Stands Out

Blue Spot

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Blue Spot
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Aged 7 Years Cask Strength

58.7% ABV
$100
Website
Blue Spot

What the Producer Says

Blue Spot’s name was derived from the Mitchell’s practice of marking their maturing casks of whiskey with a mark or daub of coloured paint to determine the age potential of the whiskey. Blue Spot was a 7 year old whiskey, Green Spot (10 year old), Yellow Spot (12 Year Old) and Red Spot (15 year old).

As a colourful history would have it, this revered Blue Spot remained underground until now and its introduction reunites the historical Spot Family for the first time in over 56 years.

Embodying the unmistakable qualities of Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey. Blue Spot is matured for no less than 7 years in Bourbon casks, Sherry butts and Portuguese Madeira casks all bottled at cask strength for you to enjoy!

Nose: A light mix of pineapple, kiwi, green banana and lime zest followed by Pot Still spices, baked apple, hazelnut and toasted wood.
Taste: A smooth mouthfeel with a subtle mix of fruit, a hint of clove oil and cracked black pepper corns. Sweet spices, vanilla and cinnamon add to the wood’s nutty contribution.
Finish: A lasting and distinctly palatable balance of exotic fruits and spices.

Non Chill Filtered

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich and fruity with pineapple, mango, apple, hint of apricots, freshly toasted oak and baking spices.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel, fruity with toffee and vanilla, sharpens with cinnamon, pepper and a bit of clove.
Finish:  Moderately long and damp with fruit and spice notes.
Comments:  Affirms my belief that cask strength and non-chill filtration should be the standard. This has a lovely intense flavor and rich mouthfeel, and takes water nicely which smooths out the edges (as the nose neat is just a tad hot). Dangerously drinkable, and while there isn’t a lot of cask strength/non-chill filtered Irish single malt here in the US – the price point on this one is tough (considering one of the first such drams I ever had was Redbreast 12 yr Cask Strength, which even after a few price increases is cheaper!) I did a side-by-side with that, because age isn’t everything. Both are distilled by Midleton Distillery, and both are lovely drams – but the Redbreast 12 yr Cask Strength had more complexity, with fruit notes tending more towards a sherry hue, and a more balanced dram overall. Despite that, I’m glad to see more entrants into the market bringing the higher proof and leaving that chill filtration where it belongs – in the rear view mirror!

Rating: Stands Out

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Barrell Bourbon Batch 028

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Barrell Bourbon Batch 028

54.43% ABV
$90
Website
Barrell Bourbon Batch 028
We would like to thank Barrell Craft Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Blender Says

Barrell Bourbon Batch 028 is a blend of 10 and 11-year-old barrels created from a marriage of three distinct sub-groups of barrels. The first was aroma forward with notes of tropical fruit, citrus zest and exotic spices, identified to drive the nose of the final blend. The second group had a richness in the middle palate and a sweet, almond-like body. The third group was peppery and tannic, adding backbone and a savory, woodsy and earthy component. The final blend of Batch 028 allows each of these groups to shine through. It presents a bouquet of ripe tropical and sweet flower aroma backed up by a robust punch of rustic wood in the cadence and finish.

  • A blend of straight Bourbon Whiskeys
  • Distilled and aged in Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana
  • Selection of 10 and 11-year-old barrels
  • Aged in American white oak barrels
  • Bottled in Kentucky
  • 108.86 proof cask strength bottling

FLAVOR NOTES
The bourbon begins with bright citrus, heady florals, and lively minerals. Sweetness is kept in check by a preponderance of opposing forces. That balance vanishes on the finish when it explodes with tropical fruits then gently fades away leaving only smoked sea salt at the end.

​Neat
Appearance: An earthy orange hue, much like antique yarn dyed with tradition and left to age.
Nose: Maraschino liqueur and dried apricot lay a gentle, fruity foundation that recalls a boisterous chardonnay. Some rather sappy woodsy notes of rosemary and bamboo shoots. A touch of richness from cocoa butter and tallow.
Palate: Fruity in nature, yet well-balanced, so that nothing overwhelms. Candied praline sweetness is balanced by a smoked sea salt minerality. Brown butter richness is cut by a radicchio bitterness. Champagne-like acidity is matched by chalky tannin.
Finish: Complex and tropical, it first explodes with lychee, grapefruit peel, dragonfruit, and strawberry. Some dusty tannin on the tongue gives it length, evolving through lightly oxidized oolong tea and peppery gin until only smoked sea salt lingers.

With a few drops of spring water
The fruitiness is juicier, with cascara, purple plum and rosehip tea. Spices abound, including sassafras and black walnut, salmiak and dill.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Chocolate covered cherries, vanilla crème brûlée with cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg, oak, blood orange, floral notes with a subtle mineral undertone.
Palate:  Caramel sauce over berries in vanilla pudding, pepper and oak with a nutty vitamin note, cinnamon, orange bitters, tad nutty with a hint of raisins.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with oak and orange zest.
Comments:  Yet another really solid blend from the folks at Barrell Craft Spirits. The Dickel notes are a bit more prominent on this than the last few batches, but has a lot of depth and interesting characteristics, with a solid balance between the sweetness, spice and oak notes. A bit of water tamps down the mineral/vitamin notes and thickens the mouthfeel, and brought out more of a dark fruit sweetness.

