SmokyBeast

October 3, 2013

Oy, That's A Schmoky Beast!

Next week is whisky in NY. Aside from the massive industry events and awards, and alongside crowded mega-shows like WhiskyFest is a unique gathering called The Whiskey Jewbilee. Most of the big whisky events are on Friday and Saturday, meaning that religious jews can't attend, so a few enterprising young men formed the Jewbilee which has turned into a very popular event in its own right. We're looking forward to going and seeing a new and different slant on whiskey tastings, as well as drinking some great pours. SmokyBeast is offering a 10% discount to our readers. Click on one of these links to get discounted tickets:

Jewbilee Mt Kisco October 9th: https://whiskyjewbilee.ticketbud.com/mt-kisco?pc=beasty13

Jewbilee NYC October 10th: https://whiskyjewbilee.ticketbud.com/nycity?pc=beasty13

This year's exclusive Jewbilee bottling:
15-Year Heaven Hill Single Barrel Bourbon.
(limited number on sale at the event,
get there early if you want it!)

2013 Jewbilee Pour List

Amrut Indian Single Malt Whisky - Amrut Cask Strength

- Amrut Fusion
- Amrut Peated

Angel's Envy
- Bourbon Port Finish Kosher Blend
- Rye Whiskey Caribbean Cask Finish

Ardbeg
- Ardbeg 10 Year Old
- Ardbeg Corryvreckan
- Ardbeg Uigeadail

Ardmore
- Traditional Cask

Auchentoshan
- 12 Year Old
- Three Wood
- Valinch

Balvenie
- 12 Year Old Double Wood
- 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask
- 17 Year Old Double Wood
- 21 Year Old Port Wood

Benromach - 10 Year Old

BenRiach
- Heart of Speyside - Rum Cask - 10 Year Old Curiositas - 16 Year Old - 20 Year Old

Big Peat
- Small Batch Islay Blended Scotch Malt Whisky

Breckenridge Distillery (*NYC only)
- Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey

Brenne Whisky (*NYC only)
- Brenne French Single Malt Whisky

Bowmore- 15 Year Old
- Small Batch 2014 Version (limited quantity)

Campbeltown Loch

Catoctin Creek Distilling Company
- Mosby's Spirit
- Roundstone Rye
- Watershed Gin

Catskill Distilling Company
- Most Righteous Bourbon
- Peace Vodka
- The One and Only Buckwheat
- Wicked White Whiskey

Chieftain's Range
- Glenburgie 1998 (Martin Scott exclusive)

Compass Box (*NYC only)
- Great King St
- Oak Cross
- Peat Monster
- Spice Tree
- Deliah's
- Hedonism

Cu Dubh
- Black Scotch Whisky Single Malt

Douglas of Drumlanrig
- Imperial 17 Year Old
- Douglas XO Blended Scotch

English Whisky Company
- Classic
- Peated

FEW Spirits
- FEW Bourbon
- FEW Rye
- FEW Barrel-Aged Gin

Four Roses - Yellow Label Bourbon - Small Batch Bourbon - Single Barrel Bourbon

Glen Garioch
- Virgin Oak (limited quantity)

Glencadam
- 15 Year Old

GlenDronach - 12 Year Old - 15 Year Old - 18 Year Old - 21 Year Old

Glenglassaugh
- Revival
- Evolution

Glengoyne - 10 Year Old
- 12 Year Old
- 15 Year Old
- 18 Year Old
- 21 Year Old

Glenmorangie - Original - Lasanta - Quinta Ruban - Nectar D'or - Signet

Glenrothes - Select Reserve - 2001 Vintage - 1998 Vintage - 1995 Vintage - 1988 Vintage

Gordon & MacPhail
- Peat Smoke
- Benromach 10 Year Old

- Caol Ila 10 Year Old - Scapa 11 Year Old - Old Pulteney 21 Year Old
- Highland Park 24 Year Old

Hakushu
- 12 Year Old

Heaven Hill
- Parker's Heritage Collection
- Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 2003
- Elijah Craig 12 Year Old
- Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
- Elijah Craig Single Barrel 21 Year Old
- Larceny
- Bernheim Wheat Whiskey
- Rittenhouse Rye

Hibiki
- 12 Year Old

High West
- Double Rye!
- Rendezvous Rye
- Campfire
- OMG Silver Rye
- Son of Bourye
- Barrel-Aged Boulevardier

Highland Park (*NYC only)
- 12 Year Old
- 15 Year Old
- 18 Year Old
- Loki

Hirsch Small Batch Reserve Bourbon

Isle of Arran Distillers
- 10 Year Old
- 14 Year Old
- Amarone Cask Finish
- Machrie Moor
- Arran Devil's Punchbowl, Chapter II (limited quantity)

Isle of Skye
- 8 Year Old

Jewish Whisky Company
- Heaven Hill 15 Year Old, Special Whisky Jewbilee Festival Bottling

Kavalan Single Malt Whisky
- SOLIST Vinho Barrique
- SOLIST Ex-Bourbon Cask
- SOLIST Sherry Cask
- Concertmaster Port Cask Finish
- Single Malt Whisky

Laphroaig
- 10 Year Old
- 18 Year Old
- Quarter Cask

Lost Distillery Company
- Auchnagie
- Stratheden

Kilchoman
- Machir Bay 2013
- 100% Islay, 3rd Edition
- Kilchoman Sherry, Martin Scott Exclusive Single Cask (limited quantity)

Koval
- Rye
- Bourbon
- Four Grain
- Ginger Liqueur
- Chrysanthemum Honey Liqueur

Maltman Single Cask Single Malts
- Tobermory 18 Year Old
- Mortlach 13 Year Old
- Highland Park 11 Year Old
- Glenlossie 19 Year Old
- Bunnahabhain 10 Year Old

Nahmias et Fils
- Fig Mahia
- Legs Diamond un-Aged Rye

Nikka Japanese Single Malt Whisky - Miyagikyo 12 Year Old - Yoichi 15 Year Old - Taketsura 12 Year Old - Taketsura 17 Year Old - Taketsura 21 Year Old - Nikka Coffey Grain

Old and Rare

Old Malt Cask
- Longmorn 20 Year Old

Redemption Rye
- Redemption Rye - Redemption High Rye Bourbon - Temptation Bourbon - Riverboat Rye - Cornstar White Whiskey - Redemption Rye Barrel Proof 6 Year Old - Redemption White Rye

