A Muddled Thought

After looking at a few different spirits in our Spirited Father’s Day coverage over this past week, we’re wrapping up with two final whiskies from the Classic Malts family of whiskies. With a range that includes brands such as Singleton, Dalwhinnie, Glenkinchie and Lagavulin, the portfolio’s whiskies range from $36.99 with Singleton 12 Year Old(taken a look at here) to the Lagavulin 16 priced at $89.99(taken a look at here).

Our last two spirits both come in right around the fifty dollar price point and won’t take leave much of a dent on your wallet come gift giving time.

First up, hailing from the Northwest Coastal Isle of Skye, is Talisker 10.

Upon opening the bottle of Talisker 10, you’re hit with a nose filled with aromas of fiery oranges and soft cocoa.
Once you bring this intriguing whiskey to your lips, it tugs at your palate and introduces itself with hints of sea salt, black pepper, and lime with glimpses of sweet cherries,. Notes of smokey hazelnut lead into a finish reminiscent of what would happen if you combined cocoa and bacon, and created a new flavor taking the best characteristics of both flavors.

Talisker 10 Year old retails for $49.99

Final Score 9/10

Our second whisky from the Classic Malts family, is Glenkinchie 12. Coming to us from the lowland regions of Scotland, Glenkinchie is aged in American Oak Refill casks(casks used previously to age American whiskey) and while it hints at peat here and there throughout each sip, it’s a slightly softer whisky than that of Talisker 10 Year old.

Glenkinchie 12 year old opens up with touches of fresh grass, floral characters and subtle hints of spice and smoke with occasional hints of crème de menthe. A playful spirit that doesn’t take itself too seriously and manages to balance light notes with just the right touch of subtle seductive smoke. These light yet smokey notes lead into a finish brimming with cinnamon, berries and characters of espresso.

Glenkinchie 12 year old retails for $43.99

Final Score: 8.5/10

Okay so we’ve been mostly covering brown spirits such as bourbons and whiskies for the last few days during our Spirited Father’s Day Coverage. Well we’re taking a break for a day from those darker colored spirts to something on the other side of the spectrum, a clear spirit, that of Vodka.

But we couldn’t take a look at any old vodka for Dad. We had to find something that just like some of our father’s was a bit different. And Dad if you’re reading this wherever you, we mean that with a lot of love. So we decided to take a look at Jean Marc XO.

A vodka that in its creation defines unique, Jean Marc XO has its origins in the Cognac region of France. and was brought to life by Jean Marc Daucourt. In his goal to create a vodka that in its purest form was a shippable spirit, Jean Marc combined four French wheat grain’s to create his unique flavor. These grains, Orvantis, Azteque, Ysengrain and Orvantis are removed from the connected chaff to remove any possible bitterness.

Once this is done, the grain is combined with spring water native to the surrounding cognac region and distilled in small batches using French Copper Alambic stills a total of nine times. A process used in the production of wine known as micro-oxygenation, is then introduced into the resulting spirit. Micro-oxygenation allows the spirit producer to slowly control the introduction of oxygen to the sitting wine or in this case vodka, which has been known to both produce a cleaner end result. As a final step, Jean Marc XO is charcoal filtered through Limousin oak.

This process, which is said to take weeks from start to finish, creates a vodka that’s unlike anything you’ve likely tried before. With hints of sweetness and the subtle presence of oranges on the nose, this is but a mere tease of what awaits your palate.
Hints of vanilla, through and through each sip, notes of cinnamon play in the background as the presence of pineapple and citrus surprise your palate. Yes, this is a vodka your tasting, and yes it’s complex as some of those brown spirits your usually pretty fond.

Jean Marc XO down to the basics is incredibly smooth, with subtle flavors throughout each sip with those last bits ending with an overall warming sensation.

Final Score 9.5/10

With Summer in mind, and playing off some of those vanilla, cinnamon and pineapple notes that jumped out in my palate during tasting through Jean Marc XO, the following cocktail came to be.

The Sum Together

1 ¾ oz Jean Marc XO Vodka
¾ oz Don Q Gold Rum
Bar Spoon Green Chartreuse
½ oz Cinnamon Syrup
½ oz Lime Juice
½ oz Pineapple Juice
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Serve in Highball or Julep Cup with Crushed Ice.
Garnish Spent Lime Shell with two drops of Green Chartreuse, flamed.

The Sum Together. A combination of Jean Marc Xo Vodka, Don Q Gold Rum, Green Chartreuse, Cinnamon Syrup, Lime Juice, Pineapple Juice and Angostura Bitters.

After taking a look at Four Roses Bourbon and the Johnie Walker line of Blended Whiskies earlier in the week, we now come to one of the greats of Islay Whiskies, Laphroaig 18.

