Gary

Managing apostle and whiskey enthusiast

Murray Hill Club Blended Bourbon Whiskey

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Murray Hill Club Blended Bourbon Whiskey

51.5% ABV
$90-$140
Website
Murray Hill Club Bourbon

What the Producer Says

Toasty, buttery notes of vanilla and char, with layers of spiced, dried fruits through the finish

A true bourbon blend crafted using the same techniques Joseph Magnus used to create this original pre-Prohibition spirit more than 100 years ago. Artfully marries 18 and 11-year-old bourbon with 9-year-old light whiskey to deliver notes of butterscotch, honey, toffee, autumnal baking spices, vanilla, and char, with a hint of black pepper that lingers through a softly spiced and toasted finish.

An adventure in whiskey made in the fashion of an era gone by
The drinkers of Murray Hill Club Whiskey were, in accordance with Joseph’s vision, people of discriminating taste and mature judgment. Magnus actively introduced his whiskey into the leading bars, hotels, cafes, and groceries of his day. Local newspapers were peppered with advertisements for this new whiskey, which quickly earned great acclaim. He encouraged readers to sample just a taste, for “give this whiskey a trial once, and you’ll take no other brand.”

What Gary Says

Nose:  Pecan pie with a salted caramel drizzle, rickhouse oak, cigar smoke, dark chocolate and leather.
Palate:  Viscous mouthfeel, caramel, vanilla, maple glazed donut, honey, nutmeg, bit of cinnamon, oak and chocolate.
Finish:  Moderately long with caramel, chocolate and mixed nuts.
Comments:  When I tasted this, I didn’t know anything about it (I usually do avoid reading a producer/distiller’s tasting notes first to avoid ‘confirmation bias’) so I was surprised to learn that this was a blend of bourbon and light whiskey (NOT a straight whiskey). That said, it’s pretty damned good. First thought I had was that this is a bourbon made to enjoy with a cigar (if that’s your thing). Robust, sweet, oaky but well balanced. This drinks lovely neat, although a bit of water brings out some molasses and ginger-snap cookie on the nose.

Rating: Must Try

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Oak & Eden Whiskey Customizer: Rye & Port Wine

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

Oak & Eden Whiskey Customizer
Whiskey Apostle Selection:
Rye Whiskey (114 Proof) Finished With A Port Wine Soaked American Oak Spiral

45-57% ABV
$65-80
Website
Oak & Eden Whiskey Customizer - Custom Bottle
We would like to thank Oak & Eden and Champlin PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

DALLAS, February 16, 2023 – Today, indie whiskey brand and spirits innovator, Oak & Eden, unveils a project it’s kept under wraps for nearly three years – Whiskey Customizer. Living within the brand’s Anthro Series line of whiskey collaborations with artists, musicians, actors and creators, Whiskey Customizer enables the customer to be the creator, crafting their own whiskey bottle from the comfort of their home using one of the Oak & Eden’s four finished whiskey bases and over eleven infusion options. Whiskey Customizer is exclusively offered online at OakandEden.com.

Oak & Eden’s proprietary In-Bottle Finishing technique was just the start of the founders’ vision. Rooted by the innovative spire, the brand developed Whiskey Customizer, becoming the first national spirit brand to offer single bottle customization for the masses. Whether you’re an avid whiskey fan wanting to experiment or looking for that perfect gift for a loved one, Whiskey Customizer has a little something for everyone.

“Five years ago, we embarked on a journey to revolutionize the spirits industry and bring something unique to the market. The wooden spire and patented finishing process were simply the tools that led us to Whiskey Customizer – the true innovation,” comments Oak & Eden Co-founder and CEO Joe Giildenzopf. “Today, as we celebrate its long awaited debut and our anniversary, we are paving the way for a new era of personalization and experimentation within the spirits industry.”

Oak & Eden Whiskey Customizer

To kick off the experience, customers are invited to build their custom bottle by selecting a desired whiskey base out of Bourbon, Four Grain Bourbon, Wheated Bourbon or Rye. Each base has been aged a minimum of three years. All four whiskey bases are available in 90 proof ($64.00 / 750ml bottle) and 114 proof ($79.00/ 750ml bottle).

After selecting the base and proof, builders may then choose the preferred wooden spire to be infused or inserted into the base with no infusion. Wood options include an American Oak spire, lending a sweet and toasty finish, or a French Oak spire, lending a floral and peppery finish.

