash encompasses the taste of rich caramel, vanilla and toffee notes.

Note: The above content was provided after requesting information directly from Crown Royal; not sure why they aren’t bragging about this on their own web-site but do appreciate them providing these details!

What Gary Says

Nose:  Soft oak with rich vanilla, cocoa powder, bits of nutmeg amongst other baking spices, hints of dark fruit in maple syrup.
Palate:  Sweet caramel cremes with vanilla ice cream; a dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg with maple candies.
Finish:  Moderately long, with notes of maple as it fades.
Comments:  If nosing/tasting blind, I absolutely would peg this as a bourbon. It has all of the hallmarks (vanilla, caramel sweetness with some oak) but is unique to be sure. The northern climate this was aged in makes a big difference – as there isn’t nearly as much oak as you’d get in a bourbon aged for 13 years. There also isn’t much of a spice edge. If you like a sweeter bourbon, this is probably right up your alley. If you’re more into an edgy, spicier dram – this wouldn’t be that. For what it is, I think it is delicious, and probably my favorite pour from north of the border in a while.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Powers Three Swallow Release

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Powers Three Swallow Release

40% ABV
$45 – $50
Website

What the Distillery Says

Three Swallow Release is a modern expression of what the original POWERS Whiskey tasted like back in the days of our John’s Lane distillery. This quintessential style of whiskey, Single Pot Still is exclusive to Ireland, and is made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, then triple distilled in traditional copper pot stills.

TASTING NOTES
Nose: Pot Still spice combines with crisp barley character. Delicate herbs give way to green banana and grapefruit while a nutty note of marzipan reflects the wood contribution of specially selected casks.
Taste: In true Pot Still style, an initial taste delivers smooth mouth-coating barley followed by an eruption of green apple and citrus notes. Herbs and spicy avour are complemented by a touch of cedar wood for extra complexity.
Finish: Spicy sweetness gives way to Pot Still barley character balanced with a hint of sherry and leading to a crisp cereal finish with toasted oak notes.

What Gary Says:

Nose: Rich, sweet malt, mixed fruit (peaches, pears), spongecake, honey, a hint of fresh/green hay.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, sweet and fruity, biscuits with honey and pear jam, hint of peaches and cherries, a slight spice note at the back.
Finish: Short, on the damp side with just a hint of spice.
Comments: A sweet, pleasant pour that is a solid representation of Irish whiskey. Beyond the mouthfeel, which I did enjoy, nothing much stood out for me. As is almost a guarantee with an 80 proof dram – I wish it were higher proof.

Rating: Stands Out

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Coopers’ Craft Barrel Reserve

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Coopers’ Craft Barrel Reserve

50% ABV
$30 – $33
Website

We would like to thank Punch Media and Brown Forman for sending us samples to review.

What the Distiller Says

THE PROCESS: Barrel Reserve 100 Proof is aged in an American White Oak barrel that is specially chiseled and charred on the inside to deepen the whiskey’s wood exposure,creating a bold and complex Kentucky bourbon.

THE NOSE: Fresh hewn oak with hints of smoke and char are spiced with hints of cinnamon and leather atop a layer of orchard and citrus fruit. Sweetened with a sprinkling of vanilla wafer crumbs.
THE TASTE: Caramel and cotton candy coat fresh apple, pear and citrus fruit atop vanilla wafers dusted with sharp cinnamon.
THE FINISH: Assertive cinnamon spice softens to a lingering apple and clean oak note.

MASHBILL: 75% Corn, 15% Rye, 10% Malt

What Gary Says

Nose: Fresh oak with vanilla, leather, some orange zest zip and a hint of cinnamon.
Palate: Vanilla with green apples and orange notes as pepper spice unfolds and slowly explodes over cinnamon.
Finish: Short to moderate in length, drying with cinnamon and oaky pepper spice.
Comments:  To start with, I want to remind readers that I wasn’t a fan of Coopers’ Craft when it first came out – which is ok.  The various press releases and marketing materials in 2016 expressed that it was ‘an exceptionally smooth bourbon that is aimed at the entry-level drinker’ – so clearly I wasn’t their target market.  When offered a sample of this new release, I accepted.  The unique barrel treatment and higher proof gave me hope that I’d find something I liked, as I am a fan of other Brown Forman products (like Old Forester, a classic spicy bourbon that I think is often underrated).  It definitely helped, and this has considerably more going on in contrast, as well as a sharp edge.  While a significant step up (at least for me), I just didn’t find anything that stood out to me.  Now if you’re a fan of Coopers’ Craft, this might squarely hit the mark (although if you really like that ‘exceptionally smooth’ profile, keep in mind that this definitely has a sharper edge).

