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Thursday, February 6, 2025

Lagavulin The Distiller's Edition Double Matured Islay Single Malt Scotch Whiskey - 2020

VITALS:
- $120
- 86 Proof
- 15 Years
- Batch No. 4/509
- Islay

I do love sweet and peat! And by that I mean that I love peated Scotches finished in wine casks, especially fortified wine casks like sherry or port. That sweet and peat is a combination that I just can't get enough of. So, I find that I grab just about anything Lagavulin that has spent time in such casks, and this bottle was no exception.

This bottling consists of a small number of casks that were double-matured in "specially crafted Pedro Ximenez Cask-Wood."  I wish I could tell you what that means. The wording seems very careful -- "cask-wood."  I don't know what, exactly, that is. Perhaps re-purposes PX casks?  How was the "cask-wood" "specially crafted"?  I thought about doing some independent research into the backstory here, but instead I just cracked the bottle open to see if this "cask-wood" maturation, whatever that is, made for good whisky.

The smoke that I'd expect from a Lagavulin was fairly light on the nose. I don't know if that's due to the 15 years of maturation or the low proof or both.. But this was not significantly smoky smelling. That's not a terrible thing, however, as it allowed other notes to really shine, like a bright and sweet raspberry note, accompanied by honey and something herbal, like dill or sage. Though not "peaty," it still had a lot of good stuff going on.

As to flavor, this was definitely more on the fruity end of the spectrum. It was kind of like a burst of strawberry followed immediately by a black pepper spice and peat smoke. It did have a bit of a iodine lean to it, particularly as the other flavors subsided a bit. But, it certainly remained fruit-forward, with the notes of strawberry and raspberry taking center stage.

The herbal note really came through as well, which was a bit unexpected.  Those dill and sage notes added an interesting quality. I chose the word "interesting" deliberately, because even after getting through the whole bottle, I'm still not sure how much I enjoyed it. At times it was good, adding another layer, almost like seasoning. Other times it came across as mossy or incense-like, and was a bit of a turnoff. It may have just depended on my mood that day. 

That herbal note carried over to the finish, as did the bright raspberry note, and when that all collided on the finish along with the peat, it reminded me a bit of raspberry bitters. Again, I wasn't sure how much I liked it, though it was interesting.

All in all, I really wanted to like this bottle.  By and large it was great, but I kept finding those weird little nuances that just seemed to keep giving me moments of pause, trying to figure out what I was tasting and whether or not it was something I enjoyed or not. 

Grade: B

Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Batch 17 - 128.7 Proof

VITALS:
- $60
- 128.7 Proof
- NAS
- Batch 17 - Winter, 2021
- Kentucky

It's been no secret that I do love Stagg Jr. (and now just Stagg).  In fact, it got to the point that between the regular releases and store picks I came across, I had enough of a backlog that I actually started turning down bottles.  So, I've made it a bit of a point lately to start working my way through some of them, with this one being the most recent bottle killed.

I do believe I'll have to start grabbing these once again, however. Their price remains reasonable. They have just enough rarity to them to keep my FOMO going, but not enough that they're impossible to find. And most importantly, they're consistently delicious!  After this I only have four more bottles on my shelf, three of which are store picks.

As to this particular batch, it was, naturally, quite delicious! On the nose I got a healthy amount of caramel balanced by a bit of black pepper. It had a light oakiness to it, betraying at least a little bit of age, as well as a dark chocolate note to keep it from leaning too sweet. There was also a distinct anise note that I was getting to keep it interesting.  

Surprisingly, despite its proof and my experience with other batches, the heat on this one didn't hit my tongue right away.  Rather, I got a rich and sweet toffee, along with a rich but tangy amaretto note and a good amount of dark chocolate. The dark chocolate was much more prominent on the palate than it was on the nose, and it absolutely made every pour delicious.

