Bourbon and Rye Day Friday: Calumet Farm bourbon

Sometimes I review a whisky because it fits in with a weekly theme. And sometimes I review a whiskey because its bottle takes up too much damn room in my storage box.

Western Spirits appears to have invested in a slinky, curvy vessel for their Calumet Farm bourbon, even though the thing is twice as wide as the average bottle. One wonders how much they invested in the NDP NAS non-straight whiskey itself. A 750mL of Calumet sells for $50 in many states. How much of that goes towards recouping the expense of the glass?

Non Distiller Producer: Western Spirits
Brand: Calumet Farm
Distiller: ???
Type: Bourbon
Region: Bowling Green, Kentucky
Maturation: New American oak
Age: ???
Mashbill: ???, mystery meat indeed

Alcohol by Volume: 43%

NEAT
Its color is very pale for a bourbon, sort of a light gold Scotch tone. The nose leads with flowers, almond paste, paint and cardboard. Quite a mix there. Loads of barrel char. Snuffed cheap cigar butt on the morning after. Then hints of vanilla and chlorine. The palate is mildly sweet. Hold it. Never mind. REALLY sweet. Honey and hint of citrus. Slightly nutty, slightly chemically. It finishes tooth-rottingly sweet. Honey butter and orange candy. Sour aftertaste.

ON THE ROCKS
Plenty sweet. A bit of caramel candy shows up. Barrel char. Cigarettes. The finish ditches its sourness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
I was expecting the worst after reading Sku's review and its comments. But the bourbon is not horrible. It does feel watered down, and the nose is cockeyed. Yet, it's drinkable. And though it is waaaaaaaay too sweet for my mouth, other drinkers may not feel the same.

Its lack of "straight" designation has me thinking one or two things are going on. There could be very young whiskey in the mix or there's a tiny bit of sweetener or flavoring that has been added. Or both.
(UPDATE: As Florin noted in the comments, bourbon can't technically have any flavoring additives, though rye can. Though, as morlock added, if the industry is self-policing it becomes easy to suspect some tinkering.)

Calumet Farm would be a good-enough bourbon in the $15-$20 range, but it's not in the $15-$20 range.

Availability - Most US specialty liquor retailers
Pricing - US: $38-$55, averaging close to $50; Overseas: $100+ (yup)
Rating - 75

Old Pulteney Navigator (blind tasting)

The first whisky of the blind tasting was Old Pulteney 12 year old.
The second whisky was Old Pulteney WK 217 Spectrum.
The third whisky was Old Pulteney Clipper Commemorative Edition.
And then there was Old Pulteney Navigator.

This whisky confuses me. The official website lists it as a limited edition release, but it's been around for four years, and the company never announced a bottle count. The site also says the whisky was "inspired by the intrepid maritime adventure in the 13-14 Clipper Race", but that's the same thing they said about the Clipper Commemorative Edition. The Clipper edition, which I reviewed yesterday, was also a limited edition but its bottle count number was publicized. To make things even cloudier, these whiskies were released less than ten months apart. Navigator (2013) was released before Clipper (2014), yet Navigator is still being bottled—for instance, my bottle was from June 2016—and, as mentioned at the start, is listed by the company as a limited edition. So, what exactly qualifies as a limited edition nowadays?

Distillery: Pulteney

Ownership: Inver House (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)

Region: Northern Highlands (Wick)

Type: Single Malt

Maturation: "Bourbon and Sherry Casks" per the tube

Age: NAS
Bottled: 2016
Bottling code: L16/178 R16/5182 I8 13:05
Limited Bottling: ???

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? ???
Colored? ???
(DISCLOSURE: This was one of the bottles that Amy from Ten27 Communications had sent me recently (thanks, Amy!).)

Its color is the second lightest of the group, sort of a light gold. This nose is......active. Ham, deep fryer oil, yeast and Romano cheese. There are hints of orange candy and toffee, as well as something metallic and industrial. A little more barley slips in, with time in the glass. The palate is loaded with cinnamon, carpet and rye new make. Toasted wheat bread. Hints of caramel sauce and umami. It grows sweeter with time until it's much too sweet. It finishes with cinnamon and salt. Barley. Toast. The sweetness issue shows up here as well.

There's another glass of Navigator in my hand right now. As I smell and taste it in very different (non-blind) circumstances, I'm finding that cheese note to be overwhelming. It's the largest thing happening in the nose and it's blocking most other notes from showing up. The palate has a sharpness and hotness to it that I didn't notice before. On the positive side, there's a definite lack of oak.

I like hot mess whiskies, but this one doesn't work for me. Like the Clipper, Navigator is young stuff, but there's something dearly out of whack to it. Unlike Clipper, it doesn't present a united front. A bunch of things misfire simultaneously. The good news is that OP doesn't try to paper over all of it with a bunch of new oak, like most other distilleries (in many countries) are doing right now. So I do respect them for that. But if the Clipper and Navigator are on the shelf, I'd go with the Clipper.

