Must Buy

This Is Not A Luxury Whisky

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box This Is Not A Luxury Whisky Blended Scotch Whisky
53.1% ABV
$200
Website
TINALW
What the Blender Says:
This is not a luxury whisky. Or is it?

The inspiration for this limited release is René Magritte’s 1929 work “Ceci n’est pas une pipe”, a Surrealist painting which challenges peoples’ perceptions of reality.

The reality is, these days we hear more and more commentators talking about ‘luxury’ whiskies, which are presumably whiskies that are either rare or expensive, or, possibly, both. On one level, similar to the role Magritte’s painting played in the art world, this release is about getting people to consider for themselves what a ‘luxury’ whisky is. On another level, a level we consider much more important, this limited release is about the liquid. This is about the whisky in the bottle, which we have painstakingly sourced and blended, and the engagement and enjoyment and pleasure this whisky will bring when shared with others. This latter point is what we believe a ‘luxury’ whisky is. And at Compass Box, this is what we believe whisky, generally speaking, is all about.

Availability: Limited Edition release of 4,992 bottles. Bottled in August 2015.
Flavour Descriptors: Complex, rich, lightly smoky and opulent. Sultanas, sweet sherry and concentrated floral notes combine with deep demerara sweetness, cacao and lighter creamy coconut character. An inviting nose, fat and full-bodied on the palate with a long, lingering sweet smoke finish.
Recommendations: This particular luxury has been designed to be consumed, not preserved on a shelf. Use it to celebrate life’s little victories – a new job, a chance meeting with a friend, the conclusion of an enjoyable dinner. Above all else, share and enjoy.
Bottling Details: Bottled at 53.1%, Not chill-filtered, Natural colour

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich fruity aroma that reminds of cognac with the slightest back smokiness.
Palate: Viscous with a canned apricot sweetness mixing with a subtle sherry impact and smoked melon rind.
Finish: Slightly herbal with fading vanilla cream and a dusting of cocoa powder.
Comments: Luxury? Oh yes. While it stands in the shadow of the previous release The General this whisky is not slouch in it’s own right. There is more fresh, sweet fruitiness with a subtle smoky flavor. Another sterling success for Compass Box. Bravo!
Rating: Must Buy

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Stiggins’ Fancy

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Stiggins’ Fancy Plantation Pineapple Original Dark Rum
40% ABV
$30
Website
1207290x
What the Blender Says:
Plantation Pineapple Rum – Stiggins’s Fancy, created by company founder Alexandre Gabriel and cocktail historian David Wondrich, is inspired by several traditional recipes used in the 1800s. Gabriel infused ripe Queen Victoria pineapples in Plantation Original Dark Rum for three months, before adding the distillate of rum macerated sith the bare rind of the fruit. The resulting 40% abv rum is described as having notes of tropical fruit, smoke, citrus peel and clove.

“David and I did this project in part out of sheer curiosity,” Gabriel said. “Mostly, however, we did it because the pineapple is the symbol of hospitality and also the symbol of the Tales of the Cocktail Apprentice program.”

The new expression is also named after the Reverend Stiggins, a character in Charles Dickens’ The Pickwick
Papers whose favoured tipple was pineapple rum. “Stiggins’s Fancy is our liquid “thank you” to the Tales Apprentices who do so much for all of us. We hope you all
enjoy drinking it as much as we did making it.

“The 1824 Journal of Patent Inventions notes that it was customary in the West Indies to offer pineapple rum to
visiting European friends. Following the West Indian tradition, Plantation Pineapple Rum is our gift to you.”

What Richard Says:
Nose: With a wisp of coconut this would smell like the finest pina colada in the world. Rich, bright, sugary rum interlaced with fresh cut pineapple…as you would expect, right?
Palate: Surprisingly, this is not cloyingly sweet at all. It is the most impressive pineapple infusion that I’ve ever tasted elegantly laid into the rum.
Finish: Dry and fleeting.
Comments: This rum is amazing. It is the most impressive flavor infused spirit (not just rum) that I’ve ever tried. By itself this is crazy good and enjoyable and in a cocktail it is damn near unmatched. Kudos!
Rating: Must Buy

We would like to thank Maison Ferrand for sending us a sample to review.

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Collingwood 21 Year Old

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

Collingwood 21 Year Old Rye Canadian Whisky
40% ABV
$70
Website
Collingwood Whisky releases its limited edition 21-Year-Old Rye in select United States and Canada markets. (PRNewsFoto/Collingwood)
What the Distillery Says:
Sadly, we waited so long to review this that all the distillery commentary was taken down from the Collingwood website.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Soft, oaky, minty spice with hints of leather, nutmeg and cereal; lot of subtle nuance going on.
Palate: Rounded, sweet, mellow fruitiness with toasted oak and maple-glazed pecans.
Finish: Wet, and a bit short
Comments: This was a one-time release a couple of years ago, and I passed on it as “too good to be true”. I mean, 21 yr rye whiskey for $70 (or less at some stores)?? I finally had a chance to sample it, and immediately regretted not buying it. I lucked into a bottle while traveling and immediately grabbed it. There aren’t a lot of whiskies at 80 proof that really hit me right, but this delivers a lot of flavor and nuance. I absolutely love the nose on this whiskey, and I really like the palate. This is softer – not as sharp-spicy as most US rye, but I wouldn’t let one slip by again.
Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

