Category: Whiskey

Traverse City Whiskey Co. has a solid lineup of core products, 9 to be precise, but what’s the fun in only releasing the same whiskies repeatedly? They recently released a new trio of Wine Casked Whiskies; two Bourbon’s and a Rye, each finished in a different type of wine.

Their standard five-year Bourbon is finished in Ruby Port Barrels, their 100% Rye is aged for over 5 years and then is finished in Cab Franc barrels (Cabernet Franc is the parent grape to both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon wines). Last, but certainly not least, is their High Rye Bourbon, also aged for over 5 years, this was put into PX barrels! I’m probably most excited about the high rye, ‘cuz I love a PX cask finish!

One bit of housekeeping before we move on: I received these samples compliments of Traverse City and their PR agency in exchange for my honest feedback and review. While life would be much easier if I was on the take like a dirty cop, I’m not, and all my reviews are honest. The presence or absence of a media sample never affects the outcome. That said, I need a drink…



Let’s start with the Cab Franc Finished Rye. This was put into the barrel for first maturation on March 24, 2017, at 123 proof, and was dumped on May 11, 2021. Then it went into a Cabernet Franc barrel from Leelanau, Michigan for 22 months and was bottled at 97.5 proof. One quick note, I do not particularly enjoy rye whiskey so my tasting notes for this expression are gonna be pretty weird.

Appearance: In the glass, this is a nice brown leather with some orange undertones.

Nose: The typical rye spice, while present, is dampened by the wine cask finish. There’s also an earthy/mustiness that leads into notes of cocktail cherries.

Palate: Wow this is a weird palate. It’s got the funk of a whiskey distilled before the 1980s, but it also has a “sour dirt” taste. Like imagine the taste of dirt and sour candy combined, that’s what this reminds me of. On the back of the palate, you get that typical rye spice with a touch of red wine sweetness.


Next up let’s go to their Port Barrel Finished Bourbon. This was barreled on July 22, 2015, at 119.81 proof, and then dumped on October 6, 2020 and transferred to a Ruby Port barrel where it sat for 15 months until it was bottled at 100 proof.

Appearance: In the glass, this is almost copper coloured.

Nose: While present, the port isn’t overly powerful on the nose it reminds me of jaffa cakes. Once you get past the jaffa cake, there’s a hint of what can only be described as silly putty, as well as a lot of oak.

Palate: The palate explodes with chocolate and spiced fruit which is immediately followed by a blast of supercharged sour coating. The port is acting almost like a protective coating around all the other typical Bourbon flavours; vanilla, chocolate, oak, cherry, and butterscotch. All of those flavours are still there, but they’re encompassed by the finish.

Last but not least, let’s taste the PX Sherry Cask High Rye Bourbon! As I said above, I’m a sucker for PX so I’m very excited for this one. Made with 36% rye in the mashbill this was barreled on September 26, 2015, at 113.42 proof and was then dumped on October 20, 2020, before being put into PX for 28 months!

Appearance: Of the three so far, this has the darkest hue. It almost looks like a glass of straight PX sherry, but not quite that dark.

Nose: Maple syrup, milled oats, powdered cacao, subtle notes of mango followed by strawberries and cream.

Palate: It’s like taking a bite out of an English cookie, tastes kinda “mealy” though the finishing cask lends it a nice sweet back note. There is a surprising amount of black pepper in this whiskey, but that’s slightly offset by a mellowed PX sweetness. This whiskey reminds me of Knott’s Strawberry Shortbread cookies.

A fixture in Rock ‘n’ Roll culture, and a favourite of Ol’ Blue Eyes, Jack Daniel’s is a cornerstone of American Whiskey. But we’re not talking about your daddy’s Jack today; no, we’re talking about the first age-stated release from Jack Daniel’s in over 100 years as well as the brand new Jack Daniel’s 12-year-old!

In 2021 Jack Daniel’s announced a 10-year-old, which will be an annual release, and shortly thereafter @comingwhiskey on Instagram discovered that a 12-year-old was also submitted to the TTB for label approval.

