Things I Really Drink: Compass Box Artist Blend Single Marrying Cask, cask 4 for Binny's (with guest review!)

Generations (11 years?) ago, when Compass Box first released their Great King Street Artist's Blend, it received raves aplenty. But not from me. I thought it was unremarkable, though very drinkable. The 43%abv hurt it, as did the grain component.

Years later, Compass Box started offering exclusive retailer single casks of the blend at 49%abv. (Due to some sort of rebranding the Great King Street and 's were removed, making it "Artist Blend".) The prices tended to be pretty reasonable at $50-$60, so I picked up a bottle from Binny's last year.

This particular cask was an ex-Palo Cortado butt that had previously held Linkwood's single malt:

Though that cask sounds sort of random, there's actual method to it. One of the Doctors Springbank did some digging around, finding out that Linkwood Palo casks were part of Compass Box's Nectarosity blend. It had been a first-fill for Nectarosity, so CB found additional uses for it.

Linkwood is good stuff, and I do like me some Palo Cortado matured whisky, so the $50 sale price made it a given for me.

Unfortunately, I never really "got" the whisky. By the bottle's midpoint, I realized I appreciated it but didn't actually like it. With the looming possibility that I was missing something, I retained the services of both Doctors Springbank, requesting their tasting notes for this bottle. So first, I present ye with their review.

From the Doctors Springbank

Nose: Waxy, overnight oats with honey and orange marmalade. Pear and ginger. Pineapple upside down cake with orange zest 

Palate: Fresh milled barley, hay, walnuts, orange peel, Honey, apricot, white pepper.

Finish: Long lingering dry wood tannins

After sitting in the glass for 40 minutes

Nose: Vanilla tootsie roll, lemon poppyseed pancakes, hay

Palate: Muscovado sugar, poached pear, unripe banana, lemon zest, white pepper, 

Finish: Long dry bittersweet chocolate, walnuts.

Notes: Overall decent dram. It had overwhelmingly bourbon barrel characteristics. We had trouble finding the palo cortado influence.

Thank you both for your notes!

---

I did two separate tasting sessions. First, I compared it's highball side-by-side with that of Johnnie Walker Double Black and Hibiki Japanese Harmony. TIRDs aplenty! Then, on a different night, I consumed plenty of Artist Blend neatly. Here's what I found:

HIGHBALL

Lots of baking spice and caramel right up front. Butterscotch appears in later sips. Mostly vanilla at the bottom of the glass.

This follows the bourbon barrel reference from the Doctors. For what it's worth, I like this highball the least of the three.

NEAT

The nose starts with a curious mix of oranges, nectarines, steel wool, and almond extract. Some cherry bubblegum appears around the edges, with vanilla bean in the background. It gets more floral with time, picking up lemon cake notes. More oranges in the palate, now joined by Granny Smith apples and whole wheat bread. It's tart and acidic at first, then gets much sweeter with time, gaining ginger beer and rose notes. Its decent-length finish offers mostly tart and tangy citrus, dusty spices, vanilla, and ginger candy, also growing sweeter with time.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I'm relieved to see we found similar notes, like oranges and lemon (pan)cakes on the nose; oranges, grain, and sugar in the palate; and woody stuff in the finish. I also can't find the Palo Cortado cask in this, just lots of bourbon barrel action and sweet grain whisky. Could this have been a third-fill, with Nectarosity being #1, the Linkwood Artist Blend element as #2, and the marrying cask as #3? Or did that first blend soak up all the good stuff?

The now-archived Artist Blend was only 45% 11yo first-fill bourbon barrel Cameronbridge grain whisky, yet that ingredient shouts the loudest, with young Linkwood and young Balmenach offering secondary notes.

Having now focused on the whisky in a tasting, I do like it more that I had before. Still, I'm in no hurry to pour another glass of this. When I do, it'll be served neat or with a few drops of water.

Availability - Binny's Beverage Depot
Pricing - $60, or $50 on sale
Rating - 80 (neat only)

The Rum Dummy drinks Clarendon 37 year old 1984 Thompson Brothers

After being kicked off this site for trying to be funny and not being funny, I'm back!!!

And there's a good reason too. Kravitz found out that he wasn't very funny either. Last month, a woman left him because he thought he was sooooooo hilarious. Yes, she ditched him for it. He thought he got jokes, but instead he got dumped. It's true! [Ed. note: Dude.]

Also he has a lot of rum samples and, as you can tell, the guy can barely deliver his scotch reviews on time. So I figured I'd grab a 37 year old rum before I get kicked off this site again.

What is the difference between a Clarendon, a Clairin, and a Claritin? I don't know, I am the wrong person to ask. And if I came up with an actual punchline, I'd be sacked again.

Clarendon 37 year old 1984 Thompson Brothers for Auld Alliance, 62%abv

Hot stuff. I think it was aged for 34 years in Jamaica and three years in Scott Land. The Thompsons usually do whisky things, so I don't know where they got a rum cask from. Probably Jamaica.

Nose - Yummy. Milk chocolate, warm toffee, lots of vanilla extract. But there's also something good weird going on behind the pretty stuff. There are rotting black walnuts, olives, root beer, and chicory. And no, I did not add water. Because.

Palate - Mint leaves and black licorice rubbed in the dirt. Lemons. Something milky. It's not what I thought it was going to taste like. It also has a Clement (yes, the Rum Dummy drinks other rums and doesn't understand them either) herbal thing going on. It's very salty and has a kind of bitterness that I've never tasted before. I'd like to add that it doesn't burn like 62%abv. If everything this strong drank this easily I'd already be dead and Kravitz would be calling me The Dumb Rummy.

Finish - It's like licking stones. And there's that weird bitterness, which I kinda like. Burnt coffee and burnt grapefruit?

Yay old rum! But I'm very confused by the process that takes booze from one former brutalized British property, ages it some more in a current brutalized British property, only to sell it in another former brutalized British property. No wonder this liquor is so bitter.

Uh oh. I think that was a joke. Will Diving for Pearls allow me back? Gosh I hope so, because he has Uitvlugt. Uitvlugt! Funny, right? How about Uitvlugt bottled by Murray McDavid?

NOT WHISKY RATING: B

An Elijah Craig Taste Off

This tasting was supposed to be for gits and shiggles, but as all the tasters' notes came in, I started learning things. A narrative or two — and you know there always MUST be narratives — emerged from the bourbon haze. And something remarkable happened. With eyes closed, the tasters could see.

FIVE ELIJAHS

Here the bourbons be, in order of bottling date:

From left to right:
--12 year old, bottled ca. 2001, distilled at the old distillery, before the fire.
--12 year old Small Batch with the red 12 on the front label.
--12 year old Small Batch with the age statement moved to the back label.
--Small Batch, no age statement, previous bottle/label style
--Small Batch, no age statement, current bottle/label style

Again, these are the ECs in order of bottling date. This not the order of the blind samples. Maybe.