Builders can also select their spire to be infused with Coffee, Vanilla, Grapefruit Liqueur, Orange Liqueur, Pineapple Liqueur, Blackberry Liqueur, Cabernet, Port Wine, Rum, Honey, or Maple Syrup which is then inserted into the bottle. Oak & Eden plans to add to its infusion options, introducing seasonal and limited l-batch options quarterly, making the possibilities with Whiskey Customizer truly limitless.

As a final step, customers can make the bottle theirs by personalizing the label.

Each customized bottle is available for shipping nationwide and ready to drink following the recommended six-week In-Bottle Finishing process.

As a part of its education efforts, Oak & Eden shares popular bottle creations, describes the characteristics and notes associated with each selection and provides cocktail recipes that best accompany each bottle.

“The launch of Whiskey Customizer allows our customers to unleash their creative spirit, one bottle at a time, in a way that has never existed before,” says Oak & Eden Co-founder & CMO Brad Neathery. “As important as making the new experience seamless on our site was providing visual and educational tools on building a whiskey, an often misunderstood and intimidating spirit. We are a whiskey for the people, inviting and empowering anyone to be a creator.”

Check out oakandeden.com for more information on Whiskey Customizer as well as the brand’s full lineup of whiskies.

What Gary Says

Nose: Orange marmalade on rye toast, heavy port, cinnamon, nutmeg, mint, oak and hints of dill.
Palate: Rich and thick, plums, raisins, orange bitters, honey, cinnamon, demerara sugar and pepper.
Finish:  Moderate in length, damp and syrupy with port and chili spice.
Comments:  I was offered the opportunity to create my own, so of course I picked what I thought I would enjoy the most (or at least what I was the most interested in trying). And I was right – I do really enjoy this! As a whiskey geek, I enjoyed the experience of making my selections, and anticipating the bottle’s arrival – enough so that I’ve ordered another (will share that review later!) Is this identical to finishing a whiskey in a used port barrel? No, but I’m not a purist when it comes to that. I’m all about what’s in the bottle, and the enjoyment I get from that – and I really enjoyed this combination!

One note (which I emailed them a few weeks ago on, so hopefully has been fixed) – I received an email about a week AFTER I received my bottle, and that email instructed me to wait three weeks AFTER receiving the bottle to open and enjoy. I’d already opened and made a couple of passes (within the first week). I did set it aside for a few more weeks, and found that I hadn’t changed a ton – but I’d also taken the bottle down about 1/3 in that time. So when you order yours, have a little patience.

UPDATE JUNE 2023: In ordering a second bottle I found that the issues mentioned above have all been addressed, which is great! Kudos to Oak & Eden for addressing quickly!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon
Batch 141c

57.58% ABV
$75-$85
Website
Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon

What the Producer Says

No water added because none is needed.

We took the same vintage blending philosophy that we used to create Small Batch, except this time the goal was to create high proof bourbon that tasted its best neat. Uncut is so rich and sweet with an unbelievably thick mouth feel, the heat and rye spice finish are a welcome addition. It’s like milk with cookies!

Blending vintages of our high rye mash bill to achieve this flavor profile at 115-116 plus proof was a very rewarding challenge for us. There is a delicate balance between creamy mouthfeel, tannins and sugars that comes into play that makes the end result magical. Older vintages have more evaporation which means a higher concentration of fats and sugars per ounce which gives them a nice creamy mouthfeel as well as caramel and honey goodness. They also have more tannins because alcohol has been in contact with the wood for longer. A lot of what some perceive as alcohol burn is actually a harshness due to tannins. This can counterbalance the benefit gained by the high concentration of lipid esters insulating your pallet from alcohol heat. There needs to be enough of the older bourbon for the oak flavors and mouthfeel, but also some younger ones to cut back on the tannins and bring in some delicate fruit and caramel flavors.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Salted caramel, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, vanilla, dark chocolate, cherries, hint of black currants.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, vanilla wafers, caramel sauce, dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg, fudge, honey, oak and a hint of ginger snaps.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with caramel, ginger and pepper.
Comments:  Very nice cask strength bourbon. The non-chill filtration stands out with the mouthfeel, which is almost chewy, and also adds to the depth of flavor. I wasn’t impressed with the Smoke Wagon Small Batch bourbon – not finding it bad but just overpriced for what I thought it was. Honestly, I didn’t want to like this one mainly because of all of the hype (not that I don’t like Indiana distilled bourbon), so I went into this one with a skeptical eye (or nose?). But I really liked it every time I tried it. Takes water really well, keeping that viscous mouthfeel.

