I received an announcement today informing me that Knob Creek is returning corks to their entire line of whiskies. You probably don't care about this -- I never even knew the corks were gone -- but I liked the picture, so I wanted to share it.
Whiskey always photographs so beautifully. Well, it does when other people take the picture. Me, not so much.
Do you care if your bottle has a cork in it? If so, why? Please share in the comments.
Whisky lovers rejoice, Buffalo Trace Distillery is releasing its 2013 Antique Collection in late September. The highly anticipated collection will once again feature five limited-release whiskeys of various ages, recipes and proofs. Here’s what ardent fans can expect:
Eagle Rare 17 Year Old
The previous edition of this bourbon was honored with a Gold Medal at the 2012 International Wine and Spirits Competition. The 2013 edition was distilled in the Spring of 1993 and has been aging on the 2nd, 3rd and 6th floors of Warehouses I and K. The barrels selected for this batch were actually aged for 19 years, and the taste has been described as dry, with hints of oak, leather, and tobacco.
George T. Stagg
The 2012 release of this perennial favorite was named the “World’s Best North American Whiskey” at the 2013 World Whiskies Awards. The 2013 George T. Stagg was found in Warehouses I, K and Q. This uncut, unfiltered bourbon was distilled back in the spring of 1997 and weighs in at 128.2 proof, not as strong as some years, due to the location of the barrels on lower floors. “We sample many barrels throughout the year to find the best ones to create George T. Stagg. It just so happens this year, most of the barrels had been stored on lower floors. The temperature remains cooler down low where it balances the mature flavors from the wood and in turn the proof climbs slowly from the entry proof. The quintessential George T. Stagg taste is there – a big, bold whiskey that is easy to sip,” said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. Although still highly allocated, Buffalo Trace did begin to start putting more barrels away back in 1997 for future George T. Stagg releases. This whiskey tastes of fudge, vanilla, and tobacco.
Sazerac Rye 18 Year Old
Last year’s release was awarded a 95 rating and Liquid Gold Award in Jim Murray’s 2013 Whisky Bible. This 2013 rye whiskey release was aged in Warehouses K and is described as mellow spice, vanilla sweetness, mint, and a dry finish.
Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye
Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye is an uncut and unfiltered straight rye whiskey. The 2012 edition was named “World Whisky of the Year” in Jim Murray’s 2013 Whisky Bible. This year’s Handy was distilled in the spring of 2007, aged on the seventh floor of Warehouse K and weighs in at 128.4 proof. The flavor has been described as toffee, clove, and allspice.
William Larue Weller
William Larue Weller is the Antique Collection’s uncut, unfiltered, wheated recipe bourbon. The previous edition was named the “Second Finest Whisky in the World” in Jim Murray’s 2013 Whisky Bible. The 2013 offering was distilled in the spring of 2001 and aged on the third and fourth floors of Warehouses M and P. This William Larue Weller release registers in at 136.2 proof. It tastes of dates, caramel, and brown sugar.
The Antique Collection was introduced more than a decade ago and has become a cult favorite among whiskey connoisseurs. Since 2000 these whiskeys have garnered numerous awards from such notable publications as Whisky Advocate Magazine, Spirit Journal and Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.
The 2013 Antique Collection whiskeys will be available in limited quantities starting in late September or early October. Suggested retail price is $70 each. For more information visit www.greatbourbon.com.
Boardwalk Empire, HBO's Emmy-winning show about Atlantic City gangsters during Prohibition, returns this Sunday for its fourth season. Naturally, there's a lot of bootlegging involved.
Given Atlantic City's location, it was a prime location for rumrunners bringing illicit liquor into the country from Canada. And Canadian hooch usually meant whisky. Canadian Club, then produced by the Hiram Walker Company, was a particular favorite. (It was also the choice of Don Draper, for you Mad Men fans.) Crown Royal, produced by the Seagram company, was also born during this time.
Gin became increasingly popular with Americans (and bootleggers) during Prohibition. There was plenty of it to be had in England and Canada for organized crime syndicates to import. And unlike whiskey, which has to be aged, gin can be produced in an illegal still and immediately sold. There was also the infamous "bathtub gin" -- gin made at home -- which came with significant dangers due to the possibility of methanol in the final product.
Although not as desirable as whiskey or gin, rum was still a popular spirit to bootleg (thus the name "rumrunning"), with most of the supply coming from Cuba, the Bahamas and other Caribbean locales. Much of the bootleg rum ended up further south than Atlantic City, but a fair share of Bacardi still made its way to "The World's Playground."
So if you're planning to watch this weekend, who can blame you if you want to enjoy a drink along with the show? Here are some suggestions.