THE SETUP

Taking a step back and really seeing these five different Elijah Craigs clustered together in the whisky cabinet, I realized a public tasting was in order. I liked Elijah Craig Small Batch enough to gather these bottlings from three states and two countries, but when was I going to have time drinking them all? The idea was to compare them someday, but that's a lot of tempered poison to consume. And if opinions are like livers, wouldn't it better to have 21 of them?

So I recruited 20 other livers tasters. Actually I recruited 16. Five wives joined in to assist their husbands with this terrifying task. Some tasters were bourbon geeks, many were not. I would guess less than a third had tried pre-fire Elijah Craig before. Most of us were innocents before, but now we know.

Everyone received five samples marked A through E. In my case, Kristen shuffled the glasses. Without knowing which was which, we each provided notes, rankings and the occasional guess.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gridley’s Redemption (@gridleysredemption) on Jun 20, 2019 at 5:42pm PDT

(thank you, Gridley's Redemption)

I'll begin with how the bourbons were ranked, then I'll cover the tasting notes and show the guesses. After that comes the REVEAL(!). With the reveal in mind, we all can go back and look at the rankings and guesswork. Onwards!

RANKINGS

21 tasters (20 of y'all, plus me) ranked the five samples in order of preference. Most favoritest to Least Favoritest (words used in a number of replies). As I tallied these up, I assigned points similar to the NCAA Coaches Polls, since no one ever disagrees with those. 5 points for first place, 4 points for second place, down to 1 point for 5th place. That way the winner had the most points. Because America.

First Place

SAMPLE A with 81 points

Its mean was 3.86. In other words it averaged nearly a second place finish.

12 first place votes.

3 last place votes.

Two-thirds of the tasters ranked it first or second.

Second Place (tie!)

SAMPLE E with 64 points

Its mean was 3.05, almost exactly a third place average.

2 first place votes

2 last place votes

It had the smallest standard deviation overall because 80% of the tasters ranked it 2nd, 3rd or 4th.

Second Place (tie!)

SAMPLE C with 64 points

Its mean was 3.05, almost exactly a third place average.

2 first place votes

4 last place votes

Yeah, I can't believe there was a tie, either.

Fourth Place

SAMPLE D with 54 points

Its mean was 2.57.

4 first place votes

5 first place votes

Feelings were all over the place with this one.

Fifth Place

SAMPLE B with 52 points

Its mean was 2.48.

1 first place vote

7 last place votes

More than half of the tasters voted this one fourth or fifth.

Hooray for Sample A! There was quite a gap between first and second place. Even so, some people really didn't like Sample A, while others enjoyed Sample B. I'll try to capture this variety of opinion in this next section...

TASTING NOTES

One of the first things one sees when compiling the notes of 20 tasters is......chaos. I've hosted a number of group tastings, and when several people share their notes aloud their experiences converge to a greater measure than when several people write their notes down secretly. When TWENTY people write their notes down, there are approximately TWENTY different experiences.

I've attempted to group some of the notes together in this section because most of the bourbons had over 100 notes. I don't want to force any similarities that aren't there, but let's see if there are any consistencies.

thank you Mystery Photographer!

SAMPLE A - 81 points, 3.86 avg
Many tasters were confident about this one from the start.

The nose generated similar declarations from 5 different tasters: old bottle effect (twice), dusty profundity, classic dusty aroma and "that nameless smell of old bourbon". Other common descriptors included:
4 mentions each for Oak and Vanilla
3 mentions of Maple (syrup and candies)
2 mentions each of Armagnac and Corn products
There was also tobacco, leather, peach cobbler, hops, iron, fuel and anise cough drops among dozens of other notes.

Seven tasters referenced Oak when describing the palate. Other popular notes were:
4 mentions each for Pepper and Heat
3 mentions for Yeast
2 mentions each for Leather, Caramel and Cloves
They also said it tasted like dill, mole sauce, cotton candy, red wine, chocolate and a dank well.

Oak received 4 mentions in the finish notes.
Good length had 2
Vanilla had 3
Also cloves, rye, maple, mint, tobacco leaf and cellar funk were referenced.

Among the comments, this was the biggest, but also the thinnest of the group. It was delightful, yet unpleasant. A quarter of the reviewers raved about its nose. Others said the whole thing was complex, unique and well-aged.


SAMPLE B - 52 points, 2.48 avg
Though this sample had much lower overall scores than A, it had a wider variety of descriptors. Some drinkers seemed to think it was younger than A as well.

The nose seemed to be about the corn (4x), including "dry corn in an old wood grain bin". Other popular notes were:
3 mentions each for Maple and Peanuts
2 mentions each for Caramel, Bananas and Sweetness
Lots of other sugary stuff including candy apple coating, cake, vanilla frosting, confectioners' sugar and toffee. There were also greener notes such as yeast, mint, vegetables, sunflower seeds and fresh cut grass. A curious lack of "oak" in the descriptions here.

Oak was mentioned 5 times in the palate notes. Other notes include:
4 mentions each for Nuts/Nut products and Cinnamon
3 mentions each for Fruit, Caramel and Bitterness
2 mentions each for Almond products (milk and extract), Sweet, Spicy, Dry and Peanuts
Those notes sound pretty, but then there were notes like: thin, astringent, hot and savory.

The finish received some tough notes like young, raw, craft whiskey, watery and short. Others included:
2 mentions each for Oak, Dry, Medium length
There were also cloves, cinnamon, maple syrup and straw.

Per the comments the whiskey was full of "raw wood, typical of young whiskey", while also having a "lovely uniqueness". It was easy to drink, while also having consistency issues. There were a number of references to its weakness, while one taster compared it to Jim Beam White Label with more age.

SAMPLE C - 64 points, 3.05 avg
This bourbon had the fewest descriptors in all the categories. A lot of oak, though.

Oak tagged 6 notes in the nose. Other notes included:
3 mentions each of Vanilla, Corn products and Quietness
2 mentions each of Citrus, Coconut and Alcohol
Also nut brittle, caramel, candy corn and lemon Pine Sol.

Oak again led the palate with 9 mentions. Sweetness had 5 mentions. Solvent/feints/polish received three. Also:
2 mentions each for Thin, Dry, Simple, Young, Bitter and Caramel
It was thick, tingly, tannic, mineral, floral and grassy.

Three tasters thought the finish was short. Three mentioned oak, and two thought it was dry. It was also watery, bitter and tannic. There was also vanilla, clove and brown sugar.

Comments were limited as well. Tasters though it was "rounded", "not complex but drinkable" and it reminded one taster of Orphan Barrel Barterhouse. There was enough enthusiasm to garner it some good scores, but not a lot of vivid descriptions.


SAMPLE D - 54 points, 2.57 avg
As mentioned above, this one really split the group.

