Gary

Managing apostle and whiskey enthusiast

Dewar’s French Cask Smooth

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Dewar’s 8 Year Old French Cask Smooth
Apple Brandy Cask Finish Blended Scotch Whisky

40% ABV
$24.99
Website
Dewars French Cask Smooth
We would like to thank Dewar’s and Nike Communications for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Dewar’s French Smooth, debuting in October 2022, is a result of finishing the brand’s signature 8-year-old, double-aged blend in Apple Brandy Calvados casks from the orchards of Normandy, France. The unexpectedly decadent Dewar’s French Smooth utilizes the oak that creates the traditional Calvados cider to enhance the sweetness of the liquid to develop a delicious blend between baked apples, citrus, and a hint of cinnamon. Given this unique characteristic, the notes on the nose create a complex yet sweet smell with a honeyed sweetness and a dusting of crème anglaise.

Thanks to the crisp taste of the apples, the finished product becomes a perfect study of balance, creaminess, and the encapsulation of the best of France & Scotland coming together while providing a modest price point for the supremely smooth liquid.

Perfectly paired with apple picking season, this liquid embodies the essence of the fall and encaptures that warm cozy feeling. If you’re looking for festive cocktails, look no further than the Dewar’s Apple Nouvelle Cocktail and the Dewar’s Apple Cinnamon Highball. With hints of apple and citrus, these drinks truly transport you to the orchards of Normandy.

The Apple Nouvelle Cocktail: A sparkling tipple bursting with French finesse, bringing the orchard flavor of Calvados to life with sweet floral elderflower, fresh apples, and sparkling French bubbles. Santé

Ingredients
1oz Dewar’s French Smooth Blended Scotch Whisky
0.5oz St Germain
1oz cloudy apple juice
chilled soda water
French sparkling wine

Method: Add whisky, St Germain, and apple juice to a cocktail shaker and shake hard with cubed ice, then double strain into chilled coupette glass, and top with a small dash of soda, then sparkling wine.

Apple Cinnamon Highball: Bursting with green orchard fruits and sweet spices, a fruity, zesty, and refreshing highball.

Ingredients
1.5oz Dewar’s French Smooth Blended Scotch Whisky
0.5oz lemon juice
0.5oz cinnamon syrup
1oz cloudy apple juice
3oz soda water

Method: Add whisky, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup, and apple juice to a highball glass, then fill the glass with cubed ice. Top with soda, stir from the bottom up and garnish with an apple slice.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Malt, fruity with apples, pears, subtle cinnamon, tangerines and a grassy, heather note.
Palate:  Sweet with honey, apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, a hint of graham cracker with a light citrus note.
Finish:  Moderately long with cinnamon baked apples.
Comments: Wow! This is dangerously drinkable, and delicious. It is definitely on the sweet side of the spectrum, but I love the Calvados finish on this, and as I’m trying this the first week of fall – it is striking all of the right seasonal notes. Really appreciate the screw cap enclosure. At first I thought maybe it was just the right pour at the right time, but in revisiting this a few more times – it is just a really delightful dram. I wish it was bottled higher than 40% (and as such, I wouldn’t bother with any water, although I did try a few drops which didn’t wreck it). I’ve only tried the Dewar’s Ilegal Smooth and Caribbean Smooth, but I liked this significantly more than both of those.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

Dewar’s French Cask Smooth Read More »

Linkwood 1996 22 Year Old

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Linkwood 1996 22 Year Old
Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

54.8% ABV
$240
Website
Linkwood 22 Year Old, 1996 Cask Strength by Signatory Vintage

What the Bottler Says

AGED: 22 years
DISTILLED ON: October 30 1996
BOTTLED ON: May 29 2019
MATURED IN: Hogshead
CASK NO: 8730
BOTTLE NO: 24 of 192
NATURAL COLOUR

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, honey, mixed nuts, fruit salad with mandarin orange slices, oak, bit of a mineral earthy note.
Palate:  Fruity with green apples, not-quite-ripe pears, peaches, grapefruit, sharpens with tonic, cinnamon and pepper.
Finish:  Moderately long, dry with tonic, honey and citrus.
Comments:  The nose has a hint like it ‘might be peat’ but not quite (and to be clear, this isn’t a peated whisky). Astringent and bitter despite the fruit notes, reminds me a bit of a hard cider. A bit of water only slightly dampens this edge, and a bit more thins it out, so go easy with the water on this one. Not particularly in my wheelhouse.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

