Dexter Three Wood Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

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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.

 

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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

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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.

 

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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.

 

John J. Bowman Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel Review

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The old saying of 2 heads are better than 1 takes a twist and we will see if 2 distilleries are better than 1. This week I will review John J. Bowman Single Barrel where 2 distilleries are involved to make this juice happen. We will get into that later. Now let’s see how good this is.

 

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NAME – John J. Bowman Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel

 

PROOF – 100

 

AGE – non-age stated (rumored at between 9 to 10 years old)

 

COLOR –toasted almonds (1.4, tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Chocolate, vanilla, oak, tobacco leaf, butterscotch, and praline pecans.

 

TASTE – The palate matches with the nose. Milk chocolate, creamy vanilla, toasted oak, tobacco leaf, butterscotch and praline pecans. Very nice creamy mouth feel.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium to long finish. The finish keeps that praline pecan, vanilla, chocolate and tobacco until the end. A slight leather note at the very end.

 

REVIEW – Wow! This hits all the marks and has a ton of robust flavor especially for a 100 proofer. The only complaint you can give to this is the lack of any real fruit notes but the other flavors are so pleasant and the mouth feel so good that you really don’t mind. This is a home run of a bottle and for around $60 it is worth every cent.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – The fairly good and supported rumor is that John J Bowman is a blend of Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 and Mash Bill #2 where the distillate is sent to the A. Smith Bowman Distillery where it is distilled again and then aged in Virginia.

 

I do think this carries more of Mash Bill #1 than #2 as the closest comparison would be a combination of Eagle Rare and E.H. Taylor Single Barrel. If you don’t have this bottle, I highly suggest that you find a way to acquire one. You won’t be disappointed and in this case 2 distilleries is better than 1.

Mayor Pingree Red Label Bourbon Review

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When you think of where bourbon is made you probably think Bardstown or Louisville and there are certainly all kinds of places but I’m guessing it would take you awhile before you would say Detroit. That’s exactly where this week’s review was made at the Valentine Distilling Company. This week I review Pingree Red Label. Let’s see if they can make a bourbon or should they go back to making cars.

 

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NAME – Mayor Pingree Red Label Bourbon Batch #27

 

PROOF – 94

 

AGE – non-age stated

 

COLOR –harvest gold (1.4, tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Baked corn bread in cast iron skillet with honey butter, green apple, some vanilla, toasted oak and tinge of citrus.

 

TASTE – Bitter barrel tannins start this experience, and it isn’t pleasant. Dusty corn, vanilla and bitter walnut.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. The finish is the best part of this but that isn’t saying much. There is some cinnamon and some leather.

 

REVIEW – No flowery language for this review. Did not like this. The bitterness from the barrel tannins puts it on the verge of being offensive. This is a cocktail whiskey for sure. It needs some sweetness added to it to back down that bitterness.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – Mayor Hazel S. Pingree is who this is named after who based on scholars in 1999 was deemed the fourth best mayor in the history of the United States. Many accomplishments in Detroit during tough times and eventually was voted governor of the state of Michigan. Unlike many whiskies named after historical people there is really no tie to Pingree and whiskey. Instead, he was a cobbler by trade and thus maybe why this bourbon taste like an old shoe. (I couldn’t help myself)

Ohio Distillers Guild Whiskey Collab Batch #1

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Another first of its kind review this week in the Sunday Evening Review. This week I get the privilege to review the first ever Ohio Distiller’s Guild Collaboration Whiskey. This will be available at the first ever Ohio Craft Whiskey Festival that is on October 16th. This collaboration is from central Ohio distilleries High Bank Distillery, Echo Spirits, Watershed Distillery and Middle West Spirits. Let’s find out if these 4 can get along or will this turn into cat fight.

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NAME – Ohio Distillers Guild Whiskey Collab Batch #1

PROOF – 120.2 (was told that some bottles can get above 121)

AGE – non-age stated

COLOR –amber grain (1.4, tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

NOSE – Clover honey, cinnamon stick, toasted oak, cherry pie filling, honeysuckle, and some peanut brittle.

