Rye Battle Royale Part II

May 18, 2015

Rye Battle Royale Part II

When we left off last week, we had just participated in an epic tasting battle between Willett Bonili 24-Year 94 Proof (aka Willett 24/94) and Michter's 6J-1 10-Year Rye.  The Michter's eeked out a slim, but noticeable and unanimous victory.  It was so incredibly rich, warm, spicy, and full-flavored that we'd put it in the top 3 ryes we've ever tasted.  (Wish we had some LeNell's Red Hook Rye Barrel #1 to compare it to!!).

Just as we were wrapping up this incredibly enjoyable conclusion, our guest beasts - The Zuckman Brothers, started to break out some serious big guns.  We quickly went from two bad-ass rye legends to an entire table.  Here's how things looked:

Willett 24/94 & Michter's 6J-1

Black Maple Hill 23 Year Single Barrel Rye

Vintage 21 Year Rye

Hirsch 25 Year Rye

There were a couple of others too, a Rittenhouse 23 Year, and a Hirsch 22 Year.  There were pigs-in-blankets with Gulden's Spicy Brown mustard.  Really not a bad lineup all-in-all.  Here's what they all looked like together.

Ok so let's get down to some serious business.

First impressions:  After we got over the sheer ludicrousness of the task in front of us, we started to slowly taste through the table.  Right away we all noticed that there was something wrong with the Hirsch 22.  It must have been left out in the sun or had a bad cork or something, because this is a pretty legendary bottle and tasted straight up bad.  So we're assuming this was not a fair test of Hirsch 22 and we won't comment on it further.

We remember Black Maple Hill 23 as being the first super-aged rye that we ever tried.  We bought one in 2008 for $105.  It was so good we went back and bought another one, this time the price was $125.  Then we went back for a third, but the price had risen to $160.  Too rich for our blood, we thought back then and we didn't make the purchase.  Who would have thought that seven years later these bottles sell for $1,600 each!!  We should have bought a case at $160...

Second impressions:  We strongly suspect that the Michter's, Black Maple Hill, Willett, and Vintage 21 are all from the same source and from similar batches.  They're peas in a pod, very similar, all insanely delicious, and probably difficult to tell apart if you weren't tasting them side-by-side.  The Rittenhouse and the Hirsch, on the other hand, were obviously different recipes / sources.  They had completely different taste profiles.

Third impressions:  Within the four that we're now suspecting to be KBD-sourced juice there were some definite variations and subtleties to the taste.  The Michter's was still the unanimous favorite.  We took turns leaving the room and then blind tasting the Michter's against some of the other bottles, and it was still 100% chosen as the best, even just from the nose.  The Rittenhouse was the sweetest, and had less of the classic rye spice to it.  This pushed it higher for some and lower for others.

Ok, so for the results, here is Jared with his picks:

J-Zuck puts the Ritt up at #2!

And Brett:

B-Money Likes-A-Da-Willettz

The SmokyBeast final scoring went like this:

1. Michter's 6J-1  (even blind this one was just so huge and awesome!)
2. Willett 24/94 (This one is still such a truly awesome bottle)
3. Vintage 21  (Extremely close in nose/palate to the Willett, have to put them together)
4. Black Maple Hill 23 (Tasting this bottle after all these years was awesome, it's really amazing but just a tiny bit flat/waxy next to the others)
5. Rittenhouse 23  (Still one of our all-time favorites, we just had to give the others preference because they're so very RYE!  If you told us the Rittenhouse was a superb bourbon we might fall for it.  Not that that's a bad thing...)
6. Hirsch 25 (Very interesting and complex bottle here, just lacking some of the vitality and vigor of the others.  The spice gets a little lost in the wood here and it's just a bit over-oaked.)

We had two other guest judges who decided to remain anonymous due to the extremely high profile of SmokyBeast and their fear of being constantly plagued by paparazzi and written up in gossip columns.  But the results were very similar, the Michter's, Willett, and Vintage 21 were the statistical favorites in that order, with some mixture of BMH and Ritt in the next spots.  

That's all for now.  Where do you go from here??  Any requests for our next review?  Let us know if any of you have tasted these bottles and share your thoughts / tasting notes in the comments.  

Cheers!  /SB

BeastMasters Volume 1, Part 3 - Review of Black Maple Hill Single Barrel 11-Year, 14-Year, and W.L. Weller 19-Year

January 7, 2014

BeastMasters Volume 1, Part 3 - Review of Black Maple Hill Single Barrel 11-Year, 14-Year, and W.L. Weller 19-Year

This is part three & the conclusion of the first volume of BeastMasters - our tour of private whiskey collections (aka what may have been the best night of our lives, whiskey-wise anyway).

Volume 1 features Jonathan Colton, part-time globetrotting secret service agent, fluent in eighteen languages including Jive, voted 2009's Best in Leather Pants by Teen World Magazine, and amateur bourbon collector.  In part 1 and part 2, Jonathan toured us through some of the most sought-after bourbons in his private collection: AH Hirsch Family Reserve, and the original Stitzel-Weller bottlings of Pappy Van Winkle 15, 20, and 23-Year.  To finish off the night, Jon pulled out another trio of greatest hits bourbons which we'll cover today.