Linkwood 1996 22 Year Old Read More »

Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr Four Grain Bottled in Bond

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr Four Grain Bottled in Bond
Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$70
Website
Colonel EH Taylor Four Grain Bottled in Bond Bourbon

What the Distillery Says

As the United States was recovering from the American Civil War in 1865, Col. Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. was ready to embark on a new business venture, having profited from the trading of grains such as corn during the war. Taylor purchased a small distillery on the banks of the Kentucky River with a vision of producing top quality whiskey distinguished from all others of that time. Taylor knew exceptional whiskey could only be crafted by using the finest ingredients, and his time selling grains during the war taught him that grains often varied tremendously from different farmers and harvests. This special edition Four Grain bourbon is crafted just as Taylor would have wanted. Using the highest quality grains and a distinct combination of corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley, to create a flavor that is sweet with hints of caramel and vanilla, yet spicy with notes of clove and pepper. After twelve years of aging, this impeccably balanced bourbon embodies the character of the man that would expect no less.

TASTING NOTES
Opens with an inviting aroma, with the first sip bringing a lot of character. Caramel notes are touched by sweet vanilla and caramel corn, then underwritten by slightly smoky flavors and oak tannins. It maintains a smooth evenness between the four grains interacting with the charred oak barrel. Overall, a nice balance, and unique.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, subtle baking spices, oak, vanilla, malty note, hint of walnuts and grilled corn.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel, caramel, cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, sweet corn, subtle notes of orange.
Finish:  Moderately long, damp with oak, caramel and nutty spice.
Comments:  A tasty bourbon, although I would not have pegged this as 12 years old (was surprised by getting corn notes on something with that much age). It also didn’t have a lot of oak either, so guessing this was gently aged. While tasty, it didn’t stand out as all that special to me (honestly, it isn’t an automatic buy for me at retail – let alone what it goes for on the secondary market). Don’t get me wrong – nothing wrong with this, and if offered a pour I would take it – but if you’re thinking about paying over retail, I’d tread lightly (unless you’ve had it and it is right in your wheelhouse).

Rating: Stands Out

Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr Four Grain Bottled in Bond Read More »

Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI Straight Bourbon Whiskey

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI
Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$100
Website
Remus Repeal Reserve Bourbon Series VI 2022
We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us samples to review.

What the Producer Says

George Remus Bourbon is proud to introduce the highly-anticipated Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI Bourbon, the latest edition of the award-winning series. Crafted with a medley of five rare bourbon reserves from 2008-2014 at the historic Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, Series VI continues our high-quality tradition with aromas of nutmeg and saddle leather, followed by notes of candied fruit, fig jam, oak and barrel char, mint and slight caramel, nutmeg, toffee and honey. The finish features sweet candied fruit, leather and a lingering sweetness and rye spice. It hits shelves in September 2022 for National Bourbon Heritage Month, and judging by the anticipation for Series VI, it won’t last long.

Named after the legendary “King of the Bootleggers,” Remus Repeal Reserve is an annual series from George Remus® Bourbon, crafted by the expert distillers at MGP’s 174-year-old distillery in Lawrenceburg, IN. Made in a signature high-rye style, the medley changes each year, allowing the team to experiment with their various mash bills and aged reserves. Remus Repeal Reserve Series V is comprised of:

  • 2% 2008 Bourbon (21% Rye)
  • 27% 2012 Bourbon (21% Rye)
  • 29% 2014 Bourbon (21% Rye)
  • 17% 2012 Bourbon (36% Rye)
  • 25% 2014 Bourbon (36% Rye)

Created by master distiller Ian Stirsman and his team of master distillers and master blenders, Series VI comprises five bourbons, aged between 8-14 years, from its 175-year-old Lawrenceburg, Indiana, distillery. Made in a signature high-rye style, the medley changes each year, allowing Stirsman and his team to experiment with their various mash bills and aged reserves. Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI is comprised of 2% 2008 Bourbon (21% Rye), 17% 2012 Bourbon (36% Rye), 27% 2012 Bourbon (21% Rye), 29% 2014 Bourbon (21% Rye) and 25% 2014 Bourbon (36% Rye). Series VI leads with aromas of rich candied fruit with a hint of nutmeg and saddle leather. The initial taste includes candied fruit and fig jam, followed by oak and barrel char, mint and slight caramel, nutmeg, toffee and honey. The finish offers a balance of sweet candied fruit and leather, with lingering sweetness and rye spice.

