Chris | Page 18 | NYC Whiskey Review

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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!

Opinions Vary: Pumpkin Spice Season

September 27, 2023 America

Opinions Vary: Pumpkin Spice Season

It is that time of year again. It comes every year to the North Eastern Region of the United States. The weather cools down, the sweaters come out, the leaves start to change, and every American Corporation that produces a product that can be eaten, smelled, or tasted has Pumpkin Spice in it. It is in coffee, creamers, beer, ice cream, pasta dished, dry food, candy, candles, lotions, oils, air freshers and so on. I get it, who doesn’t like gets chemicals added into their food. It is so American!

Pumpkin spice fucking sucks. Does anyone think of maybe, just maybe, getting a fresh pumpkin and cooking it yourself? Make our own pie? Make your own risotto?

Do you know what is used to create Pumpkin Flavoring? Me neither, but I know is chemicals and not pumpkin. So, I looked it up for you.

Cinnamaldehyde: Gives the cinnamon flavoring. It is also used in natural mosquito repellant and can cause skin and eye irritation.
Sabinene: Gives the nutmeg flavoring. It is also used in perfume and drugs because it smells nice.
Zingiberene: Gives the ginger flavoring. This one might actually be good for you.
Eugenol: Gives the clove or allspice flavoring. This one appears to occur in nature, and use perfumes.

Can you explain to me why it is called “Pumpkin Spice” when there is no pumpkin in it? Better yet, can you pronounce any of these items? I can not, but don’t worry, these are FDA approved. Everyone still trusts the FDA, right?

In my opinion everyone should stop consuming this shit. Drink whiskey outdoors by a fire pit and eat pumpkin pie.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Clyde May’s Straight Rye

September 21, 2023 America

Name: Clyde May’s Straight Rye

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Rye, spices, white pepper, orange, wood

Taste: Rye, baking spices, orange, wood

Clyde May is named after the man and historical moonshiner from Alabama has a long history of backwoods whiskey production. Clyde passed away in 1990 and his son took over the business and made it legal. The whiskey is sourced from Indiana or possibly Kentucky and bottled in Florida. As of January 2022 they broken ground in Troy, Alabama with construction to complete in 2023 and first released production in 2027. The history of the May Family is one of good old fashion American grit. Most new distilleries are just kids playing with daddy’s money.

The bottle is Receipt #003 and is 47% abv. It has a light rye nose and is “ok” compared to the Straight Bourbon and Alabama, however, the nose equals the taste which is never a good sign in my experience. Straight Rye is the best out of the three I sampled and could work in a cocktail, but the proof it too low to mix. This expression reminds me of Bulliet Rye, but not as good.

Other expressions: Straight Rye, Straight Bourbon, Alabama Style Whiskey, Clyde May’s Cask Strength, Alabama Style Whiskey, and Clyde May’s Special Reserve Alabama Style Whiskey.

Priced around $45 and I will not be trying any more of Clyde May’s expression. They are what they are, slugging whiskey in a flashy labeled bottle.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Ardbeg 10

September 14, 2023 Scotland

Name: Ardbeg 10

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Peat, coal, smoke

Taste: Smokey peat, spices

Ardbeg 10 is a Highland scotch from the Islay region in Scotland that I like to put into a category I call “Big Boy Scotch”. Ardbeg is considered by some people in the whisky world to be the peatiest of all the scotches. I can think of a few other scotches out there that can compete for that title but with heavily peated scotch is truly a matter of individual taste. The name “Ardbeg” is Scottish Gaelic for a “small promontory”. A promontory is defined as “a point of high land that juts out into a large body of water”. See map below.

As I have mentioned in previous reviews, I like to start my tasting experiences with 10 to 12-year-old scotches so I can get a feel for the baseline flavor profile. Plus, and this is an important point since I self-fund this operation, they more affordable! Some people just like to jump to the much older and aged scotches. I never found this helpful in the learning process of tasting. It is hard to graduate upwards and gain appreciation for what you are drinking if you start with the best first. Also, many people are uneducated shits that want to look cool in the company of others. When it comes to heavily peated scotches I do not see the need to go to the oldest or most expensive bottle you are learning or developing a taste for peated whisky.