Single Cask Nation - Kilchoman 4 Year Old - Laphroaig 6 Year Old - Arran 12 Year Old - Dalmore 12 Year Old - Glen Moray 12 Year Old - BenRiach 17 Year Old

Smooth Ambler Spirits (*NYC only)

Still Waters Distillery
- Stalk & Barrel, Cask #3

Sullivans Cove
- Double Cask
- French Cask

Tomintoul - 10 Year Old
- 12 Year Old, Oloroso Finish
- 14 Year Old
- 16 Year Old
- 21 Year Old
- 31 Year Old

Tuthilltown Spirits - Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey - Hudson Four Grain Whiskey - Hudson Manhattan Rye Whiskey - Hudson New York Corn Whiskey - Hudson Single Malt Whiskey

Yamazaki
- 12 Year Old
- 18 Year Old

Wemyss Malts
- The Hive 12 Year Old Blended Malt
- Spice King 12 Year Old Blended Malt
- Peat Chimney 12 Year Old Blended Malt
- The Hive 8 Year Old Blended Malt
- Spice King 8 Year Old Blended Malt
- Peat Chimney 8 Year Old Blended Malt
- Heathery Smoke 30 Year Old

September 26, 2013

Review: Willett Family Estate 4-Year Single Barrel Rye - Rye Beastie of the Year!!

Sometimes You're Just Smitten

We firmly believe that everyone will find that special someone. The soul mate, the everyday best friend, the Friday night in pajamas watching 'Chopped' on the Food Network type of love. The same is true for Whiskey. There are the special occasion bottles like Pappy and Port Ellen. There are impossible to find gems like AH Hirsch that you pine away your entire life dreaming about. Then there are simple everyday rock stars. When you find one of those, you smile, because you know that you can pick up a few bottles, share it with friends, and know that you can always come home to a great drink. For richer of poorer, watching the years pass, growing old together, yada yada.

Willett Family Estate

Sketch of Historical Willett Distillery
http://www.kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com

The Willett family historically was one of the preeminent whiskey producers in the country, operating from the mid eighteen-hundreds up until the 1970's. When they stopped making whiskey in the 70's they became one of the largest independent bottlers in the country, Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. Heaven Hill is located right across the street from KBD and is generally known to produce the majority of their stock. KBD does have other sources though, historically among them barrels from the old Stitzel-Weller Distillery (the holy grail of shuttered whiskey makers). KBD makes brands such as Johnny Drum, Old Bardstown, Kentucky Vintage, Noah's Mill, Rowan's Creek, Black Maple Hill, Michter's, and Old Pogue. We're huge fans of Michter's, and some of these other brands are nothing to sneeze at, but Willett Family Estate is really the cream of the crop when it comes to KBD. It's the flagship product blessed with the original family name and crest to boot. The Willett family has now reclaimed the original site and begun to distill genuine 100% Willett whiskey as of 2012. We're looking forward to tasting the results once it's had time to age and end up in a bottle.

Willett Distillery today

The Willett Family Estate line all contain age statements and barrel numbers, which is awesome. They also produce no-age-statement Willett Pot Still which comes in a clear glass bottle that looks like a still. The Pot Still is a decent drinking whiskey in its own right (it also comes in a giant 1.5L bottle which looks great on your bar), and very widely accessible, however the WFE brings it to another level. WFE includes bourbon and rye in ages from 4-years for rye and 6-years for bourbon all the way up to 21-years, and in some very limited batches even older. Truth be told we have one bottle of Willett 21-Year (said to be the last of the SW stock) sealed in the vault at SmokyBeast Headquarters (yes it's an Ikea cabinet) awaiting a special occasion, so stay tuned for that review. But for today we're focused on the Willett Family Estate 4-Year Rye.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Sexy. In the bottle and in the glass. Refined, upscale sexy.

Nose: Huge vanilla. Nougat, chocolate, and deep crisp dark rye. Then the spices: anise, clove, cinnamon stick, pepper. Finally - a little whiff of... Bazooka Joe bubble gum? Something like that, very sweet, sugary candy.

Body: So clean and delicious. The sweetness comes back with a little bit of caramel popcorn. The rye grains are so compact and punchy, it's a great balance of sweet vanilla candy and crisp dry grain. There's also a hint of that oiled leather, old wood taste that you get from much older whiskies floating in there.

Finish: A very long and lovely finish for a rye. There's a hint of char/smoke, some welcome spirit warmth, and more of the rich vanilla. Early in the bottle we preferred a few drops of water, once it had a few weeks to open up, we preferred it straight (this is common with Willetts, open the bottle as soon as you get it and let it sit for a couple of weeks, you'll be delighted).

Rye Beastie of the Year

Willett is a damn tasty rye. It's got a ton of body, but it's also very smooth and drinkable. There's just something about the balance of flavor that elevates it to a level above much of the rye we've tasted this year. It's 110 proof, which is an awesome alcohol content (read: one glass of this and you're well on your way), and perfectly in the pocket flavor-wise. But the kicker is that for a young, four year whiskey, it's incredibly smooth without sacrificing bold flavor.

And here it is for only $75. Just kidding, it's $39.99 from our friends at DrinkUpNY!! A better quality at this price you will never find. We're almost tempted not to announce how good this stuff is and just buy a few cases for ourselves while the supplies last. But seriously you can't go wrong. At under $40 it's a SmokyBeast "A". Pick up a few if you're in the mood. It's a very classy bottle and will make a perfect gift for the holidays, but we have a feeling that once you try a sip you will be keeping them for yourself. You'll be kicking off your shoes, firing up cable television, and settling down with your new sweetheart before you know it.

Cheers! /SB

P.S. Don't miss our discount tickets to Whiskey Jewbilee which is fast approaching in the second week of October. They have an impressive lineup of tastings planned and it will be a great way to start off the holiday weekend. We'll be doing an interview with the founder Joshua Hatton next week. For now click here to get 10% off:

Jewbilee Mt Kisco October 9th: https://whiskyjewbilee.ticketbud.com/mt-kisco?pc=beasty13

Jewbilee NYC October 10th: https://whiskyjewbilee.ticketbud.com/nycity?pc=beasty13

September 18, 2013

* Exclusive Review: 2013 Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year --- The Prime Time Beast!!! *

Pappy is in the House

Ok whiskey world, get ready to pitch your tents, change your diapers, and drain your bank accounts. Bourbon season is officially upon us. The next generation of the hottest bourbon of the decade is about to hit the shelves and your trusty pals at SmokyBeast have an exclusive sneak peak!

Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 Year, 2013 Edition

Friends in High Places (mountains as a matter of fact)

Where did we score this prime time beast? Actually our new best buddy Anthony over at Pour Mt Kisco broke it out as a special surprise after our magnificent antique rye tasting from Beast Masters Volume 2. It's here! Yeeeee-haw. Queue appropriate Honky-Tonk banjo soundtrack =>

Serial Number: B1305911:00M

The Codes & Keys

How did we determine that this was in fact the newest, 2013 Pappy? It's sometimes tough to see the serial number on these bottles so we ad-libbed with a flashlight and some creative photography. You can see that it starts with a 13. This indicates that it was bottled in 2013. Exclusive sneak peak confirmed!!! The next three numbers indicate the day of the year. This was bottled on the fifty-ninth day of the year, in other words February 28th. Presumably at 11:00am. These bottles will be hitting the shelves soon, so get out your safari hats and let the hunt begin...

Update 9/19: Some helpful folks from the internet have doubted the accuracy of our most awesome sneak peak at this 2013 Pappy. For reference, here is a note Anthony got directly from Mr Van Winkle himself attesting to it's authenticity. It's actually referencing a second bottle with a similar code, but you'll see the idea. (this is what we in the industry call "breaking out the big guns")

Anthony,

B= Bottled at Buffalo Trace
13=bottled in 2013
059= the Julian calendar date of bottling
10:52= bottled at 10:52am
M= M bottling line at Buffalo Trace
Please let me know if you have further questions.

Cheers,

J. Preston Van Winkle
Marketing Manager
Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery
"…But Always Fine Bourbon."

Invasion of the Buffalo

Last week we went through a bit of history along with a top notch tasting of early 2000's Van Winkles. We mentioned the fact that the Stitzel-Weller distillery closed in 1992 and Julian Van Winkle III contracted with Buffalo Trace to continue to produce bourbon for the Van Winkle brand. Since the early 2000's, Pappy bottles have begun to mix Buffalo Trace and Stitzel Weller barrels. 2012, however, was the last year that any 20-year old Stitzel Weller bourbon existed. That makes 2013 the first year that Pappy 20-Year is 100% Buffalo Trace bourbon. Many are curious, will it measure up? Will the flavor be the same? Can the torch be passed? Will the invasion of the buffalo conquer our cigar-smoking hero, or will the spirit of Pappy prevail?? As of today, only SmokyBeast can tell you, so let's get down to some drinking!

Tasting Notes

Nose: Very rustic farm-y elements going on here. It's got all the requisite big bourbon Pappy trademarks: vanilla, cocoa, buttery caramel, plums and raisins, coffee. But there's also a musky grassy wheaty fresh character to it.

Body: Big wood on the body. Some dry cracking oak. Also some lighter fruits coming out. "Apple pie and candy apples!" says Josh Feldman of The Coopered Tot who joined us for the tasting. It's a very tight and balanced body with *lots* of oak, wood oil, and sweet punchy fruits.

Finish: It all comes down to the finish, and the new sauce definitely does not disappoint. It's medium-length, no alcohol burn, and the pleasing spirit warmth floats perfectly on the rich woods.

Head-to-Head

Just to be sure (we're never ones to be less than thorough when it comes to whiskey), we ordered up a flight of the 2012 Pappy's that happened to be on tap at Pour. We sipped the 2013 20-Year against each of the 2012 15-Year, 20-Year, and 23-Year. A strange thing happened. The new 20-Year tasted note-for-note the same as last year's 23-Year! Just to be sure we weren't hallucinating (after all we'd just had three stellar ryes and sampled a bunch of other little treats from Anthony's bar), we handed Anthony the two tasting glasses blind. "Super close" he concurred.

20 Is the New 23!!!

So this is really something special. This year's 20-year tastes remarkably like last year's 23 (which by all indications is still Stitzel Weller juice). If you loved the woody and sophisticated 23 from recent years, you're going to go nuts for this year's 20. It makes us very excited to try the rest of the 2013 line. Will the 15-Year taste like last year's 20? We certainly hope we'll get to find out.

It's a matter of taste for sure. Historically some people love the big sweet richness of the 15-Year, some love the crisp woodiness of the 23, and others feel that the 20 is the sweet spot between the two. It will be interesting to see how all the reviews come in this year. But we're sure glad we got the first taste! You can be sure that the 2013 Pappy Van Winkle 20-Year is a top class bourbon. Those lucky enough to score a glass or a bottle are in for a serious treat.

Thanks again to Anthony for the pour!

Cheers/SB

September 11, 2013

Review: Pappy van Winkle 15 Year, 20 Year, and 23 Year - Beast Masters Volume 1. Part 2

Insult to Injury

A while back we posted the first part of our private tasting with ace bourbon collector Jonathan Colton. It was an in-depth, drool-inducing play-by-play of A.H. Hirsch 16-Year, arguably the best bourbon in the history of the world.

Well it's time for Part 2, and so we thought we'd add insult to injury. What could Jonathan put on the table next to the best bourbon in the world? Well of course, the best three bourbons in the world. The entire line of Pappy Van Winkle. Remember that sexy close up of the AH Hirsch airing out prior to our tasting from the first post? The one that made you want to pawn your family heirlooms for whiskey money? Well, let's zoom out a bit...

That's what we're talking about.

Who's Your Pappy?

There have been so many great articles on Pappy that we won't try and give you the whole history or tell you why it's so elusive, impossible to find, and generally awesome. However there are some pertinent facts you should know.

Stitzel-Weller

The Stitzel-Weller distillery has reached mythical status in the world of the bourbon aficionado. The distillery was opened the day of the Kentucky Derby, 1935 and run by Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle Senior until his death in 1968 and then by his son Julian Van Winkle Jr until 1972. The distillery then changed hands and was eventually closed in 1992 (note that 1992 is 21 years ago, that will become very important in future posts).

