Sagamore Double Oak Rye

Sagamore Double Oak Rye

December 21, 2022

Name: Sagamore Double Oak Rye

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Light wood, vanilla, caramel, light spice/nuts

Taste: Sweet, oak, spice caramel

4 Days until Christmas! Do you have your bottles ready for the Holiday Season?!

Sagamore Spirit Whiskey originates from Baltimore, Maryland and is owned by the owner Under Armor clothing. The marketing claims that Maryland produced rye whiskey before Bourbon was created in Kentucky. This makes sense when you look at how America’s colonies and states developed, however, I can now smell a Mad Men marketing a mile away before I taste a whiskey.

Sagamore Double Oak Rye is bottled at 96 proof and aged 4-5 years in two oak barrels that have grooved cuts and are char’d to level 1. At the time of my tasting (March 2020) it had not be released and any release was going to be limited. The bottle design is six sided to represent a diamond to show quality. Ok, and again, more fucking marketing. Perhaps, and I am just guessing, it was designed to stand out on a shelf. Humans base first thoughts and actions on sight above all other senses.

This rye has a nice balance, but the rye notes are slightly masked by the sweet oak taste. It is very good, but I prefer the Sagamore Cask Strength over the Double Oak. I also find these better as high-end mixers than straight drinker.

Priced around $60 and worth the money.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

ChrisSagamore Double Oak Rye
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Clyde’s May – Original Alabama Whiskey

Clyde’s May – Original Alabama Whiskey

December 15, 2022

Name: Clyde’s May Original Alabama Whiskey

Color: Copper Brown

Nose: Corn, rye, and malt blend, citrus, pepper, wood

Taste: Malted blend with corn, dry cedar, vanilla, lemon

10 Days until Christmas! Do you have your bottles ready for the Holiday Season?!

Clyde May is named after a moonshiner from Alabama with a long history of backwoods whiskey production. Clyde passed away in 1990 and his son took over the business and made it legal. The whiskey is sourced from Indiana and/or Kentucky and bottled in Florida. As of January 2022, they have broken ground with a distillery in Troy, Alabama. Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2023 and first releases in 2027. The history of the May Family is one of good old fashion American grit, which I appreciate. Most new distilleries are just kids playing with daddy’s money or bored rich guys.

Unfortunately, the old fashion “grit” does not translate into quality. The first and second tastes of the Alabama Whiskey are just basic. This is their baseline expression and is a mixed bag in taste and with the nose.  The taste profile has that blended corn, malt, and rye thing going on. The nose is softer than the Straight Bourbon and the color is darker than some of the other expressions. The abv is not strong enough to last in a cocktail and would be watered down too quickly. I find it hard to believe that they won any awards.

Other expressions: Straight Rye, Straight Bourbon, Alabama Style Whiskey, Clyde May’s Cask Strength, Alabama Style Whiskey, and Clyde May’s Special Reserve Alabama Style Whiskey.

Priced around $40 and drinkable. Good for cheap slugging or cocktails.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

ChrisClyde’s May – Original Alabama Whiskey
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New Riff Rye

New Riff Rye

December 14, 2022

Name: New Riff Rye

Color: Light brown

Nose: Rye, cream, vanilla

Taste: Rye, orange, wood, white pepper

11 Days until Christmas! Do you have your bottles ready for the Holiday Season?!

New Riff Rye is produced by New Riff Distilling and is located in Newport, KY. The distillery was founded by Ken Lewis who used to own The Party Source Store in the same plaza. It is my understanding that you cannot produce and distribute in Kentucky, so he sold the store to start the distillery.

The mash bill is 95% rye, 5% malted rye, and is bottled at 50% abv.. The whiskey is aged for 4 years in new charred barrels, and is non-chilled filtered. The malted rye adds a different flavor profile which is very nice. It has a good balance, not too spicy, and a sweeter finish than I expected. I did not get to try it in a cocktail, but I am sure it would it would work very well.However, for a rye I prefer Sagamore Cask Strength for the spicy flavor for a few dollars more.

The current expressions produced: Bourbon, Single Barrel Bourbon, Rye, Single Barrel Rye, Red Turkey Wheat, Wild Gin, and Bourbon Barreled Gin.

