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Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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September 27, 2024 |
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A few more American whiskies
We've been quite impressed by American malts and ryes lately, and by the fact that, in most cases, they manage to stand out without relying too heavily on those 'alien' casks that other countries sometimes use to the point of excess to flavour their whiskies. In short, enough with the barriques, long live the barrels! |
Louis XVI of Bourbon, King of France at the time
when the famous Bourbon County in Kentucky
adopted his family name in 1785. Unfortunately,
that didn’t bring him much luck... |
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Stranahan’s ‘Blue Peak’ (43%, OB, USA, single malt, +/-2024)
From Colorado. One of the pioneers of American malt, Stranahan’s was talked about quite a bit around fifteen years ago (I think). They seem rather quiet in Europe these days, though. We really enjoyed a ‘Batch 112’ ten years ago (WF 86). This Blue Peak is aged for 4 years in new American oak, followed by a ‘solera finish’, though I’ve no clue what that actually entails. Some kind of barrel homogenisation? A perpetual vat? Spanish ex-solera butts? Colour: dark gold. Nose: young, with quite a present woodiness, but not out of place in this setting. Loads of cinnamon and nutmeg, followed by ginger, cocoa, slightly acidic coffee (or mocha), and black tea. It’s fairly dry and austere, without any obvious beams. By which I mean, no blatant vanilla or coconut. Mouth: still quite austere, dry, woody, with teas, then brown sugar, slightly unripe fruits, and oak spices. It gradually becomes more fruity, with apples and plums. Finish: not very long, with no major shifts, but a return of that cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg trio towards the end. Comments: young, no frills, and very good in my book.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
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Sonoma ‘California Rye’ (46.5%, OB, USA, 2024)
Never been disappointed by these Sonoma whiskies, which I first discovered in a small grocery in the… Napa Valley. Their ‘Sonoma County Rye’ was excellent as well (WF 86). That said, this bottle states ‘a blend of straight rye whiskeys’, which is a bit puzzling. Is it sourced? Colour: gold. Nose: I may need to start watching out for these ryes. Stunning oranges, bitter oranges, hints of juniper, caraway, vanilla cream, and coriander… No, I’m not describing a gin. Mouth: the mix of these spices and aged triple-sec is pretty irresistible, at least for me. A lovely freshness, all very straightforward. Finish: a bit of honey and maple syrup come in to round out the sweetness. Some speculoos in the aftertaste (not very Californian, that) and more wood spices. Comments: we really ought to start a world rye club.
SGP:651 - 86 points. |
... and since we're persistent, or at least we try to be... |
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Michter’s 10 yo ‘Kentucky Straight Rye’ (46.4%, OB, USA, +/-2024)
This single barrel Rye carries the 'Straight' designation, which means it's been aged for at least two years, not that it’s 100% rye—though it is, of course, mostly rye (at least 51%). Without ‘Straight’, there wouldn’t be any minimum ageing requirement. Colour: amber. Nose: utterly beautiful, with apricots, varnish, and glue (which we adore), rose petals, jasmine, mango, flambéed bananas, a gentler juniper touch, well-balanced vanilla, and honey. The balance here is impeccable. Mouth: there’s a real bourbon-like quality, but with more cooked and fresh fruits. The bananas return (think banana tarte), alongside plums, peaches, and pears, all wrapped in honey, with that lovely varnish note we’re so fond of. Finish: rather long and delightfully fruity. Lavender sweets, honey, pear, and a touch of juniper. Comments: Michter’s now distils on their own, but it’s unclear if this batch is from their own production. But frankly, this is excellent, fresh, and cheerful. Definitely not a rye-bomb, though.
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
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Never Say Die ‘Barrel Strength’ (60.5%, OB, Kentucky Straight Bourbon, barrel, cask #8)
Billed as having ‘Kentucky provenance, English character’, though one might cheekily add ‘and French taster’. What could possibly go wrong? Intriguingly, it’s distilled in Kentucky and finished in England—though by ‘finished’, they thankfully don’t mean ‘consumed’. Made from 75% corn, so we’re expecting sweetness. Colour: deep gold. Nose: neat, it’s all about milk chocolate and pancake syrup. With water: a few oily touches (peanut), light earthiness, pistachios, and an Italian-style hazelnut liqueur note. Mouth (neat): very hot, leaning towards grain territory, with a mountain of jelly babies and a splash of coffee liqueur. With water: reminds one of North British, but with a bit more backbone. Apple juice, corn syrup, vanilla, and sweets. Finish: not very long, really all about the sweets—English sweets, of course. A frappuccino note lingers in the aftertaste—those cheeky Americans! Comments: a high-powered bourbon with a light structure. I probably should have tasted this before the ryes, my mistake. Mea culpa.
SGP:720 - 79 points. |
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Leiper’s Fork 4 yo ‘bottled in bond’ (50%, OB, Tennessee Whiskey, new American oak #4, +/-2024)
With a mashbill of 70% corn, we’re venturing into familiar territory. Colour: deep gold. Nose: there’s that classic candy sweetness and maple syrup, but here it’s bolstered by more vanilla and a bit of structure from the oak. A touch of apple juice as well, which is rather pleasant. With water: much the same. Mouth (neat): toasted brioche, followed by a nicely earthy and rooty side. Cooked turnips with honey, or something along those lines, then a return of syrup—cane or agave perhaps. With water: the wood asserts itself more, with ginger, turmeric, and then a dose of sugar. Finish: a bit of rye now comes through, alongside a hint of soft rum. The maple syrup makes a reappearance in the aftertaste. Comments: it’s enjoyable, though I find spirits so heavily dominated by corn a bit lacking in structure. Still, yes, it’s quite nice.
