Gary

Managing apostle and whiskey enthusiast

Dexter Three Wood Straight Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Dexter Three Wood Straight Bourbon
Finished With 200 Year Oak, Maple Wood & Cherry wood

50.3% ABV
$50
Website
Dexter Three Wood Bourbon
We would like to thank The Dexter Bourbon Company and IT Public Relations for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Dexter Three Wood Straight Bourbon, named one of the twelve best bourbons in the world by the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2020, is returning bourbon to its 1800s roots – “Of the people, by the people, for the people” – paying homage to Edmund Dexter, one of the leading bourbon pioneers of his time. Edmund Dexter’s blends were so renowned that even Charles Dickens and King Edward VII visited him at his home in Cincinnati.

The Dexter Bourbon Company was founded by Doug Hall and Joe Girgash. Doug Hall is also the Co-founder and CEO of Brain Brew Custom Whiskey and the Founder of Eureka! Ranch, with one of its long-term clients being Edrington, distillers of The Macallan. They also have a collaboration with Edrington to produce Noble Oak Double Oak Bourbon, a unnamed 94 point San Francisco Gold Medal winner, that is available nationwide.

As Doug states, “In a marketplace where the really great bourbons are impossible to find – we are excited to have plenty of Dexter Bourbon available for this holiday season.” It has been long understood that 70% of the flavor and 100% of the smoothness of bourbon and all whiskies comes from the interaction of the whiskey and the wood.

The incredible flavor of Dexter Three Wood is a result of WoodCraft Finishing with three artisan woods – vintage 200-Year Oak, Maple Wood and Cherry Wood. Each of these woods provides a different element – a long, luxurious finish, incredible smoothness, and fresh, bright flavor. Dexter Three Wood was awarded the highest score – 95 points – by the Ultimate Spirits Challenge and it was selected as one of the Top 100 Spirits in the World.

The history of bourbon dates back to the pre-prohibition era in the 1800s when most whiskey was purchased from whiskey merchants who were barrel blenders. Merchants would buy whiskey from farmers, and then, they would blend various barrels together to create different tastes depending on their customer’s preferences. In Cincinnati, the Queen city of the West, there were over 100 barrel blenders. But there were more around the world, including the famous Johnnie Walker, in Scotland.

Dexter is crafted from a 36% rye straight bourbon.

TASTING NOTES: Bitter Chocolate, Orange Peel, and Vanilla nose. A Palate of Earthy, Peppery Rye combines with Cherry, Caramel and Cocoa gives way to a long and supple finish.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla, orange zest, buttered popcorn, baking spices with caramel, hint of maple and cherry with oak.
Palate:  Oily mouthfeel with caramel, honey, vanilla, citrus spice followed by cinnamon, pepper and cocoa.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with cocoa and cracked pepper.
Comments:  What stands out to me with this is the sharp crack of pepper – which you get a sharpness from a high-rye mashbill but this is more than that (perhaps owning to the wood treatment). The maple and cherry are quite subtle, showing up only a bit on the nose. I really dig the mouthfeel, and a bit of water thickens it up even more and tamps some of the pepper spice notes, as well as bringing out a bit of the cherry wood on the palate.

Rating: Stands Out

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Glen Grant 1997 13 Year

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Glen Grant 1997 13 Year
Signatory Cask Strength Collection
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

59.3% ABV
$100
Website
Glen Grant 1997 13 Yr Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Bottler Says

AGED: 13 years
DISTILLED ON: March 1997
BOTTLE ON: February 2010
MATURED IN: Hogshead
CASK NO: 38886
BOTTLE NO: of 291

Glen Grant Distillery, built in 1840 by brothers, John and James Grant, is located in the heart of Speyside. The distillery is now the world’s second-largest single malt whiskey brand.

TASTE NOTES
COLOR: Light amber
NOSE: White grapes, a fresh apple tart and ripe pears
TASTE: Similar to the nose, with hints of vanilla, oak and white pepper.
FINISH: Medium, white pepper spice

What Gary Says

Nose:  Buttered yeast roll, honey, malty, pears, apricots, subtle earthiness with heather.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel but tart and sharp, canned pears with fruit salad and freshly cracked pepper.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with pepper spice and pears.
Comments:  This has a sour/tart note to it that reminds me a bit of sour fruit gummy candies. It clouds up nicely with a bit of water, reflecting the non-chill filtration (although it doesn’t state that on the label from what I can tell). I’m not familiar with Glen Grant, but this doesn’t leave me with seeking out more specifically. Any one cask might be just that (a one off), but I think the folks at Signatory do a pretty good job so can’t help but think that this isn’t a fair representation of Glen Grant (albeit at higher proof).

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Green Spot 1991 26 Year Old Marsala Cask

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Green Spot 1991 26 Year Old Marsala Cask
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
The Whisky Exchange Exclusive

55.7% ABV
$675 – $800
Website
Green Spot 1991 26 Year Old Marsala Cask TWE Exclusive Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

What the Producer Says

A very special bottling, selected by and exclusive to The Whisky Exchange: a single cask of 26-year-old Green Spot pot still whiskey, distilled at Midleton and filled into cask on 18 October 1991. It was initially matured in bourbon and sherry casks, before the spirit was reracked into a single Marsala butt for further maturation. The result brings together the fresh fruit flavours of bourbon-cask maturation with the richer dried fruit notes you get from sherry casks, and stirs them both together with fragrant Marsala and classic Irish pot-still fruit and spice.

