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)

Ramblings from the Road, August 2013

The Decompression Era has begun.

There won't be any official Single Malt Reports this week, though I intend to have a couple next week.  I've been drinking mostly beer and wine, those mates work better when staying on the water.

I've had some of thoughts on the whiskies I am and am not drinking.

A few months back, I posted a Taste Off between the European release of Jameson's Select Reserve (Small Batch) and the American version of the Select Reserve (Black Barrel).  The Small Batch was better on all levels: nose, palate, and general drinkability.  That drop of Black Barrel had actually been decanted into a sample bottle in December, and the original bottle hadn't been opened since.  I gave that whiskey eight months to think about itself and consider its whiskey behavior.  After being let out of the bottle this week, it became even more unpleasant and stubborn.

Doubling down on my Jameson's Black Barrel report. It's somehow younger & grainier than regular bottling w/ worst elements of American oak.
— Michael Kravitz (@kravitz_hubris) August 4, 2013

I mean, it's bad.  Even a 2:1 ratio of club soda to Black Barrel doesn't correct it.  Since I wouldn't even drink the stuff if someone offered to buy it for me, I'll be dropping it from 2-1/2 stars to 1-1/2 stars.  This is a quite a Diving For Pearls event since I adore Midleton Distillery and have given their whiskies ratings that many may consider bloated.

On a similar note, I had a particularly gruesome glass of Tullamore Dew at a bar last month.  I won't change its rating since there may have been an issue with the bar's bottle.  If it wasn't the bottle, then perhaps my palate is moving away from Irish blends.  I'll be picking up a bottle of Powers in a few months to figure that out.

Bourbon and I are doing pretty well, though.  My in-laws' bottle of Blanton's (the one from this post) has been open for almost two years.  I had a pour of it yesterday and the stuff is divine.  It's less hot than it was upon its opening yet much more expressive, especially on the finish.  I need to have another glass before I reconsider its rating, and then maybe another glass.  Either my palate is adapting or the whiskey settled in well over time.  It's a darn shame it costs two Buffalo Traces, but maybe it's worth it?

Finally, a random shower thought.  I can't remember the last time I bought an officially bottled single malt scotch.  Seriously.  After doing some searching, I think I've purchased THREE since February.  None of which were Diageo brands.  Looks like the upcoming Diageo boycott won't prove to be much of an adjustment on the single malt front.  Of course, I've been buying plenty of independent bottles and those will be less prevalent on the market in the future.

Time to go.  My thoughts are drifting out to the lake and my future projects.  For those of you who haven't taken a break from work in a long time -- and I mean, a real break -- please do so.  Leave your cell phone with the work emails inside and go outside, far from the pavement.  You don't have to hug a tree or smoke a cigar or fly fish or bungee jump or even drink a beer.  This is just a friendly encouragement to look beyond the flat screen.

Meeting at The Morgan, starring The Coopered Tot

Last Friday I had the honor of meeting one of my great whisky friends, Joshua Feldman of The Coopered Tot.  It wasn't just a "Hey, how are you doing?" meeting (though it was that as well), but a meeting inside a lovely museum.  With a lot of whisk(e)y.

Josh was a tremendous host, guiding Kristen and I through the museum as well as his beverage selection.  The Morgan Library is a great little museum on Madison and 36th in Manhattan.  Formerly the home of JP Morgan and his son JP (Jack) Morgan, the museum displays the Morgan's tremendous library, great architecture, elaborate frescos, as well as the art pieces Jack did not sell off.  I also found myself unexpectedly drawn to ancient seals.

Not these:

These:

(source)

The intricate detail the artisans were able achieve three to five thousand years ago gave this contemporary viewer a moment of considerable reflection.  Some of these small cylindrical etchings revealed action sequences like the one above, while some were dramatically spare and subtly honed, like a later period seal of a single bull pausing on a flat plane.  The level of precision, texture, and space scratched into these tiny pieces made those people from halfway around the world and thousands of years previous feel very close and very present.  May we all leave something behind to remind our ancestors that we were once human as well.

And then there was the drinking.

Here's Mr. Feldman:

Here's one of his guests:

Actually my pose was a ruse.  I barely got any notes down because we had such a great time discussing all things malty; such a great time that I probably made him significantly late for his trip out to his kids' summer camp.  Sorry, Josh!

