DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the distiller. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Copper
Nose: Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Port, Maple, Black Pepper, Citrus, Black Cherry, molasses, and oak
Taste: Sweet Corn, Caramel, Vanilla, Port, Black Pepper, Citrus, Black Cherry, and oak
Finish: Long, sweet, and smooth
Score:
Rick: 9. 5/10.0
Sam: 9. 5/10.0
Overall: 9. 5/10.0
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was purchased by me. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Copper
Nose: Sweet vanilla, pepper, citrus, fruit, and oak
Taste: OAK!
Finish: Short with just a hint of pepper Read the rest of this entry »
I’ll start from the beginning, just in case you need to catch up. A couple weeks ago was my 36th birthday and my wife purchased an “Age Your Own Bourbon” kit from Wheat State Distilling. That introduction article is here.
The whole process has been a blast so far. First and Foremost make sure to put the spout in first! I didn’t make that mistake, but it does happen. After installing the spout it is time to prep the barrel for the whiskey. To do that we have to make it swell up by adding hot water to the barrel. I could have used tap water, but I was afraid of the chlorine in tap water affecting my barrel, so I chose to use distilled water heated to boiling in a stainless steel pan. The directions say it can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple days. It took me 3 days. It might have taken less time, but I made the mistake of putting the bung in which causes a vacuum effect and doesn’t allow the water to soak in. After I removed the bung and allowed natural seepage the barrel was ready pretty quickly. I chose to reheat the water daily, not sure if I needed to, but I did. After three days of soaking the wood was finally dry.
The second step is pretty easy, empty out the water then grab a funnel and pour the Bourbon in. Before we did that though we had to see what clear, undiluted Bourbon tastes like. Don’t do it! The nose is just like moonshine, alcohol and yeast. It’s hot, and it tastes kind of like moonshine. However, it is the best moonshine I have tried yet.
We decided to test the barrel weekly, because we have been told that it is easy to overage the Bourbon. It is amazing what has happened in just a week. The bourbon is drinkable! It’s actually decent, not the best, but not the worst either. The flavor has changed so much from our first taste of the un-aged stuff it is wild. It is already a light straw color, and the nose has lost a lot of the yeasty smell from the first tasting. It’s lost the yeasty flavor as well and has taken on slight vanilla and oak notes. I’m really looking forward to trying it out again in a week.
I’ve been looking at getting larger 5.3 gallon barrels to start aging spirits longer. I’ve also been thinking about one of these for each of my boys on their 16th birthday to be poured on their 21st. I’ll keep you all informed as I go. Look for part 2 of this series in a few weeks.
Check these guys out for more information. I just found them and they have a lot of information. Oak Barrels LTD
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome.
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Until Next Time,
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the distiller. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Today’s review is a double. Just feels
like that kind of day! The two bottles are From Detroit City Distillery. They are the Bloodline Whiskey, and Two-Faced Bourbon. DCD was founded by a group of 8 friends from Bath, Michigan.It was opened in an old slaughterhouse and meat-packing facility in Detroit’s Eastern Market. I’ve only seen pictures, but the bar is a large mahogany 20-seat mirrored backed monstrosity built in the 30’s not long after Prohibition. It was disassembled from an another storefront on Broadway,and then reassembled in its’ new home. It wasn’t restored, but rather cleaned to preserve the patina, reminiscent of what some car collectors are doing now. Oh, and to top it all off, these guys started making their hooch at Michigan State University under the watchful eye of their professors. Go Spartans!
Let’s start with the bad news first. The Bloodline Whiskey smells great, but that’s the best I can say for it. We didn’t enjoy it at all. To much of a yeasty new make tone to be enjoyable. To be fair, I have only come across a small handful of “American” whiskies that I really enjoy, and unfortunately this isn’t one of them.
The Two-Faced Bourbon is so named because it is a blend of 49% 1-2 year old bourbon and 51% 5-6 year old bourbon. It’s a satisfactory bourbon. I think given a few more tweaks and some more time in the barrel these guys might have something quite good. As of right now, they have been open for just a little over a year, and it shows. I would love to let them get another year or two under their belt and try them again. For now though, at $55 a bottle, all I can is is, “I’ll Pass.” I appreciate the samples and wish you guys all the luck in the future!
