Stands Out

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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Jim Beam Signature Finished with Rare Spanish Brandy

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Jim Beam Signature Craft Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Rare Spanish Brandy
43% ABV
$30-35
Website
10157
What the Distillery Says:
A rich bourbon that is carefully aged, then finished with a touch of Rare Brandy to bring you lush, slightly sweet notes and hints of fruit.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Brandy is prominent, although you wouldn’t mistake it from bourbon for brandy; oak and cinnamon well represented, with some fruity undercurrents.
Palate: Dried apricots steeped in brandy, with vanilla and ginger. Soft and creamy mouthfeel at first. More wood than typical Jim Beam, but not loads of it. Fairly well balanced, although subtle all around
Finish: Medium to short, with just a bit of spice; slightly dry.
Comments: Important to note that this isn’t finished in a cask which held Spanish Brandy; this is finished WITH Spanish Brandy directly. Why is that important? Ok – I don’t really know, as I don’t have a bourbon finished in a Spanish Brandy cask to compare. The brandy presence is more than subtle, but it also isn’t over-done for me. The combination I find to be balanced nicely. My guess is that the bourbon was more than 4 yrs old, as I get more wood than I do in Jim Beam white label – but not a ton of wood. I would prefer to have tried this at a higher proof, as 86 proof Jim Beam just isn’t right in my wheelhouse, but for fans of Jim Beam who are looking to expand their horizons – this is a nice little jaunt, and is priced appropriately for something unique.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: Beam cream? It’s got all the DNA of Jim Beam but there is a depth of creaminess to it that stands out. I’m curious about the type of fruit used in the brandy. It doesn’t give off the typical notes of grape brandy (cognac, etc.).
Palate: Now I’m getting the brandy. Much more sweet and fruity (dried pineapple pieces) in the mouth. Cinnamon, vanilla, and candied ginger.
Finish: Dry but not too woody with a little pepper on the back end.
Comments: This isn’t half bad. It’s probably my favorite of the first three Signature Craft U.S. releases. It drinks better than standard Beam and the brandy adds interesting complimentary pieces to the puzzle. I probably won’t buy a second bottle but I will enjoy the one I have.
Rating: Stands Out

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Jim Beam Signature Craft Quarter Cask

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Jim Beam Signature Craft Quarter Cask Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
43% ABV
$35-40
Website
jimbeamsignaturecraftquartercask-compressor
What the Distillery Says:
Introducing Jim Beam Signature Craft Quarter Cask. Base bourbon finished with a variety of fine quarter cask bourbons, all aged at least four years in smaller barrels. Boasting notes of vanilla, oak, and a hint of caramel, this spirit should be enjoyed neat or on the rocks.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Wood is forward while not overpowering; vanilla/caramel, with an odd pencil-eraser note.
Palate: Creamy, sweet, tapioca pudding and vanilla custard.
Finish: Short to medium length, and a tad on the dry side.
Comments: Who knows how much bourbon that was aged in quarter casks is in the mix, but as it seems that the goal of the Signature Craft series is to not venture too far from the Jim Beam path – I think they got it right. The nose was more woody than Jim Beam white label, but I didn’t get as much of that on the palate. It was plenty sweet, and had a nice mouthfeel. An interesting pour, and again – for fans of Jim Beam, probably worth the extra dough to try something you’re likely to enjoy while getting something a little different.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: Caramelized bananas, cinnamon icing, sweet cornbread, and vanilla.
Palate: Hello woody. It does have a nice creamy corn pudding going on but that’s not what I look for in my bourbons.
Finish: It finishes hot and corny. It’s very much a young whiskey that absorbed too much oak.
Comments: Smaller barrels do not make better or faster whiskey. Done. Let’s move on. No need for folks to keep trying this. Really. I mean it. If this were $20 I would give it an average but at twice that price it’s an easy pass.
Rating: Probably Pass

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SIA

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

SIA Blended Scotch Whisky
43% ABV
$49.99
Website
SIA_hp_BOTTLE
What the Blender Says:
SIA (pronounced “SEE-a”) is a new, fresh and exciting Scotch Whisky created specifically to appeal to a modern palate. The striking amber color of clover honey, SIA awakens the nose with citrus and spice and opens the palate with the smoky vanilla crunch of a crème brulée. The finish is long, smooth and refreshing with hints of hazelnut and toffee.

