Single Malt Report: Vegas 2012 edition (Part 4 of 4)

The triumphant conclusion of the Vegas 2012 edition of the Single Malt Report.

The Whisky Attic tasting in its entirety (links fixed!):

Part 1 - Dalmore Gran Reserva
Part 1 - Tyrconnell 10yr Irish Single Malt, Madeira Finish
Part 1 - Big Bottom Bourbon
Part 2 - Balvenie 14yr Caribbean Cask
Part 2 - Rowan's Creek Bourbon
Part 2 - Willett Straight Rye
Part 3 - Ledaig 15yr
Part 3 - Amrut Cask Strength Indian Single Malt
Part 3 - Laphroaig 10yr Cask Strength
Part 4 - Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Part 4 - Ballylarkin Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Part 4 - Tomintoul 27yr

In Part 3, I tried peaty, muscular, demanding whiskies.  In Part 4, my whisky walls tumble asunder.

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ARDBEG CORRYVRECKAN

The great black wave.

The Corryvreckan, just off the coast of Islay, is the third largest whirlpool in the world.  It's a powerful audible force, described as "very violent and dangerous" by sailing manuals.  It has drawn artists and mystics throughout the years.  It almost killed Orwell when he was in the midst of writing Nineteen Eighty-Four.  It is the washtub of the Gaelic goddess of winter.  It pulled an ancient Norse king to his death.

Per Arcade Fire:
"Nothing lasts forever that's the way it’s gotta be
There's a great black wave in the middle of the sea"

Distillery: Ardbeg
Age: millennia?
Maturation: the planet's molten core
Region: Islay (natch)
Alcohol by Volume: 57.1%

'Twas very pleasing to see this placed in front of me.  I am an Ardbeg 10 fan and deeply desire all of Ardbeg's drams.  I brought the Corryvreckan glass to my lips to begin The Method and the ride began.

Whatever involuntary expression crossed my face made Adam laugh.  "That's what we like to call a bouquet," he said.

I said, "I um."

The whisky had expanded inside of my mind and lit up my skull, like only great absinthes (The Grand Mistress) do when they've arrived at their mark.  I don't know where the nose, palate, and finish borders began or ended.

I was like David in Henry Roth's Call it Sleep.  I had touched the electric rail.

thick tar! bitter

tea and black coffee and

decay-

-ed seaweed

mentholated tire fires

the anise

& sugar
of black

licorice

smoldering
petrol

all held together by the sweet bloom of some great unknown dark flower

"I don't even know what it is." "Fantastic, huh?" I answered him by staring at the glass for two minutes.

This one will sit in second place in the Rankings because I can't quite believe that it is real.  I require a second tasting to prove that I didn't dream it.  And maybe a comparison with its brother Uigeadail.  [Ed. note: Yes, it's bloody real.  Here's the followup report.]

Pricing - Bargain at $70-$80

Rating - 96

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BALLYLARKIN IRISH WHISKY LIQUEUR

 I can't find a decent pic of the bottle, so here's a happy Wiki pic of lychees.

Distillery: Ballylarkin Abbey?
Age: minimum 3 years
Maturation: unknown
Region: Ireland (Kilkenny)
Alcohol by Volume: 40%

This dram proved that whisky tastings aren't totally devoid of humor.

After dropping me into the dark sun of Ardbeg Corryvreckan, what did Adam give me next?  Whisky candy!  He brought me back into the light with syrupy, rich, and fruity Ballylarkin Irish Whisky Liqueur.

I've searched far and wide (on the Intertubes) to find anything about Ballylarkin Liqueur.  The only place with statistics was a report from Washington State's Liquor Control Board.  Otherwise, not much in the way of facts.  It does appear that the liqueur was created by the monks at Ballylarkin Abbey.

Dang.  Monks are always onto the good sh**.

The Ballylarkin company (and abbey) are in County Kilkenny, a beautiful spot I visited almost nine years ago.  I highly recommend visiting the beautiful town of Kilkenny as well.

