Chris | Page 10 | NYC Whiskey Review

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Davidoff Late Hour – Robusto

April 17, 2024 Cigars

Name: Davidoff Late Hour – Robusto

Size/Gauge: 5” / 52

Wrapper: Ecuador, Ecuador Habano, & Oscuro

Binder: Mexican

Filler: Dominica & Nicaraguan

Davidoff Late Hour Robusto series aged in the finest Scotch whisky casks and bears the name Winston Churchill’s profile on the side. A man who truly loved his cigars, whisky, and kicking fucking arses!

This cigar started a little bitter with strong flavors but after about ten minutes it softened up. It has coffee and wood notes with a little nutty flavor. It had an even burn and very smooth drawing. It is a strong-tasting cigar and would go well with a coffee, light whisky, red wine or after a heavy steak dinner. This expression is not for to be smoke on a hot day outdoors.

Late Hour Robusto is a continuation of the box set I received for Christmas 2023. I will continue to review them each month for the rest of 2024. Again, Davidoff does not disappoint!

Priced around $25 and worth it if you like a heavier cigar.

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

If you like it, drink it!

Chivas Royal Salute 21

April 11, 2024 Scotland

Name: Chivas Royal Salute 21

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Light malt, cedar wood, herb/earthy, almonds

Taste: Malt, walnut, cedar wood, creamy almonds

Royal Salute 21 is a 40% abv blended scotch whisky that is encased in a heavy blue ceramic bottle and is packaged in an impressive decorated box. Produced by Chivas Regal, this scotch was created in 1953 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. The choice of 21 years aligns with the 21-gun salute which is used to celebrate Royal anniversaries.

I received this bottle as a birthday gift last year from my in-laws and I was waiting for the right time to crack it open. I figured after the shit year that was 2020 it was time to have dram or two before 2021 arrived. I was excited to try this scotch, but the excitement quickly passed after the second and third sip. I was not impressed. Royal Salute 21 is smooth, but simple and lacks the complexity that I would expect for the age and cost of this scotch. Upon my second dram, I got a real “Emperor’s New Clothes” feeling continued to sip it and take notes.

Royal Salute 21 is smooth, earthy, has nice cedar and nut notes and I would not turn down a glass if it was offered, but I would not buy one for myself. I think this scotch would taste better in a castle in the Highlands after a stag hunt, fishing trip or before haggis was served for supper.

Priced around $275-$300 and worth a try if you got the money, but for this price if you are learning buy multiple bottles of younger whisky.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Dalmore 15

April 10, 2024 Scotland

Name: Dalmore 15

Color: Amber brown

Nose: Malt, heather, honey, oak

Taste: Malt, heather, honey, light oak, sherry notes

The Dalmore Distillery is a located in Alness, Scotland which just North of Inverness and is in the Highlands. It was established in 1839 and has changed ownerships many times over the years. Dalmore whisky bottles are very distinguished in their shape and appearance. They have an oversized silver stags head placed on the outside of the bottle. High end bars and stores would like to line them up as they look better than most bottles.

Dalmore 15 has light cream flavor with well blended flavors of malt, honey, and heather. There is a more wood on the nose with light sherry and wood on the finish. It is far better tasting and balanced than the 12-year-old or 12 Sherry Cask (aka the “twelves”).The whisky is aged 12 years in ex-bourbon casks and then split into three batches of Amoroso, Apostoles, and Matusaelm Oloroso cask for the last three years. They are then blended back together into one cask before bottling. It is bottled at 40% abv and is 3% abv lower than the twelves but the aging of three additional years makes a big difference. The three-cask process is interesting and I intend to learn more as I review other Dalmore expressions.

Dalmore Expressions: 12-year-old, 12-Sherry Cask, Port Wood Reserve, Cigar Malt, 14, 15, King Alexander III, 18, 21, and various “Limited Releases”.

Priced around $125+ and worth the money. If it is out of your budget, try the 12 or the 12-Sherry Cask.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve

April 4, 2024 Scotland

Name: The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve

Color: Copper

Nose: Barley, maple, oak

Taste: Maple, oak, dark fruit, cream finish

The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve was my second dram after the Jura Seven Wood at The Pot Still when I was in Glasgow, Scotland in May 2019. Nothing puts a smile on my face than going to The Pot Still in Glasgow and sipping whisky!

The Dalmore Distillery is located in Alenss, Scotland which is approximately twenty miles north of Inverness. The Cigar Malt Reserve is first aged in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, then 30-year-old Oloroso sherry butts, and finally transferred in Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques. Then combination makes a nice rich whisky with a slight sweet cream finish that might go good with the smoke flavor from a cigar. I say “might” because you cannot smoke in The Pot Still.

If you have not picked up on the marketing yet, the Cigar Malt Reserve name implies it is to be paired with a cigar. How you drink a whisky, smoke a cigar, or pair the two is up to you. I enjoy a whisky and cigar combination, but it is sometimes a mixed bag when you put the two together.

