Must Try

Compass Box The Story of the Spaniard

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box The Story of the Spaniard
Batch TS 2018-A (June 2018)
43% ABV
$70
Website

What the Producer Says

THE STORY OF THE SPANIARD
BLENDED MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

A showcase of malt whiskies aged in Spanish wine casks.
The newest addition to our range, we plan to produce this malt whisky once or twice per year, depending on our ability to source the quality of Spanish wine casks we require.

A long time ago, a friend and I journeyed through the South of Spain, stopping by every little village bar we could. They were tiny little bars filled with heavy smoke, serving beers and liquors I had never heard of.

In one place, an elderly man took it upon himself to teach us about the local Sherry wines. They captured my imagination with their nutty, saline character and tremendous spectrum of style. Years later, when I discovered Scotch whisky, I was reacquainted with Sherry through whiskies aged in former Sherry casks, which are known for the rich, deep flavours they provide. I’ve been drawn to this style of whisky ever since.

Inspired by an eponymously named bespoke whisky we recently created for a bar in New York City called The Spaniard, we decided to explore this style further to create a malt whisky blend with its core whiskies aged in Spanish Sherry and Spanish red wine casks. We’ve named it THE STORY OF THE SPANIARD as a nod to my chance encounter with that elderly gentleman in the South of Spain, all those years ago.

In this, our first release, 48% of the whiskies have been aged in ex-Sherry casks and 25% in ex-Spanish red wine casks. We may change the type of casks from year to year based on availability and experimentation, but Spanish casks – either Sherry wine casks or Sherry-style wine casks – will always play the key role.

BOTTLING DETAILS
Batch TS 2018-A (June 2018).
Bottled at 43%. Not chill-filtered.
Natural colour.

FLAVOUR DESCRIPTORS
Full, soft and sumptuous on the palate with notes of citrus peel, red wine and spices. The finish is long, with hints of rich vanilla panna cotta, ripe berries and cherries.

DISTILLERY SOURCING
Made entirely of Highland single malt whiskies from distilleries in and around the villages of Doune, Longmorn, Alness and Aberlour.

RECOMMENDATIONS
This is a whisky ideal for late evening sipping, served on its own or with a large ice cube or splash of water. Serve in a wine glass as a nod to the Spanish wine cask maturation!

WOOD
Whiskies aged in a mixture of American, European and French oak cask types, some of which previously held Spanish Sherry or red wine.

What Gary Says
Nose:  Musky sherry sweetness, mincemeat pie with dates and figs, worn leather with lingering smoke.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, rich dark fruits (figs, dates, sultanas, plums) with toasted orange zest, honey, allspice, pepper spice and a hint of clove.
Finish:  Long with a rich, creamy texture and trailing fruit notes.
Comments: Damn you John Glaser and team over at Compass Box! I’m not sure how they do it, but they’ve got me dialed in. This is simply a lovely, delicious dram. I like sherry, but not necessarily ‘sherry bombs’. This is right in my wheelhouse where you can’t miss the sherry influence, but that’s just one member of the band; this isn’t a solo act by any means. When I think of balance in terms of whiskey, it means avoiding one flavor or note dominating, and Compass Box does this exceptionally well. This is a nicely balanced whisky, with sherry sweetness but also spice and smoke. For the proof, this has a lot of flavor, and a lovely texture to it. I had the good fortune to try this before I bought one, but if you’re a fan of most of Compass Box’s other offerings, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick one up blind.
Rating: Must Try

NOTE:  Their web-site has downloads with the breakdown (image below), as well as a link to request more information.  Per their request, I won’t publish the additional details here they they will provide to anyone who inquires – but they are happy to provide them if you inquire.  We here at Whisk(e)y Apostle are BIG fans of their transparency (oh – and their whisky is pretty great too 🙂 )

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Bulleit Barrel Strength Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Bulleit Barrel Strength Frontier Whiskey
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

60-65% ABV (exact varies by batch)
$60
Website
Bulleit Bourbon Barrel Strength
We would like to thank Bulleit and Taylor for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

In 2015, Bulleit Founder, Tom Bulleit traveled the globe sharing sips of a new, unreleased style of Bulleit Bourbon with some of the world’s top bartenders. As a whiskey built by the support of the bartending community, Tom wanted to know what they would think about an addition based on higher proof instead of new flavors or finishes. The feedback was overwhelming and reinforced the decision to officially launch Bulleit Barrel Strength Frontier Whiskey in his home state of Kentucky in 2016. Bulleit is now proud to announce the national expansion of Bulleit Barrel Strength across the United States.

Distilled in Kentucky from the highest quality ingredients, this new variant is a barrel strength version of Bulleit Bourbon with the same high-rye mash bill. Bulleit Barrel Strength won Best Straight Bourbon and received a Double Gold Medal from the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and earned a score of 92 at the 2017 Ultimate Spirits Challenge – continuing Bulleit’s history of sharing award-winning whiskeys.

