Chris | Page 7 | NYC Whiskey Review

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Taconic Dutchess Private Reserve – Headless Horseman Edition

October 31, 2024 NYC

Name: Taconic Dutchess Private Reserve – Headless Horseman Edition

Color: Brown

Nose: Corn, malt, vanilla, oak, caramel

Taste: Corn, malt, vanilla, oak, caramel, orange notes

Taconic Distillery’s “Taconic Dutchess Private Reserve” is from the Hudson Valley area of New York and was sent to me in October 2023 to review. This the third bottle sent as a gift for me to review. Again, many thanks to Taconic!

Taconic Distillery is formally the “Millbrook Distillery” and was established in 2013. This expression is titled, “Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Dutchess Private Reserve” and is bottled at 50% abv. It is non-chill filtered and is non-aged stated, but aged 5 years in charred American Oak barrels. The mash bill is 70% corn, 25% rye, and 5% barley. When tasted side by side with Taconic Bottle & Bonded, you can notice the aging has smoothed out whiskey more even though they are the same abv. The extra aging helps.

Taconic states that their whiskey is good for sipping and/or cocktails. This expression is very good for sipping neat. It is well balanced, smooth, and has no burn on the finish. The “Kentucky chew” is very nice and I am very impressed. Dutchess Private Reserve reminds me that you do not need to be hundred-year-old distillery to produce a good product. I can count on one hand how many distilleries fall under this statement and I have fingers left over.

Dutchess works well on ice as it is 100 proof so the flavor holds. I will have to try it in a cocktail too!!!!

Again, I wanted to thank Taconic for sending this bottle to me. My review next week will be on the distillery as went upstate for a visit last weekend.

Priced around $50+ and worth money. Happy Halloween!

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Toki Cocktail Series #2 – High Ball

October 30, 2024 Japan

Toki is produced by Suntory and is a blend of their Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita whiskey’s. It is a clean tasting whiskey but does not have any real complexity or interesting flavor profile. I find it a little boring and too rough to drink neat or on the rocks. In my opinion, Suntory created this as a cocktail mixer so I thought I would put it to the test with a series of Toki Cocktails.

Toki Cocktail Series #2 – High Ball

2.0 oz Toki Whiskey
¼ part Honey Syrup
Grapefruit Bitters
Slice of Grapefruit

Well, this tasted like absolute fucking dog shit. I will admit, I did not have grapefruit bitters. But I was not going to spend $20 for a bottle of bitters to go with a $35 bottle of whiskey. I substituted half orange and half regular bitters, but that was not the main problem. The grapefruit did not help either due to the bitterness of grapefruit. Toki’s flavor profile does not work for me when I am used to high proof rye or bourbon Old Fashioneds.

I am tapping out on this series of Toki cocktails. I don’t like the taste of Toki and I am not trying another cocktail. In 2025 I will revisit better cocktails.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Taconic Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup

October 24, 2024 America

Name: Taconic Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup

Color: Brown

Nose: Maple, wood, caramel

Taste: Maple sugar, oak, light bourbon, caramel

Taconic Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup is the second item that came in the gift box that I received from Taconic Distillery. The syrup came with their Dutchess Private Reserve Bourbon which I reviewed last month and I am almost out off.

The maple syrup is sourced in New York (support local business!) and is matured in bourbon barrels. The syrup is medium bodied and not too thick or overly sweet. The bourbon flavor is hard to detect when cold but is there when the syrup gets to room temperature. I tasted it neat and then determined it would be better on my waffles. I think that it might be hard to taste any bourbon if there was fruit on my waffles or on pancakes. Note for the parents; the syrup does not taste like bourbon so your children can enjoy it too.

The bottle size is 375ml and you need to refrigerate it after opening. I recommend you take the syrup out of the refrigerator before you use it on your breakfast or in your Taconic Whiskey Sour.

Price around $40 for two bottles (online store price) and worth the money if you like maple syrup.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Davidoff Millennium Piramides

October 23, 2024 Cigars

Name: Davidoff Millennium Piramides

Size/Gauge: 6-1/8” / 52

Wrapper: Ecuador

Binder: Dominican Republic

Filler: Dominican Republic

Davidoff Millennium Piramides has an incredible rich smell of well blended and smooth tobacco. That is what I got before I put a lighter to it so I knew it was going to be good.