One bit of housekeeping before we move on: I received these samples compliments of Jack Daniel’s and their PR agency in exchange for my honest feedback and review. While life would be much easier if I was on the take like a dirty cop, I’m not, and all my reviews are honest. The presence or absence of a media sample never affects the outcome. That said, I need a drink…


Jack Daniel’s 10-Year-Old Batch 2:

Appearance: in glass, this presents as a dark copper with a subtle rusty hue.

Nose: Notes of charred oak give way to cherry cola, cardamom, and cinnamon. Followed by notes of honey and caramel. An unusual note, that can only be described as watered-down oak, runs through this dram. There’s also an herbaceous note that is like a mild eucalyptus.

Palate: This is a pretty mild dram. Mostly notes of caramel, and oak, with a slight mintiness on the back end. For 97 proof this is extremely light, and lacking in flavour.

Jack Daniel’s 12 Year Old Batch 1:

Appearance: in glass, this presents as a dark honey/caramel.

Nose: This is a really unique nose. I’m getting a kind of vanilla, caramel, oak, and corn amalgamation that I can only describe as belonging to a Wild Turkey product! Past that there are notes of cinnamon, and a very subtle note of adobo sauce.

Flavour: Wow, there is a burst of flavour here! Oak, caramel, vanilla, chili peppers, cardamom, cinnamon, and maple syrup all blending with each other. The mid and back palates are full of leather and tobacco. A stunning dram, and especially approachable at 107 proof!

 

Dixon Dedman, of Kentucky Owl fame, has launched a new brand; 2XO Whiskey. 2XO, which stands for Two Times Oak, is a newcomer to the game, but like most brands that come from a successful Whiskey maker, it’s already seeing fairly widespread success.

From their website: “2XO is a unique blending process where Dixon re-barrels his hand-selected whiskey into new charred oak barrels to create a unique combination of intense flavors, character, and complexity. Each blend is limited, one-of-a-kind and has its own story.”

Dedman has released two SKU’s to date: The Phoenix Blend, and The Innkeeper’s Blend. Recently he was in Los Angeles for a tasting with some members of the local Spirits media. Unfortunately, I was in San Diego during his visit, but thankfully I was able to connect with his PR agency and they were gracious enough to send me a sample of both releases.

One bit of housekeeping before we move on: I received this sample compliments of Dixon, 2XO, and his PR agency in exchange for my honest feedback and review. While life would be much easier if I was on the take like a dirty cop, I’m not, and all my reviews are honest. The presence or absence of a media sample never affects the outcome. That said, I need a drink…

“The Innkeeper’s Blend is the second small batch blend in the brand’s Icon Series. The Innkeeper’s Blend pays homage to the Dedman family’s century-plus history in the hospitality industry, as previous owners of the famed Beaumont Inn on Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail” reads an excerpt from their website describing the Innkeeper’s Blend which is just hitting shelves.

As The Phoenix Blend is essentially sold out, I will only be reviewing The Innkeeper’s.

Appearance: In glass this is a deep caramel with orange hues.

Nose: This opens with subtle notes of grape, and a blend of paprika, clove, and garlic powder. There is an overarching oak note, as is to be expected for a whiskey called “Two Times Oak”, which runs parallel to a sweet after dinner pillow mint.

Palate: The palate opens with the taste of sweet oaked water, followed by notes of black pepper, and a mild buffalo wing sauce. There’s a wonderful toasted oak note that starts on the mid palate and stays through the finish in addition to some notes of vanilla. The back palate has notes of cherry cola, as well as a vanilla custard that is a hybrid between a Boston Creme donut and crème bruûlée custard.

For 104 proof, this is dangerously easy to sip on.

With a history as storied as some Scotch brands, Old Forester is easily one of the best known Bourbon brands and is the first Bourbon to be commercially sold in sealed bottles.

Originally created by Former Master Taster Jackie Zykan, the 117 Series is the first Old Forester series to feature a woman’s signature on the bottle. The releases up until recently had all been selected by Zykan and have included High Angels Share barrels, barrels from Warehouse K, and two different 1910 releases: an extra old, and extra extra old.