SGP:730 - 81 points. |
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Heaven’s Door ‘Schlumberger Selection 6’ (59.4%, OB, Tennessee, Straight Bourbon whiskey, single barrel, cask #28897)
A 5-year-old bottling for Germany, and yes, co-created by none other than Bob Dylan—between Bob Dylan and Beyoncé, well, I’m not torn at all! Colour: full gold. Nose: mint and liquorice over wood shavings and ripe apples. As they say, it speaks—and it speaks well. With water: a slice of rye bread and still a bit of sawdust, but that’s not a bad thing at all. Some lovely forest notes, mushrooms, moss—indeed it’s really quite nice. Mouth (neat): powerful, well-balanced, in a similar vein to Leiper’s Fork but with more honey and a hint of saffron. Also a touch of pine resin. Quite enjoyable. With water: water works wonders, bringing out varnish (the opposite of what usually happens) and honeyed baked fruits, with a bit of grated ginger. Finish: rather long, with saffron making a notable return. A slightly dry, matte note in the aftertaste, thanks to the young wood. Comments: the answer, my friend…
SGP:651 - 83 points. |
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Westward ‘Pinot Noir Cask’ (45%, OB, USA, single malt, +/-2023)
This little gem, ‘powered by Diageo/Distill Ventures’, was finished for two years in Oregon Pinot Noir casks. If you’re going to add wine, might as well keep it local, right? Colour: gold, less pink than earlier batches. Nose: the real triumph here, in my opinion, is that you don’t actually smell the red wine. Instead, you get oranges (without that sangria note), Oriental pastries, honey, orange blossom, rustic bread, pumpernickel, a hint of earthy tobacco, a delicate touch of wood glue, and pink pepper. It’s all spot-on. Mouth: the kind of whisky I want to dislike—if you catch my drift. But it’s actually a tad sweeter than expected, yet beautifully balanced with a slight vinegary edge, a touch of game, and that ‘old rag’ and black cherry note that’s so typical of a good Pinot Noir. The most baffling thing is there’s no clash at all—it must be some sort of magic. Finish: long, with pumpernickel and gingerbread. A hint of cherry liqueur (guignolet) lingers, with lovely spices in the aftertaste. Comments: I’m almost ashamed of how much I like this. Shh, don’t tell anyone—especially not the Burgundians.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
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Heritage Distilling Co. 5 yo 2018/2023 (61.15%, American Single Cask, chocolate malted barley, USA, new oak heavy char, cask #0003, 223 bottles)
Well, here we are back in Washington State. These folks absolutely floored us back in August with their 2016 100% rye under the same banner (WF 91). Just a quick note, 'chocolate malt' refers to heavily roasted malt and has nothing to do with actual chocolate. Colour: reddish amber. Nose: wham, right in the face. Tar, coffee grounds, earth, new plastic, fig and tomato leaves, and an old tea box... What on earth is this? With water: rather amusing, it all settles down a bit, but then we get some lovely notes of spinach, sorrel, wild garlic, thyme, marjoram... and yes, some chocolate. Mouth (neat): highly improbable. Loads of myrtle, smoke, slightly acidic tar, a bit of wild moutai, fish stock, plastic... It’s so bonkers that you start to wonder if there’s some nuclear waste in here as well (are you alright, S.?). With water: still absolutely mad. Vin Jaune, mustard, glue, plastics, seawater… Finish: very long, salty, and acidic, with a strong sorrel, olive, and black garlic character. Comments: first of all, is this even legal? And secondly, is it moral? Never tasted anything like this. PS: I love it.
SGP:283 - 90 points. |
Right, let's at least try to find some form of redemption, we can't stay like this... |
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2BAR Spirits 4 yo 2019/2023 (58.94%, American Single Cask, Straight Bourbon whiskey, ex-red wine finish, USA, cask #0005, 286 bottles)
We're still on the West Coast, this time in Seattle. The mention of a red wine finish is always a bit daunting, but there are the odd pleasant surprises – as we've seen with Westward. By the way, 2BAR Spirits claim their goal is simple: ‘make a damn fine whiskey’. Fair enough. Colour: reddish amber. Nose: they’re starting to get a bit boring with their fantastic juices. Strawberry tarte, chestnut honey, fresh malt, orange jam, maple syrup. No red berries, save for a touch of cooked strawberry. With water: a literal explosion of morello cherry. Unlikely, but stunning, especially since we're rather fond of cherries. Mouth (neat): you can feel the wine, but you can also feel the bourbon’s ‘malty’ character, or so it seems. Black tea, spices, cracked pepper, cherry jam. With water: brioche, walnuts, cherries, pepper, and Blanc de Noirs Champagne. They’re infuriatingly good, honestly. Surely, they must be using some form of AI, especially since they're up in the Pacific Northwest. Finish: long, textured, elegant, almost creamy. Cherry marmalade with honey and pepper. Only the aftertaste is a tad chocolatey and drying, with a fairly strong tannic note. Comments: the perfect counterpart to the Heritage Distilling Co., it’s like watching Beauty and the Beast all over again. In any case, this whole series by ‘American Single Cask’ is of an incredibly high standard and, most importantly, wonderfully entertaining for a taster who might occasionally feel a tad jaded. But I imagine, alas, that they don’t have millions of barrels.
SGP:561 - 90 points. |
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