So Make it One for my Baby...

and one more for the road...

Month 11 - Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Country: United States of America
Region: Kentucky (Lawrenceburg: 38.0386N, -84.851W)
Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Strength: 58.4% ABV (116.8° Proof)
Color: Natural Color
Filtration: Non-Chill Filtered
Maturation: Unknown Age (Wild Turkey verbally claims a mix of 6, 8, and 12 years) all in 100% New Charred Oak
Price: $42.99 (Total Wine)

Overview

Could there be any other whiskey to send in November!? Yes, it is cliched; yes, it is close to the nose; and yes, it could even be deemed cheesy, but I adore just about everything regarding Wild Turkey.

While the name Jim Beam is synonymous with bourbon, it is a name several generations removed from the present day and as such has transcended into bourbon mythology. What makes Wild Turkey so endearing is that it also has a mythological name associated to its bourbon, but this person is very much alive and still actively making whiskey.

Jimmy Russell's first day of employment at the Anderson County/Boulevard Distillery in Tyrone Kentucky was September 10, 1954. Thirteen years later, Jimmy was named Master Distiller. As of this writing, sixty-four years after his first day, Jimmy Russell is still Master Distiller at that same distillery, though today it is known as the Wild Turkey Distillery. If you were to ever ponder how Wild Turkey came to be a globally known and respected whiskey, it can be said, completely free of hyperbole, that Jimmy Russell deserves a significant amount of credit for Wild Turkey's success. That success, as most great success stories are, was anything but a sure thing. In fact, its roots lie in the most humble of beginnings - a grocer's generic store brand.

Through the late 1800s into the early 1900s, the Austin, Nichols & Co. was the largest grocery wholesaler in the world. After prohibition however, the grocery industry began to change and Austin Nichols entered into wine and spirit distribution as a means to diversify. By the 1940s, the Woolworth Brothers 'five and dime' concept changed the dry goods wholesale model to such a degree that Austin Nichols decided to exit grocery wholesale entirely and focus on wine and spirit distribution exclusively.

Seeking a generic 'house' brand of whiskey to offer alongside, but at a lower price than name-brand whiskeys, Austin Nichols devised their own whiskey brand - Wild Turkey - and began shopping around Kentucky for barrels of bourbon to purchase and bottle.

The first bottling of Wild Turkey 101 whiskey hit store shelves in 1942 and was a respectable success year after year. Wild Turkey's success became so dependable that in the 1970s, Austin Nichols decided it was in their best interest to shift from bourbon purchaser to bourbon producer. Their first stop - the distillery that had produced the vast majority of the whiskey Austin Nichols had purchased to sell as Wild Turkey - the Anderson County/Boulevard Distillery in Tyrone Kentucky. And so, in 1971, the Anderson County/Boulevard Distillery became the Austin Nichols Distillery and subsequently the Wild Turkey Distillery and with it, Jimmy Russell whose sole marching order was to not change anything,  'just keep doing what your doing and keep your bourbon the same'.

With historical context, it is amazing to think of the Wild Turkey story. When someone orders and enjoys a Wild Turkey, they do not think they are procuring a generic store brand. They don't think they are ordering a well spirit offered at happy hour prices. They are ordering Wild Turkey and Wild Turkey is a legend thanks very much in part to Jimmy Russell's standard of excellence and continuing to produce whiskey the way he was taught by his predecessors. Jimmy transformed the Austin Nichols Wild Turkey from a generic brand to an icon.

In 1980, Austin Nichols sold the Wild Turkey Distillery to Pernod Ricard who in turn sold the distillery to the Campari Group in 2009. Though ownership has changed, Jimmy has not. In 1981, Jimmy's youngest son - Eddie Russell - joined the distillery but not as a distiller, no Jimmy started his son at the bottom of the ladder so to speak. Cutting grass, rolling barrels, cleaning the vast expanse of the operation. Eddie quite literally worked his way up the chain and ultimately became warehouse and maturation manager overseeing all the barrels of Wild Turkey whiskey as they aged. In 2015, Eddie was named Master Distiller when it was thought that Jimmy was retiring. Funny thing about retirement, Jimmy never quite got the memo on that and lo and behold he continued to show up for work each day. And so today, when you visit Wild Turkey, you will learn that they have not one, but two Master Distillers, a father-son combo, both of whom are members of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of fame and as of this year have a combined one hundred and one years of experience working at the Wild Turkey Distillery.

I have often thought of Jimmy Russell as one of the 'Big Four' of bourbon. He along with Booker Noe (Jim Beam), Parker Beam (Heaven Hill), and Elmer T. Lee (Buffalo Trace) helmed their respective distillery during the extremely difficult period between the late-1970s and 1980s, when bourbon was out of fashion and sales were correspondingly low. Each resisted the urge and common marketing ploy to dumb their bourbon down by altering their product and offering a light whiskey, a flavored whiskey, or a significantly proofed-down whiskey. These four legendary whiskey producers not only resisted that trend, they embraced the exact opposite trend - they focused on better, more premium, and more costly offerings. As a result, when the bourbon resurgence began in the late 1990s, all four of their respective distilleries were well-placed with a dedicated, fervent fanbase eager to spread word-of-mouth advertising to the legions of new bourbon fans.

While I am typically quite cynical about corporate-produced sentimentality, I can't help but pass along an official Wild Turkey video about Jimmy Russell. It is an odd thing, despite never meeting Jimmy or Eddie, whenever I think of them, read an interview with them, or watch a video about them, I feel as though they are family members. I have no explanation for this and that warm feeling I have towards them continues on, both literally and figuratively, when I enjoy their whiskey.