Laphroaig, the infamous Islay whisky- What’s the first thing you think of when you hear, this? Is it a hearty, yet pleasantly defined smokey spirit? If so you probably haven’t had a chance to try Laphroaig after it’s been aged and bottled at 18 years. For most people who’ve tried the Islay spirit they’ve tried either the ten-year old or quarter cask offering and have instantly associated all of Laphroaig’s offerings with heaps of smoke. But what happens if you give that same spirit a few more years, or eight to be exact in the barrel? You end up with an oh so lovely whisky in the form of Laphroaig 18.

Those added eight years, seem to mellow that smokiness that most people associate with an Islay whisky such as Laphroaig. And at the same time bring out so many more flavors and nuances.

With that first sip of Laphroaig 18 seductively smooth notes of melted chocolate overwhelm your entire palate. Hints of peaches and occasional notes of lavender appear in the background with sea salt, allspice and a light mellowing presence of smoke leading you through each sip with a finish of fresh grass, burnt orange zest and hazelnut.

With such well developed flavors and just a tad bit of smoke within each sip, Laphroaig 18 manages to still maintain a bit of that ballsiness that Laphroiag has become known for, while gaining a bit of mellowness from that added time in the barrel.

With a Retail Price of $140, this is something that can be sipped with friends, family and doesn’t break the bank when it comes to a gift for Father’s Day.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Last year we took a look at Four Roses Small Batch, the 2009 bottling. With Father’s Day coming up, we figured we’d revisit the latest edition of this spirit as we were left pretty impressed last year.

And again Master Distiller Jim Rutledge leaves his mark on us. With the 2010 release of Four Roses Small Batch, we were left with just as an amazing impression we did when we first tried last year’s Small Batch offering.

Jim was kind enough to break how this incredible spirit is created. But we before we go into the details of how specifically Four Roses Small Batch is created, we first need to go back a step and understand how all Four Roses products start.

Any bourbon originating from the house (or distillery) of Four Roses starts off with ten unique bourbon recipes.

Courtesy of Jim Rutledge:

The recipes are created by combining 5 proprietary yeast cultures with two mashbills. The two mashbills are very high in rye grain content – more than any other Bourbon distillery – which generates a gentle spiciness in the flavor profile, which is uncharacteristic of Bourbon. The mashbills:

Mashbill Code: E B

Corn 75% 60%

Rye 20% 35%

Malted Barley 5% 5%

The basic characteristics of the five yeast cultures are:

Code
V – Light Fruit
K – Gentle Spice
O – Rich and full-bodied Fruit
F – Herbal Essence
Q – Floral Essence

By combining the individual yeast cultures with each mashbill 5 unique flavors/recipes are generated with each grain recipe – or 10 flavors/recipes in all.

All ten recipes are used as a target formula for our Yellow Label, and the formula tweaked to provide product consistency from bottling run to bottling run.

One recipe (“B” mashbill in conjunction with “V” yeast) is used consistently for Four Roses Single Barrel.

Now on to the details on what makes up Four Roses Small Batch:

Small Batch uses 4 recipes: ~70% each of B and E mashbill and K yeast + ~30% each of B and E mashbill and O yeast.

It takes approximately 18 total barrels of the four recipes to achieve, as close as possible, the target flavor profile.
Note: The recipe we use for our Single Barrel Bourbon is not one of the 4 recipes used for Small Batch.

Now that we’ve taken a look at how Four Roses Small Batch is created, we can get to the fun part. What’s it taste like?

Well folks, as mentioned earlier, Jim’s done it again!!

The latest bottling of Four Roses Small Batch starts off with a sweetness that grabs you and just makes you smile. Hints of cinnamon and blackberries lead the way into incredibly well defined notes of cardamom, orange marmalade and cocoa. As you slowly allow the spirit to take over and seduce your palate further, touches of allspice and vanilla reveal themselves in cream like finish.

At a retail price of about $30, Four Roses Small Batch is at the perfect price point for a gift for dad. Whether it’s Father’s Day or just to say thanks for not killing you during those teenage years.

Final Score: 10/10

Johnnie Walker, the blended whiskey known for its infamous label system. Five bottlings, five colors. With Father’s day around the corner, the Johnnie Walker portfolio seems to have an offering available to fit any price point. Starting in the low twenty-dollar range all the way up to the two hundred dollar price range. Depending on what kind of flavor your dad prefers, you should be able to find something that fits the glass of any whisky loving dad.

Starting with Johnnie Walker Red, coming in at about $23 per bottle, the spirit is created by blending approximately thirty different young single malts including youthful impressions of Caol IIa, and Talisker together with grain whisky. The blending of these thirty whiskies leads to Johnnie Walker inheriting a flavor profile that starts off with notes of smoke and cinnamon that slowly mellows into hints of caramel, candied apple and pears. Upon bidding your palate adieu Johnnie Walker Red finishes with hints of cocoa, hazelnut and the minute presence of marshmallows.