So, if whiskey is already a liquor, what is whiskey liqueur?  A liquor producer takes some already-matured whiskey stock (that's often not of single malt, pot still, or, even blend quality) then sweetens it with honey, fruit juices and extracts, spices, and sugars.  The result is something extra-desserty, like Drambuie, Irish Mist, Jeremiah Weed, and...

Ballylarkin Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Nose: mmm desserty, candied peaches, lychee juice, vanilla
Palate: thickly textured, lots of lychee fruit, canned peach and pear syrup, and a bourbony Irish whiskey
Finish: strong enough to clear away all previous whisky, but NOT sickly sweet

If you can find Ballylarkin at a bar or restaurant and those tasting notes appeal to you, I do recommend giving it a try.  It shouldn't be that expensive, probably cheaper than Drambuie.  But if those notes gross you out, then stick to a Glenfarclas-flavored dessert.

Pricing - Good at $30-$35

Rating - 77

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TOMINTOUL 27 YEAR OLD

Distillery: Tomintoul

Age: minimum 27 years old

Maturation: Bourbon casks

Region: Speyside

Alcohol by Volume: 40%

I reviewed the Tomintoul 33 year old last year after I'd sampled it on my 33rd birthday.  And found it to be so easy-going that its character was difficult to suss out.  I'd enjoyed the 16 year considerably more.

The 27-year is being phased out, with the 33-year replacing it on the official Tomintioul range.  Or so, I've been reading.  The thing is, the 27 year is easier to find than its replacement via online US whisky sellers.  And that's not a bad thing, since I enjoyed the 27 year much more.

Now, the Ballylarkin was supposed to be the closer on the tasting.  But Adam was incredibly generous and allowed me a bonus partial dram of this 27.

Tomintoul 27 year old

Nose: Light vanilla, fruit sugary but not sweetish, pears!

Palate: More pears, fresh ones though, not canned; a little nutty and malty with a peep of the vanilla

Finish: Medium, a little bit fruit, a little bit of malt

Quite good.  If it was a third of the price, I'd make this a regular in my whisky stash.  But it is 27 years old and priced very competitively with others in that age range.

Pricing - Acceptable at $180-$200

Rating - 87

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I have now expended thousands of words on this tasting and still feel as if that hasn't done it justice.  It was a pivotal whisky experience for me.  Not just for learning a new tasting method.  Not just for getting a chance to view and drink so many great spirits.  Not just for having the opportunity to talk to a whisky expert like Adam Carmer.

Things have been a little rocky in my personal life, so having this chance to deeply explore the grand whisky world without judgement, without second thought, luxuriating in the moment, was valuable beyond price.

Thanks for giving this particular whisky voyage a read.  I look forward to reporting on the many voyages to come.

Happy Tuesday!

Single Malt Report: Vegas 2012 edition (Part 3 of 4)

Happy Monday!  Time for Part Three in the Vegas 2012 edition of the Single Malt report.

Here's The Whisky Attic drink list:

Part 1 - Dalmore Gran Reserva
Part 1 - Tyrconnell 10yr Irish Single Malt, Madeira Finish
Part 1 - Big Bottom Bourbon
Part 2 - Balvenie 14yr Caribbean Cask
Part 2 - Rowan's Creek Bourbon
Part 2 - Willett Straight Rye
Part 3 - Ledaig 15yr
Part 3 - Amrut Cask Strength Indian Single Malt
Part 3 - Laphroaig 10yr Cask Strength
Ardbeg Corryvrecken
Ballylarkin Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Tomintoul 27yr

Adam had told me, before the tasting had begun, that due to my palate preferences we would be heading towards the extremes of the whisky world.

Now we were at the midpoint of whiskies.  There had been great finishes: madeira on Irish, rum on Scottish; and there had been a massive spicy rye.  But what about the single malt's spirit itself, what journeys awaited?