Upon lighting this cigar it has an incredible dark roasted taste to go with its smell and the draw is perfect right from the start. It is the best cigar of the box set and with the price I think I can tell why. When I was smoking it I got Zodiac Series memories, but just one level below. It is a smooth, easy cigar with no bitterness of aftertaste.

This cigar is the most impressive of the box set. I think this is my new go to cigar when I want to treat myself.

Prices as of 2024:

Box of 10 = $345.00

Pack of 4 = $138.00

One cigar (assume) = $38-40

Worth the money if it fits your budget or for a special occasion.

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

If you like it, drink it!

Paul John Edited Single Malt

October 17, 2024 India

Name: Paul John Edited Single Malt

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Cinnamon, barley, peat, very Scottish single malt nose

Taste: Medium bodied, light vanilla with peat and smoke

If you follow whiskeys or have explored the shelf on a well stocked liquor store you may have noticed the country of India has entered the whiskey market. One might think India is not a place where whiskeys are produced but after tasting this one, I think India is well on their way to creating a strong market. I had not yet tried whiskey from India, but at NYC Whiskey Live 2017 the Paul John Edited Single Malt was served and I took some extra time to sample it. The whiskey is named after the founder Mr. Paul P. John who is Indian and has made great efforts to produce a quality product. This whiskey is from Goa, India in the Southeast region of the country and is made from 6 row barely and matured in ex-bourbon barrels for 6-7 years. Due to the high heat and humidity in India the whiskey, similar to bourbon, comes at a natural higher proof which is a nice bonus to any bottle.

If Goa sounds familiar it is because it is a popular place for ex-pats, hippies, and the Bourne Supremacy (2004) movie had its opening chase scene in the city and on the coast.

I was very surprised by this whiskey. I immediately got a Scottish Single malt feeling from it but with a twist in the taste. This bottle tastes Scottish but has its own thing going on when it comes to flavor. It reminds me how Japanese whiskey is clearly different from other whiskeys. Each country has their own style and flavor that becomes more define to me as I taste more of it.

Very well priced and a good value at around $65. Try it so you can taste what India has created.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Kamet Single Malt Whisky

October 16, 2024 India

Name: Kamet Single Malt Whisky

Color: Brown

Nose: Malt, cedar wood, tropic fruits

Taste: Malt, mango, cream, light wood, flowers, honey

Kamet is a single malt whisky from Kurukshertra, India that I had never head of it until I was given a sample by a coworker. The name comes from Mt. Kamet which is the third highest peak in the Indian Himalayas. The whisky is distilled using six-row barley from the foothills of these mountains. Maturation occurs in a combination of Ex-Bourbon American oak, Ex-Wine French Oak, and Ex-Sherry Casks of Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso). It is a non-chill filtered whisky with no added color and is bottled at 46% abv.

The nose was hot, but a little dry with cedar wood and mangos. The flavor profile is well crafted. It is not too tropical like some Indian whisky. I was expecting a cheap knock off type whisky, but this one was surprisingly well balanced. A little water opens the whisky nicely and the flavors become easier to detect. I was honestly surprised by this whisky when you compare the taste versus price. I look forward to sample more of these expressions and any others they produce.

Priced around $50-60 and worth the money if you like the flavor profile and want to try a whisky from India. Someone in India cares about what they are making.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Jura Seven Wood – 2019 Review

October 10, 2024 Scotland

Name: Jura Seven Wood (2019 Review)

Color: Light brown

Nose: White floral, green grass, spice

Taste: Vanilla, barley, clean/fresh flowers, oak

2024 Revisted Notes:

Yesterday I reviewed Jura Seven Wood in 2024. I discovered I had previously reviewed this whisky during a visit to the Potstill. I was surprised to see my review below. I believe either I was drunk or my taste in whisky has evolved.

2019 Review Below:

Jura Seven Wood was the Pot Still whisky of choice a few weeks back when I was in Glasgow, Scotland for my cousins wedding. Nothing puts a smile on my face than going to The Pot Still in Glasgow and sampling whisky!

If you have never heard of Jura it hails from the Island of Jura in the Inner Hebrides off the West Coast of Scotland.

The scotch is finished in seven different types oak wood barrels. All the barrels are first fill ex-bourbon which are the following; American Oak, Vosges, Bertranges, Jupilles, Allier, Troncais, and Limousin barrels. Jura Seven Wood is bottled at 42% abv with a medium body profile.

If you have not sampled Jura before I recommend you start with Jura 10. A few years ago I saw a “Jura Brooklyn” but I did not try it due to its high price (approx. $75). It looked very gimmicky and marketing to me in the windows of liquor stores in NYC.

