Gary

Managing apostle and whiskey enthusiast

Rémy Martin V.S.O.P. Cognac

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Rémy Martin V.S.O.P. Cognac

40% ABV
$35-50
Website
Remy Martin VSOP Cognac

What the Producer Says

VERSATILE / ELEGANT / ICONIC
The icon: generous and audacious

Rémy Martin VSOP embodies the perfect harmony of powerful and elegant aromas. It is the symbol of the Cellar Master’s art of blending.

Rémy Martin VSOP is composed of eaux-de-vie coming exclusively from the highest-quality vineyards of Cognac, the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne. Such eaux-de-vie offer an exceptional ageing potential and are known as Cognac Fine Champagne.

In 1927, Rémy Martin’s Cellar Master André Renaud created the very first VSOP Fine Champagne—a truly visionary and audacious decision. This prestigious appellation would be officially recognized 11 years later as an AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée – a specific growing area protected by French law).

In 2010, Rémy Martin VSOP Fine Champagne Cognac won a gold medal at the Spirits Business Cognac Masters (UK).

FRUITINESS: 4/5 | Aromas coming from the still wine’s fermentation, distillation on the lees and ageing

SMOOTHNESS: 3/5 | Sensation on the mouth giving mellowness, balance and perfect harmony

OPULENCE: 3/5 | Defines the intensity of richness in the cognac’s aromas.

LENGTH: 3/5 | The length of time for which the tastes are expressed after a sip

CHARACTER
NOSE: Dominant notes of vanilla thanks to longer ageing in French Limousin oak barrels, followed by ripe apricot, baked apple, and an elegant floral note.
TASTE: A perfect harmony between the firm character of ripe fruit and subtle notes of liquorice, offering a great complexity of elegant and powerful aromas.
BODY: Well-balanced, structured, and multi-layered, it combines the roundness of ripe fruit with a silky texture.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Floral, fruity with plums edging towards citrus, tropical candied pineapple.
Palate:  Fruit, spiced apples and pears, cinnamon, nutmeg, a hint of anise.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with dark berries.
DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Cognac (so read at your own risk!)
Comments:  More rich and more spice than the Courvoisier V.S., I definitely liked this better – although not my favorite of the three.

Rating: Stands Out

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Courvoisier V.S. Cognac

/ / Other Spirits, Review / ,

Courvoisier V.S. Cognac

40% ABV
$26
Website
Courvoisier VS Cognac

What the Producer Says

THE BLEND
A youthful and lively blend of cognac, delivering a spectrum of sensations.
Courvoisier® VS Cognac is a blend of several crus aged between three and seven years (four to eight for Russia), composed principally of Fins Bois with a balancing hand of Petite Champagne.

TASTING NOTES:  The fusion of younger and older cognacs gives Courvoisier® VS a fruity, delicate taste and a bouquet filled with ripe fruit and spring flowers.

Ripe Fruits | The chalky soil in Fins Bois delivers a hint of ripened fruits that is its signature aroma.

Spring Flowers | Inhale deeply for the bouquet of spring flowers, which is a hallmark of grapes harvested at their peak from the Fins Bois crus.

Fresh Oakiness | The rich, fresh oak bouquet is controlled throughout the aging process to make sure it doesn’t dominate the young cognac.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Floral, grapey, honey suckle, fruity with apples and pears.
Palate:  Sweet, floral and fruity with apples and pears, hint of cinnamon, vanilla, and white wine.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with apple.
DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Cognac (so read at your own risk!)
Comments:  A crisp and fruity dram. Nothing offensive or off-putting, although not especially interesting either (at least to me). This was the first of three Cognacs I sampled side by side, and spoiler alert – was my least favorite.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Restoration Kentucky Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Restoration Kentucky Rye Whiskey
2020 Batch 2

49.5% ABV
$40
Website
Restoration Rye Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

The release of Castle & Key’s first whiskey
Whiskey takes time. We started this journey in 2014, barreling our first product in 2016. In 2020, we feel it’s ready to share.

Each batch of our Restoration Rye Whiskey is blended using a series of pods. Each pod is created by grouping barrels to create a specific sensory profile.

