NOT Single Malt Report: Jefferson 10 year old Straight Rye Whiskey(Hi-Time Select)

Okay, so the rye in this one is not technically a US American ("Everywhere like such as.").  It's a Canadian(-American).  And yes, I did report on the official version of this rye six months ago, but I wanted to give the juice another chance.  Since there was some agreement in the comments section that Jefferson's varies batch by batch, I thought I'd go with a small batch that was chosen by hand by the good folks at Hi-Time.

Since this version might not be on their shelves anymore, and since I've already covered a different batch of the rye, and since it's not technically distilled in the U.S. of A. and thus doesn't really belong in this week's lineup, how about we keep this report moving, shall we?

Distillery: possibly Alberta Springs Distillery
Ownership: McClain & Kyne (via Castle Brands)
Type: Canadian Straight Rye Whisky
Region: Alberta, Canada (possibly)

Age: minimum 10 years
Mashbill: 100% rye (along with a proprietary fungus that helps keep the mash from getting sticky)

Maturation: charred white oak barrels

Alcohol by Volume: 47%
Exclusive to: Hi-Time Wine Cellars

(Thanks again to JLR for the sample!)

A summary of my previous experiences with Jefferson's rye:
Zero minutes of wait time: Weird and new-makey, like piney nail polish remover.
Forty-five minute wait: Better, with more oak, chocolate, and fruits, but also thinly textured with something vegetal lurking in the background.

I gave this one 40+ minutes of air again to see what would open up:

NEAT:
Color - Penny copper
Nose - A little pine and farty oak hit immediately.  Parting those curtains, I found pleasant spices like mild pepper, ground cloves, and cinnamon; then fresh cherries, leather, corn chips, and Sauternes.  It has a small case of The Turps, but not alarmingly so.  Also there's an interesting combination of rosewater and body odor.
Palate - Mellow. Light rye-ish spices lead off.  Pine sap, bubble gum, and white nectarines.  There's also something almost peat-like, perhaps Canadian moss?
Finish - Lots of bubble gum and menthol with some lemon peel.  Mellowness.

This is a chillaxing (sorry, brah) rye.  It could have been all that breathing time or it was chosen purposely for its relaxed nature.  The nose held some contradictions but remaining fascinating from start to finish.  The palate is more consistent and more immediately pleasing.  The whole package turned out to be better than the official bottling.

If anyone has a bottle of this Hi-Time Select version open, let me know what you think of it.

Tomorrow, well go back to US Americans and one last bourbon before the scotch comes pouring in.

Availability - Official version can be found at many liquor specialists

Pricing - $30-$45

Rating - 80  (with air!)

NOT Single Malt Report: Then there were the two rounds with Old Forester

Ready for some more Brown-Forman?

*silence*

Yeah, I know.  I feel the same way.  But if all we drank was the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection then, well, then we'd......that's a bad example.

Just because we may have had a bad experience with all of a certain company's brands it doesn't mean we should write them off entirely.  Or at least give them their proper due in a report if they do stink.

So, ready for some more Brown-Forman?

The corner liquor store near my last job had a slew of these (above) 200mL Old Forester glass bottles from the 1990s.  (The front label from the '80s was similar, but had a blue proof stamp in the center of it.)  The store also had some older bottles of Dewars White Label, but no thanks.  This OldF was only $4.99, so what the heck.

OLD FORESTER STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY (bottled 1990s)

Owner: Brown-Forman Corporation
Brand: Old Forester
Distillery: Brown-Forman Distillery
Location: Shively, Kentucky
Mash Bill: 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley
Age: four years
ABV: 43% ABV

I tried an Old Forester mini with the mid-aughts label, reviewed here, last year.  It was drinkable -- better than JD#7  -- but had its issues.  Let's see how a previous edition fares:

NEAT:
Color - Reddish gold
Nose - Straight out of the bottle: Caramel, orange peel, turpentine, rotting apples, corn syrup, and burnt paper.  After 20 minutes: maple syrup and talcum powder.
Palate - Approachable. Short alcohol prickle, lots of vanilla, taffy, and lightly nutty like biscotti. It's sweet at first then dries out a little and has a non-distinct fruitiness.
Finish - Weird and off-putting after the decent palate.  Bitter, sugary cheese.

