Knob Creek Rye

Not sure why I haven’t posted about Knob Creek Rye in the past, but I snagged a bottle the last time it went on sale at NCABC. The price of admission at the time was $32, but it can often be found for a few dollars less. This is a 100 proof rye which is an alcohol level I prefer, not too hot, not too mild. The aroma has what you want out of a rye and is filled with rye spice, brown sugar, and light black pepper coupled to a very nice oak presence. The flavor is similar, but contains a syrupy peach not, more rye spice, light pepper, and oak. The finish lasts very nice with peaches and rye fading slowing into the aftertaste. The alcohol is restrained from start to finish with only a mild warming post consumption. This is a very nice rye and should be one to keep in the bar. There are rye whiskeys which are more complex and with a higher price point and those destined for mixing at a lower price point. This one exists right in the middle. If you haven’t had it, pick up a bottle and give it a whirl.

Hatozaki Small Batch

I happened upon a bottle of Hatozaki Small Batch at Costco with a sub $30 price point so I figured why not. Imagine my shock when it showed up on NC at $60 per bottle. The alcohol level is 46%. Anyway, knowing this was a Japanese Whiskey I expected it to be very similar to a Speyside Scotch and it was. Unfortunately it was more like a little brother than a twin. The aroma presented as floral and fruity with peaches (think canned peaches), slight oak, hint of sherry, and a light bit of citrus coupled to restrained alcohol. The flavor was similar with slightly sweet peaches, light pepper spice, low oak, hints of leather, and a mild presence of alcohol. The finish was peaches, pepper spice, and light alcohol fading into the aftertaste. The bottle is tasty, but a bit boring and lacking in complexity. At the $30 I paid my thought was I would not want to pay more for this level of complexity. At $60 I would be upset at the price of admission. So if you want to give this one a whirl I suggest you check to see if your Costco might have a deal. Otherwise I don’t think I’d spend the money for this level of complexity.

Elijah Craig Straight Rye

When I heard Elijah Craig was going to release a rye whiskey I got excited because I like EC. I happened upon a bottle of Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey for $30 and decided to bring one home. I was hoping it would be crazy beautiful and perhaps my expectations were too high. At 94 proof, 47% abv, this should have some alcohol presence, but be restrained. The aroma was low rye spice coupled with alcohol and pepper. Brown sugar lurks behind the alcohol presence and hints of chocolate. The flavor was rather muted brown sugar, medium rye spice, and oak at a moderate, and perhaps too high, level. The finish had alcohol and leather pleasantly into the aftertaste. While good, this just wasn’t what I was expecting and I can think of bottles which have a lower price of admission which I prefer more. If you haven’t tried it, snag a bottle and give it a whirl. I have another bottle and if it proves to be the same as this one, I probably will not purchase it again due to the lack of complexity and too strong oak presence.

The Irishman Single Malt

I happened across a bottle of The Irishman Single Malt at a Virginia ABC store. I cannot remember how much coin they took off me, but currently they price is 45 beans. According to the website each batch of Single Malt is limited to 6,000 bottles and is aged in Oak Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry Casks. My particular bottle was batch 1506/2017 and 40% ABV. The aroma was sweet malt with peaches, tropical fruits, vanilla, and a low hint of oak. The flavor was sweet peach, more tropical fruit, pineapple, low vanilla, very slight oak, passing impressions of leather, and a peppery finish. The alcohol was quite restrained until post consumption which reminds everyone this is an Irish Whiskey. After thoroughly enjoying The Irishman Founder’s Reserve I fully expected this one to be wonderful and the truth is it just didn’t blow my socks off. At $40-45 it’s $15-20 more than Founder’s Reserve which is a much more interesting glass of Irish Whiskey. So drink it if you have it, but choose the less expensive path if you’re in the market for a bottle.

No matter what, Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

PS: Wash those hands!!!

Highland Park 12 Year Old Viking Honour

A friend who judges Scotch suggested I snag a bottle of Highland Park 12 Year Old Viking Honour Single Malt Scotch Whisky so I did. The bottle just so happened to be on special at NCABC for $50 and the price escalated this month so the timing to snag a bottle was perfect. This Single Malt Scotch is 86 proof/43% abv and pays homage to the area’s Viking roots. At first I was quite disappointed in the bottle as it just didn’t trip my trigger. I kept trying it with similar results until at least 2/3 of the bottle had been drained and suddenly my impression changed. I typically never pass initial judgement and in this case that proved to be the best course. The aroma is filled with floral sweet malt, leather, brown sugar, a light alcohol presence, and citrus. The flavor had a very low subtle peat note, citrus, floral notes, sweet malt, leather, and a low alcohol note. The finish was quite pleasant with low peat, citrus, leather, and alcohol lasting into the aftertaste. As I mentioned I was initially not a fan and felt the bottle lacked complexity. Later I came around and believe most anyone who likes a subtle presence of smoke would enjoy this bottle. At 50 beans it’s a must have, but at the current NCABC price of $60 it’s just a tad bit too high. If you find a 50 buck or less bottle snag it and enjoy!

