Chris | Page 13 | NYC Whiskey Review

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

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 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.

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!

Benriach 12

February 29, 2024 Scotland

Name: Benriach 12

Color: Light brown

Nose: Malt, wood, honey, white fruits, flowers, citrus

Taste: Malt, sherry-honey, oak, coconut, vanilla

The Benriach Distillery is located in the Speyside region of Scotland. It was established in 1898 and has changed ownership too many times over the years to list. The Beriach 12 is bottled at 46% abv, aged in ex-sherry, ex-bourbon, and ex-port casks. The whisky has a malt flavor on front of the tongue with a sweet sherry and a little wood on finish. The nose was a little strange to me, but after some research it appears to have combination of dark and white fruits. This was throwing me off as I only could detect the white fruits so I will try it again in the future. Overall, it has nice taste and balance, but it did not knock my socks off.

I would also note that Benriach appears to me to be a stand alone whisky. It does not taste like others I have sampled so it leads me to believe they do not source or share their product. I have not proof either way, it just tasted that way to me.

Distillery Expressions: 10, 12, 16, 21, 25, 30, 40, The Smokey 10, The Smokey 12, 40 Octave Cask Matured, Smoke Season, and Malting Season.

Travel Retail Expressions: Cask Edition, Quarter Casks, Peated Quartered Cask, and Triple Distilled.

Priced around $60 and fair for the money. I will try more in the future.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Benriach – The Smoky 12

February 28, 2024 Scotland

Name: Benriach – The Smoky 12

Color: Light brown

Nose: Malt, oak, white fruits, flowers, citrus, peat

Taste: Malt, sherry, oak, coconut, vanilla, peat smoke

The Benriach Distillery is in the Speyside area of Scotland. It was established in 1898 and has changed ownership a few times over the years. Too many times to list the complete history.

Benriach – The Smoky 12 is bottled at 46% abv and is aged in ex-sherry, ex-bourbon and ex-Marsala casks. It is non chilled filtered, 100% malted barley, and is natural in its color. This expression has a strong malt forward flavor with sherry sweetness and the smokey peat on the finish. It is a nice flavor profile, but it reminds me of a sweeter smoky Johnnie Walker Black.

When tasted side by side with the Benriach 12 you can smell and taste the baseline, but the 12 is much easier to drink. They are not sister whisky’s; they are significantly different. If I had to pick one, I will select the 12 as it is easier on the plate. Whatever Benriach is doing they are not even in the ballpark with the “big boy” peaty whiskies like Laphroaig or Lagavulin. I think the distiller should work on developing Smoky 12 further. It has potential but it is not there yet.

Expressions: 10,12,16, 21, 25, 30, 40, The Smoky 10, The Smoky 12, 40 Octave Cask Matured, Smoke Season, and Malting Season.
Travel Retail: Cask Edition, Quarter Casks, Peated Quartered Cask, Triple Distilled

On my recent February 2023 trip to Scotland to see the family I accidentally picked up the 12 so it made for a good comparison. I enjoy Benriach and I look forward to tasting and reviewing more.

Priced around $65 and ok for the flavor profile. I will stick with the “big boys” if I want smoky peat.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Nub Cigars

February 22, 2024 Cigars

Name: Nub Cigars

Size/Gauge: 3.75 to 4 / 54 to 66

Wrapper Options: Cameroon, Connecticut, Habano, and Brazilian

Nub Cigar Selections: Cain, Cameroon, Connecticut, Corojo, Habano, Maduro, Nuance, and Tubes

Nub Cigar is made by Olivia Cigars as was first released in 2008. The factory is located in Estelí, Nicaragua and the cigars are hand rolled. The first time I heard about Nub’s was from Bill Burr on his Monday Morning Podcast. I thought, if it is good enough for Bill, it is good enough for me.

I have been smoking these cigars for a few years now. They are a very nice cigar, they burn well, and are affordable. The burn time varies depending on how you smoke them, but I find they last around thirty minutes which works well in you are limited in time or by hot/cold weather.

I recommend you try Nub Cigars with your morning coffee. No breakfast. Just a cigar and the sweeter based coffee aroma that Nub produces. It’s great way to start your morning when you are on vacation, or a Monday if you hate you job.

Prices range from $8 to $12 depending on your area or online. I recommend starting with a sample pack.

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

If you like it, drink it!

Davidoff Yamasa Petit Churchill

February 21, 2024 Cigars

Name: Davidoff Yamasa Petit Churchill

Size/Gauge: 4” / 48

Wrapper: Dominican

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican & Nicaragua

Yamasa Petit Churchill is part of Davidoff Discovery line of cigars. From my research this line was developed to create cigars from more unique tobaccos from different locations around the world. As expected, Davidoff does not disappoint and my research the type of tobaccos used are very interesting to read about. I recommend you visit Davidoff’s site to learn more.

Yamasa is a smaller cigar but for little stick it packs a punch. It is rich tasting with earthy flavors and burns clean and even for approximately 30 minutes. It is a great cigar for an outdoor winter smoke. Due to its strength and flavor I do not think it would be a good choice for a hot summer day. The Yamasa would pair well with Auchentoshan, Deanston Virgin Oak, or a lighter bourbon such as Old Forester.

This cigar is part of a box set of I received as a Christmas gift. As you can see below in the photo there are plenty to try in 2024 so I will be aiming to do one cigar review per month this year.

Priced around $14 and good, but for a few dollars more I would get a full-sized cigar.

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

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Dalmore 12 – Sherry Cask Select

Red Spot Irish Whiskey

Gold Spot

Smithwick’s Red Ale

Green Spot – Chateau Leoville Barton

Green Spot – Chateau Montelena

Benriach 12

Benriach – The Smoky 12

Nub Cigars

Davidoff Yamasa Petit Churchill

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