The Distillery Reserve Collection is a limited release of rare and exceptional whiskies from Chivas Brothers single malt whisky distilleries. Each release is bottled at cask strength.
Aged 17 Years Distilled: 12th January 1998 Bottled: 30th July 2015 Cask Nos: 4330-31, 4336-37 1 of 1632 bottles 50cL
What Gary Says
Nose: Subtle vanilla, barley malt, buttered popcorn, pears, hint of cinnamon and a subtle mineral note. Palate: Warm and viscous, fruity but tart with unripe pears and a hint of banana. Finish: Long, slightly drying with honey, a note of stout and pepper. Comments: Subdued and very muted overall. If handed for a blind tasting, I think I would have guessed this to be a single grain whisky. There isn’t anything off putting or negative, just not very exciting. A bit of water brings out more citrus on the nose, as well as heather, and tamps down the tartness on the palate.
Private Release rye whiskeys are painstakingly assembled from Barrell’s deep stocks of rye whiskeys. After creating precise custom blends, we finish each assemblage in single casks, many previously used for other spirits or wines. Each single barrel release explores the huge range of spicy, herbaceous, and earthy flavors within rye itself, as well as its interactions with a kaleidoscope of different finishing casks.
For this special series, BCS selected Rye whiskeys from Indiana and Canada and then blended them into unique recipes with variations on a theme. Beginning with 10 initial selections, each release will feature a blend of Rye whiskey designed for its unique finishing cask.
Rye Whiskey finished in an Armagnac Cask
Rye Whiskey finished in a Bourbon Whiskey Barrel
Rye Whiskey finished in an XO Cognac Cask
Rye Whiskey finished in an Oloroso Sherry Barrel
Rye Whiskey finished in a Madeira Barrel
Rye Whiskey finished in a Ruby Port Barrel
Rye Whiskey finished in a Barbados Rum Cask
Rye Whiskey finished in a Sauternes Barrel
Rye Whiskey finished in a Tokaji Barrel
Rye Whiskey finished in a Pedro Ximenez Sherry Barrel
What Gary Says
Nose: Rye toast, cedar, fig jam, subtle citrus notes and a hint of nylon rope. Palate: Thick mouthfeel, a citrus-heavy fruit salad with bitters, black cherries, cinnamon, thyme, clove and pepper. Finish: Long and drying with honey, orange zest and pepper. Comments: The nose is deceptively soft for a rye whiskey, although that softness along with the cedar are familiar for Canadian rye. This dram benefits from some air time in the glass (some whiskey drinkers use the rule of one minute in the glass for every year in the cask; I don’t typically have that much patience but you’ll be rewarded if you give it just a few minutes!) Very citrus-forward palate, with a lovely herbal spiciness. If the nose lured you into expecting a sweet, soft taste – the palate is going to remind you “I’m all rye baby!” A bit of water really brightens up the citrus and brings forward some floral notes, as well as tamps down the spicy edges (without drowning them out all together).
7 Years, 1 Month, 8 Days 63.3% ABV $90 Website We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.
What the Distillery Says:
This batch is named in honor of Charlie Hutchens, the craftsman behind the signature wooden boxes that each bottle of Booker’s Bourbon comes in. He is also a longtime family friend and former employee of Booker Noe.
Charlie started his career working at the Booker Noe Distillery. During his time there, he was quite the storyteller and would entertain others throughout the workday. He would also pay close attention to the details and would do something over and over again until it was perfect – just like Booker did with his whiskey.
After several years, Charlie left the business to open his own cabinet shop with his brother. Charlie handcrafted the very first Booker’s Bourbon wooden boxes in his garage and has created the boxes for the brand since. He and his brother have expanded their business to create other fine wood products for different brands and projects in the Beam family, such as supplying custom furniture to the new Fred B. Noe Distillery – where Booker’s Bourbon is now distilled.
Charlie still lives near the Booker Noe Distillery and spends his free time fishing and vacationing with his family in South Carolina. Charlie was one of the first people to help make Booker’s Bourbon a recognizable brand, and Booker would be so excited to honor him with his very own batch.
TASTING NOTES Like all batches of Booker’s Bourbon, Booker’s “Charlie’s Batch” was selected by Seventh Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe to ensure it upholds the qualities and standards that his dad set for Booker’s Bourbon more than 30 years ago. Uncut and unfiltered1, this batch has the following characteristics: PROOF: 126.6 AGE: 7 years, 1 month and 8 days BATCH NOTES: Booker’s “Charlie’s Batch” has a well-aged amber color and a balanced aroma of oak, toasted nuts and vanilla notes without too much wood. It has a slightly warm taste with a pleasant finish. SIPPING SUGGESTIONS: Booker’s “Charlie’s Batch” is best enjoyed neat.
