40% ABV $250 Website We would like to thank Barrell Craft Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.
What the Retailer* Says
Scotland – A rare blend of whiskies aged at least 30 years from Scotland’s most iconic distilleries. Soft aromas of oak and citrus are found on the nose, while the mouthfeel is viscous. This well balanced whisky consists of complex flavor notes like cereal, caramel and fresh fruit.
* Could find no reliable source of information from the blender/producer; above is from the retailer’s description.
What Gary Says
Nose: Vanilla spongecake, floral, orange creamsicle, heather and honey. Palate: Sweet and malty with honey, vanilla, hint of citrus and apples with cinnamon near the back. Finish: Moderate in length with citrus and pepper spice. Comments: With 30 years maturity, I’m looking (nay – expecting) layers and complexity. This disappointed on both fronts, and was more a showcase of subtly. Having said that, there weren’t any notes I found off-putting, and this left me wanting more – like teasing at what a great whisky it might have been, if only . . . (higher ABV? less grain in the blend?) But when you get to this price point, the absence of off notes isn’t the bar.
Crafted by a Team of Heaven Hill Distillery Experts Old Fashioned Cocktail Made with Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Orange Curacao Barrels Ready to Drink
We did the work, so you don’t have to. This classic cocktail was crafted using 7 and 8-year-old bourbon finished in Orange Curacao barrels. The bourbon marries with the orange essence of the Curacao for a light, yet elegant orange note. Bitters and sugar are then combined with the aged bourbon to perfectly represent a true old fashioned cocktail
* Linking to the TTB filing only because I could not find any website from Heaven Hill (same with use of TTB images in place of the bottle)
What Gary Says
I picked this up in the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience (formerly known as the ‘Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center’) in April 2022. Honestly, I’m not really into ‘ready to drink/premade cocktails’, but I think highly of Heaven Hill, and with the 7 & 8 year age statements on the back, bottled at 40% – I thought this might be different. I’ve tried some different ‘bottled cocktails’ and thought some were OK, some not so much, and none were as good as I make at home. I was intrigued enough to give this one a shot and bump it up against what I felt was a “standard/typical” Old Fashioned recipe.
It wasn’t really close.
I did this blind, which required closing my eyes because this was so much lighter in the glass than my ‘control/standard’. I didn’t go through and make detailed notes on the nose, palate, etc – because that’s just now how I enjoy a cocktail (and if served one, I’m not going to study it in that manner). I took a quick sniff and sipped. By comparison, I thought this had more bitters both on the palate and in the aroma, and tasted thin. There were orange notes, but at the end of the day – I didn’t really enjoy it, let alone find it to be a close/quick replacement.
What I compared it against as a ‘control/standard’ was this: 2 oz Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond 2 tsp (10 gr) simple syrup 1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters 2 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters
I mixed this up and poured what would fit into a 2 oz sample bottle, which I put in the fridge (and put in an identical sample bottle some of the Bartender’s Handshake) as I didn’t want ice dilution to be a factor. Granted – this is a higher proof whiskey, but my estimation of adding the 2 tsp of simple syrup is that the end result is around 85-86 proof. I wanted to use a Heaven Hill product to take that out of the equation, and didn’t want to use something that would be considered a more ‘premium’ bourbon (like Elijah Craig at 94 proof would have hit as close to 80 as I was going to get). Honestly, I didn’t work out the math until after the fact, but as it wasn’t even a close race – I’m not going to spend the time diluting the Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond to 94 proof. I don’t think those few proof points made the difference.
I’m curious if the bourbon used in this was ONLY 7 or 8 year old stock, or if they took some 7 & 8 year old bourbon, finished it, and then blended in some younger stock (which technically could be any age since legally this isn’t a ‘whiskey’ but rather filed with the TTB as “WHISKY OLD FASHIONED (48 PROOF UP)”). Or if the whiskey selected was deemed sub-par for bottling in something else, so was used for this? Or if they just threw too much stuff in it? I’m not sure where this went wrong – but even when just sipping by itself (not in a blind side-by-side), I just didn’t enjoy it.
