Average

Crown Royal Black

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Crown Royal Black Blended Canadian Whisky
45% ABV/90 Proof
$30 to $35
Widely available across the U.S.

What the Distillery Says:
“Robust, full bodied blended Canadian whisky.”

What Richard Says:
Nose: Warmth, mild oak, and a little burnt sugar. Very bourbon like.
Palate: Surprising sweetness on the palate like brown sugar. There’s something else that reminds me of something sweet and chewy. It could be raisins but that doesn’t seem quite right.
Finish: The finish starts off warm, moves toward a medicinal note that I’m not a fan of and then finishes with a charred oak flavor.
Comments: Crown basically positions this as the big brother of their standard offering. Kicked up a notch if you will. I really think that’s a needed notch. There’s a lot more going on here and I like it a lot more than standard Crown. I’d actually choose to drink this. That said, I’m not a big fan of Crown so if you are, you might not like this different approach. It’s kind of like Crown for bourbon drinkers.
Rating: Average

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Canadian Club Reserve

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

Canadian Club Reserve Aged 10 Years
40% ABV/80 Proof
$16.99
Widely available

What the Distillery Says:
Our CC Reserve is for those who appreciate the deeper oak notes that come with maturity of 10 long years in our white oak barrels. It is a whisky of exceptional character and richness.

Color: Bronze gold
Aroma: Toffee and toasted, creamy and complex
Body: Full and firm
Taste: English toffee, rich, mellow oak with soft nutmeg and clove
Finish: Warm and lingering dry finish
Awards: Gold, 2007 and 2006 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

What Richard Says:
Nose: I get a little dried grain but I really have to work at it. It’s very subdued and hard to get much off of the the nose on this one.
Palate: Overall it’s VERY mellow. I’m finding a slightly bitter note with a some apples.
Finish: A short, dry, and slightly spicy finish.
Comments: This is a big step forward from standard Canadian Club. All the unpleasant notes are gone and it leaves a very mild whisky. It’s almost too mild for straight drinking because the flavor components can be very shy. It’s very drinkable, I just tend to like a little more flavor in my whisky because I’m more of a straight drinker. This is probably best in your favorite cocktail. Conveniently enough, we were provided with a couple of tasty cocktail suggestions. 😉
Rating: Average

We want to thank Ms Murphy with SHIFT Communications for sending us a bottle to review. She was also kind enough to provide us with a couple of serving suggestions.

Canadian Club Sour
Fill rocks glass with ice
Add 1.5 parts Canadian Club Reserve 10 Year
Juice of half lemon
Teaspoon of sugar
Garnish with a Maraschino cherry or lemon wedge

CC Reserve Manhattan
1 part Canadian Club Reserve 10 Year
1/3 part Sweet Vermouth
Dash Angostura bitters
Maraschino Cherry

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Glenfiddich 15 Year

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 15 Years Old
40% ABV/80 Proof
$40 to $50
Available worldwide
Website

What the Distillery Says:
At fifteen years, rich fruit and notes of spice pervade this characterful single malt. Made using a process unique amongst Scotch whisky distillers it is matured in three types of oak cask: sherry, bourbon, and new oak before being married in our unique Solera vat. This vat is always kept at least half full creating a whisky with deliciously harmonious flavors.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Pears jump out at me followed by pine resin and hard apple cider.
Palate: Very smooth and woody. It’s almost too smooth. I don’t get a lot of defining characteristics.
Finish: Crisp, dry, and very short.
Comments: I would recommend this to fans of Johnnie Walker Gold looking to switch to single malts and save some coin. I find this rather bland. If you’re a new scotch drinker and can’t handle this then scotch may not be for you. There’s a little more to it than the 12 year old but nothing that really makes me want to keep it around.
Rating: Average

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Maker’s 46

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Maker’s 46 Kentucky Bourbon Whisky
47% ABV/94 Proof
$35 – $40
Available in most U.S. markets

What the Distillery Says:
How It’s Made: Fully matured Maker’s Mark is removed from its barrel. Top hoops are removed from the barrel, and the barrel head is pulled. Ten wooden seared staves are then affixed to the inside of that barrel. Searing the staves caramelizes the sugars in the wood, adding a unique flavor that finishes on the front of the tongue. The fully matured Maker’s Mark is then put back in the barrel and aged several more months. When it tastes exactly right, Maker’s 46 is removed from the barrel, bottled, corked and dipped.
Aroma – Pleasant, sweet, toasty oak nose with caramel overtones. More intense aroma without an alcohol nose.
Taste – Rich, creamy seared-oak flavors; caramel and vanilla notes linger on the front of the palate, but it is still soft enough to hold on the tongue even at 94 proof.
Finish – A big mouth-watering oaky finish. Long with a little spice, staying forward on the palate without the bitter bite found in older whiskies.

What Richard Says:
Nose: The slight increase in proof gives a surprising increase to the alcohol component on the nose. Most likely because standard Maker’s tends to be a delicate bourbon. I apparently disagree with Maker’s on this one (see distillery notes above). There is some oaky sweetness but I’m losing it behind the alcohol.
Palate: Much more oak on the palate than standard Maker’s (as to be expected). Mostly what comes through is caramel, vanilla, and leather.
Finish: This is the part I care for the least. I get an unpleasant woody taste that I can’t quite nail down. The finish on this “finished” bourbon needs work.
Comments: Talk about hoopla. I can’t think of any whiskey in recent memory that was talked about as much or waited for with as much anticipation as Maker’s 46. It’s supposed to be their first new bourbon in 50 years although John Hansell already debunked that myth. Don’t get me wrong, I like this bourbon, I do. I just don’t understand why everyone is falling all over themselves with praise for it. It’s better than standard Maker’s Mark but it’s not the Bourbon of the Gods or anything. It’s really just finished standard Maker’s…and there’s nothing wrong with that. Scotch has been doing that for some time with varied results. If you like Maker’s then you’ll like this. If you’re on the fence about Maker’s then you might like this. If you don’t like bourbon at all, this isn’t going to convert you.
Rating: Average, although better than standard Maker’s Mark

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Amrut Fusion

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Amrut Fusion Single Malt Indian Whisky
50% ABV/100 Proof
$50 to $60
Worldwide Availability

What the Distillery Says:
Tasting Note :
Nose : Fresh oak,hint of vanilla,fruity and sublime peat.
Taste : Intially fruity and transcending to shear delicacy of fruity peaty notes.
Finish : Long and supremacy of peat-fruit combination balance out very well

What Richard Says:
Nose: The nose is very rich with ripe fruits and citrus notes overlaying something distinctively medicinal. Cloroseptic throat spray? Water tones all the other notes down to just a mild earthiness.
Palate: No sweetness out of the bottle. Very hot. Dark chocolate and vanilla. With water sweetness ang grassy notes come out. Despite the hotness, I prefer it without water.
Finish:Hot and spicy like a hot curry until you add water and then it tones down to a light oak.
Comments: Interesting. I like this better than the standard single malt but I’m still not enamored with the Fusion. It’s much more balanced but it just doesn’t stand out to me. If there was some of the cinnamon in the standard expression in the Fusion’s palate it would have a nice Mexican Hot Chocolate flavor. Maybe I’ll try mixing the two myself.
Rating: Average

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