Average

Bruichladdich – The Classic Laddie

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Bruichladdich
The Classic Laddie
Scottish Barley

Unpeated Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
50% ABV
$55-$65
Website

What the Distillery Says

Head Distiller Adam Hannett has individually selected casks to showcase the classic, floral and elegant Bruichladdich house style. Made from 100% Scottish barley, trickle distilled, then matured for its entire life by the shores of Loch Indaal in premium American oak, it is a testament to the quality of our ingredients.

THE NATURAL OILS
We never chill-filter our whiskies because this industrial process strips out the natural oils and esters that give Bruichladdich a wonderful rich, oily mouthfeel.
A characteristic ‘band of gold’ is created when water, which is denser than our whisky is carefully added to the glass.

TASTING NOTES
CHARACTER – Smooth as pebbles in a pool. It’s clean, fresh and lively with both the oak and the grain in perfect harmony.
COLOUR – Sunlight on fields of early summer barley.
NOSE – The bouquet is brilliant. Opening with barley sugar and a hint of mint before leading into the most wonderful notes of freshly cut wild flowers; buttercup, daisy, meadowsweet, myrtle, primrose and cherry blossom. The cleanliness of the spirit is remarkable. As the seconds tick by, more aromas rise from the glass, little zephyrs of spindrift and sea pinks reminding you that this spirit is matured exclusively by the sea. After some four or five minutes and with the addition of a little water, caramelised fruits drift onto the scene; lemon drops and honey, tangerine and tablet.
PALATE – The palate entry is so refined and refreshing, the sweet oak and the barley arriving together sending the taste buds into raptures. The fruits from distillation drift in on an atlantic breeze and pop on the tongue like champagne bubbles. A combination of ripe green fruit, brown sugar and sweet malt bring closure. A taste back in time, a realisation that not all single malts are equal and to achieve the absolute optimum, you must use barley that is made in Scotland. Make this one the benchmark for all others you meet on your journey through the stills of Scotland.
FINISH – Unforgettable! Its best enjoyed in good company, you just don’t want the evening to end. It brings warmth to the heart and soul. The clock slows down and the cares of tomorrow disappear into the dawn.
MOOD – Conviviality! Relaxed, enjoying the spirit in the glass and the laughter from tales often told but never tired of hearing.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sweet malt, with a bouquet of floral and herbal notes, bit a dried mint and sea breeze.
Palate:  Nice mouthfeel, not quite creamy, blanched pears atop vanilla flan with caramel; builds up with pepper spice and a bit of clove at the back.
Finish: Moderately long;  slightly drying with some mint and subtle pepper spice.
Comments:  Richard picked up the Bruichladdich The Wee Laddie Tasting Collection Gift Pack, which included three 200mL bottles. I’m glad he did! Starting with this as the baseline for exploration of the three, which for my tastes is pleasant enough although definitely on the subtle side. Nothing that jumps out and grabs my attention, but also nothing that turns me off.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Lazy River Kentucky Straight Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Lazy River Kentucky Straight Bourbon

45% ABV
$30
Website

What the ??? Says

So this is a product of Frank-Lin Distillers Products (although it isn’t acknowledged on their web-site, but they are on the TTB label application). That’s it. That’s all I could find.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla, caramel, subtle cinnamon and a hint of oak.
Palate:  Sweet, caramel with vanilla, a hint of milk chocolate.
Finish:  Short to moderately long with a bit of pepper spice at the end.
Comments:  This was the 3rd 50 mL bottle I bought at Total Wine (the Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon and Winchester Straight Bourbon being the other two), and I tasted all three of those at the same time over a period of days. This was by far the best of those three, which doesn’t say much. With no age statement, as a straight bourbon it has to be at least four years old, and that’d be about my guess. Nothing objectionable about this pour – other than the price. This one might give Evan Williams Black Label a run for its money. I sorta wish I had done a blind side by side of those two, but not enough to invest the couple bucks in another 50 mL. And certainly not enough to buy a whole bottle. Even if it were close, to be priced at $30 – unless you really dig the bottle/label, I would highly recommend buying the 50 mL first. Maybe it will blow some folks away and be well worth it, although I can’t imagine why.