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome.
Contact info can be found HERE and don’t forget to follow us on FACEBOOK and TWITTER!
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I have been forced (willingly) to take the next logical step in my whiskey education. My birthday is in a couple of days, and my wife being the woman she is, always tries to find that one special thing for me. She says that I am hard to shop for. Apparently, my “refined” tastes make it somewhat of a challenge. Well, I think she really took up the mantle this year. She has really outdone herself! Thank you so much my dear, it is perfect!
I know, I know, “Get to it already!”
This year she got me an age your own bourbon kit from Wheat State Distilling, right here in Kansas.In the picture below you can see that it comes with two 750ml bottles of really fresh (distilled 10-07-15) Bourbon, bottled at 125 proof. It also come with a 2 liter barrel, with bung cork and a small spout for tasting as it ages. Lastly, it comes with two tasting glasses. All of this is embossed with the “WSD” logo. The gentleman who sold it to her said that he can also have the barrel tops custom branded if you give them a week or two notice. I’m glad mine isn’t though, because depending on how this turns out I may try other distilleries too, and start a collection of mini-barrels from the distilleries that offer these. I just did a quick google search, and there are plenty! I can already see my wife reading this, and thinking “What I have I started?!?”
I’ll be filling the barrel Saturday, right now I am prepping the barrel by filling it with hot distilled water to swell the barrel. I originally was going to use tap water, but though better of it, because I don’t want any chemical contaminants in the barrel. I want the spirits to shine through, not the chlorine and fluoride! The directions say to place the spout is first, which makes sense to me. Afterwards, fill it with hot water and allow it to swell until it stops leaking, which can take anything from one hour to a few days. So, after a little begging, because my birthday isn’t technically until Monday, I was able to talk my wife into letting me prep the barrel last night. I am contemplating using some of the distilled water that is in the barrel to top off the Bourbon, but haven’t decided yet. I like higher proof whiskey, and I don’t know if I want to mess with experimentation my first time.
The plan is to have a small tasting of the new make Bourbon, and then to fill the barrel and revisit it every 2 weeks. I figure doing it this way we’ll be able to get an idea of the aging process. I don’t have a set amount of time that I will age it, just until it’s good! I hope you will follow along on our journey!
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome.
Contact info can be found HERE and don’t forget to follow us on FACEBOOK and TWITTER!
Until Next Time,
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the distiller. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Dark Caramel
Nose: Pepper, Vanilla, Raisin, Oak, and Corn
Taste: Sweet Corn, Pepper, Raisin, Oak, and vanilla
Finish: Medium Pepper Finish
Score:
Rick: 8.0/10.0
Sam: 8.0/10.0
Overall: 8.0/10.0
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the distiller. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Dark Amber
Nose: Corn, Pepper, Vanilla, Citrus, Caramel, Oak, and a hint of New Make
Taste: Sweet Corn, Black Pepper, Grapefruit, Vanilla, Buttered Popcorn, and Oak
Finish: Short Peppery Finish
Score:
Rick: 8.0/10.0
Sam: 7.5/10.0
Overall: 7.75/10.0
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the distiller. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Amber
Nose: Corn, Pepper, Vanilla, Red Fruit, Caramel, Banana Nut Bread, and Oak
Taste: Sweet Corn, Pepper, Fruit, Vanilla, Butterscotch, and Oak
Finish: No kick Short Vanilla and Oak
Score: 7.5/10.0
Rick: 7.0/10.0
Sam: 7.25/10.0
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Burnished Copper
Nose: Pepper, Vanilla, Corn, Cinnamon, and Oak
Taste: Corn, Vanilla, Spice, and Oak
Finish: Long Fruit finish with cherry, oak and hints of vanilla
Score:
Rick- 8.5/10.0
Sam- 8.5/10.0
Overall- 8.5/10.0
Color: Chestnut
Nose: Sweet Corn, Rye Spice, Cherries, Apples, Pepper, Vanilla, Caramel, Smoky Oak, and a hint of Brine
Taste: Sweet Buttered Corn, Tobacco, Cinnamon Spice, Pepper, Vanilla, Oak, and a touch of Islay
