America | Page 7 | NYC Whiskey Review

Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon

August 25, 2022 America

Name: Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Cream, corn, vanilla

Taste: Cream, corn, vanilla, little burn finish

The history of Wild Turkey Bourbon dates back to 1891 and the names is said to have come from an executive by the name of Austin Nichols who enjoyed some samples of a bourbon distilled in Tyrone, Kentucky on a turkey hunting trip in 1940. By 1942 he was bottling Wild Turkey and continue for the next 30 years as he built up his business. Much of the whiskey was purchased from Ripys/Gould Distillery in Tyrone unit he purchased the distillery and changed the name to Wild Turkey Distillery. Since 1980 the distillery has changed ownership a few times and is currently owned by the Campari Group.

This bourbon is an American Institution is there every is one. Even if you don’t drink whiskey you have probably heard the name. Bottle at 50.5% abv (101 proof), hence the name it’s got some kick but a very basic taste. Its basic and good, but not my preferred flavor profile. It mass produced and lacks any deep flavor profile. The Russel Reserve 10 is one of Wild Turkey’s expression and is better for a few dollars more.

Other expressions include 81,81 Rye, Rare Breed, Kentucky Spirit, Longbrach, Masters Keep: 17, Decades, Revival, Russel’s Reserve: 10, Rye 6, Single Barrel Rye, Singel Barrel, and American Honey and Honey Sting.

Priced around $40 and a must try if you drink whisky. Your call if it is a must buy or drink regularly.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Seagram’s 7 Crown American Whiskey

August 11, 2022 America

Name: Seagram’s 7 Crown American Whiskey

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Barley, light oak, other

Taste: Malt, light dark fruits, candy notes

Seagram’s 7 Crown American Whiskey is a classic blended whiskey and bottled at 40% abv. This whiskey was very popular in the 1970’s but lost popularity in the 1980’s & 1990’s when people switched to rum and vodka drinks.

This is an old school whiskey that you would see at your grandparents’ home or a older bar or country club. The nose and taste are not very impressive and there really is not much there. It is basically a mixer that goes with soda water. It is most well known when it is ordered as a “7 and 7” which is Seagram’s 7 and 7 Up Soda. The last time I heard this drink mentioned out loud was in the movie Bridesmaids. I have not heard it ordered in a bar yet.

Nothing special about this whiskey other than it has a low production. Maybe bring it to a 70’s themed party with a six pack of 7 Up or Tab Cola if you can find it.

Priced around $35 and not that good, unless you want to go back in time.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Willet Bourbon Whiskey

July 21, 2022 America

Name: Willet Bourbon Whiskey

Color: Copper Brown

Nose: Corn, oak, citrus

Taste: Corn, vanilla, charred oak, pepper

Review:

Willet Bourbon Whiskey is produced by the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD) in Bardstown, Kentucky. The distiller was originally named the “Willet Distilling Company” until it underwent a name change in the 1980’s. The Willet Family has been in producing whiskey since the late 1800’s and KBD produces familiar expressions such as: Noah’s Mill, Rowan’s Creek, and Willet Rye (along with many more).

Willet Bourbon is aged in new white oak casks, is non-aged stated, and bottled at 94 proof in Willet’s signature tall pot still style bottle. I look at the bottle as more of a marketing product to offset the average tasting bourbon. The tall bottle is pretty cool but I think taking it home in NYC or putting on a bar cart would be a pain in the ass due to its size. The bottled I sampled was Small Batch No. 16022 and I was surprised that it a little rough on the tongue. I was expecting it to be more smooth on the finish and that is how the bottle tricks you in the store. I have tasted Willet Rye and Noah’s Creek and they are a much higher quality spirit. This one tasted ok, but I think it is more of a marketing gimmick with the bottle.

Priced around $60 and good, but not amazing. The bottle would make a good gift for the right person.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Bourbon

June 16, 2022 America

Name: Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Bourbon

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Corn, green grass, light wood

Taste: Corn, green grass, light wood

Jim Beam Devil’s Cut is a “creative expression” from the Jim Beam Distillery. The nose and taste are the same (never a good sign) and it is a little hot on the taste. The mash is 76% corn, 12% rye, 10% malt, and estimated to be aged 4+ years but is a NAS bourbon.

