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Posts Tagged ‘Whiskey’

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Review: Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year Old

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 7, 2017

old-fashioned-bulleit-sam_3058Bulleit Bourbon is produced at the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The brand traces its heritage back to 1830 when tavern keeper Augustus Bulleit (after a few experimental trials) created the brand and began to market it locally and eventually to areas outside of Kentucky.

My sample bottle of Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year Old Frontier Whiskey was bottled at 45.6% alcohol by volume and is the standard bottle sold in North America. According to the Bulleit Bourbon website, the spirit is produced from a rye heavy mash with of course corn as well as malted barley (68% corn, 28% rye, 4% malted barley). The whiskey was blended from selected stocks which were aged for a minimum of 10 years in new white American oak barrels.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year Old

“… I taste rough burlap and leather, dry alfalfa hay, tobacco, and woody cedar and oak. There is light menthol-like coolness which helps the palate deal with the whiskey’s dryness but only a very light impression of caramel sweetness …”

Please enjoy my review. Chimo!

Posted in American Whiskey, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year Old

Review: Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength – Batch B1/16

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 17, 2017

red-beast-cask-strength-sam_3021The town of Midleton (near Cork City) is home to the largest distillery in Ireland, aptly named the Midleton Distillery. This distillery is part of the Pernod-Ricard group of companies, and it is home to a variety of Irish Whiskey Brands. Powers, Paddy, Tullamore Dew, and Red Breast all are distilled at the Midleton Distillery, as is of course, the largest selling Irish Whiskey Brand in the world, Jameson.  (Incidentally, the Jameson Brand is also part of the Pernod-Ricard conglomerate of companies.)

The Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength Irish Whiskey is made from a mash of Malted and unmalted barley which is triple distilled in copper pot stills and aged in first fill Olorosso sherry casks. The spirit is non-chill filtered and bottled at 57.2% alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength – Batch B1/16

“… Reviewers of whisky often talk about a long lingering finish. This one is the real deal as the combination of oily pot still whisky and concentrated cask strength flavours ensure that a full 20 minutes after swallowing the whiskey I can still taste its rich goodness. This is about as perfect as the exit can be …”

Please enjoy my St. Patrick’s Day review of this stunning Irish Whisky.

Chimo!

Posted in Irish Whskey, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Review: Tullamore Dew Finest Old Irish Whiskey (12 Years Old)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 10, 2017

irish-splash-sam_3025Tullamore Dew Finest Old Irish Whisky has been replaced in the Tullamore lineup by the new 12 Year Old Special Reserve, however bottles of the 12 Year Old Finest are still available (at least in my locale).

Tullamore Dew Whisky is composed of three different mature Irish Whiskies: Irish Pot Still Whiskey, which is distilled three times in a giant copper ‘pot’ still from a mash of malted barley as well as other cereal grains; Irish Grain Whiskey which is distilled on a multiple (two or three) column continuously operating ‘patent’ still from a corn (or maize) based mash with small amounts of malted barley; and Irish Malt Whiskey which is distilled three times on a pot still using only malted barley.

The Tullamore Dew Finest Old Irish Whisky was matured for a minimum of 12 years in oak barrels and bottled at 40% alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Tullamore Dew Finest Old Irish Whiskey

“… The initial breezes above the glass bring fine oak spice and punky caramel with light almond and vanilla accents. As I let the glass breathe the fine oak spices gained momentum, cereal grain joined in along with light baking spices (vanilla, ginger and cinnamon) and the almond aroma deepened somewhat towards marzipan …”

Please enjoy my review which begins a short series of Irish Whiskey reviews which I will publish on the run-up to St. Patrick’s Day.

Chimo!

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Review: New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 18, 2017

beer-barrel-bourbonI first encountered Beer Barrel Bourbon (from Michigan’s New Holland Brewing company) when one of my buddies brought a bottle to one of my tastings and left it with me to review. The spirit is rather unique, a bourbon which is first aged in new American Oak for several years, then finished for 90 days in second use Dragon’s Milk Beer barrels. Dragon’s Milk is New Holland Brewing’s own stout beer which was in fact aged in a used Bourbon barrels.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon

“… The initial breezes throw up light astringent notes of a young corn whisky (fine oak spices, corn, orange peel, almond and vanilla) as well as a few malty beer-like scents. The combination is strange to me, although at this point, it is hard to say whether this is a ‘good’ strange or ‘not so good’ strange …”

Please enjoy my review of this new bourbon from New Holland Brewing.

Chimo Everyone!

Posted in American Whiskey, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon

2017 Rum Howler Awards For Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 11, 2017

rh-winner2017I am a little late with this posting as bad luck (and the bad weather we have been having up north) is playing havoc with my publication schedule. My desktop computer (which I do most of my writing on) crashed after a major software update, and because my truck is in the shop (radiator leak) I can’t get my computer fixed. So I have been working with my old laptop trying to finish my Rum Howler Award Postings.

The 2017 Rum Howler Awards for Whisky should be particularly interesting to everyone as they feature a link to a previously unpublished review for Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Bourbon Whisky, and they also highlight the best scoring (and best tasting) whisky I have encountered (a stunning 30 Year Old Grain Whisky) to this point.

Elijah Craig Old Fashioned

Elijah Craig Old Fashioned

The major whisky trend of 2017 will be the continuation of the micro-distilling revolution. Ten years ago I could count all of the whisky distilleries in Canada on the fingers of my two hands. Now, if I use all of my fingers, and all of my toes, I am not even half way through the list, and the numbers of new Distilleries in the USA is much larger (and those numbers are growing as I write this). Time will tell where this is all leading; but at this point the major beneficiary is the whisky consumer who has more brands to choose from than ever before.

This expansion is of course not confined to North America. Many new distilleries are appearing in the United Kingdom, and throughout Europe. And it is probably true that in India, China, Japan, Australia, and in fact, everywhere that grain is grown, new distilleries are appearing. There is going to be an economic reckoning as at some point, the limit of consumption will be reached, and the world will be awash in excess whisky (and other spirits). I suspect that the economic fallout will catch many by surprise; hopefully those who are entering into this high stakes game (and those who are already there) have a solid game plan going forward.

And this brings me to my 2017 Rum Howler Whisky Awards. All of that great selection has brought us new award winners with whisky better than I have ever tasted before.

Here is a link to my 2017 Rum Howler Award Winners for excellence in the production of Whisky:

The 2017 Rum Howler Awards – The Year in Whisky

 

Posted in Awards, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on 2017 Rum Howler Awards For Whisky

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