Whiskey reviews and advice by Jeff Schwartz a/k/a The Whiskeyfellow. Learn, laugh and enjoy great whiskey!
Saturday, December 30, 2017
My 2017 Whiskeys of the Year
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Compass Box Hedonism Blended Scotch Review & Tasting Notes
I'm trying something new to me tonight, Compass Box Hedonism. I'm pretty excited about this, it is a blended grain Lowland Scotch aged in new American oak.
Appearance: In the glass, this whisky is a very bright straw color. Swirling it in the Glencairn leaves a thin rim that instantly creates thick, wavy legs to drop back to the pool.
Nose: There is an obvious toasted coconut, followed by oak. Inhaling through my mouth brings out a lovely melon and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: From the first sip, Hedonism is luxurious and creamy, but strangely thin, which is an unexpected combination.
Palate: The toasted coconut from the nose is up front, then followed by oak and honey. Way in the back is caramel that melts into vanilla.
Finish: At 86°, there's no burn but there is a buzzing left on the tip of the tongue. The vanilla rests in the back of the throat, and with each additional sip, the creaminess builds another level. There is a hint of pepper as well.
Bottle, Bar or Bust: I'm loving Hedonism. For a Lowland whisky, there's a lot going on and it isn't as soft as others I've tried. At about $89.00, this is a nicely priced Scotch and I would be happy to have a Bottle in my library. Cheers!
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Yellowstone 2017 Limited Edition Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes
Monday, November 13, 2017
Prizefight Irish Whiskey Review & Tasting Notes
I’m a fan of Irish whiskey and have slowly been adding those I enjoy to my library. When this bottle arrived, I was cautiously excited. The presentation is wonderful, with a beautiful expensive looking label on the front and a backstory that made me curious as to what the quality would be inside the bottle. After all, there’s only a handful of working distilleries in Ireland, and Pugilist Spirits is not one of them. This was obviously an upstart...
You can read the review in its entirety over at Bourbon & Banter. Cheers!
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
#30DaysofBourbon Review
September sure flew by fast. We’re at the end of Bourbon Heritage Month and my #30DaysofBourbon challenge.
Honestly, when I invited folks to join in on the fun, I was completely unprepared for the participation rate. It was wonderful to see all of the #30DaysofBourbon hashtags on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. I tried to visit and like as many of them as possible, but there are thousands of these posts. I hope between my fellow Bourbon & Banter contributors and me; we caught a majority of them...
You can read the remainder of this article at Bourbon & Banter. Cheers!
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
High West Bourye "Limited Sighting" (2017) Review & Tasting Notes
You can read this review in its entirety at Bourbon & Banter. Cheers!
Sunday, September 17, 2017
Rowan's Creek Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes
Tonight I'm pouring Rowan's Creek Small Batch Bourbon. This
is a sourced whiskey aged and bottled by Willett Distillery and bottled at
100.1°. My batch number is 15-54.
In the glass, Rowan's Creek has a deep golden appearance. A swirl in the glass
leaves a very heavy rim that soon produces fat legs.
The aroma is a husky caramel mixed with a floral bouquet. Behind that is a hint
of honey. Inhaling through my mouth features a stronger honey and light citrus.
The mouth feel is amazingly thick. It coats the tongue, but soon thins out. The
palate is cinnamon, caramel, corn, nuts, cereal and honey. It is a bit complex
and takes several sips to nail down the various flavors.
The finish is not as long as one would hope. There's a very enjoyable flavor
that just disappears too quickly. Dry wood is left behind along with vanilla.
Rowan's Creek is fairly easy to locate and for the $30 and change this sets you
back, it is well worth it. As usual, the folks at Willett are very skilled at
sourcing and aging great whiskey. Cheers!
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Maker's Mark Cask Strength Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
#30DaysofBourbon Challenge (2017)
Bourbon is America’s native spirit. September is Bourbon Heritage Month. Attending the Kentucky Bourbon Festival is high up on my bucket list. Every year, I say next year will be the year I make it happen. I’ve been saying that for several years now. One day, it will happen.
A few years ago, realizing that my trip was still out of reach, I wanted to do something to help celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month. I came up with a 30 Days of Bourbon challenge...
You can read the remainder of this article over at Bourbon & Banter. Cheers!
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Teeling Brothers In Arms Irish Whiskey Review & Tasting Notes
It has been a while since I've sat out on the porch and enjoyed the relaxing qualities it offers. Part of that has been due to the summer humidity, part of that has been due to family needs. But, today is a gorgeous day weather-wise and, well, here I am.
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Knob Creek 25th Anniversary Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Store Pick 101: The Private Barrel
One of my favorite aspects of being a whiskey reviewer isn’t writing reviews. Oh, believe me, I love writing reviews. I try to compose one at least weekly. But what I enjoy best is helping folks new to the Wonderful World of Whiskey learn everything they can. I think that’s because I had great people guiding me when I was new to the scene.
Many of you have heard the terms Private Barrel or Store Pick. While these words are commonly used amongst experienced whiskey drinkers, they may not mean much to those who are not. I’m about to tell you everything you’ll ever want to know about the Private Barrel or Store Pick...
You can read the rest of this article at Bourbon & Banter. Cheers!
Sunday, July 16, 2017
George Dickel No. 8 Classic Recipe Tennessee Whisky Review & Tasting Notes
I've never reviewed Tennessee Whisky before, mostly because I rarely drink it. I have been in a very #DrinkCurious mindset; lately, an opportunity has presented itself, and, well, here we are.