Señor Colton, BeastMaster

First Up...

Black Maple Hill Single Barrel 11-Year and 14-Year

First up are two magnificent extinct beasts, Black Maple Hill Single Barrel 11-Year and 14-Year.  Last year we reviewed the currently available Black Maple Hill Small Batch.  It's good, actually it's one of wifey's favorite everyday bourbons.  But it's not legendary good.  On the other hand, the single barrels they put out five to ten years go ARE legendary.  Way legendary.  Hobbits write songs about them.  Teenagers put glam shots up on their bedroom walls.  Hall of Fame type legendary.

The Black Maple Hill single barrel line included bourbon aged 11, 14, 16, 20, and 21 years, and rye aged 18 and 23 years.  (If we missed any, please let us know!).  There isn't a ton of information about the order and dates of the releases, however the word on the street is that the early batches from around 2000-2003 bottled in Lawrenceburg, KY were sourced and bottled by Julian Van Winkle.  The later batches, bottled in Bardstown, KY, were sourced from Heaven Hill / Kentucky Bourbon Distillers.  Production on all the age-stated BMH ended around 2009.  A bit of research turned up this (unverified, but seemingly legitimate) comment from Julian Van Winkle:

"I indeed bottled this whiskey over the last few years for a distributor in California...  It was my Van Winkle whiskey under abother label. The ages bottled were 14, 16, 18 & even some 20-year. There was alos a rye whiskey which was mine. All the Van Winkle whiskey would have been in bottled dislaying the "Bottled in Lawrenceburg,KY" address. Since I now do all my bottling at Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, the Califonia distributor is now buying his whiskey and having the bottling done in Bardstown at KY Bourbon Distillers....    
All the Van Winkle bourbons that I bottled in Lawrenceburg, KY were distilled for me at our old distillery here in Louisville, Stitzel-Weller. So the Black Maple Hill whiskey I bottled for CA Vineyards was the same as Van Winkle bourbon. I only aged and bottled my bourbon in Lawrenceburg, no distillation there.  I imagine the new Black Maple Hill bottled in Bardstown was distilled by Heaven Hill, although I'm not sure as I have not tasted the whiskey."   (from http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/spawn.php?qv=1&fn=6&tid=40857)

Black Maple Hill 11-Year Single Barrel Cask 307

Black Maple Hill 11-Year Single Barrel

Nose:  This one really jumps out at you with a fresh, fruity, sweet nose.  Red grapes (not like the sherry notes from the cask, but fresh cut grapes), crisp apples, honey and citrus.

Palate:  Extremely clean, the fruits continue for an immensely drinkable light body.  Adding to the fruits are some rich nougat/caramel/milk chocolate flavors.

Finish:  Short and sweet this is a punchy, fruity little gem.

Review:  An awesome example of how barrel choice can be just as important if not more important than age.  At only 11 years, this blows away many of the 12 year bourbons on the market today.  Considering the original retail price was around $40 we certainly wish we'd stashed away a few cases when such things were possible.  Ah those were the days!


Black Maple Hill 14-Year Single Barrel Cask 147

Black Maple Hill 14-Year Single Barrel

Nose:  Very subtle nose yet complex in all its different elements.  The same fruits (red grapes & crisp green apples) from the 11-Year are here, but there is a whole other level of sophistication with a much more noticeable oak, some chocolate and baking spices (brown butter, brown sugar, flour, cornstarch), and little pops of hot pepper.  We're getting excited.

Palate:  This one is just a knock out.  Admittedly we'd had a lot to drink at this point!  But this still shone through as one of the best bourbons of the night.  It had that same ethereal float-across-the-palate texture as the Hirsch 16, and it shared a lot of the warmth and beauty of the Stitzel-Weller Pappy Van Winkle 20-Year.

Finish:  Glowing, smooth but warm, cocoa, fresh fruit, and wood finish.  Incredibly flavorful at the low proof this is just a stunner.  Maybe some oxidation / several years in an open bottle had some impact here as well.  it just had that warm and cozy feeling, like an old lover.

Review:  In order of the preference, we're going AH Hirsch #1, SW Pappy 20 #2, and BMH 14 as #3 for best of the night.  So yes, very high marks indeed.

W. L. Weller 19-Year (2002)

William Larue Weller is now part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, alongside George T. Stagg, Eagle Rare 17-Year, Sazerac 18-Year and Thomas Handy Rye.  These gorgeous bottles are released every year around the holidays, but they're on the "impossible to find" list along with Pappy Van Winkle.