Finish: Long, Smooth, Sweet heat, with a bit of burn. Lingering Oak
Score: 9.25/10.0
Sam: 9.25/10.0
Read the rest of this entry »
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Fresh Straw
Nose: Sweet Corn, Pepper, Vanilla, Oak
Taste: Sweet Corn, Pepper, Vanilla, Oak
Finish: Medium slightly sweet
Score: 6.5/10.0
Rick: 7.0/10.0
Sam: 6.0/10.0
Read the rest of this entry »
This is a first for me, as I usually review Scotch and Bourbon, But when you find a golden nugget like this you just have to share it. This is a review of an outstanding BBQ joint in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I originally went to a place up the street called Whiskey Business, but sadly they didn’t have anything I couldn’t live without. The gentleman working there kindly directed me to Albert G’s, which is just right down the street. The first time I went in I spoke to Tyler, who unfortunately is leaving for the higher elevations (No pun intended) of Colorado. In the 15 minutes I talked to him I could tell that he was knowledgeable, a Bourbonite, and very well spoken. They have around 115 different bottles of bourbon and American Whiskey on their shelves a long with at least six barrel aged cocktails. I was extremely tempted to belly up to the bar and never leave, but sadly it was eleven o’clock in the morning and a little to early to drink, so I promised to come back later in the evening.
![IMG_9281[1]](https://whiskeyandwhisky.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/img_92811.jpg)
Shannon and I at Albert G’s
![IMG_9280[1]](https://whiskeyandwhisky.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/img_92801.jpg)
Me with the original flight
Shannon if you are reading this we need to name this flight after me! Maybe the Bourbonite Flight?
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome.
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Until Next Time,
.
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Toffee
Nose: Charred Oak, Sweet Corn, Banana Bread, Toffee, Cinnamon Spice, Vanilla, Rye
Taste: Sweet corn, Citrus Fruit, Oak, Spice, Smokey Oak, Vanilla, Malt, Rye Bread
Finish: Long and Smooth, Spicy Rye, Charred Oak and some slight heat
Score:
Rick- 9.5/10.0
Sam- 9.0/10.0
Overall- 9.25/10.0
This beautiful Bourbon is 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. It was also sent to me from the fine folks at Sazerac / Buffalo Trace.This is another one of those bottles that just shines. No water, no ice, just sip it neat.
I had a hard time with which “Pocket” to put this in. It ranges from $29.99 – $31.99. Ultimately, I decided that at 29.99 you are still going to spend more than $30, which is the cap. So this one moves to the top of “Bourbon Under $59.99“. It only just squeaked into the top spot. I’d like to do a head to head with this and Bulleit 10 Year Old. On to the review
The nose on this is one of the most complex yet. It has to be drawn out and allowed to breathe. Don’t try to inhale it to fast, it does have a slight burn and can hinder the aromas. It smells so good that you the urge to see what it tastes like is strong. Resist and let the nose be drawn out, it makes the first sip that much better.
The flavor of good bourbon is right there, along with a few flavor profiles I haven’t had before. Rye usually comes through as spice, but with this it was more like bread. The malt was stronger than what I am used to. Not bad, just pronounced. All in all I think the whole mouth feel is what really sets this one apart from the others. It engages your whole mouth. You can feel it everywhere.
When you swallow, you get a nice long finish full of Spicy Rye and charred oak. There is also a bit of heat with this one. It really warms the throat on the way down. It has a slight bite, but not as much as I’d like.
All in all this is a great Bourbon. The price is in the right neighborhood, and it isn’t going to leave you disappointed. Not really a beginners Bourbon, more of an intermediary. It’s definitely something even old pros would enjoy too. Unfortunately I have been sipping on this bottle for the last two weeks, so it is almost gone. Definitely will be buying another one. After trying this, I’d really love to get my hands on the 1792 Sweet Wheat. If you haven’t heard, 1792 is replacing the Rye in their mashbill with Wheat giving it a sweeter profile.
