Category Archives: American

Kentucky Bourbon – 1792 Ridgemont Reserve 46.85%

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Next up in the Kentucky straight bourbon revisit is Sazerac Barton’s 1792 Ridgemont Reserve.

This bourbon is named after the year Kentucky became a state. Originally released as an 8 year, since 2013 the distillery removed the age statement. There was also a wee bit of a kerfuffle over using ‘Ridgemont Reserve’ which apparently people confused with ‘Woodford Reserve’ hence if you search for a bottle today, may only find it labelled as 1792!

1792 Ridgemount Reserve

As usual, we sampled it blind and here is what we found…

1792 Ridgemont Reserve

  • Colour – Dark reddish gold, perhaps a hint paler than the others sampled the same evening
  • Nose – Aged rancio, sweet overripe bananas, strong rye quality, after time became fruity floral with some pepper spice
  • Palate – Dry weak body, cinnamon, astringent on the tongue
  • Finish – Very dry finish

Speculation was likely a straight bourbon with rye – turns out we were right!

Unveiling: The distinct feature of this bourbon is that it is produced in small batches.

For my vote, this is an uncomplicated, affordable bourbon with a dash of rye that could rock as a base for cocktails or an easy option to have on hand for parties. However, given the difficulty obtaining ‘phoren’ (that’s foreign folks!) whiskies in India, this wouldn’t be a top priority bringing back after a trip abroad.

Here’s what others have to say about Barton’s 1792 Ridgemont Reserve:

Other whiskies in our Kentucky bourbon evening included:

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Kentucky Bourbon – W L Weller Special Reserve 45%

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Next up in our Kentucky straight bourbon revisit is Buffalo Trace Distillery‘s W. L. Weller Special Reserve. As they put it “made in Kentucky, enjoyed worldwide.”

W L Weller Special Reserve

As usual, we sampled it blind and here is what we found…

W L Weller Special Reserve

  • Colour – Dark burnished copper
  • Nose – Banana toffee, sweet vanilla, caramel
  • Palate – Spicy honey sweetness, perhaps a pinch of nutmeg? (some disagreed)
  • Finish – Warm
  • Add water – Even spicier, then mellowed out

Comments:

  • “One track… one direction.”
  • “A lot more body than a regular Bourbon.”
  • “Has all the ‘ticks’ for bourbon…. though a bit predictable.”

Unveiling: Straight bourbon with wheat substituting for rye.

Like many other bourbons, what is eminently reasonable as a daily dram in the US is well neigh impossible to find and hardly affordable in India.

Part of the Sazerac stable, this is what the Buffalo Trace folks have to say about their bourbon:

The Original Wheated Bourbon Whiskey features an exceptionally smooth taste, substituting wheat for rye grain. Bottled at 90 proof, this bourbon stands out with its burnt orange color. Its softer flavor notes make this bourbon great for sipping or making cocktails.

TASTING NOTES:

A sweet nose with a presence of caramel. Tasting notes of honey, butterscotch, and a soft woodiness. It’s smooth, delicate and calm. Features a smooth finish with a sweet honeysuckle flair.

Here’s what others have to say about WL Weller:

Other whiskies in our Kentucky bourbon evening included:

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Kentucky Bourbon – A jazzy night in Singapore with Elijah Craig

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After a rather brilliant evening in Singapore with jazz and Elijah Craig, I thought it time to pull up from the archives tasting notes from an evening focused on exploring Kentucky straight bourbon…

(Photo: Whisky Exchange)

(Photo: Whisky Exchange)

Taking our usual approach we tried ‘blind’ then unveiled!

Elijah Craig 12 year 47%

  • Nose – Corn, medicinal, banana, wet leather
  • Palate – Sweet spice
  • Finish – Says hello and then flits off
  • Add water – Spice!!!!

We sampled back in the day when this was still a 12 year bourbon. Now it has been replaced with a NAS version which they say contains whiskey between 8 to 12 years….

We found that it is just what we’ve come to expect from a bourbon! Nothing complicated or nuanced, just good old straight up Kentucky bourbon. And if you happen to be in the US, its cheap too!

Jim Murray has said:

“About as complete a bourbon aroma as you are likely to find…one of the most beautiful noses found anywhere in the world today. A bourbon to keep in the mouth forever.” 

Mike over at Whisky Lately has this to say about Elijah Craig:

Elijah Craig 12 is named after Bourbon folk hero Reverend Elijah Craig. The commercial legend is that Rev. Elijah Craig was the creator of Bourbon. An early Kentucky distiller, he founded his distillery around 1789, but the story goes he was first to give Bourbon its unique characteristics. Apparently some of his whiskey barrels became charred in a fire, which is a key process in the making of modern Bourbon. The accidental results were apparently favorable, and thus, Bourbon was born. That’s most likely not true, but every Bourbon needs a story and that’s a good one.

What others have to say about Elijah Craig:

Other whiskies sampled during our Kentucky straight bourbon evening included:

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Good to the last drop! JD Tennessee Honey Liqueur 35%

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To close our Whisky Ladies evening, we needed something to recover from the disasterous Chinese local hooch!

