Starlight Distillery Huber's Old Rickhouse Binny's Private Select Single Barrel Rye Whiskey Finished in Cognac Casks

VITALS:

- $70

- 111.8 Proof

- 4 1/2 Years

- Barrel No. 22-2043

- Indiana

If you've been in a Binny's recently, I'm sure you've noticed rows of their shelves filled with Starlight Distillery picks. They certainly have an influx at the moment of all sorts of picks, from single barrel bourbons and ryes to whiskeys finished in everything from Bourdeaux to cherry liqueur barrels. In fact, they have so many Starlight picks right now, it's almost paralysis by analysis. There are so many options its hard to pick just one.

But, not being one to miss out, I figured I'd go with my mainstays as far as finished whiskey goes. I tend to enjoy the Cognac and Armagnac finishes, particularly on rye barrels. So, seeing this Cognac finished rye among all the other finishes, I played it safe. I could have gone with something different, but again, I wouldn't know where to start.

The nose really showed off that Cognac influence, hitting me right away with scents of orchard fruits like apple and pear. There was also a certain malty backbone, giving it a sort of bread-like aroma. It also had a light caramel sweetness as well as a light note of rich vanilla. I didn't get much of the rye spice I was expecting, but everything else smelled great!

Right up front the pear note came through on the palate, but it was more of a cooked pear. Here the spice came through, with cinnamon and black pepper notes. It also had that caramelization you get with cooked pears, adding a rich sweetness to the fruity note.

I definitely got that malted note as well. It was somewhat bread-like, but sweet and grainy all at once. There was also a distinct white grape note, which became more and more prominent as I made my way through the bottle. As it became more prominent it took on more of a white wine note, a note which seemed to stick out a bit and didn't seem to play well with everything else going on.

The finish proved to be interesting, with a mix of black pepper, orange peel, honey and walnut. It was spicy, earthy, sweet and citrusy all at once. But, it didn't all seem to go well together. It was almost as if each note was there, sitting in its own respective corner, uninterested in playing with those other flavors.

this Cognac finished rye came across as sweeter than I would have wanted, particularly on later pours, and while the flavors were enjoyable, it just didn't come across as a finished, cohesive whiskey. Rather, it was kind of all over, particularly on the finish.

Grade: B-

One Eight Distilling Untitled Whiskey No. 17

VITALS:

- $80

- 115.8 Proof

- 10 Years

- Batch 1

- Washington D.C.

When One Eight Distilling's Untitled Whiskeys started hitting shelves a couple years ago, they got decent enough hype that I certainly became curious. I remember seeing private select single barrels, and their batches, such as this one, had some incredible finishing combinations, usually with bright, fruity and rich finishes such as sherry, port or cognac. What I had up to this point was all really good and, at the very least, really interesting.

It wasn't long after that initial run that I picked up this bottle, Untitled Whiskey No. 17.  This one is a blend of a 10 year old wheated bourbon that was finished in rum, Calvados and Cognac casks along with a 14 year high rye bourbon finished in Amontillado sherry butt. That's a whole lot going on inside this bottle. I wasn't sure if it would all work together or if it would be too much, but I was certainly willing to find out!

The nose on this was impressively rich. I feel like I use that word a lot in these blog posts, but this is quite possibly the richest nose I've ever nosed, bull of dark chocolate mixed with various dark fruits, including blackberry and cherry, fig and raisin, and even plum. It even had a bit of clove to it that made all those fruit notes come across like a spiced wine.  I couldn't get enough of this nose. I want to make a candle out of it!

While the flavor was very rich itself, it seemed that the spicy notes came through a bit more. I definitely got the dark fruit notes. Blackberry and dark cherry seemed prevalent, even with a bit of a sour note accompanying that cherry flavor.  

But, what took center stage was the spice. Cinnamon and black pepper spice seemed to dominate this. At times I feel like I even got a chili pepper note. This certainly gave that spice-wine character, just heavy on the spice. Dark chocolate notes also came through, providing a bit of a backbone and somewhat tempering the spice notes.

Towards the back end, the dark chocolate notes carried through as the cinnamon and black pepper subsided a bit. I also got some nutty, earthy notes, like walnut and almond. And it was on the finish that the sweetness came through, kind of a molasses note.

There was a lot of really good "stuff" happening here. I liked those wine notes, the dark fruit notes, and the dark chocolate notes.  Something about this blend, however, just didn't quite work. I'm not sure if one of the finishes had more influence than others. Perhaps it's the rum finish that I didn't like, as I have yet to find a rum finished rye or bourbon I've liked. But there was something about this that just didn't work, just didn't quite bring all of those great flavors together into something cohesive. 

