Cleveland Whiskey’s Christmas Bourbon Review

/3 Comments/in /by

SUNDAY EVENING REVIEW

 

Christmas is less than a week away and so all the traditions are in full swing. This week I will review a “bourbon” that maybe you will want to add to your future traditions of the season. This week I review Cleveland Whiskey’s Christmas Spice Flavored Bourbon Whiskey. Let’s see if it will make me all jolly or turn into the grinch.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Christmas Spice Flavored Bourbon Whiskey

 

PROOF – 86

 

AGE – non-age stated

 

COLOR – toasted sugar cookie (1.3 Russet Muscat on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Candied dried orange slices, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and anise.

 

TASTE – An iced gingerbread cookie is what I get right from the start. Nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar and vanilla. The nutmeg is strong and starts to overpower everything else as it lingers. I get a lot less of the orange on the palate compared to the nose where it hits you right away.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. The nutmeg is all you taste at the end.

 

REVIEW – This is a bottle that is a one time of year and dare I say one night of the year pour. This is a Christmas Eve pour as you nestle in watching a Christmas movie or any other of your Christmas Eve traditions. I think this would be an excellent add to eggnog and I would put it in before you add your own nutmeg as it may do the trick all by itself.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – Sometimes in life you want the traditions no matter how cheesy they may be. They give you familiarity and a common bond with those that you care about in a world that is in a constant stage of change. This whiskey (I refuse to call it bourbon since they add things that aren’t water to it) has everything familiar with Christmas and obviously that was the goal. Any other random day of the year and you may turn your nose up at this pour but for that one night of the year it may be the very best dram you could pour.

 

To all of you please take time for yourself, spend time with those that you care about and make time to drink good whiskey with those same people.  Merry Christmas to all out there.

 

To find out more check it out here – Cleveland Whiskey Christmas Bourbon

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JAck Daniel 10 Year Tennessee Whiskey

Jack Daniels 10 Year Tennessee Whiskey

/in /by

In recognition of Jack Daniels being our guest distillery in January, I thought I would review a bottle that got some buzz a couple of months back and see if it was worth the noise. This week I will be reviewing Jack Daniels 10 Year Tennessee Whiskey. Let’s see if this bourbon that’s not a bourbon has what it takes.
Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

NAME – Jack Daniels’ 10 Years Old Tennessee Whiskey

PROOF – 97

AGE – 10 Years

COLOR – Smoked chicken (1.4 tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

NOSE – Banana foster, charred oak, caramel, vanilla cream and a slight whiff of dried apricot

TASTE – The charred oak is present giving you a dry and tannin filled punch. The bananas are now overripened and cooked down for a deep sweetness. There is tobacco along with raisins, some dark chocolate, almond, leather and dark roasted coffee.

FINISH – I would call this a medium to long finish. The charred oak, tobacco, almond, leather and roasted coffee continue through until the end.

REVIEW – This is something different yet familiar. It has the banana note that Jack Daniel’s is famous for, but it certainly has more than the regular Jack and even the JD Single Barrel. Mainly I will compare to the Single Barrel who is very pleasant but more simple and much sweeter. This is darker and more complex. Regular Jack is aged 4-5 years and Single Barrel is around 5-7 years. The 10 years of aging is evident and the extra time in the barrel is well spent. This is something you can take time with, and it invites you to keep coming back. JD Single Barrel is more of a very pleasant crushable pour. I really like it and is perfect for a cold weather dram to take in and spend time with.

FINAL COMMENTS – This is the first 10-year age stated whiskey that Jack Daniel’s has produced in over 100 years. Also, the location of the barrels was important for them as they aged for the first 8 years on the top floors of their barrel houses and then moving them to the lower levels to finish up their 10 years. The MSRP for this bottle was $70 but the limited amount that was released has numbers into crazy categories. It is worth the $70 (would prefer it closer to $60) and I hope they have future plans to increase this production and making it more widely available.

To find out more check it out here – Jack Daniel’s 10 Year

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

Whiskey War Barrel Select #5 and #6 Review

/in /by

Aging like a fine wine, High Bank Distillery has two more releases ready to come out in their Barrel Select line. These releases have more twist and turns than a Cedar Point rollercoaster and that’s before you even taste it. Let’s get into Whiskey War Barrel Selects “Left Zinfandel Barrel” and “Right Zinfandel Barrel.” High Bank is also suggesting doing a 50/50 blend of each that will create a completely separate experience. Make sure your hands and feet remain inside of the car at all times as these are sure to be a ride.

