Average

Knappogue Castle 12 Year

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Knappogue Castle Single Malt Irish Whiskey Aged 12 Years
40% ABV
$40
Website
menu-bottle12
What the Bottler Says:
Introducing Knappogue Castle® 12 Year Old. Continuing an Andrews family tradition of exceptional quality Irish Single Malts. Our Passion is for Perfection.

Knappogue Castle announces the first time release of its 12 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey. A new package design reflects the change from vintage dating to age designation. As the original vintage dated whiskey, Knappogue is undertaking this change to bring greater clarity to the age of the product.

“We found that some consumers didn’t realize how long Knappogue Castle Single Malt was aged, therefore missing a very important part of what we do to make it smooth, bright and spicy” observes Mark Andrews, son of the brand’s founder. “We want to be perfectly clear about the age of Knappogue Castle Single Malt. Now, there’s no need to calculate how long it was aged because we’re stating it boldly on the front label. The age of the product is something we’re proud of along with the fact that no color is added” says Mr. Andrews. “Although our standard offering will be the 12 year old single malt, we will continue to have special bottlings of rare and unique distillations which will most likely bear a vintage date.”

Tasting Notes:
Mellow, well rounded, well balanced, medium intensity; a bright, elegant fruit and mildly spicy taste with a medium-long, clean finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Grassy, fresh and light with a fruity and slightly herbaceous nose.
Palate: Creamy with a light fruity sweetness that reminds me of peaches and cream with a marshmallow on top.
Finish: A hint of pepper on the transition and then mild and mellow.
Comments: Irish whiskey is not unmalted triple distilled scotch from an island to the west. There are very fine flavors and textures that make Irish whiskey delicious and sought after in it’s own right. One of the more divisive things is a more mild and mellow drinkability. Scotch detractors will say it is more easy drinking without all the harsh things they don’t like about scotch. Scotch lovers may say Irish is too bland. I judge each whiskey individually and try at all costs to avoid generalization. This one however, I feel is under proofed and too bland. It doesn’t have anything about it that makes me want more. Another 6 to 12 proof points and maybe a smattering of sherry barrels in the mix would help a lot. That said, others may really enjoy this as a smooth go-to whiskey. Only your taste can tell you. [Source Distillery: Bushmills.]
Rating: Average

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Alberta Rye Whisky Dark Batch

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review / ,

Alberta Rye Whisky Dark Batch
Canadian Blended Rye Whisky
45% ABV
$30
Website
bottle
What the Distillery Says:
There is no quaint, “Old Grandpa So-and-So”, ancient family story here.

Truth be told, you have to be unusually patient, persistent, fanatical, and the right amount of crazy to make rye whisky. Alberta Distillers embraced this challenge and not only made rye whisky, they mastered it. Today, Alberta Distillers is the number one rye producer in North America with more than 450,000 barrels aging on site.

After years of perfecting their craft, the master distillers at Alberta Distillers wanted to continue to push the rye envelope and come up with not just another rye whisky, but a better rye whisky.

And so, Alberta® Rye Dark Batch™ was born. A true expression of the skilled craftsmen who have made rye whisky their passion for nearly 70 years.

91% Rye Whisky
8% Bourbon
1% Sherry

What Gary Says:
Nose: Malted rye, cereal grain, sherry, with subtle smoke
Palate: Soft, subtle-malty-cereal thing, cherries, not sharp/crisp like American rye, more Earthy; sherry is less prominent than on the nose
Finish: Moderate, with the sherry peeking through
Comments: When I first nosed this, I thought of Lot 40 (another Canadian Rye) . . . but different. When I tasted it, that comparison disappeared. This is much more of a subtle/gentle whiskey on the palate, and reminds me a bit of a bottled cocktail. I really love how unique it is (and unique in a good way – not a “well that was odd for the sake of being odd” way). I also really appreciate that it doesn’t break the bank to take it out for a spin.
Rating: Must Try

What Richard Says:
Nose: The rye kind of gets muted by a creamy sherry nose. There is a minty sweetness there but the sherry stands out. It’s kind of like a mint julep made with sherry instead of bourbon.
Palate: Dark fruits, more sherry, peppery rye spice, with a minty back.
Finish: A little touch harsh. Not hot, like young but more industrial. It’s like licking a rubber band.
Comments: I recently had a barrel aged Manhattan that a coworker had worked on for some time. His secret ingredient was a bit of tawny port. Wow did that overwhelm the drink. I applaud the inventiveness of Alberta here but the sherry, and really all fortified wines, should be reserved for finishing/aging barrels and not as an actual additive to the whiskey. It really overpowers the nose, is the 800 pound gorilla on the palate, and oddly leaves the finish unfortunately untouched. It stands out as being different to me but not in a “you should consider that in purchasing choice” kind of way. I’m not a fan of this one. This will be my first and last bottle. [Or I may just gift the rest to Gary 😉 ]
Rating: Average

