Average

Gateway Series #9: Johnnie Walker Black

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Johnnie Walker Black Label Old Scotch Whisky (12yo)
40% ABV, 80 Proof
About $35-40
Available pretty much everywhere

What The Distillery Says:
An acclaimed masterpiece of blending craftsmanship, the rich and smooth Johnnie Walker Black Label is an award-winning blend.

With a depth and complexity drawn from over 40 select whiskies, including the fresh fruitiness of Glendullan, the opulent Mortlach, the earthy Talisker and the creamy, vanillan Cameron Brig, Black Label…it is at once powerful, intriguing and unassailably elegant.  Small wonder it was Sir Winston Churchill’s whisky of choice.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Fresh cut wood, vanilla (extract not bean) and citrus notes that seemed to be a muted orange fragrance.  With water the peat that was so absent without water goes to the forefront.  The water actually disperses the unique notes and makes it smell like generic scotch.
Palate: Salty and smoky with hints of pepper peeking around the edges.  It leaves the mouth feeling brined.  Water opens up the palate a little and adds floral sweetness.
Finish: Smooth on the throat and a mixture of salt and smoke in the mouth.
Comments: I wish some of the more delicate notes on the nose came through on the palate.  It seems odd to me that adding water destroys the nose and opens the palate.  Usually for whiskeys bottled at 40 to 43% ABV the opposite occurs.  That said, Johnnie Walker Black isn’t bad and it’s always consistent.  I could drink this straight but I’d still probably prefer not to.
Rating: Average

What Matt Says:
Nose: Earthy, roasted nuts, citrus, and vegetal.
Palate: Peat, spice, grain, citrus, are the strongest flavors.  With water, some sweetness that I can’t place comes out.  It’s not really honey or sugar (or even burnt sugar).
Finish: Long finish.  Sweetness, smoke, vegetal, brine.
Comments: Not one of the best blends on the market, but a good starter.  Black Label is rounder and better developed than Red Label and more complex than Dewar’s White Label.  I don’t mind this neat, but I think it really shines in a simple cocktail or just with some soda.
Rating:  Average

Overall Rating:  Average.  A good gateway blend.

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Gateway Series #6: Jameson Irish Whiskey

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

In the last Gateway Series review, we published our review of Bushmills. This time around, Jameson is on the bill. We actually did the tasting side by side, but we agreed so the story is not all that interesting. We both came down solidly on the side of Jameson. An anticlimactic end to a somewhat epic rivalry with political, social, and religious overtones…

Jameson Irish Whiskey
40% ABV
$20
Website

What The Distillery Says:
World famous for distinctive flavor and smooth characteristics. Triple distilled from the finest Irish barley and pure spring water; then matured in oak casks. Carries hallmark of quality which has made it the best selling Irish whiskey around the world.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Creamy on the nose with subtle notes of honey.
Palate: Creamy mouth feel, much more so than Bushmills but the flavor is equally mellow and muted. There are not many pronounced flavors.
Finish: The finish rivals Jack Daniels in smoothness. This lightest oak notes linger for the briefest moment.
Comments: What the best thing about Jameson? You can get it almost anywhere. There’s a reason I singled it out as part of the “4J” bar. Over time I’ve actually reversed course in the Jameson versus Bushmills debate. I find that I prefer Jameson more now than I used to. It’s creamier and offers a little more flavor. Not much mind you but some. Not enough for me to stock this at home, but I’ll have a dram if you’re buying.
Rating: Average

What Matt Says:
Nose: Richer than Bushmills. There are notes of honeysuckle and something floral I can’t quite place (heather?).
Palate: Sweet and smooth. Caramel cream candies.
Finish: Smooth and fleeting.
Comments: Unlike Richard I have always preferred Jameson to Bushmills (and Black Bush to either). There is just a touch more to it. And, yes, you can get it anywhere. Not always a bad thing in my book.
Rating: Average

Overall Rating: Average (a slight step up from Bushmills Original)

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Gateway Series #5: Bushmills Irish Whiskey

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Bushmills Original
40% ABV
$20
Website

What The Distillery Says:

The cornerstone of our family, it’s a blend of our own triple distilled malt whiskey with a lighter Irish grain whiskey.  Making it an approachable whiskey with a rich, warming taste of fresh fruit and vanilla.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Woody and peppery with vegetal/grassy notes.
Palate: Uber-mellow on the palate.  It’s a very cereal taste with the minutest hint of sweetness and pepper.
Finish: Peppery grains but very smooth.  You get some of the wood on the finish too.
Comments: I cut my whiskey teeth on a bottle of Bushmills Original so it holds a special place in my heart.  That said, I’ve come a long way in terms of development and experience in appreciating whiskey.  I ask for a lot more from my dram now that this whiskey can provide.  Is it bad?  No. It’s very consistent and drinkable but nothing make me take notice either.
Rating: Average

What Matt Says:
Nose: Not much on the nose.  Everything is subtle.  Notes of caramel and wet coffee grounds.
Palate: Not very bold.  Cereal, sweet and peppery with a hint of cucumber skin.
Finish: A little spice, very little burn and a little bit of wood.
Comments: Like Richard, I was introduced to Bushmills early in my whiskey education.  And, also like Richard, I now ask more from my dram.  In my youth, I sought anything that I could palate neat and was not too expensive.  I was not looking for complexity or nuance.  This was long before I before I began proselytizing the Way.  Bushmills will always taste the same though and there is something to be said for that.  A mediocre dram you can count on.
Rating:  Average

Overall Rating:  Average

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Gateway Series #4: Gentleman Jack

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

In the spirit of fairness, we follow up our Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 review with the next in the Jack Daniel’s line.  If you remember, we started our Gateway Series with Jim Beam White Label and Jim Beam Black Label.

Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey
40% ABV (80 proof), about $30
Available in most US markets (not sure about abroad)

What the distillery says:
Just like Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Gentleman Jack in Charcoal Mellowed before going into the barrel. Gentleman Jack, however, receives an additional “blessing” when it is Charcoal Mellowed again after reaching maturity – making it the only whiskey in the world to be Charcoal Mellowed twice, giving it ultimate smoothness. Gentleman Jack is full-bodied with fruit and spices, and its finish is silky, warm, and pleasant. When you drink Gentleman Jack, you’ll always enjoy rich, rewarding taste.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Honeysuckle and a lot of honey.  It’s a much more delicate nose than the standard Jack Daniels expression.
Palate: Tart candy, a lot of honey, and vanilla.  It is even smoother and more mellow that Jack Daniels Black Label.  It also has a more viscous mouthfeel.
Finish: Exceptionally smooth finish.  Almost none of the spice of regular Jack but more of that odd tartness.
Comments: Gentleman Jack is Jack Daniels smoking a huge blunt.  It just doesn’t get more mellow.  That’s good and bad.  On the good side it really doesn’t get any smoother and easier to drink that Gentleman Jack.  The downside is that there aren’t many pronounced flavors to bring me back for a second glass.
Rating: Average

What Matt Says:
Nose: Honeysuckle and hummingbird food (sugar water).  Delicate and floral, like spring in Tennessee.
Palate: Smooth and slightly oily.  Oak, vanilla, spice, and something that curls my tongue a little at the sides.  I don’t taste a tartness as much as I experience it.
Finish: Very smooth with very little burn.
Comments: Probably the smoothest “gateway” whiskey in the American whiskey bracket.  It lacks the complexity of similarly priced (but harder to find) bourbons.  I would drink this before Jim Beam Black though.  It is an interesting science experiment.  Gentleman Jack is produced and matured in the exact same manner as Old No. 7, but is filtered again after maturation.  It really smooths out the rough edges.  I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for Gentleman Jack.  I’m not sure why.  I could drink it anytime.  What it lacks in complexity is what makes it accessible as an everyday dram.  That said, I don’t keep it stocked in my bar, but I wouldn’t say no to glass if offered.
Rating: Average

Overall Rating: Average

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Gateway Series #3: Jack Daniels Old No.7

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

This week we continue our Gateway Series with another staple of American whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Old No.7.

Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Sour Mash Tennessee Whiskey
 40% ABV (80 Proof), about $20
Available: Most Widely Available Whiskey In The World

What the distillery says:
Jack Daniel’s, the best selling whiskey in the world, was established in 1866 and is crafted at America’s oldest registered distillery in the small town of Lynchburg, Tennessee. Made using the finest grains and pure, iron-free water from our cave spring, Jack Daniel’s is a unique whiskey that is slowly mellowed drop by drop through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal and matured in new American oak barrels to achieve its smooth character.

What Richard says:
Nose: On the nose I get mostly burnt caramel and vanilla. There is also a subtle undercurrent of wildflowers.
Palate: Candied oak? It sounds odd but that’s what it tastes like. Overall the palate is very smooth and almost chewy. Very mellow. So much so that there are not a lot of “strong” flavors that stand out to be recognized.
Finish: This has a much smoother finish than comparable bourbons. There is a little bit of peppery spice but mostly I’m left with an odd sort of tartness.
Comments: Personally, I think Jack Daniel’s is one of the best gateway whiskeys around. It is very smooth and drinkable. In terms of consistency, with the millions of bottle a year that they sell, you really can’t get much more consistent. While I would prefer Jack with Coke, I’m not against drinking it straight. The charcoal mellowing really adds to the smoothness and drinkability over like bourbons. If it wasn’t for that weird tart finish I’d like it even more.
Rating: Average

What Matt says:
Nose: Orange shellac primarily. With water, it opens up to potpourri (more pungent/sharp/floral than sweet).
Palate: Smooth and bland. Old No. 7 is so “mellow” it is difficult to grasp good tasting notes. There are faint traces of oak and orange peel.
Finish: Smooth and dry with very little burn. Does not linger.
Comments: There is nothing interesting or impressive about this whiskey. There is nothing terribly off-putting either. The smoothness and mildness of flavor makes Old No. 7 a better mixer than Jim Beam White Label. What makes Jack desirable (and a great gateway whiskey) is its lack of distinctive character. Do not waste your time sipping this one. Use this for mixers when you are feeling lazy.
Rating: Probably Pass (unless making a cocktail)

Overall Rating: Average (good if you are planning on mixing or looking for gentle entry into the world of whiskey)

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