Review

Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 15 Years Old
Fall 2011 Release
53.5% ABV/107 Proof
$80
Website

What the Distillery Says:
They really don’t say much. Like most Buffalo Trace whiskeys they refer to review PR.

A younger version of our famous 20-year-old Pappy Van Winkle’ Family Reserve, this bourbon was crafted according to our exclusive family wheated recipe. The smooth, oak flavor blends well with the barrel proof. Selected from barrels in the heart of our Kentucky warehouse, it has remained untouched for 15 years and unhurried by time. “A whiskey connoisseur’s bonanza,…remarkable find…ranks with the best whiskeys,” Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal.

What Richard Says:
Nose: For such a lovely bourbon the nose on this is surprisingly coy. It’s got a mellow cleanness to it out of the bottle. Bring in the water and out rolls the toffee, nutmeg, and vanilla custard.
Palate: Dear God that’s rich! Caramel drizzled vanilla custard with lots of cinnamon and a little dark chocolate.
Finish: The finish is like a warm bourbon blanket wrapping you up. The oak and spice are there but they play a supporting role to everything that came before.
Comments: The contrarian in me wants to hate this because of all the bullshit hype Van Winkle bourbons have surrounded themselves with the last few years. There are no more over hyped bourbon products on the market by a wide margin. If you don’t “know somebody” or don’t camp out like groupies looking for tickets to see Bon Jovi on the Slippery When Wet Tour then you ain’t getting any of this. And the incessant bourbon geek flame wars over which distillery is which bottling from are enough to make me want to hate this stuff without all the hype. (BTW, many thanks to Chuck Cowdery and John Hansell for finally putting THAT to rest) There just one problem with my personal vendetta against this stuff…it’s so freaking GOOD! Despite all the ridiculous fervor and all the pseudo bourbon intellectual poser assholes talking it up on the stool next to you this stuff is really good. I don’t know why the Weller recipe ages so well but it does. The 15, 20, and 23 are all great. This is the only one you can still get for under $100 although I still wish it was $50 a bottle like it was when I started drinking it. If you have the means and opportunity don’t pass this one up.
Rating: Must Buy

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Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Rip Van Winkle Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Aged 10 Years
Spring 2011 Release
45% ABV/90 Proof
$45
Website

What the Distillery Says:
They really don’t say much. Like most Buffalo Trace whiskeys they refer to review PR.

This fine whiskey has as pleasant a taste as any around. The 10 full years of aging combine nicely with its 90 proof. A hint of caramel flavor is enjoyed when one tastes this fine hand-crafted bourbon. This bourbon has a “rich, plush texture” (Tastings.com).

What Richard Says:
Nose: This nose takes a little time to open up. When it does it reminds me of dark fruit drizzled with sweet rum moving towards vanilla. As the glass begins to clear it kicks out huge notes of cinnamon.
Palate: Rich and mouth encompassing. There is a lovely caramel and vanilla sweetness.
Finish: Toasted oak and a nice spiciness.
Comments: Let me caveat what I’m about say by starting with the fact that I like this bourbon. I really do. That said, the Van Winkle hype machine has unfortunately infected every product in their line. This 10 year old bottled at 90 proof (often referred to as the “ORVW 10/90”) is a nice bourbon but not worth fighting or scrounging over. For those of you out there that don’t know, Buffalo Trace uses the same recipe for ORVW 10/90 that they do for their Weller line. In the 5-7 year range there’s Weller Special Reserve at 90 Proof that can be had for as little as $9.99. Weller 12 Year is in the $25 range. But for some reason this is almost twice as much at two years younger just because the Van Winkle name is on it. Is it a nice bourbon? Yes. At $25 or even $30 it would be hard to beat as an everyday pour. However, at this price I’d say try it if you can but don’t think this is any kind of must have bourbon. Kudos to Julian and Preston Van Winkle for their PR machine but you can get just as good of bourbon for a lot less coin.
Rating: Stands Out

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Old Weller Antique

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Old Weller Antique Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
53.5% ABV/107 Proof
$22 to $25
Website

What the Distillery Says:
[Quoted from Wine Enthusiast Magazine on their website]
A medium amber bourbon, bearing a sweetish note with some unusual floral notes and a string dash of vanilla. The body is big and the palate is very well balanced, flirting between sweet honeyed fruit notes, a strong vanilla undertone and some sharp spicy tones; the finish is long and spicy.

A very well crafted whiskey. Sip it at room temperature with a little spring water or over ice.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Vanilla, honey, maple syrup, and an astringent alcohol note. Yes it can be watered down but then you’d just have Weller Special Reserve!
Palate: Chewy, fruity sweet, lots of vanilla, and it trails out with a spicy smack more from the alcohol than the mashbill.
Finish: Caramel covered oak bars sprinkled with black peppercorns.
Comments: I don’t want to start bitching about the loss of age statements. If you want that then jump over to StraightBourbon.com. However, I do find it a vexing state of affairs where the products we love are becoming more popular, leading to thinner stocks, leading to the removal of more and more age statements. Like Weller Special Reserve (WSR) this used to be a 7 year old. It’s tastes about the same as it did before the age statement dropped off but that’s just me. It’s more important that the bourbon tastes good right? Well this one does. This is the same as WSR just at higher proof. I like this one better. The extra alcohol is good for this particular bourbon. The price has been creeping up a little lately but it’s still a great buy and kicks the shit out of Maker’s for an inexpensive wheated bourbon. After all, with more age on it this stuff ultimately ends up as Pappy Van Winkle after all. 😉
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value