Speaking of their whiskey, both Wild Turkey 101 and Russell's Reserve 10-year are mandatory residents on my whiskey shelf. Both represent tremendous quality and value and are readily available year-round. Month 11's Rare Breed is one of the few barrel proof offerings from Wild Turkey. Unlike Month 10's Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof, Wild Turkey's barrel proof comes in at a paltry (sarcasm intended) 58.4% alcohol, around 8% less than Jack. One contributing factor to the lower proof is Wild Turkey barrels their whiskey at a lower proof than the legally-allowed maximum of 62.5%. While their specific barreling proof is not public knowledge, Wild Turkey has verbally stated distillate goes into the barrel at 53.5% to 57.5%. Lower proof at the beginning of maturation can yield lower proof at the end of maturation (for completeness and a fair counter-point, some whiskeys, particularly those aged in the upper levels of rickhouses can gain proof as more water evaporates out of the barrel than in the lower levels). Every couple of years, Wild Turkey will update their Rare Breed batching, resulting in a different bottling proof, but rest assured, Rare Breed is always bottled without the addition of any water. Remember, it's always turkey time when the kickn' chicken is nearby; gobble 'til you wobble my fine malt mates and bourbon buddies.

Tasting Notes

Courtesy of RareBird 101: https://rarebird101.com/2017/08/27/wild-turkey-rare-breed-116-8-2017/

Group Impressions

Since being named Master Distiller at Wild Turkey, Eddie Russell has talked about how his preference in taste profile is different than his father's taste profile. Eddie tends to prefer a sweet bourbon accentuated by spice whereas Jimmy tends to prefer a spicy bourbon accentuated by sweetness. In the Wild Turkey lineup, 101, Rare Breed, and Kentucky Spirit are 'Jimmy's' products whereas Russell's Reserve and Master's Keep are 'Eddie's' products. With this in mind, imagine my delight in reading the near-universal impression noting the spirit's prevalent spice, so prevalent in fact, that many thought this could very well be a rye whiskey and not a bourbon. The operative word there is 'could' as no one was quite convinced enough to conclusively declare so. Fantastic job to all, because that is precisely Wild Turkey's intent - a bold, spicy bourbon.

Not only did everyone pick up on the high-proof of this sample, but more impressively, that this month's sample was not quite the Mike Tyson uppercut of proof that last month's was. Also near-universal was the notion that Rare Breed benefited from a bit of dilution, either via ice or a splash of water, though there were a few brave souls that said it was just fine as is. Brilliant!

Thanks to all for another fantastic month. Eleven down, one to go... or perhaps not!

Jonathan Quayle Higgins
Appearance
Dark amber. Nice slow legs

Nose
Vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon. Spearmint after some time in the glass. Some honey after the addition of water.

Taste
Strong alcohol at first. More spice than sweet. Some charred oak, but the wood is not dominant at all, more like a lingering backdrop to the sip. A lovely mouthfeel, the spice continues through the sip, sweetness is present at the very tail-end of the sip, but make no mistake, this is the spice’s party.

Finish
Medium length with the spice continuing to rule the roost. There is sweetness here, but if I had to assign a ratio, it is 75% spice to 25% sweet. The finish is not drying at all, amazing considering Rare Breed does have some decade-old plus bourbons in it.

Overall
I learned quite a bit while gathering my impressions for Rare Breed. Most importantly, I learned this whiskey was more enjoyable as a second or third pour in a tasting. For the record, my pour-size when documenting impressions is ~3/4 ounce, so that I do not get blasted. Regardless, when Rare Breed was sampled first, I tended to not enjoy it as much as when I had sampled a few other bourbons before Rare Breed. Perhaps my palate had to be broken in; perhaps the pre-bourbons helped open my mind to experience the entirety of Rare Breed. Or perhaps like most things after feeling a bit of a buzz, everything became warmer and more snuggly. Regardless, in the Wild Turkey lineup, Rare Breed is unique in this aspect; I can enjoy 101 and Russell’s Reserve 10-year whether it is the first pour of the night or the last.

I did taste both Rare Breed and 101 side-by-side. The similarities really were staggering. Bravo to Wild Turkey in their batching, because those two whiskeys were amazingly close to each other in both smell and taste. 101 has just and I do mean JUST a bit of grainy astringency to it; could be placebo, but it does lend credence to the idea that Rare Breed has an overall older makeup of whiskey. Unsurprisingly, Rare Breed’s nearly 8% more ABV helped up the spirit’s punch, but I can’t say the improvement justifies the price premium over 101.

The more time I spent with Rare Breed, the more I liked it. This is not a casual bourbon. This is not a turn-your-brain-off bourbon. This bourbon forces you to be an equal-partner in the experience. While I may not always keep a bottle on my shelf, that point may be moot as I would only reach for this bourbon when I am in a contemplative mood with plenty of time to spend engaged in this whiskey’s experience.

Waldo Norris
So this one got me this month, mostly because It was so different in the way that it hit me, that I'm not sure what it is.  Because of my limited experience I am leaning on a slightly uneducated guess.

So here it goes.

Visual
Light copper color with a slight small legs

Smell
Smells of cooked peaches and vanilla and creme brulee

Taste
Not what I was expecting from a sweet smelling nose. This has a strong spice to it, with apples, the flavor of this mellows very quickly after the initial bite and leaves a small zip on the tongue. I'm not sure if I prefer this style of whiskey, I tend to like the mellow and subtle notes of the spice, but because this calms so quickly, and tames completely under ice, I can say this is a good sipping drink.

So here it goes.. my guess.  I am going to say this is a Rye. Not sure why, as I do not believe I have enough to know one versus the other, but this feels different than a bourbon and certainly than a scotch. And just because I am feeling like a good Turkey may have something to do with it, i'll toss in another completely off the wall guess and say it's a Wild Turkey Rye... what would Thanksgiving be without a little turkey.

