Collingwood 21 Year Canadian Rye Whisky

My forays into Canadian whiskies has largely consisted of Canadian Mist and Crown Royal.  When Collingwood released a 21 year old rye whiskey, made from 100% rye, aged in oak casks and finished in a toasted maple casks, and at a very affordable price for its age, I had to give it a try.

I could not have been more pleased with a purchase than I was with this one.  I have always found Canadian whiskies to be softer whiskies, offering more subtle flavor as opposed to the bold, more punch-you-in-the-face flavor that many bourbons have.  The subtlety of this whisky's flavor is what makes it great, though.

With each sip I found myself noticing something different and each time completely enjoyable.  It is a sweet whisky.  Perhaps my mind was tricked by the marketing, but the maple flavor seemed to stand out the most.  I feel I must clarify, though.  When I say maple flavor, I don't mean maple syrup.  I mean it tastes like freshly cut maple wood smells, which to me is a wonderful smell.  The maple flavor was there just enough to be noticed but not enough to be offensive--a slight but sweet woodiness that did not overtake the whisky.

The sweetness of the whisky is casually followed by the rye spice, almost unexpectedly.  The combination of the rye bread notes with the maple notes provided a great mix.

In later pours, milk-chocolate flavors came through, reminding me of the smoothness of good chocolate after it melts in your mouth.  Again, the mix with the maple and rye flavors continued to work well, and with each pour I found myself eager for the next.

Ultimately, all the flavor balanced well with the expected woodiness of such an aged whiskey.  While it's a dry whiskey, again, it's not too dry, and the wood undertones were, again, prevalent enough to be enjoyed without taking over the flavor.

Usually I tend to ding a whisky for lacking in boldness.  However, in this case, it's the subtlety of the flavors that makes this whisky.  Even at only 80 proof, there's a lot going on here, and, while the flavors may not be strong, they are nonetheless excellent and I really enjoyed taking my time with each pour to discover each note.

My only criticism is the oddly shaped bottle that looks like an over-sized bottle of cologne.  But Collingwood loses no points for this, as it's what's in the bottle that counts.

Grade: A-

Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey

When I first started branching out with my bourbons, looking for better quality than whatever I had been mixing with Coke up to that point, someone had recommended Breckenridge Bourbon to me. However, in wanting to taste the best of what that bourbon has to offer, I focused more on the well-established distilleries and the local craft distilleries. Finally, though, my wife brought a bottle home for me the other day and I got a chance to give this one a go, and I've been missing out.

Although I don't usually do so, I feel the bottle itself is worth commenting on. That's only because on the back it has a sweet printing of the ski slopes at Breckenridge, a place that I'm particularly fond of and can't wait to get back to, making this a winner in my book before I even took a sip.

As to the juice itself, this comes across as a very crisp and clean bourbon. It initially comes across as mildly sweet, tasting like brown sugar and vanilla bean, with very minimal burn at only 86 proof. It had a light oakiness that balanced well with the sweeter flavors.

Despite coming across initially as a crisp and watery bourbon, it had an oily finish that left a distinct cinnamon flavor on my tongue. It was enjoyable, but nothing to write home to mom about.

However, a couple pours into the bottle (though not necessarily in the same night), the flavor only improved, getting a bit sweeter, a little bit smoother and very enjoyable! The vanilla and caramel notes really came through and the wood tones faded out.

In the end, this is one of the best non-Kentucky bourbons that I've had. I finished the bottle much faster than I really wanted to, which to me is the best sign of a good bourbon.  I would recommend this to anyone, whether to someone new to bourbon or someone who loves their bourbon but may hasn't had this one yet.

Grade: B+

Old Weller Antique Kentucky Straight Bourbon

There has been a lot of hype around Weller 12 year, frequently referred to and promoted as the "Poor Man's Pappy."  Accordingly, with all the hype, the availability of Weller 12 has gone down and the price has gone up (although its availability has seen a relative surge recently).

Yet, Old Weller Antique (OWA) remains readily available and at a good price (not to mention a good proof at 107!!).  I grabbed a bottle of OWA to keep at my second office (another office where I frequently camp out when I don't want to head downtown).  So, It has taken me a very long time to finally make my way through this bottle.  It also explains the decorative cork board backdrop in the photo.

This made for a great at-work bottle, however.  I only found myself cracking into it after particularly long days, and OWA delivered each time.

It has a strong alcohol burn due to the high proof, and it has a spicy kick to it as well.  But, it's a wheater, so it also has that soft, graininess to it as well that provides an interesting dichotomy.

OWA keeps to the traditional caramel and vanilla flavors, though, and it makes for a very good, every day sipper.  Aside from the traditional notes, though, I couldn't help but notice a distinct apple flavor, something that really sets this bourbon aside from others.

After the bottle was open for a while, I expected it to smooth out a bit, but it didn't.  If anything, it became drier and a bit harsher on the throat.  It also took on an up-front citrus note that I wasn't expecting.  The caramel notes tended to transform to a more molasses meets licorice flavor as well.  It was one of those flavors where I just couldn't decide if I liked it or not.

All in all, this is not an overly complex bourbon, but I would still consider it more of a sipper than anything.  I wouldn't hesitate to go back to OWA in situations where my choices are otherwise limited.

Grade: B

Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Jefferson's Reserve has never shied away from trying new things with bourbon, and there was a ton of promotion for their ocean voyage releases. The general premise is that they took bourbon barrels and placed them on a bot to age as the boat traveled from port to port through some warmer climates. This would allow the bourbon to interact with the wood more and draw out some additional flavor.