SIA is distilled in Scotland and matured, blended and bottled by third-generation crafters Douglas Laing & Co., Ltd. from a perfectly balanced blend of Speyside, Highlands and Islay malts. SIA is imported by Spirit Imports, Inc. SIA is 43% Alcohol by Volume/86 Proof.

As many people have inquired, the name SIA means “six” in Scottish Gaelic, which happens to be the founder’s favorite number.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Creamy fruity notes come out right as you open the bottle. Let the whisky sit a bit and a more heather and herbal note comes out.
Palate: There is a nice nuttty caramel sweetness that opens and develops into a pleasant vanilla creaminess mixed with malty cereal notes.
Finish: Malted milk (the powder, not the candy) and crushed nuts.
Comments: Kickstarter funded scotch. What will they think of next? It really is an interesting story. I’m not going to recount the whole thing here. You can go to their website to read it. In short its a Kickstarter funded scotch blend recently launched by a scotch enthusiast named Carin Luna-Ostaseski. The blend is pleasant enough. There is nothing off putting about the dram at all. It’s easy to drink and well balanced. However, it seems to be more about drinkability than any single or multiple inspiring components. I’m not left wanting to grab another dram. And even though scotch prices continue to rise, $50 a bottle is a bit rich for this one in my opinion.
Rating: Stands Out

I would like to thank Lauren Mayer with Spirit Imports, Inc. for sending over a review sample.

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Ardbog

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Ardbog Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
52.1% ABV
$100
Website
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What the Distillery Says:
The name Ardbog was chosen to highlight the peat bogs of Ardbeg’s island home Islay and the part they play in the whisky making process. The unique peat bogs contain highly aromatic plants that when used to dry malted barley gives Ardbeg whiskies their distinctive smoky flavour.

Ardbog has deep, enticing waves of pecan nuts, salty toffee & caramels, fudge, leather and a distinct whiff of herbs, lavender and violets. The smoke is soft and aromatic, and is interwoven with savoury notes, like Iberico ham (de bellota) and olives.

Tasting Notes:
Colour: Deep ochre
Aroma: Deep, enticing waves of pecan nuts, salty toffee & caramels combine with fudge, leather and with a distinct whiff of herbs, lavender and violets. The smoke is soft and aromatic and is interwoven with salty, savoury notes, such as berico ham and olives. The addition of water brings forth herbal, perfumed notes, smoked rhubarb, aged balsamic vinegar and some salty, ‘graphite’ notes reminding you of the Manzanilla cask element.

Taste/Texture: A full, oily/tingly mouth feel leads into a powerful, salty, savoury burst of flavours including salted cashews and peanuts, clove, aniseed flavoured toffee, green olives and a curious hint of anchovy. A long, lingering aftertaste, in which the classic Ardbeg sweetness (like a hint of maple syrup) is kept in check by oak tannins, clove and coffee grounds.

What Richard Says:
Nose: The peat weaves through but there is a sweetness that takes center stage. It’s kind of a nut-cream sweetness playing with the smoke and salt. There is also a menthol like effervescence that reminds me or Proraso.
Palate: The way this is bottled is the first thing that stands out to me. The flavors are a little reserved at first but the mouthfeel says this isn’t chill filtered and bottled well above the “standard” 40/43 of most malts. There is a nice rich oiliness to it that I really like. The flavor is an interesting interplay of savory and sweet. Fried salt pork with a dark chocolate mole maybe. There is also a weird minty and herbal thing going on. It’s like a Ricola cough drop and a wintergreen breath mint had a baby.
Finish: Minty, smokey and salty. It’s got a bit of hang time but I wouldn’t call this a long finish.
Comments: This is one of those whiskeys that I have a hard time reviewing because while I respect what’s been done it also not really my cup of tea. I in no way think that I have the market cornered on good taste in whiskey. Ardbog doesn’t do it for me but there are a lot of parts here that I can see would appeal to a lot of people.
Rating: Stands Out

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