Must Try

Bushmills 21 Year

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Bushmills Single Malt Irish Whiskey Aged 21 Years
40% ABV
$120
Website
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What the Distillery Says:
“This rare whiskey is in scarce supply with only a limited number of casks in our warehouses. It’s matured in bourbon and sherry barrels for 21 years‚ before being married together for two years in a madeira-infused cask. The result is dark chocolate and caramelised toffee aromas and a sip that clings to the palate before releasing a magical burst like mint. It’s a rare taste in every serve.”

NOSE: Caramelised toffee and dark chocolate.
TASTE: Wow! rich raisins and fruity notes that cling to the palate.
FINISH: A burst of mint that ends in an intense liquorice finale.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Nutty and spiciness with a toffee back note. As it opens it reminds me of walking through a pine forest after a rain storm.
Palate: Rich with a lovely depth. The dried stone fruit notes play well with the influence of the fortified wine wood.
Finish: Herbal with a large presence of wet wood. Fresh split wet pine and wet toothpicks. It’s tart with something reminiscent of plain Milkbone dog treats.
Comments: To me this is a huge step up from the 16 year old. Also, I think for being in the range of $120 I think it is still a solid value in aged Irish whiskey. Definitely give this one a try if you come across. If you’re like me you many not be able to go back down range from Bushmills after having this.
Rating: Must Try

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Redbreast 21 Year

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Aged 21 Years
46% ABV
$250 to $320
Website
irish_red9
What the Distillery Says:
Redbreast 21 Year Old is the finest representation of the signature Redbreast sherry style. It is the oldest and richest expression of the Redbreast style ever produced; and the 21 year ageing process introduces new levels of depth, flavour and taste to create an inherently complex and ultimately, rewarding whiskey.

Nose: Remarkable aroma spanning fresh tropical fruits, nuts and rich dried fruit.
Taste: Soft vanilla, toasted oak, sherry nuttiness with a dusting of Pot Still spices. Luscious fleshy fruit notes complete the creamy mouthfeel.
Finish: Lingers, seemingly forever, to oak and Pot Still spices and then, the final bow from barley – where it all began.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Weird first niff of spearmint and rubberbands. What was that? Let it open a bit and it’s a great waft of dried fruit and roasted nuts.
Palate: Spicy with a rich stewed cherry flavor that then dives back into more nuts, raw this time. Backing it all is a present but well balanced oak flavor interlaced with subtle sherry influence.
Finish: It finishes very cereal like with raw wet wood and a very present tartness.
Comments: Great Irish, really great Irish. This one is a benchmark for aged pot still whiskey. My only fault with it is the price. When it came out a little over a year ago it was published at $180 by trade publications but I’ve never seen it retail for less than $250. I once heard a rumor of a $215 bottle. I respect the whiskey and Irish Distillers for growing the pot still category but it’s coming out of the gate at inflated Macallan-esque pricing. If it was sub $200 it would be an easy must buy. However, I had to get “my guy” to procure me one to get it for under $300 recently. As good as this is, there is a lot of great whiskey out there for less than $300.
Rating: Must Try

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SMWS Cask 93.61

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, SMWSA Whiskies /

SMWS Cask No. 93.61
Campbeltown
58.3% ABV
$?
Date Distilled: June 1999
US Allocation:
January 2015 Outturn Release

What the SMWS Says:
On the nose, the sweet charabanc of sugar puffs, Crunchy-nut cornflakes, fudge cookies, honey and chocolate flapjacks collided into the savoury wall of smoky bacon crisps, barbecued prawns and baked ham. The palate was also a crash site – big, rich and chew, with cinder toffee, spiced sultanas and dark honey on toast scattered in a frightening wreckage of charcoal, ash, liquorice sticks, peat reek and industrial garages. The reduced nose suggested a welder on a Calmac ferry enjoying a Daim Bar. The palate – sweet and (we thought) acceptably dirty with a big spicy finish. From the ‘quiet outsider’ distiller in Campbeltown.