Grade: B-

Copper & Cask The Wry Canadian 15 Year Cognac Cask-Finished Single Barrel Canadian Whisky

VITALS:

- $80

- 118 Proof

- 15 Years

- Canada

This release was certainly an intriguing one to me. I've enjoyed the couple of Copper & Cask single barrel ryes that I've tried so far. However, this release was something much different. The Wry Canadian is a 15 year Canadian whiskey that was aged in a second-use Cognac barrel that had previously been used to age rye. So, it's a well-aged Canadian whisky that is going to have additional influence not only from the Cognac cask, but also from the rye that had previously been aged in the same barrel. 

With all that going on, including the fact that it's a single barrel product bottled at cask strength, the $80 price tag certainly seemed reasonable enough. I don't exactly have my thumb on the Canadian whisky market, but compared to well-aged American whiskey, this would be a steal.

On the nose I got a significant amount of brown sugar. That note completely dominated anything else I was getting.  I did get some other behind-the-scene notes, including a bit of black licorice and even a little bit of cinnamon, but otherwise I might as well have shoved my nose into a cannister of brown sugar.

As to flavor, that brown sugar sweetness was, not unexpectedly, prominent right up front. It hit me as a sweeter whisky right away.  However, at least as to the palate, that brown sugar was accompanied by other notes, one of which was a distinct maple syrup note.  It also had a certain bready quality to it, kind of like a sweet bread along the lines of a King's Hawaiian roll.

On the finish, a great spicy kick seemed to come out of nowhere. It was a great combination of cinnamon and cayenne pepper, providing some heat and a nice tingle on my tongue and the back of my throat. Of course the sweet brown sugar notes remained, but that sweet and spicy balance was really delicious!

In the end, this is still a Canadian whisky, and that brown sugar note is a common theme I tend to find in most Canadian whiskies. I wish the Cognac played more of a role here, but at least the Rye cask had a decent influence, throwing in some nice spice at the end. I don't know that I'd say this was great, but it was worth the price of admission in my mind, as I did really enjoy it.

Grade: B

Blaum Bros. 5 Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Cognac Puncheon

VITALS:

- $80

- 108

- 5 yrs.

- Illinois

I do love Blaum Bros. distillery. Of course their sourced product, Old Fangled Knotter Bourbon, was absolutely phenomenal bourbon.  Unfortunately, much of that is long gone. I have also enjoyed their ryes, and I do make it a point to support local distilleries.

So, when I was offered an 5 year age-stated bourbon from Blaum Bros. that was finished in Cognac casks, I really couldn't turn it down, even if it was a bit steep at $80.  I can't help it, I'm a sucker for those Cognac finishes in the first place, and I definitely wanted to give their Blaum Bros.' bourbon another try now that it has more age on it.

The nose had a certain woody and nutty note to it. It was like caramel and chocolate covered oak, with some peanut thrown in. Kind of like a Snickers, but instead of nougat it was a soft and chewable wood.  Okay, I'm stretching here, but it didn't really provide the fruit notes I expected from the Cognac, but rather seemed to come across as tannic with hints of sweet caramel and chocolate.

As to the flavor, it came across as a bit young and corn-forward.  The corn notes were inescapable and they provided for some sharp, rough edges on top of making it come across as hot.  The sweetness inside came across as a brown sugar note, and there was a bit of green apple underscoring everything.

The Cognac notes did come through here, where they were missing on the nose. Along with that green apple, I got some quite delicious notes of pear and melon. There was also a creamy vanilla note that accompanied these flavors.  Unfortunately, they didn't seem to match up very well with the brown sugar and corn notes I was getting right up front.

On the finish the brown sugar note seemed to last the longest. However, it was here that I got a mild, but off-putting tannic note adding a bit of bitterness that seemed to linger for a bit on the sides of my tongue.  

This was not my favorite offering from Blaum Bros. Whatever they were going for just never seemed to materialize. I'm all for the experimentation, though, and I hope they keep putting out new and interesting releases such as this.

Grade: B-

Doc Swinson's Exploratory Cask L'esprit Straight Bourbon Finished in Cognac Casks

VITALS:

- $70

- 114 Proof

- NAS

- Release No. 21-003

- Indiana

I wasn't sure when the next time I picked up a bottle of Doc Swinson's would be. I'm not casting aspersions or anything. I've only had one of their products before, their Triple Cask Bourbon Finished in Sherry & Cognac Casks. That was a somewhat weird experience, though, as I really enjoyed that bourbon up until the finish, at which point I didn't. That one literally and figuratively left a bad taste in my mouth.

