Stands Out

Old Forester 1924 10 Year Old

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Old Forester 1924 10 Year Old
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

50% ABV
$115
Website
Old Forester 1924 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

What the Distillery Says

The Whiskey Row Series’ 1924 10 – Year – Old is a limited annual release celebrating another milestone in Old Forester’s storied history.

During Prohibition, more than 200 distilleries were forced to close. Old Forester, however, continued operations because the federal government issued us one of six medicinal licenses, P-3. In 1924, Old Forester acquired barrels from closed distillers, with different mash bills, and bottled that liquid as Old Forester. This release commemorates that moment in time.

Aroma: Soft notes of fudge, cocoa, marzipan, and cured tobacco layered over hints of rich oak and warm cinnamon.
Taste: Chocolate covered graham cracker dusted with cinnamon.
Finish: Hints of spice and graham cracker crumbles.

What Gary Says

Nose: Caramel, fudge, vanilla, walnuts, pipe tobacco, charred oak and a hint of leather.
Palate: Chocolate, vanilla, caramel, walnuts, cinnamon with a hint of cherries and oak.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with toffee and oak spices.
Comments: This drinks well neat but try a couple of drops of water – brings out a bit of citrus on the nose and palate, and also thickens the mouthfeel nicely (borderline creamy). 10 years is a solid age for bourbon in my humble opinion – definitely getting some oak notes but not approaching too much. My only objection on this one is the price. It isn’t insane by today’s standards, but at almost twice the price of Old Forester 1920 – definitely didn’t love it that much.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Gambit No. 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Gambit No. 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Finished in Wine, Apple Brandy, Sherry & Tokaji Casks

46% ABV
$70
Website
Gambit No. 6 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
We would like to thank Foley Family Wines and Raptor Communications for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

THE DETAILS
ARE THE
DIFFERENCE
A rich and dry six-cask finished bourbon whiskey that reveals itself in layers of baking spices on the nose, and a balanced palate with hints of cacao, sweet tobacco, and a diverse blend of ripe fruit notes. Perfect sipped neat or in an Old Fashioned.

6-year Kentucky Bourbon
6 Distinct Cask Finishes

  • Sonoma Chardonnay
  • Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Apple Brandy
  • Oloroso Sherry
  • Muscatel
  • Tokaji

Why 6 Casks?
That’s the GAMBIT. Chip originally envisioned a double wine barrel-finished bourbon but found that adding four more barrel finishes added something unique to the blend in structure, palate, and finish.

What Gary Says

Nose: Fruity with pears, apricots, figs, vanilla, oak, bit of cocoa, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, mint and a hint of mandarin orange.
Palate: Dark chocolate covered cherries, toffee, red wine, red berry compote, cinnamon, orange zest, vanilla, brown sugar and pepper spice.
Finish: Moderately long, drying with citrus spice, cinnamon and honey.
Comments: Very interesting pour. The nose is bourbon with the fruit dial cranked up. On the palate the wine cask really stands out, enough so that the bourbon doesn’t stand out quite as much (not that it’s “not bourbon”, but harder to pin down). All that said, this is very enjoyable sipping neat, although a few drops of water doesn’t hurt it – bringing out more cocoa on the nose and taking the dark chocolate more towards milk chocolate (plus thickening the mouthfeel nicely).

Rating: Stands Out

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GlenAllachie 15 Year Old

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

The GlenAllachie 15 Year Old
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$100-125
Website
The GlenAllachie 15 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

This spectacular Scotch whisky embodies our unwavering dedication to obtaining Sherry wood of the highest standard. A watchful eye throughout the maturation journey ensures the whisky is bottled at its optimum.

With an intense mahogany hue, this single malt exudes sheer indulgence with layers of cinnamon, orange zest, vanilla toffee and dark chocolate.

We proudly present The GlenAllachie 15-year-old with integrity; at a high strength of 46%, without added colouring or chill filtration, enabling its true charm to shine through.

What Gary Says

Nose: Dried fruit, raisins, figs, cherries, orange marmalade, oak spices and brown sugar.
Palate: Honey and vanilla with cherries, raisins, orange zest, baked apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper.
Finish: Moderate in length, drying with cocoa, oak, brown sugar and spices.
Comments: A nice sipping dram. Sherried for sure but not a ‘bomb’. Fairly well balanced, a bit on the dry side – almost sharp with the spice notes. This is the first GlenAllachie I’ve reviewed, although have some single casks I’ll get to at some point.