Drinking tip: To aid the visceral enjoyment of a brutal rugby match.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Wow what an interesting dichotomy playing out here. The smoky and savory are close dance partners with the sweeter confectionery notes all while sherry cream plays the chaperone.
Palate: Damn that’s good. The alcohol is there but it is so rich and viscous you hate to add water. That confectionery sweetness from the nose carries into the front of the palate with a rich honey that fades into more of the campfire notes.
Finish: The proof gives it a little heat but after that clears the throat it leaves you with a pleasant sooty woody finish.
Comments: This is a great dram but it drinks at a much higher proof than your typical single malt. Add the water but do it drop by drop until you get it just right. A couple of drops too much and you’ve killed it. It turns bland, uninspired, and the richness is gone.
Rating: Must Try

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Jim Beam Distiller’s Masterpiece

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Jim Beam Distiller’s Masterpiece Bourbon Whiskey Finished in PX Sherry Whiskey
50% ABV
$200
Website
jim-beam-masterpiece-xl
What the Distillery Says:
Beam Inc. [NYSE:BEAM], a global leader in premium spirits, and Jim Beam® Bourbon, the world’s No. 1 bourbon, announced its release of Jim Beam® Distiller’s Masterpiece, an extra-aged Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey barrel finished in Pedro Ximénez (PX) sherry casks.

“My family has been making bourbon in Kentucky since 1795,” said seventh-generation Master Distiller and Jim Beam’s great-grandson Fred Noe. “This is a great time to celebrate another Kentucky icon – horseracing – with the release of some of our most exclusive liquid. The catch is that you’ve got to come out to Kentucky and see us to get a bottle.”

Bourbon At Its Best
This bourbon expression from Jim Beam is the most exclusive, highest quality offering within the Beam family. Only available at the Jim Beam American Stillhouse in Clermont, Ky., it is:

  • Extra-aged in the optimal rack-house position, determined by Master Distiller, Fred Noe
  • Finished in PX sherry casks, adding a dynamic to its taste that other bourbons can’t offer
  • Smooth, rich, full-bodied and mature
  • Packaged in a luxury wooden case
  • 100-proof and priced at $199.99

What Gary Says:
Nose: Sherry swimming among vanilla and cinnamon, hints of orange peel and baking spices.
Palate: More sherry than the nose advertised, but not overpowering the bourbon. Caramel coffee cake, with a bit of peach cobbler.
Finish: Long, and has a nice little kick before slowly fading, leaving me wanting more.
Comments: If you have a friend who bought a bottle and is offering you a pour, I definitely recommend you take them up on it. I really enjoy this whiskey, and for those who are fans of sherried single malts (like Macallan), I think this might be right up your alley. However, when I think of the types of whiskey that I am willing to part with $200 for, this doesn’t make the cut (although to be fair, there aren’t many out there which do!)
Rating: Must Try

What Richard Says:
Nose: I don’t get a lot of sherry on the nose. At least not in the terms I’m used to seeing it in scotch, Irish whiskey and Japanese whiskey. It’s more like those chocolate orange candies you see around Christmas time and tres leches cake.
Palate: Wow, as reserved as that sherry was on the nose it jumps out on the palate. Traditional cinnamon and vanilla bourbon notes play with sweet stewed fruit and a sticky toffee pudding flavor.
Finish: Cinnamon, black pepper, and nicely woody.
Comments: This was originally a distillery only bottling. Recently though, it is seeing wider distribution. I’m guessing at $200 a pop it wasn’t selling like they had hoped at the distillery gift shop. It’s delicious but not necessarily $200 delicious. I would definitely try it if you see it in a bar but bringing home a bottle is a bit of stretch. A great desert or after dinner whiskey.
Rating: Must Try

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Booker’s 25th Anniversary

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Booker’s 25th Anniversary Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Batch 2014-01, Aged 10 Yrs 3 Mths
65.4% ABV
$100
Website
bookers
What the Distillery Says:
In honor of 25 years, Booker’s® Bourbon is giving bourbon enthusiasts a reason to celebrate with a limited edition release of an exclusive bottling that is the most unique liquid produced to date. Batch No. 2014-1 pays homage to its namesake, 6th Generation Beam Master Distiller, Booker Noe, who was a lot like his favorite bourbon: uncut, unfiltered and straight up.

