Must Try

The Arran Malt Single Cask Sherry 2014 Spring Release

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky /

The Arran Malt Single Cask Sherry Cask
2014 Spring Release

53.2% ABV
$100 – $120
Website

What the Bottle Says

This was a single-cask bottling that Richard picked up in Tennessee in April 2015, and Gary is now kicking himself for not picking up.
Cask #217
Bottle 183/562
Bottled 2/5/2014
Distilled 2/17/1997

What Gary Says

Nose: Damn this nose is thick! Full of BBQ sauce, molasses, smokey oak, tangy dark fruit with hints of balsamic.
Palate: Promised & delivered – lovely thick, chewy mouthfeel, rich with sherry sweetness, bitter chocolate, and nutty spice.
Finish:  Long, with the dark fruit memory slowly fading while dropping pepper spice along the way.
Comments:  Wow this is a fabulous bottle! I remember when Richard picked it up, and now tasting it REALLY wish I’d have grabbed a bottle. I don’t get BBQ sauce that often, but on three different tastings I noted (and underlined) it here. Unfortunately as a single cask, likely no chance of finding this bottle – but if I stumble upon some bottling of aged Arran in sherry, I’ll definitely give it serious consideration.

Rating: Must Try

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Old Forester Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / , ,

Old Forester Rye

50% ABV
$23 – $26
Website

What the Distillery Says

In 1870, our founder George Garvin Brown revolutionized the industry by sealing Bourbon in a glass bottle for the first time. Five generations and nearly 150 years later, we are proud to introduce the first Kentucky Straight Rye Whisky from The First Bottled Bourbon™.

A historic recipe, acquired in 1940 by Owsley Brown I, Old Forester Rye features a mash bill of 65% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, and 15% Corn. Such a high proportion of barley allows for a fully natural fermentation process, forgoing the need for artificial enzymes commonly found in high rye mash bills. Additionally, a generous percentage of malt yields a unique floral character, balancing the sharp, brisk spice of the rye grain. Continuing our legacy of quality and consistency, Old Forester uses its own proprietary yeast strain, produces every barrel, and distills every drop.

At 100 proof, Old Forester Rye plays beautifully in a cocktail but also stands up boldly on its own.

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Rich brown sugar and magnolia blossom, with hints of soft sassafras and candied lemon.
TASTE: Spice awakens immediately leading with sharp black pepper and cinnamon stick, rounding out with notes of dried dill and baked apple.
FINISH: Allspice and peppercorn introduce a loyal and dry finish which ignites with pine, anise, and bright lemon zest.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, thick nose, chock full of rye spice; mint, dill, and evergreen forest.
Palate:  Soft and round at the start, then sharpens as the journey continues with some herbal dill and mint notes, cinnamon and pepper kicking up over rye toast later.
Finish:  Not very long, with a drying herbal note.
Comments:  I really like this; just a straight up, unapologetically rye whiskey. With the growth in popularity the last few yeas, there has been more rye introduced – some of it solid, and some pretty disappointing.
I don’t get much/any citrus fruit like with some ryes – this plays in the herbal corner of the garden for sure, but it does so beautifully. My benchmark for any rye under $30 (frankly, under $40 even) is how it compares to Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond – and this held its own (in fact, the day of – I preferred this!) And can we take a moment to celebrate a screw-top?
Don’t get me wrong – this isn’t as complex as an 8 year cask strength rye (no age statement, so assuming this is in the ballpark of 4 yrs old).  But if you are a fan of rye whiskey, at this price point – I can’t imagine you being disappointed in a blind purchase.  If you’re not a solid rye fan (like some, not others), I’d urge you to try .

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy; Great Value

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Crown Royal Noble Collection 13 year old Blenders’ Mash

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

Crown Royal Noble Collection 13 year old Blenders’ Mash

45% ABV
$50 – $60
Website

What the Distillery Says

Crown Royal 13-Year-Old Blenders’ Mash, the third expression in the Noble Collection, is a rare stock of our Canadian Whisky made with a mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye and 4% barley malt. It is one of the five unique whiskies that comprise our signature blends. Carefully aged in new, charred American white oak barrels for no less than 13 years. The complexity of the liquid intensifies with the aging process, bringing out richer and deeper notes of caramel and fruit. This remarkably smooth and layered whisky is hand selected from our reserve stock, revealing its noble roots with every sip.

The Crown Royal Noble Collection is a series of limited annual releases that celebrates the skilled craftsmanship of our distillers and blenders – and their dedication to the art of creating extraordinary whiskies.

APPEARANCE: Amber
NOSE: Crown Royal 13-Year-Old Blenders’ Mash begins with a nose of orchid fruits, butterscotch with a hint of toasted oak.
TASTE: Crown Royal 13-Year-Old Blenders’ Mash encompasses the taste of rich caramel, vanilla and toffee notes.

Note: The above content was provided after requesting information directly from Crown Royal; not sure why they aren’t bragging about this on their own web-site but do appreciate them providing these details!

