Average

BenRiach 10 Years Old Single Malt

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

BenRiach 10 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

43% ABV
$55-$65
Website
BenRiach 10 Yr Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

Bottled at 43% vol, the BenRiach 10 Years Old is Classic Speyside in character. The cask formula focuses on ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks – exactly the types of wood we favour at BenRiach. This fresh, lively, fruit-laden single malt captures WARM OAK SPICES, GREEN APPLE, DRIED APRICOTS, PEACH and BANANA with subtle touches of ANISEED, LEMON ZEST and BARLEY.

TASTING NOTES
COLOUR: Crisp summer gold.
NOSE: A fresh and lively combination of crisp, green orchard fruits, stem ginger and hints of tangerine mellows to creamy vanilla with a delicate note of mint and a gentle twist of citrus, all held together with a sweet barley back note.
TASTE: Warm toasted oak spices flood through green apple skins and dried apricots, ripening to hints of peach and soft banana. Subtle touches of aniseed and lemon zest create a contrasting edge to the fruit and add an intriguing character to the long, crisp barley finish.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Floral and cereal with honeysuckle, apples, pears, peaches, vanilla with a hint of lemon and cinnamon.
Palate:  Cereal sweetness with vanilla, honeyed-malt, a hint of spice (nutmeg).
Finish:  On the short side, drying with a bit of spice.
Comments:  Not objectionable, but a bit uninspiring. I prefer the nose over the palate by a fair margin. While it definitely fits into the Speyside character, it is on the thin end of that spectrum.  For the money, I’d go for a Balvenie 12 yr Double Wood or Macallan 12 yr, both of which are within $5 of the same price here in Atlanta –  but obviously different strokes for different folks.

Rating: Average

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Jim Beam Straight Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

40% ABV
$20
Website
Jim Beam Rye

What the Distillery Says

(This is a discontinued label, replaced with the Jim Beam Pre-Prohibition Rye in early 2015 which is bottled at 45%)

What Gary Says

Nose:  Soft rye spice with mint, eucalyptus, vanilla, honey, charred oak and a hint of cherry and lemon zest.
Palate:  Thin mouthfeel with vanilla and cinnamon, a sour oak note and just a touch of citrus pepper spice.
Finish:  Short with oak and pepper.
Comments:  This is the older version, and as a straight whiskey with no age statement, safe to assume it is just over 4 yrs old. The new version is similarly non-age stated, although bottled at 45% ABV. The nose is rye, but light – and the palate reminds me more of a young bourbon than rye. Nothing objectionable, but not very good either.

Rating: Average

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Black Bull 21 Year Old

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Black Bull 21 Year Old
Blended Scotch Whisky

50% ABV
$135
Website
Duncan Taylor Black Bull 21 Yr Blended Scotch Whisky

What the Blender Says

Stoically independent and without compromise. Black Bull was first released to discerning drinkers in 1864, and has since grown to become a renowned whisky of quality, offering a powerful sensory experience, and delivering indulgent, uncompromised depth.

Black Bull is still blended to the same formula today as was used in the very beginning, using a large percentage of quality Speyside and Highland malts, matured in sherry and bourbon casks, blended to a high malt to grain ratio, and finally bottled at a robust 50% abv.

Black Bull 21 is unfettered by chill filtration, allowing the character of each carefully selected 21 year old whisky to shine through to its full potential, resulting in a unique blend that is outstanding in its field.

TASTING NOTES
COLOUR: Bright gold.
NOSE: Citrus, red apples, tangerines with a touch of caramel.
TASTE: Very lively and fresh with zesty notes. Nutmeg and cloves with sweetness of vanilla and barley sugars emerging. An excellent balance.
FINISH: Warming pepper, gentle nutty notes and toasted marshmallows to finish. A fantastic expression, reminds us of Christmas.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Lovely stewed fruits – apples, pears, apricots and figs, with nutmeg, clove, leather, oak and a faint hint of balsamic.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with honey, malt, subtle pears, bit of nutmeg, fresh cracked pepper and a hint of peat.
Finish:  Moderately long drying with oak, earthy pepper and a hint of fruit.
Comments:  The nose on this is really nice, but the palate was disappointing. Just less complex and intense – and one of those rare drams where I enjoyed it less with each sitting. Just a fairly mediocre dram that isn’t in my wheelhouse. Nothing off putting about it – like a funk or anything like that, and the nose is nice – but the palate tops out at highly ordinary for me.

