Chris | Page 15 | NYC Whiskey Review

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

WL Weller Special Reserve

November 16, 2023 America

Name: WL Weller Special Reserve

Color: Light brown

Nose: Vanilla, caramel, light oak

Taste: Sweet, vanilla, caramel

I got the opportunity to try WL Weller Special Reserve a couple of weeks ago when I was visiting Kentucky. After a good day of losing money at Keeneland Race track on the pony’s, it was time to relax with a drink. My friend channeled his Tom Cruise from the movie Cocktail and made me a “Southern Gentleman” with Weller. Prior to my cocktail I set myself up outside on the deck with a big cigar and enjoyed a dram neat as he made the drink.

The bourbon is good, but nothing mind blowing. Not sure how special this “Special Reserve” really is but it tastes good, however, it is not special. As usual, a little marketing on the bottle is needed by the distillery. Weller is affordable bourbon to keep on your bar if you need one for sipping or cocktails.

The receipt for the “Southern Gentleman” by Saint Matthew Barker (The Patron Saint of West Palm Beach, circa 1994-98):

Rocks glass & one large ice cube/ball
3-4 oz Weller
Splash of fresh Ice Tea
Splash of Pure Maple Syrup
Stir and serve over ice

The cocktail was very refreshing and helped with the 80F weather, which was a surprise for October in Kentucky. One other note, the deer in the background surprised me as I was taking the bottle picture. It just stared at me for a few minutes with the look of “what the fuck are you looking at?” and then ran off. I could have had venison for dinner.

Weller Special Reserve is a good example of a whiskey that does not have to be expensive to be good and drinkable. As I say, if you like it, drink it. You do not have to always spend big money on your whisky.

Price in NYC is around $50+ and in Kentucky is $19.99. (Note this review was posted in 2020, prices have increased)

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask

November 9, 2023 Scotland

Name: The Balvenie Caribbean Cask

Color: Yellow

Nose: Malt, sugar cane, vanilla, light wood

Taste: Malt, tropical fruit, cream vanilla, honey, flowers

The Balvenie Distillery is located in Dufftown, Scotland which is the Speyside region. It was founded in 1886 by William Grant & Sons and I have not yet had a bad experience with their whisky but get what you pay for in life and with their expressions.

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14-Year-Old is bottled at 43% abv, aged in 14 years in oak barrels, and finished in rum cask from the West Indies. It is a medium body whisky with a good balance of malt and rum and a light oak finish. The color looks natural, but I could not confirm. It is very easy to drink on ice or neat. I think a slightly higher in abv would be better as the flavor profile would last longer when enjoyed on the rocks.

I purchased this expression last summer when I had to travel to Florida due to my Mum passing in July of 2021. She had been suffering for a long time and I was glad she was finally at peace. My Mum was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland and she taught me many things. One thing she taught me even before I was into whisky was, “There is slipping whisky and then there is slugging whisky.” I was slugged a few glasses of this sipping whisky.

Priced around $90+ and worth the money to enjoy in warm weather or to raise a glass to your Mum.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Lagavulin 16

October 26, 2023 Scotland

Name: Lagavulin 16

Color: Caramel Brown

Nose: Smoke, peat and brine

Taste: Smoke, peat, orange iodine, smooth seaweed brine notes

Originating from the region of Islay in the Highlands of Scotland this single malt 16 year old whisky is in the realm of “Laphroaig” but has been smoothed out very nicely and finishes easy while still being a “big boy” Scotch. Do not misunderstand me, this is still a full-bodied peat smoke styled Islay Scotch but it is softer than others I have tried while maintaining its character. Most will still find it to be an acquired taste.

When you compare it to Laphroaig 10 you are getting 6 more years in the barrel and a much smoother finish so it’s going to cost you more but I feel it is worth it. You may also recognize this whisky if you watch “Ray Donavan” on Showtime as this is the one he seems drinks the most next to Blue Label. (Note: He is all over the map in what he drinks)

Priced between $80-90 it is a good value for those who love Islay whisky or are entering the heavier bodied smoke peat flavor spectrum.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Oliva Connecticut Reserve

October 19, 2023 Cigars

Name: Oliva Connecticut Reserve

Size: 6 x 50

Wrapper: Ecuador

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Oliva Connecticut Reserve Cigar is blended with Nicaraguan fillers and binders and is finished with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.

This cigar is an easy, enjoyable smoke with no bitter taste. The draw is smooth and burn time is approximately 45 minutes. This cigar would work well with a coffee, light whisky or even a white wine if you are inclined.

Connecticut wrappers get their name from tobacco leaves sourced from the Connecticut River Valley. They are known to have a lighter gold brown color to them and softer flavors. The name may give the location away, but most people are not aware that the Northeastern Region of the United States grows tobacco as the majority of tobacco comes from the Southern States.

NYC area price is around $15+. Prices vary when you buy cigars from state to state or online.

I am going to work more on adding cigars to my reviews in the next year so the format and information may change so please bear with me.