Rating: Must Try

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Smooth Ambler Founders’ Cask Strength Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Smooth Ambler Founders’ Cask Strength Series
Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Bourbon Mashbill 2
2022 Batch 4
6 Years old

61.4% ABV
$55
Website
Smooth Ambler Founders Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey
We would like to thank Smooth Ambler and Cork + Knife for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

We love sharing our homemade liquid because we get to let y’all taste what makes our part of the world so perfect for making whiskey. With this Bourbon recipe, we add a modest amount of rye to play well with our casks in the Appalachian climate. It’s a surprising meddling of flavors and geographical super powers that just work effortlessly.

Didn’t know we made a rye-backed Bourbon? Yeah… we didn’t but now we do. You’re welcome. So please enjoy this newly minted convergence of flavors from our home to yours.

SUBTLE SPICE? IT’S NICE
UNIQUE BATCHES? YOU BET
LOW RYE BOURBON? COOL HUH!
CASK STRENGTH? ALWAYS

Graham Cracker, Dark Chocolate, Cherry, Allspice

DISTILLED IN WEST VIRGINIA

71% CORN
21% RYE
8% MALTED BARLEY

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, vanilla, charred oak, fall leaves, dark chocolate, smoke, orange zest, cherries and a hint of root beer.
Palate:  Chewy mouthfeel, caramel, dark chocolate, walnuts, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, orange bitters, cola, graham crackers and a bit of molasses.
Finish:  Moderate in length, drying with nutty caramel and pepper spice.
Comments:  I’ve been a fan of Smooth Ambler since the ‘old days’ (in fact, I still have some of their sourced barrel proof rye stashed), but didn’t love Contradiction (which blends sourced whiskey with their own make). So I was excited for the opportunity to try something that is all their own whiskey. This is a really nice, solid, straight down the middle of the plate bourbon. Well balanced, just a bit of spice and not too much oak. In my opinion, 6 years is a really solid age for bourbon (not that I don’t love a four-year old bottled-in-bond, but I find 6-8 years old to be right in my wheelhouse). Also appreciate the price point given the age and proof. While a smaller distillery (have heard some refer to them as one of the ‘original craft distilleries’), this is doesn’t come across like a small distillery “figuring things out”. This takes water well, bringing out notes of fresh tobacco on the nose and rice putting on the palate.

Rating: Stands Out

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Redbreast 27 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review / ,

Redbreast 27 Year Old
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

Batch B1/19

54.6% ABV
$500
Website
Redbreast 27 Yr Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

The oldest permanent release in the Redbreast family, 27-Year-Old is a Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey comprising exclusively of Pot Still whiskeys which have been triple distilled, matured in the finest bourbon, sherry and ruby port casks for no less than 27 years, and left untouched.

NOSE: A succulent medley of exotic fruits, mango, pineapple, blood orange and ripe red berries are complemented by fresh herbs, aromatic oils and wood spices. Vanilla sweetness and treacle toffee add to the richness, while walnuts and toasted oak acknowledge the contribution from a supreme cask selection.

TASTE: Incredibly rich in texture with a luxuriously fruity introduction. Ripe red fleshed plums, black cherries and summer berries are balanced by the prickle of a hint of chili oil. The taste evolves as cherry menthol introduces vanilla and cinnamon sweet spices combined with red pepper, nutmeg and toasted oak for an intriguing complexity.

FINISH: A satisfyingly long balance of ripe fruit and wood spices, worthy of a journey of nearly three decades.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich fruitcake with a tropical fruit twist, candied pineapple, mango, kiwi, apricots, hints of port and marsala wine, peaches, nutmeg, honey and floral notes.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, intense fruit with plums, blackcurrants, raisins, peaches, black cherries, pears, vanilla, honey, dark chocolate and toffee.
Finish:  Long with dark fruit and a slow build in spices.
Comments:  This is just a magnificent whiskey. The nose is complex and layered, and benefits from some time in the glass (it waited 27 years to be bottled; pour it and give it a half hour and you’ll be glad you did!) Bit of water brings out some salted caramel on the nose, and brings the spice notes forward more on the palate, although this drinks lovely neat. The only reason this isn’t a solid ‘Must Buy’ from me is the price (I’m thankful that Richard shared a sample, and I am enjoying every last drop!)

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

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