Average

Blackened – Straight Whiskeys Finished in Brandy Casks

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

BLACKENED
A Blend of Straight Whiskeys Finished in Brandy Casks

45% ABV
$30
Website
Blackened American Whiskey

What the Producer Says

This award-winning whiskey is a marriage of the finest North American straight bourbon & rye whiskeys and uniquely finished and sonically-enhanced in brandy casks, using the BLACK NOISE™ process to extract more flavor from the wood. The sweetness of the bourbon is perfectly balanced with the savory spice offered by the rye. The whiskey is further enhanced with the brandy cask finish adding notes of apricot, which plays perfectly alongside the honey and caramel notes of the blend.

TASTING NOTES
Nose: Burnt caramel, oak & honey
Palate: Honey, cinnamon, allspice, dark fruit, clove & mint
Finish: Long and smooth, slightly creamy with hints of butterscotch taffy, maple & honey

What Gary Says

Nose: Charred oak, caramel, vanilla and honey.
Palate: Honey, cinnamon candy, orange zest, grapefruit, bit of anise and mint.
Finish: Short to moderate in length with pepper spice and caramel apples.
Comments: For starters, I’m a huge fan of Metallica and the late great Dave Pickerell. The whole blasting music are barrels I thought was probably gimmicky, although we know in very mellow climates where the liquid doesn’t interact as much with the barrel the flavors are more muted. All that to say – I wanted to like this; I really did. It isn’t ‘horrible, dump it down the drain’, but I thought it was average at best. You do get some of the nuance from the brandy casks for sure, but it just never left me wanting to raise my glass again.

Rating: Average

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Stoll & Wolfe Blend of American Straight Whiskeys

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review / ,

Stoll & Wolfe Blend of American Straight Whiskeys

43% ABV
$60
Website
Stoll & Wolfe Blend of American Straight Whiskeys
We would like to thank Stoll & Wolfe Distillery and The Whiskey Bard for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Stoll & Wolfe have moved to the forefront of a crowded whiskey landscape by using recipes and methods passed down by Legendary Pennsylvania Master Distiller Dick Stoll. The distillery has been a vital part of reviving whiskey making in small-town Pennsylvania. The collection of Stoll & Wolfe spirits embodies the style and 250-year history of distilling in Lancaster County.

Both the Pennsylvania Straight Rye Whiskey, distilled by Dick Stoll, and the Blend of American Straight Whiskeys, with casks selected and blended by Dick Stoll, have been heavily awarded. Both spirits received scores from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge indicating whiskies that are both highly recommended and excellent in quality. These two flagship bottles were each awarded a Silver Medal at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition – in the Rye Whiskey and American Whiskey categories respectively. Among the awards, both spirits finished as Chairman’s Trophy finalists in their categories with a Top 3 Finish. Stoll & Wolfe has continued to build upon the legacy of Dick Stoll and the early success of these spirits by expanding to a number of whiskey variations and other distilled offerings. Stoll & Wolfe offerings are available in both the tasting room for purchase and pickup or online for shipping nationwide. View our online shop to try one of Pennsylvania’s most authentic whiskies.

Age: 5 Year Bourbon (MGP)/2 Year Rye
Mash Bill: 80% 5 Year High Rye Bourbon (75% Corn/21% Rye/4% Malt), 20% 2 Year Straight Rye (60% Rye/30% Corn/10% Malt)
Cask Types: Zak Cooperage 2 Year air dried staves American oak (2 Year Rye)
Things to Note: Non-Chill Filtered

Tasting Notes
Nose: Warm and approachable with notes of caramel, vanilla bean, and baked apple. A soft undercurrent of toasted grain and sweet corn adds roundness, while a light hint of oak and marshmallow offers depth without heaviness.
Palate: Smooth and balanced. Opens with sweet notes of butterscotch, honey, and light stone fruit. Layers of vanilla, toasted cereal, and soft spice unfold across the mid-palate, carried by the subtle structure of Pennsylvania rye.
Mouthfeel: Silky and medium-bodied with a gently warming presence. The rye brings just enough backbone to support the softer, sweeter elements of the blend.
Finish: Warm and lingering, with brown sugar, light oak, and a fading ribbon of vanilla and marzipan.