TASTE – Sweet red cherry with cinnamon red hots off the start. Then you start getting mocha, vanilla, charred oak, and some buttered popcorn. It has an oily mouth feel. Make no doubt there is some heat on this to keep you warm at night.

FINISH – I would call this a long finish. The tobacco and leather come in at the end along with that cinnamon that hangs around along with an almond note that makes a presence.

REVIEW – It is always a crap shoot when you put together what others believe is the best way to do something and then try to put them together. I think this found the right balance and pulled some of the best parts from each. High Bank’s newer batches have a cherry note and charred oak, Echo Spirits has the cinnamon spice, Watershed I have always found earthy notes and Middle West with the traditional caramel notes and richness. They work well together and really give you a well-rounded, balanced and complex whiskey. This is a whiskey that you can spend some time with to be able to pull out all that it has to offer.

FINAL COMMENTS – Anyone that was lucky enough to get a ticket to the Ohio Craft Whiskey Festival (it sold out in 2 days) will have a guaranteed opportunity to buy one of these bottles for $99.99 with a portion of every bottle benefiting the Ohio Distillers Guild. The blend is 30% Watershed, 30% High Bank, 20% Middle West and 20% Echo Spirits.

For those wondering, the Ohio Distillers Guild’s primary function is to advocate for their members and to effect improvements for their industry through legislature which they, in return, will create a reputable, quality driven and successful distilling industry in Ohio.

M&O Spirits Smoke Whiskey Review

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This week it is time to smoke….M&O Smoke that is. In my continuing effort to introduce you to whiskies that you may not be as aware of, I will use the Sunday Evening Review this week to bring to your attention the M&O Spirits Smoke whiskey.

 

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NAME – M&O Spirits Smoke Whiskey

 

PROOF – 100

 

AGE – non-age stated

 

COLOR – auburn hair (1.6, mahogany, henna notes on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Dark roasted sweet corn, cherry frosting, coffee, dark caramel, almond and sweet oak.

 

TASTE – Charred oak with sweet corn is the boldest part of the taste.  There is a fair amount of tobacco, leather and dark caramel. Smoked almond, dark cherry and cinnamon round it out.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. Charred oak, tobacco and the dark cherry hang around to the end.

 

REVIEW – Again a whiskey from a newer and very small distillery with stock that is not that old, there is a real good chance it won’t be very good and if it is good it lets you know its young. This Smoke whiskey is really good and outside the very pleasant sweet corn note, it would be hard to tell that it is a younger whiskey. Many times when you buy a craft whiskey you feel you over pay but you feel you are supporting small business and craft distilling. You don’t have to feel any of those thoughts as this is a $40 bottle that is more than worth it no matter what distillery it came from. Also, this is listed as a small batch but right now each of their batches are 1 barrel. So you are getting a single barrel product to boot.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – M&O Spirits is a distillery in Ashville, Ohio that is doing things their own way. This Smoke Whiskey is made from a blend of corn, rye, red wheat and malted barley. Pot distilled twice and then each batch is barrel aged with charred white oak staves added to the barrel. That last part is what I believe gives its more mature notes but adding red wheat to the mash bill is what imparts sweetness and that sneaky cherry note.

 

Do yourself a favor and check out this whiskey and if you can check out their Black whiskey, its good too.

Echo Spirits Straight Rye Whiskey Single Barrel Selection Review

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It’s always interesting to see a new distillery starts figuring out what their niche is. Echo Spirits is doing that now right in front of our eyes. With many of the other local distilleries focused in on bourbon, that leaves rye whiskey that is less crowded. They now have gotten to the point that they are ready to put out a limited distillery only release of a single barrel rye whiskey. We will find out if what they thought was a special barrel measures up for a special single barrel release.

