Stands Out

Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey / ,

Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Rye Whiskey

60.5% ABV (for sample provided; varies by barrel)
$90
Website
Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Rye Whiskey
We would like to thank Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey and The Brand Guild for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Bottled at cask strength, this Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey is what other ryes work hard to grow up to be. Tennessee does a lot of things well; growing rye is not one of them. So, we sought out the best from other states. Each of our inaugural barrels hails from New York, where they aged in new American oak for a minimum of four years after a short stint in B.C., where they were born.

These barrels began as a lofty experiment in 2017. Was it possible to create an ultra-smooth whiskey, with flavor galore, made from 100% rye? That was the question. The answer took a while but was well worth the wait: hell yeah.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rye toast, corn flakes, salted caramel, orange honey, cinnamon and a hint of anise.
Palate:  Caramel, orange bitters, bursting with rye spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and lemongrass.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with chili spice and citrus.
Comments:  I tried this side by side against the Uncle Nearest Uncut/Unfiltered Straight Rye Whiskey, which probably isn’t a fair comparison. The Uncut/Unfiltered is $60 more, but is the same mashbill, and the descriptions of treatment are similar (although both are non-age stated, and I suspect that is where the difference lies – besides this offering being a single barrel). While there is similarity between the two, I preferred the other. I found this to be a bit hot, thinner, and likely a bit younger (although not “young”). Now as a single barrel, maybe the one I tried is an outlier. It does take water well, and thickened up nicely. This is a very spicy and hot rye – which I think makes for a great cocktail.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Cognac Hommage a Yves & Jean-Noel Pelletan

/ / Other Spirits, Review / ,

Cognac Hommage a Yves & Jean-Noel Pelletan
A PM Spirits Project | Single Cask | No Additives | Cask Strength

43.8% ABV
$400
Website
Cognac Hommage a Yves & Jean-Noel Pelletan

What the Producer Says

We think this is the best Cognac we have ever worked with. We know, we know – of course we think it’s good, it’s our product. But we’re serious…this Cognac is the epitome of everything PM Spirits is about.

Comprised of eaux de vie from one single cask plus a few assorted demijohns acquired by Nicolas over the years, these are the remains of the original plan for PM Spirits – an independent bottler of rare Cognacs. It was a romantic idea full of travels between France and the US, sourcing incredible Cognac, and bottling small lots by hand. It wasn’t practical, however, and PM Spirits eventually evolved into what it is today.

Yves Pelletan started to work full time as a cooper at age 14, learned the ropes of this demanding job and perfected his skills until he felt he was ready to open his own shop in the heart of Grande Champagne in 1973. His son, Jean-Noel, joined the family business in 2002. The work of this father and son team quickly became extremely sought-after in the Cognac region and beyond as they took the art of cooperage to the next level, prioritizing extreme quality over quantity.

We have bottled this as an homage to Yves and Jean-Noel Pelletan, two of only a handful of people to hold the title of Maitres Artisans Tonneliers, the apex of the cooperage profession. Yves and Jean-Noel have been instrumental to my understanding of Cognac and in making the liquid in this bottle taste as awesome as it does

A blend of Cognacs distilled between 1925 and 1965
Bottled in July 2020 • Cask Strength • 43.8% ABV
870 Bottles • No Additives • No Filtration

What Gary Says

DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not as familiar with Cognac (so read at your own risk!)
Nose:  Grapes, fruitcake, vanilla, leather, allspice, dark fruit, Christmas spices and a bit of molasses.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, sharpens a tad with fruit salad, tart tangerines, raisins, cherries, pepper spice and cinnamon.
Finish:  Long, drying with slightly bitter fruit notes.
Comments:  I tasted this amongst a lineup of various brandies and cognacs, and this was by far my favorite. In fact when I first tried it (and didn’t know any of the details about this marvelous spirit), I thought this might replace Paulet XO as my ‘go to’ – but that won’t be the case. I’m sure that I haven’t appreciated this as much as a true Cognac aficionado would have. It does share some similarities with really old whisk(e)y, notes of leather on the nose, and that creamy mouthfeel. A really lovely dram!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Paulet Cognac Grand Champagne XO

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Paulet Cognac Grand Champagne XO

40% ABV
$80
Website
Paulet Cognac XO Grande Champagne

What the Bottle* Says

The house of Paulet was established in 1848 on an estate that has been producing Cognac as early as 1761. It is one of the iconic names in the Cognac region renowned for its quality, know how and respect for craftsmanship and tradition.

