Chris | Page 18 | NYC Whiskey Review

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Jameson Caskmates – Stout Edition

March 30, 2023 Ireland

Name: Jameson Caskmates – Stout Edition

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Jameson, stout beer, vanilla, chocolate, something odd

Taste: Jameson, stout beer, vanilla, sharp bitter finish

Review:

Stout Edition is bottled at 40% abv and is aged 6 months and uses Eight Degrees Brewery for the beer barrels as they do for the Jameson Caskmates – IPA Edition. I have drunk beer finished in whiskey barrels (KY Bourbon Barrel Stout) but I have never had whiskey finished in beer barrels until this month. If beer barrels to finish whiskey sounds strange to you it should not. Whiskey is finished in sherry, wine, beer, new, old, refurbished barrels all the time to create flavor.

On the nose of the whiskey I noticed something odd. I am not sure what the odd smell is, but I did some research and the words “odd and different” show up in several descriptions. I was not able to determine what it is, but it might be from the aging process in the casks. Compared to the IPA Edition, Stout Edition has a lighter body with respect to the oiliness in the taste and mouth feel.

I found the taste of Jameson Stout a little too harsh on the tongue. It has a snappy taste on the on the finish and it lingers in the mouth. It is a decent whiskey but the taste but is just ok. It’s good, but not my thing.

Priced around $45 and not my cup of whiskey. I do think this would go well as a shot and followed by a stout beer.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Opinions Vary: What is the difference between Irish Whiskey and Scotch?

March 30, 2023 Ireland

Opinions Vary: What is the difference between Irish Whiskey and Scotch?

Answers:

Ireland uses and “e”. (Whiskey)
Scotch does not have a “e”. (Whisky)
Ireland has approximately 32 distilleries.
Scotland has approximately 134 distilleries.
Irish Whiskey is known to taste smoother with a creamier vanilla finish. It is made from un-malted barley and other grains, produced in copper pot still, aged 3 years in oak barrels, and usually triple distilled.
Scotch Whisky is known to be a fuller, heavier tasting with a stronger finish. It is made from malted barley and other grains, produced in copper pot still, and aged at least 3 years in oak barrels.
Irish Whiskey declined due to poor political decisions during World War II.
Scotch became more popular as a boycott to Irelands political decisions.
Someone once said, “God invented Whiskey so the Irish would not rule the World”.
The Roman Empire ruled the known World until they got to Scotland. They immediately regretted their decision, marched back to England, and built a giant wall to protect themselves.

Even though I do not drink Irish Whiskey until March, I would not turn down a glass if I was offered one but I only buy them for March reviews.

I hope you enjoyed the Irish Reviews for March! There is a lot of whiskey’s to try, don’t limit yourself!

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Opinions Vary – Saint Patrick’s Day

March 29, 2023 Ireland

Opinions Vary – Saint Patrick’s Day

Well… Saint Patrick’s Day circa 2023 has come and gone. The celebration of Saint Patrick and his miracles is a wonderful Roman Catholic holiday that is represented by the best of humanity who make all efforts to spread the word. Ok, everyone wants to be Irish that day and use it to get properly shitfaced.

If you have never been to a proper St. Patrick’s Day parade or drinking event in NYC, Chicago, or Boston you are either very lucky or missing out depending on your personality. The level of drunkenness I have witnessed since moving to NYC in 2014 is epic. I have seen NYFD in full uniform vomiting in front of fire houses, women in green peeing in the streets, leprechauns tossed in the air, cats & dogs living together, basically mass hysteria.

If you did not know, St. Patrick is the patron Saint of Ireland and he “drove the snakes out of Ireland”. Which means he brought the Catholic religion to Ireland to replace the Pagan religion. The Irish, however, been old fashioned, hold onto a little paganism with the sun in their cross. Old habits die hard.

For me, I have always avoided St. Patrick’s Day. I find it to now be a silly holiday that is more an excuse to drink than remember a Saint. It is right up there with the other silly holidays used to drink and get you to buy cheap plastic shit such as Cinco de Mayo, Santa-Con, and Pumpkin Spice Latte season.

