Whiskey is Good

Whipper Snapper

Whiskey is Good — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 19:13:39 +0000

So far, the furthest west we’ve made it is Colorado (Stranahan’s). Now we’re heading all the way to the West Coast. Ransom’s new “hi-falutin’” whiskey comes in and doesn’t really follow any rules. First off, they start with malted barley, like Scotch, but then go off the chart by mixing in some Kentucky White Dog. Then comes the aging. Some in new American whiskey barrels, some in used barrels, and some, get this, in used pinot noir barrels, aged for about a year and then mixed together to make the best blend.

All this no rules following means one of two things. If you’re a traditionalist, please avoid. However, if you’re up for something new, it’ll give you something to get excited about. The nose is very Scotch heavy. Once it hits the pallet, it transitions quickly from Scotch to amazingly smooth White Dog to a light, slightly bitter, crisp clean finish. I like it.

Old Weller Antique

Whiskey is Good — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:00:51 +0000

After loving the W. L. Weller 7 Year bourbon, it was necesarry for me to try another product from this company. By sight, it is in the middle of the spectrum for amber color.The aroma has the stout smell of alcohol heavily overpowering the subtler notes of sweet maple and smokey notes. Experience has well enough tought me what would come next in the tasting. The burn overpowered my tongue as it had overpowered my nose. Though, not to my total dissapointment. I did pick up the honey flavor under the alcohol. Which, is added to the bourbon by “wheating it”. Other flavors to note are: vanilla, maple syrup, a very slight nuttiness, and of course the sweetness inherent in most bourbons. The finish was on the long side of medium, and was harshly spicy.

Buffalo Trace

Whiskey is Good — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:40:27 +0000

Buffalo Trace has a unique quality, not in its smell and not in its taste, but in its burn. I would almost go as far as to call it a sting. That sting is what I think many people refer to as an alcoholic beverage being “dry”, and I am not into dry bourbons. It has a sweet corn flavor, added on top of vanilla, and a nice mild spiciness. The smell, and burn are a little unpleasent in that my first reaction was that my eyes watered from my nose being on fire. That being said, this is not completely an unenjoyable whiskey. It has the cask charred oak flavor, smokey hints, and sweetness that draws me to bourbon as my favorite whisk(e)y.

Glenlivet 12 Year

Whiskey is Good — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:21:13 +0000

The Glenlivet is somewhat of a legend in the world of scotch for both its history and for where the distillery is located, the region of Moray. (If you decide to look up Glenlivet’s history, you should also look up Andrew de Moray, the lesser known partner to William Wallace.) Glenlivet is a single malt, meaning that they soak the barley for several days, allowing the starches in the barley to convert to the sugars needed for fermentation. This particular Glenlivet is aged for 12 years in oak barrels that were previously used to age other spirits or wines – usually bourbon (a plus) but sometimes sherry or port.

The result is quite pleasing. You get a great mix of the flavors of the oak and malted barley with the flavors of what was previously in the casks. The outcome here is a sweet, almost fruity smell with a pretty hefty sting of alcohol. The taste is very smooth and the bite of the alcohol takes longer to come on than a standard bourbon or whiskey would.

Benromach Traditional Speyside Single Malt

Whiskey is Good — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:30:21 +0000

Re-opened by Prince Charles in 1998, this distillery produces a variety of bottlings, of which the Traditional is the probably the youngest. And you can taste it. The absence of barrel taste makes me wonder if this qualifies as scotch, and the variety of other flavors (cream, smoke, citrus, flower) is a bit egregious for my taste. That said, the blend could be interesting for some, individual flavors aren’t too poignant, and the overall taste is mild. (Sorry for the low quality image. We’ll get a better one if we can find it.)

Sam Houston Small Very Small Batch

Whiskey is Good — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:40:33 +0000

The $30 price range is often a bit shady. It can be a good bourbon at a respectable price, but is often a bad bourbon hoping the price will make you think it’s good. Because of this, I often avoid it. Sam Houston however is the former. It has a nice spice due to the high rye content. That doesn’t over power the other flavors though, fruit and oak. Overall, if you’re looking for something different, sometime with a little character that doesn’t cost a fortune, just look for the first president of the Republic of Texas on the shelf of your liquor store.

Johnnie Walker Red Label

Whiskey is Good — Mon, 24 May 2010 01:33:26 +0000

For the first ever Scotch review on Whiskey Is Good I felt it was fitting to pick something that could be an entry Scotch, a base point to build on a lifetime of scotch drinking enjoyment. So, naturally the best place to start would be the world’s most widely distributed brand of Scotch – Johnnie Walker Red Label – a blended Scotch Whisky, meaning they mix malt (made only from malted barley) and grain (unmalted barley and other grains like corn or wheat) whiskies in order to get the flavors they want.

So, what’s the verdict? Honestly, if you’re a seasoned Scotch drinker, Red Label may do little for you. The generous blending gives way to a milder set of flavors and a fairly faint finish. But, if you’re new to the game, this could be a good way of getting used to the different feel of the Scotch.

Baker’s 7 Year

Whiskey is Good — Fri, 21 May 2010 02:34:14 +0000

If you are looking to get away from the average bourbon for the weekend, then this is where you should go to vacation. Baker’s is crafted by the same fine distiller that brings us Jim Beam, and they hit the mark dead on with this one. It has a nice amber and brown color in the bottle on the shelf. The aroma is semi-sweet with vanilla, caramel, and maybe a little hint of fruitiness. The flavor impressed the hell right out of me. The bite is mild-moderate, and it steps away from the natural sweetness of bourbon towards a nice peppery flavor that has a smooth texture, and a medium-long finish.

Virginia Gentleman – Small Batch

Whiskey is Good — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:42:34 +0000

As you know, we like to give states other than Kentucky a voice, too. This week’s offering is a hybrid: Virginia Gentlemen, distilled by A Smith Bowman Distillery is distilled three times, twice in Kentucky by the Buffalo Trace Distillery, then again in Virginia where it is aged in charred barrels, officially making it bourbon.

So, does this third distilling across a state border make it any better? In my opinion, not at all. It seems it just misses in almost every way. Straight, it’s too harsh. Mixed, it’s too sweet. The flavors you want don’t seem to stand out in the right ways, or at all, and the flavors you want to be subtle jump to the front. All this being said, it has won numerous awards and has a decent name for itself, but in my opinion, not a great showing. I would suggest sticking with Buffalo Trace’s own label instead of venturing into this line.

Four Roses

Whiskey is Good — Thu, 06 May 2010 19:07:48 +0000

Generally, this bourbon smells very sweet, very syrupy at first, which I enjoyed thoroughly. Being aged 6 years, I was a little surprised at the bite that it had. I noticed a blend of spiciness and a pleasant oaky taste mixed with just a hint of honey, which is the second time I have noticed honey in bourbon. I would recommend this to people just starting out on bourbon and looking to get away from the status quo.