Ardbeg produces other expressions that range in price and quality. These expressions are, but not limited to the following; An Oa, Blasda, Corryvreckan, Supernova, Uigeadail, Rollercoaster, Alligator, Ardbeg Day, Kelpie, and Grooves. Some of the prices of these are very high and I look forward to the Rabbie Burns Tasting in 2019 to sample some of these expressions.

Price around $55 and a very good scotch if you like peated whisky. It is also a great scotch to warm you in cold winter weather.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Johnny Drum Bourbon

September 13, 2023 America

Name: Johnny Drum Bourbon

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Corn mash vanilla, oak, white pepper

Taste: Corn mash vanilla, oak, white pepper, cream finish

Johnny Drum Bourbon is produced by Johnny Drum Distilling Company which is owned by the Willett Distillery so we are off to a good start. It is named after a drummer boy who served in the Civil War in 1861 and returned home to Kentucky….Oh fuck me, here we go again making a historical story to give some age to a new product. This whiskey is named after the Civil War song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” by Patrick Gilmore in 1863, not some little boy from Kentucky.

The bourbon is bottled at 50.5% abv (101 proof) and is non-aged stated. It has a nice flavor, good balance, and has a sweeter cream finish. It is surprisingly not too hot for the proof and is smoother than I would have expected. It works well neat or on ice, but I do not think it would well in a cocktail due to cream notes. The source of bourbon is not public, but it tastes of quality.

Other expressions: Johnny Drum Private Stock, Johnny Drum Black Label, and Johnny Drum Green Label.

It is a drinkable bourbon but nothing that impressive. I believe it is just another product to put on a shelf to make money. It is not a bourbon made with a lot of heart, just dollar signs.

Priced around $45 and drinkable but not impressive. I have not seen in on shelves in the NYC area.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Hendrick’s Gin

September 7, 2023 Scotland

Name: Hendrick’s Gin

Color: Clear

Nose: Juniper, cucumber, flowers

Taste: Juniper, cucumber, rose flowers, fresh tasting finish

Hendrick’s Gin is known as the “Cucumber Gin” and is manufactured by William Grant & Sons at the Girvan Distillery in Scotland. It was released in 1999 and is bottled at 44% abv. The are 11 botanicals in the gin; chamomile, elderflower, juniper, lemon peel, orange peel, caraway, coriander, cubeb berries, angelica root, yarrow root, and orris root. After the gin is distilled it is then infused with rose and cucumber. The taste is very different than the usual suspects like Bombay or Tanqueray.

I have only enjoyed this gin in two ways. In a martini or with tonic water. Below are my thoughts base on the photo in the review.

Regular Tonic: Clean and smooth tasting. Lighter than cheaper tonics.
Cucumber Tonic: Fresh tasting with medium strong cucumber flavors. Lighter than the regular tonic water.
Hendricks & Tonic w/ lime wedge: Gross. Lime does not mix well with the gin flavors.
Hendricks & Regular Tonic w/ cucumber slice: Fresh and clean nose, very light and summery. The quinine seems to overpower the finish. Tastes good.
Hendricks & Cucumber Tonic w/ cucumber slice: Very cucumber nose and taste. Not much quinine taste, little too syrupy for me but not bad. Tastes good, but very strong cucumber taste.
Martini Up w/ cucumber slice: Light and refreshing with clean cucumber taste. Easy to drink but comes off as a one and done cocktail. Not a repeat drink like a Bombay Sapphire.

Other expressions: Obrium, Midsummer Solstice, Absinthe, Amazonia, Lunar, and Neptunia.

Priced around $50 and worth the money if you like the cucumber taste or to experiment in summer cocktails.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Cut Water Bourbon Old Fashioned

September 6, 2023 America

Name: Cut Water Bourbon Old Fashioned

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Bourbon, bitters, citrus, smells like an old fashion

Taste: Bourbon, vanilla, honey, light sugar

I saw this can on the shelf and I figured I should give it a try just to be fair. Everyone younger than me are drinking all these soda water cocktail cans by the pool these days. From what I experienced with tasting some of them they are terrible. Cutwater has numerous types of canned cocktails. I would list them all, but I don’t really want to waste my time and my readers.