Per my notes, it looks like this older version is subtler than the current one.  What they have in common is an odd finish.  Everything is decent until the finale, which is the wrong place to go awry, as that's the last thing the customer/audience/drinker remembers.  This 1990s version is not half bad on the rocks, where the ending is silenced.  It also makes a respectable Old-Fashioned, of which I am sipping in between paragraphs of this post's rough draft right now.

Aside from the "what the heck" factor, I bought this little bottle because I needed a dance partner for the other Old Forester that I'd brought with me to Arizona:

OLD FORESTER BIRTHDAY BOURBON (2012)

Owner: Brown-Forman Corporation
Brand: Old Forester
Distillery: Brown-Forman Distillery
Location: Shively, Kentucky
Mash Bill: 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley (with 2% malt added in the fermentor)
Age: twelve years
Batch: #11, 2012
ABV: 48.5% ABV (it may have different ABVs for European releases)

Thank you to JLR for the sample!

This annual release with its cool decanter marks the September 2nd birthday of company founder George Garvin Brown.  The whiskey was distilled all on the day same day, at least 12 years before bottling.  According to the marketing materials I've seen online for the 2012 edition, Master Distiller Chris Morris had plopped an extra 2% of malt into the fermentor which influenced the final palate.

NEAT:
Color - Maple syrup meets Macallan 12yr
Nose - Big caramel candies swimming in vanilla simple syrup.  Honey, toasted whole wheat bread, a pinch of rye spices, maybe a hint of peanuts?
Palate - Dried leaves, apricot jam, orange marmalade.  Barrel char, a moment of chlorine, a little barley cereal.  It's rich and bold, I'm glad it wasn't reduced!
Finish - Lotsa oak here.  Goes sweet to dry.  Extensive and sticky.  Citrus, caramel, and ripe stone fruits.

Yum.  The finish is the weak point again, but the nose and palate are very solid.  No ice or water on this one, please!

The 2013 edition should be hitting the stores any day now and will have the same 48.5% ABV as its predecessors.  The Birthday Bourbon sells out pretty quickly each year, at least around the LA area.  It's a tasty one, but it'll also cost you up to $55 (per its MSRP).  Is it worth $55?  I don't know, though that does seem to be the going rate for Single Barrel or Special Editions from non-BT/non-Roses companies.  What I can tell you is the Birthday Bourbon is in a completely different league than its OldF brothers.

---

OLD FORESTER STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKY (bottled 1990s)
Availability - The current version is carried by most bourbon retailers.
Pricing - Current version: $13-$20
Rating - 74

OLD FORESTER BIRTHDAY BOURBON 2012
Availability - Many liquor retailers worldwide
Pricing - $40-$55
Rating - 85

NOT Single Malt Report: Two rounds with Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey

I may lose some readers with this one, but here I go.

I do not, Do Not, DO NOT understand why anyone drinks Jack Daniel's Old No. 7.  I am unable to comprehend how it became the second most exported whisk(e)y in the world.  The best explanation I've heard so far is when Scotch and Ice Cream suggested that it's all marketing and culture.  So maybe it's like McDonalds and Bud Light: the name, the image, the familiarity influence consumers so they disregard the actual quality and experience of their purchase.  Is that it?  Because otherwise, I'm missing something.

Old No. 7 Black Label may have a "MANLY" marketing image, but how is it a "MANLY" whiskey?  It's not difficult or burly or challenging.  It just tastes bad.  In fact, since it's kind of weak and watered down in its current state, almost any American whiskey on the shelf could prove to be a more challenging ride.

And, at $15-$25, it's not nearly the cheapest thing on the shelf, so it can't be THE low-cost working man's whiskey.  As a mixer, it's barely better than vodka because it needs to be smothered with a ton of sugar in order to hide its flavor.  The same thing goes with Jack Daniel's sauces and marinades.  The reason why they taste so good is because they taste nothing like Old No. 7.  They taste like brown sugar.

Okay, so maybe, just maybe, people want to get plastered.  So they buy bottles of Jack for shots or to live up to the (sadly) romantic image of their favorite rocker drinking straight from the bottle.  Well that's a FAIL too.  Nothing tastes worse blasting back up than Old No. 7 vomit, aside from maybe Cuervo & Tabasco vomit.
(Note to self: You really have to stop it with the Vomit Taste Offs.)

I spent a bit of time with JD#7 in the late '90s -- until one day I realized it tasted awful -- so I'm coming to this with considerable sense memory.  I'm coming to this as someone who has had many motivations for buying booze.  But when it comes to Old No. 7, there are "manlier" drinks, there are cheaper drinks, there are more blue-collared drinks, there are better mixers, and there are better shots.

