- Bottle = Buy it
- Bar = Try it first
- Bust = Leave it
Whiskey reviews and advice by Jeff Schwartz a/k/a The Whiskeyfellow. Learn, laugh and enjoy great whiskey!
Friday, May 28, 2021
Evan Williams 12-Year Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Caol Ila 12 Single Malt Scotch Review & Tasting Notes
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Monday, May 24, 2021
Mythology "Hell Bear" American Whiskey Review & Tasting Notes
"…. A Colorado prospector ventured into darkness. In the mine, he heard a loud snap– then he was falling! In a daze, in pitch black, he awoke, face-to-face with a unique creature– part bear, part badger. Resolved that today wouldn’t be his last, he rose and followed the glow of the creature’s eyes. The Hell Bear guided the explorer to the surface, then vanished back into the mine." Mythology Distillery
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs that you do so responsibly.
Friday, May 21, 2021
Compass Box Asyla Blended Scotch Review & Tasting Notes
- Bottle = Buy it
- Bar = Try it first
- Bust = Leave it
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Deadwood Straight Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Grand Traverse Distillery Islay Rye Review & Tasting Notes - Updated 5-18-2021
"Islay Rye is a small-batch Rye Whiskey that takes two of our favorite things and combines them ton something awesome and unique! [T]his is a Rye Whiskey with a heavy nod to Islay Single Malt Scotches." - Grand Traverse Distillery
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Monday, May 17, 2021
Breckenridge Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes
If you can pardon the double entendre, Breckenridge Distillery claims it is the "highest distillery in the world." Founded in 2008, the distillery has made a name for itself with its blended whiskeys.
"Since coming online in 2008 and releasing its first vodka and bourbon three years later, Breckenridge Distillery has quickly become an award-winning producer of fine spirits, being designated one of the top three bourbons in the U.S. How it all came to be, however, stems from a mix of just the right ingredients, a hint of luck and a deep love for quality whiskey." - Breckenridge Distillery
As luck would have it, my review today is of their Bourbon. I will say this much: If you're going to claim you make one of the top three Bourbons in the U.S, it better be game-changing. As I'm writing this, I've not yet sampled it, and I don't believe I've had a pour of Breckenridge Bourbon before.
This Bourbon is, depending on how you want to interpret things, either two or three years old. The bottle states it is "a blend of Bourbon whiskeys aged a minimum of two years in new, charred oak barrels." If you go to their website, it says, "Our award-winning Bourbon is aged a minimum of three years in charred, new American oak barrels, blended to reveal the unique qualities of the Bourbon Whiskey." Regardless of the actual age, Breckenridge utilizes 53-gallon barrels.
Breckenridge sources the Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana Bourbons and then blends them with its own Colorado distillate. It has a copper pot still on the premises. The mashbill is said to be 56% yellow corn, 38% green rye, and 6% unmalted barley. That last ingredient is interesting, most of the time, at least in Bourbon, the barley is malted. At this point, Breckenridge has my full and undivided attention, because as you know, I'm enchanted by the unusual.
The distillery taps into the city water supply to proof things down. In the case of their Bourbon, it winds up being 86°. A 750ml bottle will set you back about $39.99, which is in the sweet spot for craft Bourbon. I acquired the 50ml taster at some liquor store during my last trip to Colorado.
Let's find out if this Bourbon holds up to the marketing statement and #DrinkCurious.
Appearance: In my Glencairn glass, Breckenridge Bourbon appears as the color of honey. It left a thicker rim on the wall that generated fat, very slow droplets to fall back into the pool.
Nose: The aroma of ripe banana was the first thing that hit me. Brown sugar, caramel, and citrus followed, but it was a struggle to pick those out. As I kept sniffing, I pulled out a smidge of mint. When I breathed the vapor into my mouth, it was pure butterscotch.
Palate: The mouthfeel was thin and warming. Caramel, mint, and honey began the journey on the front. At mid-palate, the caramel faded and became butterscotch. The back consisted of rye spice, malted milk, toasted oak, and corn.