Final Score: 8.5/10

Moving along to the next Johnnie Walker offering, we come to Johnnie Walker Black priced at $34 per a bottle, and is blend of roughly 40 whiskies including Talisker and Cardhu that aged 12 years or more. Once you get past that description and allow Johnnie Walker Black to hit your palate, your greeted with the soft seductive allure of smoke dancing on your tongue which slowly transforms into playful candy-like notes of caramel, slight touches of menthol, and black licorice. The final presence of Johnnie Walker black on your palate is touches of heat, candied oranges and crème brûlée.

Final Score: 9/10

Johnnie Walker offers a gift pack that includes four out five of its bottlings. The one that they happen to leave out is Johnnie Walker Green. Why you might wonder. Well it’s a bit different than the rest of its siblings. While the Red, Gold, Black and even Blue offerings are blended whiskies, the Gold, she’s a bit different. Rather than a blended whisky(which uses grain whisky as a component), Johnnie Walker Gold is a blended malt.

What that translates to is that it’s actually a combination of four single malts that have each been aged for fifteen years. These four single malts include such whiskies such as Cragganmore, Talisker, Caol Ila and Linkwood. The results of blending these four whiskies together is a spirit that opens with minute touches of fiery black pepper that as it slowly spices up the palate is softened by mellow yet smokey notes of sweet pears. As you continue to take in the whisky, these notes of sweet pear slowly morph into characters of sweet milk chocolate. Johnnie Walker Green closes out with additional touches of heat ,notes of vanilla and further notes of luscious milk chocolate. Johnnie Walker Green is priced at $60 per bottle.

Final Score: 9/10

If your seeking something slightly more matured than the 12 old whiskies that make up Johnnie Walker Black or even the 15 year old whiskies that comprise Johnie Walker Green, then the Gold might just what you’re looking for. Priced at $85 per bottle, Johnnie Walker Gold is a blending of 15 different whiskies each aged at least 18 years and in n our opinion the most impressive of the entire range. From that first sip Johnnie Walker Gold notes of vanilla, chocolate, and hazelnut combine to create the picture of something akin to the perfect desert combination. After tasting through the first three Johnnie Walker offerings, I was taken back with the different personality that the Gold possessed.

While the entire Johnnie Walker family is palate pleasing, the Gold offering is something that defines the term exquisite.
Once your palate begins to take in these for mentioned flavors, notes of honey,and the subtle presence of smoke before ending with a finish filled with notes of ripe pear, cinnamon and additional touches of vanilla.

Final Score: 10/10

We now come to the final Johnnie Walker offering, Johnnie Walker Blue. Recognized around the world as an incredibly elegant spirit. With a price of $220 per bottle it’s meant for those individuals that appreciate the rarer spirits. Created by an undisclosed blending of rare whiskies, with each bottle numbered, it definitely stands up and shows your palate who’s in charge throughout each sip.
Before you even pour yourself a glass, once you’ve begun to open the bottle your hit with a nose filled with elegant and defined notes of sweetness.

Once you get past this nose, your greeted with a scotch that begins with touches of baked apples that segues into nuances of cocoa, hazelnut and sweet honey that finishes with more of those sweet honey notes and a mild hint of peat .

Johnnie Walker Blue fits the bill if you’re looking for a truly complex whisky that as you take each sip begins to reveal further characters to your palate.

As an added bonus, Johnnie Walker Blue is offered with personalized engraving around Father’s Day as well as Christmas. More information about personalized engraving can be found here.

Final Score:9.5/10

Editors Note:While we recognize the rarity of the whiskies that go into Johnnie Walker Blue Label, The Gold Label with an equally impressive flavor profile and lower price point was our favorite of the entire Johnnie Walker Portfolio.

I had the pleasure of first tasting Greylock Gin, during the summer of 2009 at a visit to PDT in New York’s East Village. The first time I tasted it, I knew I was tasting something truly unique in the gin category.

After speaking with Chris Weld, the master distiller and owner of Berkshire Mountain Distilleries( otherwise known as BMD) he gave me the short but quaint story of how Berkshire Mountain Distillery came to be. The origins of which can be traced back to a nearly completed 8th grade project in which young Chris was attempting to build a working model of a still. Something he would have accomplished, had his mom not stopped him after finding out it was a bit of a federal offense.

Years later Chris went on to become a emergency room physician’s assistant and migrated from New England to the West Coast, a place he called home with his wife up until several years ago when the Weld family decided to move back to New England. During the search for a new home, they came across an old, slightly neglected apple farm that housed about 400-500 apple trees. After restoring the farm back to its original glory, the Welds had the idea of opening a distillery. Initially Chris had planned to create an apple brandy, until the realization that one cannot survive on apple brandy alone. This brings us to the year 2007 when Berkshire Mountain Distilleries came to be. With some assistance from fellow distillers who advised Chris, he began distilling Ragged Mountain Rum, Ice Glen Vodka and Berkshire’s first gin, Greylock, which was followed roughly a year later with Ethereal Release One.