I was very intrigued and eager to try one of these releases, and when I saw bottles of what Jefferson's called "Voyage No. 3" (or, in other words, batch #3), I felt it worth giving a shot.

On the first pour, I noticed primarily a caramel scent on the nose. There was something else to it, but I couldn't quite place my finger on it. That was until I took my first sip, and then it was unmistakable.

This bourbon is actually very briny. I didn't expect the salt from the ocean to make its way into the bourbon, but there is no question that's what happened here. The caramel flavors are also there, making it a salty/sweet bourbon. However, the saltiness is not exactly a good thing.

The brininess of this bourbon overwhelms, and it's very hard to get past that tangy, pickle-juice type flavor to really enjoy it. It's a shame, because, although it's faint, there were hints of some very yummy flavors, reminiscent of white chocolate covered pretzels. Those flavors were buried, though, and difficult to really enjoy.

After letting the bottle sit for a while before I went back to it (it wasn't exactly my first go-to when I wanted a drink), I did notice that the brininess had subdued a bit, but it still managed to overwhelm. Unfortunately, the sweet, salted caramel flavor of the bourbon likewise diminished some as well. It was more drinkable, but not necessarily more enjoyable.

Ultimately, I take this bourbon for what it is--an experiment. I've had great experience with Jefferson's traditional bourbons, and will continue to go back to that well, but this particular experiment, to me, is a bust.

Grade: C-

Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Four Roses Small Batch is one of those bourbons that I've had before, here and there, enjoying a glass at a bar or a pour from a friend's bottle. For one reason or another, though, I had never taken a bottle home from the store (although the Single Barrel has come home with me a number of times).

So I felt it was past time that I pick up a bottle and post my thoughts here. Going in I knew that I was getting a bourbon that wouldn't disappoint.  It has always been consistently good. Although it's a bit more watery than I prefer, it still holds up with strong vanilla and toffee notes.

Perhaps the most noticeable characteristic was that, even at only 90 proof, I found this bourbon to be particularly warming. It certainly had no alcohol burn, and went down very smoothly. Yet, it warmed my insides in a manner that I associate more with spiced rums or even some brandies.

That heat was balanced well by its sweetness, neither one being overly so. The sweet caramel tended to linger a while, which was very welcome considering the watery texture.

Ultimately, this is an inoffensive bourbon.  If I were looking to introduce someone to bourbon for the first time, this is a safe pour. It has all the characteristic traits of bourbon, is not very strong to one end of the flavor spectrum or the other, and is very drinkable.

Personally, I think the single barrel is a better bang for your buck as far as the Four Roses offerings go, and I can't wait to continue trying their different single barrel recipes. Nonetheless, this is still a quality bourbon at a relatively modest price.

Grade: B

Cody Road Rye Whiskey Binny's Selection

VITALS:
- $35
- 80 Proof
- NAS
- Iowa

I headed to Binny's the other day with the intention of grabbing something in the $30-35 range, but with no real idea of what I wanted. After browsing through the bourbons and Scotches, I got to the rye section and came across Cody Road by Mississippi River Distilling Company out of Iowa. This is this craft distillery's rye offering, and one thing that I've learned is that, although they are usually young whiskeys, craft distilleries are capable of making some very good ryes. The fact that this was a Binny's Selected bottle only made my decision easier to give this a shot.

I wanted something to drink around the fire that night in our backyard, and this really ended up being the perfect drink to complement the night. I don't know why, but I tend to enjoy a good, sweet and spicy rye outside in the evening.

This rye is very good, surprisingly so since I had heard very little about it. It's made from 100% rye and is only 80 proof, yet it is still full of flavor. It's a sweet rye, and surprisingly had some fruity notes to it, including very noticeable orange, cherry and apple flavors, distinguishing this from nearly every other rye I've tried.

Of course, it still had the heavy and prominent rye spice to balance out the sweet, fruitiness, offering a mix of cinnamon and cloves. What I found unique and very enjoyable about this rye, though, was the light smokiness that followed on the back end. It's almost as though this whiskey hits you with different waves of flavor, each different but as enjoyable as the next.

Although this is a young rye (the label did not provide an age statement, my guess would be it's 3 years old or less), it is very good, and it has a far more reasonable price point than other ryes produced by craft distillers. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to grab another of these off the shelf the next time I'm in the mood for a rye.

Grade: A- 

Bulleit Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $30
- 90 Proof
- NAS

I've had the Bulleit rye before, and I see Bulleit bourbon frequently used in cocktails on Bar Rescue (a show sponsored by Diageo). Yet, I had never tried Bulleit on its own before. I guess it had to happen eventually.

I didn't really expect a whole lot going in, figuring it would be sort of a "baseline" bourbon, good enough to pass as bourbon, but nothing special (hence the common use in cocktails). Accordingly, even before I had a sip, I had it in my mind that it would be on the same level as Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Knob Creek and so on.

I will say this, I went through this bottle about as quick if not quicker than any other bottle that I can remember recently. I'm not sure if it was merely a matter of circumstance or what. It was certainly a very drinkable bourbon, but I did not notice anything special about it.

This is a simple, sweet bourbon with a decent spicy kick to it.  It was very warming (perhaps why I went through it so quickly in the last of the cold Chicago Spring days). The standard toffee and vanilla flavors were there, with a bit of cinnamon or clove, and the distinct peppery spice.

Interestingly, what I liked most about this bourbon was the nose. Though not an overly complex bourbon, it had a nose that I couldn't stop sniffing. It smelled incredible, with the perfect vanilla, caramel and cinnamon blend that I just want to package up as potpourri.

Ultimately, though, it remains on the same tier as the other standards (regardless of how quickly I finished off the bottle).

Grade: C