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

NAME – Whiskey War Barrel Select Batch #5 Left Zinfandel Barrel Aged

PROOF – 119

AGE – non-age stated but the distillery let me know that is a total of 4.6 years old with 21 months of that in a Zinfandel wind cask

COLOR – chestnut thoroughbred horse (1.5 auburn, polished mahogany on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

NOSE – Sourdough bread toast with grape jelly, musty oak, slight bit of dried apricot, cinnamon and leather.

TASTE – Right at the front of the palate has the taste of a sweet balsamic reduction but immediately transitions into dry oak tannins and cinnamon.

FINISH – I would call this a medium to long finish. A musty oak and cinnamon lingering until the end.

 

NAME – Whiskey War Barrel Select Batch #6 Right Zinfandel Barrel Aged

PROOF – 118.5

AGE – non-age stated but the distillery let me know that is a total of 4.6 years old with 21 months of that in a Zinfandel wind cask

COLOR – dark Sangria (1.5 auburn, polished mahogany on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

NOSE – Dark caramel with grape jelly along will aged oak. I don’t think you can smell creamy but that is the essence I get. I do get a slight blueberry Greek yogurt if that helps to give you the idea of a creamy smell. Visually it has legs on the glass that linger forever.

TASTE – Dark caramel and then that blueberry yogurt taste comes out. Definite vanilla bean, blackberry, and then later in the palate a rye toast.

FINISH – I would call this a medium to long finish. A rye toast along with cinnamon and the berry blend of blueberry, blackberry and raspberry continues to hang around.

 

NAME – Whiskey War Barrel Select Batch #5 and #6 50/50 blend

PROOF – 118.75

AGE – non-age stated but the distillery let me know that is a total of 4.6 years old with 21 months of that in a Zinfandel wind cask

COLOR – dark auburn hair (1.5 auburn, polished mahogany on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

NOSE – Dried blueberries, dark caramel, some milk chocolate, aged oak, and a dash of cinnamon.

TASTE – Interesting from the start where it seems the dryness from the Left Barrel hits the roof of you mouth and the back of your throat, but the creamier Right Barrel takes over the tongue. Caramel, aged oak, vanilla, cinnamon, a bit of grape jelly.

FINISH – I would call this a medium to long finish. The grape comes out the most in the finish. Oak tannins, some leather and a bit of the caramel hangs on.

REVIEW – Once going over these you understand why High Bank Distillery and Master Distiller Adam Hines decided to separate these. Even though it was the same juice that went into barrels that held the same wine from the same wine producer, vastly different. It is another example of the power of the barrel and the influence it has. If you like a dry whiskey with a ton of interest, then Left Barrel is for you. If you like a sweeter whiskey with a lot of berry influence then Right Barrel is for you.

FINAL COMMENTS – Would like to thank High Bank Distillery for giving me these samples to review.

This makes the 4th and 5th editions of wine barrel finished whiskey in the Barrel Select line (the other was a Double Double Oaked). In my personal opinion I still think the Cabernet Sauvignon finished from last year is still the king, but Right Barrel is a close second and Left Barrel is right there in third. There is also the interesting dynamic of blending both of them to come up with an entirely different experience. It is an easy 3 pour blind tasting you can put together for friends and watch their heads explode when you explain what they are.

To find out more check it out here – High Bank Barrel Select

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

Wilderness Trail High Wheat Bourbon – All The Single Barrels

Wilderness Trail High Wheat Bourbon – “All The Single Barrels”

/in /by
Excited to review for you the first ever COWS All Ladies barrel pick. 6 women went down to Wilderness Trail distillery back in July to pick from 6 different barrels that Wilderness Trail put out. Let’s see what happens when you put 6 women together, 6 barrel samples and a distillery cat named Cooper.
Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

NAME – Wilderness Trail High Wheat Bourbon – “All The Single Barrels”

PROOF – 111 (as tasted)

AGE – Will have age statement but don’t have exact yet – was barreled 1/6/2017 and believed to be bottled in October or November

COLOR –late October sunset (1.4 tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

NOSE – Caramel with sweet cherry up front. You will also start to get a fresh baked pie crust, leather, and a toasted oak.

TASTE – Your nose doesn’t lie to you. It is a cherry pie with cherry pie filling and that crust note. It also has an almond note in it. Still some leather and aged oak.

FINISH – I would call this a long finish. It seems I have become famous for using the term “viscus.” This selection is certainly viscus. Very oily and a finish that goes for a long time. The caramel sweetness along with leather, tobacco and oak go until the end.

