Stands Out

Game of Thrones House Lannister Lagavulin 9 Yr Old

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Game of Thrones House Lannister Lagavulin 9 Yr Old
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$50
Website
Lagavulin_Game_of_Thrones_9_Years

What the Distillery Says

Lagavulin is one of the most legendary single malt brands and has been crafted on the shores of Islay for more than 200 years – mirroring the meticulous calculation and tenacity employed by the Lannisters in their rise to conquer the Iron Throne. This single malt whisky is a roaring single malt that recalls the Lannister’s riches.

TASTING NOTES
APPEARANCE: Light, golden colour.
NOSE: The nose is characteristically Lagavulin with the sweet smoke that explodes on the nose with a little more brine than the other expressions.
PALATE: The palate opens with smoked caramelized banana and heavy vanilla and burnt marshmallow. which subside into a light, dry, slightly salted caramel.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Peaty with freshly shoveled earth, creosote, smokey sea air, grilled peaches and smoked pork roast.
Palate:  Viscous mouthfeel with sweet vanilla, subtle fruit, smoked brisket, hints of lemon and anise with a salty note.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with sea smoke and peat.
Comments:  Really solid Lagavulin offering. Nothing off-putting, and I’ve seen some folks trying to move this for under $30 – and I would consider it a ‘Must Buy’ at that price (at least one to try if you haven’t). At the suggested retail around $50, it is still pretty solid.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Game of Thrones Six Kingdoms Mortlach 15 Yr Old

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Game of Thrones Six Kingdoms Mortlach 15 Yr Old
Single Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$95-$150
Website
Mortlach_Game_of_Thrones_15_Years

What the Distillery Says

This Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky that has been aged for 15 years, is presented in a metallic gold canister that features an intricate pen and ink drawing of the Three-Eyed Raven as seen throughout the eight seasons of the series. The Six Kingdoms packaging pays homage to the last Greenseer, whose ability to see beyond the constraints of time and unravel the intricate stories that held the tapestry of Westeros together proved to be his ultimate power.

The Mortlach Distillery is built on the site of a historic battle and is the first to legitimately rule over Dufftown’s whisky trade. Influenced by its own collection of historical figures, the Mortlach’s signature method to distil the liquid exactly 2.81 times is a complex process as unique as the Three-Eyed Raven character.

TASTING NOTES
NOSE: Opens with red apple and warming spice notes, before hints of toffee apple, wood spice, and ripe cranberry appear.
PALATE: Fresh fruit & creamy vanilla, woody, aromatic spice combining with hints of cinnamon and a warming woodiness.
FINISH: Lingering vanilla, spice, and dark chocolate.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sherry bomb with dark fruits, blood orange, vanilla, hint of smoke, worn leather, sulfur with a subtle note of grapefruit.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel, fruit dripping with caramel and honey, bananas, orange cream, subtle oak and spice with pepper, allspice and nutmeg.
Finish:  Moderately long with dark fruit and oak.
Comments:  Really lovely dram. I’ve enjoyed a few Mortlach offerings before Diageo decided to position them as a high-end (read high-priced) label. Don’t get me wrong – they’re delicious, and this one is too. I’ve seen this on-line for under $100, at which price I’d be a buyer for sure; at $150 I’m less sure..

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Blood Oath Pact No. 7

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Blood Oath Pact No. 7 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Finished in Sauternes casks

49.3% ABV
$100
Website
Blood Oath Pact 7
We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us samples to review.

What the Blender Says

Lux Row Distillers is launching Blood Oath Pact 7 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Finished in Sauternes casks, Pact 7 is the latest in a series of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey blends created by Lux Row Master Distiller John Rempe. Available at retail starting mid-April, Blood Oath Pact 7 has a limited allocation of just over 17,000 cases at a suggested retail price
of $99.99 per bottle.

In a blend only known to Rempe, Blood Oath Pact 7 features a combination of three Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys: a 14-year ryed bourbon, an 8-year ryed bourbon and an 8-year ryed bourbon
finished in Sauternes casks. Sauternes is a sweet white wine from the small town of Sauternes in the Bordeaux region of France.

“Finishing in a Sauternes cask brings additional tasting notes and flavor to the bourbon,” said Rempe. “In the case of Pact 7, expect a nose of caramel, oak and spice with flavor notes of apricots, honey and peaches. The balance of sweetness and spice is what sets this bourbon apart.”

The Blood Oath concept was created in 2014 by Rempe, who had an idea to make an exceptional blend of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey using three unique bourbons. He named the series Blood Oath, because he vows to be the only one who knows where these whiskeys have come from. He also promises to make the best bourbon for the bourbon connoisseur with each Pact.

“Creating an extraordinary and unique blend of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys is at the heart of the Blood Oath series,” said Rempe. “Pact 7 continues this tradition, and the result is a secret I can’t wait to share with bourbon lovers.”