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LEDAIG 15 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT

Distillery: Tobermory
Brand: Ledaig
Age: minimum 15 years
Maturation: likely bourbon casks
Region: Island (Mull)
Alcohol by Volume: 43%

The Island of Mull sits south of Syke and north of Islay.  A single distillery has operated on this rocky island, on and off, since 1798.  It's been known as Tobermory for the majority of its existence, but also went by the name Ledaig for twenty years.

Currently Tobermory produces its namesake unpeated malt as well as "Ledaig", a considerably peated malt modelled after the whisky that had been produced on the island many years before.  Ledaig is a bit of a curio since it's not hot and peppery like Talisker to the north, nor is it medicinal like the distilleries to the south.

The good news is that Ledaig 15 is wonderful, strong in character and significantly different than any other malt that I've had...

Ledaig 15yr
Nose: Fresh peat: the mosses and grasses that later ended their days as the smoke that dried the Mull malted barley; a bit of soap, some citrus
Palate: That lovely fresh vegetal peat element, new cigar smoke, a little dusty, malty, a smidge of spice
Finish: Very extensive for its ABV, lovely in fact, a little dusty and vegetal

...The bad news?  Ledaig 15 was produced in limited amounts for a limited time and no longer for sale anywhere, except at swollen auction prices.  It was a great pleasure to have had this opportunity to taste it.

Pricing - Unbloodyknown :(
Rating - 92

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AMRUT CASK STRENGTH INDIAN SINGLE MALT

Distillery: Amrut
Age: unknown but definitely young
Maturation: bourbon casks
Region: India (Bangalore)
Alcohol by Volume: 61.8%

Then it was a quick gear shift into a hefty Cask Strength from...

India.

India?  India.  India has a massive whisky market, dominated by their own brands of blends.  Much of what they bottle as "whisky" is actually an inexpensive distillation of molasses.  BUT, Amrut Distilleries (est. 1948) now produces their malts according to the Scottish Whisky Association's standards.

Now, as you can imagine, the weather in India is slightly different than that of Scotland.  So the whisky matures differently.  For instance the heavy heat causes the spirit to shed alcohol much faster than its Scotch counterparts.  Thus the bottlings must be much younger.

So, what we have here is a young cask-strengthed Amrut, with a big ABV:

Amrut Cask Strength Indian Single Malt

Nose: Malty and oaky, but surprisingly little ethyl for an ABV like this

Palate: Thick, oily, malty, a little bit of salt, very fatty, again relatively little of that ethyl

Finish: Here's the Heat, along with some spice.

Perhaps it was the new tasting method, but the alcohol (62% of the drink) was not as obtrusive as other lighter cask strength whiskies I've had.  It was very good.  Blindfolded I wouldn't have known that it wasn't Scottish.

ALSO, I have a my own mini bottle of this.  So we'll explore this further, along with other world whiskies, next month.

Pricing - Good at $65-$75
Rating - 81

(to be examined again in April...)

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LAPHROAIG 10 YEAR OLD CASK STRENGTH (Batch 002)

This may or may not be the right bottle pic.  There are others with greener labels and the ABV stamped largely on the front.

Distillery: Laphroaig
Age: minimum 10 years
Maturation: seasoned oak
Region: Islay
Alcohol by Volume: 56.3%

Adam and I chatted about Laphroaig's malts after I'd sampled this one.  He helped diagnose my issue with the 18 year -- it's designed with a subtler palate range in mind.  He's also a fan of the Quarter Cask.  "Best nose in the range, but this has the best finish by far."  This being the 10yr Cask Strength.

Laphroaig 10yr Cask Strength
Nose: Coal and wood smoke, no bandaids, salty, and moderate peating
Palate: More of the coal and wood smoke, smoked fish, salty Atlantic, balanced by a mellow brown sugar sweetness, nice oily texture
Finish: One of the greatest ever. ENORMOUS. I swear there were three climbing tiers of finish. It was boom, then BOom, then boOM. Cigars, bonfires, woodstoves, coastal Irish evenings

I'll agree with him, this finish was unbelievable.  It kept transforming as time went on.  Looks like the Quarter Cask has a competitor here.

