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Badsons Winter Haze

January 31, 2024 America

Name: Badsons Winter Haze

Color: Hazy Amber Yellow

Nose: Hops, pine, spruce, light lemon

Taste: Hops, spruce, citrus

Badsons Brewery is located at 251 Roosevelt Dr. in Derbey, CT and was established in 2017. The building sits across the street from the river in an old brick factory/manufacturing space. The beer taps are attached to a giant old press, the bathrooms are from the industrial times and the indoor space is a large volume with the brewery tanks on onside and dinning on the other. There is indoor/outdoor seating area, limited food menu, fire pits, some table top games, and is a family friendly space. Some of the beers are available to purchase in 4-packs or in growlers.

Winter Haze is one of their seasonal winter IPA’s. It has a medium to heavy body with light pine wood notes and a clean finish. As the beer warms up more of the flavors come out but the 7% abv is not overpowering. It leans a little on the heavy side and is definitely a winter beer, not a summer drinker.

Badsons brews the best IPA’s I have sampled so far in my entire life. There are a few IPA’s that can hold their ground against Badsons, but they do not have the same quality of taste. Badson beer is hard to find in the stores, so you will have to search them out or visit the brewery to stock up.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Antica Formula Vermouth

January 25, 2024 America

Name: Antica Formula Vermouth

Color: Brown-Green

Nose: Earth, wood, dirt, sugar notes

Taste: Herbs, vanilla, bitters, citrus peels, barrel wood

Antica Formula is a premium vermouth that dates back to a 1786 recipe created by Antonio Benedetto Carpano in Turin, Italy. Carpono was said to be the original creator of this fortified wine which is made from herbs and botanicals. It is created from Wormwood is officially known as Artemisia absinthium which is an ornamental plant used in absinthe and vermouth. Artemisia is named after the Greek goddess for the hunt and protector of the forest and children. The name vermouth comes from the German word “wermuth” which means wormwood. Still following?

I first saw Antica Formula Vermouth on high end cocktail menus when living in Florida and have since learned it is preferred for cocktails over the competition. It should be as it has a superior taste and is more complex. Antica Forumula has an earthy nose, sweet woods, with taste that can only be described as twigs and grass.The only thing I could say it compares to is Fernet Branca which is also a bitter drink but not used in cocktails.

Final thoughts:

Tastes great in a Big Ass Anthony Bourdain styled Negroni.
It will spoil if you open it and keep it in the fridge too long. It is a fortified wine, not a spirit. So buy the smaller bottle and use it up in less than 30 days.
Antica Formula and New Riff Single Barrel Rye will be used for my January 2023 “Opinions Vary: Old Fashioned v. Manhattan”.

Priced around $18 from a 375ml bottle and worth it for cocktails but not for drinking straight. I shudder at the hangover this stuff could give you.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Bowman Brothers – Small Batch

January 18, 2024 America

Name: Bowman Brothers – Small Batch

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Corn, oak, dark fruit, white pepper

Taste: Corn/malt blend, oak, honey, vanilla

Bowman Brothers whiskey comes from Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the name dates back to a family from the time of the American Revolution. The Bowmans carved out a living for themselves in the new frontier as farmers and distillers. Today it is owned by Sazerac, who owns Buffalo Trace (more on that later) and they also produce vodka, gin, rum, and brandy.

Bowman Brothers Small Batch is non-age stated and bottled at 45% abv. The nose is a little young and rough and a little is a bit spicy and sharp on the tongue. However, the overall flavor profile is surprisingly good.

From my research the whiskey is sourced from Buffalo Trace and is then re-distilled on In Fredericksburg. Buffalo Trace supplies four types of mash to the market: #1, #2, Wheated, and Rye. Bowman uses “Mash Bill #2” is considered a “high rye” with 10-15% rye. This is also the same mash used in the highly overrated and priced Blanton’s Bourbon. I would be curious to see if Bowman’s will eventually switch over to creating their own product in the next few years. It appears to me that the distiller cares about what they are making, but I would prefer a little more honesty upfront on the sourcing.

Priced around $35-$45 a good value to drink neat, rocks, or cocktail.

Many thanks to my friend Sam for giving this bottle to me for gift at Christmas 2022!

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Bowman Brothers – Single Barrel

January 17, 2024 America

Name: Bowman Brothers – Single Barrel

Color: Dark Brown

Nose: Corn, wood, vanilla, caramel cream

Taste: Corn, rye, vanilla, orange zest

Bowman Brothers whiskey hails from Fredericksburg, Virginia. The distillery is named after an American Revolution family who carved a living out in the new frontier as farmers and distillers. Today it is owned by Sazerac, who owns Buffalo Trace (this matters later in the review).

