Average

Santa Fe Apple Brandy

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Santa Fe Apple Brandy

40% ABV
$45
Website
Santa Fe Apple Brandy

What the Distillery Says

Northern New Mexico with its centuries-old fruit orchards of apple, peach, pear, and cherry has been producing top-quality brandies for years. What better way to preserve one’s crop of fruit than to ferment it into wine and distill it into brandy? The end product is like taking the mountain air, water, and earth, ripening these elements into a sweet nectar, and then distilling that nectar down to its bare essences. The finished brandy stores for years, refining its inherent complexity with age. Traditionally, it is coveted for its quality and only shared with family; it has never been publicly available.

But Colin Keegan has been looking forward to sharing the fruits of his apple orchard in Tesuque with the general public for years. Originally homesteaded by Archbishop Lamy’s groundskeeper (who is rumored to have resorted to water theft in order to keep his high-desert oasis in Tesuque thriving) the Keegans’ orchard produces apples that express the singular uniqueness of the lush, green, riparian valley at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains where they struggle to grow.

By blending his own apples with the fruit of neighboring New Mexico orchards, Colin has finally achieved his goal of producing Santa Fe Apple Brandy for the general public. Overtones of apple peel, vanilla, fruit, and cinnamon yield to hints of granitic earth, sweet water, and dry air. Each bottle is truly a treasure: a gift from the Keegan family for your enjoyment.

What Gary Says

DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Brandy (so read at your own risk!)
Nose:  Green apple, toasted oak with cinnamon and honey, slight grassy note.
Palate:  Vanilla, honey, apple cider cut with apple juice.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, damp with apples and cinnamon.
Comments:  Again – NOT a brandy connoisseur, but for me this was pretty one dimensional. If you really like apples (insert Goodwill Hunting joke here), this might be right up your alley. I do like Apples, but personally would prefer a lower ABV and sweeter apple wine over this.

Rating: Average

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McConnell’s 5 Year Old Irish Whisky

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

McConnell’s Irish Whisky Aged 5 Years

42% ABV
$30-$35
Website
McConnells 5 Year Old Irish Whisky

What the Producer Says

It’s all in the Blend: Creamy, Citrus, Floral, Fruity & Smoky.
The perfect blend between malted barley & grain and the special handpicked bourbon barrels add a delicate and subtle sweetness with a deep oak woodiness & light char to the finish.
Nose: Light citrus notes, peppered spice and vanilla undertones.
Taste: Earthy fruits, butterscotch & vanilla sweetness from the bourbon casks, white pepper followed by an oak woodiness.
Finish: Sweet, spice, oak, with lingering ripe fruits.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla sponge cake, orange creamsicle, cereal grains, touch of oak.
Palate:  Creamy vanilla, sweet malty grain, subtle lemon candy note with honey.
Finish:  Short with a bit of pepper, honey and a salty, sour oak note.
Comments:  Not objectionable, but also not particularly memorable. Both the nose and the palate have a thickness to them which I do appreciate, as well as the age statement (even if 5 years old isn’t that old – I always appreciate transparency). I enjoyed this, although the maturation in ex-bourbon casks only does leave it with less complexity. In a blind side-by-side with Jameson, whose blend includes some ex-sherry casks, I preferred the Jameson personally as it brought some fruit to the party. And given that Jameson is less expensive, I’d go that route (although if you value the packaging, this is a more attractive, heavy bottle). You may be wondering “Hey, don’t they use the ‘e’ in whiskey for Irish?”  You wouldn’t be wrong, but either is acceptable, and their site explains that the ‘e’ was added to differentiate Irish whiskey in the 1900s and their brand didn’t need such nonsense.  That’s not what Irish Distiller’s purports here, but regardless – at this point it’s really just marketing.

Rating: Average

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Benchmark Bonded Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Benchmark Bonded
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$20-$23
Website
Benchmark Bonded Bourbon Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

The Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897 set strict standards for bonded whiskey. This 100 proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey aged four years to meet those standards. Enjoy the rich flavor and long smooth finish.