Apollo
This month's whiskey had a nice dark brown color and very slow-forming legs. To me, the smell was rather sweet with a touch of spice and caramel.

When sipping it neat it felt thick on the tongue and had lots of tingle. It had more of an alcohol burn than usual, so I suspect this was another higher proof sample. It didn't seem quite as a powerful as last month's barrel-strength offering, but it was still pretty strong. I didn't find it all that enjoyable neat, so I tried it with a couple of ice cubes. That definitely helped bring out the flavor which, like the smell, reminded me of sweetness and caramel.

If I had to guess, I think I would call this one a bourbon in the 90 to 100 proof range. It wasn't bad with a few ice cubes, but I don't think I would go looking for it again. It seemed too sweet for my tastes.

Keoki
Novembers offering was much different than the previous month.  Where last month burned the nostrils, this months was much more mellow.

As always, I tasted this batch neat. Maybe I'm getting used to bourbons--or maybe this me was different---but the bourbon this month didn't seem as sweet as some of the earlier months has been.

The sweetness was there, but it didn't overpower the overall taste of the drink. It had good balance. I feel like we've been offered highly sweet and highly abv batches, but in my opinion this is a good balancing act.

It actually didn't smell as bourbon-y as some of the others---maybe it's not bourbon?  Hmmm.

Also, where previous months I has to take my time drinking the offerings, this month was much easier to sip. I'd call this a social whiskey---not trying to show how tough you are by drinking something highly potent---or peaty (which I prefer).

I'd like this on my shelf.

Carol Baldwin
Appearance
Golden Amber color

Smell
Primarily alcohol; wood, maple

Taste
Strong alcohol burn , followed by wood and a mellowing maple flavor, strong astringent finish

Finish
Sharp and lingeringly astringent.

General Thoughts:
An American whiskey. Neat first impression- there is a strong alcohol burn first, followed with sharp woody notes, and some mild maple undertones. It has a very very astringent finish. Tried adding some ice and it mellowed the experience a bit, however the flavor profile remained generally the same- strong alcohol forward, with mild woody  maple tones, then immediately going into the very strong astringent finish that lingers on the palate. For some reason while testing this, I picture a cowboy of the Old West sidling up to the bar and asking the barkeep for a shot, then throwing it back in one go, grimacing hugely, and then plunking the shot glass on the bar with a flourish.

Admiral Hawkes
OK, so after many months of the taste-and-reveal, we’ve uncovered some tendencies of our fearless leader. Yes, he is subject to matching the sample with the season. So I expected Wild Turkey in November, the question was which one would it be, and which label in the WT family? Upon twisting the top off the bottle and having a first whiff I suspected bourbon, a reasonable assumption if we are talking Turkey.

I had a first taste neat and felt that it was a high proof bourbon, and didn’t return for a second taste for 10 days.  On the second taste, I had to reconsider. What I thought was heat felt more like spice, which led me to think we were sampling rye. The aroma was what tricked me. There was that bourbon signature, but a lot of sweetness, even a fruitiness. It seems that many ryes are what are known as “barely legal”, i.e. 51% rye with the rest mostly corn. So I was locked in on barely legal rye.

The finish seems hot as noted above, but in actuality, it was really a spice kick, similar to a Zinfandel or Syrah wine.  Peppery, a bit of Big Red gum, and actually quite smooth after it goes down. This was a pleasant drinker.  Guessing it may yet be 100+ proof, but could just as easily be the 80. So is it Wild Turkey, or perhaps Russell’s Reserve? Not sure, but it is a dram worth being thankful for. 

A Thankful Month

Oh, he's drunk. How would he know where we're going?

Month 10 - Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Barrel Proof
Classification: Tennessee Whiskey
Country: United States of America
Region: Tennessee (Lynchburg: 35.285N, -86.368W)
Mash Bill: 80% Corn, 8% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Strength: 66.1% ABV (132.2° Proof)
Color: Natural Color
Filtration: Non-Chill Filtered
Maturation: Unknown Age (thought to be 6-8 years) in 100% New Charred Oak
Price: $64.99 (ABC Fine Wine & Spirits)

Overview

Sixty-six point one percent alcohol! Just let that sink in and realize that Month Ten's sample was two-thirds ethanol, now that is some firepower. Easily the highest proof whiskey sampled to date (can we go even higher?!), this is also our first sample that is effectively 'straight from the barrel'. The vast majority of whiskey sold at retail is 'proofed down' by adding purified water to the whiskey before being bottled. Not so in Month Ten, in fact, the only thing done to our whiskey between the barrel and the bottle was a coarse mesh straining to prevent any chunks of the barrel from finding their way into the bottle.

While barrel proof whiskeys are fun and sought after by many whiskey nerds, one should not feel that proofed whiskeys are 'bad', quite the contrary in fact. Sure there are some producers that proof their whiskey down too much to stretch supplies and maximize profit, but there are also producers that proof down their whiskey to the 'perfect' proof, finding the proper balance between alcohol punch, flavor, and consumer enjoyability.

Part of the justification for Month Ten's selection is that October is the month that Mr. Jack Daniel died (October 9, 1911), but a bigger reason is that Month Ten takes us to yet another new whiskey classification, and perhaps one of the most contentious - Tennessee Whiskey. Peppered throughout whiskey blogs and forums there rages a near-constant debate - is Jack Daniel's a bourbon? Officially and legally, the answer is no, Jack Daniel's is not a bourbon, it is a Tennessee Whiskey. Though Tennessee Whiskey is made in such a way that it could legally be called a bourbon, Jack Daniel's actively lobbied for a legal classification to separate their offerings from those of neighboring Kentucky. That legal distinction came in both 1941 when the Internal Revenue Service declared Jack Daniel's as distinct from both bourbon and rye as well as 2013 when Tennessee's governor signed a bill defining 'Tennessee Whiskey'.