Well this is the last review from the last round of tastings. We have a whole new round coming up this weekend. So look forward to Rum aged in Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrels, Vodka made from corn, and a lot of whisk(e)y. We are still predominantly whisk(e)y, and those first two reviews will be from a whisk(e)y drinkers perspective. Should be fun. Thanks for reading.
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome. Contact info can be found HERE
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Until Next Time,
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Golden Caramel
Nose: Oak, Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Spice
Taste: Sweet corn, Honey, Spice and Oak
Finish: Smooth and Oaky
Score:
Rick- 8.5/10.0
Sam- 8.5/10.0
Overall- 8.5/10.0
If you haven’t seen our newest feature, it is called “What’s In Your Pocket?”. It is a list of whisk(e)ys by price range. After tonight Buffalo Trace will be gracing the top of the Under $30 list. My friends at Sazerac kindly donated this bottle to the cause, it was actually one of three that they were kind enough to let me have. I I have seen this many times at the store but was always a bit hesitant to pick it up. Never again! Buffalo Trace has a very colorful, and long history. Please take a few minutes and check it out HERE. Bourbon aficionados will recognize more than a few names.On to the review.
At first the nose on this is predominantly oak, followed by a hit of sweet corn and vanilla. The brown sugar and spice are at the very tail end but not diminished in the least. The aroma seems to meld together in the nose and tantalize the senses. At first I almost wrote this off as your typical bourbon, but it definitely is not.
The taste is where this really shines. The oak shines through first, coating your tongue in smokey vanilla and A bit of pepper. The corn sweetness rolls through and coats the tongue making way for a bit of brown sugar and honey. At the end of our tasting, this was the bottle we chose to wind down with and enjoy a couple of cigars with. I won’t try to go into details on the cigars, I’m not really an avid smoker, just the occasional cigar if I am given one. I will say this with the cigar was sublime!
The finish was a bit unexpected, I was expecting smooth and sweet, but got spicy pepper and a decent bite for a 90 proof. That was what really sealed the deal for me. I love a good bite at the end. To me that is what lets you know you are drinking whisk(e)y.
Rick said something towards the very end, this is the “Perfect introductory bourbon”. He’s right, it really is. You can’t beat the price. Who’s really going to be upset about spending $20-25 on a bottle of bourbon. Even if you don’t like it you aren’t out much, bourbon is always good to keep around. Everyone has at least one friend that loves whisk(e)y.
So, if you are new to bourbon and you don’t want to break the bank to find out if you are going to like it, this is a great starter. Even if you have been on the road as long as I have, it’s always nice to have a bottle around that you know will never disappoint. That’s all for me tonight, I have a bottle to finish!
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome. Contact info can be found HERE
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Until Next Time,
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Golden Toffee
Nose: Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Apple, Spice, and Light Oak
Taste: Sweet corn, Honey, Spice and Oak
Finish: Smooth and Oaky
Score:
Rick- Did Not Care for it.
Sam- 7.0/10.0
Overall- 7.0/10.0
For the first time, Rick and I were split on a bourbon! I thought it was decent, he didn’t care for it. This particular Bourbon comes from A. Smith Bowman, a Virginia based distillery. They use a triple distillation to achieve what might be the smoothest Bourbon I have ever tried.A little history from their website before we get to the review;
A Smith Bowman bought the Sunset Hills estate farm in 1927 and opened up a dairy and granary. The farm was so abundant that he needed a use for the excess grain from his fields. In 1935, after the repeal of prohibition in the state of Virginia, he built and licensed the distillery. His sons maintained that tradition, continuing to feed the distillers grains to the dairy cattle, which were known to be the most contented cows in Virginia.
In response to the rising real estate prices and property taxes of Northern Virginia, in 1988 the distillery was moved to the current location in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.
The nose is the best part of this bourbon it is excellent. It has all the right characteristics of a great bourbon. The sweet fruit, brown sugar, corn and Vanilla really rush up to greet the nose. It smells divine. The oak and spice are background notes that lend a bit of a darker side to an otherwise very sunny bourbon.
