Spirits

Jul 30 2014

George Dickel Rye Whiskey

Our resident Whiskey Guy is “Tampa Jim,” Jim Alexander, who tells me he can’t drink beer. Since Dave can’t drink whiskey (that often, at least), here’s Jim’s take on…George Dickel Rye Whiskey.

I have a big soft spot, going back a good 35+ years, for the products from the George Dickel distillery. Their #8 was, along with Jack Daniel’s Old Number 7 Black Label, seminal in my introduction to whiskeys as a young man. This rye whiskey is produced for George Dickel by MGPI in Indiana then sent back to Dickel to be run through their Lincoln County Process. This one is George Dickel Rye Whiskey, and let’s drink up!

George Dickel Rye Whiskey Review

Taste

As with many self respecting ryes, George Dickel Rye Whiskey starts off with a nice spicy nose. What follows though gets a bit muddled. There’s some maple but the heavy oak makes this rye pass across the tongue in rougher fashion (a tad thin I would add) than is desired but, it still manages to finish reasonably well. Something of a conundrum.

Profile

45%ABV, 90 Proof

Value

$26.95, 750ml

Metasip Grade: B

George Dickel Rye is a respectable whiskey and a heck of a good bargain. It is, for my tastes, better suited for use in cocktails than it is for the sittin’ and sippin’. Pretty good for daily spillage.

Jun 13 2014

Auchentoshan American Oak

“American Oak.” How boldly non-European for this single malt scotch whisky. This Auchentoshan (with no specified age) has been matured in first fill American oak bourbon barrels and triple distilled. This triple distillation is something Auchentoshan insists on for all its whiskies which results in a higher ABV and usually a lighter nose and taste. Their American Oak is a great intro to the modern Auchentoshan.

So: real talk here. I usually check Master of Malt to learn more about scotch that I’m interested in—usually before I buy them, but sometimes afterwards. This was an afterwards: and they don’t even have it yet. That’s how new this release is.

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American Oak was produced under the purview of the woman that’s been called “The First Lady of Scotch,” Rachel Barrie, who holds the title of Master Blender for not only Auchentoshan, but also Bowmore and Glen Garioch, having moved to this post after serving as Master Blender for Glenmorangie and Ardbeg for 16 years. A chemist and research scientist by training, she treats her profession as a blend of science and art. “Usually I look for a sense of place,” she says.

Nose:

Vanillin, touch of citrus zest, caramel. Terrifically rich to the nose.

Taste:

The vanilla and caramel from the nose carry through to the tongue, joined by oakiness and a touch of spice. That oak? Like a fresh wood floor. Incredibly oaky, which becomes one note, held. Especially when contrasted with their Three Wood, which is one of my favorites and wonderfully well-rounded. The American Oak has a relatively crisp finish, though the usual scotch warming tingle takes place just afterwards, especially after the first sip. Smooth but not super easy drinking, by scotch standards.

No leather, no peat, and little smoke—and what little of it there is hovers near the finish—for those who don’t like those characteristics of scotch. This would be a good step number two for people just getting into scotch.

Profile:

40% ABV

Value:

List is $39.99 for 750 ml. If you’re Chicagoland-local, Binny’s has been putting American Oak on sale (as long as you have a free membership card) for five bucks less than list, at $34.99, but has been running out of stock regularly.

This is just a smidge more expensive than Auchentoshan’s Classic ($29.99), which it may be destined to replace, but less expensive than the other Auchentoshans, the Three Wood being the standard-bearer ($64.99).

Metasip Grade: B+

Excellent for its price point, but a little too one-note for an A-level grade. While normally I’m loath to use single malts in cocktails, this one from Auchentoshan’s site strikes me as particularly spritely for summer: Whisky-a-Lolo.

Jul 29 2013

Prichard’s Tennessee Whiskey

Guess what? We decided we needed to review more whiskey. So we did. Read on…

We know we have a small sample size here: first a Moonshine, then Bulleit Rye. So we thought we’d take a look at something from a brand called Prichard’s. Here goes:

Prichard’s Tennessee Whiskey Review

Prichard’s is a relative newcomer in the Tennessee whiskey field, third behind the rather bigger dogs Jack Daniel’s and George Dickel. The distillery styles itself as a small pot, craft producer.

Taste

Pop the cork and Prichard’s Tennessee whiskey has decent nose. On the tongue you get what you’d expect out of a Tennessee whiskey (caramel, oak, vanilla) plus a little more corn than usual. It also has some pleasant fruit notes. Smooth going in, stays on the back of the throat on the way down.