The crux of the 2013 legal definition revolves around the notion of filtering whiskey through maple charcoal - also known as the Lincoln County Process. Jack Daniel's burns planks of sugar maple into charcoal, then grinds the charcoal into pebbles and finally fills vats with the pebbles to a depth of ten feet. At this point, all fresh-made distillate off the still is trickled over the vats of charcoal and collected at the bottom of the vat. From there, the whiskey is barreled and sent to the warehouse to age. No bourbon producer in Kentucky utilizes the Lincoln County Process, but there is no regulation preventing them from doing so. Conversely, not all Tennessee Whiskey producers use the Lincoln County Process, but only Prichard's is legally allowed to abstain from the process and call their resultant whiskey Tennessee Whiskey. Welcome to the world of labeling and regulatory affairs!

Fun fact - distillate destined to become Gentleman Jack is passed through the charcoal a second time before bottling. Fun fact #2 - historians agree that freed slave Nathan 'Nearest' Green is the one who most likely taught Jack Daniel about the Lincoln County Process before he founded his namesake distillery in 1875. There is no dispute that Nathan Green was hired to be the first head distiller at Jack Daniel's upon its founding. Fun fact #3 - the whiskey sampled in Month Ten is the very first barrel proof offering ever released by Jack Daniel's!

If you care to read more about the legal wrangling swirling around Tennessee Whiskey and Jack Daniel's, please check out Chuck Cowdery's fantastic synopsis from earlier this year.

Despite owning Old Forester and Woodford Reserve, I suspect it is Jack Daniel's that is the crown jewel in Brown-Forman's portfolio. The brand recognition of Old Number 7 is undeniable and it is year-in and year-out the #1 selling whiskey in the United States. If you travel overseas, Jack is typically one of the few, if not only American whiskey you will see on store and bar shelves. Jack was not always the barnburner of American whiskey however, in fact through the early 1940s, Jack Daniel's was considered a small-time player. That began to change shortly after, as legend has it, in 1947 when Jackie Gleason suggested to Frank Sinatra "Jack Daniel's. That's a good place to start" while he contemplated his drink order. Whether that legend is true or not is moot really, because ultimately Old Blue Eyes became the brand's best ambassador. Despite never being a paid spokesman for the brand, Frank vocally proclaimed his love of the whiskey wherever he happened to be which in turn caused sales to skyrocket worldwide. Legend also has it that he was even buried with a bottle of Old No. 7 in his jacket pocket. So with that, we shall raise a glass and drink it Frank's way - three rocks, two fingers, and a splash of water; that's the nectar of the gods baby!

Tasting Notes

Courtesy of Breaking Bourbon (https://www.breakingbourbon.com/jack-daniels-single-barrel-barrel-proof.html)

Group Impressions

Truth be told, I very nearly included a warning label when I sent out Month Ten's samples. Barrel proof whiskeys are not to be trifled with and are certainly not 'amateur' experiences as they are effectively impossible to enjoy neat. But the choice to send such a high-proof spirit this late into the experiment was intentional and I put my faith in each person's accrued nose and tongue experience. My faith was well-placed as each impression noted immediately the whiskey's potency. A second universal observation was this whiskey's American roots, specifically bourbon and while this is not technically correct, as discussed above, nothing in the Jack Daniel's process precludes it from being labeled as a bourbon. Many zeroed in on Jack hallmarks - vanilla, caramel, and oak and a few commented on the oily, buttery mouth-feel (thanks non-chill filtered!). Why there was even a second banana mention! Fantastic stuff all around and what a way to usher in the fall season.

Admiral Hawkes
So I approached the October selection with a sense of duty. Opening the bottle, I sensed a bourbon right away. It was dark, yet had a sense of lightness in the glass. The first taste was about oak and almonds for me. Heat was evident on the nose, tongue and throat, so it felt like a high proof bourbon. The aftertaste, after a breath or two, was actually quite nice. That said, it was satisfying and strangely familiar. Was it something I already had in my cabinet?

I took out my treasured bottle of Blanton’s. At 93 proof, it might be close. The color was essentially identical in the bottle, yet the mystery dram showed darker at the bottom of the glass.  I took pics (one in the bottle, one in the glass), is that allowed?

In the Bottle...

In the Glass...

So it definitely was not Blanton’s, which is softer and has a velvety, honeyed fruitiness that sets it apart.  The mystery selection was also definitely hotter than the Blanton’s. So I’d have to peg it at 100 to 120 proof. That puts it in the orb of Knob Creek or Booker’s, perhaps something on the high proof side of the Wild Turkey family. I am fairly certain it is not Knob Creek, which generally exudes from my pores. But it is an interesting, strong and bold bourbon. I’ve not yet put it in a Manhattan, but that will happen with the last shot. I am quite sure it will shine in that glass.

Apollo
This month's sample looked like it had potential. It had a nice dark color and decent legs. The smell wasn't too overpowering. I detected a hint of caramel and something else that I couldn't quite identify.

Upon tasting it, however, I was overwhelmed by the impressive alcohol burn. That amount of burn is unprecedented in my, somewhat limited, whiskey experience. The burn made it difficult to pick out any particular flavors. I typically drink my whiskey neat, but even with an ice cube in it, this one still had a lot of burn. It also had a strange aftertaste that I must have misidentified as being somewhat fishy. That can't be right, can it? I've never heard of a fishy tasting whiskey! I was actually wondering if there was something wrong with my taste buds. I had to take a sip of Glenfiddich just to make sure I was correctly calibrated. lol

It did have an interesting mouth feel, however. It had a very drying effect on the mouth, which is another thing I've never noticed in a whiskey before. This would seem to be more evidence of a high alcohol content. My guess is that this must be a cask strength whiskey, which is something I've never tasted before.

