Must Try

WhistlePig Single Barrel 10 yr

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Whistlepig 10 Year Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey
Selection by World Beverage, Duluth GA
Barrel 15-52

57.45% ABV
$80
Website
Whistlepig 10 year Single Barrel Rye

What the Producer Says

WhistlePig produces a 100-proof, straight rye whiskey, aged for at least ten years through a unique double-barrel process. WhistlePig was released in the summer of 2010 to great critical acclaim, earning 96 points from Wine Enthusiast, their highest rating ever for a rye whiskey, a “highest recommendation” from Spirits Journal, as well as accolades from The Wall Street Journal, GQ, Forbes, Maxim, Imbibe Magazine, and many others. As Master Distiller Dave Pickerell notes, these extraordinary honors both “humble and set a high bar” for the company.
WhistlePig embodies the perfect combination of proof, purity, and age — hitting “the sweet spot” in all three categories. In short: more rye, all the proof, and the perfect age. All in. Full stop.

What Gary Says

Nose: Musty sour oak, herbal, apricots, subdued dried orange zest.
Palate: Warm, bright citrus spice balanced nicely with the oak, peppery into the finish
Finish: Medium, wet with the pepper kicking up
Comments: This was a private selection of Whistlepig 10yr, bottled at cask strength. I’ve thought Whistlepig 10yr at 100 proof was always a bit pricey for my taste, and even at a great price – was a bit apprehensive on pulling the trigger on this one. I am SO glad I got over that! This is a lovely rye, that takes a bit of water really well (but doesn’t require it). A few drops knocked some of the oak off the nose and palate, while not dampening the fruitiness.

Rating: Must Try

What Richard Says

Nose: Big rich hit of strong rye spice and minty comes jumping out. Citrus with notes of gingerbread cookies, licorice, honeysuckle, wisteria, and jasmine. Surprisingly little heat on the nose for the amount of alcohol.
Palate: Lime and blood orange zest floating over old leather, burnt caramel, white pepper, and polished oak.
Finish: The oak predominates but not in an overpowering way.
Comments: This is really a great rye. I’ve tried WhistlePig a few times and enjoyed it each time but I never bought a bottle until this one. The price is (in my opinion) still relatively high to comparable ryes but I can’t say I regret a penny of this purchase. A cracking whiskey for sure!

Rating: Must Try

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Rock Hill Farms

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon
50% ABV
$45 to $65
Website
rock-hill-farms-single-barrel
What the Distillery Says:
Named for the rich farmland along the Kentucky River, this 100 proof Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey honors its Bluegrass roots, defined by rich tradition and smooth bourbon.

Tasting Notes:
Seductive aromatic notes of toasted walnut, dried red fruits, spice, cocoa and marshmallow. Flavors of dark chocolate, chocolate covered almond, coffee, tobacco and dark caramel. The finish is smooth, silky, toffee sweet and honeyed.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Stepping into a rickhouse in the fall, musty oak, bits of corn and cinnamon, with a hint of licorice.
Palate: Wow . . . (my exact thought was Austin Powers “yeah baby yeah!”) Silky sweet, caramel corn balanced very nicely with spice.
Finish: Moderately lingering, pleasant.
Comments: I first tried Rock Hill Farms at a restaurant, and was quite underwhelmed – so I was expecting the same. This completely changed my opinion. Very well balanced; the bit of corn on the nose gave me pause that it might be young, but the palate was something else. Being a single barrel, there is always a risk of variability there, but I’m definitely reconsidering picking up a bottle in the future (and not only because the bottle is pretty freaking cool as well).
Rating: Must Try

What Richard Says:
Nose: Cocoa powder, hair spray, cinnamon, dried cherries, raisin’s pulled of a box of raisin bran.
Palate: Burnt caramel, more cherries, dark chocolate truffles, toffee crisps covered in white chocolate ganache.
Finish: Dry cocoa powder and bits of honeysuckle.
Comments: I realize there is only so much time to review whiskey since this isn’t a paying gig but I can’t fathom why it has taken me so long to review this. The brand is about 20 years old but as with many Sazerac brands it has been in short supply lately. I grabbed this bottle on a lark when I saw a couple tucked away at a local retailer last fall. It was $65 in Atlanta but you can get it as low as $45 if you know where to look. This is made from the #2 rye bourbon mashbill at Buffalo Trace. That’s the same one used in Elmer T Lee, Blanton’s and Hancock Reserve. This is ridiculously drinkable. I pulled it out a few days ago with the guys in the neighborhood who had never tried and we almost killed the bottle. All that was left was enough for my formal review and a sample for Gary. If I see it again I will grab another for sure. At $45 it’s a must buy but in the $60+ range it’s something you should certainly at least try.
Rating: Must Buy/Must Try

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Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2013

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon
Distilled 2001, Bottled 2013
49% ABV
$55
Website
Old_Forester_Birthday_Bourbon_2013-740x1024
What the Distillery Says:
Handcrafted by renowned Master Distiller Chris Morris, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is vintage-dated bourbon, hand-selected from one specific day of production. The result is a one of a kind character and flavor that will never be replicated.

