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Strathisla 1998 17 Year Old Distillery Reserve Collection

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Strathisla 1998 17 Year Old Distillery Reserve Collection
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

57.9% ABV
$220
Website
Strathisla 1998 17 Year Old Distillery Reserve Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Bottle Says

The Distillery Reserve Collection is a limited release of rare and exceptional whiskies from Chivas Brothers single malt whisky distilleries. Each release is bottled at cask strength.

Aged 17 Years
Distilled: 12th January 1998
Bottled: 30th July 2015
Cask Nos: 4330-31, 4336-37
1 of 1632 bottles
50cL

What Gary Says

Nose:  Subtle vanilla, barley malt, buttered popcorn, pears, hint of cinnamon and a subtle mineral note.
Palate:  Warm and viscous, fruity but tart with unripe pears and a hint of banana.
Finish:  Long, slightly drying with honey, a note of stout and pepper.
Comments:  Subdued and very muted overall. If handed for a blind tasting, I think I would have guessed this to be a single grain whisky. There isn’t anything off putting or negative, just not very exciting. A bit of water brings out more citrus on the nose, as well as heather, and tamps down the tartness on the palate.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Traverse City Whiskey Co. Port Barrel Finish

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Traverse City Whiskey Co. Port Barrel Finish
Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$60
Website
Traverse City Whiskey Co. Port Barrel Finish Straight Bourbon Whiskey
We would like to thank Traverse City Whiskey Co. and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Our five year aged straight bourbon whiskey has been carefully finished for an additional nine months in massive 300L Ruby Port wine barrels. The dryness of the casks meld perfectly with the sweetness of our bourbon for a deliciously balanced spirit.

  • Nose: Very light, stone fruit and buttercream, hint of orange
  • Body: Sweet and silky; tart cherries, vanilla, sweet fennel, hint of toasted marshmallow
  • Finish: Tannic but slightly sweet, burnt sugar and toasted orange peel

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel corn, plums, raisins, cinnamon, port wine and molasses.
Palate:  Sweet, heavy port influence, raisins, berries, black cherry, cinnamon and honey.
Finish:  Moderate in length with berries, touch of caramel and pepper.
Comments:  The port influence on this one is heavy given the finishing time. I’m a fan of port finished and matured whiskey. Coupled with this being the highest proof of the three Traverse City Whiskey Co. Finished products – I had expected that this would be my favorite, and it was actually my least favorite of the three. Disclosing this as it may be that I had higher expectations for this one given those facts, as there aren’t any ‘off-putting’ notes; just heavy on the port and not as balanced as I was hoping for.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Rebel 100 Straight Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Rebel 100 Straight Rye Whiskey

50% ABV
$20
Website
Rebel 100 Straight Rye Whiskey
We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

ST. LOUIS (March 16, 2023) – Lux Row Distillers announced the newest variant in the Rebel brand family: Rebel 100 Straight Rye Whiskey. Rebel 100 Rye is set to reach retail shelves across the country later this month at a suggested retail price of $19.99 per 750 ml bottle.

Rebel 100 Straight Rye Whiskey delivers smooth, spicy rye flavor via its 51% rye, 45% corn and 4% malt mash bill. Offered at 100 proof, Rebel 100 Rye features a spicy nose that opens into rich rye flavor balanced by hints of vanilla.

“Based on the continued success of both Rebel 100 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, we’ve elevated the proof of its rye counterpart,” said Eric Winter, brand manager for Rebel. “Rebel 100 Rye drinkers still will enjoy the award-winning smooth, spicy rye flavor of Rebel Rye at a proof level that amplifies its taste profile and stands out even better in classic cocktails.”

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla, creamed corn, subtle citrus, mint, bit of brown sugar and honey.
Palate:  Honey, orange, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper.
Finish:  Short and damp with orange bitters, pepper and mint.
Comments:  This is a younger whiskey, age stated at 24 months (which is the minimum age for a straight rye whiskey), and it comes across as such. Appreciate the higher proof, and rye is the one whiskey I find that is palatable at a young age, although I do hope that there are some more mature offerings in their future. This is a perfectly serviceable rye whiskey for cocktails, and at $20 is at the entry price for rye. Most $20 rye whiskies are lower proof, which would make this preferable if you’re value shopping.

Rating: Average

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Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Rye Whiskey

60.5% ABV (for sample provided; varies by barrel)
$90
Website
Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Rye Whiskey
We would like to thank Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey and The Brand Guild for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Bottled at cask strength, this Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey is what other ryes work hard to grow up to be. Tennessee does a lot of things well; growing rye is not one of them. So, we sought out the best from other states. Each of our inaugural barrels hails from New York, where they aged in new American oak for a minimum of four years after a short stint in B.C., where they were born.

These barrels began as a lofty experiment in 2017. Was it possible to create an ultra-smooth whiskey, with flavor galore, made from 100% rye? That was the question. The answer took a while but was well worth the wait: hell yeah.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rye toast, corn flakes, salted caramel, orange honey, cinnamon and a hint of anise.
Palate:  Caramel, orange bitters, bursting with rye spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and lemongrass.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with chili spice and citrus.
Comments:  I tried this side by side against the Uncle Nearest Uncut/Unfiltered Straight Rye Whiskey, which probably isn’t a fair comparison. The Uncut/Unfiltered is $60 more, but is the same mashbill, and the descriptions of treatment are similar (although both are non-age stated, and I suspect that is where the difference lies – besides this offering being a single barrel). While there is similarity between the two, I preferred the other. I found this to be a bit hot, thinner, and likely a bit younger (although not “young”). Now as a single barrel, maybe the one I tried is an outlier. It does take water well, and thickened up nicely. This is a very spicy and hot rye – which I think makes for a great cocktail.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Town Branch Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon Whiskey

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Town Branch Single Barrel Reserve
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

51.6% ABV
$50-$60
Website
Town Branch Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

Town Branch is handcrafted to pay homage to the rich distilling history in Lexington, Kentucky. Our Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon Whiskey is a cask strength, single cask expression of our flagship bourbon that is hand-selected by the most distinguished of palates.

TASTING NOTES: Oak, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Cherry
PAIRING SUGGESTION: Best served simply neat or paired with a large ice cube, along with beef, lamb, cured meats, aged gouda, and cheddar cheese.

Sample from Barrel 2335

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, soft fresh hewn oak, vanilla, hint of corn bread, baking spices, bit of dark fruit, raisins and fall leaves.
Palate:  Caramel creme candies, cinnamon, vanilla, pepper, oak and roasted corn flakes.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length with caramel, dark fruit and pepper.
Comments:  Not sure the age on this particular barrel, but a lot of corn (more than I would have expected if this is in the typical 6 to 8 years age range). Now it doesn’t taste “young”, just very pedestrian to me for the price. A bit of water doesn’t change it much either. The dark fruit notes are interesting, although not enough so that I’d go out of my way for.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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