REVIEW – The women absolutely crushed it with this pick. One of them suggested calling it “Sweet Cherry Pie” because that really is what it tastes like. It also has a great mouth feel and that really long finish. For $56 for a barrel proof barrel pick that taste like this is an absolute steal.

FINAL COMMENTS – I appreciate the women that went on the pick and how serious they took the experience and the selection. If there are any thoughts that women aren’t as good at tasting whiskey as men, one taste of this selection will put that all to bed. This will certainly be up for COWS Barrel Pick of the Year and many of you know how good our picks have been this year.

To find out more check it out here – Wilderness Trail Distillery

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

 

Blue Run Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon Whiskey Review

/in /by

This week I’m doing a review that has gotten a lot of hype because of a contractor they hired. This week I will be reviewing Blue Run and the contractor is Jim Rutledge the famous former master distiller of Four Roses. Let’s see if it gives me the blues or makes me want to go run out for more.

 

NAME – Blue Run Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon Whiskey

 

PROOF – 111

 

AGE – non-age stated

 

COLOR – golden wheat (1.3 russet muscat on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Baking spice hits hard up front. Caramel sweetness and the longer it sits then berries start coming out. I get blackberries and red raspberry. Also, a touch of bing cherry.

 

TASTE – Really interesting where there is a caramel sweetness that goes right up the middle of the tongue and then rye spice and baking spices on both sides of the tongue and you experience them at the same time. A bit of sweet tea is in this also.

 

FINISH – I would call this a short finish. This has about the same finish as sweet tea. Some sweetness and a little baking spice at the end.

 

REVIEW – This is a pleasant pour but certainly nothing special. Minimal complexity and a very short finish make this a couch pour for me that is in a nice bottle.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – Blue Run Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon is a small-batch whiskey and is the first Blue Run product with Bourbon Hall of Famer Jim Rutledge serving as the contracted Master Distiller and was distilled at Castle & Key Distillery. For their previous sourced bourbons, Jim Rutledge served as the Liquid Advisor, and approved the barrels which were selected and used. This time, he was actually in charge of the distillation.

Whiskey War Barrel Select Batch #3 and #4 Reviews

/in /by

This week you will be getting a special two-fer for your Sunday whiskey review enjoyment. This week I go over the 2 whiskies that High Bank Distillery will be releasing this coming Saturday. Barrel Select Batch #3 Pino Noir Barrel Aged and Barrel Select Batch #4 Double Double Oak Barrel Aged whiskies are the latest releases of High Banks Barrel Select series. Let’s find out what are sure to be very interesting additions to the series.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Whiskey War Barrel Select Batch #3 Pino Noir Barrel Aged

 

PROOF – 116.75

 

AGE – non-age stated (but distillery disclosed that it is a total of 4 years old with 10.5 months of that spent in a Pinot Noir Wine Barrel)

 

COLOR – aged cherry desk (1.5 auburn, polished mahogany on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Cherry taffy, honeysuckle, sweet oak and crème brulé

 

TASTE – Grape jelly, aged oak, cinnamon, clove, wine barrel tannins

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. The barrel tannins and cinnamon ride out until the end

 

REVIEW – This hits you with that jelly sweetness right up front and then quickly moves into oak and spices before the wine barrel tannins take over. I did go back and compare this against last years Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Select and the Pinot Noir Barrel Select has less wine influence than the Cab did. This is a spicy whiskey where the wine added both an upfront sweetness but also the unique wine barrel tannins at the end. The whiskey still is the foundation of this pour but the Pinot Noir barrel added the accents.

 

NAME – Whiskey War Barrel Select Batch #4 Bouble Double Oak Barrel Aged

 

PROOF – 115.5

 

AGE – non-age stated (but distillery disclosed that it is a total of 5.2 years old with 21 months of that spent in a second new oak barrel and then another 6 months in a third new oak barrel)

 

COLOR – antique brown leather chair (1.6 mahogany, henna notes on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Smells instantly like you walked into an old rickhouse. Dark brown sugar, browned butter, aged leather and a touch of pecan.

 

TASTE – Aged oak, caramel, very slight bit of chocolate, barrel spice, rye spice, cinnamon, aged leather and cigar tobacco.

 

FINISH – I would call this a long finish. The oak, barrel spice, rye spice and leather last and last for a long finish.