This most recent release is the Warehouse H, which according to Old Forester “is symbolic of [our] growth after WWII. Construction on the brick warehouse began in 1946, housing 50,000 barrels. The 4 story, 8 chamber warehouse was designed to be heat cycled in the winter months when temperatures dropped below 60 degrees and the maturation process ceased. Warehouse H is unusual in its heat cycling profile with the 1st floor sometimes hitting the highest temperatures.”

One bit of housekeeping before we move on: I received this sample compliments of Old Forester and their PR agency in exchange for my honest feedback and review. While life would be much easier if I was on the take like a dirty cop, I’m not, and all my reviews are honest. The presence or absence of a media sample never affects the outcome. That said, I need a drink…


Appearance: In the glass this Bourbon presents as a beautiful golden honey.

Nose: There are notes of vegetable tanned leather alongside the OldFo’s usual off-sweet/sour note as well as some mocha notes. Following that is a subtle aroma of honey graham crackers with notes of caramel and toasted oak. A very subtle caramel apple helps to round out the aromatics with a touch of mint.

Palate: This is a surprisingly delicate Bourbon for Old Forester. Soft but prevalent creme bruûlée leads into silky caramel, and notes of barrel char. That is followed by a nice corn-forward sweetness, and a very subtle fruitiness that tastes like it was from a wine yeast. A little bit of dark chocolate truffle and cocoa powder round out the finish on this Bourbon.

Hardin’s Creek is the newest line of products from Jim Beam, which according to the press release “will chart the ongoing story of the Beam family legacy, one that is more than 227 years in the making, through highly limited and rare releases. Hardin’s Creek is the next generation of boundary-pushing, premium American Whiskey inspired by the expertise of seven generations of Beam Master Distillers.” This is the first brand under the leadership of Freddie Noe, the 8th generation Beam family member to be master distiller!

 

I have the pleasure of reviewing the first two whiskies from this new label, the “Colonel James B. Beam” Kentucky Straight Bourbon and “Jacob’s Well” Kentucky Straight Bourbon.

 

One bit of housekeeping before we move on: I received these samples compliments of Jim Beam and their PR agency in exchange for my honest feedback and review. While life would be much easier if I was on the take like a dirty cop, I’m not, and all my reviews are honest. The presence or absence of a media sample never affects the outcome. That said, I need a drink…

 

We’re going to start with the Colonel Beam Bourbon:

This is a two-year-old Bourbon bottled at 54% and was made to honour the legacy of Colonel James Beauregard Beam, better known as Jim Beam. This Bourbon celebrates the fact that once prohibition was repealed “it just took 120 days” for Colonel Beam to get the Clermont distillery running again.

 

Appearance: In the glass, this Bourbon Is a beautiful amber honey.

Nose: It has warm notes of toffee and caramel. There are hints of flan and Dulce de leche as well. There’s also a very subtle but approachable corn sweetness. There are some earthy musk undertones and a bit of milk chocolate as well as a subtle wheatiness

 

Palate: Surprisingly soft start with notes of malted wheat and the same corn sweetness I found from the aromatics. It’s a very warming and mouth-filling dram. Really delicious and approachable. Flan, and Dusted cocoa powder with a slight oakiness all throughout, but it’s not overpowering. It’s welcoming and adds to the full encapsulation of your palate.

 

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Next, we’re going to discuss Jacob’s Well. This is a really interesting product as it’s a blend of 15 and 16-year-old bourbons with two different mash bills. The 16-year-old is a “traditional bourbon” while the 15-year is a “high rye bourbon blended to achieve a depth of flavor unlike any other in Beam history”. This also clocks in at 54% ABV and is double-distilled in Column stills.

 

Appearance: This Bourbon is one of the darkest I’ve ever seen, in the glass it presents as almost a caramel molasses.

 

Nose: If I could just write “chef’s kiss” for the aromatics, I would. This has such a wonderful aroma, notes of apple, and caramel, a soft wheat character, and a slight nuttiness. It’s a very dry aroma though with a fair bit of rye on the back end.

 

Palate: Wow, this is a peanut explosion! Following that, there is an almost lemonhead-like sour note, which then gives way to chili pepper, barrel wood, and a slight hint of banana. 