In the nose notes, oak led again with five references. Then:
3 mentions each for Mint and Nuts
2 mentions each for Vegetal, Toasted, Butterscotch and Barn
It was also "weird" and "earthy", with corn, rye, tobacco, lavender, hay, thai curry, indoor pool, Moroccan hair oil and old-books-unopened-for-decades notes.

Leading notes in the palate were:
5 mentions: Oak
4 mentions: Bitter
3 mentions each for Dry and Sweet
2 mentions each for Honey and Heat
The other notes were spread out, like: red wine, maple, grassy, stone fruit, Juicy Fruit gum, biscuits, black tea, yeast, cola, spearmint and a cigar ashtray cleaned with Windex.

Finish notes were concise:
4 mentions: Oak
3 mentions: Short
2 mentions each for Dry, Sweet and Char
Other notes included: fresh cigar wrapper, amaretto, licorice and spice cabinet.

Comments ranged everywhere from "very good" to "horrible". It was the "most complicated" but also "eww poopoo must be NAS" ← Nominee for tasting note of the decade.


SAMPLE E - 64 points, 3.05 avg
A few tasters said they were getting weary by this point, but there were still plenty of notes for this bourbon.

With references to lumber yards and wood chips, oak/wood led the way again with 5 mentions for the nose.
3 mentions for Vanilla
2 mentions each for Honey and Sweetness
Also coconut, tobacco, caramel corn, mint, old leather chair, toffee, corn oil & husks, old grass clippings and pine needles.

NINE different tasters commented on the palate's sweetness. Also:
3 mentions each for Vanilla, Oak and Sugars
2 mentions each for Baking spices, Nuts, Flowers and Heat
Also rye, mint, caramel, wax, smoky, graham crackers, Honey Nut Cheerios and berry pie.

For the finish the notes included:
3 mentions of Oak
2 mentions each for Drying, Short and Sweet
Others included beeswax candy, vanilla, cocoa, lemon juice and heat.

Per further comments, this sweetie needed time to open up, was well-rounded like a Japanese whisky, yet was typical of Heaven Hill bourbon. It was balanced and elegant, with a silky mouthfeel.

THE GUESSES

The drinkers had the option to guess which sample was which Elijah Craig. It was sort of a dare. But as 15 of the tasters made guesses of one or more of the ECs, this lark wound up resulting in something fascinating...

SAMPLE A

10 out of 15 guesses were correct.

All 15 guesses got the age statement correct.

SAMPLE B

7 out of 14 guesses were correct

All 14 guesses got the age statement correct.

SAMPLE C

4 out of 13 guesses were correct

7 out of 13 guesses got the age statement correct.

SAMPLE D

4 out of 14 guesses were correct.

11 out of 14 guesses got the age statement correct.

SAMPLE E

4 out of 13 guesses were correct

8 out of 13 guesses got the age statement correct.

Firstly, look at the results from Samples A & B again. Drink that in.

Secondly, 42% of all guesses were correct. 80% of the guesses at least nailed the age statement.

While there were a handful of big bourbon geeks in the group, the vast majority were not. In fact some of us don't even like bourbon that much. Yet, our senses can sort out the difference between a 12yo and an NAS, to the point of perfection in Samples A & B.

THE REVEAL!

Let me not tarry further.

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

SAMPLE A was the Pre-Fire 12 year old, bottled ca. 2001

SAMPLE B was the current NAS Small Batch

SAMPLE C was the old NAS Small Batch

SAMPLE D was the 12 year old with the age statement on the back label

SAMPLE E was the 12 year old with the age statement on the front label

RESULTS REVISITED

First Place

Pre-Fire 12 year old, bottled ca. 2001 with 81 points

10 out of 15 guesses were correct.

All 15 guesses got the age statement correct.

Second Place (tie!)

Front label 12 year old with 64 points

4 out of 13 guesses were correct

8 out of 13 guesses got the age statement correct.

Second Place (tie!)

Old NAS Small Batch with 64 points

4 out of 13 guesses were correct

7 out of 13 guesses got the age statement correct.

Fourth Place

Back label 12 year old with 54 points

4 out of 14 guesses were correct.

11 out of 14 guesses got the age statement correct.

Fifth Place

Current NAS Small Batch with 52 points

7 out of 14 guesses were correct

All 14 guesses got the age statement correct.

While we shouldn't be totally shocked that the oldest and newest Elijah Craigs landed first and last, while also generating very accurate guesses, it's still fascinating that this really played out, almost to an extreme level.

There was also a distinct preference of the old no-age-statement Small Batch over the new one. Meanwhile the old NAS thumped the very 12 year old (back label) it replaced, even though the tasters seemed to know the lower scoring whiskey was a 12yo.

I was surprised the front label 12yo — the bottling that brought many of us to Elijah Craig in the first place — didn't fare that well. It seemed to be a considerable step down from the pre-fire 12, per the group scores.

Speaking of the pre-fire 12, its color was the darkest of the group, with a deep red tint to it. Several tasters also noted its character was different than the other four, which set it apart, which may have led to some correct guesses.

These are all generalizations to some point, since every taster had his or her own relationship with each EC. For instance, there were a few people who didn't like the pre-fire 12 even though they knew/guessed what it was.

I keep coming back to the remarkable guesswork: 42% correct, 80% correct age statement. It even breaks down evenly between the types:

12 year olds - 42.9% correct. 81.0% correct age statement

NASes - 40.7% correct. 77.8% correct age statement

The drinkers knew what they're tasting, even when they're not experts. Our instincts were correct. Even though the 12 year old whiskey doesn't always win out, we seem to know when it's in our glass.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

If you haven't gotten enough of this Elijah Craig onslaught, you will be utterly pleased to know that I will be posting my tasting notes from my blind tasting throughout next week.

More importantly, please use the comment section if you have thoughts or inquiries about this taste off. Thank you to all the participants and all the readers!

Invitation to a Bourbon Taste Off!

***THE TASTE OFF HAS ITS 16 TASTERS!***

Damn, y'all are fast.

Mathilda is like her father in many ways. Like, too many ways. Moody? Check. Hypochondriac? Check. Obsessed with the potty? Check. One of the less terrifying similarities is the habit of collecting random things, and then forgetting about them. All her coat pockets are full of wood chips, twigs and smooth rocks.

Speaking of wood chips: Bourbon!

I have five versions of Elijah Craig Small Batch. Who knows why. Okay, there's a reason for the fifth bottle. This very occasion. And what occasion is this?

TASTE OFF!

And YOU are invited. Really.

Okay, up to 16 of yous.

Here are the ECs:

From left to right:
--12 year old, bottled ca. 2001, distilled at the old distillery, before the fire.
--12 year old Small Batch with the red 12 on the front label.
--12 year old Small Batch with the age statement moved to the back label.
--Small Batch, no age statement, previous bottle/label style
--Small Batch, no age statement, current bottle/label style

They're from all over the place: Shibuya, Tokyo; Buena Park; Long Beach; Newcastle, Indiana; and Westerville, Ohio.