Price around $50 and is good valve for the price.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

 

ChrisNew Riff Rye
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Bardstown – Discovery Series #1

Bardstown – Discovery Series #1

November 17, 2022

Name: Bardstown – Discovery Series #1

Color: Copper

Nose: Corn, wood, dark fruit, orange

Taste: Corn, sweet orange jam, warm mulling spices

Bardstown Bourbon Company is from Bardstown, Kentucky and it is a relatively new company compared with others from the region. I learned they are “a new blend of bourbon makers pushing the boundaries through innovation” and “a modern Napa Valley styled facility with food paring…on the new 1,000-acre property…combo of distillery, visitor center, rickhouses, and active farm”. I visited the distillery in April 2021 and it is impressive. It makes some other visitor centers feel tiny in comparison. The company states $25 million was spent on the property, but it appears they spent much more. I hoped to sample some of the expensive expressions, but they were only available for purchase.

Discovery Series #1 is a very nice balance when some water is added. Compared to the Fusion Series it is a better bourbon, but you pay double, if not more.

Stated on the bottle:

  • 5% Kentucky Bourbon 13 years, 78% corn, 12% rye, 10% malted barley
  • 75% Kentucky Bourbon 11.7 years, 74% corn, 18% rye, 8% malted barley
  • 10% Kentucky Bourbon 10 years, 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley
  • 10% Kentucky Bourbon 5 years, 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley
  • NAS, non-chilled filtered, 60.605% abv (121 proof)

This expression is also very hot, almost too hot. It needs water to cut it to expose the flavor profile. I continue to feel and state in my reviews; I am the customer, why am doing your job as the distiller? It makes sense to me when you use high proof for cocktails to deal with the ice, but I’m not spending $100+ on a mixer. You get 100 proofs for $35-50.

I purchased this bottled at a charity auction for Brett Ferencz, aka “Scotch Trooper” to support his fight against cancer. Sadly, Brett lost his battle with cancer on February 11th, 2021.I would like to note that if you can afford expensive whiskey please consider donating money to families, friends, neighbors, or strangers that are fighting cancer. Cancer just doesn’t devastate a ones health and family’s emotional state, it does massive damages to their finances.

Priced around $130+ and worth the money is you like the taste profile and the proof. 

Rest in Peace Scotch Trooper.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

 

ChrisBardstown – Discovery Series #1
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Bardstown – Fusion Series #4

Bardstown – Fusion Series #4

November 16, 2022

Name: Bardstown – Fusion Series #4

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Corn, vanilla, wood, orange, cherry notes

Taste: Corn and malt, orange-vanilla, spicy, pepper finish

Bardstown Bourbon Company is from Bardstown, Kentucky and it is a relatively new company compared with others from the region. I learned they are “a new blend of bourbon makers pushing the boundaries through innovation” and “a modern Napa Valley styled facility with food paring…on the new 1,000-acre property…combo of distillery, visitor center, rickhouses, and active farm”. I visited the distillery in April 2021 and it is impressive. It makes some other visitor centers feel tiny in comparison. The company states $25 million was spent on the property, but it appears they spent much more. 

The Fusion Series #4 falls under Bardstown baseline whiskey for taste and price point. I found this expression a little too hot and needed some water to open up.

As stated on the bottle:

    • 40% Kentucky, 13 years, 74% corn / 18% rye / 8% malted barely
    • 11% Bardstown Bourbon Co. Kentucky, 3 years, 60% corn / 40% rye
    • 15% Bardstown Bourbon Co. Kentucky, 3 years, 78% corn /1 0% rye / 12% malted barley
    • 34% Bardstown Bourbon Co. Kentucky, 4 years, 70% corn / 18% rye / 12% malted barley
    • 94.9 proof

I was not amazed with the taste, but it is a good whiskey for the price compared to other expressions. I am not finding too many Bardstown Bourbons on the shelves in the NYC area. Is anyone seeing them? Please reach out if you do via social media I would be curious to see the selections offered and prices.

