Must Try

Barrell Rye Batch 004

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Barrell Rye Batch 004

57.85% ABV
$90
Website
Barrell Rye Batch 004
We would like to thank Barrell Craft Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Blender Says

10-year-old Indiana Rye barrels with notes of brown sugar and a touch of smoke had 5 and 6-year-old barrels layered in for fruit and spice character. 14-year-old Canadian barrels were added for their dry herbal notes. The result is fruit-forward rye with layers of depth.

BLEND COMPONENTS:
Indiana: 5, 6, & 10 years old
Tennessee: 5 years old
Kentucky: 6 years old
Canadian: 14 years old

  • A blend of straight Rye Whiskeys
  • Bottled in Kentucky
  • 115.7 proof cask strength bottling

DERIVED MASH BILL:
Rye: 89%
Corn: 7%
Malted Barley: 4%

FLAVOR NOTES
This rye blend highlights rye’s earthier side, featuring notes of tobacco, leather, and mole poblano. Its stewed fruit and wilder savory character recall the syrahs of France’s Rhône valley: blackberry and tapenade on the nose followed by flavors of bresaola and black pepper.

Neat
Appearance: Copper penny with pumpkin highlights.
Nose: Blackberry, dried apricot and Concord grape lead off. The grape introduces woodsy tones of blonde tobacco, birch oil and dandelion root. Rye lends its familiar bouquet garni, lemon verbena, and peppermint aromatics. Meanwhile an unhurried maturation has produced cashew, tahini and nocino.
Palate: The first impression mirrors the nose but here grape soda is joined by a dark amber maple syrup. Burnt marshmallow leads into rich espresso and black licorice. There’s a deep umami presence of leather, black olive, and grilled onion. The oak here is strong and extractive yielding clove, coconut oil, and pine needle.
Finish: A burst of blanche armagnac and rosewater volatiles make way for the piquant heat of mole poblano and black pepper on the tongue. The lingering impression is of juniper, thyme, and wormwood.

With a splash of spring water

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruity with blackberries, grapes, lemongrass, mint, mandarin orange and a hint of cedar.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel chockful of fruit notes including grapes, apricots, orange and a hint of lemon, bit of maple syrup and cinnamon.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with pepper and savory herbs.
Comments:  This is a lovely, savory and herbal rye – ideal in my mind for cocktails. I’m still jealous of the mad skills the folks who do their tasting notes possess, but just as impressed with the blending chops that BCS employs. This is a really nicely balanced whiskey, subtly sweet but more savory with herbal and spice notes. Not typical for a rye, but definitely has that rye-vibe going on, and is a must-try for true rye whiskey fans out there..

Rating: Must Try

Barrell Rye Batch 004 Read More »

Macaloney’s The Peat Project: European Moscatel Barrique

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

Macaloney’s The Peat Project Series: Single Cask European Moscatel Barrique 
Canadian Island Peated (54 ppm) Single Malt Whisky

46% ABV
$? (maybe $135?)
Website
Macaloney's Peat Project Washington Peat and Portuguese Red Wine STR Cask
We would like to thank Macaloney’s Island Distillery for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Distillery smoked using Washington Peat and carefully crafted in a premium European Moscatel Barrique

This sweet white wine Euuropean oak barrique explores peat ‘terroir’ from Washington State (Canadian and Islay peat coming soon). The nose has medium peat smoke, bonfire, cigar, vanilla, white wine with apricot, lychee, melon, fresh ginger, coconut, sweet peas, roses, and honey. Juniper and pine forest yield to white chocolate, walnut, and peat smoke. The palate is velvety, with big peat, sweet burnt heather, seashort, malt extract, pineapple, sultanas, pears, figs, stewed apples, chocolate orange, and Key lime banana pie, with cloves, white pepper, liquorice, marzipan and hazelnut. The finish is dry with a hint of salt and lingering smoke.

Natural Colour & Non-Chill Filtered

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, exotic fruit notes, peat smoke, floral, honey, smoked meat with a hint of spices.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, fruity with pears, apples, and tropical fruit (not quite pineapple), peat, chocolate, sea salt and cracked pepper.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with peat smoke, salt and kiwi.
Comments:  This is really nice – and was my favorite of the 5-sample pack sent! Less of the peat and minerality than the others, and the nose on this is rather complex. With a bit of water, it thickens nicely and opens up. My only complaint is that there’s no mention of this on their website! My guess is word got out and they had limited inventory (while a ‘single cask’, I hope they didn’t just have ONE single cask, but who knows). I’m making the leap that the price would be in line with the others, which is still on the high end.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

Macaloney’s The Peat Project: European Moscatel Barrique Read More »

Bib & Tucker 6 Year Double Char Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Bib & Tucker Double Char Bourbon
Aged 6 Years

44% ABV
$55
Website
Bib & Tucker 6 Year Double Char Bourbon
We would like to thank Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits and Create Studios for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Inspired by the turn of the century, when food was cooked on the open flame, this new bourbon is aged twice to create savory smoky notes and an exceptionally smooth finish. Bib & Tucker Double Char is first aged for six years in the rolling hills of Tennessee in new white American oak, followed by a minimum of five months in a second heavily charred and smoked new barrel. This unique fire-forged double char aging method creates the rich and deep flavor of Bib & Tucker Double Char.

