Probably Pass

Winchester Rye whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Winchester Rye Whiskey

45% ABV
$25

What the Bottle Says

Rye whiskey traces its American roots as far back as the 18th century. Winchester Rye Whiskey builds upon this American tradition. It is a premium rye whiskey, traditionally distilled, barrel aged and uniquely ultrasonic filtered to deliver an exceptionally smooth finish and truly great taste.
Aged a minimum of 6 months in new oak.

What Gary Says

Nose: Bright, young rye, mint, lime soda with a hint of dill.
Palate: Smoother, cereal sweet with a bit of malty orange candy.
Finish: Short and wet (not peppery).
Comments: This is a Total Wine private label produced by TerrePURE spirits in South Carolina. I’ll not get into their whole process, other than to state in my experience, the “unwanted, harsh-tasting congeners” their process reduces . . . might otherwise be known as “character”. If I wasn’t a fan of rye whiskey, there isn’t anything objectionable about this – nothing off-putting. But it doesn’t deliver on my expectations of rye whiskey, which is harsh and brash. On the nose it is very much a young rye, but on the palate it is too smooth and tame. For the same price, if I want a rye whiskey, I’d go for several other options.

Rating: Probably Pass

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Heaven Hill Select Stock: 14 Yr Corn Whiskey

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Heaven Hill Select Stock: 14 Yr Corn Whiskey
(available at Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center gift shop)
48.5% ABV
$100

What the Bottle Says
Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey aged for 14 years, then re-barreled into a used wheat whiskey barrel for an additional two years.
Barrel Serial No: 9900010 / Lot ID: 00J13C
Rickhouse/Floor: I-6 / Rack/Tier: Floor

What Gary Says
Nose:  Burnt cornbread, hint of smoke, oak & leather.
Palate:  A bit creamy on the mouthfeel initially, roasted corn flakes that gives way to a burnt, oak note with a hint of clove as it quickly dries.
Finish:  Short and drying.
Comments:  When I think “corn whiskey”, my mind immediately imagines Mellow Corn Bottled-In-Bond. Honestly, I prefer that over this. On a positive note, this has helped me better appreciate the term “flavoring grain” when describing the wheat or rye in a bourbon mashbill. I once thought “Wow – isn’t that throwing some shade at corn?”, but no – it isn’t. I bought this bottle out of curiosity. I’d never had corn whiskey with significant age – and now I know why it isn’t widely available. To me, this starts off similar to the 4 yr BIB version – corn sweetness (with a bit more smoke), but then it dries out fairly quickly. The sweetness isn’t replaced with anything – it just sorta disappears. While not hugely disappointed that I bought it – if I had a chance to try it first, I honestly wouldn’t have.
Rating: Probably Pass

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Corsair Old Punk

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

Corsair Distillery’s Old Punk Pumpkin and Spice Flavored Whiskey
46% ABV
$40
Website

What the Distillery Says
Yeah….basically nothing.

What Gary Says
Nose: Sweet malted barley, bright spice – anise, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, a “pumpkin spice” vibe without much “pumpkin”.
Palate: Sweet and bright, although thin on the mouthfeel, fall spices (cinnamon, allspice) but less intense than the nose; a malty note.
Finish: Short and a bit dry.
Comments: Interesting. I’m not a big fan of flavored whiskey, but tried this in 2012 and thought it was interesting (although it was one in a lineup of 20+ samples – so, there’s that!) Now – I find it less interesting. I do like to use this in my aged egg nog recipe (ok – not “mine” but Alton Brown’s). Nothing off putting about it – the nose is interesting but the palate isn’t as flavorful. It reminds me more of a scotch than a bourbon – more gentle and not heavy handed.
Rating: Average

What Richard Says
Nose: When you see “whiskey” by an American distiller I wouldn’t assume bourbon/rye anymore. This one is more in tune with a mixture of highland scotch, Swedish Glogg (look it up because it is delicious), and a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte.
Palate: Sweet…too sweet…with lots of cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, Malt-o-meal.
Finish: Dry and alcohol forward.
Comments: I appreciate experimentation. Even though I’m a bit of a stodgy whiskey drinker I appreciate experimentation there too. However, I am very much over selling the crappy experiments to unsuspecting whiskey buyers. Try out all the funky crap you want but don’t try to pawn it off on me for $40 or $50 or $100 a bottle. There is a reason that Corsair stopped making this.
Rating: Probably Pass

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Ezra Brooks Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

Ezra Brooks Straight Rye Whiskey
45% ABV
$20
Website

What the Bottler Says:
Nose: Hints of chocolate, leather, vanilla and spicy grains.
Palate: Slightly sweet and oaky tones, with a warm and spicy finish.

What Gary Says
Nose: Young rye spice (mint, dill, thyme), hint of citrus zest and a bit of alcohol.
Palate: Thin, soft rye spice, subtly sweet, sour patch candy.
Finish: Short and a tad dry.
Comments: I’m a fan of Ezra Brooks 7-yr, 101 proof bourbon – so when I saw a straight rye offering, I jumped at it. Even with a 24 month age statement, I’ve enjoyed young rye (much more so than young bourbon). This doesn’t remind me of most young rye, which tends to be aggressive. This is very soft to me for a rye. The nose is squarely in the young-rye category, but the palate was too soft/subtle for me. If I was looking for a rye at a similar price-point, I’d spring for the extra few bucks and go with Rittenhouse Bottled-In-Bond. While this is 90 proof, it drinks to me like an 80 proof, which is disappointing.
Rating: Probably Pass

What Richard Says
Nose: Super light on the nose. It’s almost like rye white dog. Just a bit of mint with lemon/lime zest.
Palate: Surprisingly sweet with loads of caramel and vanilla dancing around the mint and black pepper.
Finish: The finish is a bit harsh. Lots of pepper and alcohol burn.
Comments: Meh. Not good, not bad. Very average. There isn’t anything that makes me want to reach of this over something else.
Rating: Average

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Advent Day 13: Big Strand

/ / Islay, Review, Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky /

Thirteen days in and the whisky advent calendar delivers me something that I had not previously heard of….

Big Strand Islay Single Malt Whisky
46% ABV
$40

What the Bottler Says
Not really anything. No website, press release, or really anything.

What Richard Says
Nose: Smoky and meaty.
Palate: Surprisingly sweet with notes of roasted peppers and salty sea air.
Finish: Hot and dry.
Comments: I would pass on this one. There is plenty of Islay malt out there but this one is unbalanced and feels cobbled together. This is probably either a product of young or poorly chosen whisky.
Rating: Probably Pass

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