Since 2005, William Larue Weller has been bottled at barrel proof (120-135 proof), and is aged around 12 years.  This leads to some "love it or hate it" opinions from the community.  Buffalo Trace offers "WL Weller" in a Special Reserve (90-proof), Antique 107-proof, and 12-Year varieties.  These bottles are increasingly hard to find, but they're all in the $20-$35 range.  Some argue that William Larue Weller is just a cask-strength version of WL Weller 12-Year and not worth the premium price tag.  Many swear that mixing Weller 12-Year with Weller Antique 107 tastes the same if not better than WLW (don't worry, we're planning a future post putting this theory to the test).  For now, we don't agree with the skeptics.  All the releases of William Larue Weller that we've tasted have been awesome and in a different class from WL Weller.

But that's all just background.  Back in 2000-2002, W.L. Weller 19-Year was a completely different beast.  This was pure Stitzel-Weller juice, boasting the original wheated recipe, aged to perfection over almost two decades and bottled at a ridiculously drinkable 90 proof without losing a lot of flavor.  This bottle, distilled in 1993 and bottled in 2002, is tremendously sought-after and was an amazingly tasty treat.

Tasting Notes

Nose:  Very rich, pipe (not cigar) smoke, heavy spice, tons more leather and dark mahogany wood.,

Palate:  It's very smooth but still has a seriously robust spirit warmth (interesting how the two can go together).  Something like burned tree back (char), dark chocolate w/ pepper flakes.

Finish:  Very smooth and sweet finish with sweet warmth and a wonderful integration of flavors.  This was another superstar and a great way to end the night.


Well that does it for our first round of BeastMaster - private collectors.  Thanks again to Jonathon for a rare look at some awesome bourbon glut.  You can catch Volume 2 - a tour through vintage Rittenhouse Ryes (21, 23, 25 year) and a sneak peak at 2013's Pappy Van Winkle 20-Year here.  Stay tuned for more BeastMasters private collection tours this year.

Cheers/SB

Black Maple Hill Straight Bourbon - An Elusive Beast

December 1, 2012

Black Maple Hill Straight Bourbon - An Elusive Beast

Wifey's Love Affair with Hooch
My love of whiskey began in college.  But it wasn't love at first sight.  I began my college years as a cheap beer devotee, and over time, went from slightly better beer, to vodka and cranberry, to white russians (made with skim milk.  seriously.), and eventually to just vodka on the rocks or something straight up.  The latter was nothing more than about getting the most bang for my buck by cutting out the middle man (i.e. a mixer) and just going straight for the payoff.  Hey, I was broke and in college - you can't blame me.  But I was on to something - I actually liked the taste of booze.  And so it began.

Bourbon Epiphany

I've had some personally revolutionary moments in drinking over the years.  The first time I tasted Lagavulin, for one (more on that later).  But after a while, it seemed like I had tried it all.  Until I had Black Maple Hill Bourbon.  This bourbon is really unlike anything I've ever had.  It is beyond smooth and rich, with kind of a sweet note - or as much as a bourbon could be sweet while still being bourbon.  Its taste is complex enough to appeal to the most seasoned of drinkers, but could even be a newbie's foray into the whiskey drinking world.  Honestly, it's awesomeness is kind of hard to explain, and is only realized with your first sip that will more than definitely turn into an obsession.

An Elusive Beast
The weird thing about Black Maple Hill is that it's unclear on how this bourbon is made and where it's sourced from.  While there seems to be a lot of confusion about this, and the details are hard to confirm, the story is that whiskey is sourced from a number of different distillers and aged in a variety of barrels to create it's distinct and unusual flavor.  And here's another catch: Black Maple Hill bourbon is not easy to come by.  It's made in small batches, and combined with the mystery behind its creation, make it incredibly alluring to the booze loving public.  So if you see this delicious brew in your local bar or liquor store, give it a try!  The bottles are getting more and more expensive to fetch online, but it's an experience that makes it worthwhile.

Secrets Exposed!!
Update: We dug up a full expose from David Driscoll of KLWines (who would know a thing or two about this if anyone would!)

The truth is that Black Maple Hill is neither a distillery nor a place of origin. It's an independent label owned by my friend Paul Joseph in San Carlos, down the road from our store...   Paul pays Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (Willett, Vintage 17, Pure Kentucky, Noah's Mill, Rowan's Creek, etc.) to make this blend for him and then he slaps the label on it.  So, in reality, Black Maple Hill is a Bourbon that's blended in Kentucky, but owned by a nice man on the San Francisco peninsula.

Perhaps the mystery is finally revealed.  Though this doesn't explain why it's so damn good and where we can find a case!



A Whole Other Level of Awesome
Now if you thought that the Black Maple Hill Small Batch was hard to find, there is a whole other level of unattainable awesomeness going on with BMH's vintage bottlings.  A few years ago it was possible to walk into a liquor store and buy a range of Black Maple Hill single barrel expressions.  They had a 16-Year Bourbon that was absolutely off the charts.  And they also had a 23-Year Rye that was seriously one of the best bottles we have ever tasted.  Those vintage bottlings are almost completely gone, so if you do see anything Black Maple Hill with a year on it (11,14,16,18,20,23) buy it immediately.  You won't be sorry.  We actually have been bumping into some of these vintage bottles in our interviews with private collectors, so stay tuned for some drool-inducing reviews of vintage BMH.

/SmokyBeast