Stands Out

Elijah Craig Small Batch

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Elijah Craig Small Batch
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

47% ABV
$25-$30
Website
Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

The award-winning Bourbon that started it all. Our signature Small Batch owes its distinctive warm spice & subtle smoke flavor to Level 3 charred oak barrels. Handcrafted by our Master Distillers, it’s a favorite of Bourbon connoisseurs and casual whiskey fans alike.

HOW IT’S MADE
Elijah Craig was the first to char oak barrels, which earned him the name, “The Father of Bourbon.” Today, all Elijah Craig Bourbons are aged in Level 3 charred new oak barrels. This level of char releases flavor compounds & aromas such as caramelized sugars, vanillin, wood smoke & spice. Our Master Distillers then hand-select each barrel to create our signature, award-winning Small Batch Bourbon.

TASTING NOTES
COLOR: Burnished copper
AROMA: Delightfully complex with notes of vanilla bean, sweet fruit, and fresh mint
TASTE: Smooth and warm; pleasantly woody with accents of spice, smoke, and nutmeg
FINISH: Long, sweet, and slightly toasty

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel corn, vanilla wafers, musty oak, subtle spice notes of mint and cinnamon.
Palate:  Vanilla, honey, caramel, nutmeg, brown sugar, hint of clove, cinnamon, oak and pepper.
Finish:  Moderate in length, drying with vanilla, nutmeg, oak and mint.
Comments:  I wish I had a retail bottling (still) of the 12 yr age stated version for a blind side-by-side comparison, but there’s more than one saying about wishing. This definitely strikes me as similar to what I recall, maybe a touch less oak which I don’t mind. The caramel corn note isn’t meant to imply it is young, as ‘corn’ is one of those notes that you get with younger bourbon – just the type of caramel (what can I say – when I nosed it, first thing that came to mind was caramel corn!) I know folks hate the loss of the age statement – and I’m in that club as well (hell, if they had to come out with a new version and just said it was a 9 or 10 yr, I’d rather see that than the complete removal). But for the money, this is still a pretty solid bourbon.

Rating: Stands Out

Elijah Craig Small Batch Read More »

Duncan Taylor ‘Dimensions’ Highland Park 20 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Duncan Taylor ‘Dimensions’ Highland Park 20 Year
Single Malt Scotch Whisky

53% ABV
$150-$180
Website
Duncan Taylor Dimensions Highland Park 20 Yr

What the Bottler Says

Bottled at cask strength of 53% ABV and without chill-filtration or artificial colouring, this single malt has matured beautifully as a result of 20 years in an ex-sherry butt. The traditionally lightly-peated notes of Highland Park are still present, however they have softened over time and have been complimented with a hint of salt and notes of mixed fruit, baked apples and honey from the sherry cask.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Peat fire with salted sea mist, fruity with cherries, peaches, raisins, vanilla, chocolate with cedar-smoked pork roast.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel with honey, apples, cherries, pepper, chocolate, toffee, walnuts and peat.
Finish:  Long and damp with fruity peat notes.
Comments:  A rather nice Highland Park bottling. Before researching the bottle details, I would not have pegged this as being fully matured in sherry (first the color isn’t what you’d expect for that age in sherry), so guessing it is a second or maybe third fill sherry (as they have a lot of sherry casks around Highland Park). Which isn’t a bad thing by any stretch – since the retail Highland Park gives you that big sherry take on their distillate. A nice balance that lets the distillery’s character shine through while giving you some of those luscious fruit notes from the sherry.

Rating: Stands Out

Duncan Taylor ‘Dimensions’ Highland Park 20 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky Read More »

Dewar’s Double Double 21-Year-Old

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Dewar’s Double Double 21-Year-Old
Blended Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$50 (375 mL)
Website

Dewar's Double-Double 21-Year-Old Whisky

What the Blender Says

Our unique Four Stage Ageing Process for Ultimate Smoothness finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks.

Dewar’s Double Double 21-Year-Old is finished in Oloroso sherry casks, this blend delivers subtle notes of cinnamon and ripe vine fruits with a silky smooth finish.

4 STAGE AGEING PROCESS FOR ULTIMATE SMOOTHNESS

Innovation comes in many forms, and in 2019 our Master Blender, Stephanie Macleod, released a new range of Blended Scotch Whiskies with a Four Stage Ageing Process for Ultimate Smoothness. This may sound like an indulgence but the series has been picking up gold medal awards the world over since being released.

We believe that in order to do things right and get the best results you should put in double the effort. So we asked ourselves how we could put in double the effort to our range that was already Double Aged for Extra Smoothness…and it was obvious..double it!