Stitzel-Weller made a number of brands like W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, and Cabin Still. SW became famous for their 'wheated' bourbon recipe. By law bourbon has to be at least 51% corn. Most producers use rye as the second ingredient. Using a technique coined by William Larue Weller, an early bourbon pioneer, SW used wheat instead of rye in the mashbill. The combination of the recipe, ingredients, and conditions at Stitzel-Weller created some unbelievable whiskey stock. Today, bourbon freaks hunt far and wide for any bottles containing "SW juice".

Julian Van Winkle Junior and his son JVW III revived the family's Old Rip Van Winkle brand from before prohibition. After Stitzel-Weller closed, Julian III bought up old stock and started releasing more matured, aged bourbon under the Pappy Van Winkle label. In the early 2000's, realizing that the SW stock was coming to an end, Julian III contracted with Buffalo Trace to source future stock of Pappy.

So, to make a long story short, in recent years Pappy has mixed Buffalo Trace and Stitzel-Weller bourbon to make Pappy. Not so for the bottles in Jon's collection. These are all early 2000's Pappys, and so they are all 100% Stitzel-Weller-produced bourbon. The Holy Grail so to speak. Gear up, let's take it for a drive.

Tasting Notes

Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year

Nose: Lots of dry sharp woodiness. Sawdust and hint of tobacco. Big back-end of vanilla, cocoa, nutmeg, leather and black pepper.

Body: Goes in dry and crisp and then opens up sweet and rich. Immediately we're in heaven with this bottle, the wheat has a mellowness that counters the big sweetness and spice for an amazing balance. It's got a good amount of spirit warmth that is welcome amid all the different flavors.

Finish: Medium-short finish leaves you with oak, tobacco, and vanilla.

Overall: Awesome, ballsy, rich and woody bourbon. If this is the youngest we can't wait for the older brothers.

Pappy Van Winkle 20-Year

Nose: Much sweeter on the nose. Less wood, more raisins, plums and chocolate.

Body: Ok, there was something happening when we had our first taste of A.H. Hirsch 16-Year that we thought we'd never experience again. Just an airiness, an evaporative texture that makes the whiskey feel soft against the tongue. The Pappy 20 is right there as well. Like the liquid whispers against the palate floating a millimeter off the tongue. Incredible.

Finish: The most balanced finish ever. Sweet, oak, leather, spice and spirit just melding together into fine cologne.

Overall: The second best bourbon we've ever tasted.

Pappy Van Winkle 23-Year

Nose: Jonathan said that when he opened this bottle a few years back, he was very disappointed. He found it over-oaked, extremely woody - to a fault. This isn't the first time we've heard this from people about Pappy 23. We picked up the big wood right on the nose, amazingly dry cracking wood, like a pile of aged firewood.

Body: Like many very old spirits, this bottle just takes time to open up. Jon agreed. After a few years in the bottle it's a brilliant spirit. There's still the tiniest bit of bitterness from the extreme woodiness, but overall it's extremely refined old leather, oak, and dark spices.

Finish: The longest finish of the pack, the smoke comes back layering nicely with the wood.

Overall: One of a kind, big wheat and wood, for special occasions...

Sadly We Reached The End

All of these Pappy's were off the charts. But the 20-Year was an obvious stand-out. The texture and the balance were absolutely unique. We could see craving the 15-Year for a big sweet drink after a rich meal. The 23-Year would be a victory drink if you won a nobel prize or just made your first million - men's club-style refinement and intense dry, crisp, and woody powerhouse. But the 20-Year is pure magic. It takes the best of the 15 and 23 and then brings the whole experience to another level.

Thanks again to Jonathan for an unforgettable evening. We've still got one more part to this series so stay tuned. /SmokyBeast

September 4, 2013

Review: Rittenhouse 21 Year, 23 Year, and 25 Year Rye - Beast Masters Volume 2!!!

Oh baby, it's on. The Beast Master series is back, featuring a mildly INSANE series of whiskies from Anthony Colasacco of Pour Mt Kisco! Our first Beast Masters episode set the bar pretty high, but Anthony seems primed to step up to the plate.

Pour

Anthony runs a first-class joint out in Mt. Kisco, NY. It's about half an hour by car, maybe 50 minutes if you're slumming it on public transport (which is a better option if you can't find a sucker for designated driver). Heading out there, we saw a quaint town, and then some ominous looking mini-mall-type establishments, and then finally a perfect house with a wide front porch and dim-lighting. Fingers crossed, we entered.

Firstly, the people are awesome. You'll feel welcomed right away. And second (ok who are we kidding?!?) was the bar itself. A whiskey collection out of our wildest dreams.

The objects of tonight's affection: a line-up of outrageous ryes. Rittenhouse 21-Year, 23-Year, and 25-Year. Try and find these. Go ahead. Then cry yourself to sleep. Spend the rest of your life living vicariously through our review. Or, alternately, go to Pour and have Anthony pour you some.

Does this picture have you making sort of a combination of a smile and a whimper?
Then you're one of us...

What Are They Pouring???

Ok so before we get to the review, we have to take a look around Pour. Because, well... How could we not? It's like the Egyptian God of Booze Hounds.

First stop: 5-piece Van Winkle Series. Yeah. Deal with it.

12-year "Lot B". Rip van Winkle Family Reserve Rye. Pappy van Winkle 15-year. Pappy van Winkle 20-Year, Pappy van Winkle 23-Year.

What was that? There were a couple of bottles on the sides that we left out? Yeah there were. Hirsch 25-year Bourbon. Hirsch 28-year Bourbon. Yup.

Then there's the top shelf over the bar...

Black Maple Hill Small Batch, Vintage Bourbon 17, High West 21-year Rye, Vintage Rye 23-year

Feel free to read the rest of this post from your mobile device aboard the Metro North to Mt Kisco. Here's the schedule.

And here's the man himself eagerly pondering our vintage rye tasting.

Clearly Anthony had been saving these in the bunker long enough to have the above look on his face when we actually opened them. And speaking of that secret bunker... Yeah, there's shit like this in there!

From the top: A.H. Hirsch 16 Gold Foil, A.H. Hirsch 16 Blue Wax, A.H. Hirsch 20 Year Red Wax, and original Michter's 101 Proof Whiskey

Yup that's a whole line of original Michter's juice from Schaefferstown, PA. We'd never even seen a Hirsch 20 Year in the flesh until that moment. Sadly we couldn't convince Anthony to do a tasting of these! Maybe one day.

