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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!

Paul John “Mithuna” Single Malt Whisky

January 19, 2023 India

Name: Paul John “Mithuna” Single Malt Whisky

Color: Copper

Nose: Malt, honey, tropical fruit, mango passion, cedar wood

Taste: Malt, fruits, oak, spices, vanilla

Mithuna Single Malt Whisky is one of Paul John’s newer expressions on the market and is part of the Zodiac series. The name translates to “Mother India” and is one of the months in India’s solar calendar. First release was “Kanya” but now, there is not much left that expression. This mini bottle was a gift from Devin Vilardi a brand ambassador at the time for Paul John for virtual tasting in 2021. This is the 3^rd item sent to me for review since I started four years ago. Slow and steady wins the race in the review world I guess.

The whisky is distilled from 6 row barley, natural colored, aged five years in American virgin oak and one year in ex-bourbon barrels at a char-3 level. Bottled at 58% abv it is a little hot so a touch of water is needed to open it up and bring out the flavors.

Mithuna has a very nice flavor and balance. It has a blend of tropical/exotic fruits and Scottish malt flavors. It is not trying to be one or the other, just a blend of both styles. It is the best whisky I have sampled from Paul John, but it comes at a high price.

Priced around $300 and worth it if you like the flavor profile and fits your budget. If you haven’t tried Indian Whisky I recommend you start with the more affordable Paul John expressions such as Brilliance or Edited Single Malt.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Hudson Whiskey NY – Bright Lights, Big Bourbon

January 12, 2023 NYC

Name: Hudson Whiskey NY – Bright Lights, Big Bourbon

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Corn, vanilla, oak

Taste: Corn, oak, vanilla, dark fruits

Bright Lights, Big Bourbon is from Tuthilltown Spirts Distillery in Gardiner, New York. The distillery was founded in 2003 and was acquired by William Grant & Sons in 2010. The acquisition brought in an influx of cash and changes to the brand from its previous name, bottle style, price, and flavor.

The name of this whiskey sounded familiar to me when I first noticed a marketing push in the NYC area. This expression was previously titled “Baby Bourbon” and the “Manhattan Rye” is now “Do the Rye Thing”. The label colors are based off the NYC Subway lines and is probably designed to stand out on the store shelf. The bright colors should help with the marketing push, but not so much when it comes to the flavor profile.

The mash bill is 95% corn and 5% malted barley. It is aged 3 years in new charred American oak barrels and bottled at 46% abv. On my first taste I was not impressed. It is a very basic corn bourbon that is young and harsh. On my second taste it was less harsh, but I was even less impressed.

Priced around $50 and overpriced for the taste profile. I remember the previous version tasting better. If you want a mixer at this price I recommend FEW or Sagamore.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Black Dirt Straight Rye

January 5, 2023 NYC

Name: Black Dirt Straight Rye

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Rye, wood, pepper notes

Taste: Rye, honey, malt, spices, white pepper

I visited the Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery in Warwick, NY in the Fall of 2021 to pick apples and enjoy the fresh country air as I do each year. Warwick produces several different types of spirits such as; single barrel bourbon, crown maple bourbon, apple jack brandy, gin, wine, cider, and dessert wines. On the shelf I noticed the Black Dirt Rye and thought I got to give this a try.

The Black Dirt Straight Rye Batch No. 003 mash bill is 90% rye and 10% malted barley. It is aged 3-1/2 years in new charred American oak barrels and bottled at 50% abv. The name “Black Dirt” refers to the fertile soil in the farming area and local rye is used in the distilling process.

The flavor profile is good and well balanced. This rye expression is not too spicy or too light and has a smoother finish.I am not a fan of drinking rye whiskey neat or on the rocks. I like it in cocktails and this one would be even better if it had slightly higher percentage of abv.

Priced around $50 and good valve for the money and supporting local farming.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Talisker 25 Single Malt Scotch Whisky

December 25, 2022 Scotland

Name: Talisker 25 Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Color: Light gold

Nose: Malt, honey, sandalwood/oak, bake spices/cinnamon

Taste: Malt, warm honey cream, spice, flowers, light seagrass

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good dram!!! See you all again with new reviews in 2023!

Talisker Single Malt Whisky is a well-known and classic Scotch Whisky. The distillery was found in 1830 and is located in Carbost, Isle of Skye. I was in Glasgow a few months ago and I made my required trip to The Pot Still for a dram. On this trip I decided to treat myself to something nice. It was a toss up between Octomore or Talisker 25. Since they were both around the same price I decided to continue on my Talisker tasting experience. The price per dram was 25 GBP, approximately $40 USD.