Profile

40% ABV, 80 Proof

Value

$39.95 Retail, 750 ml

Metasip Grade: C

For all the world I could not differentiate this whiskey, sufficiently, from any number of its more well known competitors. It comes off tasting an awful lot like George Dickel #8, all caramel and oak with a smattering of otherwise basic accents. It is smooth, goes down easy and is quite inoffensive but, not remarkable in any sense. It simply does not stand out.

Jul 05 2013

Bulleit 95 Rye Whiskey

Bulleit Bourbon is known for their, well….. bourbon. They ventured into the rye whiskey field in 2011 shortly after they were added to the Diageo portfolio of distilled spirits. So,we have a small batch (read: craft) spirit produced by a consumer goods juggernaut who promised to be hands off in the distilling decision making. Here we go again…. or not?

Taste

First thing’s first. Out of the gate you get a pronounced, and spicy, rye punch. There is no mistaking this rye for anything else. The punch is short lived and mellows surprisingly fast and well. Bulleit 95 Rye Whiskey comes with no alcohol burn. None at all. It is one smooth whiskey that finishes very clean. None of the lingering back of the throat bouquet you find in its bourbon brother.

Profile

45% ABV, 90 Proof – No kidding. This is your father’s whiskey.

Value

$27.95 Retail, 750 ml

Metasip Grade: A

Seems Diageo was good for their word, leaving the product up to the distiller. At under $30 a bottle, Bulleit 95 Rye Whiskey is a steal. It compares favorably to rye whiskeys with better pedigree and costing significantly more money. I keep this one in my cabinet at all times.

BTW, I liked it so much, I created my own recipe. Here goes:

Old Jim Fashioned

2-3 fingers Bulleit 95 Rye

Lime Peel

Ginger Ale

Peychaud’s Bitters

Pour the Bulleit over ice, zest the lime peel into the glass (put the peel in for good measure), give a few good splashes of bitters and top with your desired amount of ginger ale.

Jun 19 2013

Midnight Moon Moonshine

Editor’s Note: We enlisted the help of world traveler and sometimes moonshine shopper Sondra Morin for this review.

Driving north on I-95 from Massachusetts to Maine, the highway winds through a small patch of tax-free New Hampshire. Located on either side of the highway is the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet, a must-stop for any traveler seeking tax-free spirits. Of course, there are two types of consumers who enter the store:

The consumer who stops by just to see what’s on the shelves and if it might be worth it to buy a tax-free bottle of whiskey, and
The consumer who plans to stockpile a grocery basket with as much tax-free wine, beer, and liquor as possible.

I happen to be the first type of consumer, so I went straight to the whiskey.

Moments before walking away with a bottle of Knob Creek, I noticed rows of fancy black-and-white-labeled Mason jars on the lower shelf that read “Midnight Moon.”

Moonshine! I put the Knob Creek back and inspected the jars. Cherry moonshine caught my eye first, then I noticed that there were jars of straight moonshine, blueberry moonshine, and blackberry moonshine. Blackberries being my favorite New England berry, I opted for that jar. $18.99. Blackberries soaked and floating at the bottom. Tax-free.

Midnight Moon Moonshine Review

The company behind this exotic elixir is Junior Johnson, specifically “Junior Johnson’s Family Recipe.” Midnight Moon Moonshine: Distilled from Corn is an excellent way to brighten up a party, but be sure shots are taken lightly or not at all.

Taste:

Sipping it straight or on the rocks is not recommended – even with blackberries, it tastes like cough medicine and torch ignition. You could blow fire with this stuff. One berry is about the equivalent of a whole shot, so eat one slowly. Though quaint, a jar is not ideal for pouring any alcoholic liquid. Use a small ladle, tablespoon, or melon spoon to serve the liquid – pouring straight from the jar causes spillage.

Profile:

It’s Moonshine. 50% ABV. 100 Proof. Whoa!

For me, I figured the best way to put this through its paces was by making a recipe of my own.

The recipe I concocted for the elixir is a Moonshine Spritzer:

2 Ice cubes

2 Tbs Blackberry Midnight Moon Moonshine
1 Fermented berry from the bottom of the jar
6-8oz Lime Seltzer

Slice of lime (for garnish and to squeeze in the juice)

For more sophisticated recipes, Junior’s Midnight Moon has a list of fancy drinks on the website, including a Strawberry Shortcake Martini.

Value:

$18.99 – but tax-free. So if you’re in a tax-heavy state (I’m looking at you, Illinois), jack that up by $2 or more a jar. And, if you use it in recipes like the one above, or you take your time sipping it straight (RECOMMENDED!) then, you’ll get a lot out of one jar.

Metasip Grade: B.

It wins in character, but loses for practicality.