Shackleton Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

I happened to snag a bottle of Shackleton Whisky when it was on sale for $32 and figured why not give it a spin. As a blend of Highland single malts aged in Bourbon and Sherry barrels I was hoping it would be tasty and was not disappointed. The aroma is light with honey, sherry, light alcohol, wildflowers, pears, and only slight hints of leather. The flavor is more honey, wildflowers, sherry, very slight alcohol, leather, pears, and cinnnamon. The aftertaste of the 80 proof Scotch has light leather, chocolate, and pleasant alcohol. This is not a complex Scotch and one would not expect it to be so at this price point. Even if the flavor is not complex you can feel good because a portion of the purchase price goes to the Antartic Heritage Trust. If you see a bottle and haven’t given it a try you should. I still prefer Monkey Shoulder as my go to blended Scotch, but this is also a tasty glass and as such should not be overlooked.

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WhistlePig 10 Year Straight Rye

I happened upon WhistlePig 10 Year Straight Rye at an excellent price so I snagged it. In NC this Rye goes for $85 which I find to be a high price for a Rye. This one started out in Alberta, Canada prior to aging in new American Oak and finding its way to Vermont and a bottle. This Rye is 100 proof and quite smooth with hidden alcohol attributes. The aroma is rye spice, leather, pepper, orange peel citrus, caramel, and light wafts of alcohol. The flavor is caramel with brown sugar, light citrus, low pepper phenol, leather, rye spice, and a low presence of alcohol. The finish has a very pleasant brown sugar with peppery rye spice and a definite, yet pleasant, alcohol warming post consumption. While the complexity of this bottle is very nice and the Rye is delicious, the price seems to be on the high side. I’m thinking I paid around 70 beans for this bottle which is a bargain compared to what NC charges, but I have a difficult time shelling out big bucks for a Rye even if it is 10 years old. If you happen to see a bottle for a steal, grab it and give it a whirl. Otherwise there are many very tasty low budget Ryes which can scratch the itch for less than half the price of admission.

Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey

A buddy turned me on to Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey and I am glad he did although the price of admission is not cheap. With MGP putting out so many great Rye whiskeys at affordable price points, he $50 price tag on Pikesville seems like a luxury item. This 110 proof Rye from Heaven Hill is double the price of most budget Ryes, but does have an excellent complexity which is showcased when consumed neat. The aroma is filled with spicy Rye, subtle alcohol, brown sugar, oak, and leather. The flavor delivers complexity in the form of Rye, fruity cherry, light alcohol, oak, brown sugar, oak, leather, and vanilla with a moderately sweet character. The finish is very pleasantly filled with Rye, cherry, brown sugar, oak, and hints of leather which linger long into the aftertaste. While a tad sweet the complexity of Pikesville makes it a must have for all who love Rye whiskey so run out and snag a bottle. Sure it’s a splurge, but go ahead, you’re worth it!

Knob Creek Twice Barreled Rye

One night while out and about I tried Knob Creek Twice Barreled Rye on a whim. I found it delicious and went on the hunt for a bottle. The price of admission was $50 and IMHO it is worth every penny. This is a 100 proof Rye which has the perfect blend of complexity, alcohol, and price point to be a winner. The aroma is filled with rye spice, pepper, brown sugar, hints of alcohol, and oak. The flavor exhibits more of the same deliciousness with rye spice, vanilla, oak, light alcohol, caramel, brown sugar, and hints of leather. The finish is smooth and sublime with lasting light alcohol, caramel, vanilla, oak, leather, and brown sugar long and pleasant into the aftertaste. If you find a bottle, buy two and enjoy!

George Dickel Bottled In Bond

I was super excited when I happened upon a bottle of George Dickel Bottled In Bond at a SC liquor store. The 100 proof Tennessee Whiskey cost about $45 and is 13 years old. I was all set to pop the top and enjoy a great bottle and unfortunately that is not what happened. The aroma was musty and old and the flavor was unpalatable. I thought it might make a decent mixed drink and that did not help it any. Often I find my first impression changes with time so I went to have another drink on a different day and poured another glass only to find the same old musty aroma and taste with muted vegetal notes. I immediately poured it out and decided not to subject myself to this awful concoction anymore. Whoever allowed this to be released on the market should be fired. I have never before poured out any whiskey, but there has to be a first for everything. Avoid at all cost.

