Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2025-03-26

Here we are again... yes I know this photo looks familiar,

But it is what it is... cheers!

Tonight, we're tasting 3 Ryes along with the Trit from the last 24 Days of Whiskey. Which is the best Rye... we're about to find out. We have the Whistle Pig 10 Year Small Batch Rye at 50% ABV vs. the Jefferson's Ocean Aged Double Barrel Rye, Voyage 26, 48% ABV vs. the FEW Spirits Straight Rye Whiskey, 50% ABV, vs. Branch Point Trit Straight Whiskey, 46% ABV. Of the 4 ... which is the best rye?

I poured these into glasses and then randomized them so these were blind other than knowing they were all 'rye' and what boozes they might be. 

Glass 1 : On the nose I got a touch of black licorice, baking spice, rye spice an touch of chocolate, and some dust. The taste I got cinnamon, black tea, licorice, baking spice, wood, it was a touch hot. The finish was similar - baking spice, cinnamon with a wood dryness at the end. This was a very "rye" rye... and over all very nice.

Glass 2 : The nose was baking spice, cinnamon, rye, brown sugar and a touch of dill. The taste was similar, with cinnamon and brown sugar leading things off, with some baking spice and dill in the background. I got more cinnamon and baking spice on the finish, along with a heat that lingers... and lingers ... and lingers. Pretty good overall, but not as 'rye' as the first rye.

Glass 3 : On the nose I got a bit of an odd grassy note, along with cinnamon, hay, molasses, honey and malt. After I notice the malt... it's a lot of malt. So much so that this reminds me of an Irish Whiskey more than a Rye. The taste is similar : honey, cinnamon, touch of spice, hay, grassy, malty... nothing too surprising. The finish is the same - cinnamon, honey, wood dryness. Overall this is really good, but in a rye flight it just doesn't pull it's weight. 

Glass 4 : On the nose I get some brown sugar and some cinnamon, a touch of dill, and some heat. The taste is brown sugar and some cinnamon ... it honestly reminds me of a bourbon rather than a rye. The finish is cinnamon that lingers, oak dryness, brown sugar... it's good. But it's also the least rye of the bunch, so for this flight it's going to come in last place.

So overall Glass 3 and 4 were in the back of the pack. Glass 4 was the Jefferson's Ocean Aged Double Barrel Rye, Voyage 26.. 48% ABV. It's easy drinking, but it's just not that interesting for a rye. Tonight I rated this a 3.25 ... originally I rated it a 3.75... it just fell flat. Glass 3 was the Brach Point Trit Straight Whiskey, 46% ABV. This might have been the best whiskey overall, but it would have done better vs Irish Whiskeys than vs Rye Whiskeys. In this line up, as a rye, I rated it a 3.25 with the original rating being 3.75. 

Which left us with glass 1 and 2. Tonight glass 1 was the winner. Glass 2 was the Whistle Pig 10 Year Small Batch Rye 50% ABV... it was good, but for which was the best Rye, that goes to the FEW Spirits Straight Rye Whiskey, 50% ABV... it was just the best Rye overall. The Whistle Pig I rated 3.50 both nights, and I'd give FEW a 3.50 both nights as well.

Good stuff - see you next Wednesday (: 

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2025-03-19

OK - at it again, tonight I am drinking the four Bourbons from the 2024 24 Days of Whisk(e)y in a blind flight. We'll see what I think this time...

I poured 1oz samples into each of the glasses that have been labeled on the bottom and mixed them up. I then nosed and tasted each one, came up with my favorite two, tasted those again side by side, and decided on the best of the bunch and rated each one again as well. 

Glass 1) On the nose, I get some peanut, cinnamon, brown sugar, molasses and a touch of dusty along with some dill. On the taste - this is the first drink of the day, and it initially came across hot - red hot cinnamon hot. With a few more sips, it does tame down a bit, and I get some brown sugar, a touch of lemon, a touch of wood, and the dusty note again. The finish is cinnamon, a touch of spice, brown sugar, some tingle near the end, and a bit of dill way in the back. Overall this is solid - I put it on par with my go to budget Wild Turkey 101 - so I'll rate it a 3.25/5.0

Glass 2) On the nose, I get some floral, honey, brown sugar and some spearmint. The taste is brown sugar, hot cinnamon and mint. The mint carries over to the finish, along with some spice, a touch of wood as well. The finish hangs around for some time and builds. The more I drink this, the more I like it - leaning towards 3.5/5.0 for this one.