Ok enough teasing, let's drink!

Tasting Notes

Rittenhouse 21-Year

Nose: Vanilla and chestnuts. Brown sugar.
Body: Dry, crisp, sweet honey.
Finish: Short, nose warmth, dark chocolate.

So far so good. The 21 is a big sweet bold rye with lots of dessert flavors. Warm, sweet, and very very good.

Rittenhouse 23-Year

Nose: Way less vanilla, way more wood. Less sweet and more spicy.
Body: Herbal and floral scents come off this one: mint & menthol, daisies & celery.
Finish: More heat, not less! Celery coming through over thick oak and spice.

This one lacks the big bold sweetness of the 21. It's a bit more complex, but so far the 21 is the favorite.

Rittenhouse 25-Year

Nose: Now we're into both the big vanilla and the big wood coming together into something altogether beautiful. Sweet, spicy, and deep.
Body: Cherries, honey, caraway, mint, molasses, chocolate, wood & leather. It keeps opening up and revealing more layers.
Finish: Surprisingly, it's the shortest finish of the bunch. The warmth spreading from nose to throat. It's got all the elements - sweet, spicy, smooth, woody. Every time you take a sip you discover a new layer of flavor.

And the winner is...

From the first three sips, the 21-Year was the favorite. It was the sweetest, most vanilla and chocolate flavored, had the biggest boldest taste, and really just hit the ground running.

Once we dutifully sipped these three glasses over the course of half an hour, the 25-Year started to morph into something otherworldly. The sweetness and body from the 21-Year came out. All the florals and herbs from the 23-Year started to mix in. The result was really just mind-blowing. Very sophisticated layers of wood and spice and sweet all coming together perfectly. It was worth the wait and in the end, the clear favorite. These are all stellar ryes, but we'd rank them 25, 21, 23 in order of preference. Never mind that though, jump on the chance to try any of these if you get one.

Thanks to Anthony and Peter at Pour for a night to remember. Stop by, it's definitely worth the trip!

Cheers/SB

August 27, 2013

Review: Buffalo Trace Experimental 23 Year Giant French Oak - The Frankenstein Beast

Geeking Out on the Road

Heading west from Boston you'll find Waltham Massachusetts and Gordon's Fine Wines & Liquors. We stopped in on the way to the mountains looking for our splurge bottle for the weekend. After almost an hour talking with the fine proprietor, Joe, about whiskey - topics ranging from the merits of craft distilling to up-or-down votes on many bourbons and malts (he loves Laphroaig Quarter Cask - go figure!), it was down to two contenders: Jefferson 21-Year and Buffalo Trace Experimental 23 Year. Well, since you read the title of this post, you already know who won. You can get the Jefferson pretty easily but we'd never seen the Buffalo Trace on the shelf before. And since the BT was a half-bottle and we didn't really plan to drink an entire bottle of whiskey over the weekend, we took a roll of the dice and went for it.

It's Alive! It's ALLLIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVEEEEE!!!

So Buffalo Trace has went and gone a little mad scientist on us. With the Experimental Collection, they're releasing all kinds of different combinations of recipes, barrels, and ages. It's kind of like mixing and matching the different body parts of all their whiskeys, trying to come up with the ultimate beast of a bourbon. (Ok maybe it's more like Serpentor, for those of a certain age).

We don't know how to feel about this. On the one hand, it's cool to operate at the scale where you can try out this many different styles and bottle all of them. On the other hand, why do we want to be the guinea pig? Don't the good folks at Buffalo Trace know the best combination of corn, water, and wood? Isn't that sort of what they do for a living??

Well at the end of the day there are so many different combinations of possibilities that we're willing to suspend disbelief. For the computer geeks out there, it's like open-source whiskey making. Put out all the variations and let folks like us choose the most perfect iteration. Maybe in a small way this post could even help to shape the future of Buffalo Trace. Who knows? Anyway, chop it up Dr Frank! Let's see what you got.

Yes Master, I Shall Bring The Body To Warehouse K!

The cool thing about Dr Frankenstein is that, like any good scientist, he takes copious notes. In this case we get to learn every little detail about the bourbon.

Lab report: Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection 23 Year Giant French Oak Barrel

Total Production: 1 Barrel. They only made one (albeit giant) barrel of it. Herein lies the beauty and the folly of the Experimental line. They only have one barrel's worth of each variation!
Created on May 16th, 1989
Put in a barrel the next day, May 17th. (ok... not sure why that detail is included)
Uses a "Rye Mash Bourbon #2" recipe. So it's a bourbon, aka 51% corn, and has a high rye content
Left the still at 135 proof, entered the barrel at 130 proof
Sat in warehouse K/1, Rick 0, Row 0, Slot 0. Does this mean it was the first barrel in that warehouse, and sat in the #1 spot for 23 years? (We think so.)
And there's more...

It was aged in a very large barrel. Bourbon typically ages in 53 gallon barrels. The giant french oak barrel is 135 gallons. What does this mean? Well some theories would say that in a giant barrel the whiskey would be at less risk to become over-wooded. The larger the barrel, the less wood touches whiskey...
The barrel used was medium to heavy char - referring to the amount of flame used to treat the inside of the barrel. (For awesome char geekery look here)
It was bottled on June 27th 2012 (damn that's hubby's birthday!!!)
46.8% of the barrel evaporated by the time they emptied the barrel and bottled the whiskey (that's the "angel's share")
It's chill-filtered and bottled at 90 proof

Ok enough detail for ya? Let's see how it tastes...

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Coke, with one melted ice cube. Pretty.

Nose: Vanilla, nougat, white chocolate, cherry, light woodiness, a little citrus or maybe crisp apple. Very enticing, pretty awesome nose.

Body: First of all, wickedly smooth. Also very rich and sweet. There's a slight tartness to the wood taste - this is being really picky - but maybe the slightest bit over-oaked. All-in-all though this is a great tasting bourbon.

Finish: Nice round finish. No burn, but a nice spirit warmth. Pretty much just what you look for in a prime-time bourbon. Medium length with some nice rye spiciness coming through, little bursts of red pepper and mint, and a little pleasing saddle leather.

