Chris | Page 3 | NYC Whiskey Review

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Campari

January 29, 2025 NYC

Name: Campari

Color: Candy Red

Nose: Herbs, floral, sugar notes

Taste: Herbs, medicinal, sugar, orange peels

Campari an Italian liqueur infused with herbs, fruit, alcohol and water. It was invented in 1860 and is used primarily as a mixer in cocktails, but it is a type of bitters and is considered an aperitif. It is best known to be mixed with soda water, citrus juice, and in Negroni, American, Boulevardier, and a few other less known cocktails.

When I started traveling to Italy many years ago, I used to treat myself to a “Campri on the Rock’s” on each visit. It was more like punishing myself. I look back and laugh on my younger self for trying to enjoy such an unpleasant drink in a beautiful country. However, today in wiser years, I keep a bottle on my bar for my favorite summer cocktail the “Anthony Bourdain Big Ass Negroni”.

This year I will be expanding my cocktail reviews to add a few Italian cocktails and I will be doing some bar reviews in Italy for any readers heading over this summer for a vacation.

Priced around $40 and a necessity on your bar for certain cocktails.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Liga Privada No. 9 Flying Pig

January 22, 2025 Cigars

Name: Liga Privada No. 9 Flying Pig

Size: 3.9” x 60

Shape: Perfecto

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf, Oscuro

Binder: Brazil

Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan

Liga Privada No. 9 “Flying Pig” is made by Drew Estate and is considered one of their better expressions. This cigar is rich, oily, and has a chocolate coffee nut flavor to it. The draw is very smooth, but it hits hard with the strong Brazilian tobacco.

I like cigars like this when I want a “kick”, but I do not want to spend an hour smoking. It is very good smoke, but a little on the high side in price.

Priced around $25 per stick and worth it if you like the flavor and it fits your budget.

If you like it, drink it (or smoke it)! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Highland Park 12

January 15, 2025 Scotland

Name: Highland Park 12

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Malt, sugar orange, light smoke

Taste: Malt, white fruit, honey-spices, orange, light smoke

Highland Park distillery is located in Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands in Scotland. The distillery was founded in 1798 and has changed ownership several times. This expression appears to be part of their Viking or Valhalla Series. If you did not know, the Scottish & Irish descent from Vikings.

Highland Park 12 is a highland single malt, aged for 12 years, and bottled at 43% abv. The bottle design is their “Viking Honour” which is park of their Viking themed whisky expressions Odin, Thor, Loki, and Freya.

This whisky is a medium-light drinker with honey orange flavors on the front of the profile. It is very easy to knock back a few of these on ice. I drank it during the wintertime, but it strikes me as more of a summer whisky. It is very drinkable and priced well.

Other expressions: Highland Park 12, 18, 21, 24, 54 Cask Strength Release No. 5, and Cask No. 1494.

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

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Wild Life Single Malt Whisky

January 8, 2025 Canada

Name: Wild Life Single Malt Whisky

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Light malt, light oak, vanilla, flowers

Taste: Light malt, light oak, white fruit

Wild Life Single Malt Whisky is produced by Wild Life Distillery and comes from Alberta, Canada. The distillery was established in 2017 and from my research it takes its inspiration from Scottish Single Malts while sourcing local products.

Wide Life Single Malt uses 100% Alberta barley, is non-chilled filtered, natural colored, aged five years ex-bourbon and white America oak barrels, and is bottled at 47.5% abv. This whisky is medium bodied, light, and is clean tasting summer styled whisky. It is easy to drink, but it does not have any rich flavor or depth. It is not a bad whisky, it is just to light for my taste profile. It reminds me of Dewar’s in the sense that it is drinkable, but not impressive. However, I would like to try more expression from the distiller but I think a few more years of development will help the taste profile.

Other expressions: Rye Whisky, Single Malt, Peated Single Malt, Wheat Whisky, Sherry Cask Single Malt, Rundle gin Aged Gin, Classic Gin, Blackberry Gin, Rhubarb Gin, Botanical, Vodka, & Amaro.

