Bulleit Bourbon Cranberry Old Fashioned

/ / Cocktails

Bulleit Bourbon Cranberry Old Fashioned

Bulleit Bourbon Cranberry Old Fashioned
We would like to thank Bulleit and Taylor Strategy for sending us a sample to review.
Bourbon Soaked Cranberries

  • 2 oz dried cranberries
  • 4 oz Bulleit Bourbon
  • 1 cinnamon stick

To make Bourbon Soaked Cranberries, add the cranberries, bourbon, and cinnamon stick to a sealable glass container. Give it a stir and let the mixture sit on the counter for 1 day.
Remove the cinnamon stick and put the bourbon cranberries in the refrigerator. Keep up to 1 month, refrigerated. Makes 6-8 cocktails.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz Bulleit Bourbon
  • 1/2 oz infused Bulleit Bourbon, from the dried cranberries
  • 1 spoonful bourbon soaked cranberries
  • 1-2 strips orange zest
  • 2-3 drops orange bitters
  • 1 tbsp simple syrup, or to taste
  • orange wedges, for garnish
  • ice

Instructions

  1. Fill a glass with ice.
  2. Add the bourbon, infused bourbon, some of the bourbon cranberries, orange zest, orange bitters.
  3. Stir the cocktail and taste.
  4. If needed, add sugar syrup a little at a time until the cocktail is sweetened to your liking.
  5. Garnish with orange wedges.

What Gary Thought: First, I do like how cranberry plays in a whisk(e)y cocktail. I followed the instructions to a T – except not filling my glass with ice (I opted for a few cubes). This was absolutely delicious. I went with maybe a teaspoon of simple syrup, which was the right amount for me (the cran-infused bourbon was plenty sweet). One tip – if you’re making for a party, double or triple the soaked cranberries because these will go quick!

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Booker’s 2020-03 “Pigskin Batch”

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Booker’s “Pigskin Batch” Batch 2020-03
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

6 Years, 7 Months, 7 Days
63.65% ABV
$90
Website
Booker's 2020-03 "Pigskin Batch"
We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says:

The third release of the Booker’s® Bourbon 2020 Collection is Booker’s Batch 2020-03 “Pigskin Batch.” This batch is a nod to 6th Generation Master Distiller Booker Noe’s love of American football, which eventually became a whole family affair.

Booker was a good football player back in the day, playing both tackle and kicker on his high school team. He was quick for his size — standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing close to 300 pounds — and strong from working as a farm hand growing up. Although he ultimately never pursued a college football career, he was talented enough to practice with the team when he attended the University of Kentucky as a freshman – a rare honor in those days.

Anyone who knew Booker knew his love of football. Whether it was his favorite team on the television or his son and grandson playing in the backyard, Booker loved watching a game and made the sport into a true Noe family tradition.

TASTING NOTES

Like all batches of Booker’s Bourbon, Booker’s “Pigskin Batch” was selected by 7th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe to ensure it upholds the qualities and standards that his dad set for Booker’s Bourbon more than 30 years ago and that fans of the brand have come to know and love. Uncut and unfiltered, Booker’s “Pigskin Batch” has a beautiful light brown color. The aroma contains brown sweets and slight vanilla notes. The flavor is big and bold with a finish that is long and warm.

Booker’s “Pigskin Batch” is best enjoyed neat, over ice or with a few drops of water.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Salted caramel, vanilla crème brûlée slightly over-roasted, heavy oak, pecan praline, peanut brittle and chocolate.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel with heavy caramel, spice notes of nutmeg and pepper kicking in with dark chocolate, oak and a bit of orange.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with dark chocolate, oak and citrus spice.
Comments:  A really nice pour. I don’t have all of the various batches from 2020 to try to compare against, although in a blind side-by-side against 2018-04 “Kitchen Table” and 2013-06, I did find I preferred this one (which is props as I really liked 2013-06, one of the initial ’roundtable’ batches). The variation is subtle from batch to batch, and I found this one to be more on the sweet side, with a bit less spice and oak. Takes water really well, although I don’t mind it at bottling proof. The streak of “hadn’t met a Booker’s I didn’t like” remains unbroken!

Rating: Must Try/Stands Out

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Gifts We Can Give Ourselves

/ / Gary's Blog

During this holiday season, many will scramble to find the perfect gift for family, friends and loved ones – contemplating their likes and dislikes. Likes and dislikes can be funny things. They aren’t always absolute. Some stick with us our entire lives while others change. Within the whisk(e)y community, there has (and will continue to be) endless debate on this topic – how much a whisk(e)y changes over time versus our tastes or enjoyment of it.