Galloping to the rescue was an American offering, completely out of synch with the predominantly Far East theme, but a welcome accompaniment to our chocolate pizza (oh yes! that is a thing and it is insanely yummy!).

Enter Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey liqueur..

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey

Whisky liqueurs and other experiments have become more plentiful in recent years as NAS whiskies are given increasingly creative avatars in an effort to capture attention and market share… particularly those not governed by the Scotch Whisky Association rules.

Here’s what the folks over at JD have to say about their Tennessee Honey:

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey is a blend of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and a unique honey liqueur of our own making, for a taste that’s one-of-a-kind and unmistakably Jack. With hints of honey and a finish that’s naturally smooth, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey is something special.

  • Nose – Complex sweet nose, maple syrup and praline
  • Palate – Sweet up front, nutty on the finish, rich without being syrupy

Then proceed to invite you to mix it with lemonade!

As for the whisky ladies? Heck it was sweet JD and we had chocolate. What more can we say?

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Whisky Ladies visit the Far East – Kavalan + Nikka

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Our whisky ladies tend to travel – both for business and pleasure.

This is a huge bonus when you are a whisky fan based in Mumbai as our local offerings are relatively limited.

When one member was stopping at Singapore airport on her return from a conference, she asked for suggestions and ably rose to the assignment to acquire a whisky from Taiwan.

Another runs her own travel adventure company plus her spouse shares her passion for exploring whiskies. Compliments of their procurement prowess, we already sampled the yin yang contradictory character of Nikka Blended Whisky. So when a theme of ‘anything but Scottish whisky’ morphed into the ‘Far East’…. naturally she had a whisky from Japan to share!

We began our evening with an experiment… our host infused grapefruit and rosemary with a local gin to create a highly refreshing aperitif – delightful!

Kavalana Concertmaster, Solist + Nikka Coffey Grain

Kavalan Concertmaster, Solist + Nikka Coffey Grain

We then moved on to our main focus where we contrasted and compared:

From the shores of Taiwan and Japan, we hit mainland China to try a country liquor that was much more fun to puzzle out how to open than taste! It was, in short, undrinkable.

Finally closed our evening with a thimble of JD Tennessee Honey liqueur to go with our chocolate pizza – yum!

It was a delightful change to explore whiskies beyond Scotland for an evening and a reminder that there is a very good reason Kavalan attracts attention for its Solist range.

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Rocky Mountain Breckenridge Special Release 43%

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The final whisky in our American trilogy was from Colorado…

Aged 2 years in charred new American oak barrels. Its key claim to fame is that it uses water from “snow melted from the rocky mountains.”

As always with our original Mumbai tasting group, we sampled blind, then revealed the whisky. Here is what we found…

Breckenridge

Rocky Mountain Breckenridge Special Release 43%

  • Nose – Reassuringly bourbon banana sweet mellow raisins, fruity
  • Taste – The closest to being Scottish in taste, a bit chewy sweet, a very good whisky but was slightly tricky to describe and nothing specific jumped out at us
  • Finish – Light spicy finish
Best quote of the evening:

“Feel like cowboys / gals in leather chaps riding off to the sunset just like in those old Westerns. Yeehaw!”

What do the folks over at Breckenridge have to say?

Deep honey-amber hue with warm, pronounced aromas of under-ripe banana and brown sugar, with spicy notes of white pepper and toasted sesame. Light body with warm texture and long sweet oak, vanilla finish with a touch of bitterness to balance. Reminiscent of a slice of toasted rye bread with honey drizzled on it.

We mash, ferment and distill a lot of Bourbon in house. Our Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys also consists of Barrels selected from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana chosen for their unique qualities, heritage, and ability to marry in our blend, always made from a high-rye mash bill.

Rough Rider, Breckenridge, Russel's Reserve
And that folks, concludes our American tour from the tasting archives!

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Rough Rider ‘Bull Moose’ Three Barrel Rye 45%

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Next up in our American tour was a surprise from New York – bottled by Long Island Spirits.

This rye is matured for only one year and made from a mash of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, matured in three barrels – new American oak, straight bourbon cask, then finished in casks used to age Pine Barrens Single Malt Whiskey. The ‘Bull Moose’ name comes from the nickname of Roosevelt’s Progressive Party, formed in 1912. True Americana!

As usual we sampled blind then revealed the whisky. Here is what we found…

Rough Rider
Rough Rider ‘Bull Moose’ Three Barrel Rye 45% cask select 1

  • Colour – Deeper amber than the Russell’s Reserve
  • Nose – Lemon soapy scented bubble bath, fresh sawdust
  • Taste – Ruafza (sweet rose syrup), sweet on the tongue while harsh at the back, wine notes with a chardonnay brightness or gewürztraminer sweetness, smooth
  • Finish – Very surface level, slightly sour
Observations:
  • One thought had slightly synthetic flavour
  • Another suggested would be best drunk at a brunch, paired with a lemon tart
  • For a one-year old baccha (child),  not bad… but not qualifying for favourites category

Here’s what the folks over at the WineBow group have to say about their Three Barrel Rye:

Crisp with a fruity sweetness on the nose followed by spice, caramel, vanilla and blackberry on the palate with a long, warm, toasty, velvety finish.

