Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2011

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, 2011 Edition
49% ABV/98 Proof
$45 to $50
Website
Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2011

What the Distillery Says:
George Garvin Brown, founder of Old Forester bourbon and the first person to bottle bourbon, was born in Munfordville, Kentucky, on September 2, 1846. This vintage release of Old Forester has been selected to honor the birthday of this bourbon pioneer, innovator and industry leader.

This year’s vintage release of Old Forester is crafted from a 62 barrel batch of 99F11. That day’s spirit was matured in barrels crafted from Northern and Ozark terroir sourced white oak. This resulted in the development of some rich fruit notes (Ozark) and deep, dark char (Northern) characteristics. The barrels were stored in warehouses H and I, on their 1st and 6th floors respectively. These locations exposed the barrels to extremes of heat and cool which resulted in a rich, complex maturation profile.

Color Creamy toffee.
Aroma Rich in dark carmel and chocolate notes with layers of toasted hazelnut, leather, blackberry fruit and spiced with hints of clove and cedar.
Taste A complex array of red plum, blackberry and hints of citrus fruit covered with a layer of dark chocolate caramel and sharp honey underpinned with clove spice, anise, cedar and a faint hint of mint.
Finish Big and warming with a subtly sweet oak and fruit character.

What Richard Says:
Nose: This year’s release is very “smack you in the face” spicy immediately when it comes to the nose. I also get a lot of vanilla, caramel, and dark chocolate.
Palate: The palate on this one isn’t as nice as the nose. Chocolaty and spicy with notes of old leather but not quite as nice as last year’s release.
Finish: The finish is hot, oaky, and a little minty.
Comments: A nice 12 year old again worthy of purchasing but not quite as enjoyable as last year’s release. The palate is a little flat and the finish is a little hot. If there was a little more balance between these two and I would like it more. Unfortunately, the price on this bottling also keeps going up so it’s not as good of a buy as it used to be.
Rating: Stands Out

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Evan Williams Single Barrel 2001

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Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Single Barrel Vintage 2001, Barrel No. 74
43.3% ABV/86.6 Proof
$25 to $30
Website

What the Distillery Says:
This Bourbon was personally selected by our Master Distiller, only after meeting his exacting standards for this vintage. Taken from a single barrel, it is the purest achievement of the Bourbon making art. Bottled unblended with other barrels to preserve its individuality. Hand-numbered as a sign of its limited availability.

What Richard Says:
Nose: This nose is a little more robust than recent vintages and the standard release. Dark caramel, honeysuckle, and orchard fruits.
Palate: If the nose was a little bolder then the palate is much richer and bolder. There is a ton of vanilla with Heath bars and oak.
Finish: The finish is very woody and reminds me of a turn of the century (19th to 20th) old man’s study. Think old wood furniture and big leather chairs.
Comments: I look forward to this release every year. In truth I look forward to the annual release of all the bourbon’s I’m reviewing this month but the Evan Williams is a lot friendlier to my wallet. Every year this release is a little different. It surprises me how different given the same recipe going into the barrels. I actually like this year’s expression a little more than last year because it’s a little bolder. Evan Williams tends to be a mellow easy drinking bourbon but this year’s vintage release cranks it up a little. I like that.
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value

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American Irish Whiskey

/ / Matt's Blog, Richard's Blog

Big news came down the pipe on Friday. Beam Inc. (formally Beam Global) purchased Cooley for $95 million. Cooley was the last Irish owned whiskey distillery in Ireland. Diageo (British) owns Bushmills and Pernod Ricard (French) owns everything else through Irish Distillers. Here’s the press release that went out on Friday.

Beam Announces Agreement to Purchase Cooley Distillery, Award-Winning Irish Whiskey Company

Beam Entering Fast-Growing Irish Whiskey Category

Opportunity to Leverage Beam’s Strong Distribution and Brand-Building Capabilities

Award-Winning Portfolio of Irish Whiskeys Includes Kilbeggan and Connemara

Dublin, Ireland, and Deerfield, Illinois, December 16, 2011 – Beam Inc. (NYSE: BEAM), a leading global premium spirits company, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase Cooley Distillery, the award-winning independent Irish whiskey producer. The acquisition of Cooley, the industry’s only remaining independent Irish whiskey distillery, will mark Beam’s entrance into one of the spirits industry’s fastest-growing categories. The purchase price is approximately $95 million on a debt-free basis.

