Category Archives: Whiskey

Review: Jameson Black Barrel Select Reserve Irish Whiskey

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Jameson is one of the big darlings of the whiskey world right now — Irish is currently the fastest growing spirits category, and Jameson is at the top of the sales charts. We’ve long loved Jameson’s various incarnations, and now it’s out with a new one.

Jameson Black Barrel is mostly malted barley aged for considerably longer than standard Jameson — 12 years vs. 5 to 7, in both Bourbon and sherry casks. Then a touch of grain whiskey that’s been aged in Wild Turkey barrels is added to the mix. Bottling alcohol level remains at 80 proof.

While there’s nothing specifically “black” about Black Barrel, it’s a considerably different experience than standard label Jameson. The nose is rich, Bourbon-like, with vanilla and toasty oak notes. The body is creamy and impressively smooth, undercut with some citrus character likely brought on by the sherry cask influence. The finish offers grain notes, like a bowl of thick, raisined oatmeal, with a fleeting touch of smoke at the end. It’s night and day with regular Jameson, which is all fresh fruit and grass, with a menthol character to it. Black Barrel, side by side, very quickly overwhelms the regular bottling. As Irish whiskey goes, it’s almost decadent.

A- / $38 / jamesonwhiskey.com

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Posted in Irish Whiskey, Rated A-, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: L.A. Burdick Robert Burns Collection

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

What do you give a whisky lover as a romantic gift? Well, you can give him whisky… or you can give him whisky-infused chocolates.

Recently it was suggested (or rather I was accused) of enjoying whisky confections more than the whisky itself (not true, I swear), and reader John Bratincevic turned me on to this collection of Scotch-infused chocolates released for Robert Burns’ birthday (January 25) from New Hampshire-based L.A. Burdick. The company was kind enough to send a sample box my way, and I’m going to tell you, if you can get them (they’re limited release confections), do it.

These aren’t those cheap, foil-wrapped Cointreau and Kahlua cordials your grandma used to give you once you were in your 30s. This is the real deal: A 1/2 pound box of truffles and bonbons flavored with Lagavulin, Macallan, Talisker, Springbank, Highland Park, and Glenfarclas — some of my favorite names in Scotch whisky.

The assortment spans 7 different items (only one is an unnamed “honey whiskey”), with about four to six pieces of each. Picking a favorite is tough. They are all wonderful. But if pressed, I’d go with the Highland Park (dark ganache with scent of grapefruit) and, surprisingly, the Talisker (currant-hazelnut ganache), both of which are complemented beautifully by the hints of fruit added to the ganache.

You can really taste the whisky in all of these confections — though the still let the chocolate shine through — and the bonbons are small enough to allow you to eat three or four without feeling disgusting afterward. All of these truffles are fabulous solo, and are even better with whisky — either their namesakes or something else.

As I write this, the collection is only available as part of a combo with a Lunar New Year collection or as a set of two 1/2 lb. boxes. Do yourself a favor and pick one up either for yourself or for someone you love.

A / $31 / burdickchocolate.com

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Posted in Bar Food, Rated A, Reviews, Scotch, Whiskey

Dates for Spring 2012 Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza Announced – Discount Code Within

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

This just in from our friends at the Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza:

Ladies and Gentlemen are cordially invited to enjoy a connoisseur’s evening featuring rare & exceptional single malt, Scotch and unique whiskies from around the world. The evening includes a delicious dinner buffet as well as a selection of premium imported cigars for our guests’ later enjoyment. The Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza brings the discerning enthusiast the opportunity to sample the participating whiskies in a sophisticated and elegant environment with genuine camaraderie and knowledgeable representatives from each participating distillery.

All events from 7:00pm-9:00pm. Registration begins at 7:00pm. Business casual, Jackets preferred. No denim or athletic attire. Special rates for groups of 8 or more.

Use the promotional code “TDH2012″ to save $15 on each ticket. You can purchase tickets directly from the website or call us at 800.990.1991.

