Name: Colonel E.H. Taylor Straight RyeColor: Light goldNose: Floral, vanilla, oakTaste: Vanilla, oak, lemon, and caramelReview:I tried Colonel E.H. Taylor Straight Rye last week when I was in Cincinnati at Lackman Bar in the Over the Rhine (ORT) District. If you are in Cincinnati in the future I recommend a visit the ORT. The area has been revamped over the years and there are a lot of nice bars and restaurants of various styles and flavors.I have seen this whiskey on social media a lot in the last few months so I thought I would give it a try. A pour was $15 in Ohio dollars so that means it is probably $23-25 in NYC dollars. I was pleasantly surprised at the taste and enjoyed it. My friend was shocked at what I spent but I had to laugh as he has forgotten the cost of drinks on his last trip to NYC.E.H. Taylor comes from Buffalo Trace Distillery, who also supplies Bulleit for most of their products. If you are not familiar with Buffalo Trace, it is a solid whiskey and a main stop on the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky. Buffalo Trace is also popular overseas in the United Kingdom and Europe. I see it on almost every bar shelf from London to Glasgow and from Munich to Madrid.The bottle is a bit tall and long so if you have a short shelf keep that in mind. I do like the look and label of the bottle. I feel if you are displaying bottles on your bar at home you need to have a few colorful ones in the crowd.Quick lesson; “Bottle in Bond” means the whiskey is a product of one distillery in one distillation season by one distiller. It is matured in a Federally Bonded warehouse for 4 years. In short, you are not drinking poison, you are drinking whiskey made by the letter of the law.Priced around $65 I will be looking to pick up a bottle soon.
Name: New Riff Bourbon 4 Year Old
Color: Orange Brown
Nose: Vanilla, caramel, oak, spice
Taste: Vanilla, caramel, rye spice, dark berries, and orange
Review:
A few weeks ago I enjoyed some and perhaps, a little too much New Riff Bourbon in my friends back yard on my annual trip to Kentucky for the Fall horse races.
New Riff Bourbon is produced by the New Riff Distiller that located in Newport, KY on the Ohio River adjacent to Cincinnati. New Riff was founded by Ken Lewis who used to own The Party Source next door in the same plaza. It is my understanding that you can’t produce and distribute in Kentucky so he sold the store to start the distillery.
New Riff Bourbon is a bottle and bonded bourbon and distilled at 100 proof with 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley (all non GMO) and non-chilled filtered. The water is sources from the Ohio River Aquifer below the distillery. The bottle and bonded means it is aged for four years and quality measures have been followed.
Sales have started in August 2018 and there was/is a limit of 6 bottles per customer but I am seeing online in some bars here in NYC.
New Riff Distillery has multiple spirits for purchase which are bourbon, rye, and gin. They also have tours which vary from $10-$35 a ticket and the times vary. They have a reception area, small bar for cocktails, and merchandise. The distillery is located at 24 Distillery Way, Newport, KY and is in the same plaza with the The Party Source which has plenty of drinks, cigars and supplies.
Price around $50 in Kentucky, not sure of the price here but it is worth the money.
If you like it, drink it! – Christopher
Jefferson’s Ocean bourbon first came to my attention when I saw printed advertisements on the subway here in NYC. When I read “Aged at Sea….” I thought to myself “That looks interesting….and a bit gimmicky”. My gut reaction was right. It is gimmicky.
On my previous review of Jefferson’s Small Batch, I noted they source their bourbon rather than distill their own whiskey. As I have learned, and maybe some people do not realize, anyone who sources their whiskey and does not have a long history of distilling needs marketing to sell their product. Calling Mr. Draper! Calling Mr. Don Draper of Madison Ave. for a new method of creation and a romantic story. See below to summarize advertisement and marketing.
Jefferson states that the air, temperature and movement at sea creates a more unique flavor to the bourbon. For a bourbon that spends months at sea I did not get much of a marine, salt, or brine taste. Unlike Old Putney that has a sea/salt taste to it and Penderyn Madeira that has a wow factor, Jefferson’s Ocean had neither. To be honest, I am glad I did not get a sea salt taste. I have serious doubts about sea salt taste in a Kentucky Bourbon.
Jefferson’s Ocean is a nice, rich tasting bourbon but it is nothing mind blowing. In the end, you are paying for the price of the ship storage at sea and the gimmicky marketing.
Price around $75 and it is overpriced for the flavor profile.
This whisky is titled “Unblended American” rather than “Bourbon” because it is aged in bourbon-soaked barrels instead of new charred American white oak, therefore, it cannot be called Bourbon. (Just a little whisky knowledge for you)
I first tried this whisky at Maysville in the Flatiron District of NYC while having a drink with Robin Robinson and I was very surprised at how nice it tasted. Michter’s has done a great job creating this whisky. It has a butterscotch finish, which may sound too sweet, but is soft and lovely on the tongue. I have since added this bottle to my bar and handed samples out to people that do not drink whisky. I have learned that non-whisky drinkers enjoy the taste even if they opt not to have a full pour.
This whisky to me is more of a summer whisky on the rocks than a Winter whisky served neat. Priced around $45.00 it is a great value.
When I am up in the midtown area of NYC I like to visit Park Ave Liquor Store. Recently I visited the store and samples of Kansas City Whiskey by J. Rieger Distiller were being offered. I had heard of this distillery from the Whisky Cast Podcast and I was interested to sample it.