Review

First of all, it's next to impossible to get a bottle of 23 year buffalo trace off the shelf. Pappy 23 Year is pretty much your only shot. But Pappy 23 is a very different beast. It's still got Stitzel-Weller juice mixed in, it's a wheated rather than hi-rye recipe, it's $250 retail (but good luck finding any on the shelves!), and it's sort of the unicorn of bourbon. Don't get us wrong, this is no Pappy 23 Year. But it's not completely out of the ballpark. And this half-bottle was $59.

The similarities are that it's smooth as hell. It's obviously well-aged, immensely drinkable, and outclasses 90% of what you can find on the shelf today. With the rye vs wheat issue, we still prefer the wheat, however they've done a very nice job with the rye recipe. More similarities to Pappy 23: it's dry and punchy, has a tight nutty woody kick to it, and it's crisp and compact. It doesn't have the big plummy sweet brown molasses of an E.H. Taylor or a Michter's 10, it's much more on the side of Elijah Craig with a woody spicy crack. And there's the rub. While it compares nicely to Pappy 23 for less than half the price, does it compare that nicely to a lot of the bourbon you can buy for around $50-$80 a bottle?

Ok enough with the parallels and comparisons. Does it taste good? Yes! We're very happy with this bottle. It's a treat to be able to try 23 year bourbon, it's cool that they put out half-bottles for tasting, and - let's be honest - we love all the geekery around it. And damn it does taste good. Maybe a little more balls on the proofing would put it totally over the top, but for the money and all things considered, it's a solid SmokyBeast "B+". For a splurge half-bottle to split for a special night, this is a great fit.

So our feedback to the experimental committee: Put out more 23-year bourbon! Also how about a wheated giant oak barrel? Finally, we understand that with almost 50% evaporation it might be hard to release at barrel strength, but 95 proof should be the floor. We'll check back in 2036 to see how that turned out.

enjoy/SB

On Second Pour: We always like to go back for a second pour, and when it makes a big difference, we update our posts. In this case, a few days later after this bottle has had time to open up, this is a really great whiskey. The woodiness has mellowed out a bit, the rich caramel molasses has come up to the front, and the overall smoothness is still pretty awesome. Bumping this one up to a SB "A-". It's great. We only wish we'd had the will-power to save a sample to bring home so that we could blind against some Pappy!

August 21, 2013

Review: Tullibardine 1988 - Uncle Jerry's Dram

Unexpected Treasure

It was my uncle Jerry who turned me on to the finer things in life. He took me to Jean-Georges where I ate foie gras for the first time. He threw a surprise party for his wife on their anniversary at Birdland with a private performance by a famous jazz quartet. He would always show up at our holiday dinners with a bottle of single malt. Not as a present, mind you, but so that he'd be sure to have something he wanted to drink. He poured me my first glass of good scotch.

Uncle Jerry never got to read this blog. He passed away a few months before my wife and I started writing it. But his memory is deep in its pages.

This evening, while watching a quiet summer sunset at my family home in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, I found myself looking for a drink. I usually bring a bottle with me from New York to sip on these types of occasions. But between Pack & Play's, snacks, toys, PJs, and enough diapers to pamper China, I forgot the booze. Oh how times have changed. So in desperation I opened up the liquor cabinet and dug through its contents searching for a dram.

My father never picked up the single malt bug, and so I was planning on making due with Dewar's or Maker's Mark, maybe if I got desperate enough that bottle of Johnny Red. I kept digging though, just in case. Towards the back of the shelf, I saw a bottle with a fancy label and a few inches left in it. "Distilled in 1988" sat across the top in white over a blue background. I took it out to study it. I was pretty sure that "Tullibardine" was not in my dad's repertoire. Then I remembered, Uncle Jerry had come up for a weekend a few years ago and of course he'd brought a bottle of scotch with him. As I held it in my hand, the memories came back to me. His smile as he corked the bottle and poured us two glasses. The gray whiskers of his well-groomed goatee crinkling as he swished it around in his mouth, savoring the first taste.

I put on some jazz trumpet (Jerry had played trumped in the Army), poured myself a glass of Tullibardine, and toasted Uncle Jerry. The sun dipped over the hills and turned the sky deep and red in a miraculous show of color. Jerry would have enjoyed this night. A good drink, good music, and family were the things that made him happy.

About Tullibardine

Founded in 1949, the distillery is located in the Perth & Kinross region of the Scottish Highlands. It was mothballed in 1995, however stock of the vintage barrels remained in the warehouse and was purchased along with the distillery in 2003. The new ownership began releasing these old barrels in various vintages. Our bottle, pictured above, was distilled in 1988 and released in 2007 at 19-years of age. The label reads "The 1988 is a fitting celebration of quincentennial of King James IV's coronation. To mark that special event of 1488, King James purchased ale from Scotland's first ever brewery, a beer sprung from the same pure spring water that feeds the Tullibardine Distillery today."

Tasting Notes

Nose: Very delicate, light, and perfumy. This has riesling grapes, sandalwood, rose, lilac, and comes together very much like apple cider.

Body: Soft but full in texture, the gentle years of oak fit beautifully into the floral bouquet. White chocolate, honey, some of the signature leather oil that we find in well-aged scotch, more apples and sweet grapes.

Finish: Very well balanced finish where the wood and spirit level off the little bursts of fruit and candy. No smoke here at all, this is not a smoky beast but a lovely lady. Lemon hard candy (the kind that comes in a circular tin with cursive script on it), vanilla latte, tiny explosions of black pepper and nutmeg.

Review

Our senses are by definition subjective and sometimes it's difficult to separate taste from sentimentality. That being said, this bottle was a perfect compliment to a wonderful evening. Its light and delicate finish was great for a warm summer night. The fruits and smooth wood were marvelously mellow and delicious. Perhaps the fact that it had been sitting in the bottle three-quarters empty for some years increased the mellowness of the malt, but it was incredibly drinkable. Have a slow sip with people you love, and take a moment to appreciate the finer things in life.

Cheers/SB

August 16, 2013

Review: Glendronach Parliament 21 Year - Natural Beastly Beauties

GlenDronach was our first love story with a very lightly peated scotch. From the sordid past of our hero, James Allardice, with his prostitute guerilla marketing department, to its 100% sherry cask aging, to its wonderful dark and natural color, the 15-Year GlenDronach Revival won our hearts and sent our taste buds soaring. When our package arrived from the chaps at Royal Mile Whiskies with our bottle of the 21-Year Parliament bottling, anticipation was overwhelming.