Rather than blab about some showy bottle in honor of Mathilda's 5th birthday, I'd rather do something slightly more interactive this year. And I have these five bottles. I mean, I like Elijah Craig, but.

So, The Taste Off.

Email me at divingforpearlsblog at gmail dot com if you would like to partake. (For you, my friend, it's free.) Here are the important things:

--We're doing this blindly, including me.
--I will post the results in late June, with an engaging narrative that either springs forth organically from everyone's experience, or is awkwardly shoehorned in.
--Your name will not be used in the post, so no one has to enter a witness relocation program after he enjoys the current small batch more than the pre-fire 12yo. Except for me. (recycled joke!)

If you're among the first 16 confirmed for the experience, I'll email you additional information. So......are you in?

The Rum Dummy drinks 2 Foursquare rums

Randy Brandy isn't the only funny writer on this site. The Rum Dummy has jokes!

Hey look, I am drinking two Foursquares, or should I say......Sixteen?

No wait, there's two. I'll start again.

Hey look, I am drinking two Foursquares, or should I say......Thirty-two?

But what if it's two times four to the second power. I'll start again.

Hey look, I am drinking two Foursquares, or should I say......Sixty-four?

Wait wait that doesn't work because it's Foursquares not Foursquared. I'll start again.

Hey look, I am drinking two Foursquares, or should I say......Eightsquares?

So?

Pretty good, huh?

Yeah, just wait until I review some Uitvlugt. Uitvlugt. Hilarious, right?

The first rum today is:

Foursquare 10 year old Criterion (bourbon & Madeira casks) blended rum 56%abv

Richard Seale of Foursquare distillery uses big words like "Criterion" and "Exceptional" on the bottle label, which are weird words to see on a rum label. But I also see "Blended" and "Rum", and I know what those words mean. People who sold these bottles said the rum was aged in bourbon casks for 3 years, then Madeira casks for seven years. They could be right, I don't know.

Nose - Bourbon, dusty old shoes, cocoa, caramel, cloves, pinot noir, honey mustard and vanilla. Putting water in the rum makes the rum smell spicier.
Palate - It's hot on my palate and also tannic. Also lemons, sweet oranges, cinnamon and little bit of almost-Jamaican funk. Putting water in the rum makes the rum taste mostly the same, maybe sweeter.
Finish - Long, hot, tangy, sweet, bitter oak and baking spices. Putting water in the rum cools down the finish, leaving it very tannic.

It smells very very good. Tastes mostly good. Lots and lots of woodiness though. I don't know how much this matters because no one's selling this rum anymore.

NOT WHISKY RATING: B-

Hey, I also know some funny limericks!

Oh, yeah, there's another rum here. Stick around for my funny limericks after the second rum.

The second rum is:

Foursquare 12 year old 2005 (bourbon casks) blended rum, 59%abv

This is kinda like a sequel to the 11 year old I reviewed last year. Just bourbon casks. The 12 year old rum's label says "full proof" just like 11 year old's and is the same exact ABV as the 11 year old. Is that magic? I'm so confused.

Nose - It smells medicinal. And there's caramel, vanilla, milk chocolate, plastic toys, citrus and root beer. Putting water in the rum doesn't change it much.
Palate - Softer than the nose. Smaller medicinal note. Toasted almonds, caramel sauce, bourbon and bourbony cherry note. Putting water in the rum makes it tannic and sweet.
Finish - Sugar, hotness, vanilla, caramel, a little bit of funk. Very long. Putting water in the rum makes it tannic and sweet.

This is like a bourbon from an ex-Islay cask. Sort of. Better wood notes than the Criterion. Better finish too. I like it better.

NOT WHISKY RATING: B

Okay, so here's my first funny limerick.

There once was a girl from Enmore
Who dressed like--

THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS POST HAVE BEEN SACKED

Whisky 1000: Old Hermitage Reserve Rye, bottled early 1910s

Five years ago, I was introduced to someone as "the guy who's tried more than 200 whiskies." The gentleman with whom I was being acquainted responded with a skeptical, "How'd you do that?" With the moment catching me by surprise, my answer was, "I don't really know."

But I do know. I could have only done this because of you. Thank you. Thank you for checking in on my last latest rants, complaints, brilliant ideas, loves and general narcissism. A story doesn't exist without an audience. Something brought you here and keeps you here, and I'll do everything I can to inspire you to stick around for more. Thanks again for stopping by.

I'd also like to thank the following people for supplying the drugs: Aaron, Amy, Andrew S, Andy S, Brett, Chris, Cobo, Eric S, Florin, Jennifer, Joe, John, Jordan, Josh F, Josh H, Josh P, Josh S, Lee, Linda, Linh, M.A.O., Matt W, Michael R, Ryan O, Ryan S, Ryan S, Sjoerd, Sku, Teemu, Tetris, Tim and Vik. (There are others, I know, and I'm so sorry for missing your name here. Thank you too!) I'd also like to thank LASC, OCSC, SCWC and CSN for deepening the exploration and also making humans hang out with each other.

---

And then there was 1000.

Four Decembers back, I spent a whisky evening with one Joshua Feldman, known to many as The Coopered Tot. Josh had always been very generous with his collection and knowledge, but on this night...holy moley...he announced we would be opening this:

Bottled by W. Bixby & Company in the early 1910s, this rye was distilled by W.A. Gaines & Co (one of the largest whiskey producers at the time) at The Hermitage Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. E.H. Taylor Jr was one of the company's early financiers, but he left in the 1870s. The distillery itself was built in 1868 and ran until it was turned into a chair factory during Prohibition.

W. Bixby started bottling Old Hermitage in 1909. Old Hermitage bottles had capsules on the top starting around 1915. This bottle did not have a capsule. That's how Josh got the 1909 to 1914 date range.

For more info on all of this stuff see Sjoerd's review and this great discussion between Cowdery and Veach, two bourbon history giants. Josh also referenced the bottle in this interview with Angus (who is himself a giant sponge of whisky insight).

Also, there's this:

The Old Hermitage is the sexiest bottle I ever had, I think. But sadly it's now empty. But I'll never forget the night I cracked it with you, @kravitz_hubris pic.twitter.com/HJwUZoPjTh

— Josh Feldman (@cooperedtot) March 17, 2018

In order to pry the cork cleanly from the bottle, The Coop utilized a rare form of Scottish acupuncture:

And it worked perfectly.

It looks like a cross between a shuttlecock and Sputnik.
Does that make it a Sputcock?
Discuss amongst yourselves.

For some zany reason we lined it up against full-powered Thomas H. Handy's 2012 release. And, by gum. It held its own. In fact, it was remarkable.