What Richard Says:
Nose: The “typical” rye mint note is a subtle back up. Creamy fruity notes play with more of grain saddle oil center. Yee-ha!
Palate: Rye bread topped with orange marmalade and sprinkled with cracked pepper.
Finish: Creamy and seriously mellow. You get just a bit of wood and pepper carry through.
Comments: All the way back in 1991 the 50 barrel lot that was batched together for this limited release was laid down at the Canadian Mist Distillery in Collingwood. 21 Years and some maple wood finishing later and this limited release only hit shelves in Ontario, Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming only. So being in Georgia I jumped at the chance for a 21 year old rye at $70. The packaging alone is hilarious. The weird cologne shaped bottle and the speed pour spout are a humorous diversion from the over-hyped newer ryes coming out now. The liquid itself will surprise you too. It is not maple syrupy or rye spicy or over woody. Everything you would think when you hear “21 year old maple wood finished rye” is put aside on this one. Not necessarily my style of rye but it is an accomplishment.
Rating: Stands Out

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Four Roses 2015 Limited Edition Small Batch

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
2015 Release
54.3%ABV
$100
Website
fourroses-2015smallbatch
What the Distillery Says:
The 2015 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon is timed with the retirement of Master Distiller Jim Rutledge and the appointment of Brent Elliot to the post.

Four Roses is the only distillery that combines two mashbills with five proprietary yeast strains to produce ten distinct Bourbon recipes, each with its own unique characteristics. The 2015 Limited Edition Small Batch features a 16-year-old Bourbon from Four Roses’ OBSK recipe, a 15-year-old OESK, a 14-year-old OESK and an 11-year-old OBSV.

“This combination of mature bourbons is something truly special,” said Rutledge. “It’s great when you can go out on a high note, and this Bourbon delivers that.”

Bottled at barrel strength with a proof of 108.5, the 2015 Limited Edition Small Batch mingles together aromas of ripe cherry, caramel custard and fresh magnolia. Spicy cinnamon and clove flavors give way to subtle tastes of orange peel, apricot and light honey. The long, velvety finish leaves lingering hints of creamy vanilla and fresh spearmint.

“This Bourbon is a great tribute to Jim Rutledge, whom I’ve had the privilege to work with closely over the past decade. His knowledge and passion, along with the strong team at our distillery, are responsible for the high-quality Bourbon we produce every day,” said Brent Elliott, who takes the post of master distiller September 1. “I couldn’t think of a better way to toast Jim’s exceptional career.”

Four Roses will produce and distribute approximately 12,600 hand-numbered bottles of the 2015 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon, which are expected to hit retail outlets in mid-September, during National Bourbon Heritage Month.

The limited edition release also highlights a year in which Four Roses announced an expansion that will increase its aging capacity and double its distillery in size and annual production by 2020.

“It’s an exciting time of growth for Four Roses, but what’s not going to change is the attention to detail that’s put into every Bourbon we handcraft,” said Elliott.

TASTING NOTES

Nose: Ripe cherry, caramel custard, fresh magnolia
Palate: Spicy cinnamon, clove, orange peel, apricot, light honey
Finish: Long, velvety finish, lingering hints of creamy vanilla, fresh

What Gary Says:
Nose: Rich sweetness, spice, caramel, oak (more so than 2014), mincemeat pie.
Palate: Thick, robust dark fruit sweetness, toffee, more oak but nice balance; toasted orange zest.
Finish: Dries out after a bit, but not unpleasantly.
Comments: Different from the 2014 Small Batch Limited Edition; more oaky, and a bit more robust, but very nice. This one is thicker on the palate, but dries out more on the finish. Each year I wonder if this will be the year I’m disappointed with Four Roses’ fall limited edition offering (especially since the market is driving prices higher). This is not that year – I bought my bottle at the gift shop for $120, and have zero regrets.
Rating: Must Try

What Richard Says:
Nose: Layers of sweet mints, caramel chews, vanilla custard, orange zest, and cloves.
Palate: Rich doesn’t begin to describe it. Cinnamon, cloves, citrus marmalade, oak staves, and poached stone fruits with a pinch of pepper around the edges.
Finish: Dry, spicy, minty, and slightly peppery.
Comments: The last Jim Rutledge Four Roses Limited Edition. It’s everything great about Four Roses. It’s not the absolute best Four Roses I’ve had but the sentimental value sends this through the roof. It’s a little drier and woodier than the best examples but the nose is the best I’ve ever sniffed from this distillery. For the uber whiskey geeks (like me) the recipes for this one are a 16 year OBSK, a 15 year OESK, a 14 year OESK, and an 11 year OBSV.
Rating: Must Buy

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Four Roses OBSO

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Four Roses Single Barrel Private Selection
Recipe OBSO, 11 years and 4 months old

55.4% ABV
$59.99
Website

What the Distillery Says

The Recipe:
OBSO is currently only available as a private selection bottling at the distillery gift shop or possibly at a local liquor store near you. Unlocking the recipe codes goes like this…

“O” starts all of Four Roses’ recipes and only means that it is made by Four Roses in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.

“B” mean that this is the higher rye content of the two mashbills that Four Roses uses, specifically 60% Corn, 35% Rye, and 5% Malted Barley

“S” means that it is Straight Whiskey by U.S. Regulatory definition, again all their products carry this designation

“O” distinguishes the yeast strain used. This specific one impacts more of a robust fruity flavor onto the distillate

What Richard Says:

Nose: Lush and fruity…poached red pears, orange zest, maraschino cherries, brown sugar, and a subtle mint backbone.
Palate: More cherries, orange marmalade, caramel syrup, and oak pervade. There is something else deliciously out of grasp that I can’t put my finger on.
Finish: Heavier on the oak than anything would foretell. Black pepper and a pinch of cayenne sneak up on you but a little water tames that right down.
Comments: I don’t necessarily have a favorite Four Roses recipe per se but this may be my favorite bottle ever purchased at the gift shop. This is a sterling example of the “robust fruity flavor” this recipe is supposed to bring to the table. Absolutely delicious.

Rating: Must Buy

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