Glass 3) The nose I find bubble gum, cherry cough drop, light molasses. The taste is a bit flat, but the cherry cough drop does come through. The finish is not very strong, but it does linger. The cherry sweetness is the biggest note, but I do get a little wood/oak in the back as well. This one just isn't hitting for me tonight, and I'll give it a 3.0/5.0

Glass 4) The nose I get cherry, brown sugar, touch of menthol and maybe some tobacco - though that could just be the menthol suggesting tobacco to me. The taste is a bit watery, some baking spice, cinnamon heat that builds over time. The finish I get a cherry menthol cough drop note, come wood, some cinnamon heat. It's all right overall. Initially I liked this the best, but the more I went back to it, the more I found it lacking, giving it a 3.25/5.0

Glass 3 was the Tin Cup 14 Year. It just didn't do well head to head with higher proof offerings - at least in a quick shoot out format. I enjoyed it more a few months ago, but tonight it just fell flat. Original rating was 3.5, tonight it was a 3.0. Glass 4 was the Cooper's Craft. It wasn't bad, but there was nothing unusual about it. Standard bourbon. Rated 3.00 originally, 3.25 tonight.

Which left glass 1 and 2. Glass 1 was the Baker's 7 Year, 107 Proof. This was solid and tasty, but glass 2 was a touch better, which was the Maker's Mark Cask Strength, 55% ABV. Tonight it was the most interesting. Originally I gave the Baker's a 3.75 rating, tonight I gave it a 3.25. And the Maker's received a 3.50 rating both nights.

Next week, we have 4 Rye Whiskies head to head... we'll see which one I enjoy the most, cheers!

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2025-03-12

Ah, here we are... Whisk(e)y Wednesday. For the sampling today, I'm putting the four Irish Whiskeys from the 2024 24 Days of Whisk(e)y into a blind flight. Let's see how they do and if my thoughts are any different from before...

I poured 1oz samples into each of the glasses that have been labeled on the bottom and mixed them up. I then nosed and tasted each one, came up with my favorite two, tasted those again side by side, and decided on the best of the bunch and rated each one again as well. 

Glass 1) On the nose I got caramel, creme brulee sugar, some orange as well. The taste - malt, initial pepper heat, brown sugar and bright citrus. The finish is peppery in the front, it's sweetness that lingers a long time, malt in the back. Going back to the nose after tasting - I find the malt there as well. Overall, this is pretty good, and I'll rate it 3.75/5.0 in this tasting.

Glass 2) The nose is bright orange, honey and sugar. The taste is peppery heat, somewhat intense. I get the sugar in the back as well. I was caught a bit off guard on this one. I've not been drinking much whisk(e)y lately and this one initially punched me around a bit. But after some acclimation, I started enjoying this one quite a bit. The finish I got a tingly heat and malt. Pretty robust and the finish did linger nicely. While the nose was a bit soft, the flavor and finish was surprisingly good. Overall I'll rate this 4.0/5.0.

Glass 3) I found soft flower, perfume, orange citrus, cugar candy and it seemed a bit dusty on the nose. The taste was flat, a bit malty, some floral, heat if I waited for it, some brown sugar and some orange. The finish was a touch of spice initial, then floral, perfume, that dusty note I got from the nose comes back as well. It lingers some, but overall this was underwhelming. Just not enjoying this one to much this go around, and I'll rate it a 3.0/5.0.

Glass 4) The nose I got some initial funk - not exactly sure what it was, but it wasn't pleasant, along with some acetone, apple and molasses. The taste I was getting the acetone and molasses. And the finish followed with acetone, floral, candy sugar and a touch of heat. For whatever reason, tonight this one was really a miss for me - rated 2.75/5.0.

Glass 3 was Knappogue Castle 12 Year California Blend - originally I rated that one a 3.5, so 3.0 is lower. Glass 4 was the Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey - which I did originally rate a 3.5 as well... so I just wasn't feeling it.

Trying Glass 1 and 2 side by side, the clear winner was Glass 2. It was just more interesting overall. Glass 1 ended up being the Powers Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, Jonh's Lane, Aged 12 Years... which I rated 3.75 both times. 

And the winner in Glass 2 was Redbreast 12 Year Cask Strength, Batch B1/22. While overall I didn't think this Redbreast CS was as good as some past ones, it's till good, and I rated it 4.0 both times. Next time I'll be putting the 4 bourbons from the 24 Days of Whisk(e)y up against each other in the same format - we'll see which one comes out ahead for me... cheers!

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2025-02-26

Hello! 

I'm going to try to get back to these Wisk(e)y Wednesday reviews, mostly revisiting things I've tried before, seeing if my thoughts have changed. Sometimes these will be blind, sometimes I'll know what I'm drinking.

