Monthly Archives: November 2009

Review: Woodford Reserve Seasoned Oak Finish Bourbon

Posted on November 11, 2009 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Just hitting the market this month comes Woodford Reserve’s latest limited-edition bourbon, aged in specially treated barrels to create a distinct flavor profile.

With its Seasoned Oak Finish, Woodford Reserve ages the new make spirit in over-seasoned oak which has been exposed to extreme weather conditions for up to five years before being fashioned into barrels. Interesting approach, but it certainly has an effect on the finished product.

This fourth installment of Woodford’s “Master’s Collection” is intensely dark in color and even bigger in flavor. Spice is huge — with cinnamon, candied fruits, and brandied cherries all dancing on the palate. The body is warming and lightly oaky, with only a touch of harsh bitterness on the finish impacting what is otherwise a classic, frontier-style bourbon that is definitively not for the faint of heart.

100.4 proof.

A- / $90 / woodfordreserve.com

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Posted in Bourbon, Rated A-, Reviews, Whiskey

Tasting Report: Balvenie Scotch Whisky 2009 Lineup

Posted on November 11, 2009 by Christopher Null| 4 Comments

Last night, Balvenie was kind enough to host a few media types for a dinner and tasting of its four current release Scotch bottlings, including its Madeira Cask 17 Years Old, which just arrived in the U.S. a week ago. Some of these are classic bottlings that have been around for years (seriously — this Speyside distillery is now on its fifth generation of family ownership and is now the 4th best-selling single malt brand in the world), and some were new to me. Here’s how they stacked up.

Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Years Old - The company’s most widely available spirit, which spends 12 years in bourbon casks and 9 months in sherry butts. Sweet honey is complemented by a tiny bit of brine and a touch of sherry on the finish. A great everyday whisky. 86 proof. A-

Balvenie PortWood 21 Years Old – A masterpiece with perfect balance, finished in Port pipes, giving the whisky an incredible, wine-inflected character. Honey and caramel are big, but there’s a citrusy perfume that’s at play, too. Quite sweet, but not cloying. 86 proof. A

Balvenie Single Barrel 15 Years Old – The whisky that generated the most conversation, this single-barrel malt was my least favorite of the bunch, a more intensely woody, sea-salty Scotch that felt tough, and less in balance, than its brethren. Big alcohol needs tempering, too. 95.6 proof. B

Balvenie Madeira Cask 17 Years Old – The new kid on the block, aged in sherry casks and finished with Madeira barrels. It’s got a big spicy kick to it, separating it from the rest of the Balvenie lineup, with a finish that evokes flowers and even ginger. Unusual but not way “out there,” and overall quite drinkable. 86 proof. A-

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Posted in Rated A, Rated A-, Rated B, Reviews, Scotch, Whiskey

Drambuie Modernizes Its Look

Posted on November 11, 2009 by Christopher Null| 11 Comments

Some things never change, and in the case of Drambuie, it’s the insides that haven’t been altered at all.

But Drambuie has updated its bottle for the first time in years, giving it a much more modern look.

Giving the stuff a fresh taste, the Scotch-based liqueur is just as syrupy and sweet as you remember — intensely sugary, with strong cinnamon, cloves, and even incense character on the palate. The sweetness is more almond-infused marzipan than honey, and those spices wreak havoc with your senses. I like a Rusty Nail from time to time, but drinking Drambuie straight is, to be honest, a little bit crazy.

B / $30 / drambuie.com

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Posted in Liqueurs, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: 2007 Otis Kenyon “Matchless” Red Wine

Posted on November 10, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Walla Walla, Washington’s Otis Kenyon offers this new creation, “Matchless,” a 70% merlot, 30% cabernet sauvignon blend inspired by an ancestor (James Kenyon) who burned a rival’s office to the ground.

He was a dentist, of course.