Cooley owns and produces the Kilbeggan, Connemara, Tyrconnell and Greenore brands. It currently sells approximately 250,000 9-liter cases per year – divided among its brands, private label products and bulk sales to third-party customers – and has production capacity to support substantial future growth. Beam expects the acquisition to be earnings neutral in 2012 and increasingly accretive moving forward.

“Cooley is one of only three sources for Irish whiskey, and the only independent player, so this transaction is a unique and compelling high-return opportunity to enter one of the industry’s highest growth categories,” said Matt Shattock, president and chief executive officer of Beam. “We see the opportunity to leverage our combination of scale with agility to further build consumer demand for Cooley’s award-winning brands, and to expand distribution off a relatively small base in key export markets for Irish whiskey across North America and Europe. Cooley’s brands and distilleries have a heritage that’s unmatched in the world of Irish whiskey, so they will be a great fit with our portfolio of brands with long and rich histories. We look forward to being good stewards of these iconic Irish assets. We are also eager to work with the Cooley team, led by the Teeling family, who have built Cooley with so much pride and passion, to capitalize on the opportunities that lie ahead.”

John Teeling, Chairman and Founder of Cooley Distillery, said, “Beam understands whiskey. They have the culture, experience and global strength to enable the Cooley portfolio of brands to reach their potential in the fast growing Irish whiskey category. The renaissance in Irish whiskey, most evident in the United States, is now spreading across the world. Through Beam, our brands, built on quality, will be introduced to a host of new consumers. I am certain that the marriage between Cooley and Beam will benefit all.”

With both grain and malt distilleries, Cooley is able to produce a complete range of Irish whiskey styles. The company’s Kilbeggan Distillery, opened in 1757, is reputed to be the world’s oldest distillery and produces Cooley’s flagship blended Irish whiskey. Cooley’s many accolades include being named European Spirits Producer of the Year for an unprecedented four consecutive years by the International Wine & Spirit Competition (2008-2011).

The Irish whiskey category grew 11.5% in 2010 to 4.86 million cases according to Impact Databank. The leading markets for Irish whiskey, according to Impact, are the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, South Africa and Germany.

The transaction is structured as a tender offer in which Beam will offer Cooley’s stockholders $8.25 in cash for each outstanding share of Cooley stock. The transaction is conditioned upon holders of at least 80% of Cooley’s outstanding stock accepting the offer and other customary closing conditions. Holders of over 75% of Cooley’s outstanding stock have irrevocably agreed with Beam to tender their shares in the offer. The parties expect to complete the transaction in the first quarter of 2012.

About Cooley Distillery

Cooley Distillery is the award winning independent Irish whiskey distillery. Established in 1987, Cooley takes its name from the location of its distillery, situated at the foothills of the Cooley Mountains, in Co. Louth. Cooley has an award winning portfolio of Irish whiskeys including Kilbeggan Irish whiskey, Tyrconnell Single Malt, Connemara Peated Single Malt and Greenore Single Grain Irish whiskey. To learn more about Cooley Distillery visit www.cooleywhiskey.com .

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Parker’s Heritage Collection Fifth Edition

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Parker’s Heritage Collection 10 Year Old Barrel Finished
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
50% ABV/100 Proof
$75 to $80

What the Distillery Says:
Two great distillers have collaborated to create an extraordinary taste profile for the fifth offering in Parker’s Heritage Collection – Parker Beam, Heaven Hill Distilleries’ 6th generation Master Distiller & Alain Royer, innovative French Cognac blender. Their product: Cognac Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Royer’s long family history and expertise in the French Cognac industry aided in the selection of two-to-three-year-old Limousin oak casks from the House of Frapin. The Grande Champagne Cognac, which had aged in those casks, permeated the wood with it’s very light, floral and evanescent bouquet. Meanwhile, Parker Beam carefully hand selected a very limited number of the finest, super-premium barrels of 10-year-old Bourbon. The Bourbon was then finished for six months in Limousin oak casks to take on some of the Cognac’s characteristics. Bottled without chill filtering to preserve the unique taste and aroma, this Cognac finished Bourbon is a rare treat for every Bourbon collector.