I wasn’t very impressed the first time I tried this. I decided to give it another try and see if it got any better while writing this review. The good news is that it did.The first time I tried it, it was one of 5 that we were reviewing. I wasn’t impressed at all. On its’ own though, it is decent. I definitely recommend drinking this straight. Water or ice will kill it. The sweet fruity note is balanced out by the spice and oak.
The finish, is the worst part for me. I like smooth bourbon, but this one is so smooth it is as if I am swallowing water. There’s no burn, no bite just a slight hit of oak and then it is gone. This is a 90 proof bourbon, where’s the bite?
This is one I would recommend to someone that doesn’t like the whisk(e)y burn. It has a great nose, decent mouth feel, but the triple distillation makes it way to smooth for this reviewer. I wouldn’t pass up a glass, but I wouldn’t go looking for it either. I heard they make a cask strength Rye that is awesome. Maybe I’ll go looking for that next. Try it for yourself. and let me know what you think.
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome. Contact info can be found HERE
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DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Deep Copper
Nose: Alcohol, Corn, Oak
Taste: Sweet Corn, Caramel, Vanilla, Pepper, Oak, Green Apple, Orange, and Pecan
Finish: Long smooth finish with oak and butterscotch
Score:
Rick- 8.0/10.0
Sam- 8.5/10.0
Overall- 8.25/10.0
Thanks to the beautiful folks at Four Roses for yet another wonderful dram. I love that they continue to feed my obsession. Four Roses is one of my go to’s for when I go to the bar and order Bourbon. They really make a great Bourbon, and when I am at the bar I want something that tastes good but won’t break the bank. My local bar has this and the small batch and it is what I order when I go.
I realize that Four Roses makes a couple different expressions of their single barrel. Unfortunately these sample bottles did not come with the neck tag to tell me. So if what you have tastes a little different, that is why. On to the review.
The nose on this starts off with a very heavy alcohol kick. This is a bit of an anomaly, one that was helped by letting it sit for a few minutes. I also found that adding a small hit of water would open up the nose too. After letting it rest I was able to get a better bouquet from it. The aromas balance out nicely once it has had time to rest, the aroma is what you’d expect from Four Roses. I am going to chalk this up to the small sample bottle.
The flavors aren’t affected at all. The sweet corn, caramel, and vanilla are the first to greet the tongue, followed by the green apple and orange. The pecan, oak, and pepper finish out the flavor profile. This is what you would expect from a great mainstream Bourbon. It is very balanced on the tongue, none of the flavors try to jump up for a solo, they seem to mix on the palette in a very nice symphony.
The finish is long and smooth with oak and butterscotch being the prevailing notes. It doesn’t have the bite that I like from Bourbon. It is one of the smoothest Bourbons I have had. The addition of water makes it go down like honey.
I wouldn’t mind having a bottle of this in the cabinet. I’d definitely recommend it to someone looking for a good pour. Like I said earlier they carry this at my local establishment and when I pop my head in it is what I order.
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome.
Until Next Time,
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Light Golden Amber
Nose: Vanilla, Corn, Spice, Caramel and Oak
Taste: Vanilla, Corn, Apple, Caramel, Spice, and Oak
Finish: Long smooth finish with a hit of spice and hints of oak
Score:
Rick- 7.0/10.0
Sam- 8.0/10.0
Overall- 7.5/10.0
This sample was provided by the good folks at Four Roses. This is one of those Bourbons you keep on the shelf when you just want to unwind. A little background straight from Four Roses:
“Mingling multiple Bourbon recipes is an art in itself. Four original and limited Bourbon recipes have been expertly selected by our Master Distiller at the peak of maturation to create a perfectly balanced Small Batch Bourbon that rewards you with a mellow symphony of rich, spicy flavors along with sweet, fruity aromas and hints of sweet oak and caramel. Finishes soft, smooth and pleasantly long. Best enjoyed straight up, on the rocks or with a splash.”
I really couldn’t have said it any better myself.
We enjoyed this neat. I have forgotten to provide this in the past, but I will try my best to remember it in the future.
