Chris | NYC Whiskey Review

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky – Revisited

April 30, 2025 Japan

Name: Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky

Color: Light amber/gold

Nose: Vanilla, nuts, spices and light grains

Taste: Light grains and spice vanilla with a smooth but light finish.

Revisited in 2025:

Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky is still a solid introduction to Japanese Whisky for the price and flavor profile. It is well smooth, well balanced, and an easy drinker. I will say I found it a little boring as my taste has evolved, but by no means do I dislike Nikka. It is just reminding me to expand my Japanese tasting which I have not done a good job the last few years. I will work harder on it this year!

2019 Review:

My first introduction to this whisky was at Robin Robinsons Irish v. Japanese Whisky Smack Down at the Astor Center in NYC and I was impressed. I have to say, Japan won that day against Ireland.

I had heard of Japanese whisky before and seen it in movies but this was the first time I was tasting it. I was impressed by the flavor and balance of this spirit. The whiskys made in Japan have multiple levels of quality and cost but for someone who wants to try on for the first time this would be the starter in my opinion. It is smooth and stands on and is a great value. I highly recommend this one on taste and value.

2019 Price ranges $60-70.

2025 Price is around $75-85.

If you like it, drink it!

Horse Shoe Pub – Glasgow, Scotland

April 23, 2025 Scotland

The Horse Shoe Pub is located in Glasgow, Scotland and is a short walk from Glasgow Central Station in the City Center. It opened in 1884 by Cavalry Captain John Scouller and has not changed much in over since its opening. As summer approaches I assume people will be traveling to Scotland for a vacation, and I am going to be reviewing a few places I recommend this Spring.

The Horse Shoe is a simple, no frills, Glasgow pub. Not many people or travel guides, sites, or tv shows will recommend it to you, but I will. It is a local’s type of place and it is where you can experience the “real Scotland” as I like to call it. Glasgow is the “real Scotland, trust me on this one. This pub holds a special place in my heart. It was my grandfather’s local pub and I estimate he started going in the 1920’s. When I was wee-boy and visited Scotland, he did not take me there, but I wish he had and that there was a picture, but it did not happen. However, I do have a picture to share below.

This picture below was taken in 1969 before my parents’ wedding in Glasgow. The man getting kissed is my grandfather (aka Pappa) the man giving the kiss is my slightly drunk father (aka Dad), to the far right is my grandfather’s son (aka Unkie Greg), and to the left is my grandfather’s brother Tommy. I will be raising my pint to Papa & Dad next time I am there and I hope to have my son with me.

Location: 17-19 Drury Street, Glasgow Scotland
Hours: Monday to Sunday 11am-12am
Payment: Cash & Credit Cards
Food: Lunch, Dinner, late night snacks
Reservations: Available

If you are in Glasgow this year, make your way to the Horse Shoe Pub for a pint.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey – Revisited 2025

April 16, 2025 America

Name: Blantons’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey – Revisited 2025

Color: Brown

Nose: Spices, caramel, vanilla, orange

Taste: Charred oak, vanilla, honey finish, slight burn

The revisited series is a look back on reviews from a few years ago with more knowledge and experience. This week’s review is a look back on Blanton’s Bourbon review I posted in 2022.

Blanton’s Bourbon is a “single barrel” bourbon that spends 8 years in white oak barrels that have been toasted to a #4 char rating. The mash bill is estimated to be 51% corn with 15% rye, however, the exact figures are not released from the distillery. The term “single barrel” means that each bottle comes from an individual aged barrel instead of from multiple blended barrels. The bottle label lists the date, warehouse, barrel, location, etc. which is different to almost all whiskies. To summarize, one barrel will produce a limited number of bottles from that specific barrel.

For the TV and movies fans, you might recognize Blanton’s because of the unique bottle shape. If you have watched the TV show “Justified” or you have seen the movies John Wick I & II you will see Blanton’s being drank. In Justified, which took place in South Eastern Kentucky, the US Marshall’s sipped it in their office. In John Wick, Keanu Reeves prefers bourbon to pain meds after he takes a beating fighting from fellow hitmen.

What I thought in 2022:

One thing I really like about Blanton’s (besides the taste) is the bottle. The octagonal shape and cork with racehorse and jockey stand out among other bottles of bourbon. The combination of single barreling, the taste and the bottle style make a great gift for yourself or someone else. Price around $50-60 it is well worth the price.

What I think in 2025:

I am not overly impressed any longer with Blanton’s as the taste profile came across very flat and dry. It is a different kind of bourbon, but over the years since its explosion in popularity I no longer find Blanton’s worth the price for the taste. This glass cost me $14 in Cape Cod, but I have seen bottles up to $250 in stores in NYC, and that is if you can find it. It was perfectly fine at the $60 price but now it is just not worth it to me.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Founders’ Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey

April 10, 2025 America

Name: Founders’ Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey

Color: Copper

Nose: Rye, spices, dry wood, dark fruits

Taste: Rye, spices, oak, cherries

Founders’ Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey is produced by Smooth Ambler, which is located in Maxwelton, West Virgina. I was not familiar with this distillery and this is the second bottle gifted to me by good friend Sam Dean.