Priced around $65 and worth the money for a baseline bourbon expression.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

ChrisBardstown – Fusion Series #4
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Bardstown – The Prisoner #2

Bardstown – The Prisoner #2

November 2, 2022

Name: Bardstown – The Prisoner #2

Color: Brown

Nose: Corn, vanilla, citrus, root beer, dry wood (amber wood)

Taste: Earthy, dirt, honey, vanilla

Bardstown Bourbon Company is from Bardstown, Kentucky and it is a relatively new company compared with others from the region. I learned they are “a new blend of bourbon makers pushing the boundaries through innovation” and “a modern Napa Valley styled facility with food paring…on the new 1,000-acre property…combo of distillery, visitor center, rickhouses, and active farm”. I visited the distillery in April 2021 and it is impressive. It makes some other visitor centers feel tiny in comparison. The company states $25 million was spent on the property, but it appears they spent much more. I hoped to sample some of the expensive expressions, but they were only available for purchase.

The Prisoner #2 has a dryer nose/taste than any other expression I have sampled from the distillery. It has a very flat and earthy dirt flavor that heavily masks the other flavors. I do not know if it is the Tennessee corn that I am not enjoying, but this was not that enjoyable for me.

As stated on the bottle label:

  • Origin = Tennessee
  • Age = 10 years
  • Mash Bill = 84% Corn, 8% Rye, 8% Malted Barley
  • 50%abv / 100 proof

I was overall unimpressed with this expression, especially at the price. The bartender at the distillery told me they were “selling out of this amazing whiskey”. I thought to myself, “This kinda smells like bullshit”. I would have loved to go into the back room or warehouse to see how many cases they had left. A tip for you on my experience on anything a seller is running out of, don’t believe them. You will know when someone is running out of something when the price goes up significantly or you can’t find it on the self.

Priced around $125+ and not enjoyable due to the flavor profile.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

ChrisBardstown – The Prisoner #2
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Opinions Vary: Neat or on the Rocks

Opinions Vary: Neat or on the Rocks

October 26, 2022

Opinions Vary: Neat or on the Rocks

Following up on my Opinions Vary: Cask Strength I wanted to give my thoughts on enjoying whiskey “Neat” or “On the Rocks”.

On the Rocks makes sense to most people as it is on ice. The term “neat” comes from somewhere at sometime and has a history that I can’t figure out, but it sounds cool when you say it in a bar ordering your whiskey.

I believe that a good whiskey, which is subject your opinion, needs nothing more than a glass. I have found that ice can really ruin the enjoyment of a good whiskey. If you are drinking whiskey over 18 years old (and sometimes younger), it usually has been created with care and balanced very well for taste. Why ruin it with ice?

With many whiskeys it can be a crap shoot. A whiskey on ice may be nice, but the ice melts and waters down the whiskey. It affects the taste, weakens it, and makes it easier to drink. I find this a problem when drinking bourbon on the rocks. The sweetness of the corn mash becomes easier to consume and you end up drinking too much too quickly.

Many years ago watched Anthony Bourdain on No Reservations drinking his favorite whiskey on the rocks. From what I remember, he was in Brooklyn and he was drinking Pappy Van Winkle 23-Year-Old in some hipster bar. He spoke about how you can drink whiskey any way you want, which is true, but you need to consider a few things. One thing to consider is the TV show was paying for it, another was he did well for himself finically so he could have bathed in Pappy for all I care. For most of us, budgets are a controlling factor in our whiskey experience.

My advice, order whiskey neat, with ice on the side. Start with one or two cubes and take it from there.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

ChrisOpinions Vary: Neat or on the Rocks
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Bardstown Bourbon Company – Fusion Series #1

Bardstown Bourbon Company – Fusion Series #1

October 20, 2022

Name: Bardstown Bourbon Company – Fusion Series #1

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Corn, vanilla, dark fruit, wood

Taste: Corn, cherry, oak, caramel, pepper

Bardstown Bourbon Company is from Bardstown, Kentucky and it is a relatively new company compared with others from the region. I learned they are “a new blend of bourbon makers pushing the boundaries through innovation” and “a modern Napa Valley styled facility with food paring…on the new 1,000-acre property…combo of distillery, visitor center, rickhouses, and active farm”. I visited the distillery in April 2021 and it is impressive. It makes some other visitor centers feel tiny in comparison. The company states $25 million was spent on the property, but it appears they spent much more. I hoped to sample some of the expensive expressions, but they were only available for purchase. 