Pricing - Good at $60; Less Good at $75

Rating - 89

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These were all big individualist whiskies adorned with clomping steel-toed boot-style characteristics.

Could we go any larger?  What in the world would that be like?

Stay tuned for Part Four in the series, coming soon.

Alex Rodriguez responds to my blog post in acceptable fashion

The first pitch Alex sees this spring training, courtesy of Roy Halladay:



That's okay with me.

UPDATE: Because mlb.com can't get their video working correctly, I'll spoil the suspense.

He hits a homerun.

Alex Rodriguez, I'll bet you think this post is about you

Is there nothing that you do, publicly, that doesn't photograph weird?

I guess that's why I love you, man.

No, not that way.

In more of a straight male warrior centaur kind of way.

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

You need to be healthy this year, bro.  Haters gon' hate, but a three year clean ARodaissance would be swell for beisbol, New York, and (even bigger!) you.

Afterwards, you'd be in around 7th place in Runs, 12th in Hits, 2nd in Total Bases, 3rd in RBI, 5th in Extra Base Hits, you'd pass Babe Ruth on the home run list, and (for the statheads) you'd be 8th in Offensive WAR.  And you'd still be only 38 years old.  Three years left on your contract to coast on into the top of the record books in almost every major offensive category.

I know you've said that you don't pay any attention to your own stats, but look at those pictures above.  Dude.  You do pay attention to your own stats.

So, if not for the fans, if not for the game, if not for the Yankees, do it for ARod.

Think about it for a sec...

The photo opportunities will be endless.

Single Malt Report: Vegas 2012 edition (Part 2 of 4)

Time for Part Two in the Vegas 2012 edition of the Single Malt report.  Part One can be found here.

Here's The Whisky Attic drink list:

Part 1 - Dalmore Gran Reserva
Part 1 - Tyrconnell 10yr Irish Single Malt, Madeira Finish
Part 1 - Big Bottom Bourbon
Part 2 - Balvenie 14yr Caribbean Cask
Part 2 - Rowan's Creek Bourbon
Part 2 - Willett Straight Rye
Ledaig 15yr
Amrut Cask Strength Indian Single Malt
Laphroaig 10yr Cask Strength
Ardbeg Corryvrecken
Ballylarkin Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Tomintoul 27yr

Adam was clearly aiming towards a massive nose/taste profile for this tasting.  That wasn't just blind guessing on his part.  Before beginning, he'd first asked me some questions on my whisky preferences and from there made these selections.  He said that I had a "very expansive palate".  Whether that was customer flattery or the truth, it worked for me!

I like massive Petite Sirahs, very dark chocolate, bitter beers, and bitter teas.  I guess the flipside of that is my impatient response to older subtler whiskies.  I'm working on that, but someone needs to supply me with some additional old whisky!  Otherwise, I guess I've been currently saving money sampling lunatic youngin' drams.

I did tell him that I'd tired a bit of the super winey finishes and enjoyed more basic finishes, the malt, the many varieties of peat, and all things Campbeltown.  He snuck a couple of finished whiskies in here, but he chose wisely since I really enjoyed them both.  And, as noted in Part 1 (yesterday) and 2 (today), he entered three American whiskies into this world tour.

To the reports!

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THE BALVENIE 14 YEAR OLD, CARIBBEAN CASK

Distillery: The Balvenie

Age: minimum 14 years

Maturation: Traditional Oak
Finish: Guyanese and Venezuelan rum casks

Region: Speyside (Dufftown)

Alcohol by Volume: 43%

Balvenie has a history of rummed whisky releases.  There was the 17yr Rum Cask release from 2008, which was matured entirely in rum casks.  It was a smash and sold out promptly.  I was lucky enough to get a taste of it, courtesy of Bernardo (thank you, sir).  It was very rummy and full of molasses, a great dessert whisky.  Then there was the 14yr Golden Cask (47.5% ABV, non-chillfiltered) which was sold only via Duty Free shops in 2009.  Then there was also a Rum Cask (47.1% ABV) which they'd done briefly in 2005.  And a 14yr Cuban Selection (43% ABV) for the French market.