I hope you had a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day this and your liver is still functioning.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Guinness Draft

March 22, 2023 Ireland

Name: Guinness Draft

Color: Black

Nose: Malted barley, roasted chocolate, cream

Taste: Malted barley, roasted chocolate, cream with a tang finish

Guinness Draught beer (aka “The Black Stuff”) was created as an Irish Dry Stout in 1759 by Arthur Guinness in Dublin, Ireland. There is a very long and interesting history to this beer which is worth reading if you have the time.

The flavor is specific to the brand and comes from malted barley, roasted un-malted barley, and the mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide which helps created the creamy tangy tasted. The canned version has a “popper” that drops into it when opened it to inject the gas, however, the can and bottle versions do not taste as good as the draught.

There is a specific method on “how to pour a proper pint”. Guinness has set the standard for time and temperature. A pour should be 119.53 seconds and it should be served at 42.8˚F. If you order pint in a proper pub with Irish bartenders, you will wait about 10+ minutes until it arrives as they let the beer settle before finishing the pour. Most American bartenders do not do this and serve it cloudy and brown instead of black with a creamy white head. So, if you are doing proper drinking in proper pub, plan order times accordingly.

The most interesting thing about Guinness to me, other than being my favorite beer, was a marketing campaign for years that stated: “Guinness is Good for You”. This campaign is no longer used for obvious reasons, but there must have been some truth to it. My Mum told me a story that when my Grandfather had stomach surgery in Glasgow, Scotland the hospital gave him soup and two Guinness per day during his recovery. Let that sink in for a minute. A doctor, who went to medical school, had my Grandfather drinking his favorite beer in a hospital bed each day he was there. Below is a photo of my Grandfather, his Guinness, a cigarette and always in a three-piece suit in public.

Flo Armstrong

Priced around $8-10 a pint and is my favorite beer, but it never tastes as good in America bars as it does in UK pubs.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Irish Coffee

March 8, 2023 Ireland

Name: Irish Coffee

Color: Black and white

Nose: Coffee and whiskey

Taste: Coffee and whiskey with sugar and cream

Irish Coffee, or as I like to say, “the original Redbull & Vodka” will keep you up long enough to make an asshole out of yourself and get a ride to the drunk tank in the Paddy Wagon. My early life experiences with Irish Coffee were not good ones. Growing up in Boston they always used cheap whiskey, burnt coffee, whipped cream from a can, green liquor drizzle, and topped it with green sprinkles. It was similar to a Mudslide, a gimmick that tasted like shit and full of sugar.

Irish Coffee is classified as a cocktail and when it was created is unknown, but Cofffe & Booze was on the menu in Viennese Coffeehouses in the 1850’s. The Irish version I assume has been around since they started drinking coffee and most likely started with tea. It did not become popular in America until the 1950’s. The first place that served Irish Coffee can be debated, but any place with pub and large Irish populations would have served it on or off the menu.

What made the cocktail popular and now famous was the Buena Vista in San Francisco. It is a smaller sized tight table restaurant and from what I am told they make a very well balanced cocktail with home made cream. Online they state they make “over 2,000 a day” so even if everyone had 2 drinks that is 1,000 people that visit that restaurant a day. That is a lot.

If you are in NYC I can recommend the Dead Rabbit in NYC for an Irish coffee. It is very tasty and the bartender told me they do an infusion process and make extra effort to to create the perfect cocktail.

Irish Coffee:

Use a warm glass.
Add 2 sugar cubes.
Pour hot coffee to fill ¾ of the glass and stir to dissolve the sugar.
Add whiskey.
Top with cold cream poured over a spoon.