So, overall, this one was strange and very unique in my experience. I wouldn't say I particularly enjoyed it though. The alcohol burn made it difficult to enjoy, in my opinion. I don't think I'll picking this one up at my local store any time soon.

Michael Doheny
This months allowance was a deep copper color, but looked mighty brighter when looked at from the top of the glass to the bottom. There was a strong smell in the glass, but beyond the alcohol, it was near impossible to discern any other scent.

House rules are as follows, first sample, straight. Second sample, splash of water to keep you honest, and lastly on the rocks, as God intended.

Caramel, or toffee flavor was very prominent before being scorched by the tsunami of heat that crashed around the insides of my mouth. There was a thickness to the drink, almost a full bodied creaminess spiked with pepper. As I finish the sample, my tongue almost feels swollen from the heat.

Added a splash of water to the next sample, but it doesn’t take much starch out of it at all. Color is diluted somewhat, but it seems as though the water had not fully mixed, but rather acts like a solution or suspension, swirling in the copper color like some lava lamp.

The flavor is more butter or cream than toffee, and the heat is still sufficiently stoked in my mouth. The thickness of the first sample is still present, but it is disrupted by the water.  Its heat is distracting from whatever flavors maybe beneath the alcohol. The burn is tamped down, and the sweetness is cut back. It is almost apple in flavor. Reminiscent of the dry unsweetened ciders of the appleseed days.

The color looks American. I’d also say it is a high ABV. Due to the lack of balance, I’d say it is some sort of blended whisky.

Jonathan Quayle Higgins
Appearance
Light copper in the glass. Ridiculously lethargic tears and legs form when swirled in the glass. Easily the laziest whiskey sampled in this regard.

Nose
Alcohol, maple, caramel, vanilla, some smoke. Years ago, I read that banana was a signature component of the Jack Daniel’s smell. I swear I smell some banana here, but I am worried that is confirmation bias. Like the sirens gently beckoning go to sleep, little babe to Ulysses, Pete, and Delmar, the nose enamors you, keeping the proof-bomb well hidden until the first sip.

Taste
I’m going to do it…. I’m taking a sip neat...
WOW! That is an assault on the tongue! The alcohol on the first sip is ever present, mouth coating, like the first time you eat authentically spicy food (Thai, Mexican, etc.). The mouth feel is incredible neat - oily and clingy, like an oil-spill in the mouth. Subsequent sips are calmer as the tongue and mouth are prepped for the alcohol (or my taste buds are blanched by the alcohol). There is definite vanilla, oak, a mild sweetness and damn if there is not banana again.

Let’s add some water, usually just a splash, but this time it will be a healthy dollop.

Oh the nose seems much more vibrant now. Prominent vanilla, wisp of spearmint, definite oak as well. Water really helps tame the ethanol punch, that or my mouth really is accustomed to the whiskey now. It is a delicious whiskey with water, like building a bakery in the middle of a lumber aisle - oodles of vanilla and oak. There is not a rush of sweetness, this is not a sugar bomb, but there is just the right amount of sweetness here. The taste starts with vanilla and oak, the spice builds and builds then fades into that slight sweetness, slight bitterness, slight dryness. How very unique and interesting. Amazing how different this is than Old No. 7.

Finish
On the long side for me. The finish to me contains the lion’s share of the sweetness found in the experience. The oak is the first to fade, then the spice, and what’s left is a vanilla sweetness. Really delicious finish. It is fair to expect such a high proof whiskey to leave a long lasting finish and this whiskey certainly does not disappoint. The finish however is not as long as some lower proof whiskeys I have had. For example, peated malts from Islay, despite being lower in proof, tend to have a much longer finish for me. I certainly don’t intend to undersell the finish here, it is warm, lasting, and fulfilling, just not as long as I expected going into the sample.

Overall
What a fantastic offering from Jack. For years their hallmark product, Old Number 7, has been considered more of a mixing whiskey despite being known as a ‘sippin’ whiskey’. That began to change for me with Gentleman Jack, but this Single Barrel Barrel Proof is a whole different beast. With proper dilution, I would put this sample up against the best from Kentucky; blasphemous speak to some for sure, but for me the experience is just as enjoyable while being quite unique from traditional bourbons. Well down Brown-Forman for not only making such a product readily available, but doing so at an obscenely reasonable price.

Zeus
Appearance: dark Amber, no noticeable legs

Smell: Raisin, fruity like scent. Very mild however, I had to really dig my nose into the glass to pick it up.

Taste:
Oh my. Ack! what the hell! I'm hit with an overpowering sensation that is hard to describe. It's like my taste buds are instantly numbed and then I'm hit with a burn after a second or so. The taste is...bland? I can't really pick anything out when I first sip it. Follow up sips are the same, with the burn being significantly less. The taste only comes through with the finish for me. I'm not picking up much of a wood taste for some reason.

Finish:
Burn baby burn! My throat was hit with a burn that lasted 20 seconds or so. My tongue is left with a taste that I was expecting from the initial smell, a nice raisin like taste. After the third or fourth tasting that burning sensation weakened significantly to the point I really enjoyed the after taste.

General Thoughts:
Complex this one is. Not an amateur whiskey. I probably would want to start off with this on the rocks or with some water until my taste buds adapt to it next time. I did put in a ice cube after several tastings but it seemed weaker then I would of liked. I suspect this is a high proof whiskey.  Most likely a bourbon.

Carol Baldwin
Appearance: Golden Amber color, decent legs

Smell: Honey, caramel, vanilla

Taste:. Honey, maple syrup, vanilla, caramel, and wood with a strong alcohol punch.

