Average | Whisk(e)y Apostle: Proselytizing the way of the malt

Old Forester 2014 Birthday Bourbon

May 29, 2015 / Richard / Bourbon, Review / Average, Stands Out

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon
Distilled 2002, Bottled 2014
49% ABV
$60
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Handcrafted by renowned Master Distiller Chris Morris, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is vintage-dated bourbon, hand-selected from one specific day of production. The result is a one of a kind character and flavor that will never be replicated.

Each year on September 2nd – in honor of our founder George Garvin Brown’s birthday – Old Forester releases a limited-edition, 12-year old vintage-dated expression. Old Forester Birthday Bourbon has become a must-have for bourbon enthusiasts who want to experience the ultimate in rare handcrafted bourbon. Since its introduction in 2002, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon has received unprecedented acclaim, with an impressive collection of national and international whisky honors.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Furniture polish, oak, undertones of vanilla, with a hint of citrus; not as spicey as 2013, yet more acidic/sharp.
Palate: Nice mouthfeel, well balanced between sweet, spice, and wood.
Finish: Medium in length.
Comments: The nose was out of synch with the palate for me, as the nose said “Wow – think twice before consuming”, while I did enjoy the palate. I’ve been disappointed with the steady price increases of this – not quite double what I paid for my first bottle in 2011, but getting close.
Rating: Average

What Richard Says:
Nose: This year’s is a little hotter on the nose than recent releases. Heavier polished wood floors and burnt sugar.
Palate: It drinks a bit hotter too. Cinnamon red hots and pure vanilla extract jump out front before the hot pepper (both peppercorns and chilies) notes kick in with heavy handed oak.
Finish: Cocoa powder, wet pine needles, and wet split oak logs.
Comments: As nice as recent releases of this have been the 2014 is much heavier on the wood. And the damn price ticked up another five dollars. It’s a stand out bourbon but for a better value and more balanced 12 year old I would probably grab a Elijah Craig or Ezra Brooks at 12 years for almost half the price. Hell, get one of each for the $60+ this will cost you.
Rating: Stands Out

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Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2013

May 26, 2015 / Richard / Bourbon, Review / Average, Must Try

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon
Distilled 2001, Bottled 2013
49% ABV
$55
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Handcrafted by renowned Master Distiller Chris Morris, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is vintage-dated bourbon, hand-selected from one specific day of production. The result is a one of a kind character and flavor that will never be replicated.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Burnt sugar (like you get on a nicely prepared crème brûlée), bit of a sour oak note.
Palate: Rye spice is dominant with a fair amount of oak, the sweetness that the nose telegraphed went hiding – barely detectable.
Finish: Short and dry.
Comments: I prefer the nose here over the 2014 vintage, but the palate left me wanting. With Old Forester, my expectation isn’t a tremendously sweet bourbon, but the disagreement between the nose and palate left me disappointed. With the progressive pricing scheme in recent years, I’m even more disappointed.
Rating: Average

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich and deep with cinnamon woody notes mixed with vanilla cream and burnt caramel made from slow cooking brown sugar.
Palate: Creamy, spicy, muscular bourbon. Soaked raisins, cocoa powder, and deep cinnamon.
Finish: Heavy on the wood but it’s more of an old furniture oak.
Comments: Fantastic Brown-Forman bourbon. I’ve said for years that this is a standard bearer for their product. Sadly, unlike some others, Brown-Forman seems to know what they have on their hands and the price has creeped up five dollars a year for last few years. It pushed over $50 for the first time in 2013 and that knocked it down from a must buy on my list but it’s still damn fine bourbon.
Rating: Must Try

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Glendalough Double Barrel

May 12, 2015 / Richard / Irish Whiskey, Review / Average

Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey
42% ABV
$29.99
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Glendalough Distillery, Ireland’s first craft distiller, is leading an exciting Irish whiskey revival with the American release of its new Double Barrel Irish Whiskey. Available in leading bars and retailers in New York from February, this hand-crafted small batch spirit is a new caliber of Irish whiskey, boasting unique richness and complexity in a category dominated by mass production.

This truly new, unique style of Irish whiskey was born of a wild Irish streak, said Glendaloughs USA Brand Manager Donal Gallachoir. Like the fiercely independent, Irish monk, St. Kevin whose image graces every one of our bottles, we are carving our own way with the Double Barrel. This whiskey represents a distinguished sociability—it dares to stand out in a world of copycats and ‘same old’ styles.”

Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey brings new life to a 19th century style of Irish whiskey that would be familiar to your grandaddy. Hand-distilled in a Coffey still from a mash bill of malted barley and corn, the whiskey gains its distinctive complexity from gentle, steady aging that is aided by the country’s mild maritime climate. The double-aging process combines three years and six months in first-fill American oak bourbon barrels, then graduates to six months in first-fill Spanish Oloroso sherry casks. Before bottling, the cask-strength whiskey is cut with water sourced from the surrounding Wicklow Mountains.

The Bourbon barrels impart deep, robust chocolate and caramel notes, lightened on the palate with fruity, nutty notes from the Oloroso casks. The subtle nose is rich with the dark, fruity notes of Christmas pudding, and a sweet and creamy palate resounds richly with honeyed sweetness returning to dry fruit and a gingery, golden finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: A light delicate floral note with a fresh grassy back.
Palate: Creamy and light. The flavors are delicate and fruity with a wisp of the sherry barrel influence.
Finish: Almost non-existent.
Comments: Light seems the best way to describe this whiskey. It’s not harsh like an overly young whiskey but it is exceeding subtle and coy. Drinking it goes down almost like water.
Rating: Average

We would like to thank 451 Marketing for providing us with a sample for review.

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Glenfiddich 21 Year Old

April 14, 2015 / Richard / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / Average

Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 Years old
Cask Selection 32
40% ABV
$200
Website

What the Distillery Says:
We use casks that once contained premium Caribbean rum to finish our 21 Year Old expression. It’s the details that matter. This expression spends four months finishing in Gran Reserva barrels selected by our Malt Master, adding to its distinctive and complex flavour.

Experience an intense and vanilla sweet aroma, floral with hints of banana, followed by a soft, lively taste with lime, ginger and spice and a complex and exceptionally long ending.

Our rum finish releases layers of intensity and sets this 21 Year Old apart from other whiskies.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Vanilla wafers, toffee, a grassy floral note, cedar lined humidors, almonds and a little nutmeg.
Palate: A little thin and underwhelming but there are some nice redeeming notes of cocoa powder and fruit.
Finish: Dry and rather short.
Comments: The change on this some years back to non-Cuban rum casks was not for the better. This is a pleasing enough dram but there isn’t anything exciting about it. It would benefit greatly from a lack of chill filtering and 3 to 6 more points of proof.
Rating: Average

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George Dickel No 12

March 9, 2015 / Richard / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review / Average

George Dickel No 12. Tennessee Sour Mash Whisky
45% ABV
$20
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The only 90-proof Tennessee Whisky. We blend older whiskies to achieve deep, assertive flavors with an incredibly smooth finish. Bold and brazen, this is our Superior No. 12.

Concentrated flavors of rich oak and subtle vanilla lead to a long finish with hints of maple, butter and smoke. A whisky with enormous depth, range and personality – considered by many to be the gold standard of Tennessee Whisky.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Buttered corn (boiled, not grilled), honey, hint of vanilla and a medicinal note (iodine?)
Palate: Cream of corn transitioning into corn bread; soft mouthfeel and very smooth.
Finish: Short to moderate in length, with a bit of oak as the corn sweetness abates.
Comments: This corn whiskey is . . . oh, err – this isn’t a corn whiskey; it just tastes like it to me. If you like corn whiskey, that’s good news – I do enjoy that from time to time. Unfortunately like many folks, the label sets my expectations – and seeing “Tennessee Whisky” had me prepared for something closer to Jack Daniels than Mellow Corn. Honestly – if I would have approached this like a corn whiskey, I would have a higher opinion of it. The corn (which is 84% of the mashbill!) dominates every aspect of this whiskey for me, and leaves me wanting more of something (anything) else.
Rating: Average

What Richard Says:
Nose: Buttermilk cornbread (should there ever be any other kind?) fresh from the oven drizzled with wildflower honey. There is also a corn whiskey note that reminds me of sniffing the fermentation tanks when I was there.
Palate: More developed than the No. 8. It’s creamier with more aggressive black pepper and heat to offset the sweetness of the vanilla cream and caramel candies.
Finish: Dark cocoa powder dusted over wet toothpicks.
Comments: First let me say kudos to Diageo for the artificial cork. Those not familiar with my personal disdain for natural corks should read our site more. Getting back to the whiskey, I like the taste of this one. It’s got enough going on to keep me interested. That said, the nose is much younger than the palate and the finish is blah. Definitely a step in the right direction from No.8. I would pick this over a glass of Jack if I was drinking it straight but it’s underwhelming compared to similarly priced bourbons.
Rating: Average

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