Here’s the Spring 2012 Extravaganza schedule. Fall dates, which will hit many more cities, to be announced soon.

ATLANTA

March 28, 2012 The Intercontinental Buckhead

3315 Peachtree Road NE Atlanta, GA 30326

HOUSTON

April 18, 2012 The Intercontinental Houston Near The Galleria

2222 West Loop South Houston, TX 77027

DALLAS

April 25, 2012 Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum By The Galleria

14901 Dallas Parkway Dallas, TX 75254

DENVER

May 2, 2012 The Brown Palace Hotel

321 17th Street Denver, CO 80202

NEW YORK

May 10, 2012 The Roosevelt Hotel

Madison at 45th Street New York, NY 10017

ATLANTA

Wednesday

March 28, 2012

The Intercontinental Buckhead

3315 Peachtree Road NE Atlanta, GA 30326

HOUSTON

Wednesday

April 18, 2012

The Intercontinental Houston Near The Galleria

2222 West Loop South Houston, TX 77027

DALLAS

Wednesday

April 25, 2012

Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum By The Galleria

14901 Dallas Parkway Dallas, TX 75254

DENVER

Wednesday

May 2, 2012

The Brown Palace Hotel

321 17th Street Denver, CO 80202

NEW YORK

Thursday

May 10, 2012

The Roosevelt Hotel

Madison at 45th Street New York, NY 10017

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Posted in Scotch, Upcoming Events, Whiskey

Review: Gordon & MacPhail Linkwood Cote Rotie Finish 1991 and Caol Ila Hermitage Finish 1997 Scotch Whiskys

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

We love Gordon & MacPhail around here. One of the biggest and most reliable independent Scotch whisky producers, its selection is insightful and its releases are utterly vast, with perhaps more than 100 bottlings on the market at any given time. Keeping up with G&M would be impossible even if it wasn’t incredibly expensive, but we were lucky to get our hands on two new releases from the exquisite “Private Collection” series. Thoughts follow.

Gordon & MacPhail Linkwood Cote Rotie Wood Finish 1991 – This 20 year old Speyside whisky spends 30 long months in ex-Cote Rotie wine barrels. I’ve had mixed luck with Rhone Valley wine barrel finishes, but this one hits on all cylinders. Rich and smooth, velvety almost, it starts with honey, vanilla, and nougat notes, then brings on lots of eastern spices — cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Citrus oil fades in and out, along with some malty grain notes at the end. Complex but beautifully balanced and a bargain for a 20 year old malt. 90 proof. 1900 bottles made. A / $80

Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila Hermitage Finish 1997 – Take a 14-year old smoky Islay and finish it in Hermitage wine barrels for 30 months and what do you get? Well, it’s interesting but a little muddy: Heavy peat on the nose, and plenty more on the tongue. The Hermitage tries to cut through this, particularly in the finish, but what manages to get across is little more than some relatively undefined orange peel sweetness. The color — a deep amber — hints at a lot of fruit. I do think it’s in there. Somewhere. 90 proof. 800 bottles made. B+ / $80

gordonandmacphail.com

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

Review: Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Like Maker’s Mark before it, Woodford Reserve has been known for producing one whiskey and — it’s annual, limited edition, special release whiskeys notwithstanding — one whiskey only.

Then Maker’s launched Maker’s 46, leaving Woodford the only solo shop.

Now Woodford is joining the club with Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon.

It’s a complicated process, but let’s explain, in Woodford’s own words: “The first Woodford Reserve barrel is crafted from oak that has seasoned out of doors for nine months and this is completely toasted and charred on the inside – like no other whiskey barrel in the world. The second barrel has been toasted for more than twice as long as the first fill barrel and is then very lightly charred – again unique amongst all the world’s whiskey barrels. The secret to the Double Oaked character is in the second barrel. A custom crafted barrel with a heavier toast allows flavors of honey, cream, vanilla to be magnified and a light char gives elegant sweet aromatic notes.”