The barrels selected to create Bulleit Barrel Strength were emptied and combined into a single batch without the inclusion of any additional water after the whiskey was removed from the barrels. Aged and bottled at Stitzel-Weller in Louisville, Ky., this new offering allows bartenders and fans of great whiskey the opportunity to taste Bulleit Bourbon straight out of the barrel, uncut and non-chill filtered.

BULLEIT BARREL STRENGTH WHISKEY TASTING NOTES
Nose: Gentle spiciness and sweet oak aromas
Taste: Smooth with tones of maple, oak and nutmeg
Finish: Long, dry and satiny with light toffee flavor, but with deepened oak notes

Because Bulleit Barrel Strength is being bottled straight from the barrel, uncut and unfiltered, the ABV will vary by batch, but will generally range from 120 – 125 in proof.

What Gary Says

Nose:  A tad hot, salted caramel, vanilla, maple/chocolate fudge, oak with subtle cinnamon and a hint of anise.
Palate:  Thick, viscous mouthfeel, rich chocolate fudge with a caramel drizzle, vanilla, hint of maple candies, cinnamon and nutmeg with a bit of pepper spice at the end
Finish:  Moderately long, pepper spice drying into notes of cocoa.
Comments:  I was really excited to hear about this. When I read ‘barrel proof’, ‘uncut’, and ‘unchillfiltered’ – I get chills (forget raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens – THESE are a few of my favorite things!) Does it always add up to an amazing bourbon? No, but it seems to increase the chances I’ll enjoy it. This is one that delivered on that expectation – right in my wheelhouse. Just a lovely rich sweetness. I know their tasting notes and other reviews I’ve read talk a lot about maple, and I get a hint of that – but for me this is rich, chocolate fudge. The thick mouthfeel is lovely as well, and doesn’t really thin out with a few drops of water (which this takes like a champ).  This delivers on everything I look for in a barrel proof bourbon – intense flavor, sweetness, spice, and not too much oak.

Rating: Must Try

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Laphroaig 28 Year Old

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Laphroaig 28 Year Old
44.4% ABV
$799
Website

What the Distiller Says
Over a quarter century in the making. Laphroaig 28 Year Old is a limited luxury meant to savor.

Laphroaig 28 Year Old is an exceptional expression that has been matured for 28 years in a suite of artfully selected casks. First matured in different sizes from quarter casks to butts, the liquid is married in sherry casks to age for its final 12 months.

COLOR: Coppery gold.
NOSE: Rich and peaty with aroma of grilled dates, Manuka honey, and a hint of licorice, complemented by notes of Islay heather, dry thyme and rosemary.
BODY: Full bodied.
PALATE: Sweet with baked pears and vanilla notes complemented by salted toffee, burnt wood, marinated grilled meat, and ground black pepper.
FINISH: Sweet and peppery with dried spices, cedar and complex lingering peaty flavor.

What Gary Says
Nose: Thick, peaty sea air w/ notes of honey, sultanas, iodine, leather, and a hint of tangy, smokey barbecue.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, intense sweetness, pears, honey, rice pudding with a hint of balsamic vinegar; subdued peat.
Finish: Long, lingering with sweet notes and savory but subtle spices.
Comments: If you’ve read my other reviews, you know my history with Laphroaig. This is just an exquisite dram; the oldest Laphroaig I’ve had the pleasure of tasting, and it has indeed been a pleasure. The peat and medicinal notes that fans of Laphroaig have grown to love are still present, but they are tamed in this presentation, with more complex sweet notes on the nose and palate. The final 12 months of maturation in sherry is a lovely touch – adding depth and richness to the sweet notes, balancing out the peat and sea air – but not changing the foundation of that classic Laphroaig profile. On my second tasting, I poured some Laphroaig 18 yr for a comparison, and that really highlighted the difference of that sherry finishing (although the other casks used throughout the maturation undoubtedly played a significant role). Much more gentle and refined, with less peppery edge than the 18 yr. Very well crafted, and delicious representation!
Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

We would like to thank Laphroaig and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

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Yellowstone 2018 Limited Edition

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Yellowstone 2018 Limited Edition
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Finished in No 3 Char Wine Cask

50.5% ABV
$100
Website

What the Producer Says

Limestone Branch Distillery introduces the 2018 variety of Yellowstone® Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon, the third and final barrel finishing experiment by Limestone Branch Distillery, set to hit the market in October. This year’s final limited edition combines hand-selected, Kentucky Straight bourbons, ranging from four to 12 years in aging and finished in No. 3 char wine casks. Same as with the 2017 edition, this year’s special edition also includes Limestone Branch Distillery’s own distillate, carefully made with their signature heirloom white corn.

“The Yellowstone Limited Edition variants have been an incredible outlet for my creativity and flair for experimenting,” says Steve Beam, president and distiller of Limestone Branch Distillery. “We started the process in 2016 and I am proud of the three limited editions we created – and how they are linked to each other.”

Beam tells the story of the evolution of these three variants. “In 2016, we finished our Limited Edition bourbon in specially selected new wine barrels, which lent their special flavor to that year’s celebrated bourbon, but their journey had barely begun. Later that year, after the bourbon was dumped and bottled, the same 28 barrels were lightly charred and we filled them with our 2017 Limited Edition bourbon. This year, we took the very same barrels – now rich with complexity – and deeply charred them before filling them with our 2018 Limited Edition.”

