Have
you heard of Dave
Schmier? If you’re an American whiskey fan and
are unfamiliar with Dave, you should get to know him. He has a long and storied
history of plucking incredible barrels from distilleries around the world. He’s
won a handful of my end-of-year Whiskeyfellow
Awards.
Dave
started with but never lost sight of MGP. Believe it or not, there was a time
when so many naysayers rolled their eyes when yet another MGP-sourced
whiskey hit the market. Some of those very same people currently swear up and
down about how fantastic MGP is.
Dave
built his reputation by sourcing some of the best barrels MPG offered under his
Redemption brand. After much success, he sold Redemption to Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. He took his winnings, rolled the dice again, and
in 2015, he started Proof &
Wood Ventures.
Today,
Proof and Wood has grown to include several brands. One of its most popular is Tumblin’ Dice,
which has Dave doing what he does best: betting on winners from MGP (now Ross & Squibb) stocks.
Something
that I appreciate about Proof and Wood is its transparency. Most of what you’d
want to know is easily discerned from the label.
That’s
a fairly long introduction to the subjects of today’s review. I’m covering two Tumblin’
Dice expressions: Straight
Bourbon Whiskey 11 Year Old Bottled-in-Bond (that’s
a mouthful!) and Straight
Rye Whiskey 10 Year Old.
I
believe that, given the current market downturn, these older stocks are easier
to acquire, as many brands that sourced from MGP have fallen by the wayside.
Dave has a knack for picking the cream of the crop, which means I have very
high expectations for both of them. That leads to an important question: Am
I being irrationally biased?
We
#DrinkCurious to answer that, but before I get there, I must thank Proof &
Wood for providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached,
honest reviews.
One
final thing: I used a fresh Glencairn glass to explore each of them neat. I
also allowed each to breathe for 15 minutes before engaging with them.
Straight
Bourbon Whiskey 11 Year Old Bottled-in-Bond
- Whiskey Type: Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
- Distiller: MGP
- Age: 11 years
- Mashbill: 99% corn and 1% malted barley
- Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
- Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
- Price per 700mL: $89.99
Appearance: The butterscotch
color seemed inviting, although I must admit I was surprised by how light it
was for its age. A thicker rim produced widely-spaced, syrupy droplets that
stuck to the wall like glue. It took several seconds for them to collapse under
their weight.
Nose: As I
inhaled the aroma, I found charred oak, leather, caramel, toffee, and chocolate.
When I pulled the vapor into my mouth, I experienced dark chocolate.
Palate: There
was a palate shock of oak; that wasn’t unexpected. The Bourbon’s texture was
creamy with a medium feel. With my next sip, I discerned caramel, chocolate,
and maple on the front of my palate. Next came hazelnuts, leather, and English toffee.
The back tasted of older oak, dried tobacco leaf, and smoky barrel char.
Finish: The
roof of my mouth had a slight tingle while the finish was dry, bringing
together notes of oak, barrel char, leather, toffee, tobacco, and even a kiss
of dark-roasted coffee. It lacked any waves or troughs; it was calm and subtle.
The longer duration ran 1:56.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: When this Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon arrived, I
was impressed by the 11-year age statement. I missed something far more
important – this is Proof & Wood’s first Bottled-in-Bond release! How can
that be? I’ve been reviewing their whiskeys for years, and it never struck me
that this was the first.
There
was a huge amount of spice from the wood; it certainly wasn’t coming from the
mashbill. I prepared for a very sweet whiskey, and this Bourbon seemed more
classic in terms of its balance. So much of what I anticipated failed to
materialize, and that threw me for a loop. I respect that in any whiskey.
For
an 11-year Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, I found Tumblin’ Dice fairly priced. Considering
how fun and unusual this adventure was, I have no choice but to convey my Bottle
rating for it.
◊◊◊◊◊
Straight
Rye Whiskey 10 Year Old
- Whiskey Type: American Rye
- Distiller: MGP
- Age: 10 years
- Mashbill: 95% rye and 5% malted barley
- Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrel
- Alcohol Content: 58.88% ABV (117.76°)
- Price per 700mL: $99.99
- Single Barrel/Barrel Proof
Appearance: The Rye
possessed an amber brown character. I observed a thin rim jettison massive,
closely packed, incredibly fast tears.
Nose: As I
brought the glass beneath my nostrils, my olfactory sense identified rye,
cinnamon, mint, dill, caramel, and chocolate. Notably missing was any oak
influence. That changed when I pulled the air through my lips.
Palate: The
first sip revealed a silky mouthfeel with a dilly palate shock. My second
approach allowed me to identify leather, dill, and caramel. That led to
cinnamon Red Hots, rye spice, and cocoa on the mid-palate. The back featured flavors
of dry oak, pipe tobacco, and mild mint.
Finish: Cocoa,
cinnamon Red Hots, rye spice, dill, mint, and leather led to a spicy, savory,
respectful, somewhat dry finish for a whiskey that drank at least 20 points
under its stated proof, making it an incredibly easy drinker. I timed the
duration at 1:52.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: This
decade-old whiskey was made from MGP’s time-honored 95/5 mashbill, a favorite for
brands that source Rye whiskeys. From a flavor standpoint, they’re typically either
dill and mint bombs or rye and cinnamon heavyweights. And, while nosing it, I
was unable to tell which Tumblin’ Dice would lean toward. With the first sip, I
assumed it was the former, yet while both qualities were present, as I
continued to explore this Rye, the latter marginally won out.
Despite Tumblin’ Dice napping
for ten years, its oak influence seemed somewhat muted. It was a player, just
not the shooter in this game. In fact, if it weren’t for its arid nature, I
might have missed it entirely.
Tumblin’ Dice 10 Year
Single Barrel Barrel Proof is a whiskey that embraces everything you’d want
from MGP’s 95/5 distillate. I’m thrilled to have it in my whiskey library. Get
a Bottle, you won’t be disappointed.
◊◊◊◊◊
Final Thoughts: Both
the Bourbon and Rye left me wondering if everything I thought I knew about
American whiskeys was erroneous. I got caught up in my own assumptions. Neither
showed their true age or expected characteristics from their respective
mashbills, making today’s journey a reminder of the #DrinkCurious lifestyle. That
was a healthy and wonderful check. 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 to do so responsibly.
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