It all seems like a hazy crazy dream now, four years later. But to make sure this remained in the realm of reality, Josh sent me home with an excellent sample. What a mensch, jeezus.

---

To make this the official 1000th whisky on The Big Whisk(e)y List I have to give it a score. And I'll do that now, because I feel the weight of the absurd on this number: 93

Okay, you can forget that number now. I'll continue.

---

So how exactly does one review a rye whiskey that was bottled 100 years ago? I don't know, but I thought I'd try it alongside three enjoyable contemporary ryes. It wasn't just that I wanted to compare the quality, but I also wanted to glean if there was any matching (metaphorical) DNA in their styles.

I'll cut right to it. These younglings got schooled. When compared to Old Hermitage...

(time to shift verb tenses)

...Wild Turkey 101's nose is nutty, loaded with caramel and wood shavings, while the palate is bitter and green.

...Pikesville 6yo has a lot of candy and vanilla in the nose, with grain and smoked nuts in the palate.

...Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7yo's nose is rife with pickles, pine and soil, and its palate is medicinal and briney.

I sincerely like all three of these ryes on their own, but there's a flatness and greenness to them when compared to Old Hermitage. The Pikesville is vaguely the closest in style on the nose, but none has a similar palate. The MGP Smooth Amber has the most distinct style of the three.

---

And the Old Hermitage Reserve?

The nose is loaded with fruits: clementines, lemons and baked peaches. Then there's shoe leather and anise. Toasted rye bread and almond brittle. It grows dessertier with time, loaded with custards and sugars. Not even a whiff of old bottle funk.

It may be the most drinkable rye I've ever had. The palate has a moderate warmth, close to the 99-101 proof babies, but it doesn't scorch the senses. Add in an excellent balance of characteristics and a silky texture and...oh does it drink. About that balance; think sea salt, brown sugar, citrus juices, mint, toasted barley and earth. No blatant oak, no obvious vanilla. There's something almost alien about that after drinking so many modern whiskies.

The citrus comes on strong in the finish, almost like a single malt. Hints of salt, soil and coal smoke. Something floral joins the gentle sweetness.

Though I'm filled with elation and wonder, a quiet sadness lies beneath, like I've lost something that was okay to lose. It's not the alcohol talking, nor the customary chemical imbalances. Time has passed. Memories gone, distilled down into obstacles and momentum. Maybe that's why this blog is here. A thousand photographs of things mistakenly thought to be distractions. It's just whisky, but that doesn't mean it can't be beautiful. This was a good rye.

Rum Dummy drinks Caroni 15 year old 1997 AD Rattray, cask 107

Caroni distillery opened, and then it closed. In between it made rum.

Am I supposed to write more than that?

The distillery ran from 1923 (or 1918) to 2003 (or 2002) sourcing sugar right from the Caroni sugar plains on which the distillery was built. I'm uncertain about the dates because different "expert" websites list different years. What I do know is that Trinidad was its home, and that it had column and pot stills.

I like Caroni's rum because it smells and tastes like fuel. Perhaps I should just drink diesel and get it over with, but I have a feeling that wouldn't work well in Planter's Punch.

Or would it?

This sample was sent to Diving for Pearls by Florin (who drinks rum?), then it was sent to me, Rum Dummy. Thanks to all!

Caroni 15 year old 1997 AD Rattray, cask 107, 46%abv

My review:

Nose - Candy. El Dorado and candy canes and cherry bubblegum and Hampden (but not much Hampden). Also lots of vanilla extract and chewy caramel candy.

Palate - Not as sugary as the nose. Ginger and mint and lots of spice. Mothballs and salt. Okay, I tried to not drink it all in 5 minutes and found some funk and sour.

Finish - Warm, spicy, sweet. Bourbon?

Caroni's name is on this but it could be many other rums. Or a blend of rum and bourbon. It's easy and mellow. Probably works in many cocktails. Why am I disappointed? Why am I off to the gas station to get a fifth of 87 octane?

NOT WHISKY RATING: C+ or B- (i can't decide)

Randy Brandy drinks Eight Brandies. Thank you, Florin?

Krav has made some terrible decisions in his life, as any of his loved ones will attest to, but this, THIS, is his greatest idea, ever. I, one Randy Brandy, am going to drink eight brandy samples — right now — that were sent to Diving for Perks by some person named "Florin" who must pity Krav because he keeps sending him stuff.

I am so inspired that I will write too many words, in the spirit of this very blog. And I will take the pictures myself.

I will march these brandies in sets of two, like the animals on Noah's ark. Yes, that is a biblical reference. Going to church on Sundays is like brushing my teeth: automatic.

Germain-Robin XO and St. George Distillery Reserve, two apple brandies from the Socialist State of Northern California. So, they're half American, if I'm being generous.

Germain-Robin XO Apple Brandy, 40.2%abv
Nose - Bourbon. Vanilla and anise, some apple, clean laundry, a faint waft of eau-de-vie. But mostly bourbon.
Palate - Thin, but pleasant. Barrel char and McDonald's apple pie. Caramel, pepper, mint. Gets more bitter with time. Know anyone like that?
Finish - Caramel chews, barrel char, candy canes and bourbon. Bitter, tart and sweet.

St. George Distillery Reserve Apple Brandy, 43%abv
Nose - There's some vanilla and tree sap, but there's also lots of classic Calvados. Caramel apples and baked apples. It's grassy and cheesy and yeasty, so there's some fun in there.
Palate - Eau-de-vie right in the face. Think kirsch and sliv. Hints of malt, smoke and mint. Tingly, but never too sweet.
Finish - Tart apples, eau-de-vie. A little bit of pepper and smoke.

THE APPLE BRANDIES:
The Germain-Robin is apple brandy for bourbon drinkers. Do bourbon drinkers even come to this site? Well, if you do, and spending $70 is nothing for you, then you'll like this more than I like this. The St. George is more my style. It has some Weird in the nose and plenty of big eau in the palate.

RATINGS:
Germain-Robin XO - C+
St. George Reserve - B/B+

Burgas 63 Special Selection Bulgarian Rakia and Etter Zuger Swiss Kirsch are some actual European brandies. Kirsch is made from Kirsch fruit (or "cherries" to the freaks), while rakia is made from whatever is lying around in Eastern Europe, like apricots or communists.

Burgas 63 Rakia, 40%abv
Nose - Clean as a whistle. Flowers, yeast, citrons and limes.
Palate - Just like the nose, but with more flowers. Then quinine and lemon zest.
Finish - Tart and floral. Refreshing. I could drink a bottle.

Etter Zuger Kirsch, 40%abv
Nose - Earth, clay, cinnamon and nutmeg. Yeast, lemons and very tart cherries. A little bit of moonshine.
Palate - Mint and cinnamon. Juicy Fruit gum. Oilier and heavier than Clear Creek's kirsch.
Finish - More floral than the palate. Warm and spicy.