Here's the liquor lineup:

Balcones Texas Single Malt (Batch 12-4) - Really good! It's very young, very crafty, but delicious.  Chip Tate is doing something right out there.  The whiskey is intensely expressive like a barrel strength rye or high-rye bourbon...yet very malty.  Lots of citric fruits, massive waves of vanilla beans, gingerbread cookies, and deep boozy spices.  And heck, Kristen liked it too.

Hudson Manhattan Rye - Also better than I expected, but it's almost quaint next to the Balcones Malt.  Some good dusty spices sitting on a rye bread base.  Pity about the price, though.

Wemyss Malt "The Dunes" Inchgower 29yr - As Josh has discovered, this one can be divisive in the intensity of its character.  Think citric clay, big bursts of floral fruits, menthol, and flowery perfume (but NOT f.w.p.).  I like Inchgower and found this one zesty and bright.

Yoichi 15yr Japanese Single Malt - Fantastic!!! Think Laphroaig without the peat blast, which is a hell of a feat. Gorgeous iodine and seaweed float on a nutty soft malt. Its price is a bit steep for me, but I need to figure how to make it happen.

Brenne French Single Malt (cask 262) - White chocolate, orange peel, saltwater taffy, cardamom. Both K and I liked this one a lot.  It would be nice as an aperitif, but also maybe as a mellow digestif. When trying this, drop your preconceived notions of what single malt should taste like and let yourself float down Brenne's silky creamy stream.

Pine Barrens Single Malt - Josh had me try it out just to see my reaction.  It's so weird but not fun weird.  Somehow both coniferous and chemical.  Pine cones and bug repellant.

Blair Athol 12yr Provenance - Sturdy solid malt. Soft on the oak. Very easy drinking at 46% ABV. Or maybe it was just so pleasant after the Pine Barrens. The Tot says this is the best of the recent 200mL Provenance releases.

Glen Grant 37yr 1972 Duncan Taylor - I think I've found my sherry tolerance point: very old refill sherry malts. I jest, but I don't. Almost all of the old refill sherry matured whisky I've tried has displayed a perfect merging of the wine and malt to the point where it is difficult to find where one ends and the other begins. This is another excellent example and it is dangerously consumable at cask strength.  So, more 1970s whisky for me!

Port Ellen 1982 23yr Provenance (sherry cask) - Oh yeah. Four for four on Port Ellens. PE is the best petrol you will ever drink. Seriously, think Islay boat docks: gasoline fumes, seaweed, salt, smoke from the village chimneys. Plus this one drops a spent matchstick into the mix. Yeah, Murray would flip his lid over that sulfur note, but he can keep his lid flipped, I love this stuff.

Balcones Brimstone - If the Brimstone is on the tasting list, it must bring up the rear.  Big, intense barbecue, mesquite, bonfire notes.  Kristen found a brisket note in it as well.  It's a large, singular experience.  Very Texas.

Josh is a warm brilliant guy and a terrific generous host.  It's a pity we're on opposite coasts, because I could foresee us causing some whisky trouble around New York.

Thank you, Josh, for all your kind words, shared knowledge, and welcoming whiskies.  You have been one of the most important members of the whisky blogging world since the first day you entered it, not only being a great whisky guide, but also by bringing people together both online and off.  When the time is right, we all look forward to the return of The Coopered Tot!

Single Malt Report: Strathisla 14 year old 1997 Cask Strength Edition (distillery-only)

As much grief as I have given Diageo on this blog -- and I have given much -- about their single malt releases and the lack thereof, Pernod Ricard has the same issue.  Pernod owns a number of gorgeous malts, almost all of which are being dumped into their blending vats to make Chivas and Ballantine's (and Passport and 100 Pipers and on and on).  They have selected only two of their distilleries (Glenlivet and Aberlour) to highlight in the international single malt market via a wide bottling range.  They do single bottlings of a few of their other distilleries (including Scapa and Tormore), while the remaining majority are more easily found as independent releases or mixed into your bottle of Glen Campbell.  Pernod, like Diageo, is in the blended whisky business, which understandable considering Chivas and Ballantine's sell millions of cases every year.

I understand this from a business point of view, but from a hedonist's perspective it is saddening because Pernod owns some lovely malts like Longmorn and Strathisla.  When I see Chivas 18yr bottles sitting on the shelf (at a relatively cheap price here in CA), I wonder couldn't they have saved 3-5% of the malt within and bottle it on its own?  The answer is probably not, they have a lot of blended Scotch to sell.