Priced around $90 and too expensive (probably due to import taxes) for the taste profile for me. It is worth a try to experience a new Canadian whisky.

Thanks to Sam for bring me a sample back from Canada!

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Discretion Single Barrel Select Whiskey

January 1, 2025 America, Japan

Name: Discretion Single Barrel Select Whiskey

Color: Brown

Nose: Corn/malt, oak, vanilla, cherry

Taste: Corn/malt, vanilla, spices, light oak

Discretion Single Barrel Select is produced by Tarnished Truth Distillery in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The distillery is located in the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach and states that it is “the first and only distillery in a hotel in the United States…” . They have been in operation since 2013 and was founded by Andrew Yancey and Bruce Thompson.

My friend Sam brought this bottle to me to try and to be honest, I was not expecting much from this whiskey. I thought the name sounded goofy. It reminded me of Larceny or 10^th Mountain Man, but I ended up being very surprised. The balance was good, the flavors were nice, and at 60.3% abv I was surprised it all came together when I tasted it. The mash bill is 70% corn, 18% wheat, and 12% malted barley; however, the malt was more forward than the corn or wheat to my palate. It was smoother than I expected for the proof and I would have liked to try it in an Old Fashioned. If I am every in the Virginia Beach area, I will make it a point to stop by the Cavalier Hotel and order one.

Other expressions: Discretion, Discretion Bottle In-bond, Single Barrel, Tarnished Truth, High Rye Single Barrel, AVA Vodka, Moonshine, Old Cavalier, Fourth Handle Gin, and Old Cavalier Bourbon Cream.

Priced around $50 and a good whiskey. I look forward to trying more of their expressions.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Black Dirt Bourbon – Batch #011

December 26, 2024 America

Name: Black Dirt Bourbon – Batch #011

Color: Brown

Nose: Carmel, toffee, vanilla

Taste: Smooth, vanilla, toffee, easy finish with little burn

I visited the Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery in Warwick, NY over the weekend to pick apples and sample their wine and beer. Upon my arrival, and to my great delight I discovered they also served their own whiskey. The bar adjacent to the gift shop inside serves and sells beer, wine and whiskey by the glass or bottle. I ordered the Bourbon #011 and received a “healthy” pour for $8. I was very surprised how smooth it tasted for its age.

The Black Dirt Bourbon Batch #011 is aged 3 years and 4 months in new American Oak barrels charred to levels 3 and 4. The mash bill is 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye. The whiskey is 45% abv and the name “Black Dirt” refers to the fertile soil in the farming area. I would not have gone with “black dirt” from a marketing standpoint, but to each their own. The Warwick Distillery produces several different types of spirit in various size bottles. Other products produced; single barrel bourbon, crown maple bourbon, apple jack brandy, gin, wines (white and red), cider beers, and dessert wines.

Let me be clear, the whiskey was not “amazingly good”, but for a 3 year old bourbon styled whiskey it was a lot better than I was expecting. When it comes to small craft distilleries there has been a massive boom in the last decade. There are 65 distilleries in New York State (not all whiskey) and over 1,100 in America and growing. Personally, I like to support local businesses in a world full of corporate conglomerate controlled products.

Priced at $40 per bottle, it could be considered a bit expensive for a 3-year-old bourbon styled whiskey. However, I liked it, I enjoyed it so I bought it. And now I will now drink it!

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Taconic Rye

November 28, 2024 NYC

Name: Taconic Rye

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Rye, wood, caramel, light spices

Taste: Rye, wood, caramel, light spices, orange/citrus zest

Taconic Founder’s Straight Rye Whiskey is from the Taconic Distillery which was formally the “Millbrook Distillery”. This expression is bottle number 4/143 and is at 45% abv. The mash bill is 95% rye, 5% malted barley, and it is aged 3 for years in virgin American oak barrels. Taconic distillery states that their whiskey is good for sipping and/or cocktails

This rye is smoother than I expected and can be drank neat or on the rocks. I think an improvement would be a higher abv so it would hold its flavor profile better in a cocktail.