So, let's try some Old No. 7!

JACK DANIEL'S OLD No. 7 BLACK LABEL (bottled late 1990s)

Distillery: Jack Daniel's
Ownership: Brown-Forman Corporation
Region: Lynchburg, TN
Type: Tennessee Whiskey
Age: four years (I think)
Mashbill: 80% corn, 12% malted barley, 8% rye
Bottled: late 1990s
Alcohol by Volume: 43% (different than current ABV)


NEAT:
Color - Apple juice meets corn syrup
Nose - Leads with varnish and very sweet corn syrup. Follows with Italian salad dressing, dry cheese, and vinegar.
Palate - Goes the quick road from overly sweet to overly bitter.  Corn syrup and sweet cream does a bee line to ammonia.  Per the Lincoln County Process this was filtered through maple charcoal, but it tastes like it was passed through steel wool, Brillo pads, and burnt hair.
Finish - Granulated sugar sprinkled conservatively over a vat of acetate, varnish, deck stain, and ammonia.

WITH WATER:
Nose - Immediately there's tree bark, bleached paper, and horseradish. Then more of the varnish and corn syrup.
Palate - Creamier. Starts with brown sugar then goes bitter.
Finish - Blessedly short. Ammonia.

First thing to note:  My generous sample was taken from a bottle that was purchased in the late '90s.  And, yeah, the ABV was 43% rather than 40%.  I wish I had a proper bottle shot, but I don't know where the bottle went. (Long story, not very interesting.)

Secondly, I have to admit that this version of JD was particularly foul.  The current version is softer with more Nutrasweet corn, but it still has that steel-wool-brillo-pad-burnt-hair note.  There are folks who find a banana note in the current JD, but my nose reads it as banana-candy-meets-paint-fumes.

Thirdly, you may think I'm completely biased against all Jack Daniel's products and am thus a sh***y American.  At least the former isn't true.

Enter:

JACK DANIEL'S SINGLE BARREL SELECT

Distillery: Jack Daniel's
Ownership: Brown-Forman Corporation
Region: Lynchburg, TN
Type: Tennessee Whiskey
Age: four years (I think)
Mashbill: 80% corn, 12% malted barley, 8% rye
Alcohol by Volume: 47%

This tasting was done from the above mini, a gift from my buddy Shannon.  While no barrel number was listed on the mini, the 750mL (and 700mL) bottles do have barrel numbers on them.  But note: the Single Barrel Selects released in Europe have a 45% ABV.

Per the official website, "Single Barrel is matured in the highest reaches of our barrelhouse, where the dramatic changes in temperature cause its color and taste to deepen further."  Let's see how this maturation plays out.

NEAT:
Color - Reddish gold
Nose - At first: hazelnuts and dirty socks and nail varnish.  That steel-wool-brillo-pad-burnt-hair note shows up here.  But give it 15-20 minutes of air and... White bread toast, Cracker Jacks, burnt peppercorns, hay, vanilla extract, and fudgy rum.
Palate - Peanut brittle, sugary grains, vanilla and caramel (almost dulce de leche).  It's sweet, hot, and oaky, but in balanced moderation compared to No. 7.
Finish - Lots of corn whiskey.  There's some boiled vegetables at the start, but with time that note vanishes.  Then there's cayenne pepper, tree bark, vanilla, and caramel.

Because of the aforementioned "bias", I opened the bottle anticipating disaster.  But it's not terrible.  In fact, the Single Barrel Select is very drinkable and balanced once it's had some oxygen.  I like the nutty note as well as the straightforward vanilla and caramel.  Keep in mind, though, different barrels will have different characteristics.  That can work out well ...... or not, thus the charm of single barrel releases.

Again, once it's aired out, the Single Barrel leaves #7 far far behind, which is a shame.  It would be great if one of America's famous exports displayed more skill and craft, something with more strength and stamina, something that displays the better part of the American character.

---

JACK DANIEL'S OLD No. 7 BLACK LABEL (bottled late 1990s)
Availability - Somewhere out there. Current version is EVERYWHERE.
Pricing - Current version: $15-$25
Rating - 60    (late '90s sample only)

JACK DANIEL'S SINGLE BARREL SELECT
Availability - Many liquor retailers worldwide
Pricing - $40-$50
Rating - 80    (needs to breathe, though!)

Dusty Hunting on Vacation and a Preview of Things to Come

Happy Monday!