Crown Royal Black Manhattan
1 1/2 oz. of Crown Royal Black Blended Whisky
1/2 oz. Sweet Vermouth
1 tsp. Simple Syrup
1 Dash Angostura Bitters
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Canadian Club Highball
2 oz. Canadian Club Classic 12 Year Old Whisky
4 oz. 7-Up or Ginger Ale
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Build in an old-fashioned glass over ice. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Mary Pickford
1 1/2 oz. Bacardi White Rum
1 oz. Unsweetened Pineapple Juice
1 tsp. Grenadine
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with cracked ice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Hakushu 12 Year Old Single Malt
Japanese Whisky
Grade:(Superb)
Price: $60 (750ml)
Japanese whisky has been steadily growing in popularity in the United States, but I hadn't had the opportunity to try any until recently. After enjoying a glass of Hakushu 12 Year Old, it's clear to see why this whisky is winning so many fans.
Similar in style to Scotch whisky, Japanese whisky is distilled from malted barley, and is available in both single malt varieties and blends. (This is the former, meaning the contents were all made by a single distillery.)
Hakushu is Suntory's lesser-known distillery -- Yamazaki is the one that is more familiar to most whisky drinkers. Located in the forests near Japan's Southern Alps, the Hakushu distillery makes what Suntory calls "the fresh Japanese whisky."
Like all Japanese whiskies, Hakushu is generally intended to be drank over ice or in Highballs. You certainly can drink it neat -- that's how I tasted it -- but the flavor is designed to stand-up to mixing and dilution.
As the Hakushu moniker promises, this whisky is fresh and crisp in aroma, slightly sweet, and with a hint of smoke. (Hakushu 12 Year Old is lightly peated.)
The flavor is light, bright and fruity, with just a touch of oak and sweetness. There are wisps of peat there, but they're fleeting. This whisky finishes a little spicy and fairly briefly. A very satisfying dram all around.
With this being my first experience with Japanese whisky, I don't have anything to compare it to. (Other than different styles of whiskey, of course.) But I can say this is a tasty whisky, very approachable, and definitely worth trying.
Finding spirits beyond the usual stuff can be hard. Sure, it's easy to pick up a bottle of Popov Vodka at the corner liquor store. But what if you want some El Dorado Rum or a bottle of Weller 12 Year Old Bourbon? In that case, you probably need to order it online -- and Caskers is a great place to try.
Caskers has a small, but carefully curated selection, which means you can find some really good quality stuff there. The prices are okay -- I'd say about in the middle of what you can expect to pay. They're not the cheapest, but you'll pay more most other places.
One of the things I like best about them is that they don't soak you on the shipping like some stores do. They periodically run free shipping specials -- like the one they've got going right now. Between now and Labor Day, all orders of $150 or more qualify for free shipping. Also, they ship to most states, which is good for those who live in places with lousy stores. Like Virginia.
Check 'em out today: Caskers.
Please note: I'm not being compensated to say this stuff. This is not an ad. However, if you go through the link and buy something, I earn some referral credit. But I wouldn't send you to them if I didn't think it was a good service. So be a mensch and use my link, please.
Shake ingredients with ice, then strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
Here's another of those National XYZ Days that I love so much. This time it's the Whiskey Sour's turn, a classic cocktail and one of the easiest drinks to make. I made mine with Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon and it was quite tasty. (I did alter the ratio from the above recipe, though, instead using equal parts lemon juice and simple syrup. I don't like my sours quite that sour.)
Cheers!
Stagg Jr.
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Grade: (Highest Recommendation)
Price: $50 (750ml)
Buffalo Trace Distillery has long been one of the most aggressive whiskey outfits when it comes to experimenting with and producing new bourbons. Their latest is one that's already generating a great deal of interest: Stagg Jr.
A younger version of the highly sought-after George T. Stagg Bourbon, this new bottling is, like its Dad, barrel-proof, uncut and unfiltered; clearly a whiskey designed to appeal to the bourbon connoisseur.
The first batch of Stagg Jr. comes from barrels aged for eight or nine years. (The regular Stagg is aged for at least 15 years.) So it's not a young bourbon by any means. It's coming in at a whopping 134.4 proof (67.2% ABV).
The aroma of the Stagg, Jr. bursts out of the glass. Rich, candied fruit, with moderate ethanol fumes. You can tell it's going to be a strong one.
Taking a few sips, I immediately tasted a burst of caramel sweetness, followed by a delicious grain flavor, and finally closing with a lingering spicy finish. It has quite a kick, but it's a welcome one. This is definitely a hot spirit, but not an overpowering one.
A splash of water brought out even more of the unctuous, almost honeyed sweetness. Stagg is made from Buffalo Trace's "Mash Bill #1," which is their low-rye version, containing a higher percentage of corn. Even so, you can taste the rye influence. There are some pumpkin pie spice hints of cinnamon and clove that help balance out the sweetness.
Interestingly enough, just a little more water overpowered the spirit. You'd think that a bourbon this strong could handle a lot of dilution, but I found that the flavor started to drown very quickly. So add water with a very strict hand.
I have not had the pleasure of tasting the original George T. Stagg, nor many of the other highly acclaimed bourbons like Pappy Van Winkle. But I am quite confident when I say that this is the best bourbon I've ever tasted.
