Bourbon

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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Joseph Magnus Private Barrel Bourbon Finished in Cognac Casks

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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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Joseph Magnus Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Joseph Magnus Bourbon
Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Sherry and Cognac Casks

50% ABV
$100
Website
Joseph Magnus Bourbon

What the Producer Says

Rich deep flavors with notes of orange citrus, dried dark fruits, and vanilla
A marriage of straight bourbon whiskey aged in white oak barrels and finished in Oloroso sherry, Pedro Ximénez sherry, and cognac casks.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, cinnamon buns with raisins & cherries, cocoa, vanilla, musty oak with a mineral note.
Palate:  Rich and fruity, raisins, dates, chocolate with cinnamon, clove, a hint of anise.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying, spicy with berries.
Comments:  This is a super dark bourbon, no doubt influenced by the sherry cask finishing. At first nosing, I thought perhaps this was Dickel distillate, as I was getting a mineral note that I get from their whiskey. By all accounts, this is MGP (and while they do source Dickel it isn’t, or wasn’t, used in this product). But I digress – this is a really tasty whiskey. The finishing is a bit on the strong side, but as a fan of sherried single malt – that isn’t a bad thing.

Rating: Stands Out

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Spirit Works Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey

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Spirit Works Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey

45% ABV
$50
Website
Spirit Works Four Grain Straight Bourbon
We would like to thank Spirit Works Distillery and Verdant PR & Marketing for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Meticulously pot distilled, each batch of our Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the proprietary master blend of our two Bourbon formulas. Featuring 60% corn with wheat, rye, and barley in the mash bills, our grains are all organic and the corn and wheat are California grown. Mashed, fermented, distilled and aged on-site by female distilling team this Bourbon features impressive palate complexity from each of the four grains. Smooth and welcoming in any cocktail our Bourbon is also especially delicious sipped neat.

45% ABV or 90 Proof
Aged a minimum of four years
53-Gallon, New American Charred Oak Barrels
Color of Amber Honey

Nose: Honeysuckle, toasted sugar, and stone fruit
Palate: Chicory, brown butter, and treacle
Finish: Roasted savory cooking spices

What Gary Says

Nose:  Light vanilla, cherry blossoms, honey, chamomile tea, toasted oak and a hint of berries.
Palate:  Creamy and rounded mouthfeel, vanilla wafers atop black cherry ice cream, almonds, subtle pepper with cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, wet with a nutty spice note.
Comments:  The pot still influence comes across in the mouthfeel, which I appreciate. Also glad that they matured this at least four years in full size barrels, although it still tastes fairly young. Many four year old bourbons from the larger distilleries in Kentucky will come from the higher tiers of the rickhouse, where they’re getting significantly more ‘action’ from the barrel during that time (and where they really can’t go a LONG time without it becoming a oaky, tannin-laden mess). I point this out because if you’re sitting down to compare this to one of those, they’ll be quite different – which isn’t a bad thing. I’d love to try this with more age on it (and maybe a higher proof), as I expect the climate in California with less extremes would allow the spirit to mature for a long time before becoming overly oaked. I didn’t find anything objectionable about this whiskey.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Blood Oath Pact No. 6

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Blood Oath Pact No. 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Finished in Cognac Barrels

49.3% ABV
$100
Website
Blood Oath Pact 6
We would like to thank Luxco and Common Ground PR for sending us samples to review.

What the Blender Says

In its sixth year, the Blood Oath ultra-premium bourbon series continues to see unique expressions – Blood Oath Pact No. 6 launches this spring. The series – a creation of Lux Row Distillers’ Head Distiller and Master Blender John Rempe – combines three selected bourbons, expertly blended for a distinctive whiskey.

For Pact No. 6, Rempe chose a 14-year ryed bourbon with notes of oak and leather, melded with an 8-year warm toasty ryed bourbon and complemented them with a 7-year ryed bourbon rested in cognac casks. The memorable combination brings caramel notes and hints of spice, along extra flavor from the cognac barrels.

“This particular pact is special in that the cognac barrels added some sweetness and a slight fruity, brandy flavor to the bourbon, creating an amazing taste profile,” says Rempe. “When selecting these bourbons, I wanted to see how these flavors meshed together and I have to say the result was spectacular.”

As with all the other expressions, Pact No. 6 is a limited edition, never to be made again, with only 17,000 cases being produced and sold globally. This expression continues with the tradition of a 98.6 proof and packaged in an intricate wooden display box, with the 750ml bottle being topped with a natural cork and emblazoned with John Rempe’s signature. The suggested retail price is $99.99.

“The Blood Oath series launched in 2015 and it’s hard to believe we have already created more than half a decade of Pacts,” adds Rempe. “I’m honored to see consumers searching for the new release every year and get as excited as I am when a new Pact hits the shelves,” adds Rempe.

TASTING NOTES
APPEARANCE: Deep dark amber with long legs.
AROMA: Caramel, butterscotch, brandy and vanilla.
PALATE: Caramel, butterscotch, brandy and vanilla.
FINISH: Lingering spice and nutty.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich coffee cake with vanilla butter-cream frosting, plums, dates, burnt caramel, charred oak, nutmeg with a hint of cinnamon.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel, caramel, butterscotch, toffee, fruity with berries and oranges, cinnamon, nutmeg, a hint of clove with dark chocolate.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with pecans, cocoa, and baking spices.
Comments:  This is another really lovely, rich and luscious whiskey. The cognac finishing is well done – giving it a layered influence and not overbearing. A bit of water brings out more notes of chocolate .

Rating: Stands Out

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