Rating: Average

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Germain-Robin Heirloom Apple Brandy

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Germain-Robin Heirloom Apple Brandy

40% ABV
$50-$70
Website
Germain-Robin Heirloom Apple Brandy

What the Distillery Says

In 1982, Ansley Coale and Hubert Germain-Robin brought a 13HL antique potstill to Mendocino County, rescuing it from an abandoned distillery in Cognac. Since 1983, Germain-Robin has
used craft methods to distill premium varietal wine grapes, grapes superior to those distilled in Cognac. Their brandies are the pure, focused concentration of the varietal characteristics of some of California’s best wine grapes – and now appples. Cellared in French Limousin Oak, brought to bottling proof with filtered rainwater, these brandies have been frequently reviewed as among the finest distilled spirits in the world.

We’ve been distilling apples since 1991. About 9 years ago, we learned that long-time apple plantings in nearby Anderson Valley were semi-abandoned: their heirloom cultivars had little commercial value. By paying a premium, we were able to preserve the orchards and to obtain wonderful distilling material. The climate is perfect: warm sunny days for ripe flavor, cool coastal nights for crisp acidity. This brandy is exceptionally smooth, long, and complex.

Apple brandy is in limited production, some 250-300 cases each year. We distill and cellar each apple cultivar (ever heard of Black Twig, Ribston Pippin, or Wickson?) separately if possible, blending the brandies when they have had time to fully develop their individual qualities. The blend includes distillates ranging in age from 6 to 15 years, some of it coming, solera style, from a reserved portion of the previous year’s release. Descent to bottling proof is with filtered rainwater.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Freshly cut apples with subtle cider spices, a hint of anise and clove with a winey note.
Palate:  Sweet, apple cider with a nutty pepper note on the back, a tad thin.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with slightly sour apples.
Comments:  This is the first apple brandy I’ve ever had, so making zero claims to how this stands up to others. Honestly, brandy isn’t a spirit I’ve spent a lot of time with (anyone is welcome to have at “Brandy Apostle”). For me, this was like a super-refined apple cider. There are some nice spice notes (subtle by comparison to a cider, but more than you might get in an apple wine), but quite heavy on the apple. Not objectionable, and a nice break for a fall afternoon, but just not in my wheelhouse.

Rating: Average

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Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review / ,

Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition

40% ABV
$30
Website
Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition

What the Distillery Says

Irish Whiskey, craft beer barrels.
Like all the best conversations, the one between Jameson’s Head of Whiskey Science and the Head Brewer of a local craft beer brewery, started at the bar. A swapping of whiskey and beer barrels soon after, resulted in Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition – triple-distilled, blended Irish Whiskey that has been patiently finished in Irish craft beer-seasoned barrels.

Nose: An initial aroma of freshly cut hay is complemented by a crisp orchard fruit character – green apples and pears, with a twist of lime zest. Mild pot still spices appear, deepening from green tea to hazelnut and milk chocolate.
Taste: The initial sweet mouth coating typical of the Irish pot still inclusion is quickly complemented by the subtle touch of hops and cocoa beans from the beer cask finish.
Finish: Long and sweet with milk chocolate and butterscotch.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Floral and yeasty notes of cut hay, dry cocoa powder, subtle pears with hints of dried tea.
Palate:  Sweet with a creamy mouthfeel, caramel and honey with bits of cocoa, a touch of stout.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, on the damp side, sweet with notes of stout.
Comments:  Per their original press release, this is a collaboration with local Irish micro-brewery Franciscan Well. Of the three Caskmates I reviewed, this was the lightest in color and the most like Jameson Irish Whiskey.
A much more gentle, nuanced finish compared with the Bale Breaker Topcutter IPA or Revolution Brewing editions. Nosing reminds me a bit of an empty pint of Guinness. Nothing objectionable, but this was the least interesting of the three for me – which is strange as Guinness is one of the only beers I do enjoy.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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