What Gary Says

Nose: Soft, mild vanilla, light caramel, buttered corn, fall leaves and a hint of oak.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel with honey, vanilla, bit of butterscotch and subtle wood spices.
Finish: Short to moderate in length with fading honey and vanilla.
Comments: This is a very light, smooth sipping whiskey. Not off-putting in any way, but for my taste it’s just too mild/smooth. I’m a fan of bourbon and rye blends (there’s a company out west who has made a great one for years, although a world-renowned distillery in Kentucky tried one a decade ago – and I’ll just save I’ve forgiven them that mistake).  I also really enjoyed Stoll & Wolfe’s rye whiskey! But this blend just didn’t do anything for me. Appreciate the transparency on the bourbon source (and have had some really nice MGP bourbon), but not sure if the bourbon was uninspiring, or the two just don’t work well together. If tasting blind, I might have guessed this to be a corn whiskey or a light whiskey versus a bourbon and rye blend.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Tullibardine 25 Year Old

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Tullibardine 25 Year Old
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

43% ABV
$300
Website
Tullibardine 25 year Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distiller Says

This whisky was matured for a minimum of 25 years in ex-sherry Hogsheads. It is beautifully aged with wonderful hues of red, orange and brown. Amazingly, no oaky notes appear at all for a whisky of this age. You’ll instead find subtle vanilla, toffee and orange chocolate. Tullibardine 25 Year Old has an incredible viscous quality that fills the mouth with baked banana, orange peel and a long, creamy, silky finish.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Soft and subtle, cereal notes, heather, peaches, grapes, apricots, kiwi, vanilla, oak and cedar.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with butterscotch, orange marmalade, bit of cinnamon, golden raisins, and malt.
Finish:  Moderately long and damp with honey and cereal malt.
Comments:  Very subtle; in fact at first blush it reminds me a bit of a single grain whisky. A polite dram, that isn’t off-putting but honestly was a bit of a let down. I managed to pick this one up on auction for £120 (after hammer price and shipping was around $230, less than retail locally). I wasn’t familiar with the distillery, but with 20+ year single malt I had hoped for more depth and complexity than I got (although I’ve read several reviews that found a lot more of that, so this could just fall into the “apparently not my type” category).

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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RIOT. Double Bonded Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

RIOT. Double Bonded Rye
Double Bonded Blend of Straight Rye Whiskeys

50% ABV
$50
Website
RIOT. Double Bonded Rye Whiskey
We would like to thank Three Chord Bourbon and CHQ Media for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

— First-ever Double Bonded Rye, blending two Bottled-in-Bond ryes from MGP and Bardstown Bourbon Co.
— Label features The Darts, an all female band that has a raw garage-punk energy with a dark, hypnotic groove — think fuzzed-out organs, thundering drums, and fearless vocals.
— This blend of ryes is as unique as the hot pink label in the sea of green ones on the shelf.
— Photo by Ed Arnaud captures the chaos and swagger of the punk ethos.
— Gold Medal winner at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
— Aged 4–7 years; mash bill: 86% rye, 9% corn, 5% malted barley
Tasting Notes
Color: Clear amber color
Nose: Balanced nut and spice characters
Palate: Balanced spice and oak
Finish: Cooling menthol with spice and oak

What Gary Says

Nose: Rye spice with mint, cinnamon, lemon and tangerine zest with a hint of clove.
Palate: Sharp, warm and spicy with chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, honey and pepper spice.
Finish: Short to moderate in length with cinnamon, mint and caramel.
Comments: None of that ‘barely-legal rye’; that high-rye mashbill definitely comes across loud and clear, and fitting with what they’re going for. This one is also better with a bit of water, which brings out a note of grapefruit on the nose. I like the idea of blending products from different distilleries; looking for something unique that might even be greater than the sum of it’s parts. While there wasn’t anything off-putting to me, this didn’t quite achieve that (although a perfectly serviceable rye, especially if you’re looking for a high-rye rye).

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Flipside Triple Wood Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Flipside Triple Wood Bourbon
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Toasted French Oak and American Oak Barrels

45% ABV
$35
Website
Flipside Triple Wood Bourbon Whiskey
We would like to thank Three Chord Bourbon and CHQ Media for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

— Honors blues legend Guitar Shorty, known for wild, electrifying performances and his influence on people like Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy
— Photo by Larry Hulst perfectly captures the intensity and creativeness of Guitar Shorty’s live shows
— Double Gold Medal winner at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
— A blend of straight Kentucky bourbons, aged in new charred American oak barrels, then finished in a mix of new and used toasted French and American oak barrels
— Blend of 4-7 year old bourbons, finished for 2-3 months
— 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley
Tasting Notes
Color: Clear amber color
Nose: Sweet butterscotch with light oak and walnut
Palate: Sweet corn and nutty umami character
Finish: Lingering tingly finish

What Gary Says

Nose: Vanilla, slightly sour oak, fall leaves and wood spices.
Palate: Sweet with caramel corn, cinnamon, honey, anise, nutmeg, bit of chocolate and pepper spice.
Finish: Short to moderate in length with vanilla and oak spices.
Comments: The toasted French oak definitely comes through with all of the spice notes. I found this came across a tad hot for 45%. I would have guessed a higher rye mashbill, but the finishing is definitely adding more of a spice kick. A bit of water helps this one out quite a bit.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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