The nose is nicely balanced. All of the aromas come up to greet your nose pleasantly. The alcohol is a tad pervasive, but not so much as to ruin the experience. The oak stands out a bit better than most Bourbons, not hiding behind the corn or vanilla. I think as far as Bourbons go this is one of the best balances you can get on the nose.
The first sip is very similar to the nose. The only addition is the green apple that makes a surprise entrance. This is a very well balanced drink. the nose and the taste match almost perfectly. This is what I would call a great beginners bourbon. It doesn’t stray to far from the ordinary.I like to have this around for parties, it’s nice enough to taste good but won’t break the bank. The best part is that it is so well rounded it would work for both the bourbon lover and the occasional sipper and not offend anyone..
The Finish is the best part, long and smooth with a solid hit of peppery spice and oak, and a satisfying burn all the way down.
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome.
Until Next Time,
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Light Toffee
Nose: Strong Vanilla, Caramel Corn, Fresh Buttered Popcorn, Spice, and Oak
Taste: Vanilla, Corn, Apple, Caramel, Spice, and Oak
Finish: Long smooth finish with spice, vanilla and hints of oak
Score:
Rick- 8.0/10.0
Sam- 9.0/10.0
Overall- 8.5/10.0
Special thanks to Nancy at Copper Fiddle for getting this to me. Jose Hernandez and Fred Robinson, an architect and a PGA professional, started this distillery in 2012 using a 13 gallon stainless steel still. After many attempts, Jose created a bourbon whiskey and two gin recipes that had their friends and family singing his praises.The Name, Copper Fiddle Distillery comes from the handmade copper pot they use to distill all their spirits. The “Fiddle” is from a family heirloom violin made in 1906. Their spirits, just like the violin get better with age. All of their spirits are handmade; grain to bottle, at their facility in Lake Zurich, IL.
This was really a nice adventure. The way this begins and the way it ends are so vastly different. I was almost put off by the way this started. I will say that at first sip you want to write it off as a nice try and move on, but this is where the story begins.
At first the nose on this is quite heavy on the vanilla with a little oak in the background and a large hit of alcohol. Pretty typical of a young bourbon. The trick with this particular bourbon is letting it sit. This needs the chance to open up. We took our first sip and continued our discussion. It was when I went to drain my glass that I realized the heavy vanilla was gone. It was replaced by what I can only describe as Fresh buttered popcorn. Rick says Caramel corn. Agree to disagree. Bottom line, it was outstanding. A very new experience for us.
The first sip was again a little off, almost tart before mellowing into vanilla with a nice bite. Yet again, letting it sit does wonders for the taste. It opens it up and really brings around all the flavors you would expect from a good bourbon. The fact that it needs to open for a few minutes does not deter from it at all. In fact it is our opinion that the adventure from a 3 at best to a solid 8.5 is one that is quite fun to take.
The finish on this is long and smooth no matter how soon you partake. I was expecting the finish to change too, but it never did.
If you see a bottle please pick it up. It’s a fun experience. I wouldn’t mind having a bottle to keep on the shelf for myself. Definitely a keeper. I think that a bourbon this good at this young is really going to be better with more age.
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome.
Until Next Time,
Color: Toffee
Nose: Peaches and Cream Corn, Vanilla, Oak, Caramel Apples, and a bit of spice
Taste: Corn, Orange Peel, Nuts, Oak, Spicy Rye, and Caramel Apples
Finish: Smooth Long Finish sweet with a nice strong Oak note.
Score: Sam – 8.5/10.0
I got to try this while I was in Topeka for yet another round of training for work. This definitely helped to ease my time there. A little back story before we start. Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. is considered to be one of the founding fathers of the bourbon industry. His started distilling at the end of the Civil War when he purchased O.F C. Distillery. He was an innovative distiller that invented some of the very same methods that we use today. Colonel E.H. Taylor is made by hand, and aged inside some of the original warehouses constructed by E.H. Taylor, Jr.. We have to assume that a Bourbon named after a distiller with this kind of legacy has to be exceptional. It earned a score of 97 points at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, which is 2 points higher than the Pappy Van Winkle 23.
