George T Stagg (2009)

/ / Bourbon, Review /

George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
2009 Release
70.7% ABV
$65
Website
Stagg
What the Distillery Says:
This extremely hearty whiskey ages in new charred oak barrels for no less than 15 years. Straight out of the barrel, uncut and unfiltered, the taste is powerful, flavorful and intense. Open it up with a few drops of water, sit back and ponder the wonders of the universe.

TASTING NOTES:
Lush toffee sweetness and dark chocolate with hints of vanilla, fudge, nougat and molasses. Underlying notes of dates, tobacco, dark berries, spearmint and a hint of coffee round out the palate.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Molasses, toffee, dried unrolled tobacco, oiled leather, with a mint back note.
Palate: Rich, dripping toffee and vanilla, then a large right hook to the palate with cinnamon red hots, black pepper, and oak.
Finish: Slightly dry, with cinnamon, tobacco, cocoa powder, coffee grounds, and oak on mid length finish.
Comments: This is one of those bourbons like Pappy Van Winkle that has become legendary in it’s limited availability as much as it’s tremendous flavor. As Van Winkle is to wheated bourbons, Stagg is to ryed bourbons. And the flavor is tremendous. This is a dark monstrous bourbon. Alcohol content aside, if you can put 70% ABV aside, the flavor is layered, aggressive, and encompassing. You don’t drink this. It let’s you consume it. A quick word about that proof too. This is a monster in terms of alcohol. Water is required either in liquid or solid forms. Personally, I get it down to about 50% ABV for regular consumption but to each their own. If you can get your hands on a bottle I would grab it and not worry so much about “which” George T Stagg you got. You’ll also notice that this is not a single barrel bourbon. It’s done annually in small batches. As such, the flavor profile is very similar year to year. This batch was 109 barrels aged for 16 years and 7 months. For those interested in the bourbon geek minutiae, it was distilled to 135 Proof, barreled at 125 Proof in barrels with #4 55 second char and the barrels were selected from floors 1 and 3 of Warehouse K.
Rating: Must Buy

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Balvenie RumCask 17 Year

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside, The Collector's Cabinet /

The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky RumCask Aged 17 Years
43% ABV
Discontinued
Website
Balvenie_17yr_Rum_Cask
What the Distiller Says:
The Balvenie RumCask 17 Year Old was matured in traditional oak casks before spending a second period of maturation in rum casks shipped from Jamaica.

TASTING NOTES

NOSE A vibrant aroma with intense floral and fruity notes. Orange peel, lavender, coconut and a hint of ground nut oil.

TASTE Beautifully sweet with characteristic Balvenie vanilla notes backed up with subtle spiciness of cinnamon and silky oak.

FINISH Exceptionally smooth and long lasting

What Richard Says:
Nose: Heavy rum influence on the nose. The combination leaves it almost brandy-like. At first you would pick the preceding casks as bourbon due to the rum influence but give it time and a nice sherry note comes floating out.
Palate: Rich, creamy, and rather sweet. The sherry with the rum finishing definitely pushes up the sweetness factor. Nice toffee and honeysuckle notes. A good dose of vanilla and mint add to the mix. Honeydews and mangoes round out the taste tour.
Finish: A like hot but quickly mellows to a slow soft wood. This is a little more understated than I would’ve expected.
Comments: A very dessert appropriate Balvenie. The rum and it’s resulting sweetness may seem a little over played for many palates but I love it.
Rating: Must Try

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Balvenie Signature

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside, The Collector's Cabinet /

The Balvenie Signature Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged Twelve Years
40% ABV
Discontinued
Website
Balvenie Signature 12
What the Distiller Says:
The Balvenie Signature Aged 12 Years is a classic marriage of The Balvenie matured in the three most traditional cask types, first fill bourbon, refill bourbon and sherry. Produced in small, numbered batches, each cask used is hand selected by Malt Master David Stewart to ensure he achieves the expression’s unique character of honey, spice and subtle oak. David Stewart crafted The Balvenie Signature to mark his 45th year in the whisky industry.

TASTING NOTES

NOSE Rich and complex with honey, citris fruits and vanilla oak notes

TASTE Rich and honeyed with a hint of sherry fruitiness. A spiciness of cinnamon and nutmeg and a subtle oakiness develop with time.

FINISH Warm and lingering.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Sherry and a slightly soured cream.
Palate: Lighter more delicate expression of Balvenie. Light honey sweetness, malty, with heavy cereal notes, and mild play between white pepper and oak.
Finish: Crisp, dry, oaky in a raw, chewed toothpick kind of way.
Comments: This isn’t going to rock your world or anything but it’s a fine introductory malt.
Rating: Average

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Retired Balvenie’s

/ / Richard's Blog

Over the next few days we’ll be reviewing a couple of old (dusty if you’re a bourbon guy) Balvenies. One is the now discontinued 12 year old Signature, itself launch in 2008 to replace the old 10 year old Founder’s Reserve. The Signature was replaced with the current 12 year old Single Barrel. Those Balvenie guys can’t keep still ;). The second is one of the earlier limited releases that came down when David Stewart first started playing with rum casks. It’s the 17 year old RumCask bottling from several years back. Stay tuned!

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Germain-Robin Old Havana

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Germain-Robin Old Havana Alambic Brandy
40% ABV
$105 to $115
Website
Germain-Robin Old Havana Alambic Brandy
What the Distiller Says:
Rich deep fruit, nicely oaked, very very mellow. In 1995, during the cigar craze, we bottled a blend called “For the Lover of Fine Cigars”. When the craze died down, we changed the label to Old Havana, then (2001) decided to use the components for XO production. In 2009, we used the 5 surviving barrels to start a solera. “One of the world’s great spirits”(Mens’ Journal) Armagnac lovers prefer it to the XO. Unfiltered.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich dark stone fruits, honeysuckle, vanilla, toffee bars, and a rich sweetened cream.
Palate: Smooth, refined, not brash at all. This old gentlemen opens to the door to his library and enters with aged grace. Light fruity sweetness, well balanced with the wood and nice spiciness to play well with those cigars you’ve been laying down in your humidor.
Finish: Slightly oaked with nice layers of tobacco, and leather.
Comments: You’ll notice from the picture above that the label is the old style after they changed to Old Havana but before the 2009 solera re-imagining. If you find this grab it because it is truly delicious. If I get my hands on the new version before this one is gone I’ll do a side by side but I wouldn’t worry too much about which version you pick up. I haven’t had a Germain-Robin brandy that I didn’t like. For the record this is probably one of my top three favorite cigar accompanying beverages (along with the old version of Dalmore Cigar Malt[not the newer Reserve] and the Cognac barrel finished Parker’s Heritage).
Rating: Must Buy

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