Chris | Page 21 | NYC Whiskey Review

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Ardbeg An Oa

October 19, 2022 Scotland

Name: Ardbeg An Oa

Color: Brown gold

Nose: Malt, peat, wood, earthy, medium iodine

Taste: Malt, smokey peat, light oak, seagrass

Ardbeg 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”.

Ardbeg “An Oa” is named after the cliffs (The Oa) that protect the southwest portion of Islay. The whisky is aged in sherry casks and virgin oak, is non-chilled filtered, and bottled at 46.6% abv.

An Oa is smoother and better tasting than the 10-Year-Old and has a richer flavor profile than of the Wee Beastie expression. The taste is heavier and more complex but well balanced. is a little warm on finish with a spicy finish. The richer taste seems to come from the choices to age the whisky.

Ardbeg whisky is a solid performer but be aware their expressions really vary in taste and price so I recommend getting sampler packs or trying in bars before you commit to a full bottle.

Priced around $65 and worth the money if you like the flavor profile.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Glenmorangie 12 – Lasanta

October 13, 2022 Scotland

Name: Glenmorangie 12 – Lasanta

Color: Copper

Nose: Sherry, malt, orange, light cedar wood

Taste: Malt, sweet caramel, sherry, citrus/orange

Glenmorangie is a Highland Whisky from Tain, Scotland. The distillery was founded around 1703 and has had various owners over the centuries. The name is Scottish Gaelic and is believed to translate to “vale of tranquility” or “vale of big meadows”.

The Lasanta is bottled at 43% abv and aged for 12 years. It is first matured in bourbon casks and the is finished in Oloroso & Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. This expression would make a nice summer scotch or after dinner drink, but I could not see having more than one dram. It is nice whisky, but a little on the dry side and I do not think it would go well with ice or in a cocktail. It has a strong sherry nose and along with being dry it is also a wee bit too sweet for my taste. The more I sample sherry finished whisky’s the more I feel the distilleries walk a fine line of creating a gimmick of sweetness to get people to buy bottles as opposed to a interesting finish on a quality product.

Other expressions are: Original, Quinta Ruban, Nectar D’Or, 18, 19, 25, Signet, Pride 1981, Pride 1978, Pride 1974, and Grand Vintage Malt 1990, Sonnalta PX, Finealta, Artein, Ealanta, Companta, Tùsail, Milsean, Bacalta, Spios, Allta, Tarlogan, Tayne, Duthac, Dornoc, Cadboll, Astar, A Midwinter Night’s Dram, Cadboll Estate, and Taghta.

Priced around $70 and worth the money if you like this style of whisky, but a little overpriced for me.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon

October 12, 2022 America

Name: Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Corn, vanilla, oranges, dry wood

Taste: Same but rough

Clyde May’s is named after a man and 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 (or possibly Kentucky) and is bottled in Florida. As of January 2022, they have broken ground in Troy, Alabama with construction to complete in 2023 and first released production expected in 2027.

The Straight Bourbon is young, rough, and has not real sense of style. It is a not mixed bag of flavors like the Alabama Style Whiskey. The first and second tastes of this whiskey are the same, which is shit. The good news is the second taste is less shit because your mouth adjusted to the first taste of shit stuck on your tongue.

Other expressions (hopefully less shitty): 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 it is just a quickly produced low level whiskey.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Glenmorangie 12 – Quinta Ruban

September 29, 2022 Scotland

Name: Glenmorangie 12 – Quinta Ruban

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Malt, sweet rum notes, green grass

Taste: Malt, sugar cane, flowers, berries

Glenmorangie is a Highland whisky from Tain, Scotland and was founded around 1703 with various ownerships over the year. The name is Scottish Gaelic and is believed to translate to “vale of tranquility” or “vale of big meadows”.

Glenmorangie 12 Quinta Ruban expression is bottled at 46% abv and is age for 10 years in American white oak cask and then finished in Quintas port pipes to age further for flavor. Port pipes are the largest casks available.

Nice balance with the port finish but the sweetness tasted more like rum and sugar cane to me. A better tasting whisky for the overall flavor profile than the sister expression Lasanta, plus it has a higher proof, so more bang for the buck. However, it is just a little too sugary tasting for my preference when it comes to a scotch.

Other expressions are: Original, Lasanta, Nectar D’Or, 18, 19, 25, Signet, Pride 1981, Pride 1978, Pride 1974, and Grand Vintage Malt 1990, Sonnalta PX, Finealta, Artein, Ealanta, Companta, Tùsail, Milsean, Bacalta, Spios, Allta, Tarlogan, Tayne, Duthac, Dornoc, Cadboll, Astar, A Midwinter Night’s Dram, Cadboll Estate, and Taghta.