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

Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Camacho Toro Box Pressed – Connecticut

October 18, 2023 Cigars

Name: Camacho Toro Box Pressed – Connecticut

Size: 6 x 50

Wrapper: Honduras – Connecticut

Binder: Honduras – Corojo

Filler: Dominican Republic – Generoso / Aleman Ligero, USA – American Broadleaf

The Camacho Toro Box Press Connecticut is a brand that originated in Honduras but was acquired by Davidoff in 2008. These cigars are usually displayed in most Davidoff stores and from a glance at the prices in the humidor they are promoted as more a wallet friendly option compared to high priced Davidoff expressions.

This cigar is a nice light smoke with notes of roasted tobacco and almond nuts. It is a lighter smoke and has no bitter taste in the mouth after the draw or exhale. Overall, it is a good smoke but a little too light for my taste preference. This would make a good hot weather or breakfast smoke.

Box press is a type of style of cigar which is squarer than the traditional round you normally see. The history is unclear and up for debate on when it started and who was the creator. Using some logic, I would guess it was a combo of marketing a cigar in different shape and maximizing space in a box. Hence the name “box press” because it looks like the cigar box created the shape. Personally, I find the best cutter for this style of cigar is a bullet.

Priced around $10-12 per cigar and worth the price if you like a lighter smoke.

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

If you like it, drink it!

Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery

October 12, 2023 NYC

As the cooler weather approaches and the season begins to change the time spent outdoors becomes a priority for all New Yorkers. Pumpkin lattes and Oktoberfest beers are nice in the park, but what about something different? How about apple picking, food, and drinks in the fresh countryside air?

The Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery is a one-stop good time place. Located in only 50 miles away from NYC, you can enjoy locally made beer, wine, whiskey, live music, and food. It is located at 114 Little York Rd. Warwick, NY 10990

Upon arriving, there will be parking attendants to help you navigate the lot. Parking is $10 per car and you will park on grass/gravel and walk in.

Picking apples costs $35 per bag and you can pick many apples for that price. There is a tractor ride up to the orchard or you can take a short walk. The price may seem a bit high, but I have been eating the apples all week and they are delicious and better than what Whole Foods sells. The early season apples are fresh, juicy, and have the nice snap when you bite into them. I will be using a dozen Macintosh’s in an apple pie this weekend. The apple trees are not too tall so ladders are not needed but you might have to step into the tree branches to pick them. Also, you may need to navigate damp grass, dropped apples, and occasional deer shit in the orchard so I recommend hiking boots.

The Store & Cafe has tasting bar, dining area, and a gift shop. These areas are indoors but are small so they get crowded. Inside you can buy full bottles of wine, beer, and whiskey. The staff will open the bottles for you and provide glasses so you can enjoy your drinks indoors or outdoors. I did not see anyone with an open bottle of whisky, only wine and beer.

The outdoor Bar & Grille and Tasting Patio is where people spend most of the day. The patio is a stone deck with metal tables and chairs and there is a grassy area adjacent to the patio for lawn seating. I recommend you bring your chairs or blankets just in case you are unable to get a table. The band playing last weekend was good, a bit loud for my taste, but they set the fun easygoing tone for everyone to enjoy.

The Bar & Grille has a variety of food for almost everyone’s taste. They serve burgers, hot dogs, pizza, chili, flatbread, ice cream, soft drinks, etc. It is cash only and there are ATM’s on site. I enjoyed a small bowl of chili and chips before I went to the Tasting Patio.

The Tasting Patio has all the wines, beer, and spirits available for $20 for one sample of each. From memory, I sampled 6 wines, 5 spirits, and 2 ciders. There was more to sample, but I decided not to because I already enjoyed a glass of bourbon when I arrived. As with all tastings, I found things I liked and others that I did not like as much. You will have to judge for yourself.

The crowd that day was a nice mix of families, groups, younger, older, kids, bikers, different ethnicities, races, etc. I saw only smiles as everyone was having a good time. Some people in the Tasting Patio clearly skipped lunch so they were having a “really” good time sampling the drinks. At no time did I see anyone out of control or acting like an idiot.

An important item to note: There are no indoor bathrooms, only outdoor port a potties. Not my preferred type of restroom, but they were new, clean, had sinks with water and soap. There are also hand sanitizing stations.

A day at Warwick Winery & Distillery is a great way to spend time with friends and family. I highly recommend a visit and I look forward to going back in another month when the mid-season apples are ready!

If you like it, drink it!

Drowned Lands Brewery

October 11, 2023 NYC

Drowned Lands Brewery was a lucky find for me via a map search for a place to sit outdoors and have a beer. After spending a few hours at the Warwick Winery & Orchards and had my fill of apple picking. Warwick has downgraded their beer selection and I have sampled their whiskies, so I felt I had earned a beer and a change of scenery.

Drowned Lands is located at 251 State School Rd, Warwick, NY and was established in 2020. The facility is 15,000 square feet and sits on three acres. The surrounding buildings are old brick, which gives the site a rustic appearance. Through my research I learned that the site was a former Reform School/Prison and the owner used to be an accountant.

There is a lot of indoor and outdoor space with seating, a smaller bar area, and plenty of parking. They have beer, wine, a higher end bar menu with pizza, salads, etc., but no liquor. The food menu is noted to be sourced from local farmers and from what I saw being delivered to the tables it looked good. The beer menu looks very interesting, but I could only try a couple of half pints. I sampled Deep Terra and Green Yield.