This series of limited edition American straight whiskeys is a tribute to innovative and honored 6th generation Master Distiller Parker Beam who has been distilling, aging, and selecting critically acclaimed American whiskeys since joining Heaven Hill in 1960.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Toffee and oatmeal come to mind. There is also base hint of succulent roasted meats that surprisingly is not off-putting. With a little water it opens up to a muscadine jelly note that reminds me of my grandmother’s preserves.
Palate: The palate is rich and creamy. The base flavors of light sweetness, mellow oak, and vanilla I find in Evan Williams show through but in a more refined way. It’s like Evan put his tuxedo on for the evening.
Finish: Oak, leather, and a hint of smokiness. I immediately think of enjoying this with a fine cigar in an old leather chair in men’s club.
Comments: The base whiskey Parker and company used for this year’s edition is a 10 year old from the Evan Williams recipe. It was a great choice. I find that recipe tends to be on the mellow side and doesn’t always make itself known. That same character makes it very receptive to the cognac influence. I also want to make a note on the use of water. I never add any to any Evan Williams bottling I’ve had. It’s much too subdued of a bourbon to take water in my opinion. This release is no different. While water opens up the nose a little to some of the fruitier components it wrecks havoc on the palate and finish. At bottle strength it’s very drinkable and that’s how I would recommend it.
Rating: Must Try

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Let’s have some fun with blends

/ / Richard's Blog

I try to sound a little more professional when I write. So, you would be forgiven if you haven’t picked up on the fact that I’m a bit of a smartass. I also enjoy a good joke or ruse at the expense of others. Physical pain or personal embarrassment isn’t required. Merely getting one over a friend or acquaintance is enough to satisfy me in the short term.

With that in mind, I’d like to propose a little holiday prank. Let’s assume for a moment that you have a well stocked whiskey bar. Included in this bar would be a nice pleasing bottle of blended scotch. Now let’s also assume you have one or more friends who are such single malt snobs that they won’t dare to lower themselves enough for blended scotch to even pass their lips. If this is the case then I suggest slipping them a dram of that nice blended scotch you have to see their reaction. I’m not talking about giving them a glass of swill as a joke. I’m suggesting that you slip them a glass of good blended scotch and get their reaction for the sole purpose of exposing their ridiculous snobbery and hypocrisy. If you’re quick with the camera phone then you might even get a picture of their face after they’ve told you how good it is and you subsequently tell them it’s a blend. If you do, feel free to email it to me.

I’ve mentioned my opinions and frustrations on several occasions regarding the growing perception of blended scotch among single malt drinkers. In case you haven’t read those before let me reiterate:

1. Blended Scotch as a category is not inferior to Single Malt Scotch.
2. Blended Scotch can be very good.
3. Some Blended Scotch can be much better than some Single Malt Scotch.
4. Most of the Scotch sold in the world is Blended not Single Malt by an huge margin.
5. If it wasn’t for Blended Scotch we wouldn’t have the variety of Single Malts we do because most of their sustaining production goes into blends.

Read it, print it, preach it. If you yourself fall into the camp of “malts rule, and blends drool” then I suggest doing a test on yourself. The next time you’re in the liquor store pick up a nice blend. Try it by itself. Try it blind with other malts. Try it with friends. You might be really surprised by what you find. If you want a place to start here are a few you might want to try.

Black Bull 12 Year Old
Black Bottle
Johnnie Walker Gold
Chivas Regal 18 Year Old
Compass Box Asyla
Compass Box Great King Street

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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