Details from the bottle:
Triple Distilled Irish Whiskey
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Single Cask
Matured in Bourbon Barrels, Sherry Butts and recasked to Marsala Butt

Cask Number: 50776
Date of Bonding: 10/18/1991
Matured in Warehouse: M14B Bay 20
576 Bottles

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich and thick, dark fruit notes of raisins, apricots, dates, figs, clove, nutmeg, marsala wine, butterscotch, dark chocolate, caramel, toffee and a hint of anise.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel, intense fruit notes, dates, black currants, figs, chocolate, marsala and sherry, graham cracker, nutmeg, bit of pepper and baking spices.
Finish:  Long and lingering with marsala notes and dried fruit.
Comments:  THE best Irish whiskey to pass these lips! In fact, one of the top 5 best whiskies I’ve tasted. To be sure, this is a pricey one. Big thanks to Richard for sharing a generous sample of his bottle (and sharing the bottle itself amongst friends). Water opens this up with even more fruit and tamps the chocolate notes a big, but it absolutely doesn’t need water in my opinion. The palate near the end leaves me thinking of S’mores. Just an amazingly intense and complex dram. If you don’t have to pay VAT, the price is £500 ($691 at current exchange, before shipping).  Now – you may ask, if I’m rating this a Must Buy, did I buy a bottle then? No, but not because it isn’t worth it. But even at $800, if you can get a group of enthusiasts together – that’s only $35 for a 30 mL pour (and I think anyone who handed over $35 for a 30 mL pour of this would think it was absolutely worth it, and might double-up – if there was any left!)

Rating: Must Buy

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Baker’s Exclusive Selection

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Baker’s Exclusive Selection
Unfiltered Single Barrel
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Privately Selected; 11 years, 8 months

53.5% ABV
$100
Website
Baker's Exclusive Selection Unfiltered Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

This fall, Baker’s® Bourbon proudly introduces Baker’s® Exclusive Selection, a limited time offering of extra aged single barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey collected from some of Baker Beam’s favorite warehouses on the James B. Beam Distilling Co.’s campus in Clermont, KY. Aged for 11 years and 8 months, the extra time in the barrel along with the changing seasons allows for even more distinct notes and layers of flavor to emerge from each individual barrel of Baker’s Exclusive Selection.

HISTORY
Baker’s Bourbon was created in 1992 by Sixth Generation Beam Master Distiller Booker Noe as part of the original Small Batch Bourbon Collection. Baker’s Bourbon is named after Baker Beam – grand-nephew of Jim Beam and a tenured distiller who worked at the Jim Beam Distillery for 38 years. Baker’s Bourbon began a new era as an exclusively single barrel bourbon in 2019, becoming as uniquely positioned among the James B. Beam Distilling Co. portfolio as its namesake Baker Beam is in the Beam family.

TASTING NOTES
While every bottle of Baker’s Bourbon offers a unique tasting journey, you can expect a few defining characteristics from the Baker’s Exclusive Selection bottles:
Proof: 107
Nose: Fruit, vanilla and caramel
Palate: Medium-bodied with flavors of oak, toasted nuts and vanilla
Finish: Robust flavors sit on the tongue for a while, warm and rounded

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel crème candies, vanilla, oak, chocolate fudge, roasted peanuts, baking spices, nutmeg, clove, leather, hint of mint and cinnamon.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, caramel, dark chocolate, hint of mint, peanut brittle, toffee, cloves and cinnamon.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with oak, leather and trailing spices.
Comments:  I sampled this alongside an older Baker’s (before it changed to a single barrel recently), and found this to have a more nuanced nose. It had a bit less oomph of caramel and vanilla, trading that for more complexity, more spice notes, and a nicer mouthfeel. I liked this better over time. While I’d always rather see cask strength when given the option, if I had to pick a proof point where bourbon really shines for me – it would be 107. A really solid addition to the Baker’s lineup! .

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Dunville’s Three Crowns Vintage Blend Irish Whiskey

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Dunville’s Three Crowns Vintage Blend Irish Whiskey
Sherry Finished

43.5% ABV
$35-40
Website
Dunvilles Three Crowns Irish Whiskey Sherry Finish

What the Distillery Says

Dunville’s Three Crowns Irish Whiskey is a premium vintage blend of superior aged whiskeys finished in three of the finest sherry casks.

Nose: Very gentle, floral, sweet and juicy. Orchard fruits intertwined with nutty caramel, nougat and powerful butterscotch overtones.
Palate: The initial sweetness from the malt gives way to light citrus fruits, orange, lemon, green apples, pepper and clove. The wood spice and lovely oak tannins firm up this whiskey before the oloroso sherry casks take the final curtain.
Finish: Orchard fruits and caramels give way as subtle notes of walnut, nougat, vanilla and dried fruits come through in the soft lingering finish.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Malt, heather, floral notes, sponge cake, shortbread biscuits, apples and butterscotch.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel that is rich and creamy, sherry sweetness, raw honey, fruity with apples and oranges, clove, nutmeg and a hint of cinnamon.
Finish:  Moderately long and damp with sherried fruit notes.
Comments:  Wow – from the nose I wouldn’t guess that this has a lot of age on it (get a bit of a grain note that has me guessing there is some fairly young malt in the blend), but this has a lovely, thick and chewy mouthfeel that for me overcomes that. I’d never had anything from Dunville’s before, but do like sherry finishes so for $35 thought ‘What the hell’. Glad I did – this is delicious! For the price, I can’t imagine any fan of Irish being disappointed – and would encourage them to give this a try. It reminds me a bit of Slane in that it isn’t an incredibly complex dram, but is a really great drinker (although this has a better mouthfeel, and is definitely worth the small lift in price from my perspective).

Rating: Must Try

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