 

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NAME – Echo Spirits Straight Rye Whiskey Single Barrel Selection

 

PROOF – 93

 

AGE – non-age stated but states 3 years on the website

 

COLOR –dried fallen oak leaf (1.5 auburn, polished mahogany on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Milk chocolate, vanilla cream puff, dried tobacco, cinnamon dolce latte, and a toasted oak

 

TASTE – Cinnamon vanilla swirl hits you first. The is then a white pepper bite on the sides of the tongue. There is toffee, espresso, and some honey.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. A great coffee note lingers in the back and the rye spice leaves a nice spicy heat that lingers. A tobacco note sneaks in for a split second at the very end.

 

REVIEW – This is not void of all typical rye notes, but this has none of the grassy or minty notes that is common with a rye that has a mash bill of 95% rye. Really has an interesting coffee note in slightly different variations throughout. This is not a typical straight rye and has several dark notes not normal in a 3-year whiskey. When doing a special single barrel release, you want something that is atypical, but it still needs to be good. This bottle succeeds on both accords. Very nice release.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – Its always hard to put yourself out there for the first time saying what you have is special and you should buy it. If you are wrong, it would take 10 more great special releases to gain back the trust of the buying public. It may be doubly so when you are putting out a rye whiskey that doesn’t have all the normal rye tasting profiles. Kudos to Echo Spirits for have the guts to put this bottle out and what I would call a very successful first special release.

 

1792 Small Batch Review

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Listen I’m like everyone else that likes to find a bottle that has been aged for 99 years in the arms of the virgin Mary and only uses the tears of E.H. Taylor, Pappy Van Winkle and Elijah Craig as the water used to make this bourbon. It also will cost as much as the national debt. So, the next most exciting thing is to find a bargain whiskey that punches over it’s price tag. Let’s find out if 1792 small batch can do that.

 

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NAME – 1792 Small Batch

 

PROOF – 93.7

 

AGE – non-age stated

 

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

 

NOSE – Vanilla custard, raisin, caramel, cinnamon, oak and a slight bread yeast.

 

TASTE – The nose doesn’t lead you astray. Same things come through with vanilla custard, raisin, caramel/brown sugar, baking spices and that yeasty note. Oak plays a stronger role on the palate than it did on the nose. The noticeable thing is the creamy mouth feel that is not usually found in sub-100 proof bourbons. Very pleasant.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium to long finish. A toasted oak stave with vanilla and cinnamon slide to the very end.

 

REVIEW – The thing I always have liked about this bourbon is the way it is able to do a three-way balance of sweetness, spice and wood notes. None overpowers the others, but I would say that the sweetness may slightly tip the scale more than the others. It’s a straightforward bourbon that is anything but boring. Obviously, it doesn’t get much shine compared to its siblings Full Proof, Bottled-In-Bond, Single Barrel or even Sweet Wheat but if you would do a blind lineup of all of those, I know for sure it would beat out some of those that you wouldn’t think it would.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – The sad part these days is it is increasing difficult to find a $30 or less bourbon that is more than a one trick pony. The whiskey craze has driven up prices and driven down age and quality just to meet demand (by the way, my contacts with the various distilleries tell me prices are getting ready to go up again). To find a bourbon that has really good balance, not an overwhelming complexity but certainly no one trick pony, pleasant sweetness and mouth feel for $30, in these days it is punching over its weight. Now add that it comes in a pretty sharp bottle and stopper and it certainly is one that can easily find a space on your shelf.

Blue Note Bourbon Review

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Sometimes when you are out on the hunt you stumble upon a bottle that just intrigues you for whatever reasons. May be the bottle, distillery its from, age, proof or a thousand other reasons. This week’s review is one of those blind buys I made in Chicago. Was it the simple label, extra tall bottle, 9-year age statement or maybe the liquor store owner’s recommendation? Who knows what made me put down the $57 for this bottle but let’s find out if Blue Note Bourbon will hit the right notes or just give me the blues.

 

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NAME – Blue Note Bourbon Premium Small Batch – Batch 6

 

PROOF – 93

 

AGE – 9 years

 

COLOR – auburn hair (1.2, chestnut ploroso sherry on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Rice pudding with raisin and cinnamon. Some peanut and oak if you continue to explore.