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Caramel and strong oak, backed up with hints of honey.
PALATE: Caramel and oak.
FINISH: Apricots, honey, and peaches.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, oak, baking spices, fall leaves, notes of tropical fruit, mango, dried candied pineapple, a hint of ginger.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel with a fruity sweetness, mangos, apricots, peaches, caramel, honey, bit of cinnamon, pepper spice and a hint of anise.
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with pepper, honey and apricot jam.
Comments:  Delightful dram, and a fine example of finishing done well. Compliments the bourbon nicely without overpowering it. I thought some water tamped the highlights, but thankfully it doesn’t need it (so I’d skip that). Each of the Blood Oath pacts I’ve had the pleasure to try have been nicely done, and this is no exception.

Rating: Stands Out

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The Singleton of Dufftown 15 Yr

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

The Singleton of Dufftown 15 Yr
Single Malt Scotch Whisky

40% ABV
$70
Website (sort of)
The Singleton of Dufftown 15 year old

What the Bottle* Says

Fruity Decadence
Vibrantly fruity, chocolatey and subtly spiced.

Indulge in this deeply delectable 15 Year Old. Here we’ve got whisky from both refill ex-Bourbon casks, known for imparting a kiss of sumptuous vanilla, and Pedro Ximenez Oloroso seasoned casks, which infuse some fruity vibrancy into the spirit. There’s lots to explore in this exciting dram. With zesty coriander, zingy pepper, decadent chocolate and creamy coffee, this is a tasty treasure trove to delight in.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sweet and savory, with dark fruit notes of raisins and plums, honey and oak with herbal notes of fresh oregano and tobacco.
Palate:  Thin but sweet, lightly fruity with pears, apples and hints of plum, vanilla and caramel with a subtle spice.
Finish:  Moderately long with fruity malt notes and a bit of oak.
Comments:  A very pleasant, light and fruity dram. Wish it was higher proof, as it wasn’t off-putting but was a tad boring? One I enjoyed nosing more than sipping, as there was more depth going on with the nose where the palate thinned out.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

 

* A rant: I get that some smaller producers don’t have well organized web-sites, or don’t always keep them up. Diageo isn’t a small company. Why in the hell their ‘Singleton’ site makes zero mention of the Dufftown releases is beyond me. I assumed perhaps this was discontinued, but it is fairly widely available on the other side of the pond. Just to get the details on the bottle required a fair amount of searching for label images because Diageo apparently doesn’t want you to be able to find squat on this bottle. I went so far as to connect via VPN to a UK server to ensure they weren’t trying to limit information where the product might not be available – nothing. For the most part, going to a distiller/producer/blender’s site and getting the details to populate these reviews is pretty straight forward. Every once in it seems like they really don’t want you to know of a bottle’s existence.

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Booker’s 2021-01 “Donohoe’s Batch”

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Booker’s “Donohoe’s Batch” Batch 2021-01
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

6 Years, 11 Months, 4 Days
62.65% ABV
$90
Website
Bookers 2021-01 Donohoes Batch
We would like to thank Beam Suntory and Multiply for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says:

“The first release of the Booker’s® Bourbon 2021 Collection is Booker’s Batch 2021-01 ‘Donohoe’s Batch.’ This batch is named in honor of retired Jim Beam employee Mike Donohoe who was also a close friend to my dad, Booker Noe. Without Mike, Booker’s Bourbon wouldn’t exist today.

In 1982, Mike joined the Jim Beam Company as a sales manager in Chicago – a ‘suit’ as Dad would say – after retiring from a seven-year career in the NFL. Mike first met Dad on a company trip to Kentucky. After taking a liking to Mike, Dad invited him to his office for a glass of bourbon. It was unlike any Jim Beam Bourbon he had tasted before. Booker let Mike in on his secret – he’d been playing with something different, and he’d share a bit of it with friends from time to time.

A few years later, Mike approached Booker with the idea to give bottles of his special stash as holiday gifts to their most important distributors and industry partners. With little time and almost no budget, Booker sourced wine bottles from a warehouse in Bardstown and wrote the labels himself to get the job done. Based on the hundreds of letters they received raving about that uncut, unfiltered whiskey, it’s safe to say the rest is Booker’s Bourbon history.

Dad always had the final say when it came to his Booker’s, but he trusted Mike to help him build it into the brand that it is today. ‘Mike gets it,’ he used to say. Now, I’m proud to honor Mike with a batch of his own.”

— Fred Noe, Beam Family 7th Generation Master Distiller

TASTING NOTES
COLOR: Our darkest and deepest amber and henna color.
TASTE: Deep and complex flavors of vanilla, nuts and oak.
AROMA: Robust vanilla and caramel notes; slightly smoky.
FINISH: Long and full; perfect for easygoing sipping.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich caramel and vanilla, oak with baking spices, cocoa and a hint of roasted peanuts.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel with caramel, dark chocolate, pepper spice with cinnamon, orange zest, peanut butter and a bit of clove.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with cocoa, oak and spice notes.
Comments:  Another really solid Booker’s.  Thinking of some recent batches, this is right there with most – maybe a bit more on the spicy side than the sweet (I don’t recall getting clove often, but this has a bit of a sharper/spicy edge). Takes water well, and continues the streak of “hadn’t met a Booker’s I didn’t like!” .

Rating: Stands Out

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