Availability - Many specialty retailers worldwide
Pricing - Japan, Europe and US: $45-$65
Rating - 77

Old Pulteney Clipper Commemorative Edition (blind tasting)

Keeping with all their boat-themed NAS expressions, Old Pulteney released this Clipper Commemorative bottling as a tribute to the folks who raced 'round the world in their yachts in the...er, Round the World Yacht Race in 2013-2014.

Released in July 2014, the Clipper Commemorative edition was "limited" to 16,200 bottles. Perhaps due to its lack of age statement, an overestimation of the whisky-drinking yacht enthusiast contingent and the high bottle count, the Clipper can still be found rather easily in US, Europe and Japan.

I included this amongst my four-whisky blind tasting this past weekend. It turned out to be the third glass. (See here for the first whisky, and here for the second.)

Distillery: Pulteney

Ownership: Inver House (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)

Region: Northern Highlands (Wick)

Type: Single Malt

Maturation: "ex American bourbon and ex Spanish sherry casks"

Age: NAS
Bottled: 2014
Limited Bottling: 16200

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? doubtful
Colored? probably not
(DISCLOSURE: This was one of the bottles that Amy from Ten27 Communications had sent me recently (thanks, Amy!).)

Its amber color is the lightest of the four. The nose has a momentary Loch Lomond-style garbage note at the start, but that quickly vanishes. It's replaced by very clean light floral notes, followed by whisky wash, and a hint of grape candy. It's very grassy. With time, it picks up small notes of maple syrup, vanilla and yellow delicious apples. Wow, the palate starts off all barley. Straight up wort. Yeast. Roasted nuts with a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar. Then brown butter and saltines. Hints of bitter herbs and a phenolic note. It finishes with brown butter and barley. A little bit of heat. Mild bitterness and that phenolic element.

This one fascinates me. During the blind tasting it sat next to the WK217, the darkest of the four. Both are made up of American oak and Spanish oak casks, but they couldn't be any further apart in style—perhaps due to first-fill/refill cask status. While the Clipper does pick up some small oak-influenced notes after oxidation, it's usually very grassy and barley-forward. Meanwhile the WK217 is mostly sherry. Despite their differences, these two were my favorites.

Yes, the Clipper is undoubtably young, but I don't find it out of balance. Nor is it hot. Nor do I find it as oaky as Whiskyfun and The Whisky Jug did. I've had a few pours of it since the tasting, and I still feel the same way. Because I'm not exactly part of the yachting crowd, I have no idea if Clipper is great for fancy boat drinkin'. But I can say it's a nice spring or summer whisky, and takes to ice very well. I'd happily buy it at $40, though that's the lowest price it goes for.

Availability - A few dozen retailers in the US, Europe and Japan
Pricing - Japan: around $70; Europe: $55-$80 (w/o shipping and VAT); US: $40-$60
Rating - 85

Old Pulteney WK 217 Spectrum (blind tasting)

The first of my reviews from this four-part blind tasting of Old Pulteneys posted yesterday. That was Old Pulteney 12yo (2016). Review #2 is of Old Pulteney WK 217 Spectrum.

WK 217 Spectrum was third of a three-part series of whiskies named after Wick fishing boats. They were each a little different than the next, though were all NAS and sold through travel retail. I knew nothing about this whisky when I requested it during a sample swap with Mr. My Annoying Opinions.

Distillery: Pulteney

Ownership: Inver House (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)

Region: Northern Highlands (Wick)

Type: Single Malt

Maturation: American oak bourbon casks and Spanish oak sherry butts

Age: NAS
Bottled: 2012
Limited Bottling: 9600

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? ???
Colored? ???

Its color is the darkest of the bunch, slightly lighter than maple syrup. Speaking of which, there's touch of maple syrup in the nose, though the fruit notes are much larger: dark cherries and raspberry fruit leather. There are hints of carpet, plastic and moss to give it an edgier dimension. Defined dry sherry notes in the palate. Raisins and walnuts. Marshmallows and black peppercorns. It gets sweeter with time, trending towards a Macallan style. Though it has a slight bitter bite throughout. Its finish is nutty, with moments of dried currants. Bitter coffee in the back of the tongue. A little bit of heat. Gets more sherry forward with time.

Yum. Though not classically Pulteney in style, WK 217 Spectrum is a pleasant sherried thing. It took me by surprise, since I was expecting to like this Duty Free Mystery Meat the least. Instead it was either my favorite of the four, or tied in first.

