Gary

Managing apostle and whiskey enthusiast

Grand Traverse Distillery Islay Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Grand Traverse Distillery Islay Rye Whiskey

45% ABV
$50 (for a 375 mL)
Website
Grand Traverse Distillery Islay Rye

What the Distillery Says

Islay Rye (eye-la) is a small batch Rye Whiskey that takes two of our favorite things and combines them into something awesome and unique!
The mash bill is composed of 80% Rye and 20% Peated Malted Barley, making this a Rye Whiskey with a heavy nod to Islay Single Malt Scotches. Islay Rye is sure to please anyone who appreciates the bold flavor and subtle spice of a rye whiskey or the mellow smokiness and near floral character of a master-crafted Islay Single Malt.
We do not chill filter our whiskies so the taste and aroma is pure still and barrel. Enjoy!

What Gary Says

Nose:  Musty damp cardboard, mineral notes from freshly shoveled earth, old pencils, husky malt, given enough time I get rye baked bread (but having to work for it).
Palate:  Round mouthfeel, sweet rye spice with a bit of dill and a subtle citrus note; earthy notes with black tea.
Finish:  Short and drying, with earthy mineral notes.
Comments:  I love rye whiskey, and I love Islay single malts. When a friend had recommended this, I had really high hopes – which may have been my undoing. As a small distillery, perhaps there is a lot of variation batch to batch, as having read and watched their reviews – I can’t imagine what was in the bottle I got was the same whiskey. I really wanted to like this, but didn’t.
In fact, this is one of the few whiskies I have that I wouldn’t drink.  I tried leaving it sit in the glass for 30 minutes (which definitely made some difference), and while that allowed me to get a bit more out of it – the earthy/mineral notes were still pretty prominent, and just not in my wheelhouse.  I’ll share out in samples what is left from the bottle so friends and family can experience it for themselves (and they may have very different impressions). For me, there wasn’t any Islay smoke or peat going on. There was loads of earthiness – reminds me on the nose of when I till the garden for the first time each spring. This is only available from their tasting rooms, so likely unless you’re passing through Michigan you may never encounter. If you are in one of their tasting rooms, I’d definitely ask for a sample before buying.

Rating: Probably Pass

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Wild Turkey 101 – 8 Years Old (Export)

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Wild Turkey 101 – 8 Years Old
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Export; Sold in Japan

50.5% ABV
$25
Website
Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon 8 Years

What the Distillery Says

For more than 60 years, legendary Master Distiller Jimmy Russell has been crafting Wild Turkey 101 the right way. With a high rye content, this iconic bourbon is perfectly aged in American White Oak barrels with the deepest char for more character.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Musty oak, vanilla, bitter chocolate, cinnamon spice with nutty caramel.
Palate:  Classic Wild Turkey spice – cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper with honey and vanilla, just a hint of dark chocolate and caramel.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with pepper spice and oak trailing.
Comments:  This is only available in select export markets (this isn’t the ‘dusty’ 8 yr you may have found in the states years ago).  To benchmark it, I first sampled it in a blind side-by-side with current Wild Turkey 101.  Personal preferences will vary, but I actually liked the domestic NAS Wild Turkey 101 over this – although they were insanely close.  This had just a touch more oak and a touch less caramel to me than the other, but were incredibly similar.  That said – this didn’t strike me as something special I’d seek out (and I take some comfort in knowing that I’m not missing out).  Although if you like more oak in your bourbon, this might edge out what you find on the shelf – although again, the differences weren’t significant to me.

Rating: Average

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Compass Box Gold Standard

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Gold Standard
Blended Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$140
Website
Compass Box Gold Standard Blended Scotch Whisky

What the Blender Says

In the spirit of artistic collaboration, we had been working with Binny’s Beverage Depot on a whisky for several years, and were delighted to release Gold Standard as part of their 70th anniversary celebrations. The original Binny’s stores, opened in Chicago in 1948, were called Gold Standard. We thought it a fitting name for this collaboration.