This was very drinkable neat, but it still provided that great, warm Kentucky hug I knew would eventually be coming. In addition to those rich notes of toffee and dark chocolate, there was a bright orange peel or orange zest note along with a spiced cherry note that just seemed to complement everything else going on.

That spiced cherry note really carried through on the finish, and it reminded me a bit of mulled wine, especially with the cinnamon and pepper and other spices lingering seemingly forever.

This is one of the better bottles of Stagg Jr./Stagg that I can recall having, and it just may have rekindled my love for the line!

Grade: A

Monday, January 27, 2025

William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon - 2022

VITALS:
- $120
- 124.7 Proof
- 12 years, 8 months
- 2022
- Kentucky

It's always weird writing reviews of products like the Pappy or BTAC lines. After all, it's not as though someone presented with the opportunity to purchase a bottle from either line at retails is going to say, "Hold on, let me check out reviews first." For the most part, anyone is going to simply buy.  So, writing a review doesn't make a whole lot of sense, as people are just going to come to their own conclusion anyway.

But, I've always maintained that I don't write these blog posts for that purpose. Rather, this has very much been my own personal journal of my whiskey journey for the past ten years (it's crazy that I've been doing this for ten years now!!).  So, while it's a foregone conclusion that yes, of course this good, and while nobody is consulting this page before making the decision to buy a 2022 William Larue Weller, I'm writing this up nonetheless for no other reason than that I finally finished my bottle!

On the nose the most immediate note I got was oak. The barrel certainly had a significant influence here. However, behind that I got all the traditional notes I've come to expect, with a good amount of rich caramel and vanilla, as well as a surprising amount of cinnamon spice. I don't typically get that much spice off a wheater, but I certainly did here. There was also a sort of a graham cracker or even a shortbread note that seemed to lurk in the background.

The flavor, again, was more spice forward than I expected. But that certainly wasn't a bad thing in my book. In fact, it provided a great blend of sweet and spice, as the caramel and vanilla notes were right up front, followed almost immediately by a cinnamon spice that seemed to coat the tongue and mouth. 

As that subsided, though, it gave way to many of the sweeter notes you'd expect. I definitely got a cherry note, like a maraschino cherry that gave off Old Fashioned vibes. At times that rich, dark fruit note leaned more towards chocolate covered raisins, and even seemed to bounce back and forth between the flavors.

As I got to the finish, the cinnamon note remained, though it wasn't strong. The cherry note continued, and the oak I was getting on the nose finally made its way through. But what really seemed to press forward on the finish was the rich vanilla note, which started small and by the time I swallowed each sip seemed to get big. That finish of vanilla, oak, cinnamon and cherry had me wanting more and more after each sip.

Again, you knew this would be good coming in, so the grade is no surprise. The only reason it didn't get the "A+" grade is I've had other W.L. Weller's that I feel like really knocked my socks off, moreso than this one. But make no mistake, I absolutely loved this bottle.

Grade: A

Thursday, January 9, 2025

2Bar Amaretto Barrel Finished Straight Bourbon Whiskey

VITALS:
- $40
- 90 Proof
- 3 Years
- Washington

Prior to buying this bottle, I had never heard of 2Bar distillery out of Seattle. And, even looking at the bottle, the packaging leaves a lot to desire with it's black and white label that looks like it could have been created in Microsoft Word. 

However, what did intrigue me was the finish. This is the first that I had seen an amaretto barrel finished whiskey. I happen to be a big fan of amaretto. I love the flavor of amaretto liqueur. There once was a time in my youth where I enjoyed the occasional amaretto stone sour. And, it's a note that from time to time I get in my whiskeys, one that I enjoy. So, given the unique finish as well as the relatively modest price tag, I felt this was something worth checking out. 

On the nose I definitely get the amaretto notes. When I first opened the bottle, not so much. But, after it had been open a while, that amaretto finish definitely had its influence. There was a sort of sweet coffee note as well, kind of like a chocolate covered coffee bean. I also got a sweet oatmeal raisin note.  Overall, it smelled pretty great.