Rating: Average

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Glen Moray Classic Port Cask Finish

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Glen Moray Classic Port Cask Finish

40% ABV
$30
Website

What the Distiller Says

This light and fruity expression is finished for eight months in Port pipes from Porto Cruz, the N°1 Porto company in the world. The spirit picks up intense embellishments of summer fruit, dark chocolate and cinnamon and a distinct pink hue.

NOSE: Toasted vanilla and light oak, rich dried fruits.
TASTE: Refreshing spice with a citrus lemon tang. Caramelised sweetness with cinnamon.
FINISH: Lingering, with sweet spice and delicate oak.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sweet young malt, hints of plum with a sour cereal and port wine note, hints of berries in cream and leather.
Palate:  Sweet, round waxy mouthfeel, smooth with only a scant hint of dark fruit in the back.
Finish:  Short, damp, and fleeting.
Comments:  Following up after a port-finished bourbon, this was far less satisfying. This is the first Glen Moray bottle I’ve bought, and for $30 – I went in with fairly low expectations. The nose was promising, and had me hopeful I had discovered a diamond in the rough, but the palate was a let down. Nothing off putting in this dram – I won’t be dumping the bottle (may experiment with mingling this with something else), but won’t be picking up another either.

Rating: Average

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Isaac Bowman Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Isaac Bowman Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels

45% ABV
$40
Website
Isaac Bowman Port Barrel Finished Bourbon

What the Distiller Says

A. Smith Bowman Distillery finished its bourbon in a variety of port barrels from across Virginia and from Portugal for between three to six months, depending on flavor, before marrying them together to create Isaac Bowman Port Barrel Finished Bourbon. These barrels were made using American Oak and French Limousin Oak, with some barrels originating from Minnesota, Kentucky, Missouri, Virginia, and others. Master Distiller Brian Prewitt tasted these barrels every month to determine the optimum time to be emptied.
Prewitt describes this bourbon as having a dark amber color with a reddish hue.
“The nose greets you with our characteristic cherry and baked apple but supplemented with jammy fruit notes and balanced with the enticing aroma of vanilla, brown spice, and toasted
pecans,” Prewitt notes.
He describes the flavor as “bold and sweet with the toasty notes of French and American oak rounding out to a long smooth finish that pleasantly lingers on the palate.”
A portion of each batch will be held back for blending with the next batch to ensure consistency in flavor and color going forward.
This port barrel finished bourbon is named after Captain Isaac Bowman, the youngest of the Bowman Brothers, who was a soldier and Virginia militia officer in the American Revolutionary War. Isaac was at one point taken as a prisoner of war, but was able to make a historic escape before embarking on a two-year adventure and then returning home to Virginia. He then settled down at Fort Bowman Estate where he became a prosperous farmer and landowner. The Distillery felt it fitting to name this bourbon after Isaac whose great American spirit was evident throughout his life and many adventures.
While Abraham Bowman Port Finished Bourbon was only released once in limited quantities, Isaac Bowman will be offered as an everyday item as part of the Distillery’s standard line of spirits for the suggested retail price of $39.99. Isaac Bowman will launch initially in Virginia only, but eventually spreading into North Carolina and a few additional markets.

What Gary Says

Nose: Spicy dark fruit, stewed dates, figs, plums, raisins, cocoa, molasses, hints of tart cherries, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Palate: Sweet yet a tad sharp with vanilla, milk chocolate, dry nutty port note; bit of water tamps down the sharp edge while amping up the chocolate, nuttiness.
Finish: Short to moderate in length, drying with a slight pepper note.
Comments: The port finish is more prominent on the nose than on the palate, but not overdone in the least. I’m a fan of port-finished whiskey in general (see my favorite bottle I bought in Ireland), and am glad to see more of it happening here in the States.  Of course Angel’s Envy was/is the big label in this niche.  How does this compare to that?  To be fair – I can’t really say, as I don’t have a bottle of Angel’s Envy handy.  I know I enjoy both, and this is a few extra proof points higher (and $10 less).  I’d suggest that if you like Angel’s Envy and port finished whiskies, you’d enjoy this as well (and I’d consider it a ‘Must Try’).  And if you hadn’t tried that yet in part because of the price – here’s a slightly less expensive means to see what you think about bourbon finished in port.

Rating: Stands Out

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