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Innis & Gunn Irish Cask

/ / Review /

Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask Oak Aged Beer
Scottish Stout Matured in Irish Whiskey Barrels
7.4% ABV
$12.99/4 pack

Website

I was contacted before St. Patrick’s Day about reviewing a new beer from Innis & Gunn. We don’t really do beer reviews here but when I hear it was a Scottish stout aged in Irish whiskey barrels my interest was piqued. For those of you not familiar with Innis & Gunn they make oak barrel aged beers. The founder, Master Brewer Dougal Sharp started quite by accident with a contract to season oak barrels with beer for a whisky producer. Somewhere along the way they tasted the “seasoning beer” and found it to be uniquely exceptional. Since then they’ve played around with a number of different casks and this is their latest.

Admittedly, I have nowhere near the experience with beer that I do with whisky. So in all fairness to the brewer I’m bringing in a pinch hitter on this one. My friend Sam is a mathematics and statistics guru, photographer, foodie, and more importantly a beer enthusiast with decades of experience. I’ve been dragging him down the slippery slope of whisky for a few years now but he still loves a tasty brew. He kindly agreed to help me out with this review.

What the Brewer Says:
Introduction
This special bottling of Innis & Gunn has been matured in rare oak barrels from a famous distillery in Ireland. These barrels had previously been used to mature one of the great triple distilled Irish whiskeys. The result of this unique maturation is a big, full flavoured, complex beer with a delightful warming finish.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Vanilla, Oak, Chocolate, Treacle
Colour: Black
Palate: Rich and intense dark chocolate
Finish: Complex and satisfying, with a lingering oaky sweetness.

Food Matches: Haggis, smoked venison and chocolate cake.

What Sam Says:
This has the consistency of a Lager (I’m thinking of the Guinness “Black” Lager because of its dark/black color) … it’s called a “Stout” but it’s not what I think of when I think Stout relative to the “thick” consistency… maybe the Scots do it differently?

My first impression is chocolate and it had me wondering if it would go well with some dark chocolate. I didn’t have any but I did have some lamb chops with a rather sweet olive tapenade. This beer complimented the food very well. Irish Whiskey Cask? The first thing I was looking for was the strong hints of whiskey, but I didn’t find it (and through my continuing education about whiskey, I did suspect that it might not be as evident as say a beer aged in a bourbon cask). Oddly enough, I was about half-way through the glass, and it was like “there it is!” So I drank some more. The effect of the Irish Whiskey Casks is faint, but I think that’s a good thing. There are some beers aged in whiskey casks that might as well have been a shot poured into the glass. This one complimented the beer and seemed to stay behind the curtain until it was ready to be introduced.

I would recommend this beer to my beer-loving brethren with confidence while knowing that Innis & Gunn is one of those polarizing brews (some love it … some hate it). My favorite Innis & Gunn is still the Rum Cask, but the Irish Cask is a solid #2 in their lineup.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich, malty, a little nutty
Palate: Chocolate sweetness like a dark chocolate of moderate cacao. Nutty with a little bite too it I don’t find in a lot of stouts. Over ripe apples that have gone a little mealy. Golden delicious or granny smith maybe.
Finish: Fresh warm rye bread, the aftertaste of fine aged English cheddar, and a berry fruitiness.
Comments: I don’t have the experience with Innis & Gunn that Sam does but I’ve also heard their beer can be a little polarizing. This is great stuff. Their cask aging gives the stout a sharpness and a layer of flavors that I haven’t seen much in other stouts. This one is a real winner.
Rating: Must Try
I would like to thank the folks at Handcrafted PR for sending over bottles for review.

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Weller Special Reserve

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

W.L. Weller Special Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Aged 7 Years
45% ABV/90 Proof
$10 – $20
Website
Weller Special Reserve 7 Yr
What the Distillery Says:
The Original “Wheated” Bourbon Whiskey
Replacing the rye grain in our recipe with wheat provides for an exceptionally smooth taste. And at 7 years of age and “Kentucky proof”– 90 proof, W. L. Weller is a truly outstanding buy.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Weller always comes across with honeysuckle sweetness, crisp apples, and black peppercorns.
Palate: Bourbony? 🙂 It’s not very sweet but it’s nicely balanced with oak, caramel, vanilla, and a peppery spice at the end of the palate that runs into the finish.
Finish: Crisp and a little spicy. The spice hangs around through the end of the finish.
Comments: Confession time, I’ve had a really hard time coming up with review notes for this one. It’s not that Weller Special Reserve isn’t distinctive. Rather, I use this specific bourbon in a lot of the cooking I do. As a result, most of the notes I originally came up with are reminiscent of my bourbon meatballs, pecan pie, or bourbon cream cheese frosted red velvet cake. I use is so much because it’s a mellow and pleasing bourbon that works well with food. Think about this alternative the next time you’re in the store and you’re reaching for a bottle of Maker’s Mark. Plus, if you look hard enough you may find it for almost half the price. 😉
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value

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