THE RAKIA AND KIRSCH:
You'll have to pardon my short notes on the rakia, but KRAV DRANK THE FIRST OUNCE before handing it over in a tiny bottle. Then he tells me to lighten up on the Jewish jokes. C'mon, you take my brandy and then you take my bread and butter?

Both of these brandies are good. But I'm going to buy four cases of the rakia and then bathe in it. It's like someone distilled Spring.

RATINGS:
Burgas 63 Rakia - B+
Etter Zuger Kirsch - B-

Distilleria Nannoni Grappa di Brunello Bianca and Marolo Grappa di Brunello di Montalcino are two grappas made from the brunello grape as you can clearly read from their names. I could tell you that Brunello is Sangiovese, but then some Tuscan would yell at me.

Distilleria Nannoni Grappa di Brunello, 40%abv
Nose - Crisp, simple grappa. No paint thinner, but maybe some glue fumes. Yeast, grass, balloon rubber, prunes, stems and seeds (of grapes, you damned hippies).
Palate - Prunes, grapefruit, grass, ocean water and that glue note.
Finish - More or less the same as the palate, but tangier and grassier. Long length.

Marolo Grappa di Brunello, 42%abv
Nose - Green apples, serrano peppers, horseradish, metal, arugula. This smells like good trouble.
Palate - Delicious poison. Unripe pears and apples with dried cilantro. Rhubarb, pine, smoke and a creamy sweetness.
Finish - Pine, rhubarb, dried herbs and a great sweetness. Long and mouth-filling. Who snickered?

THE GRAPPA DI BRUNELLO:
Due bestie belle. That's Italiano. Neither of these grappas is for the coy. The Nannoni will fight you a bit, and win with its finishing strike. The Marolo is the busiest grappa I've had. I am fond of it.

RATINGS:
Nannoni Grappa di Brunello - B-
Marolo Grappa di Brunello - B+

Back to America, sort of (again), with the Osocalis Distillery in near Santa Cruz, CA. Florin sent Osocalis Rare Alembic Brandy and batch 2 of Osocalis XO Alembic Brandy. Their Charentais still really is from France, and the grapes are from California. Birds of a feather, etc.

Osocalis Rare, 40%abv
Nose - Apples, cloves, caramel and orange peel. Something like dessert wine, sometimes.
Palate - Comfortable. Lightly sweet. Tangy apples and limes. Some peppery youth still at large.
Finish - Fruity, peppery, never too sweet, never too taxing.

Osocalis XO, bottling #2, 40%abv
Nose - Old Speyside malt with baked apples. Toffee, plums, lemons and a hint of leather.
Palate - Take the nose, then add pumpkin pie spice, tart fruit and good heat.
Finish - A combination of baking spice and mulling spice, which are probably the same thing sold to us twice. Apples, mint, long.

OSOCALIS BRANDIES:
While the Rare is fine, the XO is Fine. A brandy for single malt drinkers. A brandy for brandy drinkers. The fruit spice combination, which is just waking up in the Rare, strides through the XO and leaves you smelling like a rich drunk.

RATINGS:
Osocalis Rare - B-
Osocalis XO, bottling #2 - B+

THE WINNER:
Me. As always.

Randy Brandy drinks Dudognon Heritage 40 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac

I dutifully attended Diving for Perks's Kill Bottle party this weekend. He set out many bottles, unfortunately it was nearly all whisky. Everyone weathered the man's non-stop prattling for hours on end just so we could drink for free. There was much hilarity when he spoke the sentence, "I literally can't even", because he was reduced to articulating like a 14-year old girl. As opposed to his usual 16-year-old girl talk. For reals.

Late into the night, there was much talk of crapping in foreign toilets (he only mentioned Japan eight times) and rum cocktails. But this isn't the Dummy's post, so I'll strut ahead to the main attraction.

By candlelight and everything

There is no age statement on the bottle, but retailers say it's 40 years old, and retailers are always fully informed and never lie to sell things, so let's go with what they say. Plus that'll make Kravitz feel better about himself, and that's always important to me.

Here are my notes.

Dudognon Heritage 40 Years Old Grande Champagne Cognac, Lot G1, 41%abv

I had more than one glass of it. I mean, he left the bottle out, what was I supposed to do? And by "left the bottle out" I mean he hid it under the desk in his office. So I had three pours.

Color - Dark gold, but reasonable dark gold.

Nose - Active right from the start. Lots of apricots, pears, kiwis and fennel. Orange marmalade and lemon zest. A pack of golden raisins. A pack of gummi worms.

Palate - Not much going on at first. Needs 30 minutes and/or three pours. Then it's apricots, pears, kiwis and gummi worms again. More dried fruit and more flowers with more time. There's oak in there, but no vanilla or bitterness. (Sorry bourbon fans.)

Finish - Warm, sweet and fruity. Mostly citrus and pineapple.

There were my notes.

40 years, 20 years, 10 years, whatever — I can say that because I didn't buy the bottle — it's good cognac. I'd drink it again. I am drinking it again. But if Krabs asks you where the bottle is, you have no idea where the bottle is.

Dudognon Heritage 40 Years Old Grande Champagne Cognac, Lot G1

NOT WHISKY RATING: B+

Randy Brandy drinks......Two Cognacs by Jean Fillioux

Well, Happy Christmas, it's time for me, one Randy Brandy, to ruin your Friday with TWO brandies. And one even comes from a full bottle.

At least it was full when Diving for Perks gave it to me this morning.

The other cognac is from a sample, which is a joke, like the French.

The French are great. They gave us Cognac, Armagnac and Calvados. They also helped American colonists kill the British, which in turn devastated the French economy which in turn led to the beheading of the French king. Wins all around.

Here, to prove I don't hate the French, I'm going to list Five Great Things About The French:

1. French Women - My wife, Brandy, is 5/7s French Huguenot. Which means her father is 7/5s asshole. That's Mendelian law. Look it up.
2. "How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?"
3. They're not British.
4. Um.
5. Nope, can't think of anything else.

I make fun of the French because no one ever has before. It's new. You should try it!

Appellation my ass. Cognac is made from grapes, you idiots.

Jean Fillioux cognac is imported into this fine country by my friends at Heavenly Spirits. Part of that sentence was a joke, like the French. (Again, see my authoritative list above, I love the French, blah blah blah.) The Fillioux family — with five generations of men with the Frenchest names: Honoré, Jean, Michel, Pascal and Christophe — caress the tears of grapes into cognac. Et cetera. I'm already pouring the cognac.

Here are my notes.

Jean Fillioux's COQ, 40%abv

Color: Radioactive Metamucil, which is the natural color of cognac.
Nose: It has a raw eau de vie edge, which is great if you're me. Paint, rope, hazelnuts and dandelions. Calvados? Calvados. Your father's cologne. Actually this probably is my father-in-law's cologne, the drunk.
Palate: Apricots, amaretto, honey, cloves. More of the raw stuff.
Finish: Lemons and dried apricots. Sweet and tart.