I first saw canned cocktails about 15 years ago on train rides from London to Glasgow. I saw some people drinking them, usually businesspeople having a wee drink. The proper drinkers on a 4.5-hour train ride bring bottles of wine with corkscrews or bottles of whisky with plastic cups. I quickly learned how expensive drinks are in the bar cart and started bringing lunch and a couple of beers for the ride.

This cocktail can is20% abv, 40 proof in a 200 ml and tastes like a regular plain Old Fashioned made by a very average bartender. So, for it coming out of a can that is not that bad to be honest. It’s not good, it is just not bad

I was surprised that it was not too chemically tasting but it clearly has stabilizing chemicals in it as there is a slight chemical taste. I started neat and then added ice to it and it drinkable either way. Little too much sugar in it for my taste but if you added some more bourbon to it would kill the sugar.

These types of drinks are fine picnic, train trip, or pool party. The small can so be easy to hide if you need to but Old Fashions are a bad idea in hot weather. Don’t believe me, drink a few on a hot day.

Priced around $5 for a single can. I would drink one on a train ride if there was no other choice.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Opinions Vary: Whisky as a Gift

September 2, 2023 Opinions Vary

Opinions Vary: Whisky as a Gift

Frequently I get asked, “What is a good whisky to give to someone as a gift?”

I never know the correct answer because I do not know the person who is receiving the gift. This leads me to ask more questions such as, “What is their preferred type of whisky? Do they like it strong or light? How much do you want to spend? Is it for making cocktails?” etc. This ends up confusing the asker and I realize I have not helped that much. So I thought I would offer my opinion, which varies, on what whisky’s to give as a gift.

My gift recommendations are as follows:

Scotch: Johnnie Walker Black at $35. Always works even for non-whisky drinkers. You can drink it, cook with it, and re-gift it. Upgrade would be any 12-14 year old Single Malt around $50-60.

Bourbon: Woodford Reserve at $35. Same as JW Black. Upgrade would be Michters or FEW at around $50.

Rye: Bulliet Rye at $35. Same as JW Black. Upgrade would be Sagamore Rye at $50

For cocktails: Knob Creek 9 (100 proof) at $40. Upgrade would be Sagamore Cask Strength Rye at $65+

Special Occasions: Johnnie Walker Blue ($200+) or Johnnie Walker 18 ($125).

My final thought is do not give whisky as a gift unless you know what the person likes or at least the brand they enjoy. But if in doubt, follow the ones above.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Blade and Bow

August 31, 2023 America

Name: Blade and Bow

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Corn, cedar oak, spice rye

Taste: Corn, wood, vanilla, spices, sweet finish

Blade & Bow Bourbon is produced by Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville, KY. The distillery was founded by Van Winkle, Farnsley, and Weller. These three have produced some well known bourbons in the last 100 years. Bottled at 45.5% abv and with one key attached neck which represents the five keys that were on the door of the distillery and five steps of production. The steps are; made in the USA, aged in new charred oak, 51% corn mash, cannot enter barrel higher than 125 proof, and nothing can be added except water.

Blade & Bow also uses the Solera Aging Method and is not cheap or time friendly in production. The barrels are filled from top down which creates a finished product that is a mix of aged whiskey in the various barrels. In the process the barrels are stacked and the barrels which the whiskey is bottled from bottom is never drained more than 50%. Since no container is ever drained, some of the earlier product remains in each container.

Blade & Bow is not a traditional “sweeter” bourbon like most in this price range. It has a bit of a rough edge and bite to it on the tongue with strong wood notes. If you add water or ice it will soften and the lighter cream and more of a expected taste profile will emerge. Personally, I find this profile more inline to my liking as I generally prefer Scotch over Bourbon, but I am half Scottish, so it is expected.

Blade & Bow reminded me a little of Blanton’s Bourbon in the sense of its different style. However, Blade is sweeter and a bit more complex than Blanton’s. It is also cheaper and easier to find on the market as of 2021.

Priced around $50 and worth the money if you like the flavor profile.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Whiskey Mule Black Skimmer Bourbon Canned Cocktail

Opinions Vary: Cask Strength Whiskey

Opinions Vary: Pumpkin Spice Season

Clyde May’s Straight Rye

Ardbeg 10

Johnny Drum Bourbon

Hendrick’s Gin

Cut Water Bourbon Old Fashioned

Opinions Vary: Whisky as a Gift

Blade and Bow

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