I can't say it's that complex, nor has had a particularly lengthy maturation, but there were some sopping sherry casks in the mix. I'd take it over the current version of Macallan 12. I don't think it's better than Bunnahabhain 12, but it's within a step of that one. MAO liked the WK 217 slightly less than I, but seems to agree that it's "solid sherry" stuff. Too bad it's gone from Duty Free, as it was sold in liter bottles!

Availability - Sold exclusively through travel retail in 2012 and 2013
Pricing - dunno, maybe $80 for 1L?
Rating - 85

Old Pulteney 12 year old (blind tasting)

This past weekend I did a blind tasting of four recent Old Pulteney expressions. FULL DISCLOSURE: Amy from Ten27 Communications sent me a heapin' helping of Old Pulteney bottles recently (thank you, Amy!). I thought the best way to get a good idea of their qualities would be to taste them side by side, blindly. So I did three of those whiskies, and added in a generous sample of an OP NAS release that MAO sent me via a sample swap (thanks, MAO!).

My, she was yar.
And also on fire.

The first of these four was the most well known of the bunch, Pulteney's 12 year old. I reviewed the 12yo four-and-a-half years ago, also from my own bottle. That was a 2012 bottling, this is a 2016.

Distillery: Pulteney

Ownership: Inver House (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)

Region: Northern Highlands (Wick)

Type: Single Malt

Maturation: ex-bourbon American oak casks (I think)

Age: minimum 12 years
Bottled: 2016
Bottle code: L16/074 R16/5108 IB 14/18

Alcohol by Volume: 43%
Chillfiltered? Yes
Colored? Yes

Its color is the second darkest of the four, a medium gold. The nose leads with apples and pears. Brine and burnt butter. Caramel, citronella and slight plastic note. It picks up a lot of saline with time. The palate is mild, but super malty. Toasted almonds and bread crusts. A moderate amount of vanilla bean. Hints of dried oregano and Worcestershire sauce. Texture is a bit thin and watery, though. It finishes with the oregano and savory-ish note. Salt and citrus in the aftertaste. It later sips, it picks up more sweetness and oak.

It's malty and salty, with a touch of umami. It's not the most immediately approachable 12yo for fans of Johnnie Walker and Chivas. But after one has gotten comfortable with the familiar Glens, OP12 is a good challenge. Tasting it now, it feels like a decent early-spring whisky.

If they bottled it at 46%abv and cut the chillfiltration, this would be one of the best 12yo OBs. Still, I do commend the company for keeping the price (usually) below $40, and sometimes it can be found for nearly $30, which gives it a decent quality-price-ratio in the current market. Though my notes are different than the 2012 bottling's review, I'm going to give it the same rating.

Availability - Wide
Pricing - $30-$50
Rating - 83

J.W. Dant Bottled-in-Bond versus Heaven Hill 6yo Bottled-in-Bond, 3 Ways!

Yes, just last week I reviewed Heaven Hill 6yo BIB. Then I noticed I had JW Dant BIB on the calendar for this week. What better way to get a clearer idea of a pair of bourbons than with a little Taste Off! perspective?

That was a rhetorical question.

I bought these two bottles in Kentucky last year: $9 for the JWD and $11 for the HH. (If you're a scotch drinker, you may be saying "Fucken A" right now.) I opened both at the same time and, as you can see, they're both almost gone.

A quick refresher: Both of these bourbons are distilled by Heaven Hill Distillery, and both are bottled at 50% from barrels in bonded Kentucky warehouses. The HH BIB is at least 6 years old (though there's something going on with this release possibly pointing towards bad news), while the JWD BIB is at least 4 years old. And both, as mentioned before, are hella cheap.

I tasted these bourbons side-by-side in three different formats: Old Fashioned, Manhattan and Neat.

---

Distiller: Heaven Hill
Brand: Heaven Hill
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Region: Louisville, Kentucky
Maturation: New American oak
Age: at least six years (HH), at least four years (JWD)
Mashbill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Bottle Code: F167 615 27 (HH), 173 5122 (JWD)
Alcohol by Volume: 50%

OLD FASHIONED
(orange peel, angostura bitters, half a demerara cube and a splash of water muddled together, then rocks, then 25mL of bourbon)

Heaven Hill 6 year old BIB
The whiskey merges with the orange peel and sugar very well, so that one can't tell where the whiskey ends and the other ingredients begin. A substantial bubblegum note. Overall its very even and drinky.

J.W. Dant BIB
More spirity and mouth-drying, though also plenty sweet. Needs a lot of ice melt to straighten it out. Though that also brings out a green woody bitterness.

Verdict: The Heaven Hill old-fashioned is pretty decent. The JW Dant old-fashioned is pretty bad.

---

MANHATTAN
(20mL of bourbon stirred with 10mL of Carpano Antica, angostura bitters and a drop of Luxardo cherry syrup)

Heaven Hill 6 year old BIB
Tangy and caramel-rich. It's a little woody (tee-hee) but not too much. The bourbon leaves room for the Antica to shine. Very fruity and full of cinnamon.