Jean Fillioux 1992 Millésimé Grande Champagne, 42%abv

Color: Dark stuff
Nose: Black licorice, pipe tobacco, cherry syrup, orange peels, butterscotch. A tart full of baked apples, cinnamon and figs, with a glass of madeira.
Palate: Berries, oranges, bubblegum. Salty toffee pudding. Oak spice and German apple wine.
Finish: Ginger, tart blackberries and bubblegum. Tangy and sweet.

There were my notes.

COQ has the balls to let the raw spirit flop out here and there. The palate has less thrust than the nose and then finishes prematurely. You love this paragraph. It's really quite pleasant overall though. The paragraph and the cognac.

All 42%abv single malt whiskies wished they smelled like the 1992 Fillioux. Turns me into Randy Romantic. The palate is less of a parade than the nose, but it would be great with dessert, for dessert. Breakfast. I'm so glad Kravitz held onto this sample until the 1992 was almost impossible to find.

Jean Fillioux COQ Grande Champagne
NOT WHISKY RATING: B-

Jean Fillioux 1992 Millésimé Grande Champagne
NOT WHISKY RATING: B+

The Rum Dummy drinks Hampden 18 year old 1998 Kill Devil

I like three things. Rum, not reading rum reviews and not writing rum reviews. But Mr. Diving for Pearls gave me free rum (which is better than rum) so I'll write this. But I won't read it.

I've been told to thank "MAO" for this rum because "MAO" finances this entire site. Thank you, "MAO"?

Hampden distillery makes good rums. Their old rum is usually not cheap. Their old rum is usually not in America. The old rum is in Europe because Europe is so much closer to Jamaica than America is.

You can keep shipping costs down by piggybacking off your sad friend who buys at least 14 whiskies a month from Europe and then brags about it. The more he buys, the less you pay. Everyone wins, except for him.

I had nothing to do with this picture.

A review:

Nose - Olives, black licorice, honey. Banana nut loaf. Hot tar, dead leaves. Lots of brine. Ping pong paddle.

Palate - Charred pizza crust, black olives, honey, leather, soil and black sesame seeds. Blackberry jam, with salt.

Finish - Charred pizza crust, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes. WD-40. Banana pudding. Salt. Good.

Three interesting things about this rum. It has no grain, but there's bread to it. I can't stop drinking it. I can't stop drinking it.

I'm naming my next dog Hampden. Or Kill Devil.

NOT WHISKY RATING: A-

The Rum Dummy drinks Amrut Indian Whisky, Jamaican Rum Cask Finish (Blackadder)

I like rum. When Mr. Diving for Pearls sent this whisky to me, I reminded him I only review rum. Then I smelled it and understood.

I don't like whisky for two reasons:
1. Online whisky people. Scotch fans make bad financial decisions, then brag about it online. Bourbon fans are angry. Do happy people drink whisky?
2. Whisky is not rum.

This label says whisky:

This stuff was released by that company that sprinkles mustache stubble into every bottle.

Why.

Diving for Pearls sent me two samples. One said "61.2%abv", the other "Diluted to 45%abv".

The only thing I like less than whisky is an adjective, so this review makes me, er, nervous.

"61.2%abv"
Nose - It's not whisky. It's Hampden. Olives, brown sugar, honey, orange oil and tire rubber. Vanilla.
Palate - Very sweet. Hot. Dunder and soot. Ginger. Wood, vanilla and jalapeños.
Finish - Very sweet. Lemons, olives, brown sugar and vanilla.

"Diluted to 45%abv"
Nose - Mt. Gay levels of sugar and caramel. Cinnamon bread, cardamom, orange oil and cloves. Disappears quickly.
Palate - Foursquare? Olives, molasses, vanilla, flowers and American oak.
Finish - Sweet, tingly, vanilla-infused rum.

This is good because this is rum.

This is not a complaint, but, um, Blackadder knows that the rum must be poured out of the barrel in order to call it an "ex Jamaican Rum cask", right?

If you like Hampden or Foursquare, then this w****y won't be the worst thing. But this cost $150. That's the worst thing.

NOT WHISKY RATING: B

Randy Brandy drinks......Clear Creek Cherry Brandy (Kirschwasser)

It seems like Our Dear Leader is useless today because of something called "children", so he handed the website password to this wiser gentleman. That's right, snowflakes, Randy Brandy's going to write whatever he wants.

So, I had a colonoscopy last week, as is required of men of my enlightened age. Here is my entire conversation with the gastroenterologist. I speak in all caps.

"For the 24 hours before the procedure you can only consume clear liquids."
"GREAT. I'LL LOAD UP ON PEAR EAU DE VIE."
"Actually, that's not--"
"SPIRITUEUX DE CANNELLE?"
"No."
"GRAPPA."
"No."
"FUCK."
"You'll want to refrain from that after taking the laxative--"
"DON'T TELL ME HOW TO LIVE MY LIFE."

That meant I had to drink broth for a day, which is depressing because it doesn't mix with vermouth. I was intrigued when my wife, Brandy, told me about some pop-up shops selling hipster bone broth. But I lost interest when I found out it's actually made from chicken.

The day after the medical professionals looked at my magnificent ass, Diving for Girls invited me over to celebrate the birth of his second daughter. Usually Jews bring Slivovitz (kosher plum turpentine) to celebrate the birth of Jewish children, but Kirschwasser is a German spirit so I thought that would be funnier.

Speaking of hipsters. Portland's Clear Creek Distillery makes brandy out of everything from poire williams to banjos. Steven McCarthy fired up the stills for the first time in 1985, then sold out to Hood River Distillers in 2014, thus losing his Portland citizenship forever.

Clear Creek kirschwasser is made from sweet cherries grown in the Pacific Northwest, which is quite locavore and sustainable, especially considering they then ship the product to retailers thousands of miles away. Clear Creek, guys, you know Latvian or Chinese cherries would be much cheaper.

Here are my notes.

Color: Appropriate
Nose: Fruity bubblegum, maraschino liqueur, dried blueberries, orange brandy. Only a mild spiritous note.
Palate: Moderate acidity. Warm cinnamon spiciness and honey. More on sweet apples than dark cherries. Creamy texture, minimum burn.
Finish: This is where the cherries show up and take over. Some late sweetness and bitterness.

There were my notes.

It drinks fast and easy, so the 375mL bottle is a damned flask. The fruity nose is good, the palate is fine. Imported kirsch isn't cheap, so Clear Creek's version is one of the lowest priced options around. Though German and Swiss kirsch often have a better palate than this one, be prepared for $40-$50 for half bottle prices. So, I guess at $25ish, this one counts as a good deal. I guess. It's better than vodka. It's better than cheap Sliv. It's better than Hiram Walker's "brandy". But so is a colonoscopy.