I picked this expression up the 14th Street Green Market a while back and got a chance to meet one of the owners and we had a nice chat. I hope to get up to the distillery soon now the world seems to have returned to normal.

Priced around $45 and worth the money for the taste and to support a New York State distillery.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

The Rusty Nail Cocktail

November 27, 2024 Scotland

The Rusty Nail cocktail is said to have originated in the 1960’s at the 21 Club in NYC and was rumored to be heavily enjoyed by the Rat Pack. The first and last time I had a Rusty Nail was in 2008 in Los Angeles at The Dresden Bar made famous from the movie Swingers. I figured since I was in an “old school place” I should have an “old school cocktail”. I remember it being good, but a little too sweet for me. At the time I had just stared drinking whisky on the regular.

Now in 2024 (16 fucking years later….sigh) I re-introduced myself to this old school cocktail and my opinion has not really changed. I used Monkey Shoulder Scotch which is a little on the lighter side so I am wondering how Johnnie Walker Double Black or a peaty whisky would pair with the Drambuie.

The Rusty Nail

2 oz Scotch
1 oz Drambuie
Serve on ice
Orange peel optional

I will try this one again with a stronger whisky. It is not my preference for a cocktail, but I can see this making a nice sweet after dinner drink. However, I would prefer a brandy, cognac, or a very good single malt.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Taconic Straight Wheated Bourbon

November 21, 2024 NYC

Name: Taconic Straight Wheated Bourbon

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Malt/wheat, wood, orange, vanilla

Taste: Wheat, dry cedar wood , dark fruits (black cherries)

Taconic Distillery Straight Wheated Bourbon is from the Hudson Valley area of New York and was sent to me a surprise gift to review. This is the second whiskey bottle sent to me as a gift to review so many thanks to Taconic!

Taconic Distillery is formally the “Millbrook Distillery” and was established in 2013. This expression is “Straight Bourbon Whiskey – New York’s Wheated Bourbon” and is bottled at 45% abv. This expression is non-aged stated, but is aged 3 years in American Oak barrels char #3 and the mash bill is 70% corn / 25% wheat / 5% barley.

Taconic states that their whiskey is good for sipping and/or cocktails. This expression is more on the dry side due to the percentage of wheat in the mash. The taste is may be dry, but the finish is a little hot on the tongue at the lower proof. When ice is added it opens up nicely and the flavor profile comes out more. This expression works well on ice if you like the dryness and would do well in a cocktail but the taste would dissipate quickly due to the low proof.

I wanted to thank Taconic again for sending this bottle to me. I don’t go hunting for free stuff as I try to be self-funded so this was a very nice surprise. I enjoy their whiskey very much and I really need to get off my ass and get up to their distillery this Spring and meet the team!

Priced around $50 and worth it if you like wheated whiskey and supporting a local American business.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Davidoff Escurio

November 20, 2024 Cigars

Name: Davidoff Escurio

Size/Gauge: 3-1/8” / 50

Wrapper: Ecuador Habano

Binder: Brazil

Filler: Brazil / Dominican Republic

The Davidoff Escurio has a noticeably sweeter nose even before I put a torch to it. This cigar started a little dry and bitter, but the bitterness dissipates after about five minutes of smoking. Escurio has a very nice flavor while being surprisingly strong in taste. It has notes of wood, dark tobacco, and dark chocolate. I did not detect any nuts and no earth and it had a perfect draw with a straight cut. At the time of smoking, I was not sure what the binder and filler were, so I guessed Brazil, and I was right. I have noticed Brazilian tobacco has a distinct flavor profile.

Prices: Box of 14 = $150.00, Pack of 4 = $42.00, One cigar (assume) = $14-16

This one is the second best of the box set and worth the money if it fits your budget.

If you like it, drink it (or smoke it)! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Campari

Liga Privada No. 9 Flying Pig

Highland Park 12

Wild Life Single Malt Whisky

Discretion Single Barrel Select Whiskey

Black Dirt Bourbon – Batch #011

Taconic Rye

The Rusty Nail Cocktail

Taconic Straight Wheated Bourbon

Davidoff Escurio

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