Finish: Peppermint Starlights (the candy) grabbed my attention. There was a woody quality as well, much like wet oak. I could swear there was the flavor of mushroom in there somewhere. The finish was on the shorter end of the scale, falling off early.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Let's get this out of the way immediately: Breckenridge Bourbon is not one of the top three Bourbons in the US, and it isn't even close. I'm not suggesting this is a bad whiskey, but this would get lost amongst the plethora of mid-tier Bourbons out there. There was no Wow! factor, it was basic and if I had tasted this in the past, it isn't something that jogged my memory. Fortunately, I don't rate whiskey based upon marketing claims. I would highly recommend tasting this one at a Bar before making any serious commitment. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy to Understand Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Friday, May 14, 2021
The Arran Malt 10 Scotch Whisky Review & Tasting Notes
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Cat's Eye Obtainium 13-Year Light Whiskey Review & Tasting Notes
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Monday, May 10, 2021
Mythology Best Friend Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes
Colorado has experienced explosive growth in the distilling world. The state, home to Coors, used to be all about beer and wine, but the last few years have been all about whiskey. Head on out to Denver, and you have a decent number of distillers to choose from.
One such option is Mythology Distillery, which was founded in 2018. Its president, Scott Yeates, enjoys discovering a new Colorado spirit whenever he can. To me, that means he's got an open mind and willing to explore different things beyond me-too bottlings.
"Founded by three Colorado natives that seek out experiences through travel and adventure, we love to share and hear stories from others. Our philosophy is that we each form our own Mythology through travel, connecting with others, and our experiences. It’s based on this that we named the distillery Mythology." - Mythology Distillery
Mythology's Head Distiller is Chris Ritenour, formerly of Blaum Bros. out of Galena, Illinios. Mike Blaum told me Chris is a hell of a distiller and was with them for five years before venturing out West.
One of Mythology's whiskeys is called Best Friend Bourbon. It starts with three different straight Bourbons: a 15-year from an undisclosed Kentucky distillery (78.5% corn, 13% rye, and 8.5% barley), a 5-year from Indiana - meaning MGP (60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% barley), and a 2-year, again from Indiana (75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% barley). It is bottled at 88° and you can expect to pay around $49.00 for a 750ml. If you purchase it through the distillery, they'll donate 10% to the Mountain Pet Rescue. As a recent parent of a rescued dog, that makes my heart smile.
Currently, Mythology's distribution is limited to Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. You can also buy it directly from their website.
Before I get to the #DrinkCurious part, I'd like to thank Mythology Distillery for providing me a sample in exchange for a no-strings-attached, honest review.
Appearance: In my Glencairn glass, Best Friend Bourbon showed a deep copper color. The rim was thicker than I expected, which generated medium, slow legs to fall back into the pool.
Nose: Aromas of sweet corn, brown sugar, vanilla, toasted coconut, and oak permeated my nostrils. When I inhaled through my lips, I tasted vanilla and a touch of mint.
Palate: I discovered a rich, creamy mouthfeel that was on the weightless side. The whiskey just hovered in my mouth. On the front, I tasted dark chocolate and caramel. Mid-palate offered cocoa, tobacco leaf, and corn. Then, on the back, a nice blend of coconut, cinnamon, and oak meshed well.
Finish: Initially, I thought the finish was way too short with little to pick up and I was disappointed. But, subsequent sips elongated it, with flavors of vanilla, almond, cinnamon, and dark chocolate. In the end, I'd describe it as medium in length.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The average craft Bourbon or Rye runs between $40.00 and $60.00 with a sweet spot at $50.00. Best Friend Bourbon retails for just under that sweet spot. There is a 15-year component to it, and that's certainly worth a premium, but we also don't know how much of that is the makeup of this blend of straight Bourbons.
The mouthfeel was lovely, the nose was inviting, and the palate was tasty. It would be interesting to taste this four- to six-points higher on proof. As it stood, I felt nothing as far as intoxication or even a tingle on my hard palate. It made it more than easy to sip on.