Named for the little known tailor, spy, and hero of the American Revolution, who changed history and secured freedom for all, Hercules Mulligan is based on a unique recipe from the period. It’s what Mulligan, the man, stood for, and it’s what this Rum & Rye blend embodies. A spirit of independence.
Simple in its nature – Rum, Rye Whiskey, Ginger & Bitters – yet utterly complex and delightful, this unique composition tickles the nose and loosens the lips.
WHAT MAKES A HERO? The Balance A unique recipe from the era of revolution and self-determination, custom-tailored for the modern independent thinker. Perfectly balanced Caribbean Aged Rum & American Rye Whiskey create an equilibrium of duality – a secret to be (re)discovered.
The Unique Character The Rum & Rye blend is combined with macerated, fresh organic ginger – not artificial flavors. And it’s the essence of this magical root, that gives the blend a kick and builds its distinctive character.
The Audacity Favored by Fortune The potion is finished with a dash of bespoke bitters that add that extra flavor. No fakery, only honest-to-God ingredients that capture the essence of a bittersweet life.
SPECS CATEGORY: Rum & Rye ORIGIN: The US & the Caribbean NO. OF SPIRITS IN BLEND: 6 HERO INGREDIENTS: Rum, American Rye Whiskeys, tailor-made bitters, fresh ginger
What Gary Says
Nose: Freshly cut ginger, menthol shaving lather, bitters. Palate: Syrupy mouthfeel with candied ginger, rum and bitters. Finish: Moderately long, wet with ginger, pepper and honey. Comments: So I got this from Flaviar when my quarterly benefit included a ‘free premium bottle’ but the selection offered didn’t have any whisk(e)y I wanted. I like Rock & Rye, like ginger, so what the hell. Glad it was a throw in. The nose on this reminds me of lathering for a wet shave, then slicing fresh ginger into a glass of Bacardi with bitters. I don’t get any rye (maybe the mint from the rye is that menthol note?) Definitely not the sort of thing I’d sip neat. Been trying to find a cocktail that it works in, as it seems like it would be suited for that – but alas, a mixologist I am not.
Blended Canadian Whisky Distilled and Blended under the supervision of the Canadian Government
What Gary Says
Nose: Acetone, grainy with a hint of maple. Palate: Thin with vanilla. Finish: Short with a chemical aftertaste. Comments: This is the lower end (if one can imagine such a thing) of the Ellington Reserve 8 Year. It is what I imagine taking a cheap vodka and dropping a couple of drops of vanilla extract along with nail polish remover might be like. Wouldn’t even use to mix
The Grangestone Single Malt Scotch Whisky range offers a selection of some of the finest Single Malts available from the Highlands of Scotland. Each spirit is chosen by our Malt Master for its quality and character to be symbolic of whiskies of this region.
Grangestone truly is a perfect example of a whisky from the Highland region of Scotland.
This Grangestone Single Malt has been matured in traditional American oak casks until it has achieved the perfect balance of flavours, green leafy notes play in harmony with its sweet delicate oak flavour. The whisky is then transferred into casks that have previously held Sherry to allow for further development.
Aroma: A rich malty aroma with subtle notes of dried fruits and cinnamon sticks. The sherry cask influence has introduced a sherbet spice and oaky character. Taste: Rich and spicy with layers of sweet oak, raisins, apricots and fresh oak. Addition of a little water releases the characteristic flavours of sherry cask. Finish: Mellow and enduring.
What Gary Says
Nose: Fruity, almost brandy-like, grapes, green apples, hint of an earthy note. Palate: Thin, sour apple candy notes, grapes, bit of pepper at the back. Finish: Short and drying with grapes and pepper. Comments: Another non-age stated whisky that I again approached with low expectations – and like the Rum Cask Finish fell short of that low bar. I love sherry matured and finished spirits, but this doesn’t remind me of any of them. Again, thankful it is offered in 50mL and if you’re just dying to try this – would highly recommend buying that size before a full bottle.