As to flavor, I was immediately hit with those notes of youth. This was unquestionably a young bourbon, as I got that overripe apple note that I always find in craft bourbons that just need some more time in the barrel. Here it was pretty prominent right up front.

But, what I really liked about this bottle, is that the finishing then seemed to kick in shortly after, removing those "young" notes from my palate somewhat quickly, and replacing them with far more pleasant flavors of amaretto and coffee liqueur.

Even the chocolate note came through to add a bit of richness and a touch of sweetness. It all blended together with the amaretto, the chocolate, the alcohol liqueur type notes, and even a bit of vanilla, such that it reminded me of a cherry cordial, just without the cherry. 

On the finish there was a rich, dark fruit note that came through, like fig or raisin. I didn't really get this up front, but it was definitely present on the finish, accompanied by a nice brown sugar note. And by the end of each sip, those young notes were pretty much completely gone.

Despite being very young tasting, this was still very enjoyable.  If 2Bar has time to let some of this bourbon age a few more years, this amaretto finish could be something quite delicious!!

Grade: B-

Sunday, January 5, 2025

Parker's Heritage Collection Double Barreled Blend Kentucky Straight Bourbon - 2022

VITALS:
- $200
- 132.2 Proof
- 13 & 14 years
- Kentucky

The Parker's Heritage releases are, for good reason, some of the more highly sought after releases. However, it seems that interest may have waned just a bit, perhaps due to the ever increasing prices of these bottles, the already existing frustration over their being hard to find, and the release of a few less-than-stellar bottlings in recent years.

And yet, when I was offered this bottle, I just couldn't help myself, despite the steep price tag.  While it is a blend, at least it's a blend of bourbon (as opposed to American single malt like I'm seeing sit on shelves everywhere theses days) and at least it provides the percentage and age of the blends. Effectively, this is a cask strength 13 year bourbon, although 33% of the blend is a 15 year bourbon. Only the 13 year was double-barreled, apparently. 

The nose was rich and deep in aroma, with healthy notes of dark cherry and oak. It had a rich sweetness to it, like a dark toffee, along with some dark chocolate. It also had a bit of an anise note to add to the richness and to keep it a bit interesting as well.  I had a really hard time taking my nose way from my glass, as I would just sit there sniffing it over and over before each sip.

The flavor hit all the marks of what I love in a bourbon, starting with one of my favorite words when writing these reviews -- "rich."  This had an incredible depth and richness to it that I just couldn't get enough of.  It started with deep dark fruit notes like cherry and blackberry, which was accompanied by a great amaretto note that kept anything from ever getting too sweet.

There was a healthy amount of oak to it, betraying its age but never leaning too bitter. That is perhaps due to the healthy amount of dark toffee that countered any bitterness, but still never leaned too sweet. There was also a rich (told you I like that word) dark chocolate that seemed to act as a sort of undercurrent to everything else going on.

The finish provided a touch of cinnamon spice, but that really gave way to the toffee, dark chocolate and cherry notes that I was getting on the front end. And, the best part was that these notes seemed to never subside and lingered in my mouth long after each sip, allowing me to really savor every single pour.

This was one of those bottles that I just hesitated to finish off the last few pours, because I just didn't want it to be gone.  I don't know that this release got a ton of love, but it was definitely one of my favorite pours in recent years.

Grade: A+

Saturday, December 21, 2024

BHAKTA 2013 Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Calvados Casks

VITALS:
- $150
- 107.4 Proof
- 11 Years
- Indiana

Bhakta is a brand that is pretty new to me, and I've been making it a point to learn a bit more about them. And, I have to say, I'm intrigued.  BHAKTA Spirits is a brand started by Raj Peter Bhakta, who also founded WhistlePig. Apparently after he sold WhistlePig, he found himself in the Armagnac region of France, where he proceeded to purchase a farm/vineyard, and with it some stocks of very well-aged Armagnacs and other spirits.