But, when I saw this Cognac finished bourbon sitting on the shelf, I once again considered it, and in my cart it went.  What can I say, I'm a sucker for those Cognac and Armagnac finishes. As an added note, I looked at the back label and it had this note set off in red text: "Easy-Cracking Wax, Simply Twist to Open."  Had I not already made the decision to buy this bottle, that alone might have persuaded me. My interest was even further piqued!

I cracked this bottle open (yes, with just a simple twist of the wax top--why don't more brands have this?!?!), I got notes of raisin and brown sugar. It was like a rich dessert, perhaps even like baklava.  The nose was soft, but buried in there were also notes of orange and burnt sugar. On later pours I could swear I was getting waffle batter. 

The flavor was where this whisky shone. The texture was nice and viscous, really coating the mouth in flavor. More significantly, though, was that the alcohol burn was nowhere to be found. This was dangerously easy to drink, and it was all flavor. Right away I got rich candied pear and brown sugar, all on top of a healthy amount of vanilla.  Again, it was like a rich dessert in many ways, but it managed to never get too sweet.

It always kept some of those more savory qualities, at times reminding me of fig newtons or candied pecans, pairing a bit of earthiness with the sweetness.  It also had a slight oakiness to it as well that help keep the sweetness from taking over. The one thing I'd say was missing was any real spice, but given how well everything else worked, I certainly didn't miss it.

The finish was long and just carried forward those rich dessert notes, but perhaps with the pecan notes taking more of a center stage. If anything it finished with less sweetness which kind of made me love it even more. It also had a bit of tea note that lingered and just the slightest amount of cinnamon spice was left on my tongue.

This bottle certainly renewed my interest in other things Doc Swinson's may be doing. I loved this bottle and I'm glad I took a chance on it. And that easy-crack was still impresses me!

Grade: A

Jeppson's Binny's Select Cognac Finished Cask Strength Single Barrel Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $45

- 119.3 Proof

- 5 Years

- Barrel No. C1

- Indiana

These Jeppson's bourbons are interesting to me. Around Chicago, people are very familiar with Jeppson's Malort, and usually for all the wrong reasons. Despite that negative association, though, CH Distilling elected to release a bourbon that is branded almost exactly like Malort. So, even though it's a completely different spirit, it nonetheless has that association.

That said, what I've had of Jeppson's bourbon so far I've enjoyed. It is MGP bourbon, after all (though they've also sourced from Tennessee), so I guess that's not entirely unexpected. And when Binny's got a cask strength single barrel finished in Cognac casks, of course I was going to give that a try. I do love cognac finishes, and I certainly love them at cask strength!

The aroma was very nutty, full of a pecan or walnut type of note. It also had a sweet and rich cooked peach note as well as a bit of a cinnamon spice. It was kind of like a cobbler. I also got notes of fig and raisin, as well as a bit of a bready note that, with the cinnamon and pecan, gave it a sort of raisin bread aroma.

The flavor very much followed suite, particularly with the cobbler notes  Right up front I got sort of a brown sugar and butter note, sweet and rich. I also got the baked peach as well as some baked pear along with some cinnamon and pecan. It was very much like a warmed up dessert, the kind that would go great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

At times I also got sort of a burnt orange note, perhaps better described as a muted orange note combined with burnt sugar. I also got a pretty good amount of raisin throughout, again following suit with the nose.

On the finish I got orange liqueur and even more cinnamon. I also got a bit of a peanut note, certainly different than the nutty notes I was getting on the nose. This was a bit less woody and a touch sweeter. I also got the raisin that persisted throughout.

I love Cognac finishes because of that rich, dessert-like quality they add. While it's sweet, it's not sugary like rum finishes. Rather, they tend to have more depth and richness along with a ton of different flavors to be pulled. This bottle was no different. Once I finally opened it, I made my way to the bottom of the bottle fairly quickly.

Grade: B+

Jefferson's Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Cognac Casks

VITALS:

- $60

- 94 Proof

- NAS

- Unknown Source

It has been a long time since Jefferson's released a rye. Their 10-year rye was discontinued quite some time ago, and I was lucky enough to find one on the secondary market just a few years back. It's been 5-6 years, though, at least, since a Jefferson's rye was release. So, when I saw the press release for this Cognac finished rye, I was certainly excited. I have a thing for Cognac and Armagnac finishes anyway, so this one seemed right up my alley.

