Bourbon

Parker’s Heritage Collection First Edition

/ / Bourbon, Review, The Collector's Cabinet /

Parker’s Heritage Collection Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 1996 vintage
64.8% ABV
Limited Release
$80 to $90

What The Distillery Says:
Parker’s Heritage Collection is a tribute to sixth generation Master Distiller, Parker Beam, for his 45+ years of service to the distilling industry. Hand-selected by Park himself, this first edition has been aging in oak barrels since 1996 and has been drawn from the barrel at cask strength proof. This distinctive style of American Whiskey offers a truly extraordinary bourbon experience. – Best enjoyed with a splash of water.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Wild berry sweetness and caramel come through more than I would expect at this proof. With water I get coconut oil and melon fruit rind with a subtle hint of citrus.
Palate: It opens up with water to a lighter floral bourbon with hints of ripe fruit and licorice.
Finish: Water is a must, at which point this goes down nice and long. It’s very mellow with traces of polished oak and citrus.
Comments: This is not Stagg and at this proof this bourbon really needs a sizeable does of water. There were three different bourbons bottled in this collection for the first release and all are indistinguishable from the packaging except for the different proofs. This one was generally considered the less of the three. I haven’t had the others but this does stand out. However, I would expect more at this price point.
Rating: Stands Out

What Matt Says:
Nose: At first there are the standard notes you would expect from a bourbon (vanilla, caramel, oak).  Just under the standard fare, there is a strong note of apple cider sediment.
Palate: Warming and oily with notes of charred oak, caramel, vanilla and cloves.
Finish: Oak, oak, and more oak.
Comments: Maybe it’s because this was my second dram of the night, but I did not require the amount of water Richard suggests.  I found this one to be much more enjoyable at full strength.  There is a warming velvet complexity that collapses quite a bit with water.  He is right about one thing.  George T. Stagg this is not.  I’ve tried a few of the Heritage Collection bottlings and this is not my favorite.  A little above average, but only a little.
Rating:  Stands Out

Overall Rating:  Stands Out

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Old Forester @ Louis 649

/ / Bourbon, Matt's Blog

Last night, Louis 649 hosted a tasting of Old Forester bourbon.  According to Master Distiller Chris Morris, New York City has not seen a tasting like this in a generation or more.  Well, I’m glad they came and even more glad that I was there to see/taste it.

Chris started with the history of Old Forester and Brown-Forman.  An interesting story to be sure, but I won’t retell the whole thing here.  Just know that Old Forester is the longest continually produced bourbon brand and George Garvin Brown was the first to bottle bourbon for retail.  Previously, bourbon was purchased by the barrel and there could be great variety in barrels even within the same distillery.  Brown started by vatting whiskey from three distilleries to produce a signature taste profile and bottling the vatted bourbon under the name Old Forrester (they later dropped the second ‘r’).  After the passage of the Bottled-In-Bond Act, Brown purchased a distillery and started making bourbon using roughly the same recipe they use today.  I’ll leave the rest of the story for Chris to tell.  Now let’s talk about the whiskey…

Old Forester 86 Proof
This is the flagship Old Forester, produced with a high rye content and a low percentage of sour mash.  As a brand, Old Forester rarely talks about age.  Chris chooses barrels based on flavor, not age.  However, most of the bourbon in 86 is aged 4-5 years old.
Nose: Smells like bourbon; oak, vanilla, sour mash, orange shellac.  I’m reminded of the less offensive notes in Jim Beam.
Palate: Teacakes and Christmas spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.).  Very smooth and a little sweet.
Finish: Short, a very quick (and low) burst of burn and it’s gone.
Comments: Mild, easy going, but with some flavor too.  The 86 is not as bold as I like my bourbon, but is very enjoyable.  I would recommend this as a good starter bourbon.
Rating:  Average