Rating: Average

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Winchester Straight Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Winchester Straight Bourbon

45% ABV
$25
Website

What the ??? Says

[Other than this is made by Terressentia and is available at Total Wine (presumably exclusively there), nothing. Really. We tried to find more info on their web-site with no success.]

What Gary Says

Nose:  Floral perfume notes, sweet with a hint of baking spices.
Palate:  Vanilla, a hint of caramel and oak with a bit of nutmeg.
Finish:  Short and damp, with a hint of spice.
Comments:  Like the Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon, this was another 50 mL gamble where I had very low expectations. Per the label this is ‘at least 2 years old’, and tastes like you’d expect a 2 year old bourbon to taste like. The floral notes on the nose were different, but otherwise this rose to my low expectations (although for the price, there are so many bottles I’d buy before this, I couldn’t list them all). Usually with craft spirits, I compare them to Evan Williams Black Label – a very simple, straight bourbon. And I’d prefer that over this (even at the lower proof).

Rating: Average

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Coopers’ Craft Barrel Reserve

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Coopers’ Craft Barrel Reserve

50% ABV
$30 – $33
Website

We would like to thank Punch Media and Brown Forman for sending us samples to review.

What the Distiller Says

THE PROCESS: Barrel Reserve 100 Proof is aged in an American White Oak barrel that is specially chiseled and charred on the inside to deepen the whiskey’s wood exposure,creating a bold and complex Kentucky bourbon.

THE NOSE: Fresh hewn oak with hints of smoke and char are spiced with hints of cinnamon and leather atop a layer of orchard and citrus fruit. Sweetened with a sprinkling of vanilla wafer crumbs.
THE TASTE: Caramel and cotton candy coat fresh apple, pear and citrus fruit atop vanilla wafers dusted with sharp cinnamon.
THE FINISH: Assertive cinnamon spice softens to a lingering apple and clean oak note.

MASHBILL: 75% Corn, 15% Rye, 10% Malt

What Gary Says

Nose: Fresh oak with vanilla, leather, some orange zest zip and a hint of cinnamon.
Palate: Vanilla with green apples and orange notes as pepper spice unfolds and slowly explodes over cinnamon.
Finish: Short to moderate in length, drying with cinnamon and oaky pepper spice.
Comments:  To start with, I want to remind readers that I wasn’t a fan of Coopers’ Craft when it first came out – which is ok.  The various press releases and marketing materials in 2016 expressed that it was ‘an exceptionally smooth bourbon that is aimed at the entry-level drinker’ – so clearly I wasn’t their target market.  When offered a sample of this new release, I accepted.  The unique barrel treatment and higher proof gave me hope that I’d find something I liked, as I am a fan of other Brown Forman products (like Old Forester, a classic spicy bourbon that I think is often underrated).  It definitely helped, and this has considerably more going on in contrast, as well as a sharp edge.  While a significant step up (at least for me), I just didn’t find anything that stood out to me.  Now if you’re a fan of Coopers’ Craft, this might squarely hit the mark (although if you really like that ‘exceptionally smooth’ profile, keep in mind that this definitely has a sharper edge).

Rating: Average

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Glen Moray Classic Port Cask Finish

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Glen Moray Classic Port Cask Finish

40% ABV
$30
Website

What the Distiller Says

This light and fruity expression is finished for eight months in Port pipes from Porto Cruz, the N°1 Porto company in the world. The spirit picks up intense embellishments of summer fruit, dark chocolate and cinnamon and a distinct pink hue.

NOSE: Toasted vanilla and light oak, rich dried fruits.
TASTE: Refreshing spice with a citrus lemon tang. Caramelised sweetness with cinnamon.
FINISH: Lingering, with sweet spice and delicate oak.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sweet young malt, hints of plum with a sour cereal and port wine note, hints of berries in cream and leather.
Palate:  Sweet, round waxy mouthfeel, smooth with only a scant hint of dark fruit in the back.
Finish:  Short, damp, and fleeting.
Comments:  Following up after a port-finished bourbon, this was far less satisfying. This is the first Glen Moray bottle I’ve bought, and for $30 – I went in with fairly low expectations. The nose was promising, and had me hopeful I had discovered a diamond in the rough, but the palate was a let down. Nothing off putting in this dram – I won’t be dumping the bottle (may experiment with mingling this with something else), but won’t be picking up another either.

Rating: Average

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