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Opinions Vary – Whiskey & Cigars

November 30, 2022 NYC

Opinions Vary – Whiskey & Cigars

The classic scene in any movie, tv show, novel, etc. is the man with a glass Whiskey in one hand and Cigar in another. Either he is a fat cat billionaire, a bad ass, or a super hero with metal claws that come out his knuckes. For the rest of us, the regular folk it is either a get together with friends or some quite time to relax.

Cigars and Whiskey pair well and poorly depending on what cigar/whiskey you choose your state of mind and environment you enjoy them in. I do not think there is any right or wrong was to match them, but I have some thoughts I have settled on after years of enjoying them together.

Thought #1: Do not put them together. If the whiskey or cigar is of high quality, it needs nothing else.
Thought #2: Do put them together. Have either a smokey whiskey or a lighter whiskey with strong/lighter cigar. You will have to figure out the mix and match that you like.
Thought #3: Do put water in front of you. Cigars can take a while to smoke, the whiskey might get drank far faster and with some good conversation time seems to fly. Take a water break between whiskey refills.
Thought #4: Do be in the right frame of mind. Be with friends, be in a good mood. Don’t sit and smoke and drink unless you are going to relax and enjoy yourself.
Thought #5: Don’t listen to me. Go figure it out for yourself.

For me, if the whiskey is over $75 or the cigar is over $15 for a cigar you really may want to consider not making them a combo. I have noticed that I have prefer separating them in the last few years and have enjoyed them just as much.

My 1st NYC rooftop setup in Midtown, NYC

As I mentioned in my Nub Cigar review, try a cigar with a nice cup of black coffee in the morning. I do not recommend drinking whiskey in the morning. Unless you are stuck in a hotel flying back home and there is The Macallan 18 Year Old to finish up before your flight home. (You know who you are! Ha!)

If you like it, drink it! (or smoke it!) – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Opinions Vary: New Distilleries vs. Old Whiskey

August 31, 2022 NYC

Opinions Vary: New Distilleries vs. Old Distilleries

Starting this month, I am trying something new, an opinion piece once a month.

One thing I have noticed over the last few years is the rise in “new” whiskey distilleries. New meaning they are less than 10 to 15 years old, they aren’t part of the big boys clubs with hundreds of years of history, and they were created for a reason. The reason seems to be either passion, vanity, or market share.

New distilleries have to source their whiskey for a few years until they are up and running. Old distilleries can provide the supply as they can mass produce. It is a balancing game of business. Some distilleries get it right straight out of the gate and some just rush to market and don’t seem to care. Some whiskey is so bad they tell you what inspired them more then they tell you how they make their whiskey. It can be hilarious and sad at the same time. It seems to me that a lot of new distilleries of low quality use the same bullshit talking points over and over. After a while, it all seems to blend and comes from the same playbook.

When I see new whiskey’s that have won awards, recieved high ratings, and have huge marketing budgets I start to wonder why I don’t see any old ones winning as much. The more I taste award winning whiskey I start really believing my theory (base on no research or evidence) that these awards are bought and paid for. It is not out of the realm of possibility. Wall Street firms pay rating companies to approve finical products, why not the same for spirits?

I have learned that old does not mean good, and young/new does not mean bad when it comes to whiskey. What matters is care and effort put into the creation of the product. I have had new whiskey expressions from Sagamore, FEW, Coppersea, Brenne, and Taconic that were very good. I have had expressions from Glenlivet, Glenmoranige, Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace that were bad. And, vice versa. It can be a crap shoot.

The take away is try everything, but do not believe the marketing. Believe yourself. If you like, drink it!

Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Coppersea Big Angus Green Malt

June 30, 2022 NYC

Name: Coppersea Big Angus Green Malt

Color: Copper brown

Nose: Malt, green grass, light wood, honey-wheat/hay

Taste: Cucumber, wood, lemon grass, green pepper

Big Angus Green Malt is produced by Coppersea Distilling, in New Platz, New York. Founded in 2011 and derives its name from an old saying that there was a “Sea of Copper stills along the Hudson River Valley in the 1800’s…” Today there is only a few distilleries in the Hudson Valley.

