Stands Out

Kura The Whisky Pure Malt Japanese Rum Barrel Finish

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Kura The Whisky Pure Malt Japanese Rum Barrel Finish

40% ABV
$50 – $60
Website
Kura The Whisky Pure Malt Japanese Rum Barrel Finish

What the Distillery Says

Made in the southernmost region of Japan, the exceptional “Kura The Whisky” is the result of careful aging in American White Oak. Finished in Japanese rum casks, its remarkable sweet aroma is accompanied by its distinctive mellow taste. The permeance of the unique Okinawa islands is infused with this premium spirit. Crafted in exceptionally small quantities.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Peat, iodine, sea salt, herbaceous with vanilla undertones and a whiff of smoke.
Palate:  Sweet honey & vanilla, peat followed by melon and vegetal notes.
Finish:  Moderately long with peat and vegetal notes.
Comments: Of the 3 samples from the Flaviar tasting box, this was my favorite – although that’s a low bar.  Heavy peat although not a lot of smoke – which makes it interesting.  I didn’t get any rum influence (maybe the melon on the palate?)  Note that ‘Pure Malt’ designation with Japanese whiskies is similar to the ‘blended malt’ designation in scotch whisky – and in fact Japan allows bottling of whisky distilled elsewhere (like Scotland) to be labeled ‘Japanese’ if it is bottled there.  In this case, source state this is a blend of malt whisky from Scotland, which Helios rested in their own ex-rum casks before bottling.  No age statement, and it doesn’t have a lot of complexity.

Rating: Stands Out

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Finest Irish Single Malt 22 Years

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Finest Irish Single Malt 22 Years

51.8% ABV
$200
Website
Finest Irish Single Malt 22 Yrs

What the Bottler Says

Retro Label The Whisky Exchange Exclusive
Launched at The Whisky Show in 2015, this is a hugely fruity single malt whiskey from Ireland. It doesn’t stop there, with Gummi Bears followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and deep herbal notes – a complex whiskey that was a huge hit at the show.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Heather, hay, peat, malt, glazed donut, honey, hint of grapefruit and menthol with earthy/mineral undertones.
Palate:  Creamy sweetness with honey, vanilla, sponge cake, bright peat, subtle citrus notes, slightly nutty with hints of vitamins.
Finish:  Moderately long, wet with honey and peat.
Comments:  Unfortunately the label doesn’t include many details (name, proof, age – that’s it). In scouring the internet, this is likely Cooley distillate based on the flavor profile & age (keeping in mind that the number of Irish single malt distillers that COULD have made this is a very small number!) It is nicely balanced between the sweetness you’d expect from an Irish single malt and the unexpected peat notes. Some water kicks the honey up a notch and tamps the menthol (another note I don’t get often). The vitamin/mineral notes remind me of Dickel in a way (which isn’t to say this tastes like Dickel – it doesn’t; but that vitamin/mineral note is part of what I’d call their “house style”).

Rating: Stands Out

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The Exclusive Blend 1994 – 20 Years

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

The Exclusive Blend 1994 – 20 Years
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

50% ABV
$100
The Exclusive Blend 1994 20 Years

What the Bottle Says

Distilled in 1994 / Aged in oak casks for over 20 Years
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Natural colour and without chill filtration for a more flavourful whisky

The finest Highland and Speyside Scotch Malt Whiskies all distilled in 1994, blended together and married in first fill ex-Sherry oak casks.

Matured exclusively in ex-Sherry butts from Jerez, Spain, this blend of the finest malt whiskies is full of rich chocolate, fruit salad and sweet oak. Expect a long, oily and fruit-laden finish.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Soft sherry, dark fruit, vanilla, chocolate, floral, subtle smoke, oak, herbal savory notes of grilled meat.
Palate:  Rich, sweet, fruity with plums, figs, blood orange and cherries, pepper bite with baking spices of nutmeg and clove.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with cherries and spices.
Comments:  This is from independent bottler The Creative Whisky Co (who unfortunately was purchased a couple of years back apparently for their assets). A very nicely balanced dram. Fruity and spicy, although a tad sharp. Takes water well which opens up the floral notes but keeps a nice rich mouthfeel.

Rating: Stands Out

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Ardbeg Wee Beastie

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Ardbeg Wee Beastie
5 Years Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

47.4% ABV
$50
Website
Ardbeg Wee Beastie

What the Distillery Says

IT’S A MONSTER OF A DRAM
Ardbeg Wee Beastie is the latest permanent expression to join the Distillery’s Ultimate Range. At just five years old, Wee Beastie is a feisty young creature with a formidable taste.