Each year on September 2nd – in honor of our founder George Garvin Brown’s birthday – Old Forester releases a limited-edition, 12-year old vintage-dated expression. Old Forester Birthday Bourbon has become a must-have for bourbon enthusiasts who want to experience the ultimate in rare handcrafted bourbon. Since its introduction in 2002, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon has received unprecedented acclaim, with an impressive collection of national and international whisky honors.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Burnt sugar (like you get on a nicely prepared crème brûlée), bit of a sour oak note.
Palate: Rye spice is dominant with a fair amount of oak, the sweetness that the nose telegraphed went hiding – barely detectable.
Finish: Short and dry.
Comments: I prefer the nose here over the 2014 vintage, but the palate left me wanting. With Old Forester, my expectation isn’t a tremendously sweet bourbon, but the disagreement between the nose and palate left me disappointed. With the progressive pricing scheme in recent years, I’m even more disappointed.
Rating: Average

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich and deep with cinnamon woody notes mixed with vanilla cream and burnt caramel made from slow cooking brown sugar.
Palate: Creamy, spicy, muscular bourbon. Soaked raisins, cocoa powder, and deep cinnamon.
Finish: Heavy on the wood but it’s more of an old furniture oak.
Comments: Fantastic Brown-Forman bourbon. I’ve said for years that this is a standard bearer for their product. Sadly, unlike some others, Brown-Forman seems to know what they have on their hands and the price has creeped up five dollars a year for last few years. It pushed over $50 for the first time in 2013 and that knocked it down from a must buy on my list but it’s still damn fine bourbon.
Rating: Must Try

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Crown Royal Single Barrel

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Crown Royal Hand Selected Barrel Canadian Whisky
Private store selection from Spec’s in Texas
51.5% ABV
$55
Website
Crown-Royal-Single-Barrel-bottle2
What the Distillery Says:
Oddly enough, there is nothing out there from Crown Royal about this release. Initially there were 519 barrels of this Coffey still made rye that were offered to retailers in Texas. No word on when this will roll out further.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Alcohol initially, but opens up nicely after a bit – some nice floral notes with hints of coconut macaroons, and macadamia nuts
Palate: Sharper entry, with a light mouthfeel; praline sweetness swirling in pepper spice
Finish: Short, but left me wanting another (so not short in a bad way)
Comments: I was really excited about getting a bottle of this from Texas, and look forward to expanded distribution. The first single barrel Canadian whiskey I had ever tried, and I won’t lie – I was skeptical that I might not like it (as I’m not a huge fan of Crown Royal). While you can sense some familiarity, it seems like a distant cousin – and I find it preferable. The nose is very unique – sweet but not like Crown (or anything else that comes to mind). They’re proud of it, but for being a unique item, I don’t think the price is outrageous. Kudos to Crown for stepping out and taking a chance with this; I’d love to see more of the component whiskies of blends like Crown Royal offered individually.
Rating: Must Try

What Richard Says:
Nose: Sweet floral almost perfume like on first nose.
Palate: Incredibly rich and sweet. Praline pecans on top of vanilla creme brulee, kiwi, pineapple, and Werther’s Originals.
Finish: It finished more like a spicy, pepper, cinnamon and mint rye.
Comments: Any long-time reader of Whisk(e)y Apostle will know I’m not a Crown Royal fan. It’s just one of those brands that never did it for me and there are also scars from under-aged drinking involved too. But damn this is good! A note of warning: this is a really sweet whiskey. It almost borders on sugar added sweet. If you have a sweet tooth like me it’s great. If that isn’t your thing then be warned. If this only fell below the $50 I would put it on the must buy list.
Rating: Must Try

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Balblair 1999

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Balblair Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey 1999 Vintage
46% ABV
$80
Website
Balblair_1999_mock-A-domestick_whisky_detail
What the Distillery Says:
ummer 2014 sees the launch of the second release of the 1999 Vintage from Balblair Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Set to hit shelves at the end of June, Balblair Vintage 1999 will be available globally in Independent and Specialist Retailers.

Balblair 1999 replaces the award winning second release of the 1997 Vintage; the introduction of the 1997 Vintage took the core collection from three to four expressions. The 1999 Vintage will be presented in a premium opening box, joining the complete Balblair collection available in this luxury format.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Balblair 1999 2nd release is copper in appearance with flecks of sparkling bronze.
Aroma: The American oak, ex-bourbon barrels and Spanish oak, ex-sherry butts used for maturation impart the signature Balblair aromas of honey and green apples, as well as notes of rich, fruity Christmas cake with a hint of spice, citrus fruits and vanilla.
Palate: On the palate it is full bodied, sweet and spicy in character, with hints of honey, vanilla and leather.
Finish: The finish is warm, smooth and long-lasting.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Fruit cake drizzled with a sherry reduction. It’s smells much better than fruit cake tastes. Under ripe apples, leather and lemon zest.
Palate: Rich, spicy, sherry, and honey sweet with layers of leather and tobacco. This is delicious and drinks much older than it’s years.
Finish: Woody, dry, and tannic on the finish. It lingers damn near forever.
Comments: This is a very nice whisky. Unlike so many others the palate delivers what the nose promises. The years spent finishing in a sherry cask have done wonders for the underlying Balblair malt. The finish is a bit tart, chalky, and tannic which I’m not crazy about but just keep drinking it and this isn’t a problem.
Rating: Must Try

We would like to thank Lukasz with Alembic Communications for sending over the review sample.

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