This wine — the singed edges on the label are meant to evoke the ancient arson — doesn’t so much evoke fire as it does easy drinking. Merlot’s got a bad rap, but here it has a bit of peppery kick to notch up its plummy core a bit. I wouldn’t have even guessed merlot was the primary component on the blend if I hadn’t cheated and looked it up first. Very soft and simple but with a hint of tobacco and chocolate, it’s a fine little table wine that comes at a perfectly affordable price.

B+ / $23 / otiskenyonwine.com

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Posted in Rated B+, Reviews, Wine

Recipe: Appleton Reserve Holiday Sazerac

Posted on November 10, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

My friends at Appleton rum sent along this twist on the Sazerac, perfect for the holidays. I added a splash of Navan to imitate the infused rum and used regular sugar in lieu of demerara, but the results were still quite good, if very “rummy.” I’d also suggest a cocktail glass instead of the suggested rocks glass.

Appleton Reserve Holiday Sazerac

2 oz. Appleton Estate Reserve (infused with vanilla bean)
Rinse of Canton ginger liqueur & absinthe
1/2 oz. demerara syrup (I assume granulated sugar is intended, see below)
4 dashes Peychauds bitters
Lemon peel
Orange peel

Glass: 10 oz. rocks
Garnish: vanilla bean piece on rim of glass

Take a 10 oz. rocks glass and fill it with ice. In your pint glass add the demerara sugar, bitters, citrus peels and muddle to a paste. Add the Appleton and then ice and stir till freezing. Remove the ice from the glass that has been chilling and rinse with Canton ginger liqueur and Absinthe. Strain the contents from the stirred pint glass into the seasoned glass and garnish.

clip image002 Recipe: Appleton Reserve Holiday Sazerac

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Posted in Recipes, Rum

Review: J. Witty Chamomile Liqueur

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Proof positive that there’s a liqueur for everything — and I don’t mean that in a bad way — I present to you J. Witty Spirits, which to date makes just one product, an organic, artisanal Chamomile tea liqueur.

Chamomile tea hardly has a brutish reputation, but one sip and you’ll find its namesake liqueur to be a shockingly powerful spirit, literally doused with flavor and nuance. Up front you’ll find spices — cinnamon and allspice, and a honey sweetness. Very Christmasy, like a pumpkin pie and fruitcake rolled into one. It isn’t until the finish when the chamomile flower comes on, giving the liqueur a long and mildly sweet denouement.

Very beautiful, versatile, and worth your attention. I look forward to experimenting with it in cocktails!

40 proof.

A / $25 / jwittyspirits.com

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Posted in Liqueurs, Rated A, Reviews

Review: Antiguo de Herradura Tequila

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

As the story goes, Antiguo de Herradura was a version of Herradura served only to guests of the Herradura estate, beginning in 1924. These bottlings are said to be recreations of those original spirits (they’ve been bottled in Mexico since 1995, when they were re-launched), a higher-end version of Herradura tequila for those special moments when you need something above and beyond but don’t want to fork over a lot of money. All are 80 proof and 100% agave.

Antiguo de Herradura Blanco -This comes across as a rustic tequila, with a lot of alcohol up front, really big agave character, and a lightly sweet, almost saccharine finish. There’s not a lot to it, a common trait shared by many a blanco, but I’m not thrilled with the way the agave and the sweetness are coming together. With some air this blanco mellows out a little bit to reveal a charm or two, but overall it’s average for a silver. B / $25

Antiguo de Herradura Reposado – Time spent in oak is unclear, but I’d guess it’s not long. Still, it helps — the wood mellows out the agave and makes the sugar more palatable. The body is still light, with cinnamon and cocoa hints, but the finish is hot, which is a bit of a letdown. B+ / $28

Antiguo de Herradura Anejo – Again, there’s no age indication, but this is only a few shades darker than the reposado. The character, however, is wildly and surprisingly different: An extremely sweet and herbal (not agave, but perhaps lavender and other flowery herbs) tequila that seems to share no DNA with the prior two expressions. It’s palatable but a huge departure from what you might expect… I think I like it, but I’m not sure it’s because it tastes like tequila. B+ / $30

herradura.com

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Posted in Rated B, Rated B+, Reviews, Tequila

Tasting Report: Pol Roger Champagne Lineup

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Had the chance to taste all seven current varieties of Pol Roger Champagne, a brand which dates back to 1849. Old Pol should need no further introduction, of course… here are some thoughts on the house’s current lineup.

