Rowan's Creek Straight Kentucky Bourbon

I've always known Rowan's Creek to sort of be the little brother to Noah's Mill bourbon, both produced (sourced) by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), who also produces Willett. Yet, I had never tried either.  So when I saw a single, lonely bottle on the shelf for exactly the amount of money I was looking to spend that day, it seemed like it was fate that I adopt the poor guy.

After all, the bottle is cute, with the appearance of a scribbled out label as though it were done by hand (though it's clearly not). Plus, at 100.1 proof, the higher alcohol content drew me in as well.

As I had hoped, this bourbon is solid on the vanilla and caramel with an undertone of honey, both in the nose and immediately on the palate. Also immediately noticeable was a black pepper spice, but it was more subtle, and not necessarily in your face as some of the spicier bourbons tend to be.

It also had a strong wood flavor, making it a drier tasting bourbon, something you usually find in much older bourbons. This bottle does not have an age statement. I've noticed that earlier bottlings were aged for 12 years, but my guess is this NAS bottle is much younger.

As I made my way through this bottle, it sweetened significantly, making it hard to keep from going back to the bottle. The woodiness died away a bit and it smoothed out to a very drinkable bourbon.

Nonetheless, it still ultimately came across as a not-so-complex, younger bourbon, a trait that stuck out from beginning to end.

Grade: B

Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch Whisky

Monkey Shoulder has been a blended Scotch mainstay for me for quite some time now, but I finally got around to picking up a bottle for purposes of conducting a review.

I was actually turned onto the stuff by my good friend's father-in-law who fancies himself a Scotch now and then and he absolutely raved about the stuff. But, at that time, it wasn't available in the states.

Now, however, Monkey shoulder can be found in every liquor store, grocery store and convenience store, and at a pretty reasonable price. As I purchased this particular bottle, my local liquor store owner commented at how popular this particular Scotch is.

Monkey Shoulder is a blend of three single malts from the Balvenie, Glenfiddich and Kininvie distilleries. This particular bottle was labeled as bottled from batch 27.

At 40% ABV, this is a very inoffensive and easy to drink Scotch. It has a light nuttiness to it, balanced by a slightly smoky up front flavor. On the finish it is very sweet and buttery, however, and it seemed to get sweeter with every pour.

Monkey Shoulder seems to offer just a little bit of everything I like about Scotch. I like smoky flavor from the peat used in many Scotches, and I definitely appreciate the more savory, earthy, nutty flavor of Scotches as a change-up from the sweet, vanilla flavored bourbons.

Also, much like well-aged Speyside Scotches offered by Glenfiddich, I love the butterscotch coating that I get at the back of my throat a few sips in.  That's the kind of thing that makes me go back for that second (and sometimes third) glass!

Overall, this is not a very complex Scotch, and it is not strong in any one particular flavor profile. That being said, it is incredibly enjoyable on its own, and is the perfect bottle to serve as an introduction to newcomers to Scotch whisky.

Grade: B

New Holland Brewing Beer Barrel Bourbon

As the bourbon industry continues to grow and prosper, as more and more products come out and as more and more distilleries get into the bourbon game, we are seeing companies take different angles to sell their product. Sometimes those are marketing angles, offering a product with an old-timey label or some unique back-story. Sometimes those are different angles in flavor—whatever flavored bourbon you can think of is probably out there somewhere.

New Holland Brewery took a somewhat different angle. New Holland is first and foremost a brewer, and not primarily in the distilling game. One of their more flavorful products is their Dragon's Milk Stout, a very flavorful milk stout that I've had the pleasure of enjoying in the past.

Using these barrels in which the Dragon's Milk Stout was aged, New Holland created their Beer Barrel Bourbon, a bourbon that, after aging for a few years in American Oak barrels, was finished in beer barrels. It's a marketing angle that should appeal to beer drinkers and whiskey drinkers alike, and my curiosity was piqued.

So here's the quick rundown on this one, before I get into my more detailed thoughts.  I went in this not expecting to compare it to traditional bourbons. In fact, I fully expected it to be more akin to a flavored bourbon than to other finished bourbons I've had, such as Angel's Envy. I figured the stout would permeate the whiskey more than whiskeys finished in wine barrels.

