United States Archives - Page 2 of 3

Whisky #266 – Makers Mark Bourbon Whiskey

October 21, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Makers Mark Bourbon Whiskey. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 40.0%. Tasted at Pullman Bunker Bay Resort, $10.

Colour: Dark cane.

Nose: Aniseed notes; I’m not a huge fan. Dad got scents of damp hessian bags that have been sitting in a shed for too long. The old man is more of a wine drinker usually, but you don’t have to be a whisky fan to describe the nose of a dram – the olfactory sense is one of the most powerful in terms of triggering a (sometimes obscure) memory.

Palate: Spice and pepper.

Finish: Sawdust, very dry pepper and corn flavours. Medium length.

Comments: Meh, very underwhelming. After having tried some rather nice Limeburners, this one certainly misses the…ahem…mark.

Whisky #258 – Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey

October 5, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 47.00%. Tasted at The Royal Hotel, $12.

Colour: Like looking at a 40 year old stripper called Amber through rose-coloured glasses.

Nose: Lots of rye initially, in fact that’s all I could smell. Softens after a few minutes in the glass, a few faint lemon & woody notes begin to poke their heads above the parapet.

Palate: Boom – there’s your traditional bourbon flavours.

Finish: Liquorice, aniseed; a quick drying sensation which leaves a tingle on the front half of the mouth (not just the tongue). Some pepper and spice in the medium to long fade.

Comments: The nose seemed to suggest something a little unique, but when I took a sip it was a relatively standard bourbon. Certainly not bad, but equally it’s nothing to write home about.

Whisky #255 – Old Rip Van Winkle 107 Proof 10 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey

September 30, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Old Rip Van Winkle 107 Proof 10 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 53.50%. Tasted at The Royal Hotel, $18.

Colour: Deep orangey amber, like sap oozing from an old tree trunk.

Nose: Slight prickle with the first sniff. Pine needles. A freshly struck match.

Palate: Lots of rye and spice, predominantly pepper. Warmth builds with intensity.

Finish: Alcohol vapours seem to want to float to the highest point at the roof of the mouth. Long finish – the tongue is just buzzing for ages.

Comments: Damn, a sip of this would’ve quickly woken old Rip from his slumber, it certainly packs a punch. A brutally intense rye, but not enough flavour complexity for my liking – it’s just not subtle enough.

Whisky #236 – Bulleit 95 Straight Rye Whiskey

September 17, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Bulleit 95 Straight Rye Whiskey. Lawrenceburg, Indiana, United States. ABV: 45.00%. Tasted at Bobeche, $14.

Colour: Burnt caramel.

Nose: Honey and pine needles. And popcorn.

Palate: A smooth entry initially, then massive rye flavours. Mixed spice, a slight prickle on the palate.

Finish: A dry finish, medium length.

Comments: It’s decent, but it’s not the standout that I had read in some reviews. I guess it’s good value but it doesn’t set my world on fire.

Whisky #232 – Jack Daniels Gentleman Jack Tennessee Whiskey

September 15, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Jack Daniels Gentleman Jack Tennessee Whiskey. Tennessee, United States. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at my mate Ryan’s place – $0 (courtesy of the poker fund).

Colour: Browny amber.

Nose: Corn dominates, little else to note.

Palate: Not too smooth. A little peppery, aniseed and corn flavours too.

Finish: Short to medium length, much smoother to finish than when it first hit the palate.

Comments: It actually got better with some time in the glass, but overall it was quite average. Not horrible, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Whisky #215 – Tuthilltown Spirits Hudson Manhattan Rye

September 2, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Tuthilltown Spirits Hudson Manhattan Rye. Gardiner, New York State, United States. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at home, $86 (bottle).

Colour: Deep coppery amber.

Nose: Lots of rye (unsurprisingly). Freshly hewn sawdust. Not a whole heap of other scents that I can detect.

Palate: Smooth and sweet entry, quite an oily mouthfeel. Vanilla aniseed flavours.

Finish: More aniseed and honey, medium length.