Dead Rabbit, NYC Irish Coffee & Green Spot

Personally, I do not like booze in my coffee. I don’t drink or order Irish Coffees but that is just me. I am half Scottish and all my whiskey needs is a glass.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Redbreast – Lustau Edition

March 2, 2023 Ireland

Name: Redbreast Lustau Edition

Color: Gold brown

Nose: Orange, almonds, sweetness

Taste: Fruits, honey, sherry finish

Redbreast Lustau Edition is from the Midleton Distillery in Cork, Ireland and was released from the “Jameson Clan” in 2016. I say the Jameson Clan because Redbreast is produced by and tastes a lot like Jameson whiskey.

The Lustau Edition is a non-aged stated whiskey that spends around 9-12 years in American and European Oak casks and is finished in Oloroso sherry butts. In my opinion the Redbreast 12 and 15 year-olds have that Jameson flavor in the taste profile. If you are not aware, I would rather drink piss than Jameson Whiskey. However, to my relief, I could not taste the Jameson or “J-Bo” as it is called by the millennials in my office. Lustau is sweeter due to the sherry finish and has a good taste and a nice balance. I think if I had sampled a larger dram I would eventually noticed the flavor of Jameson and ended up not enjoying it. I almost bought a bottle for my bar this summer but I chose not to because of this concern.

The name “Lustau” comes from the Lustau Sherry Company in Spain where Midleton purchases the casks. “Butts” are a type of wooden cask (barrel) and are mainly used in sherry maturation. They are longer and slender than regular casks and are made from European Oak. A butt holds approximately 130 US gallons. Many distilleries buy these used sherry butts to mature their whiskey to obtain the sherry flavor in the whiskey profile.

Butt Cask:

Price around $80 it’s a bit pricey but worth it if you like Red Breast or a sweeter whiskey.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Port Charlotte Heavily Peated 10

February 23, 2023 Scotland

Name: Port Charlotte Heavily Peated 10

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Barley, peat, flowers, wood, smoke

Taste: Smoke/peat, wood, green grass, lemon

Port Charlotte Heavily Peated 10-Year-old is from the Bruichladdich Distillery in Islay, Scotland. If you are not familiar with this distiller, I recommend you either buy some of their whisky, or watch the documentary, “Scotch: A Golden Dream” on Amazon Prime to learn more about the history of Bruichladdich. Note, there a very good comment from the distiller on being titled a “Master” and how that is used by the marketing departments. Personally, I am getting very tired of people using the term “master” and “expert” in their titles. It makes you sound like a asshole.

The Heavily Peated is bottled at 50% abv and is matured in first fill ex-bourbon casks, then a second fill bourbon cask, and a final fill in French wine casks. This expression has a nice body, balance, and is easy to drink. It has a nice citrus and green grass finish on the tongue after each sip. Unlike its competitors (Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Lagavulin) the Heavily Peated has a softer finish without being over powering.

The Heavily Peated is arriving on my home bar just in time for the approaching winter weather. I always pick up some peated scotches in November. I can only drink them when I come in from the cold, never in the summer. I will still be getting one of my traditional “big boy scotches” but this one will be on my bar this year and next.

Priced around $65 and well worth the money if you like peated whisky. I have yet to be disappointed by Bruichladdich.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Opinions Vary: What is Best Bang for the Buck?

February 22, 2023 America, Cigar Accessories

Opinions Vary: What is Best Bang for the Buck?

When you think of the question “What’s the best bang for the Buck?” it quickly becomes a very subjective question. For me it depends on what I like and what my budget is for the whiskey. It eventually all comes down to money, the quality, and what is the proof (abv).

So basically, it when it comes to the down to it, you are dealing with Price & Proof if you want a good bang.

The best whiskey for the value is connected to the proof. If you read my reviews, I am not a fan of cask strength whiskey, but when it comes to maximizing price, I recommend you get the strongest whiskey at the best price. For me I have come to the following conclusions:

Bourbon Best Bang for the Buck:

Knob Creek 9 Year (100 proof) for $35 or Sagamore Rye Cask Strength (112.2 proof) for $60.