The very thought of another natural colored sherried beauty awaiting us at home tickled our hearts and minds like an old jazz standard.

Battle of the Natural Beauties

So we couldn't resist putting these two beauties head-to-head for a sherry battle extraordinaire. Here are the tasting notes, draw your swords and prepare to fight!

Nose-to-Nose

Revival: Yes, the Swedish Fish are back. Uber-sweet red candy. Some citrus - candied orange peels, and maybe a hint of lemon rind.

Parliament: Beautiful fine wood and fruit. The sweetness is more subtle here. Instead of Swedish Fish it's like ripe plums sitting in a cherry wood salad bowl. The wood has lots more definition - bold oak with a hint of char. The dessert wine and the wood combine for a truly wonderful nose. It smells like an expensive date... the kind that ends well.

Body-to-Body

Revival: Been savoring this bottle since our review a few months ago and now it's an old friend. Thick with some plummy oil, raisins, stone fruits (a "sherry bomb" as it's affectionately dubbed by whisky geeks the world over), a tiny hint of smoke, and a lovely undercurrent of oak.

Parliament: Oh my. That is some good shiznit. So many complex flavors going on here. There's honey, there's fruit, spices and wood. Dramatically more sophisticated than the 15-Year. Let's try and break it down... The 15 is a single malt married with a dessert wine. Pretty straightforward spirit flavor and oak topped with hefty brandied sweet dessert wine. The 21-Year is much bigger. A lot more body with big bold spirit flavors - oak, leather, a hint of smoke, and spicy pepper flakes, and hot mustard. The fruits are still dominant and ever-present, but more refined. Sweet cherries, nectarines, ripe melon. High-cocoa dark chocolate. Just a fullness and richness that's hard to put into words, but is immediately apparent in the head-to-head. Almost like a hint of a very high quality rye whiskey with a spicy dry heat.

Finish-to-Finish

Revival: The sweet syrupy fruits slowly fade, leaving a warm whisky glow. Very nice simple finish, no new flavors being discovered but also no bitterness or burn.

Parliament: It's the same phenomenon where the sweet dessert wine flavor diminishes and is replaced. However in this case there are three waves of flavor experience. After the sweet comes a rich flurry of spices: cinnamon, burnt chili pepper, hot mustard, and orange rind. Then after the spices come florals: herbal wildflowers, rose hips, and mint. Then finally it resolves with a very clean finish of oak floating over a very strong spirit warmth.

Review: We were blown away by the Parliament. It's not to be missed. The extra few percent of alcohol is awesome and really turns up the boldness, countering the sweetness for a terrific balance. We still love the Revival, but this bottle makes it look one-dimensional, taking the sherried-malt quality up a notch with a whole new level of sophistication. It's a really awesome experience. At £58.29 [$90] (note - this is for the UK 700ml size instead of the American 750) the Glendronach Parliament can do battle with any <$100 malt. A SmokyBeast "A". Grab one and treat yourself. Let us know what you think. /sb

August 10, 2013

Review: Stagg Jr., Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof, and Elijah Craig Barrel Proof - Battle of Three Barrel Proof Beasts

We're Up All Night To Get Lucky

There's a new game in town. From the legendary George T Stagg bourbon that rocks the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection every year comes a new, young, barrel proof offspring called Stagg Jr. It's not on the shelves yet. Stores are lining up to get half a dozen bottles. We got lucky.

Queue soundtrack =>

New Stallion in Town?

Sadly the days of finding George T. Stagg, Pappy, and AH Hirsch on the shelves are long gone. Could Stagg Jr be the prodigal son? The little brother who rises to great heights? The Eli Manning, the Serena Williams of the family, ready to step up and take the championship? We put it to the test against our other two favorite barrel proof beasts.

Contenders

Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof (NAS) 67.25%, 134.5 proof $75.99
Stagg Jr. ("nearly a decade") 67.20%, 134.4 proof $49.99
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (12 Years) 67.1%, 134.2 proof $39.99

Let's break it down and see how they do.

Appearance

ECBP: Dr. Pepper.

Taylor: Honest Tea.

Stagg: Chamomile.

Winner: ECBP is the darkest. (Stagg looks extremely dark in the bottle because it's got a strategically placed black label on the back).

Nose

Stagg: Crushed pepper, bitter orange rind, blue cotton candy, canned corn. Hot and heady.

Taylor: Way more refined. Far less hot than the Stagg. Sweet honey, tangerines, herbals - mint, maybe tarragon/rosemary or some other leafy spice. Clove cigarettes.

ECBP: Cinnamon, roasted pecans, smoky pork, oiled leather.

Winner: Elijah Craig wins the nose hands down.

Body (neat)

Granted this is masochism, but it's important to see which is most drinkable neat...

Taylor: Very drinkable. More heat than burn. Shockingly un-painful at 134.5 proof.

Stagg: Way rougher than the Taylor. This is rocket fuel w/o water.

ECBP: Very smooth and rich, also stunningly drinkable at full test. Cherries, Luden's cough drops, but a little less balance than the Taylor.

Winner: Taylor wins the neat taste test.

Body (w/ a dozen eye-dropper drops of water & 10 minutes in the glass)

Stagg: Opens up much nicer than the nose. Now we're getting tastes of old man Stagg. Big bold taste backed by the oak and char. Rich raisins and sweet peaches. Still raw and hot.

ECBP: Not much change with the water. Very nice spice. Hint of licorice. Cherries. Woody.

Taylor: Solid delicious bourbon here. Spice, spirit warmth, molasses sweetness all coming together in a musky, cologne, oiled leather drinkability.

Winner: Tie between the Taylor and the ECBP. Taylor is more refined and balanced, Elijah has more richness and body.

Finish

Stagg: Massive chest warmth and throat burn. Robusto cigar smoke on the breath. Chili peppers on the tongue. It's still showing the youth and breathing fire through the water, but it's a lively and fresh powerful blast of whiskey.

ECBP: The finish is the worst part of this whiskey. A bitterness creeps up, over-sour cherry skin, maybe a rough oak cask taste. It's got all the elements of a nice finish but they don't come together right. The wood doesn't cancel out the burn and the sweetness doesn't compliment the spice.

