Chris | Page 26 | NYC Whiskey Review

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Skrewball Whiskey

October 21, 2021 America

Name: Skrewball Whiskey

Color: Brown

Nose: Toffee and nuts

Taste: Coffee, toffee, peanut butter

Review:

Skrewball Whiskey is a flavored whiskey that has a peanut butter flavor and is bottled at 35% abv. Yes, I said peanut butter.

This whiskey hails from Ocean Beach, California and was created by a bartender. I wonder what the late Anthony Bourdain would have said about a Cali bartender making peanut butter whiskey and a New Yorker drinking it? I bet it would have been a good one! If you have read my reviews you would know that I am not a fan of heavily flavored whiskeys that are cocktail gimmicks and taste like shit.

However, Skrewball may have “potential” as a holiday cocktail, baking, or coffee mixer. It is not that bad and a bit on the sweet side, but I theorize it could work in certain drinks. I wonder how it would taste in egg nog or holiday cookies. I doubt it would work well in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned. I will give it another try around Thanksgiving or Christmas in a drink.

I can not drink it neat or on the rocks, but it is better than I expected. Let me know what you think!

Priced around $30 and if you like the flavor profile for a mixer.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Crown Royal & 007

October 14, 2021 Canada

Name: Crown Royal

Color: Amber

Nose: Light vanilla and grain bread

Taste: Vanilla and sweetness of honey with a balance that is airy and does not have any burn on the finish

Review:

Crown Royal is a great whiskey from Canada where the whiskeys are known to be lighter in taste and body. You may think “Crown and Coke” when you think of this whiskey but you should not damage good whiskey with flavored sugar water but drink it they way you like it. The shape of the bottle is iconic and looks good on your bar or when you pull it out at a party and the purple bag is a going to put a smile on faces when they see it. Crown Royal is also in the reboot of James Bond novels. The first book Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver has a young 007 drinking a newly created cocktail which is a variation of the Old Fashion. The Bond orders the following;

Double measure of Crown Royal
Half measure of Triple Sec
Two dashes of bitters
Serve on the rocks with twist of orange

Bond does not specify shaken or stirred but I prefer it stirred on a large block ice cube. I substitute Cointreau instead of Triple Sec as it adds a better and cleaner taste.

Crown Royal is well priced between $30 to $50 depending on where you shop in NYC.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Highland Park – 16 Year Twisted Tattoo

October 7, 2021 Scotland

Name: Highland Park – 16 Year Twisted Tattoo

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Malted barley, citrus, flowers

Taste: Malted barley, orange, smoke/pepper, red wine

Review:

Highland Park 16 Year Twisted Tattoo is another expression in the Viking series by the Highland Park Distillery (aka the marketing team). I have previously reviewed the Valkyrie expression and I was not very impressed and there now seems to be a pattern developing in my reviews of this series.The scotch is a single malt bottled at 46.7% abv, naturally colored, and aged in Spanish Rioja wine casks and first fill bourbon casks. The Spanish Rioja is a nice twist, but I have it on good authority that Spaniards keep their good Rioja in house and ship the crap stuff to the rest of the world. I question the quality of the wine that imparted the flavor on this scotch. I found the nose and taste to be very similar which in my experience is not a good sign and the wine taste to be nothing special. Basically, this stuff is “ok” at best.

The art on the bottle is by a Danish Tattoo artists Colin Dale and it represents the Midgard Serpent. The seperant is the classic “snake eating its tail” which represents an unending circle. This circle is believed by some to represent the continuous circle of life. I believe, and this is just my opinion, Highland Park must have lost out to Johnnie Walker in obtaining the marketing rights to “Game of Thrones”. So instead they created this dual edged bullshit marketing campaign. You get little history of the Scottish with the Viking origins info and a little feel of the G.O.T. Have I mentioned before that I am half Scottish? We are descendants of Vikings but it is not brought up much because it would piss off the people from Iceland.

I can just hear it now……”Paging Mr. Draper to the Highland Park Distillery main conference room……you marketing presentation is about to begin…..”

Priced around $90 and it is ok but over priced for marketing reasons and the age. Maybe Odin’s adopted son Loki made this stuff? He is the God of Trickery. Thanks to Frankie for letting me try this one without paying!

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

1792 Small Batch Bourbon

September 30, 2021 America

Name: 1792 Small Batch Bourbon

Color: Light brown

Nose: Sweet corn, honey, vanilla, black fruit, oak

Taste: Cherries, vanilla, spice, honey

Review:

1792 Small Batch Bourbon comes from the Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, KY which is owed by the Sazerac Company. The name “1792” is connected to the year Kentucky became a state. Of course, officially, Kentucky it is a Commonwealth. You can look up the difference, but to me, Kentucky is the Blue Grass State and the only home of bourbon.

Small Batch Bourbon is aged around 8 years in new American oak and is a high rye bourbon. Its mash is made up of corn, rye, and malted barley and is bottled at 93.7 proof.