Priced around $60-70 and worth money if you like the taste profile and feel a 12 year is worth the price of a 14- to 16-year-old scotch

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

The Botanist Islay Dry Gin

September 15, 2022 Scotland

Name: The Botanist Islay Dry Gin

Color: Clear

Nose: Juniper and fresh green earth notes

Taste: Similar to nose, no burn on the finish

The Botanist Islay Dry Gin 22 is produced by the Bruichladdich Distillery in Islay, Scotland. Since it is the clear liquid cousin of a very good scotch producer it was worth a try and review. Before I was into whisky I was Gin & Tonic drinker but one trip to Kentucky changed all that in 2008. I do not know why Bruichladdich decided to make this gin, but I am glad they did.

The Botanist Gin is a London dry styled gin that is bottled at 46% abv, made from 22 hand-forged botanicals on Islay, and contains 9 core aromatics. You can look them up as there is a lot

Upon first nosing the gin I found aromas all over the place. I could not really determine any specific notes. The taste is sweet with earthy greens and it was very easy to drink neat which was a surprise. A martini straight up with a twist of lemon was then created for assurance of quality. It was excellent.

Priced around $45 and worth the money if you enjoy gin or want to add a bottle to your bar.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

September 8, 2022 America

Name: Blantons’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

Color: Brown

Nose: Spices, caramel, vanilla, orange

Taste: Charred oak, vanilla, honey finish, slight burn

Over 4^th of July weekend at lot of people on social media were celebrating with BBQ and Blanton’s Bourbon. I was going to join the pack and get a bottle but my Scottish side somehow convinced me to drink scotch on the rocks. A few weeks later and still in the mood, I dropped into “American Whiskey” in midtown Manhattan and treated myself to a Blanton’s.

Blanton’s Bourbon is a “single barrel” bourbon that spends 8 years in white oak barrels that have been toasted to a #4 char rating. The mash bill is estimated to be 51% corn with 15% rye, however, the exact figures are not released from the distillery. The term “single barrel” means that each bottle comes from an individual aged barrel instead of from multiple blended barrels. The bottle label lists the date, warehouse, barrel, location, etc. which is different to almost all whiskies. To summarize, one barrel will produce a limited amount of bottles from that specific barrel.

For the TV and movies fans, you might recognize Blanton’s because of the unique bottle shape. If you have watched the TV show “Justified” or you have seen the movies John Wick I & II you will see Blanton’s being drank. In Justified, which took place in South Eastern Kentucky, the US Marshall’s sipped it in their office. In John Wick, Keanu Reeves prefers bourbon to pain meds after he takes a beating fighting from fellow hit-men.

One thing I really like about Blanton’s (besides the taste) is the bottle. The octagonal shape and cork with racehorse and jockey stand out among other bottles of bourbon. The combination of single barreling, the taste and the bottle style make a great gift for yourself or someone else.

Price around $50-60 it is well worth the price.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

FEW Cold Cut Bourbon Whiskey

September 1, 2022 America

Name: FEW Cold Cut Bourbon Whiskey

Color: Dark Copper

Nose: Wood, orange, spices, pepper, light roasted coffee

Taste: Spices, cinnamon, caramel, light smoke

FEW Bourbon Whiskey has released a new expression called “Cold Cut Brew Coffee” Bourbon Whiskey. The distillery has decided to replace the water in cutting the bourbon with Chicago Passion House Coffee before bottling the spirit.

Cold Cut is aged less than 4 years and bottled at 46.5% abv. The mash bill 70% corn, 20% Northern Rye, and 10% two row malt. Upon opening the bottle, I noticed it was difficult to nose the whiskey. It took some time and a couple comparisons to other bourbons to detect the aromas of the coffee. The taste is similar their bourbon but is a little stronger with minor coffee notes. A little water brings out the flavors better but it does not taste like coffee which is a good thing.

FEW is my go-to for a mixer for Old Fashions at home or out in NYC. The Cold Cut creates another level of flavor that I really enjoyed when I made a cocktail at home. I think the bourbon could be a little bit better if it was over 50% abv as it would retain more flavor profile in the glass. I am not sure if this is a one-off experiment or if it is here to stay but I hope it becomes part of their expressions. I thought this would make an interesting flavor and it does. It might even be better than their regular bourbon.

Priced around $60 and worth the money for the unique taste as a cocktail mixer.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

The Glenlivet 15 – French Oak Reserve

September 1, 2022 Scotland

Name: The Glenlivet 15 – French Oak Reserve

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Malt, citrus, green grass, light spice, light wood

Taste: Malt, soft oak, spices, almonds

The Glenlivet 15-Year-Old French Oak Reserve is a Speyside whisky from Moray, Scotland and is one of the big “Glen’s” in the whiskey world. Found in 1824, it is the oldest and continuously operated distillery and is currently owned by Pernod Ricard. The distillery produces approximately 19 different expressions with prices ranging from affordable to “Holy Shit, how much?”. See last month’s review for the Glenlivet 14 or the Glenlivet 12.