Sampled together with:

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Russels Reserve 10 year 45%

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Our monthly whisky sessions tend to have a theme. As our host curates the evening, planning and sourcing is completely his or her domain – we never know what we are in for!

However… there are some clues… for example, one of our club members used to travel to the US for work. So… no surprise that his session had a decidedly American twang with two Bourbons and a Rye!

We toured three different states – Kentucky, New York and Colorado.

First up from Kentucky was the Russel’s Reserve!

Russel's Reserve

Small batch Kentucky straight bourbon matured in ‘alligator-charred’ virgin American oak casks.

  • Colour – Bright amber (don’t let the pic fool you!)
  • Nose – Banana caramel desert, vanilla, spirity with a slightly peaty element, agarbati smoke, curry leaves with a faint hint of fresh mint sprigs
  • Taste – Bitter kerela, baby puke sour, dry and oaky
  • Finish – Still bitter
  • Water – BLAND, tamed the sharpness but added nothing new

Conclusion – A nice, easy drinking whisky. And we all enjoy a bit of that from time to time!

Here’s what the folks over at Wild Turkey have to say:

Master distillers and premier whiskey makers Jimmy and Eddie Russell have brought nearly 100 years of combined experience to artfully crafting Russell’s Reserve 10 Year Old Bourbon. Bottled at 90 proof, this hand selected small batch bourbon has a rich, caramel and vanilla taste and a uniquely smooth finish.

Up next:

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Wasmund’s Single Malt 48%

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During our first encounter with Wasmund’s we decided it is “The bad boy you just wanna go a little wild with and can’t resist!”

Now that I have your attention, shall we delve further into what we found? We first sampled this whisky back in 2013 – completely blind so had no idea what we were in for! We then revisited it in January 2016.

Photo: Copper Fox

Photo: Copper Fox

Wasmund’s Single Malt 48%

  • Colour – A rich almost burgundy hue and we speculated sherry cask… but… ?
  • Nose – Paan! Burnt wood, tarka, bit of citrus, strong, bold with some peatiness, almost medicinal. Pine forest, burnt tires, sweet old wood, leather.
  • Palate – Has an ‘in your face’ strength, some resin, almost like over-cooked sweet n sour sauce – very full bodied. Spice, wood, smoke, chocolate and coffee.
  • Finish – Has some fire yet mellows into sweetness, like a melon, long tail, lasting smoke.
  • Water – Adding water opened it up, bringing out a fruity chewiness, some spice of chillies, cardamom and cloves. Yum!
  • Overall – We found it a complex whisky with attitude – perfect for winter nights in Delhi or on the ski slopes. Not one to be messed around with! In a verrrry good way.

All were surprised with the unveiling. What is most remarkable is that Wasmund’s is matured for only 12 months yet has such character – strong and interesting!

So… what’s this Wasmund’s all about?

Coming from Copper Fox distillers near the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, this whisky is pot-stilled in small batches, one barrel at a time 100% using hand malted, Virginia barley. It is proud to be “the only distillery in the world to use apple and cherrywood smoke to flavor the malted barley.”

Clearly we were off with the sherry cask… instead it is aged in ex bourbon barrels with apple and oak chips. Quite a unique result.

Here’s what the folks over at Copper Fox have to say:

“Rich amber copper color, intriguing aromas and flavors of suede, olive tapenade, honey, dried fruit chutney and clay with a silky, dry-yet-fruity, medium-full body, and long, spicy, orange marmalade on rye toast and root beer float-like finish. Distinctively flavorful and a great choice for artisan cocktails or sipping.”

Bottom line… were we impressed? Yes we were.

Other whiskies sampled with Wasmund’s included:

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Three whiskies, three very different guys… Balvenie Triple Cask 12, Wasmund’s and The Speyside 12

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One of the all time most popular posts on my other blog, Everyday Asia, was a whisky tasting night from October 2013. I don’t quite know why it is the case but folks keep coming back to it over and over and over…

What did we sample?

We blind tasted three whiskies featuring Balvenie’s Triple Cask 12 year, Wasmund’s and The Speyside 12 year.

It may, in part, be due to how we described the whiskies at the end of the evening. With January providing an opportunity to revisit that ‘bad boy’ Wasmund’s, I revived our experience with a wee bit more about the whiskies we sampled:

  • Balvenie Triple Cask – The guy who tries to be 1st in class, lovely to meet, some possibilities but…
  • Wasmund’s – The bad boy you just wanna go a little wild with and can’t resist!
  • The Speyside – The guy you can count on, a companion. In short – the marrying type!

Curious what others have to say too!

2013-10-17-OakLeague

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