I sampled this this expression at the distillery and the unique taste caught my attention immediately. The barley, green flavors, hay, and lemongrass notes are something that I had not yet experienced. The taste of green and the mix of warm heat of the whiskey is unique and for good reason. The whiskey’s mash bill is 100% un-kilned sprouting green barley malt. The barley is floor malted, hand raked, and is not stored for future use. Upon sprouting it is mashed, fermented in a open top fermenter, distilled twice, and then bottled at 48% abv.

Big Angus Green Malt is named after the founding Master Distiller Angus MacDonald. The method is a very old way to making whiskey to avoid taxes. Back in the day, Scotsmen avoided the Crown’s Tax Man coming to collect their money by not drying the malt with burning peat smoke. They could skip a step, hide the whiskey making process, and still make a decent scotch. If this is hard to understand, just think about what Walter and Jesse had to do in season one of Breaking Bad with the RV.

Priced is $75 for a 375ml bottle and is a little expensive for the total volume but a lot of effort and love that went into the making of this whiskey. If you are wondering more about Big Angus, take ride up to New Platz for the day and try all the expressions!

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Excelsior Straight Rye

May 5, 2022 NYC

Name: Excelsior Straight Rye

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Orange jam, rye spice, honey, wood

Taste: Rye spice, orange jam, light oak

Review:

Excelsior Straight Rye is produced by Coppersea Distilling, located in New Platz, New York and was founded in 2011. The name of the distillery comes from an old saying that there was a “Sea of Copper stills along the Hudson River Valley in the 1800’s…” The title of this rye whiskey originates from the New York State motto “Excelsior”, in Latin translates to “Ever Upward”.

Coppersea follows Empire Rye Whiskey Association standards which it is also a founding member. They source their products locally, or within a limited distance to the distillery. The grain, water, yeast, wood, copper, etc. are all as local as can be reasonably achieved. The facility is small and the production is limited per year but quality if the focus. If you want to learn more, watch the videos on their website. They are short, well made and very informative.

Excelsior Straight Rye has a mash bill of 80% rye, 20% malted barley, and is bottled at 48% abv. The flavor profile is rye spice with sweet orange jam/marmalade finish.The sweet finish is a little too much for my taste on a rye, but overall is very good and blends nicely. This bottle was a gift from the distillery and I was invited up in April 2021 for a private tasting of all the available expressions. I was pleasantly surprised at what I saw and tasted, and that does not happen to very often.

Reviews on the other expressions such as the Bonticou Crag Straight Rye Malt & Bottled In-Bond Rye Malt, Excelsior Bottled In-Bond Rye Straight Bourbon, Big Angus Green Malt, Pedro Ximénez Cask Single Barrel Rye, Amontillado Cask Single Barrel Rye, and Sauternes Cask Single Barrel Rye will be coming soon. These each having varying flavor profiles and there were a couple I thought were excellent.

Priced is $50 and is a good price for the flavor profile. I recommend you take ride up to New Platz for the day and try all the expressions and buy a bottle that you enjoy.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Proletariat Bar NYC

February 2, 2022 NYC

Proletariat is a beer only bar in the East Village of NYC that I discovered a few years ago and is my favorite place in NYC to go for a beer. No whisky, wine, cocktails, or food. Good craft beer only.

Located at 102 St. Marks Place the entrance is simple and non-descript. The bar is a small dark railroad shaped space with about twenty seats and no tables. There is a one toilet bathroom that is dimly lit with a red light. There is no television and the walls are brick or plaster with framed tattoo artwork for decoration. The beers rotate and are written on a chalk board or with colored magnets in the center of the bar. There is no mixologist, there is a bartender that knows the beers they are serving.

The word “proletariat” means “the working class people” and the name suits this place. As NYC continues to become more of a non triggered safe-space corporate controlled environment small businesses continue to get lost to time, but more often to rising rent prices. I have only been here for seven years, but I notice the changes when I am in the city and it breaks my heart.

I had not been back over the two years due to the lockdown, so I made a point to go last week. I was happy to sit and enjoy my beer, but I learned they will be moving their location so I recommend you visit soon.