And now we have this 14yr Caribbean Cask bottling, exclusive to the US market.  Bottled at 43% ABV, it's finished for a number of months in rum casks from, yes, the Caribbean.

The Balvenie 14 year old Caribbean Cask
Nose: MILK CHOCOLATE! Tons of it wrapped around a bit of cinnamon. Yum.
Palate: Thick and malty. More milky chocolate. Cinnamon and all of the sweet spices in the cabinet. Not as rummy as 17yr.
Finish: Moderate. Lingering cinnamon and Nestle's chocolate.

It's a different creature than the 17yr, partially due to the difference in maturation and partially due to, well, me.  The tasting method helped hone my sensory experience.  And in this case, the first imprint was milk chocolate.  The rest of the blogosphere has found characteristics like vanilla, toffee, and nuts.

Like the 17yr though, this is not an aperitif.  It's a sweet dense whisky to cap off dinner.  Maybe a dram with some ice cream.

It's my favorite Balvenie at the moment.

Pricing - Bargain at $50, Good at $65
Rating - 87

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ROWAN'S CREEK BOURBON

Bottler: Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (aka KBD or Willett Distilling Company)
Brand: Rowan's Creek

Age: 5 to 15 years

Maturation: New Oak

Region: Bourbon County, Kentucky

Alcohol by Volume: 50.5%

Ah, he slipped another American whiskey into the tour.  Adam's a big fan of bourbon, and of KBD as well.  This one is Rowan's Creek Kentucky Bourbon, a small batch whiskey, bottled at 101 proof.  KBD is an independent bottler, though a very productive one, as it bottles sixteen different brands.  Rowan's Creek is their best selling brand.

Rowan's Creek Kentucky Bourbon
Nose: Lovely, expansive. Vanilla, cinnamon and peppery spices, toffee. Maybe even floral.
Palate: Vanilla and honey. Very easygoing considering the ABV.
Finish: Huge finish, I think I was still sensing this the next day. Bountiful sweet bourbon vanilla with a little zing.

I'm giving this one a half measure up on the Big Bottom Bourbon.  The nose was delicious, I couldn't stop sniffing the glass.  And the finish is enormous, which was a surprise since the palate was so smooth.  Another bourbon that I would try again, happily.

Pricing - Good at $40
Rating - 79

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WILLETT STRAIGHT RYE

Bottler: Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (aka KBD or Willett Distilling Company)
Brand: Willett

Age: 3 years

Maturation: New Oak

Region: Bourbon County, Kentucky

Alcohol by Volume: 57.6%

I'd been waiting for this opportunity for some time:  An introduction to rye whiskey.

Perhaps, I'd over-romanticized rye, but there always seemed to be an edge to its oldschool-ness.  For the longest time, most liquor stores never carried it.  No one ever talked about it.  Bourbon this, Scotch that, but no rye.

But within the last year or so, I started meeting people who'd just started drinking and enjoying rye.  Rye was starting to pop up in liquor stores.  A small resurgence perhaps?  I wanted in, but I was never that crazy about other American whiskies.  They were often too sweet, too much of a sadistic lumbering oaf, a total lack of grace -- very American, as it were.  There needed to be a proper introduction.

And here it was.  Three years old, a KBD bottling, 57.6% alcohol.  The bottle label contained barrel and distilling information but was otherwise simple and restrained.

Yet without any frame of reference, I had no idea what this was going to taste like.