SOMETHING BIG AND SMOKY…
Our whisky creators set out to make the rawest, smokiest Ardbeg ever. The result is Ardbeg Wee Beastie and this tongue-tingling, beautifully smoky dram is the youngest Ardbeg we’ve ever made.

On the snout, intense aromas of cracked blacked pepper mingle with sappy pine resin and a sharp tang of smoke. Suddenly, an explosive mouthfeel bursts forth with chocolate, creosote and tar. Savoury meats sink into the palate before the long salty mouthcoating finish slinks away… revealing the inner beast of this Islay icon.

Young and intensely smoky, this is a dram untamed by age. Matured in ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, Wee Beastie is perfect for enjoying neat or as the mouth-watering main ingredient in a powerfully smoky cocktail.

Non chill-filtered at 47.4%.

TASTING NOTES
COLOUR: A glint of bright Gold (Auric)
AROMA: The first sniff alerts you to a nearby presence… heightened senses are filled with very bright, fresh herbal notes, with creeping hints of vanilla and pear. Rich Turkish coffee mingles with sappy pine resin, with honey-glazed ham lurking in the background. With water, more herbal top notes like vetiver and fennel captivate and pull you in, while beguiling scents of aniseed, green apple and leather cause you to drop your guard. Out of nowhere, a sharp tang of smoke and a crack of fresh black pepper fire warning shots across the senses.
TASTE: Suddenly, a rich, explosive mouthfeel bursts forth with chocolate, creosote and tar. A powerful blast of eucalyptus thrashes about with antiseptic lozenges and aniseed. The raw, smoky intensity gathers pace, before smoked bacon and savoury meats sink into the palate.
FINISH: The long, salty mouthcoating finish retreats, with hints of cocoa and fudge slinking slowly away.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Peat, creosote, fresh pine, seaweed, smoked pork butt, dried fruit, earthy, mineral notes with a bit of sulfur and hint of coffee.
Palate:  Sweet, grainy with honey, salty peat, creosote, bit of chocolate, earthy notes with pepper spice.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with lingering spices and peat.
Comments:  I like Ardbeg, and am also a sherry fan – so maybe I had unreasonable hopes for this (given its age). Don’t get me wrong – there isn’t anything off putting with this, but the youth is apparent, and the sherry influence is fairly subtle (maybe too subtle). Not bad, but not special either – and given the price point, can’t imagine reaching for this over the standard bearer 10 yr old.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Booker’s 2020-02 “Boston Batch”

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Booker’s “Boston Batch” Batch 2020-02
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

6 Years, 3 Months, 10 Days
63.25% ABV
$90
Website
Bookers 2020-02 "Boston 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 2020 Collection is Booker’s Batch 2020-02 “Boston Batch.” This is named after the production site where 6th Generation Master Distiller Booker Noe first started his distilling career.

The distillery, now renamed the Booker Noe Distillery, is located in the small community of Boston, Ky., and was purchased by the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in the early 1950s as a second distilling location to increase production capability at the time. Because Boston was removed from the day-to-day of our flagship Clermont, Ky. distillery, Booker was able to experiment with whiskey a bit more and really master the bourbon-making process. Some may say this is where he found his love of experimentation.

If you ever wanted to find Booker, Boston is where he’d be. That plant was his life for more than 40 years. His wife always said that the Boston plant was Booker’s first baby, and Fred Noe was his second.

TASTING NOTES
Booker’s “Boston Batch” has a rich light brown color. The aroma contains vanilla, toasted nuts and hits of baking spices. The flavor is full and has a finish that can be enjoyed neat.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Toasted caramel, vanilla, cocoa, charred oak, nutty spice; bit of water brings to mind smores with charred marshmallow and graham cracker creeping in.
Palate:  Warm caramel with dark chocolate, cinnamon, pepper, vanilla, honey, bit of peanut butter at the end; some water tamps down the pepper bite and brings out some orange zest.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with oak and spice.
Comments:  While there is variation in batches, I can’t recall a batch I didn’t like – and this one doesn’t break that streak.  A delicious, high proof and intense dram that doesn’t soften too much with water (just enough). If you’re not accustomed to the heat, pouring over a cube and letting it sit for a while helps (and if you find yourself with a bottle and still not caring for it – please reach out; happy to try to provide some disposal options for you!.

Rating: Stands Out

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