Here are my thoughts;

A good whisky on needs a glass.
A good cigar only needs a match.
A whisky should cost a $50 minimum to drink neat/rocks.
A cigar should cost a $15 minimum.
A smoky whisky can over power or not match the smoke from the cigar.
A dark/stronger cigar flavor can be ruined by a whisky.
A cigar with a long burn time can lead to drinking more whisky. This is good or bad depending on the day and your company.

When I put the two together I usually pair medium bodied cigar with light-medium whisky or I do not mix them at all.

Price around $135+ and very good but a bit expensive for the flavor profile. You can mix and match scotch and cigars in so many ways you do not need a specific whisky.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Dalmore 12 – Sherry Cask Select

April 3, 2024 Scotland

Name: Dalmore 12 – Sherry Cask Select

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Malt, cedar, citrus, sherry

Taste: Malt, cedar/oak wood, honey, orange, vanilla, sherry

The 12-year-old Sherry Cask Select is a very nice Dalmore expression. It is overall better than the 12-year-old but that mostly comes from the sherry finish. I find the 12 to be a better tasting whisky because I do not prefer a sherry finish at this level. It is just too sweet. I am noticing all distilleries are doing this now and it technically makes a baseline whisky taste better, but it is still just like adding a sugar finish.

It is dry on the front of the tongue, sweet malt, and wood on the back of the mouth and finish. It has a nice body and is easy to drink at 43% abv. The whisky is finished for three years in three casks from Jerez and seasoned with a blend of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez. The Dalmore 15 is far better than the 12 & 12 Sherry and I will be reviewing the 15 next week.

Dalmore Expressions: 12-year-old, 12-Sherry Cask, Port Wood Reserve, Cigar Malt, 14, 15, King Alexander III, 18, 21, and various “Limited Releases”.

Priced around $85 and very good but the Dalmore 15 is better at $115+ and worth the stretch of the wallet.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Red Spot Irish Whiskey

March 28, 2024 Ireland

Name: Red Spot Irish Whiskey

Color: Copper

Nose: Sherry, vanilla, apple & dark fruits

Taste: Fruit, sweet sherry cream, vanilla

Red Spot Irish Whiskey is a recent re-release by Mitchel & Sons of the 15-year-old expression after 50 years of halted production. The whiskey is aged for 15 years in Bourbon/Oloroso/Marsala casks and bottled at 92 proof.

I have had Yellow Spot and Green Spot before but I had trouble finding Red Spot (even in Scotland) so I had to make a special trip to the Brandy Library Bar in NYC.

The “spot” name comes from the paint color that mark the cask (with a spot) so it is easy to identify the age of the whiskey.

Blue Spot – 7 years at $225+
Gold Spot – 9 years at $225+
Red Spot – 15 years at $300+
Green Spot – (7-10 NAS) years at $60+
Yellow Spot = 12 years at $90+

Red Spot profile flavor has a nice balance of sweet sherry and cream. It is Irish on the cream finish but different with the wine cask aging. With one cube the whiskey opens and the proof lightens up. After a few minutes on ice and sips it softens and you can really enjoy the balance. Just sweet enough for my taste. This one is a sipper not a slugger.

Price around $300 a bottle in NYC and $38 at Brandy Library for 2oz (circa 2023 prices).

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Gold Spot

March 21, 2024 Ireland

Name: Gold Spot

Color: Dark Gold

Nose: Malt, cream, white fruits, sherry sweet

Taste: Malt, honey, caramel-cream, vanilla, spices, lemon grass

Gold Spot whiskey has been released to celebrate the Mitchell Family’s 135-year anniversary of creating Irish Whiskey. Gold Spot is not part of the regular series and I did not know it existed until I saw in on the upper shelf at The Pot Still in Glasgow.

Last month was visiting the family in Scotland and I had a few hours in Glasgow City Center. I prioritized my time; deep fried Mars candy bar at Blue Lagoon Fish & Chips, Celtic Supports Store, Big John’s T-shirt shop (more Celtic gear), and The Pot Still.

Gold Spot is aged 9 years in a series of bourbon, port, sherry, Bordeaux wine casks, and in port pipes (aka casks for port wine). It is non-chilled filtered and is bottle at 51.4% abv.

It has a very nice and smooth balance with no burn finish for the higher proof. It is sweeter tasting than the other Spots which is due to the multi-cask finishing process. The slight spice finish was surprising but overall excellent. Gold has a higher quality taste profile than Green & Yellow, but it less impactful than the Blue. It does not compare to the complexity and smoothness of the Red.

Pot Still, Glasgow Feb 2023. Gold Spot on the top shelf

My current rankings for the Spot’s are as follows:

Blue Spot – 7 years at $225+
Gold Spot – 9 years at $225+
Red Spot – 15 years at $300+
Green Spot – (7-10 NAS) years at $60+
Yellow Spot = 12 years at $90+

Blue is number one, but Gold is a very close second. I look forward to trying some of the Green’s that are finished in special casks, but they are hard to find.