Comments: I previously tried the Hudson Baby Bourbon a little while ago and really enjoyed it, so I was keen to try the Hudson Manhattan Rye. I realise they are quite different beasts, but have to admit I much prefer the Baby Bourbon.

Whisky #207 – Elmer T Lee Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

August 25, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Elmer T Lee Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 45.00%. Tasted at Bobeche, $15.50.

Colour: Translucent dark caramel.

Nose: I need to get my nose away from the bowl of popcorn on the bar. Ok, some toasted nutty aromas.

Palate: Typical oaky vanilla and aniseed flavours.

Finish: Heat quickly builds, lasting longer than I expected too. Long flavour fade too, predominantly aniseed flavours.

Comments: This one was ok, though I have to admit I’m struggling a little to get to know and adequately describe some of the American whiskies, or at least break them down with as much imagination as many of the Scottish, Japanese or Australian whiskies I’ve tasted so far this year. I guess there’s only one solution – try some more and continue the research!

Whisky #202 – Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Classic Malt Whiskey

August 21, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Classic Malt Whiskey. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 45.20%. Tasted at Print Hall, $0 courtesy of my mate Wags.

Colour: Like a pale lager.

Nose: Like sticking your nose in a bag of fresh corn chips. Freshly hewn sawdust. My mate Nathan had a sip and got fresh baked bread.

Palate: Sweet hay-like flavours. Oily mouthfeel, smooth entry but then the flavour complexity seems to develop as the warmth builds.

Finish: Aniseed. Tingle on the front of the palate and lips.

Comments: Prior to Whisky a Day, I never really dabbled much in American whiskies, but I’ve been impressed and surprised when tasting my fair share so far this year. This one was much lighter than others I’ve tried before, but it’s always good to continue to expand and experience more. May the research continue!

Whisky #177 – Baker’s Bourbon Whiskey

July 24, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Baker’s Bourbon Whiskey. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 53.50%. Tasted at Mustang Bar, $10.50.

Colour: Reluctant bronze.

Nose: Dry rye.

Palate: A little harsh on the palate, lots of spice. Peppery oak, but nothing too smooth or pleasant.

Finish: Rye & pepper aftertaste, heat builds.

Comments: Much like a Thursday night Northbridge where you end up at the Mustang Bar in lieu of better choices, the Baker’s Bourbon is the kind of whisky you might have when there aren’t too many other options. Pass.

Whisky #173 – Booker’s Bourbon Whiskey

July 23, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Booker’s Bourbon Whiskey (Batch C04-J-19). Kentucky, United States. ABV: 64.60%.

Colour: Deep varnished timber.

Nose: Burnt orange, toffee and vanilla. Not the big alcohol kick up the nostrils I was expecting for a drop at 64.6%.

Palate: Creamy, buttery; rich fruity flavours with lots of mixed spices and pepper. Velvety smooth, yet a little sour (in a good way).

Finish: Chewy, quite long, very subtle aniseed in the fade.

Comments: Probably the smoothest bourbon whiskey I’ve had this year. Really enjoyed this one, I’d be keen to try more cask strength bourbons if this one is anything to go by.

Whisky #162 – Tuthilltown Spirits Hudson Baby Bourbon

July 19, 2014 by Whisky a Day 3 Comments

Tuthilltown Spirits Hudson Baby Bourbon. Gardiner, New York State, United States.
ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at Old Faithful Bar & BBQ, $26 (45mL serve).

Colour: Bright copper.

Nose: Kind of smokey & meaty. Oh wait, the chef just opened the door to the slow cooked smoker here at Old Faithful…after having a closer nosing, the whiskey gives off subtle oak & roasted corn aromas.

Palate: Smooth, very smooth. Vanilla oaky flavours, quite intense.

Finish: Smooth corn aftertastes, along with some oak & mixed spice.

Comments: I like it a lot, it’s much smoother than some other bourbons I’ve tried, no alcohol burn on the palate, great flavour complexity too. The Hudson Baby Bourbon is produced from 100% corn, whereas the other Hudson whiskies (which I have yet to try) are produced from other grains. I really like the bottle design for some reason – I’ve never really mentioned bottle design in my reviews before, but the packaging on this one is really sharp.