The below review originally appeared on a Whisk(e)y Review Website I am no longer affiliated with, and as such I wanted to repost it here:

In April (of 2020) I got an email from The Last Drop Distillers, the subject line of which read “Release XVIII: The 1970 Glenrothes Single Malt Scotch Whisky”. I was intrigued and excited because TLD puts out some delicious liquid. So I opened it up and read that while things had been rough of late, they wanted to share some good news. They were releasing a trio of single cask Glenrothes Scotch whiskies!

A particularly important part of the email says “In many ways, this is a particularly special release: the completion of a trilogy of superb releases from one of the most revered distilleries in Scotland, it also represents the trilogy of friends who founded the company. There is a sense of completion in arriving at the final piece in the set. Many of you will already have received your bottles of the 1968 and the 1969. We can promise you that the 1970 is every bit as good”.

So I reached out to them and asked if it would be possible to get hold of a sample of the 1970’s cask. Rebecca, the company’s (at the time) Managing Director, wrote me back a few days later saying that they would love to get me a sample and they wouldl speak with the US team to determine how best to get samples out (they’re based in the UK). After a few emails back and forth and delays because of COVID and the nature of the whisky business, I received a parcel. Contained inside was a box embossed with the logo for The Last Drop Distillers, and upon opening it I found not one, but three single cask Glenrothes samples for me to taste.

All three single casks were filled on December 6th 1970 and bottled in 2019, making them just shy of 50 years old and some of the oldest whiskey I’ve tasted to date… All three are in Ex-Bourbon casks. There are no sherry casks in this release.

Glenrothes 1970 Cask # 10586: 45.3% ABV
Appearance: Dark straw, and golden honey. The legs on this glass of scotch are very unimpressive.
Nose: On the nose I get prevalent notes of black pepper, followed by notes of ash, and subtle notes of extinguished campfire the day after. While not extremely powerful there are still noticeable notes of ethanol, almost like a cleaner. Ripe cherry, followed by notes of butterscotch and toffee. Surprising lack of vanilla for an ex-bourbon matured scotch, especially one of this age. There is a present, but not overpowering note of malt.
Flavour: Refreshingly cool on the palate, with notes of vanilla, malt, caramel, oak, cherry and peach. As you enjoy it the liquid warms on your tongue, leaving a nice peppery and malty finish.

4.5/5 – while this is clearly an exceptional Scotch whisky, it is by no means the best in class.

Glenrothes 1970 Cask # 10588: 44.1% ABV
Appearance: Deep amber, honey. Legs leave much to the imagination.
Nose: Sweet cherries, very mellow nose with a lack of depth. Notes of vanilla, caramel, and molasses.
Flavour: Stark contrast to barrel 10586. This single cask, while still rich, is not as flavourful. Notes of char, vanilla, almond, lead a slight taste of mocha, and chocolate malt. Very spice forward, with notes of chili pepper, black pepper, and of all things, raw white onion!

4/5 – Still delicious though, in my opinion, not as good as cask 10586.

Glenrothes 1970 Cask # 10589: 45% ABV
Appearance: The lightest of the trio of single casks with slightly darkened straw and a gorgeous golden hue. The legs on this particular scotch leave much to be desired in that while they are present, they’re fairly minuscule and close to the surface of the liquid.
Nose: This has the most bizarre nose as I get notes of rubber, smoke, and iodine. It’s slightly reminiscent of Baijiu with a very sweet “bubble gum”-esque aroma. I do get some subtle notes of oak and vanilla but not much.
Flavour: Much like the other two casks in this release (though I did not mention it in my notes for #10588), this whisky has a unique “cooling” or refreshing aspect. I found a similar note in a Glenfiddich I tried recently. The flavours on this cask are much more subdued, I mostly get malt, followed by the taste of a stone fruit that I can’t quite put my finger on. There is some granny smith apple, both baked and fresh, leading into a flavour of lightly toasted bread.

4/5 – A delicious scotch, and if you like Glenrothes or the Speyside style, one you certainly will enjoy. But not something that I feel is a “you must go and purchase this RIGHT NOW” type of bottle.