On my first drink, my expectations were confirmed and more. Not only did it taste like a milk stout flavored whiskey, but the flavor of the stout dominated. It had a creamy, toasted flavor to it, with the strong flavor of the stout throughout the whiskey. In fact, I couldn't really comment on the whiskey itself, as it was very masked. It's a very sweet, and a more bitter beer might not work as well as the stout barrels do.

As the bottle sat for a while, the up front and in-your-face flavor of the stout did take somewhat of a back seat, and it took on more of a finished whiskey nature than that of a flavored whiskey.  The sweetness also mellowed out, so that it was still sweet but not overly so.  However, the milk stout was still not to be denied.

What it comes down to is, if you like milk stouts, or in particular, New Holland's Dragon's Milk Stout, and you're not looking to simply enjoy some bourbon, then this is absolutely worth trying. As I worked my way through the bottle, though, I also had to go pick up a bottle of traditional bourbon, because this Beer Barrel Bourbon just did not satisfy my cravings for regular bourbon.
It is a good pour, as long as you know what you're getting into and you're not expecting it to take the place of any traditional bourbons.

Grade: B-

Maker's 46 Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey

Being a regular drinker of Maker's Mark whenever I'm out and the selection is limited, I figured I owed a post devoted to Maker's 46, the big brother to standard Maker's Mark.

As you may have noticed, Maker's has begun a large ad campaign for Maker's 46, with commercials showing the charred oak staves being placed into the barrel in rows before the barrel is re-sealed. Certainly it's something a little different, and given my enjoyment of Maker's Mark productions (especially their cask strength bottling), it would seem to follow that Maker's 46 would be somewhere in my wheelhouse.

As expected, Maker's 46 carries the same flavor profile as regular Maker's Mark, only different. And by "different" I mean that it has more body and more complexity to it.

I enjoyed the nose a lot. It is sweet with a strong caramel scent, but it also has a hint of spice that made me salivate a bit at the anticipation of taking my first sip.

As noted, the flavor carries the familiar profile of Maker's Mark products. It is strong in vanilla and toffee flavors, with that light spice/tang (I can't quite put my finger on it) typical of wheaters. What really stands out in this bourbon, though, is the smokiness on its finish, something I really enjoyed in this one! It would make sense, considering their commercials, that the extra char from the additional oak staves would supply this additional smokey flavor.

After having the bottle open a while, the bourbon really took on a smokey vanilla flavor, again a flavor that I found particularly enjoyable (and perhaps smoked vanilla extract is a real thing that actually exists -- I may need to do some searching on the internet).

Overall, I enjoyed this as a somewhat more complex version of Maker's Mark. It wasn't over-the-top exceptional, but for a bourbon that is readily available and not excessively priced, I wouldn't hesitate to grab a bottle off the shelf in the future if the mood so suited me. I found I went through this bottle pretty quickly, which is always a good indicator.

Grade: B

Jim Beam Bonded Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Seeing this on the shelf, just to kill my curiosity I felt I should grab a bottle of Jim Beam Bonded (or "bottled-in-bond").  Because it's bonded, it has to be bottled at 100 proof, at least 4 yrs old, and produced in a single distilling season in a single distillery. Despite all these restrictions, I realized I was probably just grabbing a Jim Beam at a higher proof, but I had to see for myself. 

Even at 100 proof, I found the Bonded Beam to be generally sweet up front.  It had the standard vanilla, caramel and toffee flavors, Nothing really out of the ordinary in that respect. In traditional Beam style, it had a peppery spiciness on the back end. 

The texture was on the watery end, typical of lower end bourbons generally used for mixers rather than taken straight.  That being said, the flavor profile was right enough that I enjoyed it on its own just fine.

That being said, I likely wouldn't be grabbing for another any time soon.  Even at this price point, around $20, there are better bourbons to be had.  The higher proof, however, would make this a better mixing bourbon than standard Jim Beam, and if that's the purpose, then this would be the right bottle to grab.