The barrel journey, and the hand-selected bourbon used in these products, created a rich flavor profile. Beam notes that the heavy char over bourbon-wet oak produced a rich palate of burnt sugar, deep caramel and a lingering essence of crème brulée.

Bottled at 101 proof and available in 750ml bottles signed by Steve Beam and nestled in commemorative tubes, the 2018 Yellowstone Limited Edition marks the final piece of this award-winning trilogy.

Approximately 12,000 bottles of this bourbon are being produced this fall at Limestone Branch Distillery, and the suggested retail price is $99.99.

What Gary Says
Nose:  Vanilla, caramel, allspice, sour oak with hints of cigar paper, hazelnuts, milk chocolate with a subtle wine twang.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, honey, salted caramel with hazelnuts that sharpens with spicy wine notes and dried apricots.
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with some pepper spice at the end.
Comments:  A lot of folks are experimenting with different finishes, and bourbon has such an intense flavor – some folks I think wind up going over the top.  This is not one of those cases.  The wine cask finish is done very well, hot heavy handed in the least, but not so light that you don’t recognize it is there.  In my opinion, this is where “finishing” is meant to be.  I imagine that this would be a delicious bourbon even without that extra bit, but I’m delighted that they’ve taken care in the balance.  I hadn’t tried the previous Yellowstone limited editions so unfortunately can’t compare, but on its own this is a very well crafted whiskey.  If you are a fan of finished bourbons in particular, I’d push this up to a ‘Must Try’.
Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

We would like to thank Limestone Branch and Common Ground PR for sending us samples to review.

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Little Book Chapter 2: Noe Simple Task

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

Little Book Chapter 2: Noe Simple Task
59.4% ABV
$90 – $100
Website

What the Blender Says

FREDDIE’S NOTE
As the name implies, this round of Little Book was a long journey that really tested my skills as a blender. Maybe I jinxed myself naming my first batch “the Easy.” Superstitions aside, I spent a lot of time in the lab on this one. I tried almost forty different recipes. But in the end, all that hard work paid off and we landed on a one-of-a-kind whiskey I’m really proud of.

The road to Noe Simple Task started when I visited our Canadian distilleries in early 2017. I enjoy travelling to different places in the world to see how they distill their spirits. There, I was able to taste some great Canadian whisky straight out of the barrel. I was really drawn to the fruit and floral notes they achieve. I wanted to know more.

Later in the year I went back for a deeper dive to learn all about their process. And taste some more great whisky. This was a step outside my comfort zone. The rules and laws for making whiskey in Kentucky that I grew up with don’t apply up there. But I came back inspired and began blending.

Now, while the flavors of the Canadian whisky had piqued my interest, my heart still lies in Kentucky. So I was excited about the idea of bringing the best of both worlds together. Knowing I wanted to blend with Kentucky Straight Rye, I started experimenting with different Canadian whiskies, trying to pull in those fruity and floral notes. They use a lot of different barrels to age up there, so I was able to play around with a lot of different flavors. I was looking for something that would round out the blend and really showcase the nuances of both the American and Canadian whiskies. In the end, I found the 40-year-old whisky and 13-year-old rye helped me achieve exactly what I wanted—a truly balanced and refined whiskey with a nice, lingering finish that’s full of flavor.

Blend Overview:

    • 13-year-old, uncut and unfiltered1 Canadian rye whisky at 111.9 proof
    • 8-year-old, uncut and unfiltered1 Kentucky straight rye whiskey at 119.8 proof
    • 40-year-old, uncut and unfiltered1 Canadian whisky at 137.8 proof
    • Proof: 118.8

Tasting Notes: Little Book “Noe Simple Task” features floral and fruity notes that balance out the spice from the rye whiskies in the final blend. The finish is long, lingering and spicy with notes of caramel.
Sipping Suggestions: Neat, over ice, or with a few drops of water

1While we get every last ounce of charred oak flavor from our barrels, we make sure any actual pieces of barrel wood are left behind at the distillery.

What Gary Says
Nose:  Evergreen/pine with mint, maple syrup, cloves, nutmeg and subtle dried fruit.
Palate:  Warm and sweet, vanilla, caramel, mincemeat pie with raisins and apples.
Finish:  Moderately long, thick with a cinnamon note.
Comments:  I’m a fan of Canadian rye, and the nose screams that to me – more so than the Kentucky rye which is more aggressive. There are some typical notes found in both (for me, mint and some of the baking spices), but I find evergreen notes often in the Canadian rye whiskies. On the palate, it is far more balanced – sweet with those baking spices. Sipping neat, this drinks easier than 118.8 proof. I wasn’t a big fan of the first Little Book release, but this is damn tasty whiskey; one I could just sip and enjoy or take my time pondering. Fairly complex, balanced, and just delicious.  Would I love to see this at a lower price point?  Sure, but hard to argue that there are other similar pours out there to be had for less (for starters, hard to find something similar!)  If you know you like Canadian rye whiskey, I’d call this a ‘Must Try’.
Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

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