To mark this occasion in bourbon history, Booker’s son, Beam Family’s 7th Generation Master Distiller and 2013 Bourbon Hall of Fame Inductee, Fred Noe, and Booker’s grandson, Freddie Noe, selected barrels that were aged longer than any Booker’s® Bourbon batch to-date – ensuring an exceptional, one-of-a-kind flavor to honor Booker and his legacy. The barrels were among the last that Booker laid down in the rack house before he passed away.

“One of Dad’s last requests for me was to take care of his Booker’s®, and we plan to do just that by sharing it with you all, which I know he would have done himself,” said Fred Noe. “This will be a special bottling for our loyal fans of Booker’s® – they have never ever had one that is going to taste like this particular batch.”

With a robust vanilla nose and wide range of flavors – from oak tannin to mocha notes – this exclusive and extremely limited batch has a deep taste with a smooth finish.

Booker’s® Bourbon, inspired by a 200-year-old family tradition, came to life when Booker Noe selected the first bottles of Booker’s® as holiday gifts for his friends and family. With its instant popularity within Noe’s close circle, Booker’s® Bourbon was soon after bottled and made available on shelves for everyone to enjoy. Twenty-five years later, Booker’s® Bourbon Batch No. 2014-1 is taken from the center-cut of Booker’s favorite rack house, bottled at its natural proof, uncut, unfiltered and extra aged to bring out the true flavor profile of this small batch bourbon.

Available in select markets now and nationally in early March, Booker’s® Bourbon Batch No.2014-1 comes inside a commemorative wooden case and was selected with the following characteristics:

  • Proof: 121 – 130
  • Age: 9 – 11 years
  • Nose: Vanilla
  • Finish: Long, smooth finish
  • Sipping Suggestions: With ice or cut with water

What Gary Says:
Nose: Very bold, benefits from some water which tones down the heat. Big oak monster, with cinnamon, vanilla and toffee. Some supporting citrusy notes. Even with water, the nose is sharp.
Palate: Thick mouthfeel even with water, and a sharp heat throughout; peppery baking spices, nutmeg, burnt bagels with a hint of anise and allspice.
Finish: Moderately long, with a pepper spice note that is dominant.
Comments: As a Booker’s fan, I was very much looking forward to this one. Short disclaimer – there likely is some variety from batch to batch, and I don’t know for certain which batch my sample came from. I had sampled this a couple of months ago and thought better of it than. I tried it over the course of several days, with similar impressions I’m presenting here. If you like Booker’s, this is what you would expect from 10 yr old Booker’s (more wood, bit sharper). Although for the price point (almost twice the price of a standard Booker’s), it might leave you disappointed.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: This one comes out of the glass to get you. Pour it and walk away and you can smell it coming. Toffee, vanilla, churros, old worn and well oiled leather, and cured tobacco. If I were to make a bourbon cologne this would be it!
Palate: The nose can go with or without water but pass on adding water before drinking at your own risk. It drinks smoother than 130 proof but it’s still a scorcher. Even with water it’s viscous and aggressively spicy. The sweeter notes of the nose are less present here. More leather and tobacco but with heavier pepper, cinnamon, and wood char.
Finish: Not nearly as hot as I expected. There’s plenty of peppery notes and a dry wood but not overly so on either account. It fades nicely.
Comments: Wow, this one is a big bourbon monster! Booker’s fans will love it. Stagg fans will dig it too. If you are more partial to wheated bourbons then this may not be for you. It wears the rye like a flag flying off the back of a pickup truck. This is not for the faint of heart but it’s damn good bourbon. Tread lightly my friends.
Rating: Must Try

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