Willet Cask Strength Single Barrel Rye Whiskey
Nose: WOW. Holiness. I'm transported to my childhood, evening Havdalah services at the synagogue, the fragrant spice box.  I may be having a moment here.
Palate: Very spicy. The zing and whoosh and prickle and hum, but no burn. Oh dear me.
Finisih: Epic. Toasty and peppery.

On February 23rd, 2012, I am sold on rye.

Pricing - Excellent at $35-$40
Rating - 91

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Part Three to follow on Monday!

Single Malt Report: Vegas 2012 edition (Part 1 of 4)

I'm curled up in bed with a 101.4 degree fever.  Sorry, more cowbell is not the prescription needed.  Instead, I need some consistent sleep and at least a week to dry out.

In the meantime, I'm going to do a bunch of mini-reports on the whiskies sampled at The Whisky Attic.  I posted about this experience last week, but would like to expand a little about the individual spirits.

But first...

I put away about a third of a bottle of Redbreast 12 over three nights.  It's still a damned delicious whiskey, one of the greats.  Everyone in the crew put it away without a single Whiskey Face.  In fact, everyone had it neat and went back for seconds and thirds (and maybe more).  There may even wind up being a bottle or two purchased as a result of the experience.

My brother scored a free drink ticket at the Sports Book and awesomely handed it over to me.  The voucher said that it would only cover well drinks, but the GREAT bartender used Glenfiddich 12 when I politely inquired about it.  If I knew he'd be so swell, I wouldn't have asked for a highball.  But in fact, the club soda really brought out all of the sweets with the 'Fiddich.  So I recommend that to those willing to bruise their booze with soda water.

Wolfgang Puck's Postrio at The Venetian has an exemplary whisky selection.  It's all about quality not quantity in their case.  They had Bunnahabhain, Scapa(!), Tobermory, Caol Ila, and a couple independents in addition to the very good usual suspects.  I went with the Bunny 12 and happily discovered that I finally found the subtle peat note.  It was a lean and peaceful peat, contributing to a great whisky.  I've included an update at the bottom of my original post about Bunny 12.

Now, back to The Whisky Attic drink list:

Dalmore Gran Reserva
Tyrconnell 10yr Irish Single Malt, Madeira Finish
Big Bottom Bourbon
Balvenie 14yr Carribean Cask
Rowan's Creek Bourbon
Willett Straight Rye
Ledaig 15yr
Amrut Cask Strength Indian Single Malt
Laphroaig 10yr Cask Strength
Ardbeg Corryvrecken
Ballylarkin Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Tomintoul 27yr

I'm going to split this up into groups of three in order to make this easier to digest.  These will be a little smaller than the usual reports.

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THE DALMORE GRAN RESERVA

Distillery: The Dalmore
Brand: Gran Reserva (previously known as The Cigar Malt)

Age: 10 to 15 years

Maturation: Oloroso sherry butts and Bourbon barrels
Finish: Sherry butts

Region: Northern Highlands

Alcohol by Volume: 40%

Gorgeous bottle.  Stellar website too.  The Dalmore products are known for their luxurious design.  Their Master Blender (technically the Master for all of the White & Mackay products) is the boisterous Richard Patterson, who has dubbed himself "The Nose" for both physical and job-related reasons.  He has a great online presence and is everywhere at all times, probably the most sociable of all Master Blenders.

The Dalmore whiskies are also very much known for being very darkly colored and very very sherried.  They're also all 40% ABV which is as tamed as a whisky can legally be.  I lust after their King Alexander III whisky, which is a combination of Port, Sherry, Bourbon, Marsala, Madeira, and French red wine finishes.

Their famous flavor characteristic is orange (marmalade, juice, peel, etc.) but I didn't pick up any of that when I'd tried Dalmore 12 some time ago.  That was a little frustrating.

So now here's the Gran Reserva: matured in 40% bourbon barrels and 60% Oloroso sherry butts, then married together for six months in sherry butts.  With the help of Adam Carmer's method could I find the Dalmore character....?