Priced around $225 and worth the money if you like the flavor profile and Irish Whiskey and it fits your budget.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Smithwick’s Red Ale

March 20, 2024 Ireland

Name: Smithwick’s Red Ale

Color: Amber

Nose: Malt, caramel sweet notes

Taste: Malt, caramel sweets, medium hop finish

I started to look up the history of Smithwick’s. It says it dates back over 300 years and Smithwick shows up in the 1860’s. History of the beer complete.

Upon my first sip I found the beer to be not too bad, but is just reminded me average amber or red ale. It is relatively fresh tasting for the style, but nothing amazing. It is more of an outdoor Fall type of beer but I do not think I could drink more than two in a row even though it is 4.5% abv. The overall flavor does not do it for me and it is not a beer I would continue to drink, nor do I see it on tap in most bars.

Priced around I don’t now and go try it yourself and let me know what you think. It was the most aviable Irish beer I could find in the Month of Irish reviews.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Green Spot – Chateau Leoville Barton

March 13, 2024 Ireland

Name: Green Spot – Chateau Leoville Barton

Color: Amber

Nose: Malt, oak, red wine, sherry

Taste: Malt, heather, honey, sherry, light red wine

Green Spot Leoville Barton should now complete my review of all the “Spots”. This expression starts its life as regular Green Sport and is then aged in a combination of ex-bourbon (75%) and ex-Oloroso sherry (25%) casks for 7-10 years. After that is it placed in French Oak Casks previously used by Chateau Leoville Barton for another 12-14 months. The whisky is triple distilled, non-chilled filtered, natural color, and bottle at 46% abv.

This expression has a slight red color to it, or the lighting at the bar was throwing me off. It has a smooth medium cream body and is a little dry on the finish. The wine finish is nice and not overpowering like Montelena. The connection to Chateau Leoville Barton is because the estate was purchased by Hugh Barton in 1826 who’s family is of Irish descent.

I had both expressions at the Dead Rabbit and this one was the second tasting, and I was glad it was. When you compare the two-wine cask finishes side by side, Barton is a much smoother tasting whiskey. I found this surprising as it is Bordeaux (aka cabernet sauvignon).

Currently Ranking (2024)

#1: Green Spot Barton Leoville – $150

#2: Red Spot – $300

#3: Blue Spot – $225

#4: Gold Spot – $185

#5: Green Spot Chateau Montelena – $150/$200

#6: Green Spot – $75

#7: Yellow Spot – $100

Priced around $150 and around $35 for 2 oz at Dead Rabbit in NYC. It is the best “Spot” for the flavor profile and price.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Green Spot – Chateau Montelena

March 6, 2024 Ireland

Name: Green Spot – Chateau Montelena

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Malt, oak, citrus, dark wine, vanilla

Taste: Malt, cream, honey citrus, red wine, smoke notes, cedar wood cream

Green Spot Chateau Montelena caught my eye last year as I thought I was finishing up with all the Spot Expressions. If you are unfamiliar with Chateau Montelena, I recommend the movie “Bottle Shock”. It tells the story of how Jim Barret’s wine won the “Judgment of Paris” in 1976. After that California wines started to become a real equal to French wine. I highly recommend the movie and the chardonnay ($60+) if it fits your budget. The Middleton Distillery has partner with Jim Barret whose father emigrated from Ireland to provide cask to finish the whiskey.

Green Spot Montelena is first aged in sherry and Bourbon casks and is then finished in French Oak Zinfandel casks. The whiskey is triple distilled, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 46% abv.

At first taste is strong and very forward taste profile. It has more of a medium body, but with a scotch like flavor profile and finishes with cream like dry cedar wood. I think the Zinfandel finish is too overpowering for my taste. I enjoyed this expression, but I found it a bit odd when my next tasting which was the Green Barton Leoville.

I did not dislike this expression, but it is not in my top it is not in my top 3. My current ranking of Spots and costs as of March 2024.

#1: Green Spot Barton Leoville – $150

#2: Red Spot – $300

#3: Blue Spot – $225

#4: Gold Spot – $185

#5: Green Spot Chateau Montelena – $150/$200

#6: Green Spot – $75

#7: Yellow Spot – $100

Priced around $150 to $200 and I have not seen it in stores. Prices around $35 for 2 oz pour at Dead Rabbit Bar in NYC.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Davidoff Late Hour – Robusto

Chivas Royal Salute 21

Dalmore 15

The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve

Dalmore 12 – Sherry Cask Select

Red Spot Irish Whiskey

Gold Spot

Smithwick’s Red Ale

Green Spot – Chateau Leoville Barton

Green Spot – Chateau Montelena

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