While this particular bottle is not an Armagnac, it is, nonetheless, a rye finished in calvados barrels. The rye has a bottling date of 2013 (Bhakta tends to operate in vintages rather than age statements), making it a 10 year whiskey before spending 75 days in the secondary cask, a Calvados selected from Chateau BHAKTA (which I assume is the name of the farm he purchased).   

After popping the glass cork (I really hate those), I immediately got the traditional notes of rye that I'd expect, with a healthy amount of cinnamon, and even some mint and pine resin. There's no denying it's an older MGP rye. The Calvados notes weren't super strong, at least not on the nose.  I did get a bit of a cooked apple sauce note, but it was pretty faint.  

The flavor was great, primarily because, despite the finishing, it was still unquestionably a really good rye.  Vanilla and cinnamon were right up front, with the spice from the cinnamon lingering throughout.  There was a light minty note, but not nearly as pronounced as I expected. That pine resin was a little more forward, along with an oak note that added a bit of bitterness.

It was that oak note that I think made the Calvados finishing work, as it added a sweetness that countered some of that bitterness, and vice versa. It never leaned too sweet or too bitter.  And the ever-present cinnamon note really seemed to work well with the apple brandy notes.

The only criticism I have about the finish is that it didn't seem to last very long.  It had great notes of cinnamon and baked apple and sweet vanilla.  But, oddly, it just seemed to disappear pretty quickly.  But, if that's my only quibble, this was still a delicious pour, telling me that, even if finished rye is not their bread and butter, they still appear to know what they're doing.

Grade: B+

Sunday, December 15, 2024

Whistlepig PiggyBack Alfa Romeo F1 Team G-Force Finished Single Barrel Rye Whiskey

VITALS:
- $45
- 96.77 Proof
- NAS
- Vermont & Canada

Okay, so this is kind of a weird one.  And, while clearly gimmicky, it went so weird that I just had to try it. Luckily the price made it easy to do a bit of experimenting. And, apparently, experimenting is what this bottle is all about. 

First, this is one of the more unique finishes I've seen, as it was finished in lychee and tea barrels.  I'm not going to lie, I had to Google "lychee."  I had zero frame of reference here, and I've never had what is apparently a sweet and floral tropical fruit. And it's still unclear to me whether there are two separate finishes here (lychee and tea) that were then blended together, or whether the barrel previously held lychee and tea together. Either way, it was a unique finish, and on top of that, while finishing, the barrels were subjected to G-forces.  I'm not sure exactly how, but I just imagine the barrels being strapped to the back of an F1 car on a loop track for days on end. Probably not what happened here, but the bottle doesn't give me much more to work with. 

I popped the cork and I was immediately hit with a bubble gum note. This was like those Double Bubbles that used to disappoint me when I went trick or treating as a kid. Or, like the artificial bubble gum flavoring of bubble gum soda (as opposed to organic bubble gum, I guess???).  Remember Hubba Bubba Bubblegum Soda?  Well, I do, and this smelled like that!  I tried to find other notes, but really this just smelled like bubblegum. Already one of the weirdest whiskey experiences I've had, and I hadn't even tasted it yet.

But, not surprisingly, it tasted like . . . bubblegum.  At least there were other flavors to go along with, however, including bright strawberry and raspberry notes.  This was incredibly fruit forward, and it was all bright, sweet berry notes.

On the back end the tea notes came through, more prominently than expected, actually. They provided a bit of an earthy note that gave an interesting contrast. I did get some traditional rye notes, including a light minty flavor, as well as a bit of a cinnamon spice on the finish. Those notes, however, were easily overpowered by the strong, fruity bubblegum note that dominated throughout.

This was a weird whiskey, no doubt about it. As weird as it was, though, the consensus from everyone who tried it was that it was "not bad" to "good."  Good for what it was, anyway. Interestingly, I did find myself from time to time in the mood for this bubblegum whiskey, and when in that mood I found I really enjoyed it, weirdness and all.

Grade: B