TASTING NOTES
A nose of citrus and honey follows through on the palate, with a touch of light oak, caramel, and vanilla.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Burnt caramel, charred oak, vanilla and tobacco.
Palate:  Vanilla, caramel, oak, cinnamon, pepper, hints of orange bitters and anise.
Finish:  Short and drying with pepper, oak and vanilla.
Comments:  I’m always happy to see more bonded offerings in the bourbon aisle, and this is about what I’d expect. Not objectionable, but also not special – and a tad sharp. Even a bit of water didn’t really do much to tamp the edges. As this is from Buffalo Trace’s mashbill 1 (shared with Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Stagg and others) which has less rye than their mashbill 2, I assume this is aged pretty high up. In a blind side-by-side-by-side against Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch (which is actually $1.5 less) and Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond ($5 less), I liked this the least of the three – finding it just too cutting/sharp and not having as much going on.

Rating: Average

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Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

45% ABV
$20
Website
Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch

What the Distillery Says

Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch honors the year that Evan Williams founded Kentucky’s First Distillery. Pulled from fewer than 300 barrels, this extra-aged small Batch Bourbon won the 2019 Consumers’ 2019 SIP Award.

Proof: 90 Proof
Age: 6-8 Years Old

Tasting Notes
Color: Brilliant honey
Aroma: Oaky vanilla, sautéed butter, and sweet corn
Taste: Semi-sweet, oaky, and honeyed
Finish: Lean, off-dry, and regal

What Gary Says

Nose:  Salted caramel, vanilla, richhouse mustiness with a hint of cocoa.
Palate:  Sweet vanilla, caramel, honey, bit of clove and cinnamon with subtle mint.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with oak, caramel and bitter chocolate.
Comments:  One of the first dusty bourbons I ever had the good fortune to buy was the 10 year age stated Evan Williams 1783.  From what I recall from that, it had quite a bit more mint than this – although it would have been pre-fire Heaven Hill – so entirely different distillate. This is not that whiskey. When I first tried this, I thought it was quite nice – a solid albeit, sweet bourbon. It got me thinking how it might compare to Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond (which is a few dollar cheaper, but higher ABV).  In a blind side-by-side-by-side (which included Benchmark Bonded), this was very similar/close to the Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond. On the nose, they were incredibly similar, with this having just a touch more oak, and on the palate, this had a bit more spice – although these differences were subtle.  I actually preferred the BIB over this by a hair, but both were quite nice – and liked both more than the Benchmark Bonded (which was the most expense in that three-way tasting).

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Wild Turkey Distiller’s Reserve 13 Year Old Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Wild Turkey Distiller’s Reserve 13 Year Old
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

45.5% ABV
$50-$70 (Japanese market)
Website
Wild Turkey Distillers Reserve 13 Year Bourbon

What the Distillery Says

(I think*)
The highest peak of Kentucky Straight Bourbon by a world-famous parent-child distiller.

There are parents and children who devote their lives and passions to making bourbon. Jimmy Russell and Eddie Russell continue to adhere to the traditional recipes of their predecessors and never compromise. After 13 years of aging while being nurtured by its sincere attitude and the rich nature of Kentucky, it is finished in a premium bourbon with a dignified style and a special taste suitable for Wild Turkey.

* The above is what Google Translate showed that Wild Turkey’s Japanese web-site (which I needed to VPN into Japan to get to) says about this product.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla, oak and rickhouse must, leather, baking spices with toasted orange zest.
Palate:  Soft caramel, vanilla, oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, faint sour citrus note with a bit of pepper.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with oak, caramel and soft pepper.
Comments:  For Wild Turkey fans, I’m guessing this is a miss more than a hit. It has that mature oak note (with the oak heavier on the nose than on the palate) but this lacks the spice kick I look for (and frankly expect) in Wild Turkey – and for the age, it isn’t as complex as I had hoped. The nose has more complexity for me than the palate. I was really looking forward to trying this, but was disappointed. I have fond memories of some dusty Wild Turkey 12 yr old bourbon, which this bears no resemblance to, but that probably wasn’t a fair expectation.  Maybe if this was a higher proof it would have delivered.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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