Stands Out

Jefferson’s 10 Year Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Jefferson’s Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 10 Years
47% ABV/94 Proof
$35 to $40
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Jefferson’s Straight Rye Whiskey is the latest addition to the Jefferson’s Presidential Collection. Bottled at 94 proof, this 10-year-old whiskey offers a perfect combination of age, purity and strength. Distilled from 100% North American rye, it is rich, spicy and exceptionally smooth. A true classic.

Nose: Bright compelling, fruity/bakery aromas of baked banana bread, baked pears and apple cobbler make for delightful early-on sniffing; further air contact time of seven minutes encourages the ripe fruit aspect to deepen as gentle spice notes, especially pepper and allspice, round out an exceptional bouquet experience.

Taste: Moderately oily, delicately spiced and even a touch honeyed; midpalate features the spice element in spades, making for zesty, tangy sipping.

Finish: Aftertaste focuses squarely on the fruit component again along with the last minute hit of rye bread.

What Richard Says:
Nose: The nose is very rich and creamy to me. I get very herbaceous notes and candied nuts.
Palate: This one is very sweet. It’s much sweeter than I would expect from a rye. Vanilla, caramel, and spearmint come through.
Finish: It reminds me of Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Heath Bar Ice Cream served on a barrel stave.
Comments: Many parallels have been drawn between this expression and WhistlePig which goes for almost twice the price. I haven’t tried the other but for $35 this is a nice aged rye. Easy to sip and easy to mix. What more can you really ask for?
Rating: Stands Out

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Michter’s Single Barrel Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Michter’s US*1 Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey
Barrel No. H135-62
42.4% ABV/84.8 Proof
$35 to $40
Website

What the Distillery Says:

Renowned for rye, America’s first whiskey, since our founding in 1753, we take production of every barrel of Michter’s Rye very seriously. Our US*1 Rye is made from select American rye grain that is sheared to enable the saturation of more flavor during fermentation. It is then aged in a heated warehouse. This premium rye has hints of light spice, black pepper, marmalade and plum, spicy grain and light caramel.

Production: Single barrel. Limited quantities.
Bottling Strength: 84.8 Proof (42.4% Alcohol by Volume)
Cooperage: Fire-charred, new American white oak barrels.

What Richard Says:
Nose: This is very sweet on the nose. I get burnt caramel, vanilla latte, and a peach & plum fruitiness.
Palate: This one is fun to roll around in the mouth. Surprisingly creamy for a young-ish rye. Sweet and spicy. Caramel and white pepper.
Finish: Oak and pepper. It’s a little hot on the finish. Surprisingly so given how smooth the palate is.
Comments: The folks at Chatham sent over their entry level trio. Of the three this is by far my favorite. It’s tasty, easy to drink, and makes a mean cocktail. My only real complaint is the price point. That’s really a general complaint for the entry range. This is a solid rye but there are others in the sub-$30 range that give you just as much with more bang for you buck.
Rating: Stands Out

I would like to thank Emily with Chatham Imports for sending over a bottle for review.

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Bushmills Black Bush Special Old Irish Whiskey

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Bushmills Black Bush Special Old Irish Whiskey
43% ABV/86 Proof
$35 to $40
Website

What the Distillery Says:
With an intriguing flavor and a name to match, this is our special blend. It combines a uniquely high proportion of malt whiskey matured in former Oloroso Sherry casks with a sweet, batch-distilled grain whiskey. This unique recipe gives Black Bush its rich fruity notes and deep intense character, balanced by a unique smoothness.

Nose: Big, full, rich fruitcake aroma, intense Sherry sweetness developing into dried fruit/raisen/Christmas cake notes
Palate: Soft, silky texture with a nutty character
Finish: Lingering sweetness. Remarkable balance between the poier from Sherry-seasoned casks and the smoothness of the spirit.

What Richard Says:
Nose: The nose is very rich. It reminds me of sherry drizzled warm apple pie.
Palate: It’s more delicate and viscous than I would’ve expected. It’s also a little nutty too.
Finish: This is my least favorite part. It’s a little like licking an empty sherry barrel.
Comments: In my lowly personal opinion this is probably the best value in the Bushmills range. At around $35 it swings well above classic Bushmills and the 10 year old single malt version.
Rating: Stands Out

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Bushmills Single Malt Irish Whiskey Aged 10 Years

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review / ,

Bushmills 10 Year
Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Matured in Two Woods

40% ABV/80 Proof
$40 to $50
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Triple distilled from 100% malted barely and matured for a minimum of 10 years mainly in Bourbon-seasoned barrels, it has aromas of honey, vanilla and milk chocolate.

Nose: Fresh and zesty. Honey, ripe fruit.
Palate: Soft. Vanilla, milk chocolate and toasted wood.
Finish: Crisp and clean, gentle drying.

What Richard Says

Nose: This one is light and floral. There is also an odd mix of grass and cocoa. It’s a little like splashing Hershey’s cocoa powder on your face while cutting the lawn.
Palate: It’s kind of light and spicy with a backing sherry note. There is also something that tastes slightly burnt.
Finish: Delicate, smooth, and slightly creamy with a little oak at the end.
Comments: This is one of those whiskeys where I think it’s me not them. I know Bushmills didn’t change. I changed. I used to like this one a lot more than I do now. It’s not bad. It’s easily drinkable and not terribly expensive if you can find it around $40. I’ve just come to expect a little more from my whiskey than this one brings to table.

Rating: Average

 

What Gary Says

Nose:  Subtle, floral with honey suckle, milk chocolate, a hint of apples.
Palate:  Subtle sweet with malt, honey, vanilla, a hint of fruit.
Finish:  Moderate in length, damp with honey and vanilla.
Comments:  A very gentle and delicate single malt. Nothing objectionable, but nothing that has me wanting to pour another. I’ll bet I’d like this a lot more at a higher ABV, but wishes and nuts as they say.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Bushmills Irish Whiskey 1608 Anniversary Edition

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Bushmills Irish Whiskey 1608 Anniversary Edition
46% ABV/92 Proof
$75 to $100
Website

What the Distillery Says:
In celebration of the 400th anniversary of the original licence to distil granted to the Bushmills area, the Bushmills Distillery has released a special, limited edition whiskey, Bushmills 1608.

True to the history of Ireland’s oldest working whiskey distillery, Bushmills 1608 is a unique blend of tradition and innovation. It combines some classic features of our whiskeys (such as triple distillation, the use of fully malted barley or maturation in the finest quality oak casks) with a pioneering process: it was distilled using crystal malt, a special type of malted barley selected to deliver exceptional smoothness.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Honey, fresh cut grass, dry autumn leaves, sherry notes, and smores (chocolate marshmellow graham cracker sandwiches for our non-U.S. readers)
Palate: It’s very nutty and I also get notes of very high cacao dark chocolate. It’s like an 85% cacao Mr. Goodbar.
Finish: Cracked black pepper and an almost rye-like spicy note. The finish is rather long with lots of oak and chalk. Meh.
Comments: The palate on this one perplexes me. I like what the crystal malt and higher proof do to the viscosity and mouth feel of Bushmills but I’m just not sold on the taste. Combine that with the so so finish and I’m not a big a fan. It is different and tasty in it’s own way but there are other Bushmills expressions out there that are better for the same or less money. I can’t say this is one you have to try.
Rating: Stands Out

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