Finish: Lingering sweet notes of vanilla and caramel with pronounced earthy wood. And a hint of banana? Very strong alcohol afterburn.

General Thoughts:
Wow this is really sweet and really strong. Absolutely must be a higher proof.  My guess is a bourbon from the sweet notes and the color. The flavors are typical bourbon, but the woody finish is very pronounced in this one. This whiskey has a big personality; possibly cask strength? The flavors are so in your face that it seems too much drinking it neat. Some ice and a bit of dilution calmed it down very nicely.

Keoki
October’s offering was very interesting.

Smelled like a pretty normal bourbon upon smell.  It had a good, dark color—-maybe a tad darker than most bourbons.

As always, I normally try the sample without any water to start. I was...surprised.

I couldn’t believe how strong it was! It really hit me hard—it actually made me start coughing.  I normally drink scotch neat—-or maybe just a drop of water.

I couldn’t handle this sample without a touch of water.  Once doing that, I actually enjoyed the sample.  It had a pleasant sweet flavor—-and wasn’t overwhelming.

I would recommend this as a great gift for a bourbon lover—-however, I don’t think it would be good for a beginner.

Trick or Treat?

Jack, please, I'm only an elected official here, I can't make decisions by myself!

Month 9 - Maker's 46

Maker's 46
Classification: Kentucky Bourbon Whisky Barrel Finished with Oak Staves
Country: United States of America
Region: Kentucky (Loretto: 37.648N, -85.349W)
Mash Bill: 70% Corn, 16% Wheat, 14% Malted Barley
Strength: 47.0% ABV (94.0° Proof)
Color: Natural Color
Filtration: Non-Chill Filtered
Maturation: Unknown Age (Thought to be 6-7 years) in 100% New Charred Oak plus 2-3 months with 10 seared French oak staves
Price: $34.99 (Total Wine)

Overview

"It tastes expensive ... and is." Perhaps the boldest advertising line in the history of whiskey debuted in 1965 when Maker's Mark proudly boasted of their whisky's lofty quality and price. From the beginning, Maker's Mark has made their way in the whiskey business defying nearly all the norms of the industry.

Maker's Mark came to life in 1954 when Bill Samuels Sr. purchased a small distillery in rural Kentucky and opted to use wheat in place of rye in his bourbon's mash bill. There are many legends revolving around Samuels' choice of wheat, including the notion that Samuels baked loaves of bread from each of his candidate mash bills and the loaf that was his family's favorite was selected as his bourbon's recipe. Some bourbon historians also add that one of Samuels' business advisors was Julian Van Winkle (aka Pappy Van Winkle) who had been producing excellent wheated bourbons at his Stitzel-Weller distillery for decades and just might have had a voice in the choice.

After five years of maturation, the first bottle of Maker's Mark hit store shelves adorned with three design aspects that are still found on Maker's Mark bottles today - its unique label design, its unique square bottle shape, and its iconic red wax seal, complete with 'drips' down the neck. All three design aspects originated from Margie Samuels, wife of Bill Samuels. Digging deeper, Margie is also responsible for both the name of the whisky and the unique brand/logo adorning each bottle - a star in conjunction with 'S IV' - as she was inspired by English pewter whitesmiths who stamped each of their pieces with their respective marks. The star of her mark represents Star Hill Farm, the name of the family farm, the 'S' for Samuels and the 'IV' denoting that Bill Samuels was a fourth generation distiller (recent genealogy uncovered that Bill Samuels Sr. was actually a sixth generation distiller, but the mark had been cast; history can be a funny thing).

Unlike all other bourbon producers, Maker's resisted the urge to create additional brands and labels with different taste profiles. Incredibly, Maker's Mark spent the next fifty years producing only one product - their wheated Maker's Mark bourbon. In 2008 however, Bill Samuels Jr. and master distiller Kevin Smith began exploring the idea of creating a second Maker's Mark offering. Rather than tinker with their mash bill, the folks at Maker's explored barrel finishing fully matured Maker's Mark in the hopes of producing a whiskey that amplified the best aspects of Maker's Mark but also delivered a taste unique enough to justify the brand expansion.

Maker's barrel supplier, Independent Stave, was consulted and signed on to help Maker's begin experimenting with different barrel finishes. Over 125 different combinations of barrels and barrel char levels were sampled yet none yielded satisfactory results. Exasperated, Independent Stave began to think outside the box ... err barrel and spoke to employees within the company that were working on different wood recipes for the wine industry. These 'wood chefs' as they are called shared ideas and thus began another round of experimentation. More lackluster results emerged until lightning was caught in a bottle and 'profile 46' yielded a delicious whiskey. The secret to 'profile 46'? Ten seared, not toasted, not charred, but seared staves of French oak were added to a barrel of fully matured Maker's Mark and after nine weeks, tasters unanimously agreed they had a bigger, bolder, yet characteristically smooth, drinkable whiskey and thus Maker's 46 was born (yeup, Bill Samuel's Jr. thought '46' was a perfectly fine and fitting homage to keep as a name).

Traditionally, French oak has a nasty habit of inducing a bitterness into the wine or spirits that are matured in it. As such, great care must be taken during the aging process when French oak is in use. Independent Stave acknowledged this and have talked about a specific searing process applied to each of the French oak staves used in Maker's 46, specifically the desire to caramelize the the wood sugars and simultaneously lock in the bitter tannins. Unfortunately, I have yet to come across more specific details regarding this searing process, but I have full confidence that the actual specifics would boggle our minds. I mean Independent Stave employs people with 'Wood Chef' in their job title, can you imagine the minutia of wood chemistry these folks delve in to.