It is worth a quick mention; I never buy anything at this store. I just like to be absolutely shocked at the ridiculous prices. They do carry some high end stuff and display some impressive bottles in their street window, but their average bottles retail cost is far too high. As for the street window luxury displays, mark my words, there will be a smash and grab job one day.
Kansas City Whiskey is a blend of straight bourbon, light corn, straight rye, and a small amount of 15-year-old Oloroso Sherry. The whiskey is aged at least 4 years. I asked about the age of the whiskey versus the distillery and I was informed they were sourcing the raw product. Since the whiskey is young I asked about other spirits they produced. Similar to other small distilleries who need to keep the revenue coming in as the whiskey ages, they produce gin, vodka, Caffe Amaro (coffee liquor), and specialty releases.
This whiskey has a nice flavor and I would definitely enjoy it in my Old Fashions or Manhattans cocktails when I am out or at home. If you haven’t yet tried increasing the quality of your whiskey for cocktails I strongly recommend it. I realize people think, “What’s the point of spending the extra money?” I used to think the same way. The point is, it’s worth it for the taste! Enjoying a cocktail in the comfort of your own home with higher quality whiskey is worth every penny.
Priced at approximately $45 it is good and I will be adding to my bar at home.
Backbone Bourbon is distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana and is bottled in Bardstown, Kentucky. It is a cask strength bourbon at 113 proof, officially non-aged stated, but is aged approximately 4 years. The mash bill is 70% corn, 25% rye, and 5% malted barley. The bottled I sampled was Batch #14 and was distilled on July 2008 and bottled on October 2016.
The name “Backbone” comes from the saying that the Midwest of America is the “Backbone of America”. It is a romantic description of hard-working people coming home each night for a glass of bourbon. It sounds nice, but people coming home for a bourbon each evening was a big complaint of the Tempest Women who were the catalyst of Prohibition. Gotta love that marketing!
The overall taste profile is tight and young with no real mellowness to the bourbon. Add a little water and it is a bit easier to drink. Backbone would be better for a cocktail not to drink neat.
Price around $60 and I was not very impressed. I would recommend Maker’s Cask Strength or Bulleit 10 at this price point and proof.
James Oliver American Whiskey is produced by Indio Spirits Company and comes from Portland, Oregon. Portland is an interested place in America right now. Perhaps they need more whiskey, maybe less?
The whiskey is distilled from high rye mash aged in two different barrels. The aging is in ex-bourbon and sherry casks for 2 years and is bottled at 43% abv. I have found conflicting information online about the barrels, char level, and abv.
James Oliver won Best American Whiskey Gold Metal in 2015. For the tasted of this spirit I question if this award was bought and paid for ahead of time. I cannot taste any quality, care, or interested in making this whiskey. It has a very cheap rough taste and cannot taste the sherry finish. It appears to me this is a rushed whiskey with a questionable award.
Priced around $30 and not very good. You can use it as a mixer or in an emergency if a you are bit by a snake.
Cask & Crew Whiskey is a ginger spiced fruit flavored whiskey. It is a blend of Kentucky Whiskey and Canadian Rye that is aged for 3 years and bottled around 35% abv.
It smells cheap and tastes sweet and spicy. I could barely drink it neat and it was not much better on ice. It is one of those whiskeys made for holiday cocktails.
I am not going to spend any more time writing a review. If you like a ginger flavor and not spending money, go buy a bottle.
Priced around $25 and I am not a fan of ginger with my whiskey.
Nose: Toasted grains with sweet taste, spices and apples
Taste: Oat and grain woody taste with apples and spices
Review:
This is a unique American Whiskey from Chicago that I tried at a cigar night in midtown recently. Now, to be honest, there were eight of us smoking cigars and we consumed 1-1/2 bottles whisky before we ran dry which I took as a sign that it was the end of the night. I was ready to pack it in until the two married guys with new born babies left the table and ran across the street to get a fresh bottle to keep the party going. They returned with Koval Whiskey -Oat. Upon tasting it (even in my whiskey-cigar zen state) I found the flavor profile to be very different due to this whiskey being 100% Oat and matured in Minnesota American Oak Barrels. Koval also has designs their products to be Organic and Kosher which is great for those that prefer organic food and/or follow Jewish Law regarding food practices.
Priced around $50.00 and has that something different about it that is enjoyable and makes for good conversations and debate.
Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon is a 6 to 7-year-old bourbon that is 90 proof and has a been created from multiple recipes. On the label of Small Batch, it states that is it is made from four bourbons. From my research, 250 barrels make one batch and it is made from two mash bills and multiple yeast strains. The two mash bills are;
75% corn, 20% rye and 5% malted barley
60% corn, 35% rye and 5% malted barley
I do not put a lot of faith in this information that I have found online. I do not believe any business ever gives away the “secret sauce”. I think it is a combination of truth and marketing and we all know what I think of marketing.
Small Batch is a very good and well balanced bourbon. I was pleasantly surprised with this one and enjoyed in on the rocks and in my cocktails. The sweet caramel taste has the right amount of orange, spice and vanilla oak. It finishes with a light cream taste which is very nice. I originally bought Small Batch to fill my bourbon decanter but it never made it in. (IW Harper did).
Price around $45 and worth the money. It is somewhere between a mixer and a sipper.