Bowman Brothers – Single Barrel is bottled at 50% abv and has a hot nose and is a little hot to start on tongue but softens after a few sips. Due to the higher proof, I was having trouble identifying the mash, but I guessed it would be Buffalo Trace based on my previous experience with Bowman. From my research it is believed that the mash is Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 which is a “low rye” at less than 10% rye. However, the exact bill is not released to the public. The whiskey is non-age stated (believed to be 9-10 years), triple distilled, and bottled at 50% abv (100 proof). Other Sazerac produced Mash Bill #1’s are: Eagle Rare, EH Taylor, Old Charter, George T. Stage, Buffalo Trace, and a few others.

This is my second sampling of Bowman, and it is starting to become clear to me they care about the whiskey they produce. This expression can work as a sipper or a mixer as it has a decent profile, smooth taste, and is well balanced. Bowman also produces vodka, gin, rum, and brandy. I would like to visit this distillery one day or try a flight of Bowman against some of the other Mash Bill #1’s that I have reviewed in the past.

Priced around $60+ and a good whiskey. I have not seen it on shelves in the NYC area.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Basil Hayden Bourbon

January 4, 2024 America

Name: Basil Hayden Bourbon

Color: Gold Brown

Nose: Apricot, citrus, light vanilla

Taste: Light test of vanilla, oak and a touch of caramel.

This is a very popular Bourbon with a blend of corn, rye and malt barely which gives it a interesting taste but a light one. This Bourbon is a good one to have and I enjoy it on the rocks over mixing it with something due to its lightness. This makes for a good summer Friday drink on the rocks, in a cocktail, by the water or a at a roof top bar.

Price is very good as it ranges from $35-40 and the whisky works well in various combinations depending on how your like to drink your bourbon.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Basil Hayden Toast

January 3, 2024 America

Name: Basil Hayden Toast

Color: Brown

Nose: Corn, vanilla, dry wood, orange, something else?

Taste: Corn, vanilla, honey, wood, sherry, sweet finish

Basil Hayden Toast is one of several “Hayden’s” in the Small Batch expressions produced by Jim Beam Distillery. The name comes from a rye farmer from Maryland that moved to Kentucky. It is not much of a story, so I won’t waste your time.

Toast is bottled at 40% abv, non-aged stated, and as expected it spends time maturing in toasted barrels. The mash bill is 63% corn, 27% brown rice, and 10% malted barley. The brown rice is the “something else?” I could not figure out during my tasting. I don’t recall every trying a whiskey with brown rice in the mash.

I recommend giving this whiskey a chance to breathe before you sample it. It has a nice taste, good balance and is a smooth drinker, but it tasted like shit in an Old Fashioned. At 80 proof it is too weak, and the flavor profile does not work with the sugar, bitters, and fruit.

Priced around $50 and good if you like this style of bourbon but I would try the regular Basil Hayden first.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Weller Antique 107

December 18, 2023 America

Name: Weller Antique 107

Color: Copper

Nose: Wheat, vanilla, orange, wood

Taste: Wheat mash, vanilla, orange, oak, caramel cream

7 Days left before Christmas! Do you have all your bottles yet?!?

Weller Whiskeys are a high-end expression produced by the Buffalo Trace Distillery. The expression is named after William Larue Weller who in the 1840’s was a pioneer in distilling by using wheat in the mash instead of rye. So, he is either a genius innovator or had a shit ton wheat lying around.

Weller Antique 107 is aged 6-7 years in Virgin American White Oak and bottled at 53.5% abv. The mash is believed to be 70% corn, 16% wheat, and 14% malted barley. It is well balanced, easy to drink, with a nice cream finish.

If you live in the NYC area you may not be as familiar with Weller. I do not see it on many shelves or bars. You may recognize it as the preferred whiskey of the Dutton Family from the television show Yellowstone. In 2019 the price was around $40 for this bottle and now is upwards of $130. There is a secondary market issue going on which is a topic for an Opinions Vary review next year.

I want to put something into prospective for you. I bought a dram of Talisker 25-year-old in Glasgow for around $35 last year. A pour of various Weller’s can start at $35 and get up to $50+ in Kentucky depending on the expression and NYC bars would charge much more.

So, I cannot understand why people would spend this kind of money on such young Buffalo Trace product. I can go around the corner from my apartment any buy an 18-year-old single malt for $130 but for some reason people in America want to spend this kind of money on 6-year-old bourbon. Are people fucking stupid?