Glenlivet 15 uses French oak barrels to finish the whisky. Oak barrels from France are different than American not only in geographic location, but also in species. French oak is either “Quercus robur” or “Quercus sesiliflora”. American oak is “Quercus alba”. The char level, age, and area grown can also affect the barrels, but there is a distinct flavor difference with oak barrels.

In terms of flavor:

French Oak has subtle notes of spices and is smoother.
American Oak has notes of vanilla and coconut and is creamier.

This expression is very light and smooth, and I can see a portion of that coming from the barrels, but it is 15 years old and bottled at 40% abv so it should be smooth tasting.

It is easy to drink, but not my style. I like a little bite on my scotch. Not the super heavy wood or peat flavor profile, but a scotch tasting scotch if you get my meaning.

Priced around $100 and is very good, but a wee bit too expensive and too light for the price and age.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Dad’s Hat Classic Rye

September 1, 2022 America

Name: Dad’s Hat Classic Rye

Color: Yellow

Nose: Light wood, rye, spice

Taste: Rye, wood, pepper

Dad’s Hat Rye comes from Bristol, Pennsylvania and I first sampled the Classic Rye expression at a whiskey tasting at Court Street Restaurant in Hoboken, NJ. It was used as a comparison between Pennsylvanian Rye and Maryland Rye at the start of the tasting. Pennsylvania Rye’s have historically been known to be very rough on the tongue and reserved for hard drinkers.

The Classic Rye mash bill is 80% rye, 15% malted barley, 5% malted rye, and it is aged 6 months in charred casks. Other expressions produced by Dad’s Hat are: Vermouth Finish, Port Wine Finish, Straight Rye, and Bonded Rye.

Rye was the primary grain used in the production of whiskey in America for many years. Even before America was the United States it was used by early settlers to distill whiskey. In the 1700’s rye is was cheap, plentiful, easy to grow, and was even a form of currency due to lack of coins and notes in the colonies. Today Rye Whiskey is making a comeback, however, most people do not like it due to the harsh flavor. Personally, I have not found a rye that I can drink neat or on ice, but love a Rye Whiskey Old Fashioned cocktail.

Unfortunately, this expression was young and rough. I was not very impressed. It has a harsh taste and it feels like it is a throwback the tough coal miners drink of choice.

Priced around $40 and ok for a mixer. I will try their other expressions and I hope they are better.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Opinions Vary: New Distilleries vs. Old Whiskey

August 31, 2022 NYC

Opinions Vary: New Distilleries vs. Old Distilleries

Starting this month, I am trying something new, an opinion piece once a month.

One thing I have noticed over the last few years is the rise in “new” whiskey distilleries. New meaning they are less than 10 to 15 years old, they aren’t part of the big boys clubs with hundreds of years of history, and they were created for a reason. The reason seems to be either passion, vanity, or market share.

New distilleries have to source their whiskey for a few years until they are up and running. Old distilleries can provide the supply as they can mass produce. It is a balancing game of business. Some distilleries get it right straight out of the gate and some just rush to market and don’t seem to care. Some whiskey is so bad they tell you what inspired them more then they tell you how they make their whiskey. It can be hilarious and sad at the same time. It seems to me that a lot of new distilleries of low quality use the same bullshit talking points over and over. After a while, it all seems to blend and comes from the same playbook.

When I see new whiskey’s that have won awards, recieved high ratings, and have huge marketing budgets I start to wonder why I don’t see any old ones winning as much. The more I taste award winning whiskey I start really believing my theory (base on no research or evidence) that these awards are bought and paid for. It is not out of the realm of possibility. Wall Street firms pay rating companies to approve finical products, why not the same for spirits?

I have learned that old does not mean good, and young/new does not mean bad when it comes to whiskey. What matters is care and effort put into the creation of the product. I have had new whiskey expressions from Sagamore, FEW, Coppersea, Brenne, and Taconic that were very good. I have had expressions from Glenlivet, Glenmoranige, Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace that were bad. And, vice versa. It can be a crap shoot.

The take away is try everything, but do not believe the marketing. Believe yourself. If you like, drink it!

Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Ardbeg An Oa

Glenmorangie 12 – Lasanta

Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon

Glenmorangie 12 – Quinta Ruban

The Botanist Islay Dry Gin

Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

FEW Cold Cut Bourbon Whiskey

The Glenlivet 15 – French Oak Reserve

Dad’s Hat Classic Rye

Opinions Vary: New Distilleries vs. Old Whiskey

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