Price around $80 and it has nice balance of flavors but is not very complex. It tastes like regular Jura with a special release styled finish for a little extra marketing.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Jura Seven Wood – Revisited Review (2024 vs 2019)

October 9, 2024 Scotland

Name: Jura Seven Wood – 2024 Review

Color: Copper

Nose: Malt, honey, flowers, oak, citrus

Taste: Malt, iodine, dry wood

Jura Distillery was founded in 1810 and is located on the Island of Jura in the Inner Hebrides off the West Coast of Scotland. The distillery has changed hands may times over the years and is currently owned by Whyte & Mackay.

Jura Seven Wood marketing material states that the whisky is pulled from seven types of casks of differing wood. These woods are American White Oak, Limousin, Tronçais, Allier, Vosges, Jupilles, and Les Bertranges. The other six are French Oaks and I have only heard of Limousin. With this method of blending and the the whisky being 42% abv you would expect something different, no? Well, it is different, that is for sure.

On my first taste was Jura Seven Wood came off very weak and I was not impressed. On my second taste it was weak and now dry. Upon my third taste I got a medicine iodine taste and I was done. A week later I sampled it again and I found it even worse than I remembered. Some reviewers praise this expression, but I found it rough, cheap, dry, and medical a dirty finish. You know, like tasting shit.

I do not know how much labor it takes to extract whisky out of seven casks, blend it, bottle it, and sell it at the current market price. But it must cost some money and the price point comes off to affordable. I feel Jura literally got the bottom of the barrels and put this expression together.

Priced around $60-$75 and tastes like shit. I do not recommend it like I did in 2019.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Jura Journey

October 3, 2024 Scotland

Name: Jura Journey

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Malt, cedar wood, earth, citrus

Taste: Malt, cedar, lemon, white fruits

The Jura Distillery is located on the Island of Jura in the Inner Herbrides off the West Coast of Scotland and is adjacent to Islay. The distillery was founded in 1810 and has changed ownership many times over the last 200+ years.

The first time I experienced Jura was about 10 years ago at the Pot Still in Glasgow when my cousins’ husband recommended, I give it a try. When I got back to NYC, I tried to find other expressions from Jura but only saw Jura Brooklyn in the stores. I never got a chance to try it, but looking back, I doubt it would have been anything special. Unfortunately, I do not see Jura on the shelf or in the bars very much.

Jura Journey is in in the Signature Series, bottled at 40% abv, non-chilled filtered, and aged in white oak ex-bourbon barrels. Overall, it is well balanced and has a very nice taste. It has a little sweetness on the finish.

Jura Expressions have a large range of 26 single malt whisky’s and they classified under Signature, Travel Exclusive, and Rare & Limited Series.

Priced around $50 and good stuff. I will look to try more Jura as I find it.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Jura 18

October 2, 2024 Scotland

Name: Jura 18

Color: Dark Copper

Nose: Malt, flowers, wood

Taste: Malt, flowers, cream, honey, wood

Jura 18 has a lovely nose but is hard to detect all the notes. It is well balanced and has a medium body for an eighteen-year-old whisky. This expression is aged in American White oak ex-bourbon barrels and then is finished for several months in Premier Grand Cru Classé Bordeaux red wine barriques from the southern region of France. I have noticed when whisky is aged in red wine casks, I struggle to nose it. I am not sure what my problem is but at least I know I have one. Regardless, this is a very nice whisky at 44% abv. I sampled it right after the Jura Seven so it was vast improvement and I might be a little biased.

Jura has 26 expressions currently on the market divided into Signature, Travel Exclusive, and Rare & Limited. For all these expressions, I do not see a lot of Jura in bar, stores, or duty free. The ones I do see with any regularity are the 10, Seven Wood, 18 year old, and an occasional specialty expression. I am due to be in Glasgow in a few months and I will see what Jura’s the Pot Still has on the shelf.

Priced around $150+ and worth the money if you like the flavor profile.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Taconic Dutchess Private Reserve – Headless Horseman Edition

Toki Cocktail Series #2 – High Ball

Taconic Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup

Davidoff Millennium Piramides

Paul John Edited Single Malt

Kamet Single Malt Whisky

Jura Seven Wood – 2019 Review

Jura Seven Wood – Revisited Review (2024 vs 2019)

Jura Journey

Jura 18

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