I'm back home after two great vacation weeks.  I haven't had many opportunities to vacate during the summer over the past ten years; in fact there were only two: moving across the country and my honeymoon.  And like any proper whisky degenerate student, I scoured every liquor store along the way on a continuous dusty treasure hunt.

I go into these hunts with realistic expectations.  I'm not expecting to find a bottle of Stitzel-Weller Old Fitz or mis-priced Stagg.  And there really isn't much in the way of dusty Scotch in The States, except for some old blends.  So the best dusties I expect to find would be the stuff no longer in circulation or previous batches or old weirdness.  If those things are considered successes, then the success rate is still usually below 10%.  But I'm always open to the potential of small miracles.  Or great prices.

Here were my stops:

Manhattan - The big city still has some curios in its 100s (or 1000s?) of corner liquor stores.  I picked up a totally random single cask single malt that was bottled sixteen years ago for probably half of its price had it been retailing in LA.

Upstate New York - There ain't nothin' dusty around Keuka and Seneca Lake aside from some weird blends.  Dew of Ben Nevis 12, anyone?  Either that place was FoaFed a long time ago, or everyone has consumed everything interesting, or there was never the income level in those areas that would have inspired distributors to put their fancy stuff on those shelves.

Prescott, Arizona - If you're heading to Prescott (for whatever reason) there are a few interesting bottles to be found.  When I left, there were two Thomas Handy Ryes (2012), a few older-labelled single malts, some oddball blends, and (very randomly) a dozen total bottles of five older Scott's Selection single malts.  The Scott's Selection stuff was of interest, but out of my current price range.  I did take home a bottle desired booze that was really discounted, along with a pair of old minis.

---

I drank a lot of American whiskies during my break.  That's partially because I find bourbon suits a hot summer better than do most single malts.  But also, I had a bunch of American whiskey on my report schedule.  So this week I'm going to drop 6 Americans on you in 4 days.

As fun as that all is and as well as bourbon may "suit" this weather, I was SERIOUSLY craving some proper Scotch when I got home.  So we can say good-bye to any more non-Scotch posts until after the equinox.  Next week, I'll write about the birthday whisky.  The following week?  Here's a heavy-handed hint:

Screw the heat, we're going to end this summer with some big Scotch.

NOT Single Malt Report: Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon (a revisit)

In memory of Elmer T. Lee.

A year and a half ago, I posted my first bourbon Report.  That whiskey was Blanton's Single Barrel, and it was the first bourbon I'd ever enjoyed drinking straight.  The tasting occurred in December 2011 when the bottle (kept at my in-laws' house) was first opened.

Zip forward to August 2013, the bottle is still 40% full.  I opened it, poured a glass, and found the bourbon even more delightful than before.  Either my palate had changed or with almost two years in the bottle the bourbon's edges had been smoothened and a new bright character was coming through.

Since that particular barrel was bottled exactly two years ago, here's an official revisit:

Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Brand: Blanton's
Region: Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: unknown; online guesses range from 6 to 12 years
Mashbill: Buffalo Trace #2 (higher-rye; about 15%)
Bottled: 8/15/2011
Barrel: 18
Warehouse: 14
Rick: 2
Bottle: 137
Alcohol by volume: 46.5%

Neat only!
The color is a dark but rosy gold, almost "maple syrup" as I'd previously described it.  The nose starts with black cherry soda, cinnamon candy, and thick toffee.  Then there's corn syrup, buttered toast, charred oak, apple juice, and cream soda.  Underneath it all is a savory, meaty element that adds a strong new dimension to the nose.  Berries fill the palate: cherries, blackberries, and strawberries.  Soft spices sitting in a mix of black cherry syrup and caramel sauce.  Vanilla beans and brown sugar with mild black pepper.  Then it shifts into another gear in the finish.  Strawberries, orange candies, and creamsicles.  A spicy rye bouquet amid corn sweetness.  A bit of brine and a bit of fudge.

I've sampled about three dozen bourbons since the previous Blanton's report.  Only Stagg (Sr.) and Old Fitz BIB from Stitzel-Weller tops this Blanton's revisit.  For me, the extra spice and fruits put it over Buffalo Trace.  I will buy my own bottle before the year is out to find out if that extra oxidation was necessary in order for the bourbon to hit this sweet spot.  At the same time, if these really are single barrel releases, then no two barrels will taste exactly the same.  But I'm willing to risk it.  This is good stuff.