Size: 57 Barrels

Mashbill
17% Yellow Corn
63% Rye
20% Malted Barley

Aroma: Bright, Lemon Peel, Toasted Oak, Apricot, Wild Flower, Honey, Graham Cracker
Taste: Pie Crust, Honeysuckle, Mint, Agave Nectar, Dry Cinnamon, Light Stone Fruit
Finish: Cooling, Spearmint with light mouth numbing

What Gary Says

Nose:  Intense mint, dill, orange and lemon zest, bit of anise, tarragon, malt, hints of candied tropical fruit (maybe pineapple).
Palate:  Honey, citrus spice with cinnamon, mint, corn syrup and pepper.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length with minty sweetness and pepper.
Comments:  First thing that caught my eye as a whisk(e)y geek was the absence of ‘straight’ on the label. I scratched my head and pondered what the implications were (as the possibilities didn’t seem to align with what I would expect). I reached out to Castle & Key to ask if they could shed any light, and they responded that there “…is no particular reason as to why the label does not say ‘Straight Rye Whiskey’. In fact, future labels will be changed to designate it as a ‘Straight Rye Whiskey'”. Was glad to hear that (as it implies this qualifies in every way), and glad they will update future labels. But I digress – the whiskey itself definitely stands-out as unique, with some herbal spice notes on the nose to go with the minty/dill that rye fans such as myself enjoy. The higher malted barley content I’m sure is a big contributor to that, and I can’t wait to see some more mature rye coming out of Castle & Key. If you ever have a chance to tour their facility – do it. Had the pleasure of visiting the site in April 2017 before it was open to the public and they were still working on the restoration itself, then again in April 2019 (when it was open to the public). What a difference two years made! If you love whiskey history, or just really cool picturesque surroundings – check it out.

Rating: Stands Out

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R6 Distillery Single Malt Whiskey

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

R6 Distillery Single Malt Whiskey

43% ABV
$65
Website
R6 Distillery Single Malt Whiskey
We would like to thank R6 Distillery and Power Digital Marketing for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

100% malted grain from a single distillery, this whisky incorporates a European style grain bill with an R6 twist: peated malt, distiller’s malt, chocolate malt, and coffee malt.

Never Chill Filtered

Nose: Smoked Coffee and Chocolate
Palate: Smoky and Slightly Sweet with Subtle Undertones
Finish: Warm, Dark Coffee

What Gary Says

Nose:  Young honeyed malt, light roast coffee, toffee, cedar and bit of milk chocolate.
Palate:  Milk chocolate and toffee with pepper spice, smoke and a slightly sour oak note.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with cocoa and oak.
Comments:  So while there isn’t anything objectionable, this tastes like young whiskey aged in smaller casks. If you’re a fan of craft whiskey done in this way, this may be right up your alley. It does have some interesting chocolate notes, and I appreciate the non-chill filtration. With age (and moving to full-sized casks), the grain bill has potential to be really interesting and different. The price point is steep if you’re looking to buy just to drink rather than buy to support a small business.

Rating: Average

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Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

47% ABV
$50
Website
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

Twice barreled for added complexity, Toasted Barrel takes our award-winning Small Batch Bourbon to new heights. After it’s fully matured, we finish this Bourbon in a second, custom toasted new oak barrel, where it’s left to develop even more sweet oak flavor.

CHARRED TO START. TOASTED TO FINISH.
Toasted Barrel relies on a custom finishing process that adds an extra layer of sweet oak complexity to our Bourbon. Learn more about how these second barrels are treated by watching the video on our website.

TASTING NOTES
Aromas and flavors of pekoe tea, new leather, cinnamon, cedar, and jasmine. Warm and comforting notes of peach preserves and brown sugar erupt with a chipotle spice. Deeply layered and profound.

COLOR: Roasted pecans
AROMA: Lots of toasted oak with rich caramel
TASTE: Big, rich, and complex. Delightful spice and pepper notes fade to milk chocolate with just a hint of smoke
FINISH: Complexity continues. Nicely warming, with lingering chocolate and baking spices

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, toasted marshmallow, oak, cedar, bit of leather, crème brûlée, black currents, hint of mint.
Palate:  Caramel and vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, musty oak, nutmeg and pepper.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with oak, chocolate, pepper and mint.
Comments:  A nice addition to the Elijah Craig family – I rather enjoy it! Brings a nice uniqueness, and with a bit of water – brings out more mint than I get in the standard bearer. Fans of the Elijah Craig lineup may appreciate the subtle difference, but I must admit I’m not as much a fan at the price point (almost twice the price of Elijah Craig Small Batch).

Rating: Stands Out

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