There is a lot of controversy as to whether or not Tennessee Whisky meets the standards of Bourbon. I remember asking Jim Rutledge of Four Roses what his thoughts were; he gave me a definitive "No," but he also had a huge smile when he said it.
I can tell that Tennessee Whisky meets every standard required to be labeled as Bourbon.
Today I'm pouring George Dickel No. 8 Classic Recipe. It has been a few years since I tasted anything Dickel. And now, it is time for the review.
Appearance: The appearance is dark amber. Swirling it around in my Glencairn glass leaves thin, watery legs that quickly drop back into the pool of whisky.
Nose: The aroma is heavy citrus that then becomes reminiscent of Old English furniture polish. It is pleasant at first but then causes me to wrinkle my nose. Behind that is some faint oak. Breathing through my open mouth yields many levels of unpleasantness.
And, I will do something I have never done before in a review because I want to be fair. I've already let this rest several minutes, and I'm letting this sit another ten minutes before continuing.
That extra resting period was what was needed. That up-front citrus remained, and behind that, apple or pear. The oak is not coming through. Inhaling through my mouth brought more apple or pear.
Palate: The first run on my palate gives crisp apple, honey, and mild wood. There's not much else. A second sip brings more wood that becomes very dry, and that apple is muted with mint in its place. The mouthfeel is creamy and amazingly smooth.
Finish: The finish is all front and consists of spice and dry wood. It lingers for several minutes. Some may think there is a lot of burn in that finish, but in my opinion, that's just dry.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: At 80°, George Dickel No. 8 is easy to have in your mouth, it has a welcoming texture, but I'm not enjoying the flavor. As such, I can't recommend this, even with its attractive $20 price point. It takes a Bust. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy to Understand Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.
Friday, July 7, 2017
Laphroaig Select, 10-Year Cask Strength, Lore, 15-Year, Quarter Cask
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Rebel Yell 10-Year Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Making the Case to #DrinkCurious
Do you like a whiskey because you’re expected to like it? Do you hate another because you’ve not heard anything good about it? Are you a fanboy of a certain distiller (or producer), and absolutely anything that comes from them gets a free pass? Have you had a bad glass of whatever, and you’ve judged the entire product line based on your bad experience?
I keep thinking back to Old Weller Antique. My wife was kind enough to buy me a bottle several years ago. She was in the business and told it was very decent. I tried it. I hated it. I mean, I really, really hated it, to the point where I poured the remainder down the drain several months later because we were moving and, well, I didn’t want to go cross country with something I couldn’t stand...
You can read this article in its entirety over at Bourbon & Banter. Cheers!
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
KOVAL Millet Single Barrel Whiskey Review
What I do have is a new glass that will debut with my next review. This one is going into retirement.
The pour is KOVAL Single Barrel Millet Whiskey. KOVAL is a unique distillery based in Chicago. They really do their own distilling and are not bottling someone else's product. It should also be noted KOVAL is owned by and run by women. That's also somewhat unique in this typical male-dominated industry.
Millet is an exciting choice. As an ancient grain, it is gluten-free. It is also a grain that few, if any, distilleries use at least as a primary part of the mash. In this case, KOVAL uses a 100% certified organic millet mash.
The appearance of this whiskey has an attractive orangish copper color. I can't very well say I've seen that in others. Swirling it in the glass leaves a thick rim that produces wide legs. Those legs do descend quickly.
The nose is grainy and floral. That's obviously the millet. There is some light wood that permeates through. Inhaling through my open lips doesn't change it up. It is clean but curious. Running it past my lips brings a light sweetness with caramel, allspice, and slight woodiness that reminds me of cedar.
The finish is drier than expected. It hangs around mid-palate and offers a bit of smokiness to savor.
At only 80°, this goes
down very easily. Despite the dry and smoky part of the finish, there is no
real burn. The fun thing about this is how unique it tastes; it entices you to
keep sipping to figure out what is happening.
As far as a purchase
recommendation, price becomes a serious consideration. Like many craft
whiskeys, KOVAL shoots for that $50 price point. KOVAL Millet is so unique I recommend
finding a good whiskey Bar and buying a pour, then deciding for
yourself. I'm happy to have this as part of my library, but it can't be
pigeonholed with anything else. Cheers!
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Maker's Mark 46 Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes
Tonight's pour is Maker's
46. If you're unfamiliar with it, the best explanation is it is the Maker's
Mark you know and love that has been finished using French oak staves. It is
also only finished during the Winter season.
I've reviewed Maker's 46 a few times. One of the reasons I love it is because
of all the big flavor.
The appearance is a beautiful rich amber, and swirling it in my Glencairn
forces the whiskey to cling to the sides. Interestingly enough, they don't
really drop. They just hang there.
The nose is an amazing sweet fruit followed by vanilla. The fruit really
presents itself and is domineering.
When I bring the glass to my lips and inhale, the fruitiness disappears and
instead I pick up thick chocolate. That's totally unexpected!
The first taste is the sweet wheat you expect from Maker's Mark, and from there
flavor changes to cherry. There's a little bit of chocolate for good measure,
and then that French oak brings the spiciness that continues to build to an
amazing finish. The combination can best be described as delightful.
At only 94° there is more tingle from the finish than you might have assumed.
For the $34 spent, Maker's 46 is something I'm proud to have and will
definitely be a permanent part of my whiskey library.