On my first sip I was reminded of a sweet cherry medicine taste that came in old brown bottles when I was a kid. I also remember it being forced down my throat by my mother.

The overall taste to me is good but I feel it is more of a summer whiskey than a winter. I like the shape of the bottle and for the price range it will look good on your bar, as a gift, or in your office. 1792 Small Batch is probably going to end up in my office for the holiday season.

Price around $40 and is a little sweet for my taste but still very good.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Glengoyne –12 Year Old

September 23, 2021 Scotland

Name: Glengoyne 12 Year Old

Color: Light gold

Nose: Toffee sweetness, citrus, and “other”

Taste: Sweet, lemon, vanilla, and slight coconut (aka “other”)

Review:

Glengoyne 12 year old is aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. The scotch is light, fresh, and definitely more of a summer than a winter in body and taste. That lingering taste of lemon and coconut threw me a little. It is a nice taste, but as the cooler weather arrives in NYC I want to move into my peaty/smoky whisky’s. The Islay whiskies taste so good in the cooler weather. Glengoyne 12 is naturally colored which is a nice touch. If you are not aware, Scotch production laws allow adding caramel coloring to maintain consistency in appearance of the spirit.

I purchased Glengoyne 12 because I do not recall trying it before and the price was right. Personally, I like to try the 12-year-old whiskies from distilleries to get a baseline understanding of the flavor profile. If you go right to older whiskies from a distillery I feel you miss the growth and development of the whisky. You just get the best of the product line if you go right to the top. What are you going to learn? Some people prefer to jump into the older ones because they assume they are better. This is usually true, but sometimes it is the journey, not the destination.

The distillery is approximately 20 miles north of Glasgow, Scotland. Next time I am in Glasgow I will do a full review of the whisky’s and the distillery.

Price around $50 and a good value. The flavor and quality is nice, but light and sweet for my taste this season.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

The Macallan Edition No. 3

September 16, 2021 Scotland

Name: The Macallan Edition No. 3

Color: Brown

Nose: Oak, vanilla, orange

Taste: Fruits, sweetness, vanilla

Review:

The Macallan Edition No. 3 is one of the three releases from Macallan’s Special Editions Collection. This scotch was created in partnership with professional perfumer Roja Dove who used his skills to match smells that work with each other.

No. 3 is wood focused with the nose being a big part of the profile. The nose being a significant part of the creative process is no surprise with a perfumer consulting on its creation. But how will it taste?

No. 3 is a blend of 6 casks which are the following;

1. 1^st Fill American Oak Hudosa Butts
2. 2^nd Fill American/European Oak Refill Butts
3. 1^st Fill European Oak Tevasa Butts
4. 1^st Fill American Oak Bourbon
5. 1^st Fill European Oak Tevasa Hogheads
6. 1^st Fill American Bourbon Barrels

Each cask has a different flavor profile. I will spare you the details but the vanilla taste is clearly nose forward on this whisky. As you may already know, that comes from the bourbon barrels. Vanilla is a big thing with perfumers so I am not surprised by this but there was not much else in the flavor profile.

Over the last few years there have been various partnerships between distilleries and other people. Distilleries are partnering with chefs, musicians, movies, actors, artists, etc. to create new whisky’s. I want to believe it is a good thing but sometimes I feel it is marketing bullshit. It is like the distillery ran out of ideas and someone said, “Ummm why don’t we bring in {fill in the blank} to help us? Then we can market the shit out of this whisky!”

Ya, ok….fuck off with that.

I get distinct feeling that some whisky producers, even the big ones, are getting a bit desperate with the potential, and eventual slowdown in whisky interest. It has been 10 years since Mad Men aired and whisky became cool again. Now, in 2018 distilleries need to create new products that do not have a historical romantic story so a partnership with someone cool helps them sell.

It should be noted that Macallan has two other “Editions”. No.1 is made from eight casks and not partnered with anyone cool. No. 2 is sherry styled and created with some famous Spanish Chefs. Sherry influenced whisky from Spain….no shit?

Priced around $100 it is good, but I am not a huge fan for the flavor or the price. Let’s see how long it lasts on the store shelves.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Blanton’s Bourbon

September 15, 2021 America

Name: Blanton’s Bourbon

Color: Brown

Nose: Corn, vanilla, dark fruit, wood

Taste: Corn, white pepper, vanilla, oak, dark cherry

Review:

Blanton’s Bourbon is produced by Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, KY. It is named after Albert B. Blanton who started at the distillery in 1897 and held numerous jobs over his lifetime of employment. This bourbon was released in 1984 as single barrel, aged six years, and bottled at 46.5% abv. The trade mark stopper comes in eight styles and will spell B-L-A-N-T-O-N-S if you collect them all. Over the last few years, the price of this whiskey has skyrocketed, and it is very hard to find a bottle at a reasonable price.

