Must Try

Innis & Gunn Irish Cask

/ / Review /

Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask Oak Aged Beer
Scottish Stout Matured in Irish Whiskey Barrels
7.4% ABV
$12.99/4 pack

Website

I was contacted before St. Patrick’s Day about reviewing a new beer from Innis & Gunn. We don’t really do beer reviews here but when I hear it was a Scottish stout aged in Irish whiskey barrels my interest was piqued. For those of you not familiar with Innis & Gunn they make oak barrel aged beers. The founder, Master Brewer Dougal Sharp started quite by accident with a contract to season oak barrels with beer for a whisky producer. Somewhere along the way they tasted the “seasoning beer” and found it to be uniquely exceptional. Since then they’ve played around with a number of different casks and this is their latest.

Admittedly, I have nowhere near the experience with beer that I do with whisky. So in all fairness to the brewer I’m bringing in a pinch hitter on this one. My friend Sam is a mathematics and statistics guru, photographer, foodie, and more importantly a beer enthusiast with decades of experience. I’ve been dragging him down the slippery slope of whisky for a few years now but he still loves a tasty brew. He kindly agreed to help me out with this review.

What the Brewer Says:
Introduction
This special bottling of Innis & Gunn has been matured in rare oak barrels from a famous distillery in Ireland. These barrels had previously been used to mature one of the great triple distilled Irish whiskeys. The result of this unique maturation is a big, full flavoured, complex beer with a delightful warming finish.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Vanilla, Oak, Chocolate, Treacle
Colour: Black
Palate: Rich and intense dark chocolate
Finish: Complex and satisfying, with a lingering oaky sweetness.

Food Matches: Haggis, smoked venison and chocolate cake.

What Sam Says:
This has the consistency of a Lager (I’m thinking of the Guinness “Black” Lager because of its dark/black color) … it’s called a “Stout” but it’s not what I think of when I think Stout relative to the “thick” consistency… maybe the Scots do it differently?

My first impression is chocolate and it had me wondering if it would go well with some dark chocolate. I didn’t have any but I did have some lamb chops with a rather sweet olive tapenade. This beer complimented the food very well. Irish Whiskey Cask? The first thing I was looking for was the strong hints of whiskey, but I didn’t find it (and through my continuing education about whiskey, I did suspect that it might not be as evident as say a beer aged in a bourbon cask). Oddly enough, I was about half-way through the glass, and it was like “there it is!” So I drank some more. The effect of the Irish Whiskey Casks is faint, but I think that’s a good thing. There are some beers aged in whiskey casks that might as well have been a shot poured into the glass. This one complimented the beer and seemed to stay behind the curtain until it was ready to be introduced.

I would recommend this beer to my beer-loving brethren with confidence while knowing that Innis & Gunn is one of those polarizing brews (some love it … some hate it). My favorite Innis & Gunn is still the Rum Cask, but the Irish Cask is a solid #2 in their lineup.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich, malty, a little nutty
Palate: Chocolate sweetness like a dark chocolate of moderate cacao. Nutty with a little bite too it I don’t find in a lot of stouts. Over ripe apples that have gone a little mealy. Golden delicious or granny smith maybe.
Finish: Fresh warm rye bread, the aftertaste of fine aged English cheddar, and a berry fruitiness.
Comments: I don’t have the experience with Innis & Gunn that Sam does but I’ve also heard their beer can be a little polarizing. This is great stuff. Their cask aging gives the stout a sharpness and a layer of flavors that I haven’t seen much in other stouts. This one is a real winner.
Rating: Must Try
I would like to thank the folks at Handcrafted PR for sending over bottles for review.

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High West Double Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

High West Double Rye Whiskey
Batch no. 4 Bottle No. 510
46% ABV/92 Proof
$30 to $40
Website

What the Bottler/Blender Says:
Marriage of two straight rye whiskies that combines the feisty properties of a high rye 2-year-old and the saddle smooth richness of a 16-year-old. The 2-year-old has a 95% rye 5% barley malt mashbill. The older rye has a “barely legal” rye mashbill of 53% rye and 37% corn. The extra age and corn provides some extra sweetness to calm the “bite” of the younger rye for a relationship that works.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Pine needles, orange zest, licorice, and herbal tea.
Palate: Mellow in the mouth with notes of orange blossom honey and vanilla.
Finish: The finish is dry with lots of oak and black peppercorns. It’s not a very long finish but it’s forceful.
Comments: This is one of my favorites from High West. It’s very drinkable and the young and old ryes play off each other in very interesting way. This is must try for rye drinkers and something even non-rye drinkers should try not to pass up.
Rating: Must Try

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Midleton Very Rare

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Midleton Very Rare Irish Whiskey
Bottle No. 013881, Bottled in 2009
40% ABV/80 Proof
$125 to $140
No current website