So today ... I'm drinking Deanston Highland Scotch Single Malt Whisky, 12 Year, 46.3% ABV, Un-chill filtered and aged in ex-bourbon casks.

On the nose I get butterscotch, floral, candy vanilla, orange sherbet. The taste is orange marmalade and orange cream sickle. The finish is butterscotch, molasses, an orange note - but not overly citrus, like maybe an orange cordial. 

With water the nose is very similar, maybe a bit more sweet butterscotch. There is some honeysuckle on the taste, and a bit more bite with some green pepper on the finish. Overall, this is a good, solid highland scotch - good entry level Scotch Whisky. Rating this a 3.5/5.0, which is the same as I reviewed previously. 

2024 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 24

And here we are, Day 24 of 24 Days of Whisk(e)y. This has been a fun year with some surprises. It's my birthday today, and so I lined up something I was really looking forward to trying. Tonight we're drinking McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt Whiskey, 6 Year, PX Sherry Cask Finished, made in Hood River, OR by Clear Creek Distillery using Peat-Malted Scottish Barley, Cask Strength, 56.13% ABV.

On the nose, this reminds me a lot of a Lagavulin Distillers Edition. I get a touch of mint freshness, some smoke, the sherry fruit. I also get a touch of sulfur in the back. This has hot cinnamon as well, some ash. It's a touch on the hot side from the higher proof. I could nose this one all night, it's really quite inviting. 

The taste, I get the ash and hot cinnamon and the sherry sweetness. It's clingy and rich. If I hold this in my mouth for too long before swallowing I seem to get a Szechuan pepper numbing sensation. I can't think of any other Whisk(e)y that I've had that with.

The finish is fruit sweet, mouthwatering, drawn out, with a touch of that numbing in the finish too. This invites more sips and is very enjoyable. Water doesn't change much to this. It is a little sweeter on the taste overall, and the finish is probably more sweet too. It's enjoyable either way. 

This is certainly the best of the 24 Days, and it holds it's own vs Lagavulin 12 Year Cask Strength or the higher proof Ardbegs. It did cost me $150 (though it is currently on sale for $120), so at least for me that makes it a special occasion drinking. I'll rate it 4.5/5.0 ... cheers!!! 

2024 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 23

Monday... Funday? Sure! End of the road, tonight we have....

Black Bull 12 Year, blended Scotch Whisky, 50% Single Malt, 50% Single Grain, 50% ABV. This is bottled by Duncan Taylor, this one sounded interesting... let's see how it is.

On the nose, this has a lot of going on. First impression is I get sulfur and rubber - but in a good way. A distinctive strike anywhere match note for sure. Molasses, brown sugar, creme brulee, malty richness, and a bit of dried fruit. This nose just keeps on going, it's fantastic.

The taste, very sweet, crazy sweet... marshmallow, honey, sugar, molasses - but behind that I get the sulfur and rubber too along with the red hot cinnamon. It even has a little bit of the caramel popcorn ball taste I get from Balcones Brimstone, which I love. 

I'm a bit surprised that water doesn't change things too much. More sulfur on the nose, more sweet on the taste, ashy finish. It's worth trying both ways as it is different and your palette might like one or the other more. 

This is *really* surprising. I bought this to kinda fill out the calendar, I wasn't expecting anything from it. It's really good. Cost $43, and I'll give it a 4.0/5.0.... cheers!

2024 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 22

Sunday ... Day 22 of the 24 Days of Whisk(e)y ... nearing the end. Tonight we are drinking ...

Tin Cup 14 Year Bourbon, 42% ABV, distilled in Indiana, bottled in Colorado, costing $66, about $10 more than the Tin Cup 10 Year I had last year that I enjoyed. It's a bit pricey and rather low proof, but it's fairly well rated, so I thought I'd give it a try.

On the nose, it's light, but I do get a musty brown sugar, some orange, maybe a touch of apple, and a bit of something that reminds me of Lemon Pledge. The taste carries the orange, along with some simple syrup, a touch of spice and wood. 

The finish I get orange and the wood. It's nice and drawn out, but I fear the proof is really hurting this one overall. I did add a dash of water - the nose got more citrus, the taste is more fruity, lemon and more wood. The finish the wood is more prominent ... it's probably worth trying both ways. 

Overall, I was a little disappointed in this one. A 14 Year Bourbon... I was expecting more interesting nosing and tasting notes. I rated this the same as I rated the 10 Year from last year, 3.5/5.0. Good overall, but could have been better.