This has a nice toffee dolor. The first smell is sweet corn, reminiscent of peaches and cream corn. The corn is followed by orange, nuts, oak, and caramel apples. The spice rye note was very nice, and complimented the other aromas quite nicely. After a few minutes of nosing it was time for the first sip.
I started neat as usual. It has a lot of the rye spice that dominates the taste and is a little to heavy for my palette. I like spice but this was a little to over the top for me. Next, i added water, just a little added vigorously. This was in my opinion the best way to drink it. It has a nice balanced flavor that really seems to open up with water. I also tried pouring it over ice, this made it to sweet in my opinion and washed out the other flavors to much.
The finish seems to be the best with just added water too. Neat, it is all spice and a hint of oak. With water it is sweet with a nice strong oak finish. Over ice it is just sweet and watery.
I was really quite impressed with this Bourbon. I can’t say it is the best I have ever had, but it is definitely one of the good ones. I’d love to try some of the other expressions, but this is one of those Bourbons that are hard to find. If you see it on a shelf pick up a bottle, you won’t regret it. I personally will be keeping an eye out for this one and the other expressions when I hit the liquor store.
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome.
Until Next Time,
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Deep Gold with Pale Amber Highlights
Nose: Vanilla, Corn, Tart Cherry, Citrus, Spice, Cinnamon, and Oak
Taste: Tart Cherry, Corn, Vanilla, Spice, and Oak
Finish: Long Fruit finish with cherry, oak and hints of vanilla
Score:
Rick- 8.5/10.0
Sam- 9.5/10.0
Overall- 9.0/10.0
I am starting to tire of eating my words. I stated emphatically that I detested flavored whiskey. I even said that I hated it. So, what do those jokers from Cleveland Whiskey send me? Cherry Flavored bourbon! Didn’t I already do a review on cherry flavored bourbon? The nerve of some people. This guy must have a set of cojones on him. It takes a special kind of person to pull a stunt like that. Fact is, he read my review on the cherry flavored Bourbon and still sent this to me. I couldn’t believe it.
But, I am so glad he did!
When we first heard how Cleveland Bourbon was made, we like a lot of others went “NO WAY!!”. we also thought” We’ll try it”. Tom Lix, the man behind Cleveland Whiskey is turning the bourbon world on its ear by aging whiskey in a fraction of the time. It is put in a barrel for six months, then put into some kind of proprietary pressurization chamber with a barrel that from what I gather has been run through a wood chipper to finish for a week. There is more to it than that, but I’m sure that is a trade secret. It doesn’t matter how he does it, all that matters is the end product. So, without further ado.
The color is exquisite, deep gold with ribbons of pale amber floating through it. The nose has a distinct cherry note that for the first time doesn’t detract from the other aromas. This really pleased the nose and was already better than some straight Bourbons we have smelt. It is a nice balance of cherry, corn, vanilla, spice and oak. The cherry is definitely there but it isn’t overpowering at all.
This is bottled at 94 proof so it is a bit stronger than your typical bourbon. We found that the perfect way to enjoy this is to put the bottle in the freezer overnight. The next day pour 3 ounces into your favorite glass and add 6 ml of water to it. This is how we found we enjoyed it best. Adding ice waters it down to much, adding water is good, but to us it just tastes best cold. The forceful addition of 6 ml of water also helps to open the nose when it is served cold. Without water it is a bit bland on the nose. All in all great flavor of cherry and oak at the forefront followed by the more delicate flavors of corn, vanilla, cinnamon, and spice.
The finish is long and lingering bringing a heavy hit of cherry and oak. Very pleasant. I also found that it packs a decent mule kick at the end. I love a good mule kick. It wasn’t bad enough to close the throat just enough to let you know you were drinking whiskey.
I’d definitely recommend this to the guys that are feeling adventurous. Everyone is different so if you don’t like it the way I do try something different. This is a bottle I wish I had more of. It is flavored naturally using cherry wood, instead of some saccharin imitation flavoring that has no business in whiskey. I applaud you Tom Lix, you have changed my mind. If you have tried Cleveland Whiskey please feel free to comment, if not try it first!
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome.
Until Next Time,
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