The other curious bit of trivia I learnt about Hudson is that they have an unusual “acoustic maturation” method. To speed up the maturation they use very small barrels (which itself is not unusual) to increase the amount of contact the whisky has with the wood. But to really give the maturation a shot in the arm, they also hauled in a heap of bass speakers and played some heavy music (apparently they experimented with some dubstep and A Tribe Called Quest) to use the acoustic waves to agitate the barrels. “Barkeep, give me a Hudson Baby Bourbon straight up, plenty of dubstep, hold the treble.”

Whisky #160 – Jim Beam Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey

July 18, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Jim Beam Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Varnish, $10.50.

Colour: A striking deep cognac or port colour. Amazing.

Nose: Corn, some subtle sweet smokey notes too. Again, not a strong nose; you can really get the snozz right into the glass.

Palate: Very smooth for a bourbon, though the flavours are not too original.

Finish: Quite a long, smooth & also a subtle sweet finish. My mate Joel got the lingering port influences, have to agree with with him.

Comments: Interesting to learn that it was extra matured in ex-port barrels, I don’t recall having come across too many bourbons that have played around with extra maturation like this.

Whisky #159 – Rowan’s Creek Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey

July 18, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Rowan’s Creek Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 50.05%. Tasted at Varnish, $17.

Colour: Standard bourbon colour. Amber.

Nose: Not too strong, although it is a little hard to detect as there is the strong smell of bacon in the bar from Varnish’s bacon flights that accompany a selection of matched whiskies…*drool*.

Palate: Rye & subtle aniseed.

Finish: Medium length, bit of heat at the front half of the mouth, quite a bit of tingle on the lips. Could be because with the advent of winter my lips are starting to become a little dry, but like kissing a cute girl you’ve just met on a night out after a few drinks – you can’t tear yourself away.

Comments: Remarkably similar to the Eagle Rare 10 year old if my recollection serves me correctly.

Whisky #153 – Old Overholt 4 Year Old Rye Whiskey

July 12, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Old Overholt 4 Year Old Rye Whiskey. Frankfort, Kentucky, United States. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Varnish on King, $21.

Colour: Bright gold.

Nose: Quite soft, definitely not an olfactory assault by any means. Smells like a run of the mill rye.

Palate: Bam – huge rye flavours here that bely the subtle nose.

Finish: Oily mouthfeel, not much heat, medium finish. Sweet aniseed & almonds in the fade.

Comments: If you were looking for a smooth, drinkable contender to start exploring rye whiskey, you could definitely do worse than grabbing some of this. Nothing out of the box, but very solid. At this price point though I don’t think it’s tremendous value though, so maybe buy a bottle of it for around $70 and try it at home.

Whisky #142 – Makers Mark 46 Bourbon Whisky

July 7, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Makers Mark 46 Bourbon Whisky. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 47.00%. Tasted at the Elephant & Wheelbarrow, $11.

Colour: Deep dark copper.

Nose: Leathery vanilla notes; aniseed too.

Palate: Sweet aniseed flavours abound, balanced nicely with some heat & spice at the front of the mouth.

Finish: Dry, medium length; salted liquorice & pepper.

Comments: smooth entry, but some heat & spice to finish. It was ok, a fairly typical bourbon – nothing that makes it particularly stand out from the crowd.

Whisky #120 – Evan Williams Single Barrel 2003

June 26, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Evan Williams Single Barrel 2003. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 43.3%. Tasted at Bobeche, $15.

Colour: Burnt copper.

Nose: Light rye scents; a medicinal faint feint. Faint feint – does that mean I’m smelling double or just talking gibberish? Probably the latter.

Palate: Some more subdued aniseed flavours than other bourbons I’ve had so far, but still plenty of mixed spice & heat dancing around the mouth.

Finish: Quite a peppery finish for a bourbon whiskey, but has a touch of lingering sweetness and a hint of liquorice.

Comments: Not as much sweetness as I was expecting. Good to taste a bourbon that is trying to be a little different, it doesn’t seem to want to conform to the rules about what a traditional bourbon has to be. Not saying it’s totally different from other bourbons, it’s just pushing the boundaries a touch. Not bad.