Deep Terra (8.2%) and has a nice balance, but a little thick and heavy tasting for my preference. Green Yield (6.5%) has a very nice taste with well balanced hops and light citrus. These two half pints quickly showed me that the brewer and owner care about the quality of their beer. I have not been this surprised or impressed since I discovered Bad Sons Beer a few years ago.

I visited in September when the weather was still warm and sunny. I recommend you visit soon before it gets too cold to sit outside. I really liked this place and I look forward to going back, trying the food and sampling more of the beer.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

10th Mountain Bourbon Whiskey

October 5, 2023 America

Name: 10th Mountain Bourbon Whiskey

Color: Copper

Nose: Corn, vanilla, oak, pepper

Taste: Corn, vanilla, oak, pepper, spices

10th Mountain Whiskey “store” is located in Vail, Colorado and is promoted as a “boutique distillery…. with a cozy tasting room and a shop offering a range of house-label spirits and logo gear“. It is named after the 10th Mountain Division of the US Army which specializes in mountain fighting. This fighting includes: skiing, climbing, and the tactics of mountain side battle.

On a trip to Colorado in Spring of 2022 my friends took us to Vail for a day to walk around and have lunch. While we were walking around we came upon the store and I saw a sign that caused me some dread. When you see “…our whiskey is inspired by (fill in the blank)….” do not get your hopes up for a quality. My friends wanted to go in and I warned them of impending disappointment. I got the “how do you know unless your try?”. Five minutes later I got the, “This stuff isn’t that good. How did you know?” Well, I don’t like to brag, but I am a fucking genius.

10th Mountain is a young, rough, and cheap. Regardless of the origin story, I bet it was created to fill a void in a fancy ski village. I am sure if you have been skiing all day and had a few beers this whiskey would be drinkable. I was not impressed and I doubt any other expressions would be that good. They appeared to have more merchandise for sale than whiskey. Not a good sign, but a very smart business move for easy profit in an expensive area.

I did some online research and everyone who wrote up this whiskey pushed the 10th Mountain history and mentions the 92 point rating by Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible. I really struggle to believe that rating is real. I find Jim’s ratings a bit strange sometimes. I did some further research and I got bored reading the stories. It seems to me that all the newly created distilleries of low quality use the same bullshit talking points.

My final thoughts are that taste matters more than marketing. If your distillery is new and has no history, then make a good whiskey. I think 10th Mountain should take a trip to Denver for a lesson instead of the 6 day Moonshine Academy.

Priced around $60 a bottle and shit. If you are in Vail, try it and let me know what you think.

If you like it, drink it. – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Whiskey Mule Black Skimmer Bourbon Canned Cocktail

October 4, 2023 America

Name: Whiskey Mule Black Skimmer Bourbon Canned Cocktail

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Ginger, bitters, citrus

Taste: Ginger, bitters, citrus, spicy, wood, chemical

This can of yellow piss tastes like fizzy ginger shit finished with a chemical smell and taste. It is basically seltzer bubbles with no bourbon in it at 7% ALC.

It states on the can that it is made from natural flavors but does not taste like it. There is too much chemical smell and taste. It almost, and I am being generous here, tastes like a ginger beer probiotic drink.

Priced around “who gives a fuck?” & “don’t drink this shit”.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Opinions Vary: Cask Strength Whiskey

September 29, 2023 NYC

So if you read my reviews you might have noticed I have a strong opinion on Cask Strength Whiskey. Let me sum it up for you….I do not want to do the distillers job.

It is the distillers job to add the water to the whiskey. I want to open the bottle, pour it in a glass and drink, preferably without ice. If I need to add ice it probably means your expression is shit.

Cask Strength has always been a strange one when it is marketed to me in Single Malts. Not so much with bourbon as it is used frequently for cocktails. What do I want a 100+ proof scotch? The power of the alcohol can remove all the flavor profile and make it hard to enjoy. Also, I am not in a rush to get shit-faced when I drink Single Malts so what is the point exactly? What Mad Men marketing bullshit are you going to tell me?

There is one exception, I like Cask Strength Whiskey in my cocktails. The high abv keeps the flavor profile intact and not watered down. I only drink two types of whiskey cocktails, Old Fashioned on the rocks or a Manhattan straight up. Both require ice and get watered down in the process of making. However, I am rarely drinking cocktails these days. I feel I have moved on from them.

I honestly have begun to think either I am wrong or everyone who promotes it is a fucking idiot. It is hard to tell since the majority of people promoting online are mainly making creative fun videos instead of giving valuable insight and opinions. You know, like fucking idiots.

I summary, Cask Strength for cocktails, not for sipping in a glass.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

WL Weller Special Reserve

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask

Lagavulin 16

Oliva Connecticut Reserve

Camacho Toro Box Pressed – Connecticut

Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery

Drowned Lands Brewery

10th Mountain Bourbon Whiskey

Whiskey Mule Black Skimmer Bourbon Canned Cocktail

Opinions Vary: Cask Strength Whiskey

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