Due the recent popularity I wanted to re-introduce myself and see if it was as good as I remembered. After visiting six stores in various locations in New York, New Jersey, and Florida I had no success in finding a bottle on the shelf. One store manager told me, “Ya, we got it in the back, but we save it for our preferred clients.” I responded in my head, “Ya, you should go fuck yourself”. I decided to leave and search the local bars. I found a it at $13 for 2 ounces in Hoboken. After my first sip, I realized that this bourbon is good, but not amazing. It is absolutely not worth the current market price.

Blanton’s is a little hotter tasting than I remembered, with a medium body, and some good Kentucky chew. A few drops of water opens it up nicely and it should not be used in cocktails. The biggest take away I had was, it is not as good as I remembered, nor does it deserve to be priced over $60-70 per bottle. If you have paid over $100 for this bourbon, you are a sucker.

For the trifecta of cost vs. taste vs. availability, I feel Blade & Bow or New Riff Single Barrel is much better for taste and cost per bottle. These two bourbons have a different flavor profile, but when comparing these three factors they are better. They also should not be put in cocktails.

I have seen prices as high as $120 a bottle, but it should be around $50-$65. If are currently mad at your money, go overpay and drink up.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Talisker Skye Single Malt

September 9, 2021 Scotland

Name: Talisker Skye Single Malt

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Malted Barley, honey, vanilla, heather

Taste: Oak, toasted, honey, white fruit

Review:

Talisker Skye Single Malt is an expression from the Talisker Distillery created in 2015. Talisker was founded in 1830 and is a well-known and classic scotch from the Isle of Skye in Scotland located in Carbost. Since the distillery is so close the ocean it is stated the whisky is “Made by the Sea”. I get the sea flavor in the scotch, but I also get it from Old Putney which is located even more North in Wick, Scotland. Marketing, fun play on words, got to love it!

Other expressions from Talisker are; 10, 18, 25, 30-year-old, Storm, Dark Storm, Distiller Edition, 75 North, Port Ruighe, and Neist Pint. I have had the 18-year old and I will be doing reviews on the 10-Year-old and Storm over the next few months.

I received a 3-pack sampler when I was in Scotland from my Aunt and I enjoyed each of them while I was spending a few days in a hotel in Edinburgh. Talisker Skye is a softer version of Talisker 10 and is good and a little cheaper.

Price around $55 and good but I prefer the 10-year-old.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Noah Mill Bourbon Whiskey

August 26, 2021 America

Name: Noah Mill Bourbon Whiskey

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Corn, sweet vanilla, almonds

Taste: Oak, vanilla, orange, burn finish

Review:

Noah Mill Bourbon is produced by the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD) in Bardstown, Kentucky. The distiller was originally named the Willet Distilling Company until it underwent a name change in the 1980’s. The Willet family has been in producing whiskey since the late 1800’s and KBD also produces other expressions such as Rowan’s Creek, Willet Rye, Willet Bourbon, and many more.

Noah Mill is 75.13% abs or 114.3 proof and has no age statement. From my research, it is a blend of maybe four bourbons aged around 15-20 years, however, at its retail cost I doubt this whiskey is blended with such aged spirits.

This expression from Willet is a side project and has low production. You might not easily find it in your area. I have seen it only a couple of times in the Tri-State area. It is not amazing, it is not bad, it just has a bit of an odd finish and is very “hot” due to the proof. You will need to cut it with water. I was surprised how smooth it tastes for such a high proof compared to other whiskeys in the same range.

Priced around $50 and good but I prefer other high proof bourbons for mixers.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

FEW Rye Whiskey

August 19, 2021 America

Name: FEW Rye Whiskey

Color: Gold brown

Nose: Vanilla, cinnamon, sugar

Taste: Rye grain, citrus, smooth vanilla, spice

Review:

I sampled this rye whiskey a few weeks ago at Whiskey Live NYC and I really enjoyed the spirits that Few Whiskey released on the market. Few produces a rye, bourbon, and single malt and they are all very good. When I saw this bottle on the store shelf I decided it would look good on my bar at home. Over the weekend, I broke the seal and decide to try it neat and then on the rocks. This whisky is well balanced, smooth, tastes great, and I even like the bottle style and label. I am not going to ramble on about Few Rye in this review, I will just close with Few Whiskeys are very good, and I recommend them if you have not tried them yet.

The only drawback I can see is the cost per bottle if you are going to use this rye as a mixer in cocktails. At approximately $60 per bottle it is a good price, but not for a mixer. I would recommend mixers not exceed $30 per bottle.

If you like it, drink it! Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Skrewball Whiskey

Crown Royal & 007

Highland Park – 16 Year Twisted Tattoo

1792 Small Batch Bourbon

Glengoyne –12 Year Old

The Macallan Edition No. 3

Blanton’s Bourbon

Talisker Skye Single Malt

Noah Mill Bourbon Whiskey

FEW Rye Whiskey

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