Chris | Page 18 | NYC Whiskey Review

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Speyburn 10

April 13, 2023 Scotland

Name: Speyburn 10

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Malt, honey, flowers, light wood

Taste: Sherry, malt, honey, cedar wood

Speyburn 10 Year Old is produced by Granty Glen Valley which is located in the Speyside region of Scotland. The distillery was founded in 1897 and is currently owned by Inver House Distillers Limited, which is owned by Thaibev from Thailand. The Inver House Distillers also have Old Pultney, Knockdhu, Balnair, and Balmenach under their control.

This medium bodied whisky is aged 10 years in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks and bottled at 40% abv. On my first taste it was very sweet on the palate. On the second taste the sweetness is still there, but a smoother quality malt flavor comes out on the finish.

This whisky is very nice to enjoy neat or on the rocks in warmer weather. I was not familiar with this whisky, so I took a chance on the bottle price vs. age, and it was worth it. It reminds me of Tomatin 12 for price and taste, but higher quality.

Priced around $40 and nice summer scotch for the price. I look forward to trying more expressions.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Suntory Whisky – Toki

April 6, 2023 Japan

Name: Suntory Whisky – Toki

Color: Gold

Nose: Light malt, flowers, fresh oak, white fruits

Taste: Honey, malt, oak wood, white pepper

In the Japanese world of whisky Suntory is considered “first authentic Japanese whisky” as it was specifically created for lighter taste of the Japanese. Prior to the creation of there whisky they were dependent solely on imports from the UK and USA. The distillery was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923 and it’s first released was Shirofuda in 1929 and was not well received. In 1937 they released their Kakubin and it was very well received.

The name Toki translates to “time” in Japanese, and it is a blend of Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita which are all under Suntory’s control. The taste is clean but does not have a lot of complexity or exotic flavors. It is smooth with a little creamy finish. It is a good baseline whisky but it appears to be marketed a cocktail mixer for the price vs. taste. I get the feeling this is the left over stuff from the three distilleries put into one bottle to squeeze out a bit more production.

Suntory is a massive company. As of 2022, they currently have following whisky distilleries under their control:

Jim Beam Bourbon & Rye, Maker’s Mark, Old Grand-Dad, Old Crow, Baker’s, Basil Hayden’s, Booker’s, Knob Creek Bourbon & Rye, Old Overholt, Rī1, Kessler, Beam’s Eight Star, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Ardmore, Auchentoshan, Teacher’s Highland Cream, Irish Whiskey,The Tyrconnell, Connemara, Greenore, Kilbeggan, 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey, Alberta Premium, Canadian Club, Tangle Ridge, Windsor Canadian, DYC Whisky, Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki, Oaksmith Gold Whisky, Chita, and Toki. Plus 29 other various types of liquor distilleries and companies under their management. Impressed yet? I was when I read this list.

Priced around $45 and is an affordable Japanese baseline whisky to try or as a summer mixer.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

“Ardbeg Olive” Vodka Martini

April 5, 2023 Scotland

Name: “Ardbeg Olive” Vodka Martini

Color: Clear and green

Nose: Vodka, olives, smokey peat

Taste: Vodka, olives, smokey peat

As we all know the statement above is correct, but this vodka martini receipt caught my eye and was worth a try at home.

You take quality olives (regular or stuffed blue cheese) and marinate them in a mason jar with Ardbeg Whisky for a few days in the refrigerator. I was told it creates a nice flavor profile and I was pleasantly surprised at the with the results. I am not a vodka guy, but the touch of smokiness and whisky flavor in the olives translates nicely to the vodka.

It is worth a try if you like vodka martinis or want to mix it up a little for home cocktails. I do not think a lot of bars are going to have them at the ready for your drink. In a pinch, you could ask the bartender to place a couple of drops of Ardbeg in you finished martini.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

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!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Speyburn 10

Suntory Whisky – Toki

“Ardbeg Olive” Vodka Martini

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

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