Strathisla 12 year old single malt is a good straightforward drink with a little more body to it than many of the more widely-sold 12 years like Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, and Tomatin.  My only issue with it is its price, about 2 Glenfiddichs.  But that's all we get from Pernod when it comes to Strathisla.  Otherwise we have to search far and wide for an increasingly rare indie release.

There is one exception to this run-on Pernod Ricard rant:  The Cask Strength Editions.  A number of the Pernod Ricard distilleries sell 500mL bottles of their cask strength malt.  These often include, when available: Glenburgie, Miltonduff, Scapa, Longmorn, and Strathisla.

Distillery: Strathisla
Brand: Cask Strength Editions
Ownership: Chivas Regal by way of Pernod Ricard
Age: 14 years (1997-2012)
Maturation: likely ex-bourbon American Oak casks
Region: Speyside
Alcohol by Volume: 59.3%
Batch: SI14010

You know how I'd mentioned that I was going to match up whiskies each week with a purpose or commonality in mind?  Well, maybe not this week.

Here's the connection between this dram and the previous one:  While sipping the North Port-Brechin and remarking out loud to myself about its intense alcohol burn, I suddenly remembered a sample my buddy Whisky Josh OC had given to me a year ago.  (Thank you, Whisky Josh OC!)  I remembered he'd said that it was particularly hot stuff on the palate.  Nothing like a little more ethyl alcohol burn to clarify an evening.

NEAT:
Color - Bright gold
Nose - Big Oak. Tons of vanilla and corn syrup up front. There's a rotten cream note I've found in some other strong malt aged in American oak; luckily it's quite reserved here.  Then there's clover honey, moss, dried apricots, and nail varnish.  Finally there's a big whiff of honey butter in there.
Palate - Yeah, there's a wee ethyl sting to this one.  Underneath it there's chlorine, yeast, cinnamon, honey, and confectioner's sugar. There's a big bready note too, sort of like bread crusts dipped in honey.  After some time in the glass, the malt releases dried grass and bitter almond notes.
Finish - More of that honey, also marshmallows and yeast.  It's still grassy with a light bitterness, and minerally like licking rocks.  But then the long honeyed stretches stand out the most.

WITH WATER: (in the 43-46% ABV range)
Nose - For some reason the alcohol burn is more noticeable here.  But then there's tree bark, chlorine, peach-colored Smarties, fresh stone fruit, and flower blossoms.  The honey retreats.
Palate - Much less aggressive, but also much sweeter.  More vanilla too.  The dried grass note picks up as does the light but pleasant bitterness.
Finish - Still extensive, a little tangy, with a sugared sweetness.  It's almost a dessert whisky now.

This one is a stinger indeed.  First the alcohol jab, then the honey rushes in to soothe.  I prefer the 12 year old when comparing at similar ABVs.  Though this 14 year old has a number of different characteristics, I'm not sure it's more mature than the 12.  Though having it available at high power allows for more to play.

I'm aware that Strathisla is only 1/4th the size of Glenlivet, but it would be great to have a regular cask strength whisky in its range.  Yes, I know, it would also be great if a bottle of '72 Ardbeg showed up at my front door.  But, in my fantasy land, a young cask strengther would be less of a risk/investment than an 18 year in Strathisla's range.  Though an 18 year would be nice too...

Availability - At the distillery
Pricing - You'll need to inquire with the distillery
Rating - ★★★

Single Malt Report: North Port-Brechin 19 year old 1976 Cadenhead's

There has been much weeping over the closing of the Brora and Port Ellen distilleries.  Nary a tear has fallen for the fate of North Port.  But is the short shrift this rarely-discussed distillery receives well earned or undue?  I'm going to make a final generalized opinion on it via a single 50mL with a questionable neck fill.

North Port isn't a 'port' in the way most of us know the word.  In fact, the distillery's location was at least five miles from the North Sea coast.  "Port" is actually a Scots word for a town's gate.  In this case, the gate was on the north side of the Scottish town of Brechin.  Though the distillery is gone, the town is still there, near the River Esk in corn country, with a thousand year old cathedral in its center.

Built by David Guthrie in 1823, the distillery stayed with his family until it was bought by DCL ninety-nine years later.  During its lifetime the names Townhead, Brechin, and North Port were all used; at some point in recent history the name became hyphenated as North Port-Brechin.  When the worldwide whisky market faltered, DCL (part of what would later become Diageo) went on its infamous distillery closing campaign in 1983.  North Port got the ax that May.  Today a Safeway supermarket stands in its place.