My guy at my local shop, knowing I was looking forward to this one, was kind enough to set one aside for me. I will say, the price is certainly right on this.   So often lately these special or limited releases are asking $100+, and it's somewhat refreshing to see this one come in at a reasonable $60. I was a bit disappointed at the low proof, the lack of an age statement, and no identifying information on the bottle as to the source, but of course I can forgive all that if what's inside is good!

The nose on this one was very caramel forward. I went in expecting to get the sweet and fruity brandy notes, but the caramel notes of the rye really dominated.  I also got a light chocolate note to complement the caramel. It had some of the traditional rye notes, with a bit of woodiness and some pine. It also had a bit of orange to the aroma, as well as an almond note. The smell wasn't robust or anything, but what was there was very enticing.

On my first pour, my immediate impression was that this whiskey was light and watered down. It was watery in both texture and flavor, and my high hopes were immediately dashed. I expected the Cognac finish to impart a lot of flavor, and it seemed as though the flavor was all a bit muted.

I did get a warm pastry note right off the bat, along with a touch of cherry. The rye came through pretty well too, as I got a healthy dose of cinnamon. The Cognac was noticeable as well, and it came through as pear and even plum at times. That said, all these great notes came across as a bit muted.

There was also an initial bitter note that I got to, kind of like when you eat a bitter walnut. It had the sweet woodiness, but that bitter note just seemed to get in the way.  

I will say, however, that this whiskey got better with each pour. The more I tried it, the more I liked it, to the extent that I really loved my last few pours and wished it weren't gone. I don't know if it was just my frame of mind when I was first digging in or if giving it a bit of time actually helped.

By the final few pours it had developed this rich and almost creamy nougat flavor. With the chocolate notes that I was getting throughout, it reminded me a bit of a 3 Musketeers bar.  The cherry and cinnamon notes, although not prominent by any stretch, really complemented this flavor such that it made for a great combination of flavors toward the end.

Unfortunately, this one just did not live up to my hopes and expectations. Perhaps that's unfair of me to expect more flavor out of a lower proof whiskey, but given the finish, I really wanted that explosion of flavor that you get from so many other finished whiskeys. This one was just too subdued for me. While the price was great, the whiskey itself just didn't live up to what I was hoping it would be.

Grade: B-

Joseph Magnus Triple Cask Finished Straight Bourbon Whiskey

VITALS:
- $100
- 100 Proof
- NAS
- Batch No. 54
- Indiana

I can't say for sure that I ever would have gotten around to purchasing a bottle of Joseph Magnus myself. I've had pours in the past, and while I liked it then, it just didn't do enough for me to justify the hefty price tag. It just didn't move the needle enough.

However, following a great outcome at work, a happy client sent me a bottle, which I was more than happy to accept and enjoy. After all, the fact that it's MGP bourbon finished in two different sherry casks and cognac casks alone piqued my interest, and I was very excited to give this whiskey full consideration.

The nose was full of aromas, probably more than I was even able to pick out. This really had a lot going on before I even took my first sip. It had bold and rich notes of plum and almond which hit the olfactory senses like a brick. I also got some raspberry notes, which I usually get from any sherry finished whiskeys. These dark fruit and bright berry notes were delicious smelling and were layered over an underlying vanilla note that made this come across as very dessert-like.

The palate was a bit different than expected given the nose, however.  Rather than the raspberry notes that I expected, I got orange peel and dark fruits. The plum came through but also some blackberry or even dark cherry. Those fruit flavors had a bit more tartness to them than I expected.

It also had some savory notes as well. I got some dark chocolate, that worked really well with the orange peel flavors. It also had a certain nutty quality to it. At first I had pinned it as a cashew note. However, the more of this I had, the more that note seemed to turn into an almond flavor, and it really took over the flavor profile. It was almost as though someone had taken a bit of amaretto liqueur and added it directly to my bottle. It was that strong of a note, and, unfortunately, it pushed the other good chocolate, vanilla and dark fruit notes to the background.

Throughout this bottle, with each pour, I got a slight but off-putting flavor that seemed to not belong in this whiskey (or any other whiskey for that matter). It took me some time at first to figure out what I was tasting, because it wasn't strong. As soon as I placed it as a burnt rubber note, however, I found that I just couldn't get past it. I don't want to say that it ruined it for me, but I certainly feel that I would have enjoyed this whiskey much more had I been able to get past that. It was a really bad note, even if it were subtle.

And that was really the only thing subtle about this whiskey. This is a bold, in-your-face-with-flavor whiskey, which I'm guessing is what they were aiming for. However, certain notes, like the strong amaretto flavor, were just too strong, and I think in the end it had too much going on. I'm guessing this is probably what resulted in what I was tasting as an off-note. For the price, it just didn't live up.

Grade: B-