In the end, the overall experience is what matters. I enjoyed Best Friend Bourbon. I'd love to see it a couple bucks less expensive, but that's not a make-it-or-break-it thing with me. Mythology did a good job with this blend, I'll crown my Bottle rating for it. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy to Understand Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Friday, May 7, 2021
Crooked Fox Blended Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes
The term blended Bourbon used to have a negative connotation. That's because the legal definition of it is unspecific and leaves a lot of wiggle room. Basically, blended Bourbon means that at least 51% must be made from Straight Bourbon. That's up-front. It is that 49% remainder that gets squirrely. You can add artificial coloring, artificial flavors, neutral grain spirits (NGS), younger whiskeys, etc.
Despite that definition, there are some good blended Bourbons that are simply straight and younger Bourbons blended together. This shouldn't suggest there's not pure garbage out there, because that would be untrue.
One such attempt into the former is called Crooked Fox. It is a blend of 51% straight Bourbon aged at least four years and 49% small-barrel Bourbons aged at least six months. The Bourbons come from both Texas and Kentucky. Crooked Fox is part of the Southern Champion family of spirits out of Carrolton, Texas.
"After carefully maturing (our bourbon) in wooden casks, we go barrel by barrel, selecting the best tasting bourbons to create a whiskey with rich flavors of smoked maple, vanilla, nutmeg, oak, and malted barley with hints of rye. The result is a high-quality whiskey that even the most sophisticated bourbon drinkers will appreciate." - Southern Champion
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try it
- Bust = Leave It
Cat's Eye Obtainium Single Barrel Rye Review & Tasting Notes
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Port Charlotte OLC:01 2010 Single Malt Scotch Review & Tasting Notes
Experimental whiskies are something I find exciting. It really doesn't matter if it turns out good or bad, because I love it when a distiller does something outside the box. Obviously, my hope is that things would turn out good (or great). But I'll try any experimental whisky to see what was done.
The fun happens when a distillery is fully transparent about what it tried. That's something Bruichladdich is known for. If you visit its website, they'll tell you pretty much everything you'd want to know, to the point where even a whisky geek will, if you'll excuse the pun, geek out.
Port Charlotte is Bruichladdich's heavily-peated brand (with Bruichladdich as its unpeated lineup, and Octomore as its super-peated brand). I've reviewed some from each of the expressions, and for me to be truly transparent, I'm a fan of Port Charlotte. As such, when Bruichladdich sent me a sample of OLC:01 2010 to review, I was intrigued. I'd never heard of it, and had no idea what to expect.
What I learned is OLC:01 is part of Port Charlotte's Cask Exploration Series, which is an experimental line of single malt Scotches. It starts with a 2009 harvest of 100% Invernesshire malted barley. Once distilled, it was then aged from 2010 to 2018 in first- and second-fill ex-bourbon barrels, first-fill Vin Doux Naturel barrels, and second-fill Syrah wine barrels. Once that's done, it was then transferred to first-fill Fernando de Castilla Oloroso sherry hogsheads where it rested for another 18 months.
"These Oloroso hogsheads are superb casks. They're smaller than your average butts. So they've quickly left a lasting impression on this complex single malt." - Adam Hannett, Master Distiller
It is non-chill-filtered, naturally colored, and has a 40ppm phenol rating, which is something you'd expect with Port Charlotte. Bottled at 55.1% ABV (110.2°), it carries a nine-year age statement and you can expect to pay around $124.99 for a 750ml.
The big question, of course, is, How did this experiment turn out? That's answered by a simple tasting, and I'd like to thank Bruichladdich for sending me the sample in exchange for a no-strings-attached, honest review.
Appearance: In my Glencairn glass, OLC:01 presented as a soft mahogany color with an amber tinge. It formed a medium ring that created slow, medium-thick legs that dropped back to the pool of liquid sunshine.
Nose: This was an extremely fragrant Scotch. As I allowed it to breathe, the aroma of barbeque filled the room. When I went to nose it, I smelled peat, plum, cherry, apricot, apple, honey, and chocolate. Yes, it seemed like I was in an orchard with a bit of smoke in the air. When I drew the vapor into my mouth, I picked out honey and milk chocolate.