What the Distillery Says:
Nothing really. For a brand that’s been around for 25+ years you’d think they would have a web presence or include a little promotional information in their packaging. From the best of my recollection they only release about 50 cask of this special blend each year. It’s a mixture of Bourbon and Sherry casks in the range of 12 to 25 years old. Master Distiller Barry Crockett strives for consistency but there may be some variance year to year.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Major floral notes, honey and canned pears.
Palate: Easily one of the smoothest things I’ve ever drank. Fresh cream, buttery toffee, and amaretto.
Finish: Light, creamy, and moderately long.
Comments: I first heard about Midleton’s long before I was a drinker of Irish whiskey. It came on my radar as the bottle of whiskey Bono brought Frank Sinatra back in 1993 while recording Duets. I thought it was cool at the time but it didn’t really register. Fast forward 10 years and I got my first sip at The Vortex in Atlanta. I was hooked from then on. This is a great Irish blend that is sinfully drinkable. I’d put it in my stable with Macallan 18 Year Old as something I try to always have. It ain’t cheap but it’s mighty tasty.
Rating: Must Try

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Woodford Reserve Double Oaked

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
45.2% ABV/90.4 Proof
$50
Website

What the Distillery Says:
An innovative approach to twice-barreled bourbon creates the rich and colorful flavor of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. Uniquely matured in separate, charred oak barrels – the second barrel deeply toasted before a light charring – extracts additional amounts of soft, sweet oak character.

The overwhelming response to our master’s collection seasoned oak finish offering inspired us to create a twice-barreled bourbon that is available year-round. Uniquely matured in our handcrafted white oak barrels, the second barrel deeply toasted before a light charring, creates Woodford Reserve Double Oaked – a smooth, full-bodied expression with a long, rich finish that we are proud to share with others who are as passionate about bourbon as we are.

Maturation in a new, charred oak barrel provides Woodford Reserve with all of its natural color and a great deal of its award-winning flavor. This double oaked expression has been uniquely matured in two separate, custom crafted barrels. The second was deeply toasted before its light charring. The double barreling of mature Woodford Reserve in this unique barrel allows the spirit to extract an additional amount of soft, sweet oak character. This unique practice has created bourbon that is rich in honey, chocolate, marzipan and spiced apple character.

Color: Deep amber
Aroma: Rich notes of dark fruit, caramel, sharp honey, chocolate, marzipan and toasted oak.
Taste: A full-bodied mix of vanilla, dark caramel, hazelnut, apple, fruit and spices.
Finish: Long and creamy with lingering hints of honeyed apple.

What Richard Says:
Nose: This reminds me of snickerdoodles with vanilla ice cream: vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar. After it opens up a little the sugar turns into a fruity caramel.
Palate: Holy crap that’s good! It’s like Woodford taken to the next level. You’re hit with a blast of fruity oak infused sweetness but it’s not overpowering. Lots of vanilla and caramel. Really tasty.
Finish: Golden delicious and granny smith apples on a long oaky finish that mellow into a rich creaminess.
Comments: Brown Forman says they went for this expression after the response they got to the Seasoned Oak release a few years back. Well, they went out and did one better. This is a worthy line extension and a superior Woodford.
Rating: Must Try

I would like to thank Brittany Gilbert with Brown Forman for sending me a sample for review.

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Parker’s Heritage Collection Fifth Edition

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Parker’s Heritage Collection 10 Year Old Barrel Finished
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
50% ABV/100 Proof
$75 to $80

What the Distillery Says:
Two great distillers have collaborated to create an extraordinary taste profile for the fifth offering in Parker’s Heritage Collection – Parker Beam, Heaven Hill Distilleries’ 6th generation Master Distiller & Alain Royer, innovative French Cognac blender. Their product: Cognac Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Royer’s long family history and expertise in the French Cognac industry aided in the selection of two-to-three-year-old Limousin oak casks from the House of Frapin. The Grande Champagne Cognac, which had aged in those casks, permeated the wood with it’s very light, floral and evanescent bouquet. Meanwhile, Parker Beam carefully hand selected a very limited number of the finest, super-premium barrels of 10-year-old Bourbon. The Bourbon was then finished for six months in Limousin oak casks to take on some of the Cognac’s characteristics. Bottled without chill filtering to preserve the unique taste and aroma, this Cognac finished Bourbon is a rare treat for every Bourbon collector.

This series of limited edition American straight whiskeys is a tribute to innovative and honored 6th generation Master Distiller Parker Beam who has been distilling, aging, and selecting critically acclaimed American whiskeys since joining Heaven Hill in 1960.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Toffee and oatmeal come to mind. There is also base hint of succulent roasted meats that surprisingly is not off-putting. With a little water it opens up to a muscadine jelly note that reminds me of my grandmother’s preserves.
Palate: The palate is rich and creamy. The base flavors of light sweetness, mellow oak, and vanilla I find in Evan Williams show through but in a more refined way. It’s like Evan put his tuxedo on for the evening.
Finish: Oak, leather, and a hint of smokiness. I immediately think of enjoying this with a fine cigar in an old leather chair in men’s club.
Comments: The base whiskey Parker and company used for this year’s edition is a 10 year old from the Evan Williams recipe. It was a great choice. I find that recipe tends to be on the mellow side and doesn’t always make itself known. That same character makes it very receptive to the cognac influence. I also want to make a note on the use of water. I never add any to any Evan Williams bottling I’ve had. It’s much too subdued of a bourbon to take water in my opinion. This release is no different. While water opens up the nose a little to some of the fruitier components it wrecks havoc on the palate and finish. At bottle strength it’s very drinkable and that’s how I would recommend it.
Rating: Must Try

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