A reader from my home state of Michigan, Scott Mac, shared a story with me after reading my review of Old Tub Bottled-in-Bond Unfiltered. His first taste from his bottle left him ‘underwhelmed’, reminding him of bottom shelf Beam with a peanut taste he didn’t care for. He left the bottle alone for a month or two, and upon revisiting it found he really enjoyed it. His son-in-law, who tried it when he opened the new bottle, concurred – and he recommended I let my bottle sit for a bit and to revisit later.

Scott’s experience reminded me of my first bottle of Booker’s, which I had bought in 2010. I didn’t care for it at all. It was painfully hot, and I couldn’t get past the burn. As it was the most expensive bottle of anything I’d ever bought at the time ($45 or $50), I wasn’t about to pour it out – so I pushed it to the back of my meager cabinet and forgot about it for a year, or maybe two. During that time, my cabinet grew from 5 or 6 bottles to probably two dozen, and my tastes had changed considerably. I had gotten past the high-proof wall, discovering such gems as George T Stagg and William Larue Weller. In rearranging my bottles, I noticed the Booker’s and pulled it out. It was a completely different bourbon from the one I spat out upon first trying. Suddenly the notes of rich caramel and chocolate I had read about were there – and it no longer reminded me of some gasoline cocktail.

I have no doubt in that case the change was with my palate – not the whisk(e)y. But at the end of the day – what difference does the ‘why’ make? The facts are that I had a bottle I didn’t care for, set it aside for some period of time, and upon revisiting – liked it much better! What more could you ask for (other than liking it that much out of the gate of course)?

Returning to Scott’s experience with Old Tub – do I expect that if I put that bottle away for a few months, I’ll like it a lot more than I did initially? Honestly – I have no idea. But I might – and that anticipation is a gift. For the next few months, when my eyes pass over that bottle, I’ll be reminded of the surprise and delight that Scott and his son-in-law experienced after giving it some time – and that will bring a smile to my face. And you know what – even if my palate or the bourbon doesn’t change one iota – the fact that I’m anticipating it might be better stands a good chance to leading to my enjoying it more!

And if I enjoy it more simply because of the anticipation – what difference does the ‘why’ make? After all – enjoying it is the name of the game.

If you have an open bottle that you didn’t care much for, do yourself a favor. Set it aside for a bit, and revisit it. Maybe you won’t like it anymore, and you won’t be out anything. Or maybe just the mere anticipation that you might like it better will make a difference. Either way, it’s a gift you can give yourself that doesn’t cost you a dime.

Cheers!

Gary

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Redemption 10 Yr Barrel Proof Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

Redemption 10 Yr Barrel Proof Rye

58.1% ABV
$100
Website
Redemption 10 year barrel proof rye
We would like to thank Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits and R\West for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Mash Bill: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
COLOR: Deep amber with lime hues.
AROMA: Seductive aromas of black caramel, molasses, and vanilla layered over tones of freshly cut grass and hints of ginger.
PALATE: The palate has amazing concentration. The spicy rye notes evolve with flavors of dark chocolate, licorice and fennel laced together with cardamom, black pepper and tarragon. The finish is long and mellow.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich orange, caramel, chocolate, lemongrass, ginger, oak, cinnamon, clove, fresh cracked pepper with a hint of anise.
Palate:  Dark chocolate orange, caramel, honey, rich with baking spices – clove, cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, and pepper.
Finish:  Moderately long with baking spices, honey and oak.
Comments:  This is a really nice barrel proof rye.  Lovely Christmas spice notes throughout.  I’m a big fan of the really high rye mash bill rye whiskies (compared to the more common ‘barely legal rye’ with just over 50% rye), and especially at barrel proof.  Water really opens it up, although I loved it neat.  This is nice and robust – an excellent cocktail rye that works just as well for sipping neat.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Redemption 10 Yr Barrel Proof High Rye Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Redemption 10 Yr Barrel Proof High Rye Bourbon

57.2% ABV
$100
Website
Redemption 10 year barrel proof high rye bourbon
We would like to thank Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits and R\West for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Mash Bill: 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
COLOR: Dark gold, flecked with crimson.
AROMA: Rich vanilla oak with hints of aged balsamic and violets.
PALATE: The silky texture of this whiskey is simply amazing combined with the spicy rye backbone, the flavors abound. Toffee, honey, and roasted nut flavors dominate this whiskey, which finishes with the exotic flavors of star anise, nutmeg, and a hint of lemongrass.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich vanilla, salted caramel, oak, fall leaves, cinnamon, dark chocolate with notes of orange bitters.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel, warm and rich caramel, spicy toffee, coffee cake, cinnamon, chocolate, baking spices, pepper, a bit of clove and anise.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with cocoa, pepper, oak and baking spices.
Comments:  Another really nice barrel proof bourbon.  I prefer this over the 9 Year, probably more because of the higher rye mash bill than the extra year of age.  Takes water really well, tamping the sharp edges without losing the depth.

Rating: Stands Out

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