“I can’t wait for consumers to try this delicious expression,” said Tom Steffanci, President of Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. “Double Char spends just the right amount of time in the second heavily charred barrel, creating a savory, smoky character that adds a whole new dimension to the bourbon.”
As a Tennessee bourbon, Bib & Tucker follows the Lincoln County process unique to the state, meaning the bourbon is filtered through sugar maple charcoal before going into the barrel for aging.

For Double Char, to pay homage to the Lincoln County process, the second barrel is smoked with sugar maple before being filled with the brand’s 6-year aged bourbon. The perfect amount of time in the barrels, the char, and the sugar maple barrel smoking process delivers a bourbon with an inviting savory white smoke flavor not found in any other whiskey on the market.

Bib & Tucker Double Char Tasting Notes
Nose: A touch of smoke with immediate notes of toasted oak and dulce de leche, background notes of cinnamon and clove
Palate: Vanilla and sugar maple surrounded with white smoke, hints of sweet corn and toasted cinnamon
Finish: Medium to long finish with oak, white smoke and vanilla
Color: Deep rich mahogany with copper undertones

Bib & Tucker Double Char will be available nationally, in-store and online, beginning August 2023.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, vanilla, freshly baked oatmeal raisin cookies with cloves, nutmeg, brown sugar, charred oak and just a hint of vitamins.
Palate:  Rich and sweet, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and a hint of citrus.
Finish:  Moderately long and dam with caramel, oak and spice notes.
Comments:  Pouring this along side the Bib & Tucker 6 Year Small Batch, it is noticeably dark in color, and also richer with more chocolate and spice notes. The ‘house style’ of the distillate is present, but much more muted. This is a really lovely bourbon, and if you enjoy a cigar with your whiskey – I expect that this would pair nicely. While I don’t get ‘smoke’ per say, the effect of the finishing in another new barrel is clear, and definitely brings out some nice flavors and adds depth to the whiskey. I do wish that it was offered at a higher proof, but maybe they’ll come out with a cask strength offering in the future (hint hint 😉).

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

Bib & Tucker 6 Year Double Char Bourbon Read More »

WhistlePig 12 Year Old Bespoke Barrel Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

WhistlePig 12 Year Old Bespoke Barrel Rye
Straight Rye Whiskey Aged in Cognac Cask

43% ABV
$170
Website
WhistlePig 12 yr Bespoke Barrel Rye Whiskey Aged in Cognac

What the Bottle Says

Bottled Exclusively for Total Wine & More

What Gary Says

Nose:  Cognac, grapey, cedar, oak, soft spices with dill, subtle lemon zest and a hint of anise.
Palate:  Soft, floral, caramel, mandarin orange, vanilla, light spice with mint and cinnamon, grapes and a bit of pepper.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with orange zest and cognac.
Comments:  This is an interesting dram. At first I misunderstood and thought this was ‘cognac finished’ (and I’m not sure if that isn’t the case, since I don’t think you could label it ‘straight rye’ unless it was aged in new oak for at least the first two years). No idea how long this was in a cognac cask, but the nose is heavily cognac influenced. The palate isn’t as sharp as a typical rye, although the low 43% ABV is a factor. It absolutely has that family resemblence to what I expect are its Canadian rye whiskey roots – which is a good thing in my book. Not sure I’d pay the retail price for this, but if someone is offering me a pour – I’d gladly accept. Complex, layered, well balanced (if heavy cognac on the nose, it is better balanced on the palate), and delicious neat.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

WhistlePig 12 Year Old Bespoke Barrel Rye Read More »

Murray Hill Club Blended Bourbon Whiskey

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Murray Hill Club Blended Bourbon Whiskey

51.5% ABV
$90-$140
Website
Murray Hill Club Bourbon

What the Producer Says

Toasty, buttery notes of vanilla and char, with layers of spiced, dried fruits through the finish

A true bourbon blend crafted using the same techniques Joseph Magnus used to create this original pre-Prohibition spirit more than 100 years ago. Artfully marries 18 and 11-year-old bourbon with 9-year-old light whiskey to deliver notes of butterscotch, honey, toffee, autumnal baking spices, vanilla, and char, with a hint of black pepper that lingers through a softly spiced and toasted finish.

An adventure in whiskey made in the fashion of an era gone by
The drinkers of Murray Hill Club Whiskey were, in accordance with Joseph’s vision, people of discriminating taste and mature judgment. Magnus actively introduced his whiskey into the leading bars, hotels, cafes, and groceries of his day. Local newspapers were peppered with advertisements for this new whiskey, which quickly earned great acclaim. He encouraged readers to sample just a taste, for “give this whiskey a trial once, and you’ll take no other brand.”

What Gary Says

Nose:  Pecan pie with a salted caramel drizzle, rickhouse oak, cigar smoke, dark chocolate and leather.
Palate:  Viscous mouthfeel, caramel, vanilla, maple glazed donut, honey, nutmeg, bit of cinnamon, oak and chocolate.
Finish:  Moderately long with caramel, chocolate and mixed nuts.
Comments:  When I tasted this, I didn’t know anything about it (I usually do avoid reading a producer/distiller’s tasting notes first to avoid ‘confirmation bias’) so I was surprised to learn that this was a blend of bourbon and light whiskey (NOT a straight whiskey). That said, it’s pretty damned good. First thought I had was that this is a bourbon made to enjoy with a cigar (if that’s your thing). Robust, sweet, oaky but well balanced. This drinks lovely neat, although a bit of water brings out some molasses and ginger-snap cookie on the nose.

Rating: Must Try

Murray Hill Club Blended Bourbon Whiskey Read More »