What the Retailer* Says

France- This Grand Champagne XO comes from wines issued from the first cru (growth) of the Cognac region. The distillate has a fresh minerality with pear and white flower notes, that will be enhanced during the aging in Limousin oak barrels. 2018 San Francisco Spirits Gold Medal Winner.

* I couldn’t find a website for the producer, so information is from the bottle itself and the retailer

What Gary Says

DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not as familiar with Cognac (so read at your own risk!)
Nose:  Grapes, kiwi, tangerines, peaches, vanilla, subtle rose petals and a hint of something savory (maybe fennel?).
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, sweet with fruit salad, kiwi, pears, peaches, stewed apples, hint of cinnamon and rice pudding.
Finish:  Moderately long, damp with cinnamon dusted apples.
Comments:  I really like this, and in fact this is my go-to Cognac when making a Vieux Carré. I started out using a VS Cognac for that cocktail, but after experiencing an XO decided to give this one a shot, and wasn’t disappointed. Although if you have a Cognac in the same price range that you think does a superior job in that cocktail, please drop me a line and let me know!

Rating: Stands Out

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Germain-Robin XO California Alambic Brandy

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Germain-Robin XO California Alambic Brandy

40% ABV
$130
Website
Germain-Robin XO California Alambic Brandy

What the Distillery Says

Germain-Robin XO is an icon of California Brandy. Distilled exclusively in Pruhlo Charentais Pot Stills and aged in Limousin Oak Barrels, XO highlights the unique flavor and characteristics of California Pinot Noir grapes.

DISTILLER’S NOTES:
The high-quality California wine grapes in Germain-Robin XO showcase unique flavors and layered textures. The signature grape, Pinot Noir, provides a dark cherry character and a rich silky mouthfeel. Colombard distillate adds a fresh apple character while Sémillon provides richness with peach and apricot notes. The balance of both fruit and oak flavors is unique to Germain-Robin XO. The vanilla and toast flavors from the French oak complement the fruit which creates layers of complexity that only can be found from sourcing great fruit. The fermentation and distillation is driven with the goal of emphasizing fruit and mouthfeel and then paired with aging in select Limousin Oak Barrels. Texturally, the brandy is extremely smooth and has an incredibly long finish.

SIGNATURE FLAVORS:
Cherry, Vanilla, Oak

What Gary Says

DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Brandy (so read at your own risk!)
Nose:  Grapes, apples, sherried fruit, sandalwood incense, floral, hint of green tea with subtle mulling spices.
Palate:  Bright, floral with apples, cherries, and pepper spice (tad astringent).
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, dry with unsweetened grape juice and apples.
Comments:  I haven’t had a lot of brandy, but I enjoyed this one. The nose is delightful and complex, although the palate left me wanting what the nose was advertising. Seemed like the nuance and subtle notes from the nose just got lost along the way to my tongue! This isn’t my area of expertise, so that may be typical – and as such, not knocking down my rating.

Rating: Stands Out

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Barrell Whiskey Private Release Blend AH08

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Barrell Whiskey Private Release Blend AH08

59.49% ABV
$100
Website
Barrell Whiskey Private Release AH08

What the Blender Says

The Barrell Private Release Series is a project in detailed blending on a scale small enough to allow extreme precision.​

The Private Release Series lets us exercise our blending expertise while maintaining a single barrel-like scale controlled entirely by hand and by palate. Our goal is always to maximize the best attributes of each component. Every ounce of every ingredient changes the overall character of these blends, as does the barrel that each one is aged in. For that reason, these barrels take months to polish and perfect. While we may be able to replicate the recipe for these releases, the unique nature of each ingredient and the barrel they are married in makes every bottling singularly special.

Each release of our Private Release Whiskey is a unique blend of whiskeys. Once created, these blends are married in single casks, many of which were previously used for other spirits and/or wines. Each Private Release Whiskey series has slightly different base whiskey and is entered into a finishing cask at a different time.

AH08 is a blend of KY Whiskeys, the largest component being 18-year-old KY whiskey, finished in a Malmsey Madeira barrel.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruit salad steeped in wine, apricots, berries, vanilla, brown sugar, honey and cedar.
Palate:  Chocolate covered cherries, vanilla, honey, tangerines, cinnamon, bit of ginger, pepper, nutmeg and a hint of anise.
Finish:  Long, thick with ginger and orange marmalade.
Comments:  Very fruity, sweet but with a ginger-spicy edge. Interesting and unique to be sure. A bit of water brings out a note of grapefruit on the nose, and thickens the palate while bringing more citrus to the party.

Rating: Stands Out

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