 

REVIEW – The distillery tells me it is 5.2 years old but if I didn’t know that I would think this is an overaged bourbon. It drinks more like a 15+ year whiskey. The oak influence is undeniable but there is just enough caramel sweetness to make it an enjoyable pour. It really reminds me of an Elijah Craig 18 year but replace the cherry cough syrup that EC18 has in it with a caramel sweetness instead and a high proof.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – Adam Hines, master distiller at High Bank Distillery, is obviously intrigued with what barrel finishes will do to his San Francisco World Spirits Competition award winning Whiskey War Barrel Proof. The wine barrel finishes seem to be where he is finding his niche as last year’s Barrel Selects that were finished in Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon sold out quickly and were highly praised. This Pinot Noir will certainly be the same.

 

If you know Hines then you know his love of the product that comes out of double oaking whiskey. He went ahead with a Spinal Tap method and turned it up to 11 with the double double oak this year. This dark and bold whiskey will sure to be one that is talked about for some time.

 

I appreciate High Bank Distillery for giving me these samples to review. You can reserve your bottles of both of these this Saturday, November 19th at HighBankCo.com/barrel-select-whiskey. There is a limit of one per person per product.

Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

/in /by

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas is the saying. Thankfully some stuff that happens actually does make it out. This is one of those things as Smoke Wagon Whiskey has found its way out of Sin City. If we get something out of a place a debauchery of course we want the story to be uncut and unfiltered. So that is what the review will be today.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Batch 9)

 

PROOF – 113.6

 

AGE – non-age stated

 

COLOR – dirty old boot (1.6 mahogany, henna notes on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Burnt brown sugar, aged and charred oak, dark cherry, dark chocolate and a vanilla pudding.

 

TASTE – Cinnamon, wood spice, rye spice, and black pepper up front. As it lingers the dark brown sugar, aged leather and tobacco come out, but this is a spicy gal for sure.

 

FINISH – I would call this a long finish. The cinnamon, rye spice and aged oak and some leather make the trip until the end.

 

REVIEW – This is by far the spiciest pour I have ever had of Smoke Wagon U/U. Usually more caramel comes out. This is an older batch as they are in the 30s now which by the website account “Older vintages have more evaporation which means a higher concentration of fats and sugars per ounce which gives them a nice creamy mouthfeel as well as caramel and honey goodness.” For this older batch I would disagree. It drinks more like a Bookers and smells like a good vintage of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – This is a sourced MGP product that blends different barrels together. Rumored to be 4 year, 6 year and 10 year barrels from MGP that were aged in MGP’s brick walled warehouses.

 

Smoke Wagon’s brand has really exploded onto the scene due to “whiskey geeks,” well geeking out over the brand as well as the charismatic Aaron Chepenik, Founder and Co-Owner of Nevada H&C Distilling Company who produces Smoke Wagon being ever present on social media. It also has helped that the product and packaging has hit the right spot within the bourbon enthusiasts and has increase the grassroots level of promotion and support.

1792 Single Barrel Review

/in /by

If any of you are in a large family where there are 4 siblings or more, you know certain ones for better or worse gets more attention than others. Sometimes there is one due to circumstance or because it doesn’t need the attention due to self-drawn confidence sits in the shadows.  People outside the family may even forget they are part of the family. Hard to believe but 1792 Single Barrel, I feel, gets little shine due to the following that the 12 Year, Full Proof, Sweet Wheat and Bottled In Bond get and then the Small Batch gets attention just for being a very good value. This week I put a spotlight on a bottle that little is mentioned about from 1792.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – 1792 Single Barrel

 

PROOF – 98.6

 

AGE – non-age stated

 

COLOR – woven copper (1.4 tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Honeycrisp apple, Werthers candy, thick honey, and aged oak.

 

TASTE – Vanilla and cinnamon come hitting at the front. Caramel, bit of citrus and aged oak round out the profile.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. The cinnamon, aged oak and a sprinkle of citrus last until the end. This hits harder on the ethanol than most sub-100 proofers and thus you get that burn in the back and sides of the tongue.

 

REVIEW – This bottle is a hidden gem but the problem it is hidden a lot. Not the easiest to find but with MSRP at $38.27 according to OHLQ it is an absolute steal. Most the time when you do find it the normal pricing is $50 or less. Don’t hesitate to snag it. Like the Full Proof and Bottled In Bond, this is an always grab if it is on the shelf (I would say 12 year also but the prices on it are insane).

 

FINAL COMMENTS – On the back label is says: “In order to create this unique bourbon, the finest barrels are selected and tasted from the best aging warehouses. Only those barrels deemed ‘exceptional’ are then bottled individually, one by one. This preserves the distinct character of each barrel. This superior bourbon has flavors of rich butterscotch and caramel notes, delicately balanced with hints of fruit and toffee.”