Availability - Many US liquor retailers
Pricing - $45-$55
Rating - 91

NOT Single Malt Report: McKenzie Bourbon Whiskey

Engaging in a full ground assault on Upstate New York wine & spirits makers, Kristen's family and I visited Finger Lakes Distilling last week.  With Brian McKenzie at the business helm and Tom McKenzie (not related!) running the distilling, the company began operations in 2007.  They have since created a serious product lineup:

Whiskey - Two whites in addition to a Single Malt Pure Pot Still, Bourbon, Rye, and Wheat.  The newest member of the group, the wheat whiskey appealed to me the most.  I'm not the biggest wheater fan, but this one softer and sweeter than its three brethren.  The single malt pure pot still (aged 2 1/2 to 3 years, I believe) tasted very very young.  Whisk(e)y production is a difficult business, requiring producers to hold onto their products for a long time during maturation.  New distilleries are often in a hurry to get these out onto the market in order to bring in some revenue and stay open.  The Upstate climate is closer to Scotland than Kentucky for all but a couple months of the year, so a malt may need 5 - 8 years before it has shed its new make trappings.  The rye was a stinger indeed, full of mint and rye seeds.  The bourbon (purchased by my in-laws) is reviewed below.
Gin - Seneca Drums and the Distiller's Reserve.  The Distiller's Reserve was really good, while the in-laws emptied a bottle of the Drums before I got to it.
Vodka - Two products: both grape-based, one flavored with local berries.
Brandy - Two products: eaux-de-vie-style Pear and a cognac-style Grape
Grappa - Two products: Gewurztraminer and Riesling based.  I've had the Riesling grappa twice, and, like the Distiller's Reserve gin, I actually prefer it over the whiskies.
Liqueur - Four products, Cassis, Raspberry, Cherry, and Maplejack.  Kristen's family liked the Maplejack a lot and picked up a bottle.

The distillery uses local fruits and grains to make all of these spirits.  They reuse their barrels as often as possible and do all of the bottling and labeling on the premises.  They are much more forthcoming about their production than most companies tend to be, so I highly recommend their website for a ton of detail on their processes.

Now, onto the bourbon.

Brand: McKenzie
Distillery: Finger Lakes Distilling
Location: Upstate New York
Type: Bourbon Whiskey
Mash Bill: 70% corn, remainder split between malted barley and rye
Age: five years
Alcohol by volume: 45.5%
Batch: #11 (2013)

The first ten batches of their bourbon were aged in small 10-20 gallon barrels for (I think) 18-24 months.  The new batch, 11/2013, that I tried was the first in the more classic-sized 53 gallon barrels, aged for five years.

NEAT

Color - Very dark gold

Nose - Right up front there's citrus, mint toothpaste, and a lot of spice reminiscent of The Rye Storm (cracked white pepper and cinnamon Red Hots). From the oak, caramel is much more present than vanilla.  Overall it's intensely vegetal -- kale and herbs (oregano?) -- with honey providing some relief.

Palate - Herbs here too, along with a number of different honeys and toasted cereal grains.  A bit sharp and hot, the oak and grain seem separate at this early age.  Corn Pops!

Finish - Pretty sticky and intensive, the finish is where the oak comes in, making this stage feel the most bourbony.  Beyond the oak: Corn Pops, sweet potato, and rye.

WITH CLUB SODA (ration of 2 club soda : 1 bourbon)

More oaky, sweeter, but the herbs still stand tall.  It's almost like a charred-cask-matured American herbal liqueur.

Kristen and I tried this at the same time, both finding the Corn Pops note simultaneously.  It was our favorite part.  Most of the rest was very green, grainy, and hot.   Adding club soda helps a bit.  It would probably make a fascinating Old Fashioned, with the bitters and citrus stirring things up a bit and the ice cooling it off.

So, if you're heading over to Finger Lakes Distilling, here (again) were my favorites: Distiller's Reserve Gin, Riesling Grappa, and the Wheat Whiskey.  But if you're looking to get socked in the mouth, their bourbon and rye will do the trick.