Hours:

M/T/W/R 5:00pm – 12:00am
Friday 4:00pm – 12:00am
Saturday 2:00pm – 12:00am
Sunday 2:00pm – 10:00pm

Beer Menu: Rotates/Pour sizes vary

Cost: Moderate

Proletariat is the kind of place that I wish there were more of in the city. I hope the new spot has the same vibe!

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Pinhook Straight Bourbon

December 18, 2021 NYC

Name: Pinhook Straight Bourbon

Color: Dark Brown

Nose: Corn, caramel, spices

Taste: Carmel, corn, pepper, cinnamon

Review:

8 Days until Christmas! Do you have all your gifts and bottles ready?!?

Pinhook Straight Bourbon is a whiskey created by Sean Josephs who has a extensive background in the food and beverage business. He is involved in several restaurants that are whiskey themed including Maysville in NYC.

Pinhooks bourbon is distilled, blended and bottled at Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, KY. The distillery has a bunch of gin and few whiskeys listed on their website which means they are in the long term process of aging their own whiskey in house. I am guessing the distillery is buying product from Buffalo Trace and blending to make this expression. Lots of startup’s have to do this but they never really admit it up front.

This expression is part of the “Bourbon War” vertical series 5 year, which is the second release in the Bourbon War line, which follows barrels as they age from 4-12 years. The mash bill is 75% corn, 20.5% rye, and 4.5% malted barley. Started in 2015, they all have the same mash bill at 4 years and the distillery will age the barrels up to 12 years to get to 2027. The bottle I sampled was 113.9 proof, 56.95%, bottle number 072/214. So, there is a lot of stuff is going on with the label including a “selected by Shop Rite” and with the producers of this whiskey.

It is hard to nose due to the high proof. Upon the first taste the whiskey is very strong but you can tell it has some nice flavors hidden under the alcohol. Add a little water and then some ice you get a much smoother flavor profile and it is very nice stuff.

Priced around $50 and is worth a try, but the price versus all the marketing makes me wonder what I am really getting. I will give the other expressions a try in the future.

Thanks to Barry for letting me try it!

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Catskill Provisions “Honey” Rye Whiskey

August 12, 2021 NYC

Name: Catskill Provisions “Honey” Rye Whiskey

Color: Light brown

Nose: Sweet, honey, rye spice

Taste: Honey, spice, orange, toasted rye

Review:

Catskill Honey Rye Whiskey is a whiskey from Catskill Provisions which is an artesian food company in Rochester, NY. Catskill Provisions was founded in 2010 by Claire M. Marin and produces syrups, honeys, vinegars, mixes, and now whiskey.

Catskill Provisions decided to source rye (80%) and barley (20%) and make use of their bees and honey to make their own whiskey. I am unsure of the source of their whiskey but from what I can taste, it is decent stuff.

I tried a sample at a local liquor store and found it rye-spicy sweet, but not too sweet. I thought it would make a good Old Fashion cocktail in the hot weather. The drink was good, but it ended up being a bit too sweet for my taste. Any time you start putting honey, sugar, syrups in whiskey or a cocktail runs the risk of becoming a “sugar drink”. This is why I usually steer clear of mixologist cocktails at bars. I have found them be sugar drinks. In an Old Fashion cocktail, I would make a point not to add sugar unless whiskey is cheap. Having said all that, what is the point if you just drink the same whiskey all the time? I will still end up drinking it one way or another and Catskill Provisions suggests the following cocktails;

I also marinated some chicken in the whiskey with some light spices and grilled it. It came out nice, but I like whiskey for drinking not for cooking.

Priced around $35 and good if you like a sweeter whiskey need it for a cocktail mixer.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Van Brunt Still House Bourbon

February 16, 2021 NYC

Name: Van Brunt Still House Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey

Color: Orange brown

Nose: Pepper, corn, vanilla, oak

Taste: Pepper, corn, vanilla, oak, and a little tight

Review:

Van Brunt Still House Bourbon Whiskey is a locally made whiskey from Brooklyn, NY. The distillery is located in 6 Bay Street, Brooklyn NY and was founded by husband and wife team Daric Schlesselman and Sarah Ludington. They have been producing spirits since 2012 and on their website they state that they source local products from upstate New York. The name “Van Brunt” named comes from Cornelius Van Brunt, who was a farmer in Brooklyn centuries ago when it was a Dutch colony.