NOT WHISKY RATING: B-, though by the fourth glass it's a B. Deal with that, Kravitz.

The Rum Dummy drinks......Foursquare 11 year old 2004 Barbadian Rum

I like rum. Sweet rum is not for me. Very oaky rum sometimes smells like bourbon. Foursquare is in Barbados. 4chan is everywhere. This one time, my friend did a shot of Bacardi 151 and threw up in my face. Diving for Pearls is paying me in rum to review the rum I drink. This bottle was bought because of hype. That's a bad reason to buy things.

Here's the bottle's label with the bottle's information.

Why put "Exceptional Cask Selection" on the label? What does that mean? If they left it off would they have sold fewer bottles? I won't buy the next bottle that brags about itself. Who am I kidding? Yes, I will.

I drank this Foursquare Rum from St. Philip, Barbados without water, with water, and as a Dark 'n Stormy, a cocktail I don't like. I also don't like adjectives so this review makes me nervous.

Nose - Melting candles, motor oil, vanilla ice cream, burnt dunder. Water wipes the dunder out. Replaces it with bananas, caramel and citronella.
Palate - Bananas and lighter fluid. Olives and sugar. Vanilla, lemon Warheads and cayenne pepper. Water doubles the bananas. More cayenne pepper. Some brine.
Finish - Bananas and lighter fluid. Olives and sugar. Vanilla, lemon Warheads and cayenne pepper. I copy and pasted.

It's not good in a Dark 'n Stormy, a cocktail I don't like. So I ate the lime garnish.

The rum fits in a glass. It smells good. It tastes.

It's big. Smith & Cross Jamaican rum is big too. It costs less money and no one is going to tell you to drink it. Not even me.

This is rum, so I'll drink it.

NOT WHISKY RATING: B-

Randy Brandy drinks.....Delord Bas Armagnac 33 year old 1978

What's all this jilted lover crap? Pearly Coward is outsourcing his brandy reviews now? At least he picked me. I know my 'gnac. Because that's what the cool people call it. 'Gnac. How about I pour a wee dram of 'gnac and have a #TwitterTasting with the #brandyfabric? Assholes.

I do like brandy, though. Here's Krab's birthday bottle:

He told me he bought it for $90 in 2013. But that's probably a lie, because he just wants everyone to feel bad about brandy prices now.

Here are my notes. I don't do sentences. Much.

Color - Rich mahogany
Nose - Good & Plenty (my nickname with the ladies, nudge nudge wink wink, etc.). Madeira, dried cherries, black raisins, orange peel, flowers and grape juice.
Palate - Shoe polish, no, shoe leather, no, shoe polish. Very tangy. Black licorice and black pepper. There's ginger ale, plum and raisins but they're really faint.
Finish - Tangy and sharp. Pepper, prunes, black licorice and shoe polish.

There were my notes.

Wikipedia says the average infant is 73% water. Just like this brandy. But how much of the infant is boisé?

BRANDY JOKE!

Also, this:

Everyone involved should embarrassed.

Look, this armagnac doesn't suck. It's just hidden in water. This reminds me of what Angus the Acceptable recently said about Connoisseurs Choice. It took G&M 40 years of drowning excellent scotch before they bottled it at a "proper" strength. Just because one can bottle an old brandy at 40%abv, doesn't mean one should. This armagnac was probably brittle at full power. Why drown it then? You figure if someone is buying brandy, he's going to want to taste some brandy and not just smell it.

Krab wants me to give it a letter grade. Good. Numbers are a performance.

NOT WHISKY RATING: C+

Four MGP Ryes and Two Judges

The Two Judges, my much better half and I:

Not pictured: Willett

The four MGP ryes:
--Single Cask Nation's MGP 8 year old Rye, barrel #52
--Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7 year old Rye, barrel #849 for K&L
--Redemption 7 year old Barrel Proof Rye, batch 6
--Willett 6 year old Family Estate Single Barrel Rye, barrel #122

With this being Kristen's birthday week I elected to review this string of MGP barrel proof rye.  Why?  Because my wife and I both enjoy the stuff.  And I'm not sure if I can say that about many (or any) other whiskies.  Before I did my four tastings, Kristen tried them (via small pours mind you, because damn) all side by side and ranked them by preference.  Here are her notes:

Kristen's notes:
Single Cask Nation's MGP 8 year old Rye, barrel #52 -- "Smells a little industrial, or am I influenced by the sample label's typeface?  Unremarkable overall."  RANK: 4

Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7 year old Rye, barrel #849 for K&L -- "Burns longer on the tongue. Cinnabon, is that you?"  RANK: 2

Redemption 7 year old Barrel Proof Rye, batch 6 -- "Burns longer in the back of the throat. A little hotter than I'd like."  RANK: 3

Willett 6 year old Family Estate Single Barrel Rye, barrel #122 -- "Least hot. Smoothest. Smell is vegetal. Cilantro?"  RANK: 1

"On my birthday I'll drink champagne! :)"

Yes you will, my dear.

---

So since she's always right, how did I fare?  Here's a summary of my reviews.  For the full reports click the links.  And because I'm silly, I gave these whiskies scores.  Anyway...

Michael's notes:
Single Cask Nation's MGP 8 year old Rye, barrel #52 -- "...very hot and difficult at full strength.  In fact, I didn't want to drink anymore of it while doing this tasting."; "...soooooper woody"; "...adding water...cleaned [it] up reasonably well."
Score: 80, though much lower without added water. -- RANK: 4

Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7 year old Rye, barrel #849 for K&L -- "I wouldn't say this Old Scout is very complex, nor markedly better than the former regular 7yo release, but it's reliable as heck.  Could set your watch to it, as the old saying goes."
Score: 87 -- RANK: 2

Redemption 7 year old Barrel Proof Rye, batch 6 -- "This isn't as much of an immediate hit as the Old Scout, but it's close."; "...a little young and rough at times, thus less 'smooth'"; "...the nose is great and the palate is perfectly acceptable, but I do wish there was more going on in the finish. "
Score: 85 -- RANK: 3

Willett 6 year old Family Estate Single Barrel Rye, barrel #122 -- "...in a different league than the other three ryes this week"; "...most exotic nose I've ever experienced on a rye"; "The palate...takes on different personalities...remains totally in balance throughout. The finish brings in new characteristics and flexes plenty of stamina."
Score: 90 -- RANK: 1

On her birthday, I'll drink champagne.  But then it's back to whisky in the morning.

---

Well, we agreed.  Which is good.  So, if you won't take my whiskey word for it, listen to the lady.  We've both always loved our Willett ryes, but we've also really enjoyed the Old Scout stuff (including the bourbon single barrels).  On such things historic eternal relationships are based.  Happy Birthday, Kristen!