Glenfarclas 12 Year 43% ABV $47 – $55 Website What the Distiller Says 100% Oloroso Sherry Cask Maturation. An excellent introduction to the distillery style – for those who enjoy a sherried whisky. To be consumed neat or with a drop of water. A great accompaniment to smoked salmon or Ibérico Ham.
Tasting Notes Colour: Vibrant, amber-gold. Nose: Fresh and beautifully light, sherried fruit combined with a tempting spicy sweetness and a hint of sappy oak. Flavour: Full-bodied with a delightful sherried fruit, oak and delicious sweet sensations. Finish: Long and flavoursome, with a lingering spiciness.
What Gary Says Nose: Rich, thick nose of dark sherried fruit; plums, figs, pears with a note of balsamic vinegar; almonds dusted with cocoa. Palate: Rich sweetness, chocolate covered raisins with an earthy spiciness; a bit of mossy smoke with a hint of ginger at the end. Finish: Moderately long and drying, with trailing cinnamon. Comments: Wow – what a difference a couple of years (and a few proof points) make! We’re conditioned to expect single malts to improve with age, but I was (pleasantly) surprised by how much of a step up this was from the 10 yr. A delicious sherried highland single malt; with more of a spice edge than is typical of the style (which I very much appreciate). Rating: Stands Out
Glenfarclas 10 Year 40% ABV $40 Website What the Distiller Says 100% Oloroso Sherry Cask Maturation. Gloriously smooth, yet with the depth and finish you would normally expect of a much older dram. A wonderfully sherried whisky and an excellent aperitif.
Tasting Notes Colour: Vibrant, straw-gold. Nose: Tempting sherry-sweet malty tones combine with delicate aromas, releasing subtle spices. Warming the glass reveals honey, vanilla and pear drops. Flavour:Delicately light, with a mouth-watering combination of maltiness, sherry sweetness. Hints of drived fruit, vanilla, cinnamon and cloves tempt the taste buds further. Finish: Long, smooth and spicy.
What Gary Says Nose: Sherried raisins, green apples with an underlying heather/earthiness; a hint of solvent. Palate: Sweet start, malty with honey, bits of dark chocolate and kiwi; sharpens to a peppery vegetal (maybe mashed potatoes?) note with just a hint of smoke. Finish: Short to moderate in length, and drying. Comments: This was my introduction to Glenfarclas – starting with the youngest expression in their “aged range” (not sure how old the 105 Cask Strength is, reports are it is younger than 10 yrs). While nothing off-putting, I thought it was a bit thin – and not as fruity on the palate as I’d expect from the nose. Maybe at a higher proof this would be more up my alley. The 12 yr is a significant step up from this. Rating: Average
Basil Hayden’s Two by Two Rye 40% ABV $45 Website / Press Release What the Distiller Says Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon, one of the fastest growing super-premium bourbons on the market, proudly announces the limited time release of Basil Hayden’s® Two by Two Rye. An unprecedented blend of two Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskies and two Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskies, Basil Hayden’s Two by Two Rye breaks category norms to offer whiskey fans the best of both worlds: the full spiciness of rye, complemented by the sweet characteristics and finish of bourbon.
Two by Two Rye offers a premium blend of two ryes and two bourbons, which have been artfully combined to find the perfect complement in one another. With a balance of 5-year-old Kentucky Straight Rye, a 7-year-old “high-rye” Kentucky Straight Rye, a 13-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, and a 6-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, the result is a wholly unique whiskey that makes a name for itself in the category and remains approachable to discover at 80 proof.
