Average

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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Dewar’s Caribbean Smooth

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Dewar’s 8 Year Old Caribbean Smooth
Rum Cask Finish Blended Scotch Whisky

40% ABV
$21.99
Website
Dewars Caribbean Smooth 8 Yr
We would like to thank Dewar’s and Nike Communications for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Dewar’s 8 Year Old Caribbean Smooth Rum Cask Finish Blended Scotch Whisky is an exciting new blend and the first in an innovative cask series from the iconic whisky maker. Crafted from 8-year-old blended Scotch whisky – double-aged and finished in casks that previously held Caribbean rum for a pleasantly unexpected Caribbean smooth and tropical flavor – Dewar’s Caribbean Smooth is an invigorating new blend bringing together two seemingly different worlds: Scotland and the Caribbean.

The result is a slightly quirky, yet supremely smooth taste, unlike anything before. More than just great tasting Scotch, Dewar’s Caribbean Smooth brings two cultures together to create something uniquely richer.

Tasting Notes: Apples, caramel, and biscuity cereal that slips into dark brown sugar and tropical fruit.

Method: Single and malt grain whiskies are aged separately for at least 8 years, expertly chosen, then double aged in oak casks for up to 6 months and then finally finished in rum casks for a Caribbean Smooth taste.

Double Ageing: Dewar’s pioneered ‘Double-Ageing’ in 1881 to create ‘extra smooth whisky’. This unique process is designed to allow the whiskies to fuse, ‘marry’ and interact, creating an extra smooth whisky.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Mustiness with malted grain, notes of fruit hovering above a bit of earthy smoke, with a hint of Caribbean rum.
Palate:  Sweet with a round mouthfeel, a bit of caramel, brown sugar, canned fruit salad with slight pepper spice near the end.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, on the wet side with notes of mixed fruit.
Comments:  This is very smooth, and definitely on the sweet side – but not excessively so. The rum cask finish isn’t heavy handed, and I appreciate the 8 yr age statement. Comparing this side by side to Dewar’s White Label, I found this to be brighter with less smoke and herbaceous, earthy notes. If Dewar’s White Label is your go-to for that balance, be prepared for this to tilt towards the sweeter side of things – but you’d expect it to with a Caribbean rum cask finish. The recommended retail price puts it about the same price as the White Label (here in Atlanta at least), and if given a choice, I would tend to pick this as I often prefer things on the sweeter side more often than not.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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