Side by side with the original Woodford, Double Oaked offers a whiskey that sticks close to the distillery’s classic style. Lots of cinnamon and raisin on the nose, with vanilla, light chocolate, and smoothed-over wood notes on the finish. Compared to the original, it is surprisingly not heavier on the wood character but rather smoother and more mellow, particularly on the finish. Woodford original has always been a touch on the tough, wood-heavy side, and here Woodford manages to dial it back. The unorthodox production method and ironic name choice notwithstanding, the choices are sound. While Double Oaked lacks some of that intense vanilla character on the finish that original Woodford has, it makes up for it with more nuance and a smoother ride.

I am hard pressed to pick a favorite, but ultimately I think Double Oaked is a slight improvement over an already fine whiskey. Both, by the way, are 90.4 proof.

A- / $50 / woodfordreserve.com

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Posted in Bourbon, Rated A-, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: John B. Stetson Bourbon

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Don’t let the New Jersey office location of Vision Wine & Spirits, the owner of this new whiskey, give you a scare. It’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon, through and through.

Crafted using both rye and wheat in the mashbill (in addition to corn and barley, of course), the whiskey is double distilled in traditional copper pot stills and aged for four years in oak (though no age statement is officially offered). Bottling proof is slightly elevated at 84 proof.

The results are just as dandy as one of Stetson’s namesake hats. On the nose: Some corn, and a bit of vaporous heat. Underneath, sugar, orange peel,and cherries. There’s also some Irish whiskey-like banana character in the mid-palate, with a corn chip kicker on the finish. Stetson comes across as young Bourbon, but one with a bit of pedigree. Both the rye and wheat character come through, which is quite a delight. It isn’t brash or rough, just still a little wet around the ears. On the whole, it’s enjoyable, but it hasn’t quite come into its own just yet. I’d love to try this at 5 1/2 or 6 years old.

84 proof.

B+ / $27 / stetson-spirits.com

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Posted in Bourbon, Rated B+, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. Warehouse C Tornado Surviving Bourbon

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

On April 2, 2006, a storm ripped through Kentucky, tearing apart two of Buffalo Trace’s warehouses. One was empty. One, Warehouse C, was full of 24,000 barrels of then-young, far-from-release E.H. Taylor Bourbon.

The walls and roof were ripped open, but the whiskey survived. But this did expose the barrels inside to the elements (see photo at right), which stayed there for months while repairs were made.

In 2011, the whiskey from the top two rows of this warehouse was bottled as a special release with an unusual name: Warehouse C Tornado Surviving Bourbon. The whiskey inside is a rye-heavy mash. The barrels were aged between 9 years, 8 months and 11 years, 11 months. The Bourbon was bottled in bond at 100 proof.

(If this idea sounds familiar, see also Glenfiddich’s Snow Phoenix bottling.)

Sadly, I’ve no original Taylor to compare this release to, but it’s a powerful whiskey in its own right: Fragrant from the moment it’s poured with deep citrus and pure, spicy rye character. The body is full, the color deep amber. The palate is amazingly enjoyable for a Bourbon this old and roughly-treated. Plenty of citrus atop a creme brulee body, the rye less powerful here than on the nose. Superb balance. The finish is warm (as you’d expect from a 100 proof whiskey), but easier than you’d think. Lovely wood tones and flamed orange peel round it out. Probably the best Taylor of the three bottlings released so far.

A / $70 / buffalotrace.com

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Posted in Bourbon, Rated A, Reviews, Whiskey

Help Launch a New Irish Spirit

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

The last time we wrote about a drinking-related Kickstarter project, it got funded, and the Bourbon-focused movie being sponsored is now in production.

Now reader Ashlee Casserly is also looking to start something — and this time, it’s a bit more ambitious. She’s looking to revive an old-school white spirit called poitin, which originated in Ireland about 1000 years ago.

Says Ashlee:

Just incase you haven’t heard of it; poitin has been made in Ireland for about 1000 years. It is one of the longest established spirits in the world. It even predates Irish whiskey and is believed to be the origin of Irish whiskey. The word ‘poitin’ (pronounced puh-cheen) is Gaelic for ‘little pots’, which is what was used to distill the liquor traditionally. Made from potatoes or barley, it is an un-aged whiskey spirit.