Scotch Best Bang for the Buck:

Any 12-Year-Old Single Malt for under or around $50. If I had to pick two it would be Tomatin 12 or The Singleton 12 at $40 (summer drinker) or Talisker 10 or Laphroig 10 (winter drinker) at $60. Most will be around 80 proof.

Special Occasions Best Bang for the Buck:

18-Year-old Single Malts, Johnnie Walker Blue or other high-quality whiskey give great bang for the buck (if you budget allows it) for you and one or two friends drinking with you. If you open a $130-$250 bottle of whiskey with a recognizable bottle in a larger group it will evaporate quickly so chose your whiskey and friends wisely.

If you are stretching your dollars or spending a fair amount to serve to multiple thirsty people you will want to manage your expectations and your wallet. Usually, if you buy a few bottles it is going to be drank in mixers, cocktails or on the rocks. People aren’t usually going to sip 2 ounces repeatedly at a party.

In the end, the Best Bang for the Buck is your call!

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Ole Smokey White Lighting Moonshine

February 9, 2023 America

Name: Ole Smokey White Lighting Moonshine

Color: Clear

Nose: Rubbing alcohol

Taste: Alcohol and orange liquor

Ole Smokey White Lighting Moonshine is a clear whiskey in a moonshine style from Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The distillery was founded in 2010 and they state they have a “100-year-old family receipt” to make this corn-based spirit. I wonder if it tasted like shit a 100 years ago or this is a better version.

The nose is impossible for me to detect any specific notes. The taste is ok compared to the nose, but it’s far too harsh at 50% abv. I have seen this stuff on the shelf for years but never wanted to spend the money on jar. Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. I tried clear alcohol once many years ago and my mouth was on fire on each sip.

Priced around $30 and set my mouth on fire, again. You could use it to spike a punch bowl, but I would not recommend doing that.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Opinions Vary: Old Fashioned vs. Manhattan

January 25, 2023 NYC

Whiskey cocktails have had a massive revival since the first season of Mad Men when we saw Don Draper sucking down those Old Fashioned’s for creative inspiration. Now, 15 years later, the battle of the cocktails continues on every fucking menu in a trendy bar with a “mixologist” behind the counter. News flash…you are a bartender, not a fucking chemist. After all the retro cocktails and new crazy ones created two remain on top. The Old Fashioned and the Manhattan. For the various receipts I recommend you look them up as if you go down the rabbit hole to the 1880’s bartender books they are very different form the 1960’s to modern times.

The Old Fashioned was one of the simpler and earlier versions of a cocktail that dates back the early 1800’s. It has been mentioned from the 1830’s to the 1880’s from NYC to Chicago to Kentucky with various people claiming ownership to the drink with various receipts but all about the same.

The Manhattan was said to originated at the Manhattan Club in New York City in the mid-1870s. Another account it was invented in the 1860’s at a bar on Broadway near Houston Street.

History varies so much that I don’t really care who or when it was created. Just glad someone was creative enough to come up with the drink.

Which one to have? When to have it? How to enjoy it? What to put in it? It all depends but maybe we should consider the overall taste profile of what you get when you order the drink.

Old Fashioned

Served: On the rocks
Smells spic and of oranges
Tastes spicy and rough
Sandpaper but snappy
Overall: Fresh tasting with a little burn, citrus flavors, and not as much flavor or smooth as a Manhattan.

Manhattan

Served: Straight up
Smells sweet
Tastes a bit sweet but sharp on the tongue
Overall: Smooth and sweet, doesn’t burn that much and easier to drink than an Old Fashioned.

In my opinion drink the Old Fashioned for regular drinking and drink the Manhattan when you need class it up a little.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Jameson Caskmates – Stout Edition

Opinions Vary: What is the difference between Irish Whiskey and Scotch?

Opinions Vary – Saint Patrick’s Day

Guinness Draft

Irish Coffee

Redbreast – Lustau Edition

Port Charlotte Heavily Peated 10

Opinions Vary: What is Best Bang for the Buck?

Ole Smokey White Lighting Moonshine

Opinions Vary: Old Fashioned vs. Manhattan

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