Availability - At the distillery and some New York retailers

Pricing - $45

Rating - 70

NOT Single Malt Report: Black Bottle Blended Whisky

I'm attempting to sneak in a few Reports while out visiting family over these next few weeks.  First off:

BLACK BOTTLE BLENDED WHISKY

Brand: Black Bottle

Ownership: Burn Stewart

Distilleries: Seven Islays (probably Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Caol Ila, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, and Bunnahabhain) along with some Highlanders and Speysiders

Type: Scotch Blended Whisky

Age: at least 3 years
Blend: single malts and grain whiskies

Alcohol by Volume: 40%

Chill-filtered? Yes

Caramel Coloring? Yes

The Grahams (much like the Haigs, Ballantines, and Walkers) were a family of grocers that blended their own whiskies for their customers.  Such was the success of their homemade blends that in 1879, they went into selling their best-regarded invention, Black Bottle, to a wider customer base.  Industrial demands during the first World War required Black Bottle to switch from black glass to green glass.  The bottle retained its original potstill shape, and still uses that green glass (though the defunct 10 year old was bottled in black glass during its short run).  After a fire destroyed their offices (and recipes and records) in 1951 and subsequent uncertain management sunk their revenue, the Grahams had to sell the company off to Long John, another whisky maker, in 1964.  Not much information is available about the whisky from 1964 to 1990 other than the product was crap.  Allied Distillers revived the brand in 1990.  Burn Stewart then bought the brand along with Bunnahabhain in 2003.

The blenders say seven Islay malts are in the blend -- likely not including Kilchoman or Port Ellen -- along with a number of Highland and Speyside malts.  The Grahams used Highlands and Speysides in their original recipe, but keep in mind that back then most of those whiskies were also peated.  So a smoky-peated Islay-style blend seems to be the market the brand aims for.

I'd had a glass of Black Bottle last year at a bar and found it okay, if not exceptional: the general quality I'm learning to expect from sub-$20 blends.  I was looking forward to digging into a proper report on it, since I'd read that it was a high-malt (around 40%) blend.  Plus with most of the Islay gang onboard, I thought it would bring a bit of seaside and peat to my Glencairn glass.  I found a 750mL of Black Bottle selling for $16 in Upstate New York, where we were staying with Kristen's family.  Per the forecast, rain was approaching, so the elements had aligned for the right opportunity to pick this up.  Sure enough, the thunderclouds rolled in soon after I bought the Black Bottle

NEAT
Color - Medium gold
Nose - Anise, beachside (rotting seaweed & all), with a lot of young grainy stuff bursting through a blanket of American oak vanillins. After that there's some freshly cut firewood, pencil lead, and lemon peel.
Palate - Thin, reminds me of a peated JW Red Label. Some sourness; really tart, in fact. There may be a few embers but most of the peat is vegetal.  After some time, vanilla and moss appear and maybe some pound cake.
Finish - Neutral grains (think plastic bottle vodka) first. More of the tartness and light bitterness. Some oak rumbles separately in the back, along with a hint of peat. There's a hint of barbecue, but the peat is more leady than smoky. The experience lasts a little longer than one would prefer in this case.

WITH CLUB SODA (ratio - 2 soda : 1 whisky)
Sugars, vanilla, and a malty note fight their way through the mountain of plain grain.  It's still young and difficult, but more palatable.  A little tangy too.  But there's still some odd lead lingering around.

---

The first glass out of the bottle was rough, like lightly smoky cheap vodka.  Subsequent pours were slightly better, and, like wine, this whisky benefits from breathing.  The finish is gloomy, especially since the peat reads as lead throughout.  If that lead note isn't the peat, then that's probably not good news.  The whole thing could use more phenols since the little malt (likely no longer 40%) that shows up isn't particularly expressive.  I have a distinct feeling this blend (Black Bottled in 2013) wouldn't match up its earlier incarnations.

I wonder if they've begun using a lot more unpeated malt (of the 3 year old variety) than they used to, especially since peated malt draws premium pricing.  The label does make that point about Highlands and Speysides being included in the mix, plus the ownership also produces millions of liters of unpeated Bunnahabhain each year.

Though I like Bank Note considerably more, Black Bottle is likely one of the better whiskies at $16...... though it's usually at $20-$25, a range shared by some much better starter single malts.  I'm not bummed I bought the bottle since I've found Black Bottle brightens up a little when blended with big sherried whiskies, as per this tweet:

Two parts Macallan 12, one part Black Bottle = The Seneca Storm. I've had 2, I approve. pic.twitter.com/oU4dQ1SIKu
— Michael Kravitz (@kravitz_hubris) August 8, 2013

So it's got that going for it, which is nice.

Availability - Many liquor retailers

Pricing - $18-$25

Rating - 70 (Ed. note: Jan. 2014 - after further study, this stuff is getting even uglier. 66)