My brand is called 1661 Poitín, the name is derived from the fact that in the year 1661 the English Crown (who ruled Ireland at the time) outlawed the spirit because they could not regulate the many small distillers. The ban was lifted just recently after more than 300 years. During this time, poitín was still made illegally and recipes were handed down across generations.

Want to get into the poitin business? Check out her Kickstarter page here and reserve your bottle (or at least your name on one)!

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Posted in Whiskey, White Whiskey

Review: Buffalo Trace Oat Bourbon Whiskey and Rice Bourbon Whiskey

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

God bless Buffalo Trace. Some of the most interesting and intriguing whiskeys in the world are coming out of this massive outfit, many of which are branded, appropriately, with “Experimental Collection” on the label.

These two oddball whiskeys are BT’s last Experimental Bourbons from 2011, and they arrived at Drinkhacker HQ with quite a bit of baggage, considering my colleague John Hansell wrote about them last month with the headline, “Don’t buy this whiskey!” Including the exclamation point.

Both of these whiskeys are 9 years old, aged alongside each other in a high floor, created using traditional recipes and techniques — with one twist. While the primary starch in the mashbill of both is corn, and both feature barley as well, instead of rye or wheat they both turn instead to an odd additional grain as a kicker: respectively, oats or — wow — rice.

Both are 90 proof. Here’s how they stack up.

Buffalo Trace Oat Bourbon Whiskey is a burly, amber monster. The nose is enticing, all toffee and caramel, wood and charcoal. Sipping reveals something a bit different. Foremost: Alcoholic burn, the kind of heat you get from a really young Bourbon. Hansell is right about that: This has a hard edge to it that’s impossible to push past, and while I hesitate to point the finger at the oats (I’ve found High West’s oat-based white whiskey quite the delight), there is something a bit too tough in this. Balance? Not here. There are hefty green vegetables in the body, so much so that I think my mother must be proud that I’m drinking this. That finish is long, lasting, and a bit on the foreboding side. Peppery, full of coconut husks and burnt toast. And yet… it’s not entirely unpleasant, in the way that Islay whisky or really old Pappy Van Winkle can be. I can see all the nuts that suck down George T. Stagg gulping this stuff down by the gallon… if gallons of it existed. B

Buffalo Trace Rice Bourbon Whiskey is lighter on the nose, and more easygoing than the Oat Whisky. At the same time, it shares some DNA in that heavy burn of a finish, one which is redolent of, bluntly, too much time in wood. The body proper is one of orange marmalade, hot coals, a bit of vanilla, and grain husks. There’s certainly nothing “rice like” in the mix, but, as with the Oat rendition, it’s a whiskey that merely cries out for something. B

each $46 per 375ml bottle / buffalotrace.com

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Posted in Bourbon, Rated B, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: The Hakushu Japanese Whisky 12 Years Old

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Christopher Null| 3 Comments

The Japanese whisky magnates at Suntory have released their third product to the American market: The Hakushu, a whisky distilled and aged “at the foot of the Southern Japan Alps.” Available in ages from 10 to 25 years, only the 12 year old has made it into even remotely wide availability.

This single malt whisky is unusual among Japanese whiskys in that it is peated, as a matter of house style instead of as a “special edition” bottling. In fact, the “heavily peated” special version of Hakushu is highly prized by collectors.

This version, however, goes pretty easy on the peat — it’s the barley is peated in Scotland, then shipped to Japan afterward — making itself known but never overdoing things. The warm, fireside-like smokiness of the spirit is nicely balanced with big honey and caramel notes. I’m reminded of Highland Scotch whiskys, which have that nice balance of both sweet and savory.

I’ve tried this whisky previously at a tasting event and wasn’t impressed. The smoke was showing too strongly at the time — an unfortunate by-product of the way events like this work — but here I’m finding it quite the charmer.

86 proof.

A- / $80 / suntory.com