The marketing tells you that “The Devil’s Cut” is the proprietary method of extracting the bourbon trapped in the wood staves of the barrel. So I guess they squeeze the shit out of the wood and filter out the booze and blend it with the regular Jim Beam. The counterpart to the “Devil’s Cut” is the “Angels Share“. It is the expression for the evaporation through a barrel in colder climates. It is also the name of a good movie about scotch.

Devil’s Cut reminds me of Crown Royal vs. Crown Royal Black. The Crown Black is just a richer tasting expression whiskey compared to it’s baseline expression. Devil’s Cut tastes a little richer than regular Jim Beam Bourbon.

Priced around $50 and is ok. If you like to drink Jim Beam, try it for yourself, but I was not impressed at the price.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Eagle Rare Bourbon

June 2, 2022 America

Name: Eagle Rare Bourbon

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Corn/malt, oak, green grass

Taste: Sweet corn, honey, vanilla, oak, brown sugar

Eagle Rare is a straight bourbon, aged approximately 10 years, bottled at 45% abv, and is an undisclosed Buffalo Trace mash bill #1 expression (possible low rye mash). It had a decent taste and is a little spicy on the tongue. When ice is added, it dilutes too quickly, and the flavor rapidly disappears. Add a few drops of water and the flavors opens up and holds a little better. Eagle Rare also won a bunch of awards. Congratulations, I hope the metal was very shinny and the ribbon was soft and silky.

It is decent bourbon, but it was not really fooling me to be amazing at the price versus Buffalo Trace’s baseline price of $35+. Recently on the JRE Podcast a guest asked Joe Rogan why he did not have any Eagle Rare in his studio since he is sponsored by Buffalo Trace. I give that guy credit, he did his homework.

Priced around $45 and it’s fine to drink, but it is not fooling me to be anything too special.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Buffalo Trace Bourbon

May 11, 2022 America

Name: Buffalo Trace Bourbon

Color: Copper

Nose: Corn, vanilla, caramel, dark fruit

Taste: Corn, vanilla, oak, molasses, spice

Buffalo Trace Bourbon comes from the Buffalo Trace Distillery which is located in Frankfort, Kentucky. This bourbon has been around for a long time and is owned by the Sazerac Company.

Buffalo Trace is a large distillery and produces many different expressions and products. They also supply smaller start up distilleries that can not fund the cost of operating a full distillery. Other popular expressions that produced: Colonel H. Taylor, Eagle Rare, George T. Stagg, Old Taylor, Sazerac, W.L. Weller, and many more. If you are not familiar with some of these bourbons I recommend you try them. I visit Kentucky every October and these bottles are on every bar and most stores and they are well known.

One interesting item of note is that Joe Rogan on his podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast” has cracked open a bottle of Buffalo Trace more frequently than any other whiskey since I have started listening to his show. I believe they are a primary sponsor.

Buffalo Trace Bourbon is decent stuff and tastes good for the price but ultimately it is the baseline whiskey for other produced expressions. I find it better for cocktails or slugging it down with friends in the Bluegrass State.

Priced around $40 and worth it to have it on your bar at home for a mixer or to give as a gift.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Sagamore Rye Signature

April 21, 2022 America

Name: Sagamore Rye Signature

Color: Orange brown

Nose: Vanilla, rye, white pepper

Taste: Rye, light spices, vanilla caramel

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 Rye is the baseline expression bottled at 83 proof. This expression has a light nose and a decent taste profile, but compared to the other expressions it is very basic baseline rye. I was informed this expression is 75% of the Sagamore business which would make sense due to the cost of this bottle versus the other expression which can be double and then some. You can not blame a business for making a product affordable that is its cornerstone of production and revenue. However, you can blame it if the cornerstone is absolute shit. Sagamore Rye’s are NOT shit.

If you know where you can purchase all the expressions in a store in the NYC or North New Jersey area please let me know. I only a few different expressions in the stores and they are usually the Signature of the Cask Strength. I would like to purchase a few different expressions for my summer cocktails in 2021.

I recommend Sagamore Rye Signature for cocktails or on the rocks.