Rating: Stands Out

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Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection Single Barrel

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection Single Barrel 107 Proof
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Barrel 7167070 | Barrel Filled 9/3/2015 | Hand Selected by: Sherlock’s Rye, Rye Baby

53.5% ABV
$35
Website
Ezra Brooks Distillers Collection

What the Bottle* Says

Hand Picked from Extraordinary Barrels
Sour Mash | Charcoal Mellowed
Distilled and Aged in Kentucky for Lux Row Distillers Bardstown, Kentucky
* The producer doesn’t mention this product on their web-site, so pulling what details I can from the bottle!

What Gary Says

Nose:  Crack of rye spice, dried mint, lemon zest, vanilla, grassy, oak, nutmeg and a hint of clove.
Palate:  Vanilla, oak, salted caramel, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, bit of tangerine.
Finish:  Short side with vanilla, mint and pepper.
Comments:  Another not complicated bourbon, but solid higher proof high rye bourbon. Takes water well, bringing out some notes of popcorn on the palate.

Rating: Stands Out

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Rebel Distiller’s Collection 113 Proof

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Rebel Distiller’s Collection 113 Proof
Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey

Barrel 7112054 | Barrel Filled 6/16/2015 | Hand Selected by: Sherlock’s Lucky 13

56.5% ABV
$40
Website
Rebel Distillers Collection 113 Proof

What the Bottle* Says

Hand Picked from Extraordinary Barrels
Wheated | Defiantly Smooth
Distilled and Aged in Kentucky for Lux Row Distillers Bardstown, Kentucky
* The producer doesn’t mention this product on their web-site, so pulling what details I can from the bottle!

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel corn, charred oak, coffee cake with vanilla icing and a hint of anise.
Palate:  Caramel with chocolate, cinnamon, anise, vanilla, honey, nutty notes of almonds and hazelnuts.
Finish:  Bit short with slightly burned snickerdoodles and oak.
Comments:  Not old or complex, which isn’t what you’d expect on a 5 yr old near-barrel proof bourbon, but a solid high proof wheater. I tried this side by side against a recent Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, and by comparison this was similar with a bit more corn and a bit less spice. Takes water really well, with more chocolate coming in. If not for the short finish, this would be a solid ‘Must Try’. As a single barrel product, I’d expect some variability, but priced fair enough that taking a flyer is probably worth it.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Laphroaig Càirdeas Port & Wine Casks

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Laphroaig Càirdeas Port & Wine Casks
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

52% ABV
$90-$100
Website
Laphroaig Cairdeas Port and Wine

What the Distillery Says

TWO REDS ARE BETTER THAN ONE. INTRODUCING THE 2020 CÀIRDEAS – AN INSTANT CLASSIC CRAFTED WITH RUBY PORT BARRIQUES AND RED WINE CASKS
Our 2020 annual release of Laphroaig Càirdeas, Port & Wine Casks, continues our long history of innovation. A unique marriage of our classic Laphroaig whisky rested in second-fill Ruby Port ‘barriques’ along with whisky double matured in ex-Bourbon barrels followed by ex-red wine casks. Soft, round and warming, it’s an incredible ‘friendship’ that charts continents, styles and flavours.

Aromas of dark chocolate and menthol with pink peppercorns open up to an extraordinarily complex flavour. Toasted peaches, charred marshmallows and a hint of plum jam intertwine with Laphroaig’s iodine rich peat smoke to create a limited edition that lingers long on the palate and the memory.

FRIENDS ONLY
On Islay there is a saying; We don’t make friends easily but the ones we do are for life. Launched in 1994, Friends of Laphroaig are fans, friends and followers of our distillery from all over the world. Never short of an opinion or two they help Laphroaig explore new expressions, attend tastings and sometimes even visit the distillery at Laphroaig’s home on Islay. To reward the loyalty of its following, each year we launch exclusive bottlings within the Càirdeas series.

Càirdeas means ‘friendship’ in Gaelic and, each year, a limited-edition bottling is crafted by distillery manager and fifth generation Islay native, John Campbell, available exclusively to Friends of Laphroaig.

TASTING NOTES
COLOUR: Rose Gold
NOSE: Dark chocolate and menthol with pink peppercorns. Toasted peaches and charred marshmallows and hint of plum jam, all intertwined with Iodine rich peat smoke.
BODY: Full bodied.
PALATE: Honey Sweet with medicinal smoke.
FINISH: Mouth Warming and mouth coating with a lingering finish and slat on the lips

What Gary Says

Nose:  Port wine, berries, iodine, sea air, earthy with chocolate and a hint of barbecue pork with honey glaze.
Palate:  Sweet entry, fruity with strawberries, peaches and plums, peat, cinnamon, clove and port.
Finish:  Moderately long, damp with tart fruit preserves and peat.
Comments:  I’m a fan of Laphroaig, and like some finishes of it (PX Cask is one of my favorites), so I had higher hopes for this one. I expected to like this, and I do – but I can’t say I love it. Not sure I’d go for this over the 10 year cask strength. It is squarely Laphroaig with that peaty medicinal theme, but it feels out of balance. At first sniff I get some fruitiness, but then it is dominated by this earthy mineral note smothered in peat (which I don’t mind).

Rating: Stands Out

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