The 25 year old is bottled at 45.8% and seemed a little hotter and less smooth than the 18 year old. However, it has been a few years since I have had the 18 so my memory might be a little off. I added a few drops of water and it opened up nicely. It was very smooth, but it was a little too smooth. The whisky lacked the bite on the tongue that I enjoy in my single malts. That rough taste that some people do not enjoy is what I enjoy the most about scotch. It is an excellent expression and a very enjoyable whisky, but for a price versus value of taste vs your budget, the 18 is the better value at $200+

Me at the Potstill 2022

Other expressions are: 10, 18, 25, 30-year-old, Storm, Skye, Dark Storm, Distiller Edition, 75 North, Port Ruighe, and Neist Pint. The 25 year old is on the upper level of the expressions.

Price ranging from $600-$800 and worth the money if you like the softer flavor profile or you have a lot extra money laying around.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Tomintoul 16-Year-Old

December 22, 2022 Scotland

Name: Tomintoul 16-Year-Old

Color: Light copper

Nose: Malt, wood, vanilla cream, citrus, hazelnut

Taste: Malt, nuts, spices, root beer/peat

3 Days until Christmas! Do you have your bottles ready for the Holiday Season?!

Tomintoul 16-Year-Old is a single malt from Speyside region in Scotland. It is pronounced “Tom-in-t’owl” and means “Hillock of the Barn” and is named after a village of the same name in Moray. The distillery was founded in 1964 and is now partnered with Glenlivet and operates under the name the Tomintoul-Glenlivet Distillery.

The nose is a bit strange and took a few tries to figure out get a read on it. I mainly detected hazelnut and Christmas spices and the baseline of Glenlivet 12. It has a very good balance, medium body, and is very smooth. Bottled at 40% abv and aged 16 years, there is no statement of what barrels are used so I will assume ex-bourbon barrels.

Other expressions produced: 10, 12, 14, 16, 21, and 33-year-old.

This whiskey is very nice and would work well as a Fall or Winter dram. It tastes different than the Glenlivet 12, Glenlivet 14, and Glenlivet 15 but made a nice addition to my bar.

Priced around $60-70 and is worth a try.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Sagamore Double Oak Rye

December 21, 2022 America

Name: Sagamore Double Oak Rye

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Light wood, vanilla, caramel, light spice/nuts

Taste: Sweet, oak, spice caramel

4 Days until Christmas! Do you have your bottles ready for the Holiday Season?!

Sagamore Spirit Whiskey originates from Baltimore, Maryland and is owned by the owner Under Armor clothing. The marketing claims that Maryland produced rye whiskey before Bourbon was created in Kentucky. This makes sense when you look at how America’s colonies and states developed, however, I can now smell a Mad Men marketing a mile away before I taste a whiskey.

Sagamore Double Oak Rye is bottled at 96 proof and aged 4-5 years in two oak barrels that have grooved cuts and are char’d to level 1. At the time of my tasting (March 2020) it had not be released and any release was going to be limited. The bottle design is six sided to represent a diamond to show quality. Ok, and again, more fucking marketing. Perhaps, and I am just guessing, it was designed to stand out on a shelf. Humans base first thoughts and actions on sight above all other senses.

This rye has a nice balance, but the rye notes are slightly masked by the sweet oak taste. It is very good, but I prefer the Sagamore Cask Strength over the Double Oak. I also find these better as high-end mixers than straight drinker.

Priced around $60 and worth the money.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Clyde’s May – Original Alabama Whiskey

December 15, 2022 America

Name: Clyde’s May Original Alabama Whiskey

Color: Copper Brown

Nose: Corn, rye, and malt blend, citrus, pepper, wood

Taste: Malted blend with corn, dry cedar, vanilla, lemon

10 Days until Christmas! Do you have your bottles ready for the Holiday Season?!

Clyde May is named after a moonshiner from Alabama with 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 and/or Kentucky and bottled in Florida. As of January 2022, they have broken ground with a distillery in Troy, Alabama. Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2023 and first releases in 2027. The history of the May Family is one of good old fashion American grit, which I appreciate. Most new distilleries are just kids playing with daddy’s money or bored rich guys.

Unfortunately, the old fashion “grit” does not translate into quality. The first and second tastes of the Alabama Whiskey are just basic. This is their baseline expression and is a mixed bag in taste and with the nose. The taste profile has that blended corn, malt, and rye thing going on. The nose is softer than the Straight Bourbon and the color is darker than some of the other expressions. The abv is not strong enough to last in a cocktail and would be watered down too quickly. I find it hard to believe that they won any awards.

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 $40 and drinkable. Good for cheap slugging or cocktails.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Opinions Vary: What is Best Bang for the Buck?

Ole Smokey White Lighting Moonshine

Opinions Vary: Old Fashioned vs. Manhattan

Paul John “Mithuna” Single Malt Whisky

Hudson Whiskey NY – Bright Lights, Big Bourbon

Black Dirt Straight Rye

Talisker 25 Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Tomintoul 16-Year-Old

Sagamore Double Oak Rye

Clyde’s May – Original Alabama Whiskey

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