Old Forester Signature
The Signature keeps alive the tradition started with the Bottled-In-Bond Act.  It follows all the rules for Bottled-In-Bond, including the 100 proof requirement.  If you think this is just high octane 86 though, you are wrong.  Chris has specific things he looks for when choosing barrels for the two labels.  For Signature, he’s looking for bold.
Nose: Big nose; coffee, crème brulee, chocolate, and tobacco leaf.  When agitated, a sweet floral bouquet emerges (lilac, violets and honeysuckle).
Palate: Amazingly smooth, viscous, strong rye notes (mint, cinnamon, nutmeg), citrus and caramel
Finish: Again there is that burst of burn, but here there is some oak, dark berries and chocolate.  It disappears too quickly though.
Comments: Very easy to drink at 100 proof.  In NYC, Signature is hard to find and runs almost twice the cost of the 86 proof.  Is it twice as good?  I think so.
Rating:  Stands Out

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon (2009)
Birthday Bourbon is released once per year, represents a single day’s production and different each time.  This difference comes from environmental conditions, variables in process, and length of maturation.  The 2009 vintage is roughly 13 ½ years old and 97 proof.
Nose: Less chocolate and coffee than the Signature, but more caramelized sugar.  It’s softer in general.  Some of the orange shellac from the 86 proof comes back into the equation.
Palate: Dry, delicate, wood heavy with rye spice (mint and nutmeg) and hints of smoke and earth.
Finish: No burn, the rye notes hold on for a bit, but the finish is fleeting.
Comments: There is an almost Scotch-like character to this bourbon.  The flavors are light and balanced.  I’m reminded of a bourbon barrel aged Balvenie I once sampled.  Very enjoyable.
Rating:  Stands out but different.

Of the three, my favorite is the Signature.  It’s what I look for in bourbon.  I like bold flavors.  The nose intrigues and impresses me.

We finished the night with one of Louis 649’s signature cocktails, the Gold Rush (Old Forester 86, lemon juice and honey).  I highly recommend it.

-Matt

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New U.S. Releases – April ‘10

/ / Bourbon, Other Whisk(e)ys, Scottish Whisky

I’m late with this again and I’m sorry. I was on vacation with my lovely wife. Without further delay, here’s what we heard about this month.

For those high rollers out there…
Glenfarclas 40 Year Old
Timeframe: The UK launch was 4/29 but I haven’t heard specific U.S. details yet
ABV: 46%
Price: $525
The release notice only gave a GBP price but based on current exchange rates I did the math for you. We know that about a quarter of the production for this release will be coming stateside. I have yet to try a 40 year old scotch but if anyone wants to get me something special…my birthday is in July.

For the microdistilling enthusiast:
Mckenzie Bourbon Batch #1
Timeframe: May 1st
ABV: ?
Price: $45
This is the new bourbon coming out of the Finger Lakes Distillery. Matt and I tried their rye and corn whiskeys at WFNYC 2009 and based on that experience this looks pretty interesting. Due to the small initial supply it’s only being released in New York State. However, if you’re in New York it should be available at around 130 different retail locations. Happy hunting!

We’ve got a couple of retired Master Distillers getting back into the game:
Angel’s Envy Bourbon
Timeframe: September 2010
ABV: 45%
Price: ?
This is a new project led by Lincoln Henderson, the retired master distiller from Woodford Reserve. Lincoln and his son Wes are launching a new bourbon and a new distillery. This first release is being made for them but they should be up and running at their own distillery around the same time.

WhistlePig Straight Rye Whisky
Timeframe: Late spring 2010
ABV: 50%
Price: $70
This is coming to us from Dave Pickerell who used to be the master distiller at Maker’s Mark. Dave found some 100% Canadian rye whisky that he thinks is pretty good. The mashbill is 100% unmalted rye and it’s around 10 years old.

Canadian Buffalo Invasion:
Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky
Timeframe: May 2010
ABV: 40%
Price: $49.99

Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whisky
Timeframe: May 2010
ABV: 40%
Price: $29.99

Both of these are coming to us courtesy of Buffalo Trace. Matt previously mentioned this release but I thought I’d add in a few more details.

