Whiskey is Good » Rating: 7.5

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.

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.

Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey

Whiskey is Good — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 23:34:34 +0000

The West hasn’t had much to say for their production of the American Spirt. Colorado wants to change that with Stranahan’s. So, how’d it stand up? It’s a very interesting creation. I’ve always been a bourbon fan, and never too keen on Scotch. Stranahan’s seems to play the field somewhere between. It’s distilled from malt barley, like a Scotch, but the aging process (2 years) is just like a bourbon, bringing in some of the wood and smoke flavors but missing a lot of the sweetness.

If you’re a traditionalist, in the Scotch or Bourbon arena, you might have some difficulties wrapping your palates around this presentation. However, if you like to bounce back and forth between the two, or on the fence with either one, give it a shot. For me, it is a good middle step in opening my taste buds up to the world of Scotch. Very enjoyable, and pushing the bounds of my familiarity.

Note: Each bottle is hand signed, numbered and contains a comment from head distiller Jake Norris about what he was doing at bottling time. Mine said he was “Listening to John Hartford.”

Rowan’s Creek

Whiskey is Good — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:18:01 +0000

I’m a sucker for product labeling and any customer-facing design. So, naturally, when I see something like the label for Rowan’s Creek, I’m very interested. The label looks like it was made by hand, and that’s exactly how the whiskey is made. In small batches, by hand. And you can tell. A nice mix of spice, oak and vanilla compete a bit with the strong alcohol presence, but that is easily overcome with a couple ice cubes or a splash of water. Overall, a nice bourbon, worth the price if you’re drinking it straight. Might want to find something else if you’re mixing though.

Fighting Cock

Whiskey is Good — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:43:07 +0000

Fighting Cock has a great dark amber color, with deep flavors and a touch of spice. It has a sweet, almost maple syrup undertone, which leads to a rich, woody, satisfying finish to the flavors that hit the sides of the tongue. This whiskey works well for a night gathered around the card table with “the guys”, or adding an entertaining bonus for you and your friends durring rounds of an FPS for your gaming platform of choice. I heavily suggest this for anyone who already enjoys bourbon and is ready to step outside of the preverbial barrel.