What Gary Says

Nose:  Soft oak with rich vanilla, cocoa powder, bits of nutmeg amongst other baking spices, hints of dark fruit in maple syrup.
Palate:  Sweet caramel cremes with vanilla ice cream; a dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg with maple candies.
Finish:  Moderately long, with notes of maple as it fades.
Comments:  If nosing/tasting blind, I absolutely would peg this as a bourbon. It has all of the hallmarks (vanilla, caramel sweetness with some oak) but is unique to be sure. The northern climate this was aged in makes a big difference – as there isn’t nearly as much oak as you’d get in a bourbon aged for 13 years. There also isn’t much of a spice edge. If you like a sweeter bourbon, this is probably right up your alley. If you’re more into an edgy, spicier dram – this wouldn’t be that. For what it is, I think it is delicious, and probably my favorite pour from north of the border in a while.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Four Roses Elliott’s Select 2016 Limited Edition Single Barrel

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Four Roses Elliott’s Select 2016 Limited Edition Single Barrel

56.5% ABV (varies by barrel/bottle)
$125
Website

What the Distiller Says

Barrel strength. OESK. 14 years. Only 10,000 bottles produced. Introducing, Elliott’s Select.

Elliott’s Select is a limited-quantity Single Barrel Bourbon and marks the first limited edition bottling released by Brent Elliott, our master distiller.

Brent Elliott, who assumed the post of master distiller in September 2015, personally hand-selected the 14-year-old OESK, one of the Distillery’s 10 unique Bourbon recipes.

Subtle aromas of peach jam, magnolia blossoms and light oak preview the elegantly-balanced flavors of spiced vanilla, fresh nutmeg and delicate, ripe fruits. Sweet flavors of honey and light apricot linger in the finish.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, thick, robust caramel, fair amount of oak, vanilla, hazelnuts, allspice and nutmeg.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, sweet vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce; a dusting of nutmeg and cinnamon with and a hint of butterscotch that gives way to a pepper spice note.
Finish:  Long and lingering with a hint of cinnamon and a strong hit of pepper spice on the way out.
Comments:  The last few Four Roses samples I’ve spent time with have had a lovely subtle note of butterscotch; reminding me a bit of dusty National Distiller’s bourbon (not nearly that intense though).  The OESK recipe isn’t one of my favorites, but this particular bourbon is delightful.  Rich and robust flavor, wonderfully balanced, and not the slightest bit over-oaked.

Rating: Must Try

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Maker’s Mark Private Select – Tower Wine & Spirits 2018

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Maker’s Mark Private Select

Exclusive Oak Stave Selection – Tower Wine & Spirits
55.25% ABV
$70
Website

What the Distiller Says

At Maker’s Mark, our wood-finishing series was created to explore new, unique expressions of our signature whisky. Beginning as fully matured Maker’s Mark® at cask strength, Private Select is created by adding 10 custom wood finishing staves to each barrel. It’s then aged in our limestone cellar to extract a unique, flavorful taste profile. Participants in this special barrel program get their say in the selection of these wooden staves. The finishing staves can be any combination of five flavor profiles chosen especially for this program. With 1,001 possible stave combinations, each expression of Private Select has a customized finish and taste profile that is unique, yet undeniably Maker’s®. Maker’s Mark Private Select® is available in select markets and also at our distillery.

Below are the notes on the different staves
The Maker’s 46® stave: The one that started this whole experiment. It delivers notes of dried fruit, vanilla and spice that you may be familiar with if you’ve tried Maker’s 46.
The Baked American Pure stave: Baked American Pure is American oak that’s slowly toasted. It adds notes of brown sugar, vanilla, caramel and spice.
The Seared French Cuvée stave: Seared French Cuvée is a French oak stave that’s cooked with infrared heat. It imparts toasty notes of oak and caramel.
The Roasted French Mocha stave: Roasted French Mocha is French oak cooked on high in a convection oven. It adds pleasant traces of char, maple and cacao.
The Toasted French Spice stave: Toasted French Spice is a French oak stave, cooked at both high and low temperatures in a convection oven. This stave has a flavor profile of smoke, coumarin and spice.

The finishing with the additional staves is typically 9 weeks.

This specific barrel’s stave selections were:
Baked American Pure 2: 3
Seared French Cuvée: 1
Maker’s 46: 1
Roasted French Mocha: 4
Toasted French Spice: 1

What Gary Says

Nose:  On the sharp side, nutty caramel corn with cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla; subtle wood and leather notes; bit of water brings out more spice notes (reminds me more of a rye mashbill bourbon in terms of spice pop).
Palate:  Bright/sharp and sweet, vanilla wafers with caramel drizzled, shaved chocolate and toffee with a dusting of cinnamon; bit of water actually thickens the mouthfeel, tones down the sharp edges, amplifying the caramel and bringing subtle fruity notes.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying, with just a hint of pepper spice.
Comments:  This particular bottling has more of an edge and kick than standard Maker’s Mark – which you might expect with the higher proof alone. The finishing staves do add a really nice spicy character that I don’t pull out of Maker’s Mark typically. For the longest time, Maker’s Mark was a one label producer, which was the exception. But since coming out with Maker’s 46 just a few years back, they’ve stepped up their game with not only the cask strength, but these private selections. Most distilleries have a private barrel program, and while true that each barrel is unique – if you pull a barrel of say Buffalo Trace (for illustrative purposes only, not to single them out)- that barrel was destined to be part of a batch of Buffalo Trace, so in many cases it isn’t going to be too far from that brand profile. The 1,001 stave combinations really provides purchasers the chance to get something even more unique than the typical private barrel selection. While I applaud this innovation, I do wish they offered some aging “tiers”. I get logistically they need to have some predictability, but I can’t help but think what the same stave combination would do with say 12 weeks versus 9. I dunno – maybe they experimented and found too fewer than 9 and you’re not really getting much, and much over there it changes the profile from being “Maker’s Mark finished with” to something entirely different. Either way, if you’re a fan of Maker’s Mark, I wouldn’t shy away from trying one if you have the chance.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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