NOTE: Compass Box only includes the above brief mention on their web-site; the following details were scraped together from other sources.
Release: April 2018
Availability: Less than 1,000 bottles at Binny’s only
The blend is made up of mainly Clynelish single malt and 28 year old Port Dundas single grain whisky, as well as a small proportion (6%) of teenage Ardbeg and Caol Ila.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich with dark fruits – raisins, plums, baked apples, a tropical note of coconut husk, pipe tobacco, hints of lemon with a subtle earthy/peaty note.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, fruity with raisins, apples, pears; honey, vanilla, bit of caramel, nutmeg, allspice, a hint of peat.
Finish:  Long with vanilla and orchard fruit.
Comments:  A lovely, complex dram.  Exceptionally well balanced.  Unfortunately I’m not anywhere near a Binny’s to pick one up.  I tasted this during the same round as the Compass Box Rogues’ Banquet, and I liked this damn near as well as that – although this  up to $100 less (not that $140 is cheap).  Again, value is completely subjective, but if I had $240 to spend – I’d pick up this and put the rest towards another really nice whisk(e)y.

Rating: Must Try

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Compass Box Rogues’ Banquet

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Compass Box Rogues’ Banquet
Blended Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$220 – $240
Website
Compass Box Rogues Banquet Blended Scotch Whisky

What the Blender Says

When we conceived the idea for Rogues’ Banquet last year, we felt that a collection of our favourite Compass Box personalities and an opulent liquid would be the ideal means by which to begin our 20th anniversary celebrations. We could not have known that, by the time our whisky arrived in the parts of the world that had placed orders for it, all get-togethers would have to be put on hold. For a while – we trust not forever.

Rogues’ Banquet is made for the gourmands and the hedonists who have accompanied us for the last 20 years. The label shows a fantastical depiction of the kind of gatherings we hope to have in the future when we have all overcome these present circumstances.

To create Rogues’ Banquet, we have combined malt whiskies from the Miltonduff, Clynelish and Glen Elgin Distilleries with grain whisky from the North British Distillery. Rogues’ Banquet offers an opulent array of textures as well as flavours, from tropical fruits to stem ginger and toffee.

The whisky has been dispatched; it will start to appear on shelves around the world soon. Whenever the right time to open a bottle of Rogues’ Banquet arrives, to share and enjoy it with suitable exuberance, we will be with you. In the meantime, please support your communities.

FLAVOUR PROFILE
Rogues’ Banquet boasts flavours of softened tropical fruits, stem ginger and pastry cream. Fragrant yet full-bodied, it has a long and satisfying finish.

Not Chill-Filtered
Natural Colour
A limited edition of 5,267 bottles.
February 2020.
Lead Whiskymaker: James Saxon

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, creamy, musky and fruity, a comfortable leather chair in an oak paneled library; apricots, figs, apples, pears, peaches, hint of mango, gentle spices with almonds.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with apricots and papaya, a nutty spice note with nutmeg, pepper, and orange bitters.
Finish:  Long, slightly drying with cracked pepper, oak and dried fruit.
Comments:  Ok, I’m definitely biased when I read ‘Compass Box’ on the label because much of what they put out there I enjoy either a little or a lot. This is a deliciously complex dram, like so many others they produce. But many others are less expensive. If this was $125-$150, I’d be all over it. Price/value is an individual decision – I can’t say it isn’t worth it; only that there are other whiskies they’ve put out for much less that I liked a lot. This takes water well, but at 46% ABV doesn’t need it.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Joseph Magnus Private Barrel Bourbon Finished in Cognac Casks

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Joseph Magnus Exclusive Private Barrel Bourbon
Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Cognac Casks

Liquor Barn – Bottle 3 of 135

52.1% ABV
$100-$130 (varies by age/retailer)
Website
Joseph Magnus Bourbon Exclusive Private Barrel

What the Producer Says

Jos. A. Magnus is pleased to offer a limited private barrel selection program. Contact us for more information.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich and fruity, cinnamon with toffee, caramel, notes of balsamic, and a slight mineral note.
Palate:  Butterscotch & toffee soaked in brandy, honey, vanilla with a pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying to oak and cinnamon dusted apple chips.
Comments:  As a single barrel program, these will vary from selection to selection, including age (this particular bottle didn’t list any age, but I’ve seen several that do) and finishing cask. This particular offering was a cognac finish, and a bit heavy handed on the finish for my liking. I’ve participated in private selections where the timing from the selection to bottling stretches out many months, so not sure if this was what they had wanted (fans of cognac might love it!) A bit of water improves this one quite a bit, and while the finish is a bit more prominent for my liking, I wouldn’t turn down a pour if offered.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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