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The Black Grouse

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

The Black Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky
40% ABV
$25 to $30
Website
the-black-grouse-plain
What the Blender Says:
To create the distinct smokiness of The Black Grouse, we take our Famous blend and enhance it with specially selected peated malts. The resulting Black Grouse whisky has a distinctive peaty character, which comes through in spice and dried fruit flavours with a long aromatic finish, reminiscent of our Famous blend.

Appearance: Dark, Russet golden, Clear and bright
Aroma: Smoky, Soft and Musky, Rich and full
Taste: Full flavour, Spice and dried fruits, Smoke through the oak
Finish: Long, Smoky, Aromatic

What Richard Says:
Nose: A very vegetal and meaty peat.
Palate: Light fruity sweetness layered between a little pepper spice and soft handed smokey notes.
Finish: Subtle, with a long, slow build through herbal bitters to a heavy grass note.
Comments: This is not really a bowl you over dram. It stands out against it’s peers (Famous Grouse, Johnnie Walker Red, etc.) but falls short against heavier hitters. A pleasant enough dram but not something that sings ‘come back to me’.
Rating: Average

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Kirkland Signature Sherry Cask Blend

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Kirkland Signature Blended Scotch Whisky
Sherry Cash Finish, Aged 21 Years
40% ABV
$79.99
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What the Bottler Says:
This Kirkland Signature 21-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky has been created using a selection of some of Scotland’s finest single malt and grain whiskies. Matured in ex-Bourbon casks for a minimum of 21 years, the whiskies are then blended together and finished in Sherry casks. The result is a blended Scotch that is dark amber in color with aromas of Sherry and an intense yet subtly complex taste of fruit and toffee, which give way to a long, gentle, warming finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich, chewy, meaty, and slightly sweet sherry notes dominate the nose.
Palate: Rather mellow and uninspiring. Let it roll around in the mouth a bit and sherry notes come through with a sweet and tannic undercurrent. Berry compote and dried caramel flakes drive the sweetness.
Finish: Wine tannic and wet toothpicks. This one finishes kind of blah.
Comments: This bottling is the sherry forward blend that preceded the current 24 year old bourbon cask blend under Costco’s Kirkland Signature label. I’m a big sherry nut but this I like less than the newer blend. The sherry is heavy handed and a bit of a one trick pony. Beyond the sherry it is rather bland. If I was to recommend this to someone it might be as a table whisky at the hunting shack for a Macallan devotee.
Rating: Average

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JW Dant Bottled in Bond

/ / Bourbon, Review /

J.W. Dant Genuine Sour Mash Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Bottled in Bond
50% ABV
$12-$15
Dant
What the Distiller Says:

Really not a damn thing. Dant is historical brand that you can read more about . Heaven Hill owns and produces the brand now and from looking at their website you would never know it existed.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Vanilla, bit of pepper spice, bit of oak; textbook rye bourbon.
Palate: Caramel corn, bit of maple & root beer.
Finish: Short and drying.
Comments: I found myself liking this more with each sip, although never loving it. A very solid/serviceable bourbon, but not memorable. If someone asked me to pick my favorite 3 bottles for under $18, I don’t know that this one makes the cut (I’d go with Heaven Hill 6yr BIB, Ezra Brooks 7yr 101, and Ancient Ancient Age 10-Star). But there’s nothing off-putting about this bourbon – and there are a LOT of options out there that I would select this over.
Rating: Average

What Richard Says:
Nose: Black pepper, toffee crisps, vanilla bean ice cream, and an earthy woodiness.
Palate: Creamy, easy drinking, caramel sweetness with vanilla and black pepper around the edges.
Finish: It finishes younger and hotter like you would expect. Alcohol heat, dry oak, more pepper at the top of the throat. There is also this weird rubber band flavor mid finish.
Comments: What would younger Elijah Craig taste like? Well here you go. It’s essentially the same bourbon more or less but much younger. It’s not going to knock your socks off but hell it’s less than $15 a bottle. I enjoy it much more than white label Jim Beam. It’s a solid campfire or back yard barbecue bourbon. And it dances circles around most of the craft whiskeys I’ve had!
Rating: Average

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