Our Double Double Series has been aged, blended together, aged again, then finished in sherry casks for the Ultimate Smoothness.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Dark fruit, bit of toffee, earthiness with smoked brisket, leather, sherry and a subtle vegetal note.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel with plums, pepper spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, bit of an earthy/mineral note, dark chocolate, toffee, almonds and black cherries.
Finish:  Moderately long with dark fruits, pepper spice and a touch of peat.
Comments:  This is a really interesting dram – a tad sharp on the palate at first but a bit of water really smoothes it out nicely. Quite well balanced, with a complexity that introduced me to something new with each sitting. I like this being offered in a 375 mL too because that puts it in reach of many consumers who might otherwise not have access to it, and there aren’t a lot of well aged blended whiskies like this available to them at that price point. AND I appreciate the ABV, as some other offerings from Dewar’s I haven’t enjoyed as much – but suspect would have at something closer to this ABV than 40%. In fact, I can comfortably say this is my favorite Dewar’s to date.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

Dewar’s Double Double 21-Year-Old Read More »

Booker’s 2021-02 “Tagalong Batch”

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Booker’s “Tagalong Batch” Batch 2021-02
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

6 Years, 5 Months, 0 Days
63.95% ABV
$90
Website
Bookers 2021-02 Tagalong Batch
We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says:

The second release of the Booker’s® Bourbon 2021 Collection is Booker’s Batch 2021-02 ‘Tagalong Batch.’ This batch celebrates the way my dad, Booker Noe, learned the ropes at the distillery – by ‘tagging along’ with his grandfather and my great grandfather, Jim Beam.

Growing up, the distillery was like Dad’s playground; he loved spending time with his grandfather and everyone else who worked there, asking questions and expanding his knowledge. That’s ultimately how he developed his curiosity and passion for whiskey, and it was how he became such a talented Master Distiller.

The tradition of ‘tagging along’ has continued generation to generation. I learned much of what I know about whiskey by following in Dad’s footsteps, digesting all of the information I could while working side-by-side at the distillery. It’s also a tradition I continued with my son Freddie, and one I hope he’ll share with his children in the future.

Tagging along had some other rewards too, such as heading to the nearby lake to cast a line together after a hard day’s work. We all have fond memories of that quality time, and I hope you enjoy this batch as part of your quality time with family and friends too.
— Fred Noe, Beam Family 7th Generation Master Distiller

TASTING NOTES
Nose: Aromas of vanilla, caramel and “sweet brown” wood sugar flavors
Taste: Unique, yet unmistakably Booker’s® Bourbon
Finish: Pleasant, warm finish, both sweet and spicy

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich vanilla, caramel, chocolate fudge, oak, peanut brittle, cinnamon, leather, bit of toasted orange zest.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel with fudge, salted caramel, nutmeg, honey, cinnamon, oak, bit of pepper and subtle fruit notes (maybe baked peaches).
Finish:  Moderately long with fudge, caramel and oak.
Comments:  While I don’t have a lineup of previous batches to compare against, I really like this one. I usually get a some chocolate, but this one is more pronounced with it taking on a more fudgy angle. A bit of water amps the peanut notes, brings out a bit more citrus notes on the palate, and tamps the pepper (which isn’t that sharp). And it continues the streak of “hadn’t met a Booker’s I didn’t like!”.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

Booker’s 2021-02 “Tagalong Batch” Read More »

Bulleit Bourbon Single Barrel

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Bulleit Bourbon Single Barrel
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Hand Selected by Discount Drinks
Barrel# 1-B3-0532

52% ABV
$60
Website
Bulleit Bourbon Single Barrel

What the Producer Says

Nothing unfortunately (not mentioned on their website; and the only other thing on the label of note is that it is non-chill filtered).

What Gary Says

Nose:  Salted caramel, cocoa, baking spices, oak, tobacco and worn leather.
Palate:  Chocolate and caramel with nutty spice, oak, bit of banana-nut bread.
Finish:  Moderately long, damp with dark chocolate, allspice and oak.
Comments:  A solid, spicy bourbon. Many folks (myself included) have thought these were simply Four Roses single barrels with another label, as it is widely known that Four Roses had contract distilled for Diageo. Per Diageo, this isn’t the case. Unfortunately they won’t confirm who did distill the product, which is a shame (at least for those who appreciate transparency). Regardless who distilled it, this is a tasty bourbon – although with a single barrel can be highly variable.

Rating: Stands Out

Bulleit Bourbon Single Barrel Read More »