Stands Out

Balvenie Doublewood

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

The Balvenie Doublewood Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years
43% ABV
$37 to $42
Widely available around the world
Website

What the Distillery Says:
“characterised by rich honey sweetness and a delicate layer of sherry”

The Balvenie DoubleWood is a 12 year old single malt which gains its distinctive character from being matured in two woods. Over its period of maturation it is transferred from a traditional oak whisky cask to a first fill European oak sherry cask. Each stage lends different qualities to the resulting single malt ~ the traditional casks soften and add character, whilst the sherry wood brings depth and fullness of flavour.

NOSE: Sweet fruit and Oloroso sherry notes, layered with honey and vanilla.
TASTE: Smooth and mellow with beautifully combined flavours ~ nutty sweetness, cinnamon spiciness and a delicately proportioned layer of sherry.
FINISH: Long and warming.

What Richard Says:
Nose: I get a lot of honey and fruity notes but somehow I’m missing the vanilla and sherry.
Palate: Very smooth. Sweet at the start and then it settles into notes of oak, oranges, and hazelnuts.
Finish: The finish is as smooth at the palate and very warm. It’s a little more tart and bitter on the finish though.
Comments: I really like this particular dram, especially under the $40 price point. I think it’s a great value dram and shows great craftsmanship coming out of William Grant & Sons.
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value

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Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2010

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, 2010 Edition
47.5% ABV/95 Proof
$35 to $40
Available across the U.S.

What the Distillery Says:
George Garvin Brown, founder of Old Forester bourbon and the first person to bottle bourbon, was born in Munfordville, Kentucky, on September 2, 1846. This vintage release of Old Forester has been selected to honor the birthday of this bourbon pioneer, innovator and industry leader.

This year’s vintage release of Old Forester is crafted from a 72 barrel batch of 97J24. These barrels were evenly matured together in the very middle of Warehouse K, on the 5th floor in ricks 42, 43, and 45, surrounded by open space. This environment allowed the barrels to easily breathe during maturation and develop a rich fruit and spice character.

Color-Deep caramel brown.
Aroma-Rich hints of cedar, dark chocolate and tropical fruit underscored by caramel and butterscotch notes.
Taste-Crisp cedar and nutty oak mingle with fig, berry and citrus character.
Finish-A long, crisp wood spice note ends with a touch of fruit.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Very rich on the nose. Sticky toffee and cedar wood with an almost oily resinous smell.
Palate: Raisins, Christmas spices (think mulled wine or pumpkin pie spice) with a little mint right before the finish.
Finish: The finish is long and woody. Pepper and oak seem to stay around forever.
Comments: Are you looking for good bourbon for under $40? Here you go. This annual release has swung widely from year to year. This year’s is some of the best 12 year old coming out Brown Forman. Not a must try but it really stands out.
Rating: Stands Out

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Evan Williams Single Barrel 2000

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Single Barrel Vintage 2000, Barrel No. 438
43.3% ABV/86.6 Proof
$25 to $30
Available nationwide

What the Distillery Says:
This Bourbon was personally selected by our Master Distiller, only after meeting his exacting standards for this vintage. Taken from a single barrel, it is the purest achievement of the Bourbon making art. Bottled unblended with other barrels to preserve its individuality. Hand-numbered as a sign of its limited availability.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Fresh grass, wildflowers, and butter on the nose.
Palate: The palate is very clean and subdued. Vanilla notes stand out and it is overall creamy, oaky, and infinitely drinkable.
Finish: A little sweetness clings to the oak on the finish and plays around with a slight bit of spice too. Mild and very enjoyable.
Comments: Evan Williams has released vintages every year beginning in 1986 through 2000 at around the 10 year old mark. The quality has varied over the years as can be expected but this year’s vintage is something really nice. Generally speaking, the vintage bottling tends to be some of the best stuff coming out of Heaven Hill in the 10 year age range for each given vintage. I really enjoyed this dram. It’s not particularly bold or unique but it is sinfully drinkable and at this price why not buy two.
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value

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Connemara Turf Mor

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Connemara Turf Mor Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey
58.2% ABV/116.4 Proof
50+ Euros
Currently available in the UK, Germany, Benelux, and Ireland