Founders’ Cask Strength Straight Rye is aged for 6 years and bottled at 62.9% abv. The mash bill is 88% rye and 12% malted barley. They rye and strength of the whiskey very strong and too strong for me to drink neat or on the rocks, with one exception.

On my first taste I could only think was, “Holy shit has this stuff got some kick to it!”. I need to add some water to get the flavors to come out. Once my mouth calmed down, I tried again, and it was still a very strong rye and was for cocktails only. I tried it in a couple of old fashions and they were strong, but not as flavorful as Sagamore Cask Strength Rye. Founders just did not have a the same balance of flavors, so Sagamore is still number one for my rye cocktails.

The one exception…..When you are having a shitty day, chopping oak logs, you split the axe handle you can easily drink Founders’ neat or on the rocks. Trust me on this one.

Priced around $60 and very strong rye, but not as smooth as I would like it in a cocktail. I look forward to trying more of the expressions from Smooth Ambler.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Old Scout Straight Bourbon Whiskey

April 2, 2025 America

Name: Old Scout Bourbon Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Color: Copper

Nose: Corn/rye, barley, vanilla, orange

Taste: Corn, barley, vanilla, orange, sugar-spice

Old Scout Bourbon is produced by Smooth Ambler, which is located in Maxwelton, West Virginia. I was not familiar with this distillery and this bottle was a gift from my good friend Sam Dean.

On my first taste I found the bourbon a little hot and lacking body structure, it just tasted very light. The overall taste is a little rough, but I think that is due to the rye. The finish was decent and I expected it would work better in a cocktail and I was correct. This bourbon is not really a sipper. It works fine on the rocks but better in an old fashioned as the high proof holds the flavor longer.

Old Scout Bourbon is bottled at 49.5% abv and is non-chilled filtered. The mash bill is 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley, however, the corn was more forward tasting, and the rye gave it a little spice, but not too much.

Priced around $40 and a decent bourbon for cocktails. I look forward to trying more of their expressions.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey

March 27, 2025 Ireland

Name: Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey

Color: Light brown

Nose: Sweet cream, vanilla, nuts

Taste: Cream, vanilla, honey

Closing out the St. Patricks Month of Irish WhiskEy with a bang!

You might have recently heard of the new Proper 12 Irish Whiskey. If you have not, you must not be a fan of whiskey or sports. Proper 12 is owned and created (and by others) by the “Notorious” Conor McGregor of UFC & MMA fame.

On the first nose of Proper 12 it reminded me of Jameson. On the first taste I got a Bushmills/Jameson-esq creamy blended taste that is a lower quality but still decent whiskey. Proper 12 is 80 proof, triple distilled, and finished in American Bourbon barrels.

McGregor owns Eire Born Spirits which “makes” the whiskey, but it is clearly a sourced blend. He tried to call it “Notorious Whiskey” but that name was already taken so he had to come up with a new name. McGregor is from “Crumlin” in Dublin and the postal code for that area is #12. Hence the name.

As I thought more about this whiskey I recognize the brilliance of what has been created. It is affordable, drinkable, marketed heavily, and comes from a man who comes from humble beginnings. If you did not know, McGregor was working class guy who was on and off the “dole” (welfare) when starting out in the UFC. Today, he is one of the wealthiest and most recognizable sports figures in the world. It makes sense he makes whiskey for the masses, not the elites.

At the time I wrote this review (November 2018) Proper 12 had pretty much been sold out completely. McGregor announced they were fixing the supply issue and would be shipping out soon.

The old saying holds true, “There are no bad whiskeys, some are just better than others”. Conner has a good whiskey just other ones out there might beat his in the whiskey world.

Priced around $35 a bottle (or $12 for 2oz. at American Whisky, NYC) and decent, but more of a shooter or mixer.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey

March 26, 2025 Ireland

Name: Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey

Color: Light brown

Nose: Malt, cream vanilla, oak, light citrus, white pepper

Taste: Malt, honey, flowers, vanilla cream, light oak

Happy St. Patricks Month! Irish WhiskEy Reviews each week!!

Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey is from Tullamore, Country Offlay which is West of Dublin. Named after Daniel E. Williams (DEW) who was a general manager owner of the original distillery. The distillery was founded in 1829 and has changed ownership a few times over the years. It is currently produced by William Grant & Sons.

Tullamore DEW is tripled distilled and bottled at 40% abv. It is on the shelf of most bars in NYC and is a popular in Irish coffees as it has a lighter tasting profile. It is also the whiskey used in The Buena Vista Café of San Francisco’s famous Irish Coffee. I am not much for Irish coffee, but the one they make look delicious. It’s on my bucket list of bars to visit.

Other expressions are: 11, 12, 15, Phoenix, Old Bonded, Cider Cask, and XO Rum.