2000 Pol Roger Brut Rose Champagne / $115 / A- / yeasty but otherwise quite pleasant

1999 Pol Roger Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne / $129 / A- / very easygoing

1999 Pol Roger Brut Vintage Champagne / $103 / B+ / similar to the Blanc de Blancs, but a little strange on the finish

NV Pol Roger Brut Reserve “White Foil” Champagne / $55 / B / harmless, fit for “daily” drinking

NV Pol Roger Pure Brut Champagne / $72 / B / extremely creamy, but unbalanced

NV Pol Roger Rich Champagne / $64 / C- / takes the Pure recipe and adds loads of sugar to push into demi-sec/sec territory; yeast-infused and unpleasant

1998 Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill Champagne / $259 / A- / rightfully earns the Pol Roger top spot, with a huge mouthfeel and the best expression of fruit in the lineup, but not that much better than, say, the Blanc de Blancs

polroger.com

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Posted in Rated A-, Rated B, Rated B+, Rated C-, Reviews, Wine

Review: The Kraken Black Spiced Rum

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Christopher Null| 76 Comments

This is not Captain Morgan, folks.

The Kraken, with its sea creature label and black-as-coffee liquid within, makes a striking impression on the bar and in the glass. The idea is kitschy: A drink as strong and dark as kraken (giant squid) ink, powerful enough to take him down. And, yeah, at 94 proof and laden with flavor, perhaps it is. (The label doesn’t indicate it, but the rum is distilled in Trinidad and Tobago.)

The Kraken — the rum, that is — cuts quite a profile in consumption, a truly monstrous hit of chocolate and molasses, cut with Christmas spices — cinnamon and allspice, cloves and maybe even some ginger. Vanilla is big on the finish. Overall the effect is quite impressive, and any spiced rum fan will get a big kick out of The Kraken.

Again, at 94 proof, it needs a bit of water if you’re sipping it straight, and it works just fine with your standard mixers — though last night I was bemoaning the fact that no good recipes exist using spiced rum. The price is also right.

A / $20 / krakenrum.com

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Posted in Rated A, Reviews, Rum

Review: Wine Swirl Wine Aeration System

Posted on November 2, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Are your arms wildly misshapen or underpowered for your size, like a T. Rex? If so, you might need Wine Swirl, an automated “wine aerator” that will swirl the living hell out of your fermented grape juice with little more than a flick of the wrist.

Wine Swirl may look a bit scientific because, frankly, it is. It’s the exact same thing used in chemistry labs to mix reagents and potions and stuff: The electrically-powered base includes a spinning metal component; you drop a small rectangular magnet into your decanter (the provided one or your own), and turn the knob on the base to make it go. The swirling action is actually pretty impressive, creating a vortex that extends all the way down to the bottom of the decanter.

Results: Less than a minute in the Wine Swirl will soften up even the hardest, most inaccessible of wines. But is the effect much more impressive than you can achieve on your own by vigorously swirling wine in a big glass for a few seconds? Well, not really. And having to fish a tiny magnet out of your wine (these things are destined to get lost, I’m afraid) with a special metal rod sort of ruins the mystique of your wine experience even more than a screw cap does.

Now having a piece of scientific equipment on your bar is one thing. Paying $150 for it is another… Yeah, it works, but is it worth it? At least watch the video on their website before you judge. Oooooh, a whirlpool!

B- / $150 / wineswirl.com