Fusion Series #1 is very good. It is well balanced, well made, has a smooth flavor profile, and has just the right amount of kick to it. Stated on the bottle is the following:

  • 40% Kentucky Bourbon 11.7 years, 74% corn, 18% rye, 8% malted barley
  • 18% Bardstown Bourbon 2.3 years, 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley
  • 42% Bardstown Bourbon 2.1 years, 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley
  • NAS, non-chilled filtered, 49.45% abv 

I purchased this bottled at a charity auction for Brett Ferencz, aka “Scotch Trooper” to support his fight against cancer. Sadly, Brett lost his battle with cancer on February 11th, 2021. I would like to note that if you can afford expensive whiskey please consider donating money to families, friends, neighbors, or strangers that are fighting cancer. Cancer just doesn’t devastate a ones health and family’s emotional state, it does massive damages to their finances.

The Series #5 is available for around $60. Series #1,2,3,4 are now listed as “Previous Releases” so I am not sure if you will be able to find them, nor do I know the price. The bourbon and distillery are worth your money and your time.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

ChrisBardstown Bourbon Company – Fusion Series #1
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Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon

Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon

October 12, 2022

Name: Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Corn, vanilla, oranges, dry wood

Taste: Same but rough

Clyde May’s is named after a man and moonshiner from Alabama with a long history of backwoods whiskey production. Clyde passed away in 1990 and his son took over the business and made it legal. The whiskey is sourced from Indiana (or possibly Kentucky) and is bottled in Florida. As of January 2022, they have broken ground in Troy, Alabama with construction to complete in 2023 and first released production expected in 2027. 

The Straight Bourbon is young, rough, and has not real sense of style. It is a not mixed bag of flavors like the Alabama Style Whiskey. The first and second tastes of this whiskey are the same, which is shit. The good news is the second taste is less shit because your mouth adjusted to the first taste of shit stuck on your tongue. 

Other expressions (hopefully less shitty): Straight Rye, Straight Bourbon, Alabama Style Whiskey, Clyde May’s Cask Strength, Alabama Style Whiskey, and Clyde May’s Special Reserve Alabama Style Whiskey.

Priced around $40 and it is just a quickly produced low level whiskey. 

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

ChrisClyde May’s Straight Bourbon
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Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

September 8, 2022

Name: Blantons’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

Color: Brown

Nose: Spices, caramel, vanilla, orange

Taste: Charred oak, vanilla, honey finish, slight burn

Over 4th of July weekend at lot of people on social media were celebrating with BBQ and Blanton’s Bourbon. I was going to join the pack and get a bottle but my Scottish side somehow convinced me to drink scotch on the rocks. A few weeks later and still in the mood, I dropped into “American Whiskey” in midtown Manhattan and treated myself to a Blanton’s.

Blanton’s Bourbon is a “single barrel” bourbon that spends 8 years in white oak barrels that have been toasted to a #4 char rating. The mash bill is estimated to be 51% corn with 15% rye, however, the exact figures are not released from the distillery. The term “single barrel” means that each bottle comes from an individual aged barrel instead of from multiple blended barrels. The bottle label lists the date, warehouse, barrel, location, etc. which is different to almost all whiskies. To summarize, one barrel will produce a limited amount of bottles from that specific barrel.

For the TV and movies fans, you might recognize Blanton’s because of the unique bottle shape. If you have watched the TV show “Justified” or you have seen the movies John Wick I & II you will see Blanton’s being drank. In Justified, which took place in South Eastern Kentucky, the US Marshall’s sipped it in their office. In John Wick, Keanu Reeves prefers bourbon to pain meds after he takes a beating fighting from fellow hit-men.

One thing I really like about Blanton’s (besides the taste) is the bottle. The octagonal shape and cork with racehorse and jockey stand out among other bottles of bourbon. The combination of single barreling, the taste and the bottle style make a great gift for yourself or someone else.

Price around $50-60 it is well worth the price.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

ChrisBlanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey
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