 

Old Forester 100 Proof Rye

This year Old Forester released 100 proof Rye and the price point was a winner. I snagged it at full price which was 25 bones or so and it has since gone on sale for 20 and change. While the complexity is low, when the rye is coupled with a very nice flavor which will work well in any mixed drink. I typically look for a neat libation and this one presents with an initial sweetness and hints of rye. The aroma has rye, pepper, and oak with a subtle sweetness while the flavor has more pronounced spice essence, brown sugar, and oak. The finish has linger oak into the aftertaste with rye characteristics.  While this one is not crazy beautiful it would be an excellent mixer or enjoyed neat when the beverage of choice is one without a strong complex flavor. Give it a whirl if you get a chance there is not much to lose mixed or neat.

 

Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond

Due to seeing Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond utilized in many bars as a house rye I snagged a bottle to give it a whirl. The bottle typically retails for $25 at NCABC, but I think I picked mine up a few bucks cheaper. After loving Old Overholt Bonded, I figured Rittenhouse would be outstanding. The first night I tried it I found it overly sweet. On another night it presented as slightly spicy, but missing complexity. After the first two innocent encounters I decided to do a little soul searching with the rest of the bottle.  The rye aroma and flavor is notable, but not complex. Alcohol is really only had a role in the post consumption warming. The sweetness I perceived at a high level with the first drink from the bottle, was actually a little more restrained. Still Rittenhouse was sweet malt in the aroma and flavor and presented with a candy character. The bottom line is if I had to choose between Old Overholt and Rittenhouse I would choose Old Overholt. Both are tasty Bottled-In-Bond ryes, but Rittenhouse is a bit too sweet and lacks complexity. Give both a try and make up your own mind.

Sensei Whiskey

I happened upon Sensei Whiskey at Costco  liquor store and with a $25 price point figured why not. The 40% ABV Whiskey was a bit of a mystery with little information available. It’s a blend of five different Whiskeys including American, Scotch, Irish, Canadian, and Japanese. One would think with an everything but the kitchen sink Whiskey the flavor would be perfection, unfortunately this one is a bit too sweet. The flavors are cherry, vanilla, and sugar with hints of leather and cinnamon spice. The alcohol was restrained and only came forward in the warming post consumption. If you like a sweet Whiskey or need something for mixing this might be worthwhile, but neat in the glass this is a pass for me especially seeing the price point for this is often $10-15 higher than I paid. Try it if you must, otherwise leave it on the shelf for someone else.

Writer’s Tears Copper Pot Irish Whiskey

Some time back Writer’s Tears Copper Pot Irish Whiskey was on sale at NCABC so I picked up a bottle and went to the counter. They rang it up and I paid and then realized the price was wrong. I asked and they indicated the set with glasses was what was on sale not the single bottle. This was just about the most ridiculous thing I had heard, but they voided the single bottle and sold me the gift set at the reduced price. Writer’s Tears is priced at the top end of what I am willing to pay for Irish Whiskey so I was hopeful it was spectacular. The tall thin bottle is an imperfect size for our bar so I didn’t pay much attention to the level until I realized a few days ago the bottle was almost drained. The nose is restrained alcohol with an apple ester coupled to vanilla and a caramel sweetness. The flavor was filled with a balanced caramel sweetness, light alcohol, apple, and light spice. The finish was very pleasant with lingering apple and light alcohol with a hint of chocolate. The 80 proof whiskey is restrained and tasty and has a nice complexity, but the $35 price point on sale won’t lead me to keep it stocked in the bar while other Irish Whiskeys I enjoy more are available at a lower price. Give it a whirl if you haven’t and make up your own mind. It’s tasty, but very restrained.

Old Overholt Bonded Rye

For an inexpensive rye whiskey finding a bottle of Old Overholt Bonded Rye was a bit of a pain. With a regular price of $23 it is certainly affordable, I think I picked up this one on sale at sub 20 beans. I’m a sucker for Bottled In Bond so finding this 100 proof Rye was a necessity. Reviews were mixed, but I didn’t let that deter me in snagging a bottle and I am sure glad I ignored the masses. This rye is subdued, but quite nice. The aroma is filled with spicy rye with light aspects of alcohol coupled with sweet caramel. The flavor is more of the same with light oak characteristics, very slight leather, and restrained alcohol. The finish is light with a low alcohol presence, rye spice, pepper, leather, and caramel. My suggestion is to ignore the snobbish reviews and go snag yourself a $25 bottle of rye. This can have a slot in my bar day and day out. Give it a whirl for yourself.