Best enjoyed sipped neat or on the rocks, Basil Hayden’s Two by Two Rye features the following characteristics:
Color: Golden Honey Aroma: Rich caramel and brown sugar with a sumptuous, woody rye flavor profile Body: Smooth, medium-bodied Taste: A balanced blend of sumptuous rye and brown sweets with an ample woody accent Finish: A pleasant, long lingering warmth
What Gary Says Nose: Musty oak, sweet with bright citrus spice notes, subtle vanilla, honey, a hint of anise and ginger. Palate: Fruit forward – oranges, pears, bits of cherry, maybe some peaches; subtle vanilla notes and a hint of cinnamon. Finish: Short to moderate in length with drying spice. Comments: Reading the press release on this, I was intrigued for a number of reasons. First, I really appreciate the transparency of disclosing the component ages, as well as differentiating the rye components (not the mashbill specifics, but like that they call it out). Second, I’m a fan of bourbon/rye blends. Sometimes. There aren’t a ton out there, but I enjoy High West Bourye, while not being especially fond of Wild Turkey Forgiven. This didn’t remind me of either of those (so check the “unique” box!) I found this incredibly fruity, and more sweet than I expected – like a fruit salad in whiskey form. While there wasn’t anything specifically objectionable about this whiskey, I was hoping it would be better balanced. The fruit notes all but hide the bourbon – and with older bourbon in the mix I was disappointed about that. The nose is a bit better balanced, but the palate was . . . have I mentioned fruity? Maybe at a higher ABV some of the other notes would stand out more, and while I’d LOVE to try this at a higher ABV, I get that the Basil Hayden lineup is keeping it consistent. If you’re a fan of Basil Hayden and looking for something different, this could be right up your alley. Rating: Stands Out
We would like to thank Beam-Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.
The Recipe: OESQ is currently only available as a private selection bottling at the distillery gift shop or possibly at a local liquor store near you. This particular bottle was a Wine Palace in Livonia selection, purchased in December 2014.
Unlocking the recipe codes goes like this…
“O” starts all of Four Roses’ recipes and only means that it is made by Four Roses in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.
“E” mean that this is the lower rye content of the two mashbills that Four Roses uses, specifically 75% Corn, 20% Rye, and 5% Malted Barley
“S” means that it is Straight Whiskey by U.S. Regulatory definition, again all their products carry this designation
“Q” distinguishes the yeast strain used. This specific one impacts more of a floral character onto the distillate
What Gary Says:
Nose: Floral fabric softner, fruitcake, rice pudding over oak. Palate: A warm sherry sweetness gives way to hot cinnamon candy; some notes of pecans and chocolate. Finish: Moderately long and drying, with a pepper spice bite at the end. Comments: The ‘Q’ yeast was one of the harder ones for me to find, and has always been hit or miss for me. Every ‘Q’ selection I’ve tried had unmistakenable floral characteristics, and this one is no exception. I really like this particular bottle. I don’t often get sherry sweetness in bourbon, so that makes it uniquely interesting.
The Recipe: OESK is currently only available as a private selection bottling at the distillery gift shop or possibly at a local liquor store near you. This particular bottle was a Liquor Barn selection, bottled 8/12/2013.
Unlocking the recipe codes goes like this…
“O” starts all of Four Roses’ recipes and only means that it is made by Four Roses in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.
“E” mean that this is the lower rye content of the two mashbills that Four Roses uses, specifically 75% Corn, 20% Rye, and 5% Malted Barley
“S” means that it is Straight Whiskey by U.S. Regulatory definition, again all their products carry this designation
“K” distinguishes the yeast strain used. This specific one impacts more of a slightly spicy character onto the distillate
What Gary Says:
Nose: Vanilla, caramel, cinnamon dusted creme brluee, oak, cigar paper and sublte hints of fruit salad; a tad hot/harsh neat. Palate: Warm sweetness that sharpens quickly, tart cherries on vanilla wafers with cinnamon and honey, a spicy pepper bite at the end. Finish: Moderately long with trailing pepper spice. Comments: This bourbon definitely improves with water. The nose still has oak, but the cinnamon is tamped down and I get an interesting malted milkball note. This bottle is a solid representative of the K yeast. Personally I prefer the OB mashbill over the OE mashbill (more rye, less corn), but there isn’t anything objectionable about this pour. I bought this bottle as part of my quest to own one bottle of all 10 possible recipes, and I’m glad I did that. With any single barrel, there will be a some variation – although this is the only OESK I’ve ever owned. I’ve had several OBSO and OBSV picks over the years, and while the recipe does stands out – some are better than others.