During our conversation, Chris mentioned that Berkshire will be releasing both a corn whiskey and a bourbon later this year. For now we’ll be taking a look at both of Berkshire’s Gin offerings.

With Greylock Chris had a gin meant to be sipped on its own or to be used in classic cocktails such as a Gin and Tonic, Martini or Gimlet A year or so later, came Ethereal, a limited edition bottling whose botanicals change slightly with each new bottling and is targeted directly at the mixology community.

As with all of Berkshire Distilleries Spirits, both Greylock and Ethereal start off with natural spring water located on the same land as the distillery itself and is fed from a nearby mountain range.

This natural spring water along with botanicals including juniper, coriander, angelica, orris, cinnamon, orange peel and licorice give life to Greylock Gin a gin that upon that first introductory sip, greets you with notes of citrus teasing the forefront of your palate before leading the way into hints of vanilla, butterscotch(yep you heard that right), the occasional hint of orange, coriander and black pepper. Greylock finishes with hints of spice before leaving a final soft citrus sensation on your palate.

Taking the botanicals used in Greylock, Chris adds lemon, cubeb root, pepper, spearmint, nutmeg, rose hips and elderberry to produce the limited release Ethereal. A recipe that changes with each release, during our conversation Chris mentioned the third release of Ethereal will feature grapefruit.

The combination of these new botanicals to Greylock’s formula leads to a gin that opens with nutmeg, very forward notes of orange, fresh grass, and crème de menthe. Light touches of lavender and nuances of sweet rye and harvest spice make an appearance before the spirit finishes with touches of floral, additional subtle characters of crème de menthe and a final caresses of your palate by smooth hints of vanilla.

A Short Journey
1 ¾ oz Greylock Gin
Bar Spoon Orange Marmalade
½ oz Vanilla Syrup
¾ oz Sombra Mezcal
2 Dashes West Indian Orange Bitters

A Short Journey. A combination of Greylock Gin, Sombra Mezcal, Orange Marmalade, Vanilla Syrup, and West Indian Orange Bitters.

The Gineva Convention
1 oz Greylock Gin
1 oz Bols Genever
¾ oz Maraschino
¾ oz Green Charteuse
¾ oz Cinnamon Syrup
2 Dashes West Indian Orange Bitters

The Gineva Convention. A combination of Greylock Gin, Bols Genever, Maraska Maraschino Liqueur,Green Chartreuse, Cinnamon Syrup, and West Indian Orange Bitters.

Breaking The Barrier
1 ¾ oz Ethereal Gin
Bar spoon Vieux Carré Absinthe
Muddled Peppercorns
½ oz Crème Y’vette
½ oz Orange Juice
2 Dash Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters

Breaking the Barrier. A combination of Ethereal Gin, Vieux Carre Absinthe, Muddled Peppercorns, Creme Y'vette, Orange Juice and Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters.

Just Passing Through

1 ½ oz Ethereal Gin
½ oz Lillet Rouge
½ oz Allspice
½ oz Demerara Syrup
2 Dash Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters

Just Passing Through. A combination of Ethereal Gin, Lillet Rouge, Allspice Dram, Demerara Syrup and The Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters.

Smith and Cross-Navy Strength Jamaican Rum-Courtesy of Haus Alpenz

After eagerly awaiting the announcement for this year’s seminars at Tales, they slowly began to take shape a few months ago, as they they began to be updated in small groups, one seminar caught my attention right away, based purely on title alone- “At Full Sail: The History and Application of Spirits at Proof, Navy Strength and Overproof”.

I’ve always felt that with the exception of a few drinks, the joys and wonders of overproofed spirits have gone unsung. People’s reaction outside of the spirits world to something bottled at anything over 80 proof otherwise labeled as Navy-Strength or overproof is usually something of fear or something along the line of “Dude if you set it on fire I’ll drink it”. From the overview I’ve gotten of this seminar’s coverage of this topic, the presenters mean to change this perception.

And what better group of presenters could we ask for?

Moderated by Eric Seed, Owner of Specialty Spirits Importer and the man responsible for bringing Crème de Violette, Allspice Dram, Velvet Falernum, and Hayman’s Old Tom Gin back in the hands of today’s bartender. Eric will moderate a panel made up that includes Audrey Saunders, celebrated mixologist and owner of The Pegu Club, Wayne Curtis, author of “And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails” and Britt K Chavanne, of Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Ltd..

During the course of this seminar, these folks will discuss the history of high proof spirits, the story behind “Navy Strength” and how to properly use these wonderous yet potent spirits in cocktails, both classic and modern recipes.