Van Burnt Still House has other expressions such as; American Whiskey, Rye, Bourbon, Single Malt, Smoked Corn Whiskey, Rye Moonshine, and Due North Rum. I sampled four of the expressions at Astor Wine and Spirits. Out of the four I tried, I found the bourbon to be the best tasting. I was running low on bourbon for my Old Fashions and this made a nice Old Fashion with the taste profile.

Van Brunt Bourbon is a good whiskey for the price. It has a nice peppery taste but it is tight and young. It needs more time to age and smooth out. This tight taste makes it more of a mixer than a sipping whiskey, but I’ll let you decide what you prefer.

Price around $60 and a little expensive for the taste but remember, you are supporting local small business.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

287 Single Malt Whiskey

July 1, 2020 NYC

Name: 287 Single Malt Whiskey

Color: Light brown

Nose: Spice, vanilla, flowers

Taste: Fresh, sweet, malt/corn, light oak, vanilla notes

Review:

287 Single Malt Whiskey is from Still the One Distillery in Port Chester, NY which is only 25 miles from my home. I have dropped by the distillery twice in the last year. The first time there was big event going on so I could not get in. The second time, the distillery was on a shifted schedule due to the Pandemic of 2020.

Still the One Distillery is a local NY (and close to NYC) distillery that produces the following expressions; 914 Bourbon, No. 3 Wheat Whiskey, No. 4 Rye Whiskey, 287 Single Malt Whiskey, 9A Single Malt Whiskey, STO Comb Vodka, STO Barreled Gin, STO Rum, and STO Jarhead Gin. The name “287” comes from the highway that connects the distillery and the Captain Lawrence Brewery. I have also reviewed No.4 Rye Whiskey from the distillery and the review can be found here under NYC.

This expression was developed in 2013, is aged 18 months in American oak barrels, and is bottled at 45% abv. It has a fresh nose and a sweeter taste/finish than I expected. I would not say it is good or bad, it is just different and I did enjoy it. I am not sure if they have a sample pack of small bottles but I hope to make another trip up. 287 Single Malt has also won the Silver NY International Spirits Competition in 2018.

Priced around $60 and is nice stuff if you like this type of flavor profile and want to buy local. At the price point you could buy scotch.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

No. 4 Westchester Rye Whiskey

December 23, 2019 NYC

Name: No. 4 Westchester Rye Whiskey

Color: Yellow

Nose: Rye, pepper, vanilla, lemon/citrus, dry

Taste: Spice rye, vanilla, carmel

Review:

Christmas is coming!! Do you have your gifts and bottles ready?!

The No. 4 Westchester Rye Whiskey comes from Still the One Distillery which is in Port Chester, NY. Established in 2009 they started with Vodka created from honey, then gin, and now whiskey. Still the One is a complete distillery with everything created and bottled at the distillery.

No. 4 whiskey is 100% rye (grown locally), aged for one year in American Oak barrels at Char 4, and is bottled at 90 proof. The char level is where the “No.4″ originates.

Other whiskey expressions are:

914 Bourbon Whiskey
No. 3 Wheat Whiskey
287 Single Malt Whiskey
9A Single Malt Whiskey
Rt. 1 Single Malt Whiskey

The No. 4 Rye Whiskey has a very nice rye spice flavor which is upfront and well balanced. Like most Rye’s I find the spice flavor profile is best enjoyed in a cocktail such as a Manhattan or Old Fashioned. I will be making a point to get to the distillery soon to taste all the expressions.

Priced around $55 and very good for a cocktail.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Opinions Vary – Whiskey & Cigars

Opinions Vary: New Distilleries vs. Old Whiskey

Coppersea Big Angus Green Malt

Excelsior Straight Rye

Proletariat Bar NYC

Pinhook Straight Bourbon

Catskill Provisions “Honey” Rye Whiskey

Van Brunt Still House Bourbon

287 Single Malt Whiskey

No. 4 Westchester Rye Whiskey

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