Finally making it across the pond:
Kilchomon
Timeframe: September 2010
ABV: 46%
Price: $70
Kilchoman is finally making it to the U.S. It won’t be until this fall so I don’t yet know if we’ll get some of the Autumn 2009 release or if it will be a new 2010 release. Stay tuned.

Mackmyra
Timeframe: May 2010
ABV: ?
Price: ?
Swedish whiskey makes it to the U.S. I might just stop by IKEA on my way home from buying some.

And finally:
Early Times 150th Anniversary Bottling
2010 marks the 150th anniversary for Early Times and they are putting it out in a special 375ml bottle for the occasion. The retail should be around $11.99 if you’re interested.

That’s it. If you know of anything I missed then please let me know.

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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New U.S. Releases – March ‘10

/ / Bourbon, Other Whisk(e)ys, Scottish Whisky

Wow…here we are almost half way through April and I haven’t posted the March new release roundup. Many apologies for this oversight. I’m a new dad which is a constant source of distraction and on top of that there was a death in my family last week. Regardless, there were a number of intriguing March announcements in the whiskey world. Here’s what we heard about.

Amrut Indian Whisky
Timeframe: April 2010
There are a host of Amurt whiskies coming stateside in April. They should be in New York and New Jersey first and then trickle into Chicago, Kentucky, and Massachusetts by mid-April. Of all the ones we tried at WFNYC 2009 the Fusion was our favorite.

Amrut Single Malt Whisky
Amrut Peated Single Malt Whisky
Amrut Single Malt Cask Strength Whisky
Amrut Peated Single Malt Cask Strength Whisky
Amrut Fusion Whisky

Crown Royal Black
Timeframe: April
ABV: 45%
Price: $30
This is supposed to be a higher proof and more robust Crown with deeper bourbon notes. I’m not a huge CR fan but they’ve peaked my interest. I guess I’m going to have to start buying Canadian too.

Four Roses 100th Anniversary 17 Year Old
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: 55%
Price: $75
My growing adoration for Four Roses is nearing Buffalo Trace level fervor. Mr. Rutledge is making great Kentucky bourbon with Japanese ingenuity. This is on my short list.

Glen Garioch
Timeframe: Spring 2010
Glen Garioch had revamped their range and a new Founder’s Reserve and 12 Year Old should be coming soon to a market near you. I tried them both at the SMSW Extravaganza last month and was pleased with what I tasted.

The Dalmore Mackenze
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: 46%
Price: TBD
This was launched on March 17th and we posted Dalmore’s release at the time but I’m still waiting on U.S. information on distribution and pricing. There are only 3,000 bottles worldwide so it will be limited.

Seagram’s Dark Honey
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 35.5%
Price: $16.99
Seagram’s is throwing their hat into the continuing flood of new whiskey-type releases following Wilde Turkey American Honey and Jim Beam Red Stagg.

That’s what I heard about last month. If you heard anything that I missed then please shoot me an email. On a positive note, the Apostles will be together in Atlanta this weekend. We might even get some site-related work done between drams. Stay tuned for new reviews!

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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The Buffalo Has Landed!

/ / Bourbon, Richard's Blog

For all you rabid Atlanta Buffalo Trace fans out there, I have visible confirmation that we now have Buffalo Trace Bourbon in Atlanta! Matt and I cornered the BT representative at WhiskyFest NYC 2009 demanding to know when we’d be seeing Buffalo Trace in Atlanta. At the time he said that they were just moving into Chattanooga before year-end and he anticipated getting it to Atlanta by the end of 2010.

Well, it’s here and it’s early. I’ve only seen it at the Tower Package Store on Piedmont but I’ve seen it. I went in looking to pick up a bottle of Yamazaki 18 and I decided to look around a little. I don’t get to Tower very much anymore since I moved to the ‘burbs. As I was checking out the tasty array of bourbons I noticed a familiar bottle three shelves down. 1 liter bottle of BT for around $30! Woohoo! I’m sure you know what I had to do. If you’re also having a hard time finding Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel (I know I have) they also have that in 750ml bottles for around $30.

If anyone else sees Buffalo popping up around town please let us know in the comment section of this post.

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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