A little over two years after experimentation began, Maker's 46 debuted and was an instant hit. Interestingly, die-hard Maker's fans are hit-and-miss in the their 46 support, but Maker's 46 brought a whole new stable of fans, including many who did not particularly enjoy regular Maker's Mark.

Originally Maker's 46 was created only in the winter months as it was discovered the warm summer months caused the whiskey to penetrate deeper into the French oak resulting in undesired bitterness. Experiments showed that the perfect Maker's 46 formula was a barrel full of fully matured Maker's Mark plus ten seared French oak staves placed in the barrel for nine weeks with air temperatures not in excess of 50-degrees F. Realizing the winter limitation, Maker's Mark ended up excavating part of a limestone hill on their property to build a 14,000 square-foot underground 'bourbon cellar' that naturally regulates air temperature perfectly year-round and is exclusively used to produce Maker's 46 and Maker's Private Select (where customers can purchase a barrel utilizing combinations of five different wood staves).

A few final Maker's Mark tidbits - Maker's Mark is only one of three American whiskey producers that actually spell their offerings as 'whisky' in a nod to the Samuels' Scottish and Irish ancestry. George Dickel and Old Forester are the other two 'whisky' producers in America. Maker's Mark is the only major bourbon producer that rotates the barrels aging in their rickhouses. Barrels spend 3-4 years in the higher levels of a rickhouse where temperatures are hot and varied before being moved to lower levels where more stable temperatures reside. And lastly, while Maker's Mark has had a few owners through the years, Maker's Mark is owned by giant Beam Suntory presently, the Samuels family has always remained at the operational helm.

Tasting Notes

Group Impressions

Happy Bourbon Heritage Month (September that is)! Though Maker's 46 is not a straight bourbon, its foundation is one of America's legendary bourbons. I was quite curious how this month would be received by the group - it's a bourbon, yet it's not a bourbon. Maker's 46 also has a polarizing aspect - its drying finish, which some palates simply do not enjoy. It was such a joy reading all the impressions as each noted this sample sure was reminiscent of a bourbon or a rye, but different enough to prevent proclamations with 100% confidence. One impression even suspected this was awfully reminiscent of Maker's Mark, but not exactly so. Ha!

Universal adjectives included smooth, sweet on the nose, wood and spice on the tongue, and lastly, enjoyable. How fitting, I am sure if Bill Samuels Jr. could read this he would smile and remind us that his first requirement when setting out to make Maker's 46 was that it must be 'yummy' (his actual descriptor). Thanks again, and here is to October, what ever will the month of Halloween bring us?!

Waldo Norris
When I first smelled this bottle when it arrived in the mail, I really thought we had the makings of a Makers Mark. It was so incredibly similar in smell at that time, that even though I knew it wasn't the traditional Makers, I was pretty sure that perhaps we had a specific bottle from them. Fast forward days and now weeks later, after pouring it out of the bottle and into a glass, the notes change quite a bit. First just let me say that the nose on this one is straight out of a pancake house. It smells of sweet caramel and almost overwhelmingly Maple Syrup.

Pouring it into the glass, it has a pretty good leg, and given the nose, I felt like we had a pretty high sugar content in it. The taste however was somewhat surprising, as it didn't give me sweet, but rather a fairly acidic and hot flavor. I certainly wasn't expecting that from this bottle. The flavor stuck around for maybe a minute, but as I let the taste settle in, I was able to pick up notes from the barrel, and some mint, almost leaving my mouth cool as a breath mint would. A second pour with a dash of water, and I was really able to get some of the spice to cool off, and narrow on some of the earlier flavors I noted.

I think this would be a good mixed drink bourbon, but for me, I'm not sure this was my style of sipping bourbon.

Michael Doheny
My happy parcel arrived and I dutifully removed it from it’s box and admired the color. It shined like the lights from the marquee of that place in the the sun. It was a real rich amber, deep, but susceptible to the light. Cracking the seal, I got no discernable smell. I decanted 2 oz into the naked, curvy, Glencarin glass.

House rules are as follows, first sample, straight. Second sample, splash of water to keep you honest, and lastly on the rocks, as God intended.

The legs were smooth, and flowed down the sides of the glass seamlessly. There was still nothing reaching the old honker, so I twirled the gal around a few time to see if I could shake something loose, and get a secret or two. But like a virgin at a sock hop, she wasn’t doing any favors. With no other recourse it seems to give it a try, so why shouldn't I?

Nothing. After a slight residual burn, I busted out. Snake eyes on the first swig. As I chewed the remnants in my mouth there was a hidden something. How long I wondered, could this thing last, before some strong clues were spilling about choppers.

A hardware store, at least a memory of one, stuck in my brain. Wood, maybe, of some kind, but almost a chemical hidden in there. So maybe some tomfoolery going into this batch.

On the last bolt, there was a flavor of cream, the warm cream your mom would put in the coco after a long day of playing in the snow.

I splashed some water in the next slug and the water doused any heat from the straight sample. Flavor was still muted, but it was almost the whisper of licorice. With each sip, the mystery deepened and every breath becomes a sigh. Very drinkable, almost too drinkable. We need to keep this away from Dean, or will never make that Ocean’s picture. But the flavor has taken a big sock to the jaw from the water.

Ice. That Ice, Ice, baby! Despite those tentacles of melting water seeping through the body of the drink the color held pretty well. Now, normally the ice knocks smell right outta here, but with this sample there seemed to be a blossom of something aromatic.

Like the water, the drink lost its character, but went down easy. What is this?  How deep is the ocean? How high is the sky?

The color looks American. I’d also say it is a low ABV, so maybe some blended whisky.

Apollo
After a quick visual inspection, this month's whiskey had my attention. It had a really nice dark color and long-lasting legs. I'll be interested to find out if the color is natural or artificial.