This trio of single cask Glenrothes Scotch whiskies is unique, tasty, and are literally liquid history. While they are not the oldest Glenrothes released to date, they are certainly a close second.

Of all the Scotch distilleries on the isle of Islay, none have quite the cult-like reputation that Ardbeg does. Like many other distilleries, Ardbeg has a free membership club for its fans; theirs is called the Ardbeg Committee. Every year Ardbeg sends at least one committee bottling to the states at cask strength and then shortly thereafter at a lower proof.

One bit of housekeeping before we move on: I received a sample compliments of Ardbeg and their PR agency in exchange for my honest feedback and review. While life would be much easier if I was on the take like a dirty cop, I’m not, and all my reviews are honest. The presence or absence of a media sample never affects the outcome. That said, I need a drink…

For 2022 one of those releases is Ardbeg Hypernova, described as “the smokiest Ardbeg ever”, this release is 51% ABV and is non-chill filtered. While this is officially a non-age-stated release, one thing we know for certain is that it is definitely on the younger side. This is due to the fact that as whisky ages it loses phenols (the chemical compound that is found in peat smoke that gives the product its smoky flavour and aroma). Since we know this is “the smokiest Ardbeg ever”, it’s safe to say that there are a lot of phenols present.

Appearance: In the glass, this whisky presents as a pale yellow, almost like oversaturated lemonade.

Nose: The nose starts with an aroma that can only be described as beef tallow, which gives way to heavily roasted malt to the point that it’s almost like cocoa Krispies. The peat is very mellow and melds well with the earthy “dankness” of this whisky.

Palate: The palate starts with that same earthy “dankness” present in the aromatics. Following that is a lemony-ness reminiscent of a less sweet lemon bar. There is a very mellow peat here and it would be a great choice to introduce someone to Islay Peated Malt Whisky. Delicate and approachable, lots of confectionary flavours in this release. A touch of cardamom and graham cracker crumb finish out the palate.

I personally love smoky whisky and was very excited to try the Hypernova. While it’s still a delicious Ardbeg, for me, this was not that smoky. In fact, in my honest opinion, the Ardbeg Uigeadaily or Corryvreckan are smokier/peatier expressions and are much easier to get hold of.

Easily one of the most well known Bourbon brands is Knob Creek, made by Beam Suntory. Knob Creek is a part of Beam’s Small Batch Bourbon Collection, which also includes Booker’s, Baker’s, and Little Book.

Today we’re talking about the newest limited edition offering from Knob Creek, the 18 year. This release is aged twice as long as the standard bottling, is bottled at 100 proof, and is the oldest age-stated release from Knob Creek so far. According to the press release, this bottling was released in honour of the brand’s 30-year anniversary, 1992-2022.



One bit of housekeeping before we move on: I received a sample compliments of Knob Creek and their PR agency in exchange for my honest feedback and review. While life would be much easier if I was on the take like a dirty cop, I’m not, and all my reviews are honest. The presence or absence of a media sample never affects the outcome. That said, I need a drink…

Continue reading “Review: Knob Creek 18” →

If you’ve ever asked me about my favourite whiskey, I’ve probably told you I don’t have a favourite bottle but I do have a couple of favourite distilleries; and The GlenDronach is one of them.

I have had the pleasure of reviewing a number of GlenDronach bottlings over the last couple years, with my most recent favourite being Cask #217 from their most recent release of Cask Bottling Batch #19. If you’re interested you can find that review here. So when Gabriela from their PR agency reached out to me about reviewing The GlenDronach Grandeur Batch 11 I immediately said yes.

One note of housekeeping before we can get to the whisky: these samples were provided to me by The GlenDronach and their PR firm in exchange for my honest review. The presence, or absence, of free product has no influence on my review.

Continue reading “Review: The GlenDronach Grandeur Batch 11” →

Today I’m tasting Barrell Craft Spirits’ newest Bourbon blend. Barrell Vantage is a blend of three straight Bourbon whiskeys, one finished in Japanese mizunara oak. One in a charred and toasted French oak, and the last in a toasted American oak.

Continue reading “Review: Barrell Craft Spirits Vantage” →