Since North Port's product was almost exclusively used for blends, and its malt was not one coveted, there haven't been many single malt releases.  Diageo dribbled out a few 'Rare Malts' releases.  The main independent bottlers Cadenhead's, Gordon & MacPhail, Laing, and Duncan Taylor have about three dozen of their own, in total.  I'm uncertain when the distillery picked up its current reputation for lower quality, but it may something to do with the reception of some of G&M's Connoisseur's Choice bottlings.  The Rare Malts output didn't seem to win North Port too many new fans either.  (I recommend Scotch and Ice Cream's great post on Tim's North Port-Brechin experience as it parallels most of the word of mouth I've personally heard on NP-B.)  But the Malt Maniacs do have some nice things to say about some of the Cadenhead's and Laing releases.  So how about an old Cadenhead's?

Distillery: North Port (Brechin)
Ownership: Diageo

Independent Bottler: Cadenhead's

Age: 19 years (December 1976 - December 1995)

Maturation: a much refilled former bourbon barrel (or Oak Cask, per the label)
Region: Eastern Highlands

Alcohol by Volume: 63.3% (woo-wee!)

Now that's an ABV.  A little unusual to have such a heavy hitter after 19 years in an "Oak Cask".  With the negative whisky word on the street about this distillery and the massive ABV, I was very excited.  Oh, this could be such a hot mess!  Or, looking at that neck, er, shoulder-fill it could be totally oxidized after seventeen years in glass.

NEAT

Color - Rich dark gold

Nose - Much less burn or prickle than anticipated.  Honeydew melon and honey.  Salted caramels and a little yeast.  Bourbon-like vanilla with cherry and apple candies.

Palate - HOT S***, the taste buds have been torched! Earthy with some barrel char and chlorine.  Salty and sweet.  Fresh apples.  And also burning.

Finish - Salt and chlorine.  Cocoa, molasses, and sour apple candies.

WITH WATER

Nose - Holds up well, though doesn't open up much: swimming pools, apples, vanilla extract, apple juice, fruity candies, barrel char, a little earthy.

Palate - The fire is now out, but the whisky doesn't open up at all, even with some time in the glass.  There's more sourness and bitterness.  And it's a little salty with mild malt and soil notes.

Finish - More oak shows up here along with mint and menthol. Lightly bitter and salty.

---

It wasn't terrible.  I was bracing for The Craptacular.  But the flaws don't seem to have entirely come from bad spirit (the nose was pretty good actually), rather the whisky seems to have been bottled too early and/or it sat in a worn out cask and/or it was in warehouse's hot spot.

Having just bottled my own little whiskey, I'm getting some first hand experience with maturation rates.  My rye lost tons of liquid, but much less alcohol.  That may have been due to warm storage, very porous oak, or questionable cooperage (or all of the above).  I had to bottle the whiskey before losing too much liquid and thus avoiding a bottle of undrinkable poison.  But that was me, a Long Beach shnook making one bottle of rye in his dining room.

Why was Cadenhead's in such a rush to bottle a 19 year old spirit at 63.3% ABV?  It's a white hot blast of new make on the palate with the oak showing up only a little on the nose (or with a lot of water added).  Would another 11 years in a different warehouse location or a different cask have hurt?  Then Cadenhead's would have been able to sell it at a premium due to the age and rarity alone.  Think of the price on a 30 year 1976 55+% ABV extinct single malt with less than 200 bottles available.  If that resulting whisky matured properly and actually tasted good, the word of mouth would have done them additional favors.

With a good cask and good management, North Port-Brechin malt could turn out decently.  As mentioned before, there are a few bottles that have gotten warm regards from the MMs.  Could Diageo be sitting on some 30-40 year old casks they're waiting to drop on a market devoid of North Port, with bloated prices attached?

I can understand the gripes against the distillery, but I can also see how something good can come of their malt.  I'm not necessarily encouraging anyone to hurry out and scoop up the existing $300+ bottles of NP-B, but I won't be as quick to mock the distillery going forward.  Plus I need to be a little more careful with super-high ABV whisky in the future.  Those behemoths may be fun but, damn, I'd like to keep most of my taste buds for future Single Malt Reports.

