Average

Michter’s American Whiskey

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Michter’s Small Batch Unblended American Whiskey
Batch No. 11-179
41.7% ABV/83.4 Proof
$30 to $35
Website
Michters American Whiskey Original
What the Distillery Says:
We are proud to offer you our unblended Small Batch American Whiskey. In The Michter’s tradition hailing from America’s first whiskey distilling company, this whiskey is made from highest quality American grains and matured to the peak of perfection in bourbon-soaked white oak barrels. It is then further mellowed by our signature filtration.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rice crispy treats, those candied nuts you get from street vendors in New York City, and vanilla.
Palate: Asparagus, unsalted butter, a little vanilla, and a little mint.
Finish: There’s more oak than anything else with a little granola thrown in. It’s also a little hotter than expected.
Comments: Oddly, this is a whiskey I haven’t had in a while but I remember it quite differently. My whiskey memory is admittedly shit but I remember this one being very similar to Collingwood with a big kick of vanilla. It’s been several years but what I get here is entirely different. This is essentially the same 4+ year old whiskey as their small batch bourbon just not aged entirely in new charred oak barrels. Don’t let “American Whiskey” fool you. This is not a blend with mostly grain neutral spirit added in like Seagram 7. It’s all whiskey. It’s not bad, just not what I was expecting. To me the nose is the best part. I think the finish is a little too oaky (odd given the use of used barrels) and the palate has that weird asparagus thing going on. Personally, I don’t care for asparagus so to each their own in that regard. For what it’s worth this used to be one of my wife’s favorite whiskeys but she too was disappointed by this recent bottling. Maybe they used to use older whiskey. I really don’t know.
Rating: Average

I would like to thank Emily with Chatham Imports for sending over a bottle for review. They were also nice enough to send over some recipes with their fine products.

Vincent’s Bread Pudding with American Whiskey Sauce Pair with Michter’s US*1 American Whiskey

1 loaf French bread, at least a day old, cut into 1-inch squares (about 6–7 cups)
1 qt. milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp. vanilla
1 cup raisins (soaked overnight in ¼ cup Michter’s US*1 American Whiskey)
¼ tsp. allspice
¼–½ tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Place the bread into a large mixing bowl and pour the milk over the bread. Press bread with hands until well mixed and all the milk is absorbed. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and spices together. Gently stir into the bread mixture. Fold the raisins into the mixture. Pour the butter into the bottom of a 9”x13” baking pan and coat the bottom and the sides of the pan well with the butter. Pour the bread mix into the baking pan and bake at 350°F for 35–45 minutes, until set. The pudding is done when the edges start getting a bit brown and pull away from the edge of the pan. The pudding can also be cooked in individual ramekins. Serve with Michter’s US*1 American Whiskey sauce (recipe below) on the side; pour on to taste.

Michter’s US*1 American Whiskey Sauce
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup Michter’s US*1 American Whiskey

In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Whisk in the sugar and egg. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. (Do not allow to simmer, or it may curdle.) Whisk in Michter’s US*1 American Whiskey to taste. Remove from heat. Whisk before serving. The sauce should be soft, creamy, and smooth.

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Old Pulteney 21 Year

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 21 Years
46% ABV/92 Proof
$110 to $130
Website

What the Distillery Says:
As with the 17-year-old, with this expression we marry together Old Pulteney matured in ex-bourbon wood with spirit from ex-sherry wood casks. The crucial difference, however, is that the ex-sherry wood in this case is made from American Oak (mostly Fino sherries). This adds yet another layer of complexity, depth and character to this truly superb malt whisky.

Colour: Golden amber with straw highlights.

Nose: Full bodied with traces of fruits (apples and pears); slightly fragrant with spicy overtones.

Palate: Sweet to start with a light fruitiness; hints of honey and vanilla followed by a dry finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Smoked oysters, granny smith apples, bailed hay.
Palate: Very dry with notes of oranges and grains.
Finish: Pleasantly smoky with a hint brine laying over a base of polished wood. Long after the glass is empty there’s a aftertaste that reminds me of sashimi, iceberg lettuce, and smoked salmon.
Comments: I’ve never made Old Pulteney a consistent personal dram. I’ve had various expressions over the years and some I liked, others not. Of all the ones I’ve had this expression is my least favorite. I’m a little sorry I started Old Pulteney reviews with this one but it was the sample I was sent. In the $100 plus range of scotch there are a lot of great drams. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of them.
Rating: Average

I would like to thank Lucas with Alembic Communications Ltd for providing a sample for review.