This expression has nice taste, but not overly impressive. I had just finished tasting Slane so this was amazing in comparison. It can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks or as a mixer.

Priced around $35 and it’s an acceptable slugging or Irish coffee.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey

March 25, 2025 Ireland

Name: Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey

Color: Light yellow

Nose: Cream, green grass, malt, lemon

Taste: Malt, flowers, citrus, white fruits

Happy St. Patricks Month! Irish WhiskEy Reviews each week!!

Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey is produced by the Old Bushmills Distillery located in Bushmills, County Antrim, North Ireland. The distillery was founded in 1784 but the bottle states 1608 because of when the license was granted. Some historian note that it could be as far back as 1276. Today in 2021, Case Cuervo owns the brand.

Bushmills Original is tripled distilled, 100% malted barley (blends), and bottled at 40% abv. I am not a big fan of Irish whiskey due to the creamy finish that most of them have but this one is surprisingly decent. The whiskey is light and has a fresh taste. It reminds me of Famous Grouse in lighter body flavor and the cost per bottle.

Other expressions: Black Bush, Red Bush, 10-year, 12-year, 16 year, 21 year, and 1608. I plan to move onto reviewing more Bushmills this year for future Irish reviews in March 2025.

Priced around $35 and good for a summer slugging whiskey, party gift, or a train ride in Ireland.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Blue Spot

March 20, 2025 Ireland

Name: Blue Spot

Color: Copper

Nose: Malt, cream, white fruits, light oak

Taste: Malt, sweet cream, oak, flower, citrus/white fruit finish

Happy St. Patricks Month! Irish WhiskEy Reviews each week!!

Blue Spot Irish Whiskey is a recent re-release by Mitchel & Sons of their 7-year-old cask strength expression. The whiskey is triple distilled, bottled at 57.8% abv, and aged for 7 years in bourbon, sherry, and madeira casks.

I have been searching for Blue Spot for three years since I learned it was back on the market. I have sampled Yellow Spot at an Astor Wines in NYC, Green Spot at Harrod’s in London, and Red Spot at the Brandy Library Bar in NYC. I could not find Blue Spot until I landed in the Cincinnati Airport and walked past a bourbon bar. I was about to order a bourbon when I saw the bottle on the bottom shelf next to the Tito’s vodka. The bartender told me he had never served it so he needed to confirm the price and he had to call someone to find out what to charge. I waited and it was worth the wait. At $10 per drink, I requested a double.

The “spot” name comes from the paint color that marks the cask to identify the age of the whiskey.

Price updates form 2024 NYC area based:

Green Spot = NAS (7-10) years at $70+
Yellow Spot = 12 years at $90+
Blue Spot = 7 years at $270+
Gold Spot = 9 years at $225+
Red Spot = 15 years at $150+

Of all the expressions when you compare flavor and cost, Blue Spot is the winner. It is very smooth for the cask strength and a little water enhances the flavor tremendously. It is the best of the four I have sampled when you compare the flavor profile vs. abv vs. price.

Priced around $225 and hard to find, but very good if it fits your budget.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Green Spot Irish Whiskey

March 19, 2025 Ireland

Name: Green Spot

Color: Gold

Nose: Barley, green fruit, vanilla

Taste: Apple, cream, light sweetness

Happy St. Patricks Month! Irish WhiskEy Reviews each week!!

Green Spot is a single pot still Irish whiskey from the Midleton Distillery in Cork, Ireland. The original Green Spot was aged 10 years and the new version is a now a non-aged stated (NAS) whiskey. It is matured in combinations of new and re-filled bourbon casks and sherry casks.
Cork, Ireland located in Map below (dark green):

The name Green Spot comes from the practice of marking casks of different ages with a daub or big dot of paint. Green= NAS, Yellow=12 years, Blue =7 years and Red=15 years. The was Blue and Red Spot have recently returned to the retail market.

Sales of Green Spot started in 1887 in a small grocery store. Over the last few years the Irish whiskey rebirth has been in full swing and Midleton Distillery is producing plenty of various whiskeys. I found data online that states that only 12,000 bottles are produced a per year. I cannot confirm this statistic, and I do not believe it. I see Green Spot on the shelf of all the higher end whiskey stores in NYC and other states. I would not worry about not finding a bottle in you are looking for one, but shop in a decent store.

I am not a huge Irish whiskey guy but I like Green Spot. In general, I find the cream finish in Irish whiskeys off putting and not to my style. I met an Irishman on cruise once and we got to talking about whiskey flavor. He was the opposite of me, he cannot stand the rough taste of scotch. It is all a matter of opinion when it comes to taste.

Priced around $60 it is a good Irish whiskey at a good price

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky – Revisited

Horse Shoe Pub – Glasgow, Scotland

Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey – Revisited 2025

Founders’ Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey

Old Scout Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey

Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey

Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey

Blue Spot

Green Spot Irish Whiskey

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