Rating: Stands Out

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High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 12 (2024)

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram
Blend of Straight Rye Whiskeys Finished in Port Barrels
Act 12, Scene 7 (2024 release)

49.3% ABV
$150
Website
High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 12

What the Producer Says

Dram is our beloved flagship whiskey, “Rendezvous” (a blend of straight rye whiskeys ranging in 4 to 10 years of age), finished in Ruby and Tawny Port barrels.

Nose: Crushed blackberries, mandarin zest, almond shortbread, fig jam, dulce de membrillo, allspice, old vine zinfandel, plum syrup spilled on a mahogany table
Palate: Marionberry preserves, chocolate-dipped cherries, marble rye bread, mochaccino, cinnamon bark, oolong tea, winter pine, smoldering Havana cigar
Finish: Velvety and spiced–chai cold foam, clove-studded orange flesh, soft ginger chew

How to drink: We recommend that you enjoy this special spirit neat, due to its many layers of complexity, next to a warm fire as the snow piles up on the window sill.

What Gary Says

Nose: Dark fruit, plums, blackberries, figs, heavy port, allspice, hint of anise and orange zest.
Palate: Blood orange, plum, cinnamon, bitter chocolate, nutmeg, cloves and sour oak.
Finish: Moderate in length, drying with citrus spice and cloves fading.
Comments: Reviewed this for the first time back in September of 2020, and just late last year I received a sample of Act 13. A few months later, a friend gifted me this sample – and as luck would have it I still had some of the Act 13 to perform a side-by-side comparison. They were incredibly similar. On my first side-by-side, I only detected slight differences; in the next attempt I couldn’t tell any difference. On the nose I found a hint of anise that I didn’t detect on the 13 (and maybe a tad more of orange zest?), although on the palate I couldn’t find any difference. I repeated this a couple more times, with the same results. As I wasn’t terribly impressed with the Act 13, this was a bit disappointing – but confirmed that Act 13 wasn’t an “off year”. And I can’t say that it has changed – for all I know my tastes have changed (and maybe if I had a new bottle of the early ones – I’d find them very similar).

Rating: Stands Out

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Redbreast 18 Year Old

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review / ,

Redbreast 18 Year Old
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

46% ABV
$180-$280
Website
Redbreast 18 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

The World’s Most Awarded Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is delighted to unveil a new permanent addition to its esteemed family: Redbreast 18 Year Old. A bold expression made even more unique by the addition of cream sherry casks in the aging process.

Matured by our Master Blender in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels and casks seasoned with the finest oloroso sherry, cream sherry and ruby port to elevate Redbreast’s Single Pot Still Whiskey to new heights. Bursting with berry fruit aromas, hazelnut chocolate tones, and caramelized stone fruit sweetness, our latest addition introduces a captivating array of new flavors that complement that signature Redbreast taste.

Tasting notes
The tantalizing addition of cream sherry casks from the esteemed Antonio Páez Lobato cooperage, rarely seen before in Redbreast whiskey, along with the portfolio’s more traditional cask profile, promises a tasting experience both new and familiar.

NOSE: Delectable berry fruit aromas of ripe blackcurrants and raspberries accompanied by sugar glazed cherries and dried fig. Indulgent tones of hazelnut chocolate and caramelized stone fruits with warming and fragrant notes of toasted almonds and cinnamon, nestled alongside polished oak and worn leather.
TASTE: Full-bodied and rounded, with the oak tannins complementing the decadent sweetness of sun-kissed grapes and autumnal fruits. Vibrant spices of freshly peeled ginger and hints of liquorice weave amongst the wine seasoned oak influences of dried fruits, dark berries and orange peel.
FINISH: Rich and lasting. The pot still spices, fruit and oak slowly fade harmoniously, showcasing the balance of this wonderfully complex whiskey.

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich, fruit salad with pears, apples, peaches and cherries; almond biscotti and pot still spice notes.
Palate: Jammy with blackberries, raspberries and cherries; caramel glazed coffee cake, nutmeg, bit of ginger, pepper spice and a hint of grapefruit.
Finish: Moderately long with fruit notes, oak and trailing spices.
Comments: Redbreast was my first Irish whiskey crush, and the 12 year cask strength still holds a special place in my heart to this day. This is a lovely, nuanced, mature dram. While it doesn’t need any water, adding a couple of drops brought out some floral notes on the nose, and on the palate tamped down the pepper spice and ginger a bit. While I really enjoy this, I’d bet that at a higher ABV this would knock it out of the park (but if you read many of my reviews, this will not be a surprise!)

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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