What the Distillery Says:

Turf Mor is the latest and 2nd edition to the Small Batch Collection series of Connemara. The first was the highly successful Connemara Sherry Finish, of which sales are now deplete and the product is retired. By bottling it at cask strength with no chill filtration we get a truly phenolic taste experience while still managing to retain Connemara’s distinctive smooth taste. Turf Mor is the Peatiest expression of Connemara with over 50 ppm phenol level. It is a limited edition bottling with less than 20,000 bottle available.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Peat and smoked meat. It reminds me of my buddy Sam’s smoked beef brisket. (I’ll have to ask him what wood he uses) There is also a good bit of fresh apple and a hint of freshly grated ginger.
Palate: Very smokey on the palate but in a different way. It’s more actual wood smoke rather than peaty like an Islay. I’m thinking that is because it’s less briny. Surprisely dry with hints of sweetness.
Finish: Sip it slow and the heat mellows to a smooth warmth that sticks with you. It leave that wood smoke lingering behind.
Comments: I really liked this much more than prior experiences with Connemara. I think it’s a mildly complex dram that offers a different take on smokey whiskey. A very nice warm you up dram on a cold night.
Rating: Stands Out

What Matt Says:
Nose: First hit with a caramel sweetness, then overpowered by peat that swirls around more floral notes (rose petals) and notes of green grain and grasses.
Palate: Peat and tall grasses that coat the mouth.  It seems trite, but it’s very “Irishy” with a boat load of peat.
Finish: Peat and a little bitter with touches of oak around the edges.
Comments: I’ve never been as enthralled with Cooley as the rest of the whiskey writers.  I think everyone is just excited to have another player in the game.  I can sympathize.  I’m a huge supporter of independents and micros as a concept even if I’m not thrilled by the product.  Cooley brought us the first peated Irish whiskey in quite some time and now they are going after the super peat market with Turf Mor.  In some ways this is a success.  I tried it next to the standard Connemara Peated and I have to say that its miles ahead.  Even at cask strength, it is very drinkable.  The nose is intoxicating.  With water, there is a caramel roundness that helps to tame the peat and other vegetation.  However, I find a rawness to this whiskey that I often find from Cooley.  It says to me, “let me sleep a little longer.  A few more years in oak and I’ll be less cranky.”  I’m going to rate this a “Stands Out,” but with a caveat.  It’s not my style.  Turf Mor stands out because there is little to compare it to in it’s category.  How does it rate against the peat monsters from Scotland?  It depends on if you are talking about one of the complex and amazing ones or one of the one trick ponies.  Ultimately, it is distinctly Irish and cannot be directly compared to a Scottish whiskey.
Rating: Stands Out

Overall Rating: Stands Out

We’d also like to thank Rachel Quinn at Cooley and Megan Hurtuk with Gemini for providing us with samples for review.

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Elijah Craig 18 Year

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Elijah Craig Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Aged 18 Years
Barrel No. 2944, barreled on 4/1/1991
45% ABV/90 Proof
$50
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
The oldest Single Barrel Bourbon in the world at 18 years, Elijah Craig Single Barrel is a rare marvel of whiskey-making. Only a handful of the millions of aging Bourbon barrels are allowed to mature this long, resulting in an extremely complex, layered sensory experience. The barrels are hand selected by Parker and Craig Beam, and after 18 years of Kentucky seasons nearly 2/3 of the contents of the barrel have evaporated into “Angel’s Share”!

What Richard Says:
Nose: Black cherry, carmael turtles, a little musty, honey wheat bread and with water I get honeysuckle.
Palate: Very Bitter and spicy when it first hits the mouth. Plenty of peppery spice, oak and a hint of sweetness. Water sweetens the palate noticeably making it reminiscent of sweetened condensed milk. Great classic bourbon flavor!
Finish: The finish is very nice and improves on the palate. It leave a slightly sweet warmth with lost of cracked black pepper.
Comments: Elijah Craig 18 is a real bourbon’s bourbon. Not too cute or flashy. Straightforward classic bourbon. You can find it for under $50 if you look hard enough and for an 18 year old single barrel bourbon now a days that’s pretty damn good.
Rating: Stands Out

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