OBAN 14 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whiskey

Not quite sure where I picked up a bottle of Oban 14 along the way. NCABC runs with a street price of $95 and there is no way I would have paid that much. I’m thinking I picked this up for $60-70 somewhere along the way. Anyway, the proof on this is 86 which rings in at 43% ABV. This one I found nice from start to finish. It’s an enjoyable glass with a nose filled with fruits (dark and dried), light spice, low alcohol, and a pleasant sweet undertone of malt. The flavor was similarly restrained yet complex with sweet malt, dried fruit, retrained low alcohol, light pepper spice, and a low presence of leather. The OBAN website mentioned salt and I can see a bit of that, but I don’t want anyone to think of this as salty, it’s just a subtle flavor which provides complexity as opposed to a briny nature. Unfortunately at NCABC pricing this is a pass for me. I cannot bring myself to shell out a Benjamin for a bottle unless my socks blow across the room. In MA it sells for $65, in SC it is $90, in VA it is $80, and in NJ it is $75. If I could snag it for $65 it’s going to be in the bar all the time, however at NC or SC prices it’s a bit too much for my tastes. Anyway if you see a bottle for $75 or less buy it and drain it.

Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey

When Knappogue Castle 12 Year went on sale in NC I picked up a bottle. At 40 beans it was a bit pricey for Irish Whiskey, but it was also single malt so I figured why not.  The triple distilled whiskey is aged for 12 years in Bourbon casks and it is a sourced whiskey, but a brief search did not yield the origin. The aroma was filled with estery banana, pepper, malt, and whifts of light leather. The flavor had more banana, candy sweetness, light pepper, honeysuckle, tropical fruits, and a lasting light spice impression. The finish was tropical with honeysuckle, low alcohol, and light spice. While tasty the money juice character was far too strong for it to be one of my favorites. Had this rolled in at 10 bucks lower I might be more enchanted, but at the purchased price point there are other Irish offerings which best this hands down. If you are looking to try all the Irish Whiskeys you can then certainly give this one a whirl, otherwise the price of admission is too high for this whiskey.

Smooth Ambler Old Scout 107

Our local group ended up with a Smooth Ambler Old Scout 107 pick and it was my first taste of Smooth Ambler. This bottle was from Barrel #12491 and dated 4/15/19.  This is an American Whiskey which is a blend of old and new whiskey which keeps it from being labeled as a Bourbon. At $35 I jumped at the chance to snag a bottle and while I found it enjoyable, this whiskey seemed to lack a bit of complexity. It was filled with a nose of brown sugar and cinnamon with leather, pepper, and wafts of alcohol. The flavor was more of the same with sweet brown sugar, cinnamon, pepper, oak, and an alcohol burn which reminded you this tipped the scales at 53.5% ABV. It was an enjoyable glass, but the roughness of the alcohol and over the top spice made me have second thoughts more than once as I reached for the bottle. If you asked me if this was a Bourbon I would say yes, but the rough nature reminds you this needs a little more time to develop fully. I’m glad our group selected one, but if I had missed the opportunity I would not have been overly disappointed. I may have to give some of the Smooth Ambler Bourbons a whirl, but probably won’t return to the American Whiskey.

Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey

I heard good things and saw quite a bit of excitement surrounding the release of Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey so when it hit our local ABC I had to pick up a bottle to see for myself. At 60 beans the price was certainly premium so I had high hopes for this Tennessee Whiskey with a unique history. Take a few minutes and peruse the website to learn about Nearest Green and his place in distilling history. So let’s get to the heart of the matter, what I thought of the Whiskey. At 100 proof it landed right in the sweet spot of what I prefer in my Whiskey or Bourbon. At $60 the price of admission was a bit hard on my wallet. I’ve come to the conclusion at $40 this would have been a shining star, but at the higher price point it’s rather pedestrian and lacks complexity. From start to finish you know this is no Kentucky Bourbon, rather a rough around the edges Tennessee Whiskey. The aroma is strong with oak and leather coupled to brown sugar and spice. The flavor is rather one dimensional with light oak, leather, more brown sugar, light spice, and an alcohol burn thrown in for good measure. While I liked it, I just couldn’t love it due to the price point. At $40 I’d tell you to run out and snag a bottle, at $60 I’d suggest you wait until you find it for less. If you love Tennessee Whiskey this might just be your cup of tea, but for me it’s a one and done.

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.