Taylor: It's kind of "all in" with the Taylor. The wood flavor comes out but doesn't overpower. The sweetness and spice combine into a nice round punch. It's by far the smoothest finish with a nice long lingering campfire-stone smokiness.

Winner: The Taylor wins again for finish.

Overall

Best Value: For the money we give the award to the Elijah Craig. At half the price of the Taylor, it's a very impressive beast. It's way smoother than the Stagg Jr, has a lot more spice, and is easily some of the best valued juice we've seen in a long time. It has a similar flavor profile as Pappy 23 year, with lots of wood snap and a dry spicy crisp crack.

Best Overall: Without considering money, the Colonel E.H. Taylor takes the prize. It's not quite as dark and rich as the ECBP, but with just a few drops of water it's simply delicious. The best all around balance, and honestly this is the closest whiskey to the original George T Stagg. A huge ballsy beast that hits you in the chest but gives you that thick, sweet, nutty, smoky, rich awesomeness that you will be thinking about the next day.

No ribbon for Stagg Jr? We're going to let this bottle open up for a few days and suffer through another greatest hits tasting. After all, the first time we had George T Stagg we'd never tasted anything at that proof before, and it took some getting used to. It turned out to be an all-time favorite. Also it's worth noting that we'd still go out and buy another bottle of this for safe-keeping if it was available. We're talking best-of-the-beast here and although it we couldn't give it gold or silver, bronze in this competition is nothing to sneeze at. It's a big, spicy, hot, punchy new friend that has found a welcome place on the shelf.

We're up all night 'til the sun
We're up all night to get some
We're up all night for good fun
We're up all night to get lucky

/SmokyBeast

Update: Ok, so we put the Stagg Jr. in the decanter, let it air out for a few days, added some different amounts of water (up to 50%), let those air out, and have basically given it every benefit of the doubt. Sadly we can't get behind this. A beast it is! But not a beast that we really care to drink. The nose and body have some interesting flavors, but it's just so hot and burning that it's not easy to drink. We love Buffalo Trace and really had high hopes for this one, but sadly it's getting a SmokyBeast "C-".

August 6, 2013

Review: Talisker 18 - A Seriously Badass Beast

Birthdays, Back Then...

The year: 1995.

Our hero: Your faithful hubby. Today: close to forty (shhhh!) with a bouncing baby girl; Then: a strapping, heavy-drinking, profanity-ridden, late-sleeping, long-haired college junior during a semester abroad on the verge of his twenty-first birthday.

Location: Glasgow, Scotland.

To be precise: A bar on Grange Road, about a half mile in the wrong direction from Glasgow University, that featured thirty beers on tap and thirty different bottles of whisky.

Mission: "Drink the bar."

Background

When I arrived in Scotland for my semester abroad, Americans were known for three traits: They talked too loud, ate too much, and couldn't handle their drink. I set about to change the last one.

Nobly forgoing academics and "alarum" clocks, repeatedly risking life and limb to cross the street against right-bound traffic, I began my training. Queue soundtrack =>

I hit the bars every day at 2pm sharp. We drank. Pints of lager. Pints of "heavy". And whisky. Shots of whisky. Shots of shitty whisky. Grouse. John Powers. Those were the high points. I'm pretty sure the low points didn't even have a name on the label.

The Rise

Maybe it was my stature. At six foot and two hundred-thirty pounds, I was more than double the mass of my average competition. Maybe it was my Russian heritage: drinking was in my blood. But I like to think it was sheer will. Determination. The eye of the tiger. I drank, conservatively, half of the United Kingdom under the table.

My Downfall

On the night of my birthday all my fallen competitors hit back hard. "Drink the bar!" they dared. Thiry pints and thirty shots were lined up. All the jeers and jests of fat, loud, weak-drinking Americans were thrown in my face. I hit that Grange Road pub hard. Keep in mind these were imperial pints. Keep in mind we were alternating said pints with the aforementioned shots of shitty whisky. "Wonderwall" blasted from every available speaker. The room started a slow and steady spin. More pints, more shots. More spins. I vaguely remember giving up on shots versus beers and pouring the shots into the beers towards the end.

Adrienne?!??

I didn't "drink the bar". I did vomit... Repeatedly.

Meanwhile, About 200 Miles North

That same year something much more dignified was happening. Something involving less late-night kebabs and less early morning Irn Bru's. And far less vomiting.

Up in the Isle of Skye, Talisker was brewing a batch of single malt. Like your humble narrator, it probably started brackish, unrefined. But over the years we both mellowed. We gained character. We matured. Well, one of us did.

Talisker 18-Year

It's comforting to think that today I'm drinking something that was born in that same fateful year. The 2013 Talisker 18-Year was distilled in 1995. It patiently aged in oak barrels while I became a (somewhat) respectable citizen, traded my thirty pints for a slow-sipped malt, and came to appreciate the finer things. And this is a finer thing.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Peat & sweet! There's something really wonderful going on here with a gorgeous balance of peat smoke, wood, sweet grapes, and botanicals - sunflowers and tarragon. The tell-tale signs of citrus and sea-brine that take us to the Scottish Islands. And that men's club leather chair smell speaks to sophistication and age.

Body: The body is where we get the spice: cayenne, hot mustard, fresh spring ramps. Sweet honeyed tea moves to the sides of the tongue and the spice collects in front. On the second sip we get peanuts and honey.

Finish: Warmth without burn - this is a dry finish, very solid. Punchy tight smoke floats over a crisp snappy click of green apples and more cayenne pepper. The smoke, spice, and fruit fade evenly leaving a hint of fine cigar tobacco and oak.

Review

Talisker 18 is a wonderful beast. You can taste the two decades of slow ocean breeze and gentle oak nipping away at the warm malt. The quality is undeniable. If you love Talisker, as we do, you will want to have a bottle on your bar at all times. One word of caution: Talisker 18 varies widely in price. Here it is at Binny's in Chicago for $99. Here it is in NYC for $147. Assuming you're closer to a hundred than one-fifty, Talisker 18 gets a SmokyBeast "A-". Pick it up. Celebrate how much you've changed over the last 18 years. Just don't pour it into your twentieth pint and end up puking on Grange Road.

/SmokyBeast

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