Current price online is around $130+ and it is good, but not amazing for the price. I got this pour at Casa Montecristo in Paramus, NJ for $10 for 2 ounces. Go drink them dry if you want to try it.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

December 13, 2023 America

Name: Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Corn, vanilla, oak, orange

Taste: Corn, vanilla, oak, orange, spices, and hot finish

The Christmas countdown has begun! Do you have all your bottles ready!?!

On my recent trip to Kentucky to visit St. Matthew we dropped by Wild Turkey for a sample at 11:00am. Yes, 11:00am…..you know, like a reviewer that works hard for his readers or a guy on vacation drinking too much. Take your pick.

Wild Turkey Rare Bread is a non-aged stated blend of 6, 8 and 12 year old whisky. It has a mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. It is bottled at 58.4% abv. This expression was good, but a little too hot on the finish and overall flat tasting for my liking. It needed some water to open up and the flavors came out. It is better than Wild Turkey 101, but I was not overly impressed.

The main visitor center was under construction, so we had to visit this mini building which was 75% merchandise with 25% bar area with no seats. I am unsure of who thought this was a good idea. People on the bourbon trail want to enjoy a drink or two and you crowd them into a space the size of my studio apartment in Murray Hill.

No flights, only drinks and you get to keep the glass, which I left as I really do not need glasses. Also, no cocktails, food and the bathrooms are outside in a modern trailer bathroom setup.

Priced around $65 and good if you like Wild Turkey.

If you like it, drink it!

Minor Case Rye

December 11, 2023 America

Name: Minor Case Rye

Color: Light brown

Nose: Rye, pepper spices, vanilla, caramel sugar, wood

Taste: Rye, pepper, oak, vanilla/caramel

The Christmas countdown has begun! Do you have all your bottles ready!?!

Minor Case Rye is produced by the Limestone Branch Distillery which is located in Lebanon, KY and was founded in 2010. The distillery is named after the Limestone in the earth in Kentucky which affects the water used in in Bourbon. The owners can “trace” their lineage back to Jim Beam (can’t state that you’re related huh?), they have a whiskey called Yellowstone (timing is everything huh?), and they are partnered with Luxco which distributes the cheapest looking booze I have every seen. Anyone see where I am going with this yet? All the marketing signs point to shitty whiskey.

With all that said, Minor Case Rye is not half bad. It honestly surprised me with the taste. It is much sweeter than I expected from the rye. I figured it would have had the standard rye flavors, which is does, but it is covered with the sherry cask finish which makes it an easy drinker. The balance is good, the taste does not equal the nose, which is nice in a Rye. You could enjoy this neat or on the rocks. I do not think it would work well in a cocktail.

Priced around $50 and good for the price if you like the flavor profile, but its nothing amazing.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Stranahan’s Bushmills Cask

December 3, 2023 America

Name: Stranahan’s Bushmills Cask

Color: Copper

Nose: Light malt, light oak, white fruits

Taste: Malt, spring water, butter-cream, apple

The Christmas countdown has begun! Do you have all your bottles ready!?!

Stranahan’s Whiskey was founded in 2004 and it is located at 200 S. Kalamath St. Denver, CO. The distillery and visitor center is in an industrial park and has a simple outdoor seating area with a nice view of the mountains. The inside bar area has a modern rustic wood design with seating for around 75 people. The bar serves whiskey, flights, cocktails, and the retail store sells bottles and merchandise.

Stranahan’s Bushmills Cask is aged for four years in new American oak barrels with a No. 3 char. It is then is transferred to Bushmills casks to age for another year and then bottled at 47% abv.

This expression has Irish cream notes with a lighter finish. When water is added it opens up, but does not have any amazing taste profile. It tastes like an experimental whiskey, which form my research, it is. This expression is part of the “Distilleries Experimental Series, and I would be very surprised if it went into full production. I bet it was created just for St. Patrick’s day to keep people buying local Denver whiskey than the standard Irish bottles.

Other expressions: Original, Blue Peak, Mountain Angel 10 Year, Snowflake, Diamond Peak, Sherry Cask, Single Barrel, and various special releases.

Priced around $70 and good, but not amazing. Not sure where you can find it in the NYC as it is a limited release.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Badsons Winter Haze

Antica Formula Vermouth

Bowman Brothers – Small Batch

Bowman Brothers – Single Barrel

Basil Hayden Bourbon

Basil Hayden Toast

Weller Antique 107

Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Minor Case Rye

Stranahan’s Bushmills Cask

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