Overall, it's just Jim Beam with a somewhat higher proof. 

Grade: C

Willett Family Estate 8 Year Single Barrel Rye Whiskey

I've tried the Willett Family Estate bourbons previously, but I had never had the opportunity to try one of their ryes. So, when I went to the store looking for something special and the clerk informed me they had the Willett 6 and 8-year ryes behind the counter, I had to give it a go.

Interestingly, it was a tougher choice between the 6 and the 8 than one would initially think. Aside from the age, the 8 year was not distilled by Willett, but rather sourced from MGP, whereas the 6 year was their own juice. Tough call to make, but I went with the 8 year for no particular reason at all, figuring I've had plenty of good, sourced whiskey--no reason to hold that against the 8-year.

While I didn't try the 6-year, I'm glad I made the choice I did, as this is hands-down the best rye I've ever tasted! At 117.6 proof, it certainly packs a punch, and the punch definitely hits you up front. But, just as quickly as it hits you, it fades to one of the most complex and tastiest whiskey's I've had in a long time.

This rye was the perfect blend of spice and sweet. Up front it had the traditional rye spice, with a black licorice note to it--pretty traditional in that respect.

However, that spice faded into a very sweet (like sweet corn kind of sweet), buttery and yet minty flavor that coated the mouth and throat. It may seem like a weird combination, but it tasted amazing, and it seemed to linger forever, making me yearn and salivate for the next sip.

As the bottle sat open for a bit, the alcohol burn seemed to fade a bit, and the combination of flavors seemed to blend a little better, becoming less distinct individually and taking on its own flavor that was very much like a not-as-sweet root beer. Interestingly, rather than up front, I noticed the black licorice flavor more on the back end as I got towards the end of the bottle.

Ultimately, I've had a nice run with the last couple bottles I've finished, as this is easily one of my top whiskey's ever. Unfortunately it's not one I'm likely to run across again, but I won't hesitate for a second to grab future Willett Family Estate ryes when I can find them.

Grade: A+

Knob Creek Single Barrel Gallenstein Family Private Selection Kentucky Straight Bourbon

A friend of mine made a recent trip to Cincinnati, and while there he made a trip across the border into Kentucky to visit his favorite liquor store. He inquired as to whether there was anything in particular I wanted him to look for, and I just told him to grab something that I couldn't find here in Illinois.

And so, he came back with a private selection Knob Creek Single Barrel, along with a story about this particular bottle passed onto him by the owner of the store. The store he visited was Liquor City, owned by the Gallenstein family. In selecting this particular bottle, they had five different people go to the Jim Beam distillery to do a tasting of different barrels and vote on the ones they liked best. Among the different tastings, this particular barrel was the only one that received a unanimous "yes" vote.

Per my buddy, as relayed with him (so take this hearsay within hearsay for what it is), this particular barrel came from the seventh floor of a nine-floor rickhouse.  Despite that the bottle indicates it was aged 9 years, this particular bottling was aged 12 years.

Having had regular Knob Creek previously, I was eager to give it a go, but I wasn't exactly holding onto any high expectations.  Knob Creek has always come across to me as somewhat ordinary, lacking any complexity in flavor or boldness.  This, however, was unlike any Knob Creek I'd ever had before, and I could not have been more impressed.

The bourbon was very sweet, with the classic caramel and vanilla flavors. These flavors were so prominent, in fact, it was like dessert in a glass. Although it was high proof, it managed minimal burn, allowing the natural flavors of the whiskey to come through immediately and to linger long after the finish.

As I made my way through the bottle, I found that a slight cinnamon spice made its way up front, providing a flavor that was distinctively similar to one of my favorite drinks when I go out for burritos, horchata.

Whatever factors the fine people at Liquor City were considering when they were selecting this barrel could not have been more in line with my own tastes and preferences.  I found this bottle to be comparable with many high-end, high-proof bourbons I've tasted in the past, and at $35 (even though this was a gift), this was an absolute steal! I never thought I'd be giving a Knob Creek bottling as high a grade as I am, but it was truly that good, and such credit is due in this instance.

Grade: A+