Average

Jim Beam Double Oak

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Jim Beam Double Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finish in Oak
43% ABV
$25
Website

What the Distiller Says
TWO CHARRED BARRELS, ONE INTENSE BOURBON. Like all of our bourbons, the new Jim Beam® Double Oak is crafted in charred oak. Its rich flavor comes from being aged a second time in another separate barrel.

TWO CHARRED BARRELS, ONE INTENSE BOURBON.
Jim Beam® Double Oak is first aged in charred American white oak barrels, then we pour it into another freshly charred barrel to mature for a second time. The added interaction with the oak wood results in a liquid intense in flavour, smooth in taste.

What Gary Says
Nose: Beam’s signature peanut-twang, toasted crème brulee, vanilla and oak with a hint of cocoa.
Palate: Tad sharp but sweet tapioca and vanilla, caramel corn, hint of cinnamon and a dash of pepper over oak.
Finish: Short and drying with some pepper spice at the end.
Comments: Full disclosure – I bought this bottle as a joke (sorry Jimmy – thought I’d out-class your White Label at happy hour!) Well the joke was on me, because I really enjoy it! Is it my favorite bourbon I’ve tried in the past 12 months? No. Top 10? Probably not. But I like it a helluva lot more than I expected to. I’m not a big fan of Jim Beam White Label, nor am I a fan of heavy oak – so I had very low expectations going in. But for the price point – this is a very decent bottle of bourbon with better balance than I expected.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says
Nose: I swear that the more time goes by the more that peanut funk from Beam products becomes more pronounced. You either love it or hate it but all I get is that plus a vanilla and oak.
Palate: More sweet corn forward with a big helping of dry wood to the point of being almost bitter.
Finish: Wood. I’m just left with wood.
Comments: Beam is trying some new things. I appreciate that. They don’t charge you an arm and a leg for them either. I really appreciate that. But this whiskey is a bit of a one trick pony. It’s a very woody trick at that.
Rating: Average

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Ezra Brooks Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

Ezra Brooks Straight Rye Whiskey
45% ABV
$20
Website

What the Bottler Says:
Nose: Hints of chocolate, leather, vanilla and spicy grains.
Palate: Slightly sweet and oaky tones, with a warm and spicy finish.

What Gary Says
Nose: Young rye spice (mint, dill, thyme), hint of citrus zest and a bit of alcohol.
Palate: Thin, soft rye spice, subtly sweet, sour patch candy.
Finish: Short and a tad dry.
Comments: I’m a fan of Ezra Brooks 7-yr, 101 proof bourbon – so when I saw a straight rye offering, I jumped at it. Even with a 24 month age statement, I’ve enjoyed young rye (much more so than young bourbon). This doesn’t remind me of most young rye, which tends to be aggressive. This is very soft to me for a rye. The nose is squarely in the young-rye category, but the palate was too soft/subtle for me. If I was looking for a rye at a similar price-point, I’d spring for the extra few bucks and go with Rittenhouse Bottled-In-Bond. While this is 90 proof, it drinks to me like an 80 proof, which is disappointing.
Rating: Probably Pass

What Richard Says
Nose: Super light on the nose. It’s almost like rye white dog. Just a bit of mint with lemon/lime zest.
Palate: Surprisingly sweet with loads of caramel and vanilla dancing around the mint and black pepper.
Finish: The finish is a bit harsh. Lots of pepper and alcohol burn.
Comments: Meh. Not good, not bad. Very average. There isn’t anything that makes me want to reach of this over something else.
Rating: Average

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Advent Day 18: Dalmore 12 Year

/ / Highland, Review, Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky /

18 days in and we head back to the sherry side…

The Dalmore Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years
40% ABV
$60
Website

What the Distillery Says
The Dalmore 12 year old, with its intricate aromas and flavours, is recognised as a whisky with character far beyond its age. This was Andrew Mackenzie’s original masterpiece and stood apart from the norm of the day. At a time when it was standard practise to mature whisky for no more than 6 years, Andrew Mackenzie demonstrated his pioneering character by doubling the maturation period. His boldness truly paid off, The Dalmore 12 year old still stands apart as an exceptional whisky today, as it did then.

Matured for an initial nine years in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, the spirit is then divided for its final flourish. One half remains in the bourbon barrels, while the other is transferred to exclusive 30 year old Gonzalez Byass Matusalem oloroso sherry butts before they are reunited to create this phenomenal whisky.

What Richard Says
Nose: Big sherry nose on this one with a malty and cocoa powder backing.
Palate: Syrupy orange sweetness playing with a….”dampness” is the only word that comes to mind. A bit of a one trick pony.
Finish: Coffee and dark chocolate…mochaccino maybe? Draw the finish out and it turns bitter.
Comments: Dalmore is one of those “remember when” scotches. As in “remember 20 years ago what it tasted like?” Back when I first started to drink scotch, just about everything Dalmore produced was pretty stellar. This current 12 year old is a pale shadow of what they used to make. Now there really isn’t anything special going on in this malt. And on top of the quality decline, there is a huge jump in price since Dalmore redid their line about 8 years ago. They see themselves as a top tier luxury malt now. Of course, that also includes the requisite luxury pricing. $60+ a bottle? Nah.
Rating: Average

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Advent Day 14: Mackmyra Brukswhisky

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review, Richard's Blog /

Day 14 of the whisky advent calendar bring a Swedish treat…

Mackmyra Brukswhisky Swedish Single Malt Whisky
41.4% ABV
$55
Website

What the Distillery
Mackmyra Brukswhisky is an exciting, well-balanced whisky, created to be enjoyed at all times. Enjoy Brukswhisky as it is, with or without ice, on any occasion.

NOSE Butterscotch, citrus, pear, licorice, banana and mint.

TASTE Fresh fruity and peppery. Youthful, fruity flavor with a spicy taste of toffee.

What Richard Says
Nose: Kind of mealy with notes of barley and malt.
Palate: Fruity sweet with an edging of ground black pepper. Clean with a slightly minty note.
Finish: Fleeting with a bit more pepper spice.
Comments: Meh. This is my first experience with Mackmyra and it isn’t starting with a great first impression. This is very light, uninspiring, and should probably be regulated to a mixer…and a pricey mixer at that.
Rating: Average

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Advent Day 12: Evan Williams BIB

/ / Bourbon, Review, Richard's Blog /

Day number twelve brings a classic bottled in bond bourbon from my whisky advent calendar…

Evan Williams Bottled in Bond
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$17
Website

What the Distillery Says
Evan Williams White label is our signature 100 proof, Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon. To be labeled as Bottled-in-Bond,” a spirit must be the product of one distillation season and one distiller at one distillery, bottled at 100 proof and aged for at least four years under U.S. government supervision.

Evan Williams White is bold and full-flavored, with all of the kick that you would expect from a 100 proof Bourbon without sacrificing any of the smoothness. Perfect in a classic cocktail, as well as neat or on the rocks.

Nose: Caramel with hints of vanilla, oak & barley
Taste: Citrus on top of vanilla & black pepper
Finish: Warm, long & dry

What Richard Says

Nose: Big vanilla candy notes with a back of corn pudding.
Palate: Malt o Meal, burnt caramel, and cinnamon brown sugar oatmeal.
Finish: Lingering dryness.
Comments: Are you thinking about getting into bourbon? Are you wanting to trying out some classic and quintessential bourbons. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond should surely be on your list. It has great flavor and versatility. Not the greatest but classic.

Rating: Average

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