Gran Reserva
Nose: Yay!!!  Success.  Fresh oranges.  Pulp and peel.  A little bit of caramel.
Palate:  The fresh oranges dominate again.  Some milky chocolate hides behind.  Silky texture.
Finish:  Brief.  Mostly vanilla.

It's very graceful.  And by that I mean pleasant rather than boring and subdued.  It's also not as exciting as most of the other whiskies I'd tasted at The Attic, and the finish is quite short.  I can't imagine that raising the alcohol to 43 or 46 percent would be that bad of a thing.

Pricing - Acceptable at $70-$75
Rating - 79

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THE TYRCONNELL 10 YEAR MADEIRA FINISH (Irish Single Malt)

Distillery: Cooley
Brand: Tyrconnell

Age: minimum 10 years

Finish: Madeira casks

Region: Ireland (Louth)

Alcohol by Volume: 46%

Yep, not a blend, not a single pot still, but a genuine Irish single malt.  Other than Bushmills, Cooley is producing the only Irish single malts at the moment.  They were also the last of the independent Irish distilleries, until they were purchased by Beam a few months ago.

Tyrconnell was very popular here in The States until Prohibition crushed their brand.  Thankfully it was resurrected by Cooley, who have released four different bottlings.

Whisk(e)y trivia:  The label has an illustration of a racehorse named "The Tyrconnell" once owned by the distillery.  In 1876, they entered it in The National Produce Stakes Irish Classic and, at 100 to 1 odds, it won.

Now to its eponymous whiskey...

The Tyrconnell 10 year, Madeira Finish
Nose: floral but not perfumy, instead its an entire field of blooming flowers; fruit juices (cranberry and grape)
Palate: Fresh ripe fruit and lots of it, stone fruits and berries, all with a solid malt center that keeps it from being overly sweet
Finish: Medium, the fruits remain, and the flowers return

As I've only hinted with all the Redbreast mentions on this blog, I am an enormous Irish whiskey fan.  It has a lightness that doesn't abandon verve and explosive flavor.  And this single malt did not disappoint.  It's probably the juiciest whisk(e)y that I've ever tried, yet it wasn't candied or sweet.  Even the great Serge Valentin called it yummy.  Agreed.

Pricing - Acceptable at $70-$80 (though if Beam could lower it $20......pretty please?)
Rating - 92 (adjusted down to 81 in a later review)

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BIG BOTTOM STRAIGHT BOURBON

The international tour continues.  From the Northern Highlands, to County Louth, to Bourbon County, Kentucky.  This one had Adam, along with the Frog's bartender and I humming the tune to Spinal Tap's "Big Bottom".

Bottler: Big Bottom Whiskey (multiple distilleries)

Age: minimum 3 years

Maturation: New white oak

Region: Bourbon County, Kentucky (spirit); Oregon (company)

Alcohol by Volume: 45.5%

Big Bottom's bottles indeed have big bottoms.  And the flavor is big and bottomless.  They take new make (or white dog) from different distilleries, then they do the wood finishing themselves to create the final product.  This one is 36% rye while a combination of unmalted barley and corn likely makes up the rest.

As mentioned in previous posts, I'm still a little new to the bourbon palate, but it's gradually working its way in.  American whiskey is something that I would love to love.  And big bottoms are worth singing about.

Big Bottom American Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Nose: some nice spiciness (maybe from the rye?), okay "spiciness" is kind of a generic term, how about "zing!" and "whoosh!", followed by more corn sweets than vanilla
Palate: the "zing" is peppery, hot cinnamon and nutmeg, and lots and lots and lots of corn sweets, Frosted Flakes perhaps
Finish: Massive finish, outlasted many of the single malts

Not a bad one.  I love the pricing (see below).  Would be great in an old-fashioned, the spice mixing with the bitters.  I would definitely order this neatly in a bar to give it a second run.  Very different than Blanton's, so my bourbon world is quietly expanding...

Pricing - Good at $28 (same price at five different locations)
Rating - 74

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Part 2 to follow soon...