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Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky, The Collector's Cabinet /

Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky
40% ABV/80 Proof
$40 to $45
Collectible (Old Version)
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The nose offers a fresh and aromatic experience with a subtle whiff of smoke floating through the air. The taste starts with a light fruit and nut appeal that leads to a spectacular malty sweetness, finishing into a beautifully rich full-bodied, lingering experience.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Slightly smokey and a little sweet.
Palate: Licorice and fennel seed jump out at first. A mild earthy scotch develops with a little peat smoke around the edges. It’s also nutty and a little salty.
Finish: The finish fades to something reminiscent of fresh straw and black pepper with a hint of peat.
Comments: If you go out now and buy a bottle of Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old now this is not what you’ll get. They now bottle it un-chillfiltered and a little north of 46% ABV. I haven’t tried the newer version just yet but I hear it’s a slight improvement over the original. In general I feel that Bunnahabhain gets overlooked in this day of uber-peat obsession. It’s a lightly peated Islay that isn’t going to change your religion or anything but it’s a nice middle of the road dram that’s not disappointing.
Rating: Average

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Wild Turkey American Honey

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Wild Turkey American Honey
35.5% ABV/71 Proof
$18 to $20
Widely available across the U.S.

What the Distillery Says:
Wild Turkey American Honey is an exceptionally smooth liqueur blended with pure honey and real Wild Turkey Bourbon Whiskey, perfect served chilled straight from the freezer, over rocks, it is the sweeter, smoother side of Wild Turkey.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Surprisingly alcoholic on the nose. Much more than other similar liqueurs. The honey is very delicate and comes across more like honeysuckle.
Palate: Very viscous and sweet. The sweetness is more cane sugar than honey. There may be a little Wild Turkey at the back but it is the sugar that I taste.
Finish: One of the shorter finishes of the whiskey liqueurs I’ve tried. Even though it goes down like oil and coats like tar the finish is relatively quick and leaves more of the honey sweetness than the palate.
Comments: If you’re a fan of this type of drink then this one hangs with the best of them. It’s just not my bag.
Rating: Average

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Bulleit Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Bulleit Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

45% ABV
$25
Website

What the Producer Says:
In the 1830s, as a tavern keeper in Louisville, Kentucky, Augustus Bulleit set himself on a mission: to create a bourbon unique in flavor. Just as bourbon lovers today may sample many brands before finding their favorite, Augustus decided to experiment too — by creating bourbons of many different types and tastes. After countless small-batch trials, he came upon a bourbon with the character he had been seeking.

While transporting barrels of his bourbon from Kentucky to New Orleans, Augustus Bulleit vanished. What happened to him is still unknown, and his creation could have passed into history as well. But after more than a century, in 1987, his great-great -grandson Tom Bulleit stepped in. A lawyer by profession, Tom’s lifelong dream had been to revive the family’s bourbon legacy, started more than 150 years ago.

Bulleit Bourbon is still distilled and aged in small batches. Kentucky limestone-filtered water provides the foundation for the bourbon’s character, while charred American oak barrels lend a smoky backbone. Bulleit’s distillers age the bourbon simply until it is ready. The result is placed into a bottle whose design has won awards of its own.

What Richard Says:

Nose: Maple syrup, citrus, and sweet vanilla. The nose is very shy on this one. It doesn’t open up much without water.
Palate: Very rich with honey and vanilla notes. Citrus and banana open up with a little water.
Finish: Woody, smoky, and something that kind of reminds me of saltpeter. A little rough around the edges.
Comments: I love the labeling of U.S. whiskeys. Bulleit’s bottles say “Distilled by The Bulleit Distilling Co. Lawrenceburg, KY.” Well, if by that they mean distilled by Four Roses in Lawrenceburg under contract for Bulleit, a division of Diageo then I guess it’s sort of true. I could be remembering incorrectly but I believe Bulleit was one of the first bottlers (as opposed to distillers) to do a nationwide mass market bourbon push in recent memory. They seemed to kick off a storm of other bottlers trying to do the same thing. Sure, other brands predated them but they weren’t marketed and distributed to the extent Bulleit is. I’m not really knocking or praising Bulleit. I’m just telling it like it is. It’s a well marketed, slightly above average bourbon that can be had for under $25 a bottle.

Rating: Average

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla, caramel, charred oak, hints of cast iron baked corn bread, anise seed.
Palate:  Vanilla and caramel, cinnamon, bit of pepper with a hint of cherries and honey.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length with pepper and oak.
Comments:  A fairly standard bourbon. Bit of corn on the nose, but not the palate. Nothing off putting, but also doesn’t especially stand out. Now at barrel proof, that’s another story! Does does perfectly well as a straight-forward sipper, or a cocktail bourbon. In fact, tried this Bulleit Bourbon Cranberry Old Fashioned and thought that was fantastic!.

Rating: Stands Out/Average

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