Priced around $40 and worth the money to start experiencing Sagamore Whiskey

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Calumet Farm Small Batch Bourbon

April 20, 2022 America

Name: Calumet Farm Small Batch Bourbon

Color: Brown

Nose: Corn, vanilla, wood, dark fruit

Taste: Corn, vanilla, orange cream, light oak

Review:

Calumet Farm was established in 1924 in Lexington, KY and produced numerous champion racehorses. At some point they started making bourbon, and by “making” I mean sourcing it. From my research on their limited information, they source the whisky from Western Spirits by Three Springs Bottling Company in Bowling Green, KY. They then market they shit out of it in a unique and sexy looking bottle.

It is stated that this expression is a blend of 7-8 year-old and 14-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon. The mash bill is 74% corn, 18% rye, 8% malted barley, and bottled at 43% abv.

The first taste gave me a nice balance with an impressive flavor profile. The second taste was very smooth, and I was more impressed. This one was a new experience for me as I had not heard or tried this bourbon before. I do not see it on the shelves here in the NYC area.

Other expressions: 15, 14, 12, 10, 8, Small Batch, and The Pedigree.

Priced around $60 and a decent tasting bourbon. I look forward to trying more expressions to see how they hold up..

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Opinions Vary: What is Best Bang for the Buck?

February 22, 2022 America

Opinions Vary: What is Best Bang for the Buck?

When you think of the question “What’s the best bang for the Buck?” it quickly becomes a very subjective question. For me it depends on what I like to drink and what my wallet can handle. It (and most things) come down to money, quality, and proof (abv). So basically it is Price & Proof if you want a good bang.

The best whiskey for the value has to be connected to the proof for the bang. If you read my reviews you know I am not a fan of cask strength whiskey, but when it comes to maximizing price, I recommend you get the strongest whiskey at the best price. For me I have come to the following conclusions:

Bourbon Best Bang for the Buck:

Knob Creek 9 Year (100 proof) for $35 or Sagamore Rye Cask Strength (112.2 proof) for $60.

Scotch Best Bang for the Buck:

Any 12-Year-Old Single Malt for around $50. If I had to pick two it would be Tomatin 12 or The Singleton 12 at $40 (summer drinker) or Talisker 10 or Laphroig 10 (winter drinker) at $65. Most will be around 80 proof.

Special Occasions Best Bang for the Buck:

18-Year-old Single Malts, Johnnie Walker Blue or other high-quality whiskey give great bang for the buck for you and 1-2 friends drinking with you. If you open a $125-$250 bottle with a recognizable label in a larger group it will evaporate quickly. So buyer and drinker beware, chose your whiskey and friends wisely.

If you are stretching your dollars or spending a fair amount to serve to multiple thirsty people you will want to manage your expectations and wallet. Usually, if you buy a few bottles for a party I know it is going to be drank in mixers, cocktails or on the rocks. So I will go with Knob Creek every time.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Journeyman Last Feather Rye

February 17, 2022 America

Name: Journeyman Last Feather Rye

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Rye, white pepper, dried fruit

Taste: Rye, vanilla, cream, pepper/spice

Journeyman Spirits originates from Three Oaks, Michigan and is stated to be a hand-crafted artisan spirit. The distillery notes that all the ingredients are locally sourced organic grains and a local aquifer supplies the water. The factory that distillery operates out of has some interesting history of producing various old timey items for adults. You can look it up.

The distillery, like many new distilleries produces other spirits to support the whiskey production. Journeyman Spirits also produces vodka, gin, rum, brandy, and liqueurs.

Last Feather Rye is bottled at 45% abv and is a mash of 60% rye and 40% wheat. This rye is their flagship product and has won some awards. (if you read my reviews you know what I think about awards). I sampled was Batch #49, Bottle #413 from the three 200ml bottle box set. I thought the box set was a good price and killed three bottles with one purchase. I found the Last Feather Rye a little on the sweet side and is not that impressive of a flavor profile. It is what it is, which is a young, rough, and locally made slugging whisky that has made its way onto the market. Journeyman Rye reminds me of Mark Twain’s quote: “There is no such thing as a bad whiskey, some are just made better than others”

Priced around $50 and it’s your call to buy a bottle but maybe just get the 3 pack and decide for yourself.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon

Seagram’s 7 Crown American Whiskey

Willet Bourbon Whiskey

Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Bourbon

Eagle Rare Bourbon

Buffalo Trace Bourbon

Sagamore Rye Signature

Calumet Farm Small Batch Bourbon

Opinions Vary: What is Best Bang for the Buck?

Journeyman Last Feather Rye

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