Availability - None

Pricing - Unknown

Rating - 74

Whiskey #200: The Rye Storm (Part 2)

(Click here for Part One)

Here it is, The Rye Storm:

Distillery: Corsair

Independent Bottler: D4P Whiskies
Type: Barrel-aged rye spirit

Age: January 31 to July 13, 2013

Maturation: 2 liter new American Oak barrel
Limited bottling: 1

Distillery Region: Tennesee and Kentucky, USA
Maturation Region: Long Beach, California, USA

Alcohol by Volume: North of 50%, South of 70%
Chillfiltered: No
Colored: No

What's in a name?  A number of things.  The "The" is in honor of the other "The"s: The Macallan, The Glenrothes, The Glenlivet, The Glenmorangie, etc.  The "Storm" is partially a tweak on the whisky industry for their inability to come up with original names, see: Islay Storm, Cutty Stark Storm, Talisker Storm, and Talisker Dark Storm (three of which came into the market within a year of each other).  It's a storm of whiskey, busy, loud, and potentially destructive in its alcoholic intensity.  But mostly I named it The Storm after the events in my life that took place while the whiskey was aging.  Rather than rehashing it, I'll just leave the link here.

I learned a lot from "making" The Rye Storm.  If I had another first-fill barrel, I'd try to figure out how to char it further.  I'd also measure the humidity and temperature around my home to find the coolest, driest spot.  Perhaps using a quieter spirit, one with less muscle than Wry Moon, would suit home booze such as this.  Plus the $100 initial investment in three bottles of spirit won't be a surprise.

For those planning on doing some barrel-aging at home, please make sure you follow any directions provided regarding curing and cleaning the barrel.  Also be very aware that most of the barrels being sold for home maturation are not as impeccably coopered as the ones used by the larger booze industry.  Even with a cool dry basement, you'll still need to anticipate a considerable Angel's Share.  If you have any questions or thoughts on this drop me a line here or send me an email.

Now, back to The Rye Storm.  Unlike certain craft whiskey bottlers, I will not call this California Rye.  The spirit was made by Corsair in either their Kentucky or Tennessee distillery.  Nor can I call it Straight Rye Whiskey due to its youth.

Here are my specific notes on how the nose and palate developed:

Day 0
Wry Moon is loaded with cracked white pepper and cinnamon Red Hots candies on both the nose and palate.  There's also a distant vegetal grain quality that lingers in the background.  Its highlight is the cocoa powder in the finish.

Day 36
Nose - Not much change. A little calmer. Less of the white pepper.
Palate - The spices have become more varied, sharper. Vanilla and chocolate notes have come into focus. Easier to drink.

Day 91
Nose - Softer spices up front, harsher ones in the back. Hints of vanilla and honey from the oak. Pepper and Red Hots have receded slightly. Maybe floral and anise notes?
Palate - ABV feels stronger as there's a big ethyl buzz. More sugars. Texture starting to thicken.
Finish - Hot chocolate.

Day 122
Nose - Still very spirity, but a little floral.  Honey, brown sugar, and baking spices.
Palate - Same as Day 91.
Finish - Lots of milky hot chocolate.
Not much changes when water is added. Maybe the nose is a little fruitier, perhaps the cocoa moves forward in the palate.

Day 164...

NEAT
Color - Dark gold
Nose - Right up front: Cinnamon, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and something between coriander and cardamom. Lightly floral, but a lot of those Red Hots candies.  A tiny bit of vanilla.
Palate - Still very new makey. Cocoa, white pepper, Red Hots, cinnamon schnapps, and ethyl.  Actually, a little malty too.
Finish - Milk chocolatey rum. Some malt and chlorine.  Very lengthy, due to a likely high ABV

WITH WATER
Nose - Cinnamon bread and kirsch
Palate - No change.
Finish - Dark chocolate with cayenne pepper

Following the nose's development over time was my favorite part and it sniffs better than it sips.  The palate is still very spirit heavy, think: Goldschlager Whiskey.  But once the rough palate passes, the chocolate finale is lively and enjoyable.

Availability - A single bottle

Pricing - One's liver cells?

Rating - 72

---

ONE LAST THOUGHT:

In yesterday's post, I mentioned there would be two uses for this barrel.  The Rye Storm was the first fill, after which I discovered the cask had soaked up 64mL of rye.  What sort of second fill use would follow???  Stay tuned.  Two months from now D4P Whiskies may have something else in store...