What Gary Says
Nose: Caramel, vanilla, dark chocolate, heavy dose of charred oak, peanut brittle, nutmeg and baked brownies. Palate: Fudge brownies with caramel, peanuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, cracked pepper and a hint of anise. Finish: Moderately long with oak, caramel and trailing pepper spice. Comments: Great start to 2023; this batch reflects a solid, classic Booker’s experience. Without having many previous batches for direct comparison, this seems to have a touch more oak – and more so on the nose than on the palate. Even with that, not what I’d call over-oaked by any means. Just a rich, intense bourbon with all of those hallmark flavors you (or at least I) look forward to. I appreciate the story behind each batch (I’ve often wondered about the wooden boxes, thanks Charlie!)
Knob Creek 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
50% ABV $37 Website We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.
What the Distillery Says:
Knob Creek® is excited to announce the addition of an age statement to its flagship straight rye whiskey, Knob Creek® 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. This update is a testament to the care and innovation behind the super-premium whiskey inside and reinforces Knob Creek’s commitment to continue to produce the world-class whiskies its fans know and love. Made pre-Prohibition style, Knob Creek 7 Year Old Rye is carefully crafted and patiently aged for seven years in deeply charred barrels, producing a full-flavored rye whiskey with notes of American Rye spice, sweet vanilla and oak, in line with what fans have come to expect from Knob Creek.
Knob Creek has set the standard for American Whiskey for more than 30 years and has lived up to such standards with the addition of an age statement to its rye whiskey. Enjoyed as the base in an Old Fashioned cocktail or over ice, it doesn’t matter how you drink it, it’s all about how you enjoy it.
TASTING NOTES Knob Creek 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey brings the deliciously rich and savory notes of rye to life in a way that only Knob Creek can – creating a versatile, full-flavored straight rye whiskey that offers smooth spice in every sip. PROOF: 100 COLOR: Amber brown AROMA: Sweet caramel and vanilla mixed with deep round rye spice accompanied by apple and floral notes with a hint of leather TASTE: Full body with balanced black pepper, sweet vanilla, and caramel finished with lingering oak and rich spice FINISH: Warm and smooth with spice throughout
What Gary Says
Nose: Caramel, oak, toasted orange zest, fall leaves, hint of peanuts with rye spices. Palate: Thick mouthfeel, caramel, chocolate orange, vanilla, mint and honey. Finish: Moderately long with caramel, cola and orange. Comments: This is a really nice rye whiskey – well balanced, not too sharp/spicy and also not too subtle/sweet. It had been a while since I’d had the non-age stated Knob Creek Rye, and I wasn’t a big fan at the time. Then in 2018 when Beam released the Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye, I loved that – so knew that Beam had solid rye whiskey. Not sure what they’ve done beyond the age statement, but appreciate the end result. If you’ve tried the previous version and weren’t impressed, I’d definitely give this one a shot.
Traverse City Whiskey Co. Sherry Barrel Finish Straight Bourbon Whiskey
47.5% ABV $60 Website We would like to thank Traverse City Whiskey Co. and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.
What the Distillery Says
Our high-rye bourbon was aged for more than five years in New American Oak Barrels. They are then finished for an additional nine months in Pedro Ximenez Sherry Barrels that were hand built in the Jerez Region of Sothern Spain.
Nose: Caramel, sassafras (root beer), cinnamon, and raisins
Body: Light and nutty; walnut, toasted almond, green cardamom, and a hint of vanilla bean
Finish: Mild, toasted rye bread and tobacco
What Gary Says
Nose: Caramel, corn flakes, cocoa, soft oak, raisins and walnuts. Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, nutty with caramel, cherries, vanilla, raisins, fruitcake, cinnamon and pepper. Finish: Short to moderate in length, drying with raisins and orange marmalade. Comments: Nicely balanced, with the sherry influence clearly there but not heavy handed (compared to the Port finish). The nose has corn notes which normally are associated with a younger whiskey, but I expect this is due to the northern climate in which this was matured – as there aren’t any other ‘young’ notes. A bit of water brings out orange zest on the nose and orange cola on the palate.