 

In addition to the 1792 line-up, the Barton 1792 Distillery also produces Very Old Barton, Kentucky Tavern, Kentucky Gentleman, Ten High, Colonel Lee, Zachariah Harris, Tom Moore spirits and recently acquired Early Times lineup.

Dexter Three Wood Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

/in /by

Last weekend the Ohio Distiller’s Guild put on their first Craft Whiskey Festival that brought together 11 craft distillers that allowed many of the 450 visitors try whiskies they may have never had the opportunity to try. This week I’m going to review one of those whiskies from the Brain Brew Custom Whiskey distillery as I give a taste to their Dexter Three Wood bourbon. Let’s see if this three wood bourbon makes company or its overcrowded.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Dexter Three Wood Straight Bourbon Whiskey

 

PROOF – 100.6

 

AGE – non-age stated

 

COLOR – Harvest gold (1.3 russet muscat on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Butterscotch, orange peel, buttered grits, spicy wood notes, cinnamon, and a slight walnut

 

TASTE – Vanilla comes forward along with cherry, cinnamon, barrel, and rye spice. An amber honey is underneath along with an ever so subtle citrus note.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium to long finish. The cinnamon, wood spice and rye spice linger for a decent amount of time and give you a slow burn on the tongue.

 

REVIEW – This was the most interesting whiskey I tasted at the festival that I had never had before. It has 36% rye and then adding the 200-year-old oak (my guess would be French oak), cherry and maple wood, this has a fair bit of spice to it. If you like an interesting bourbon that adds that tingle on the tongue, you will like this. You can do a lot of things with this whiskey. It can drink it neat, on ice or easily would hold up on a cocktail. For $50 for a craft whiskey and a good-looking label with this type of versatility, its not a bad buy. Most likely your friends won’t have it either.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – This whiskey is named in honor of the world famous 1800s bourbon blender –  Edmund Dexter.   He was so renowned –  Charles Dickens and King Edward VII stayed with him at his home on 4th street in Cincinnati.

 

The Dexter Three Wood Straight Bourbon is finished with 200 Year Oak, Maple Wood & Cherry wood. Based off the conversation I had with the people that were at the whiskey festival, the process that they use is similar on how Maker’s Mark does their Private Selects as they add the three different woods into the barrel of whiskey to create the different taste profile.  This bourbon is produced at Brain Brew Custom Whiskey in Newtown, Ohio.

Pikesville Straight Rye Review

/in /by

This week I review a brand that has a history that has led it on a journey that has taken it through 2 states. This week I will review Pikesville Straight Rye produced by Heaven Hill Distillery. We will find out if the journey was worth the trip or will it turn out to be a scene from a Vacation movie.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Pikesville Straight Rye

 

PROOF – 110

 

AGE – non-age stated but at least 6 years based on website data

 

COLOR – old copper penny (1.5 auburn, polished mahogany on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Vanilla pudding, cooked peaches, cinnamon, honeysuckle, caramel and some musty oak There is fair bit of ethanol also.

 

TASTE – Butterscotch up front with honeysuckle, and cinnamon. As it moves through the palate you get aged oak, slight cocoa and a touch of mint.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. The aged oak stays along with the slight mint, but tobacco and aged leather comes in also.

 

REVIEW – If this bottle was more available, I would tell you that this should be your preferred “Swiss Army Knife” bottle you should have on your shelf. It has a little bit of something for everyone. The rye drinkers will like it, bourbon drinkers will like it and it has the proof and bold taste to hang in any cocktail. Due to it not being as available in Ohio I would still tell you it’s a good bottle to have on the shelf. You just might reach for its younger brother Rittenhouse for your cocktails.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – As described on Heaven Hill website:

 

First produced in Maryland in the 1890s, Pikesville Rye, along with the rest of the once-booming Maryland Rye industry, was shuttered by Prohibition. The brand reemerged after Prohibition and became the last standing Maryland Rye, as the rest of the industry’s production had ceased. Now produced in Kentucky from extra-aged barrels stored in prime warehouse locations, Heaven Hill Distillery keeps this historic Maryland mark alive.

 

Is this a bit of a story? Sure, but who doesn’t like a good story. By all accounts this is a Kentucky Rye with the minimum 51% rye needed to be called a straight rye. Due to that a lot of the herbal notes are subdued and the corn sweetness comes through. If you are a hardcore rye drinker, I would look for a MGP style 95% straight rye but if you are bourbon drinker that wants to dabble in rye this is a good one especially if you like a little added proof.