The smell had only a bit of an alcohol burn. I may have picked up the smell of spice, but I couldn't identify any other distinct aromas.

As for the taste, this was a very smooth drinking whiskey with very little burn. Because of that, there wasn't much tongue tingle, but the flavor itself was quite good and it lingered for a while.

I thought this one was pretty good overall. It was very smooth and enjoyable. I won't be surprised if this turns out to be a more expensive whiskey. I'd definitely try it again. I'm not confident enough to make a claim as to what type of whiskey it is. My first instinct was bourbon but I'm not very sure about that.

Zeus
Appearance: Dark amber.  Average legs.  Looks like a bourbon or rye to me.

Smell: Sweet, complex, maple, raisins? Very inviting smell to it.

Taste: Very smooth. No woody taste is coming through for me. Does not taste like a high proof. Hard to place the initial taste. It was far more mellow then I expected based on the smell. Minor sharp bite to on sipping it. Dropping a large ice cube made the bite go away.

Finish: Mellow finish. Raisin after taste. Long lasting burn.

General Thoughts: I am thinking this is a rye, my fall back guess is a bourbon. Interesting taste, but it was improved upon with the ice. This whiskey would be good for beginner whiskey people being there is nothing in this that would scare them away. I was thinking this would be great in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned. So I made an old fashioned with half Jefferson's very small batch and the sample (yes, I made this with Carol Baldwin). It was good, but tasted washed out a bit at first. The more I drank it the more I appreciated how smooth everything was. Really weird how it grew on me. Overall I enjoyed this guy.

Jonathan Quayle Higgins
Appearance
Dark amber to light copper. Thin legs and fat tears; the story of my adolescence in a glass.

Nose
Oh my, what a nose. There is a gentle alcohol punch lingering in the nose but it is not the first thing I picked up on. That honor goes to a delicious cinnamon bread/roll (with icing) that is instantly recognizable to me. The spice builds proportionally to the duration of each smell. Just like smelling actual cinnamon - it is not spicy at first, but the deeper and longer you smell, the more the spice accumulates. Wood, but not the typical bourbon wood, emerges later in the smell.

Taste
Oh a sharper taste on initial sips than the nose indicates. Subsequent sips reveal that toasted french oak immediately - there is a toasty spiciness accompanied with just a whisper of bitterness. While the French oak never fully leaves the taste, it does subside to reveal caramel and vanilla. That whisper of bitterness eventually becomes a good dollop of sweetness. I can’t say I get much corn, but perhaps that is where the eventual sweetness is coming from. The spirit is silky smooth texture wise, almost (but not quite) feels like a butter-finished sauce's velvety texture. There is a drying sensation and a wood-astrigent tingling that lasts from mid-taste all the way to the swallow.

Finish
Medium length with nice warmth. The French oak influence continues all the way through the finish. My sinuses are left with a nice toasty-oak sensation that is quite satisfying; the best analogy is what peat does for Islay whisky, the toasted French oak staves do for this whisky. I do think the drying finish is my biggest complaint here, I feel it does rob the finish of longevity.

Overall
The first time I sampled Maker’s 46, Robin Masters and I were sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch of a restored gentile 19th century mansion in Versailles Kentucky. Robin ordered the 46 and I Wild Turkey Rare Breed. It was dusk at the end of our first day in Kentucky. The air was unseasonably cool, but not jacket worthy. The garden’s foundation of actual Kentucky bluegrass glistened and was inconceivably soft to Florida hands accustomed to St. Augustine grass. We sat, sipped, and rocked as rabbits and cardinals and robins foraged in the final flecks of daylight. Talk about stacking the deck in a whiskey’s favor. It was love at first sip for me with Maker’s 46, particularly when tasted alongside the traditional (and delicious) Wild Turkey. I was instantly smitten and intrigued. A bottle of Maker’s 46 has always been on my shelf since.

Carol Baldwin
Appearance: Deep Amber color.

Smell:  Alcohol and wood, hint of maple, slight caramel.

Taste: Wooo fire. This burned going down. Taste is sharp and strong. Not really tasting the maple or caramel I smelled; the sharp flavor is really predominant. I tried adding an ice cube, and I found that a little bit of dilution really allowed the complexity of flavors (the maple, etc) to come out.

Finish: Sharp and astringent with a bitter after taste.

General Thoughts: Hmm. Not getting a lot of very sweet notes with this, and the sharpness is interesting. Along with the bitter finish, I don't really think it is a bourbon. Maybe a rye? Whatever it is, it packs a strong alcohol punch. I think this would be interesting in an old fashioned, doing equal parts bourbon and this. Goes off to make an old fashioned... Ok, mixed 1:1 with Jefferson's Very Small Batch, added simple syrup in an old fashioned, and it's not bad at all. The bitterness in this is balanced fairly nicely with the Jefferson's and syrup. Not sure I would make this a regular choice, but all in all an interesting tasting this month; looking forward to the reveal!

Keoki
The September offering made me like bourbon more than I thought I would. Upon first appearance, it had a dark amber color. The smell reminded me of every other bourbon, so I wasn't exactly expecting a different taste. This bourbon, to me, is a great transitional taste. What I mean is, this bourbon isn't too sweet like some of the other Bourbons we've tried, but it almost has a scotch like taste to it. I've found that many scotch drinker's have a problem with the sweetness of bourbon. We're just not used to it with Scotch. This offering, however, doesn't overpower you with such sweetness, but gives you the distinct mild and mellow taste of some scotches.
I would highly recommend this to a scotch drinker--like myself. Especially if your goal is to get the scotch drinker to like bourbon more.

Staving Off the Summer Heat

Now, what we got here is a little game of show and tell. You don't wanna show me nothing but you're telling me everything.