Palate: The mouthfeel was thin and very oily. My first sip consisted of a peat bomb - more than anything I've had from either Port Charlotte or Octomore. Once I got past the palate shock, the second sip had amazingly muted the peat. Orange, apricot, and peach were at the front. The middle offered flavors of honey, date, and vanilla. On the back, I tasted tobacco leaf, clove, and citrus.
Finish: A medium-long finish started with citrus, smoked salt, tobacco leaf, and black pepper. One thing to note is this Scotch drinks at its stated proof, and that was eye-opening.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I was happy when I smelled the typical Port Charlotte barbeque but it was missing from the palate. I was shocked with how heavy the punch of peat was and how quickly it dissipated. I expected fruit, yet not the entire orchard on the palate. Finally, this may have been the "hottest" Scotch I've ever had, and I've tried plenty of cask-strength offerings. All of this makes for a unique drinking experience, and I believe that makes OLC:01 well worth the price tag. Obviously, this one earns my Bottle rating. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy to Understand Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Monday, May 3, 2021
Dubliner Irish Whiskey with Honeycomb Liqueur Review & Tasting Notes
There are days where it is hot, you're tired, and you just want something refreshing to sip on. It was the first such day in Wisconsin for 2021, Mrs. Whiskefellow and I did yard work, and we were both pooped. I didn't want a full-blown whiskey, it was just not the right day (weird, right?). But, I was hurting, I wanted to relax, and I was hoping for a little treat.
That added up to the perfect opportunity to crack open a bottle of Dubliner Irish Whiskey with Honeycomb Liqueur. Legally speaking, this isn't a whiskey. It is below the 40% ABV (80°). While there's no age statement, because it is a liqueur, it doesn't have to meet Irish whiskey standards. It also has, if I had to guess, way beyond the allowable limit of E150A caramel coloring for Irish whiskey. What's the allowable limit? That's a fair question. An amount or percentage isn't specified, but the rule is that it can only affect color and not the flavor.
Produced by The Dublin Liberties Distillery, and packaged at 30% ABV, you can expect to pay about $20.99 for a 750ml bottle. There is no indication of what the various percentages are of each ingredient (whiskey, honeycomb liqueur, and caramel coloring), and I'm not entirely sure it matters.
Before I get started with the review, I'd like to thank The Dublin Liberties for providing me a sample in exchange for a no-strings-attached, honest review. Time to #DrinkCurious and discover what this is all about.
Appearance: In my Glencairn glass, The Dubliner presented as the color of a new, copper penny. Now, keep in mind, there is caramel coloring added. A heavy, sticky rim was formed, which yielded watery legs that fell back to the pool.
Nose: An explosion of butterscotch walloped me in the face before I even attempted to take a sniff. Once I managed past it, smells of saltwater taffy, chocolate, and orange candy slices permeated my nostrils. When I drew the aroma into my mouth, that butterscotch bomb returned.
Palate: I expected this to be sugary-sweet, but instead I was greeted by a soft, airy mouthfeel that offered just a hint of warmth to remind me this was still whiskey-based. Butterscotch discs and pecan started things off, which gave way to caramel and white chocolate on the middle. The back featured honey and cinnamon.
Finish: Sweet with honey, pecan, and white chocolate, the dusting of cinnamon at the end seemed near-perfect. It was a longer finish than I anticipated, especially considering the 60°.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Cutting to the chase, I loved it. So did Mrs. Whiskeyfellow. The nose sucks you in, the palate convinces you, and the finish just makes you smile. Would this make a great cocktail base? Probably. Am I making a cocktail with it? Not likely, because I don't see the point of going beyond a neat pour. This is delightfully sweet, but not overpowering, and perfect for a hot summer's day. In fact, I'd declare this one of those dangerous drinks, one you can drink several pours before things sneak up on you. With or without the low price, it a very easy Bottle rating. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy to Understand Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It