Average

Benriach The Thirty Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

/ / Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Benriach The Thirty
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Four Cask Matured

46% ABV
$800-$900
Website
Benriach The Thirty Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

This exquisite single malt has been crafted from peated spirit and four cask matured for at least thirty years in sherry casks, bourbon barrels, virgin oak casks and port casks from the Douro Valley. During long maturation Benriach’s sweet Speyside smoke mellows and integrates with the fruit, malt and oak. After thirty years, rich layering develops into sublime honeyed smoke, further enhanced through multi-layered cask maturation. The whisky from each cask type, imbued with particular flavour characteristics, is then expertly married together to create an exquisitely harmonious single malt, layered with dark fruits, rich walnut and velvety oak spice with a long, complex, smoked honey finish. All in perfect balance.

TASTING NOTES
COLOUR: Mahogany
NOSE: Stewed plum, baked orange, smoked walnut and cinnamon cocoa
PALATE: Dark fruit, manuka honey and chocolate raisin, with a long and complex smoked honey finish
SMOKE LEVEL: Complex

RACHEL BARRIE – MASTER BLENDER: “The Thirty has an incredible intensity of flavour but also exceptional refinement. The deepest, richest expression of Benriach on every level.”

What Gary Says

Nose: Fruit notes with figs, raisins, currants, orange, leather, hint of smoke with a nuttiness.
Palate: Dark fruit notes of raisins and plums, honey, chocolate, peaches, cinnamon and a bit of peat smoke.
Finish: Long and damp with fruity floral notes, faint spice and just a wisp of smoke.
Comments: This is a quite nice, mature, and elegant single malt. With this kind of age, you expect depth and nuance which this delivers. With a few drops of water, the nose brings forward more orange notes and a bit of cedar, while on the palate the mouthfeel thickens and becomes creamier. All that said, it isn’t intense with the flavor – and the price point is ridiculous. But if someone is offering a pour, nothing objectionable in the glass – this is a nice dram to sit and ponder with.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

Benriach The Thirty Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky Read More »

E&J VS Brandy

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

E&J VS Brandy

40% ABV
$14
Website
E&J VS Brandy

What the Distillery Says

E&J VS entered the scene in 1975 and has been an OG fan-favorite ever since. Sip it straight-up, or mix it up as a cocktail.

Tasting Notes
Barrel-aged for a minimum of two years
Hints of apple, toasted oak, and vanilla
Crisp and light-bodied

What Gary Says

Nose: Bright, crisp, subtle floral, perfume with grapes.
Palate: Round mouthfeel, light, grapes, bit of baking spices with vanilla and a hint of pears.
Finish: Short to moderate in length, slightly drying with caramel and fading spices.
Comments: Compared to E&J XO Brandy, this is brighter but thinner. Shows that the XO age absolutely makes a difference. For only a dollar or two more, I’d definitely go for the XO and skip this one all together. Don’t get me wrong – this wasn’t bad or anything like that, but just pales in comparison for my money.

Rating: Average

E&J VS Brandy Read More »

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

Blackened – Straight Whiskeys Finished in Brandy Casks Read More »

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

Stoll & Wolfe Blend of American Straight Whiskeys Read More »

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

Tullibardine 25 Year Old Read More »