Expect this whiskey to be almost impossible to find. Once it hits the shelves, people are going to swarm on it like locusts. Stagg Jr. will be available in select markets beginning in August of this year -- but not for long.
St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, which means many drinkers will be turning to Irish whiskey for their drink of choice. The Irish whiskey category is hotter than it's ever been, so there are more choices than ever before.
Here at Professor Cocktail we do the heavy lifting so that you don't have to. ("Heavy lifting" sounds better than "heavy drinking.") We sampled a variety of Irish whiskeys so that we could decide which to recommend to you.
For this taste, we focused on blended Irish whiskey. This is by far the most popular type of Irish whiskey available in the U.S., as well as the most widely available.
A blended whiskey is a combination of different whiskeys, including both single malt and neutral (or near-neutral) grain whiskey. Blending the whiskey gives it a lighter, less flavorful character that many drinkers find more pleasant. (It turns out that more flavor isn't always better.)
For our line-up we selected a variety of the most common blended Irish whiskeys, several submitted by the spirits companies themselves, and a few from our own stash. We also included one extra-aged whiskey for comparison. (All Irish whiskey is aged for at least three years -- but often no longer than that.)
This group of whiskeys was defined more by their similarities than by their differences. As expected, all of them were fairly light in flavor and without a lot of complexity. The colors, tastes, and aromas didn't vary as widely as with many spirits. Even so, there were still some differences that allowed us to pick our favorites.
Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey ($24) -- Straight-ahead blended Irish whiskey: a little sharp, a little sweet, with a malty flavor that reminds you of breakfast cereal. This is light and easy, and very drinkable.(Recommended)
Michael Collins Blended Irish Whiskey ($23) -- The stand-out of the entry-level whiskeys. This spirit has a rich, honeyed flavor, with just a touch of smoke, that was very appealing. Vanilla notes contribute to the mild sweetness, but everything stays in balance. Overall, a very nice whiskey.
(Highly Recommended)
Concannon Irish Whiskey ($25) -- This whiskey, distilled by Cooley in Ireland, is aged in petite sirah casks at the Concannon Winery in Livermore, California. That gives it the expected "winey" notes, which aren't uncommon with Irish and Scotch whiskey. What was a surprise was the aroma and flavor of smoke. It was definitely the strongest char of the group, reminding us more of Scotch than the usual Irish. That could be an advantage for some drinkers, but the flavors didn't balance for us, making this one a disappointment. (Not Recommended)
Bushmills Blended Irish Whiskey ($24) -- A raw, grainy flavor on first sip gives this whiskey plenty of bite. It mellows out after that, though, and ends up more astringent and spicier than most of the others. Reactions were mixed, but the floral/vegetal accents were popular with some.(Recommended)
Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old Special Reserve ($38) -- The only whiskey in the tasting with an age statement, this is a blend of whiskeys from 12 to 15 years old. The extra time in the barrel gives this whiskey the darkest color or any in the sample. It also gives it the most complex flavor. Less sweet than the others, it has a tart, fruity taste with elements of caramel and spice. Although one taster found it bitter, overall this got high marks.(Highly Recommended)
Jameson Blended Irish Whiskey ($25) -- The expected grainy, sweet character, but little else to distinguish it flavor-wise. This whiskey seemed hotter than the rest, and consequently seemed even lighter in taste. (You can taste the alcohol, but the malt flavor is overmatched.) I prefer Jameson in cocktails, but if you're searching for that Irish whiskey "kick," this is the way to go. If you're looking for a subtle sipper, look elsewhere.(Recommended)
Tullamore Dew Blended Irish Whiskey ($21) -- A typical Irish whiskey, produced at an untypically fine level. Medium sweet, slightly honeyed, slightly malty. This made us think of breakfast: cereal and toast. An excellent everyday whiskey and a nice finish to the tasting.(Highly Recommended)
There was some sad news for the whiskey world yesterday. Truman Cox, 44, master distiller at the A. Smith Bowman Distillery, died suddenly. He leaves behind a wife and daughter, as well as a lot of people who respected and admired him.
Truman was the lead chemist at Buffalo Trace before moving to Fredericksburg to take over Bowman in June 2011. It had long been his dream to be a master distiller, and he was by all accounts overjoyed at his job.
I didn't know Truman personally, although we were Facebook friends. Just a few days ago he was making jokes about how he was sick and the doctor didn't know what was wrong with him. And then he was gone.
He was outspoken and funny, a friendly guy who knew his bourbon. I imagine he was a great fellow to sit down and enjoy a glass of whiskey with -- preferably whiskey he himself had made.
Truman was doing some great things at A. Smith Bowman, guiding them to a place of growing respect and prominence among bourbon drinkers. (I reviewed the John J. Bowman bourbon and liked it.)
He'll be missed.
David J. Montgomery (aka Professor Cocktail) is a writer and critic specializing in books, publishing, spirits, and cocktails. He is an emeritus columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and The Daily Beast, and has also written for USA Today, the Washington Post, and other fine publications. A former professor of History, he lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and two daughters.
Read the long-form version of About the Professor.
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