J.W. Dant BIB
Hot, sharp, mouth-drying, and very oaky (sawdust and bark). Ah, and there's the woody bitterness. It feels out of balance, but is still drinkable.

Verdict: This bottle of Heaven Hill BIB has been my go-to Manhattan bourbon ever since I opened it. I dig it. The Dant is a mess but will serve its purpose if that's what you have on hand, or if you're already on your third Manhattan.

---

NEAT
(If you say that these whiskies were not designed to be sipped from a Glencairn, then I would say you're right, now hush up.)

Heaven Hill 6 year old BIB
Nose - Orange peel, cinnamon, cloves and brown sugar. Fresh cut lumber. Lots of vanilla after 15 minutes of air.
Palate - Not as vibrant as the nose. Cherries, oak, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. A little bit of heat and a little bit of hazelnuts.
Finish - Simple and straightforward. Oak char and oak spice.

J.W. Dant BIB
Nose - Sawdust, rock candy and corn whiskey. Something green and vegetal.
Palate - Hotter than the HH. Burnt nuts, loads of drying oak. Dirt and bark. Sugar and soap.
Finish - Soap, oak, caramel and nuts. A little bitterness. Lots of heat.

Verdict: Heaven Hill wins again. Excellent nose, good enough palate. The Dant is so-so.

---

WORDS WORDS WORDS

My opinion of Heaven Hill 6yo bourbon remains the same as last week, though its quality was made quite clear when compared with the Dant in cocktail form. Meanwhile, it's difficult to recommend the Dant for cocktails. When neat, it smells and tastes very similar to the average well bourbon. No more, no less. With that being said, I'd still pick the Dant over the basic scotch blends (JW Red, Dewar's, Cutty Sark, etc.) that are 2.5x-3x Dant's price.

Verdict: J.W. Dant BIB smells and tastes like cheap whiskey. Heaven Hill 6yo BIB has better qualities than most of the common bourbons twice its price, and every "craft" bourbon four or five times its price. R.I.P.?

Availability - These are both only available in certain states. (EDITED) Availability of the HH is getting slim and labels are changing...
Pricing - HH: $10-$15, JWD: $9-$20(!)
Rating - HH: 82 and JWD: 70

Ledaig 11 year old 2005 Signatory sherry butt #900160

The first whisky from last week's event was this Glen Keith.
The second whisky was GlenDronach Cask Strength, batch 6.
The third whisky was Amrut Portonova, batch 15.
Batting cleanup, not entirely figuratively, was Ledaig 11yo 2005 Signatory sherry butt #900160.

So I started with a bourbon cask Speyside, and followed with a rich sherried malt. Then came a heavy port cask whisky. As always I concluded with a cask strength big peater. There's always a possibility that one will be a palate wrecker.

I was happy to score this Signatory Ledaig. This series of peated Mull in sherry butts has been recommended to me by whisky fans whose palates I highly respect. I tried cask #900145 at the Signatory tasting bar last year, but didn't find it overly thrilling. Let's see how this one fares...

Distillery: Tobermory
Brand: Ledaig
Region: Isle of Mull

Independent Bottler: Signatory

Age: 11 years (November 8, 2005 - November 22, 2016)

Maturation: First-fill Sherry Butt
Cask number: 900160
Bottles: 654

Alcohol by Volume: 58.0%
Chillfiltered? No
Colored? No

NEAT
The nose leads with new sneaker rubber and tar. It's densely earthy, but also has a bright sugary note. A very good merging of big peat and big sherry. There are also subtler notes of sesame oil, plum wine and orange peel. The palate has lovely herbal peat, as well as loads of lemons, limes and dried berries. It's tarry, with a little bit of umami. Some coffee bitterness. Later on, the dried berries develop into fresh blackberries (both sweet and tart). It finishes with a great sting. Dingy peat and cayenne pepper meet up with a jammy sweetness. A bit of horseradish bitterness in the back.

WITH WATER (~46%abv)
The nose is all cleaned up. Tropical fruits and menthol. Salty peat and flower blossoms. Mild notes of sherry-ish dried fruit. The palate is also milder and cleaner. Calmer bitterness and (great!) peat. Fresh ginger and a fruity sweetness. Toasted nuts. A few tart lemons and berries. The finish is ashier and pepperier. With more of the toasted nuts note. Still has a good length to it.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Damn, this is swell. Two different whiskies (with and without dilution) for the price of one, and both are great. And it's not a palate wrecker. Rather, it makes one want to taste every open bottle of peated whisky in the house.

BUT, you gotta be down with the bitter and the earth. If those characteristics don't do it for you, then skip this one. Otherwise, damn this is swell.

Availability - Europe
Pricing - I nabbed this bottle for $77, before shipping
Rating - 90