“The Remus Repeal Reserve series provides our team the opportunity to showcase the incredible array of aged reserves available to work with, as well as our expertise at blending these bourbons to create a special medley each year,” said Stirsman. “Series VI is the latest in this award-winning collection that is certain to be yet another excellent example of what our Remus Repeal collection represents: what great bourbon can be.”

What Gary Says

Nose: Caramel crème candies, dark fruit notes, oak, nutmeg, toffee and worn leather.
Palate: Fruity, almost mincemeat pie (without the cloves) with raisins, baked pears, caramel throughout, oak, baking spices of nutmeg, cinnamon, honey and pepper.
Finish: Moderately long with savory fruit (tart cherries), oak, mint and a bit of dark chocolate.
Comments: Another really lovely offering – quite complex and well balanced. Last year’s Remus Repeal Reserve Series V contained bourbons from 2005-2008, where this year the range is 2008 to 2014. While the majority of this mix is 8 years old (compared to 13-16 years old), this is still really tasty. This highlights that with blending the right barrels, you don’t have to have barrels that are 13+ years old to get a nice, complex bourbon. I still had some of the Series V, and in a blind tasting I did prefer that, but it was close.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI Straight Bourbon Whiskey Read More »

Barrell Vantage

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Barrell Vantage

Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys Finished in Mizunara, French, and Toasted American Oak

57.22% ABV
$90
Website
Barrell Vantage
We would like to thank Barrell Craft Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Blender Says

Vantage is a blend of straight bourbons finished in three distinct expressions of virgin oak: Mizunara, French, and toasted American oak casks. The result is a warm, elegant bourbon that highlights the many dimensions of oak.

The BCS team has drawn on years of experience with three-part barrel finishing, used previously in Armida, Dovetail, and Seagrass. With Vantage, those same techniques were applied to the oak itself, using different char levels, toast levels, and oak origins to create a multidimensional blend.

Each component whiskey in Vantage is finished separately, then systematically combined according to a blending process fueled in equal parts by a scientific approach, experience, creativity, and experimentation. This process focuses on the wood characteristics and the specific flavor contributions that each cask contributes to the blend. The result is a masterfully blended, perfectly balanced representation of the harmonious synergy between bourbon and barrel.

FLAVOR NOTES
Selected Mizunara, French, and toasted American oak casks create multifaceted dimensions to this unique blend. The unique aspects of each wood and treatment are layered atop one another, precluding the singular taste of oak. The nose is creamy, spicy, and resinous, and the palate is richly textured and oily, soaked with barrel influence.

​Neat
Appearance: Burnt sienna.
Nose: Creme brûlée, coconut oil, and chocolate pudding invoke the creamy richness of toasted American oak. Tarragon, nutmeg, and warm cola are among the dry, extractive spices highlighting the French oak. Mizunara’s incense and grilled pineapple notes, meanwhile, take the profile in a totally different direction.
Palate: Sweet and oily with a pronounced espresso note. It’s pleasantly rich on the tongue, which obscures much of the tannin – surprising given how much wood is present. The French oak’s robust spice notes inflect a maple syrup sweetness.
Finish: Green grapes and red plums burst above the barrel notes for the first time. It’s spicy, too, with za’atar, crystallized ginger and Szechuan peppercorns.
With a few drops of spring water
The nose grows earthier, exhibiting graham cracker and dark chocolate. The spirit’s rye grain emerges, not just with pumpernickel but also celery and chive blossom. The palate grows sweeter, tasting of maraschino liqueur and pavlova. It finishes on grapefruit zest and kola nut.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla flan with light caramel sauce, cocoa, tarragon, oak, nutmeg and hints of tropical fruit.
Palate:  Viscous mouthfeel, caramel packed with spices; cloves, nutmeg, ginger, anise (almost pumpkin spice); sharpens slightly with pepper and oak before a creamy coffee cake note.
Finish:  Long and syrupy with maple syrup and apricot jam.
Comments:  Really nice showcase of how different types of oak can influence a solid blend of bourbons, and with a deft enough hand that the beauty of the bourbon isn’t lost. This is one where I do prefer the palate over the nose (although the nose is really interesting). A bit of water brings more chocolate and marshmallow on the nose, and some cherry cola to the palate, while softening the pepper and still thickening the mouthfeel even more. Just a fantastic, spice packed bourbon!

Rating: Must Try

Barrell Vantage Read More »