 

TASTE – Wildflower honey, vanilla, cinnamon, honey roasted peanut, toasted oak, and some pie crust.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium. A toasted oak at the end with some vanilla and black tea.

 

REVIEW – In all honesty I anticipated to absolutely trash this bottle as I had a neck pour of this when I had it and it wasn’t good. I put it to the back of my collection with little intent to pull it out. I has been open for about a year since that neck pour and things have changed. The mineral taste I had before is completely gone. It has opened up to a very pleasant pour. Would love about 10 more proof points on this and then you would really have something. Easy drinking pour with little to complain about.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – Again I am reminded to not judge a bourbon off the neck pour or just 1 pour. I know there are conflicting opinions about “opening up” of a bourbon. Some say it is a fallacy and something in your head. Other total believe that it is as critical as allowing wine to breath. I continually move more and more to the later side. So if you have a bottle that you didn’t like on the first pour, pull it out and give it a try again. Things may have changed.

 

Other facts from this bourbon, it is a blend of 2 mash bills that are aged a minimum of 9 years. 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley on the one mash bill and 70% corn, 22% rye, and 8% malted barley on the other.

 

Some other interesting facts or questions. They call it Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey instead of Tennessee Whiskey. I can’t find any clarifying rules for Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey like you can find for Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. My guess is they follow Tennessee Whiskey rules which still qualifies it as a bourbon.

Most think this is sourced from Dickel. After my first pour I would have said the same but now I don’t know. That famous Dickel Flintstone vitamin note or any mineral note is not there.

 

This bottle seems to take you on a journey and is a bit mysterious similar to a good blues song. Where did it really come from? Why certain notes appear when you open it and then is now no where to be found. Even on the Blue Note website, this wasn’t to even be available in Chicago but there it was. What I would say is, DJ play that song again.

To find out more about Blue Note Bourbon you can check them out here.

You can check out all the past Sunday Evening Reviews and still let me know what your own thoughts are on the whiskey reviewed.

Cooper’s Craft Barrel Reserve 100 Proof Review

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There are sub-$30 bottles that are always on the shelf that some whiskey drinkers would like to keep a secret. This is one of them that you will hear as one of those bottles. Cooper’s Craft Barrel Reserve doesn’t get much press or fanfare. Being that it is from Brown Foreman is it another Old Forester or Woodford Reserve in different clothes? Let’s see what is really going on with this bottle.

 

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NAME – Cooper’s Craft Barrel Reserve

 

PROOF – 100

 

AGE – non-age stated but website says aged at least 4 years

 

COLOR – weathered leather (1.4 tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Cherry, raisin, vanilla, cinnamon, honey, almond and some charred oak

 

TASTE –  Charred oak upfront then melds into dark fruits like raisins, stewed plums and black cherry. As it continues to move across the palate you get tobacco, leather, cinnamon, and barrel spice.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium to long finish. Raisin, charred oak, leather and tobacco ends the journey.

 

REVIEW – The nose gives you hints that there would be some bright fruits on the palate. There is nothing bright about this bourbon. This has all the dark notes that is usually found in far longer aged whiskey. More like a 12 to 15 year bourbon notes. If you like dark notes then you would be hard pressed to find a $30 bottle that will give you more of those flavors than this bottle. If you like brighter and sweeter notes than I would tell you to look elsewhere.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – With a mash bill of 75% corn, 15% rye and 10% barley there is nothing unique about the recipe. Cooper’s Craft was named as a homage to the craftmanship of the people that make Brown Foreman’s company owned barrels. So, the unique part is how they use a post-char chisel technique that enables more wood surface for the whiskey to come in contact with.

 

Each of coopers will raise about 300 barrels per day. Collectively, this totals to around 2,500 per day and over 600,000 per year. All have a signature “B” hoop rivets help identify that the barrel is from Brown Foreman’s Cooperage. The staves used to make those barrels are seasoned for 6 to 9 months outside and then put into a kiln to get the wood to a 12% moisture level.

To find out more check it out here – Cooper’s Craft 100

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.