September 2018 – The Showdown (our assumptions, challenged)
There are some things we’ve said in our club in the past that tend to influence our discussions, and when I can I like to challenge them. There are a lot of things that influence the way you feel about a whiskey. Something as simple as the label, a nearby candle burning, or the wet dog wandering through the room can change how you feel about a whiskey and what flavors you pick out. Of course, if you’ve already tried a couple whiskeys, your experience can change further still. This month, we challenged some perceptions.
Assumption 1 – Our first assumption was that a great whiskey, if aged longer, should continue to get better. To test this, we picked up a bottle of I.W. Harper 15 year. In a previous meeting, we tried the standard and described it as, “The exact taste of bourbon.” There’s no fluff or frills to it, and it’s a beautiful whiskey.
I.W. Harper 15 Year
I.W. Harper Distilling Company, Tullahoma, TN
Overall
6.6 / 10
Burn
6.0 / 10
Specs
Age: 15 years
ABV: 43% or 86 proof
Price (Oregon State): 750 ML $74.95
(Value) Our club average value placed on this bottle was $69.50
(Flavors) Unripened banana, cilantro, basil, fresh rain, dust, smokey***, brown sugar, earthy, licorice, butterscotch, gravel,
(Notes) This is a fantastic whiskey. It’s every bit the flavor we expect a bourbon to have in a beautiful bottle. It smells amazing. It’s definitely something that belongs on the top shelf of your whiskey cabinet.
However, at this price point, we tend to be a bit more critical. If we pay twice as much for the whiskey, we’re expecting to be wowed by a change in the complexity and depth of the flavors. We decided that this whiskey may be over-aged. It tastes too much like sucking on a hunk of old oak to pick much out of it. Again, we really liked it, but when thinking about this versus the standard bottle we decided we liked the younger version better.
Links:
Last featured tasting (click here)
Distiller’s website (click here)
Assumption 2 – Our next assumption was that a flavored whiskey is just never as good as plain old whiskey. To test this, we tried Clyde May’s Alabama Styled Whiskey. We loved this brand’s straight bourbon and even compared it to I.W. Harper.
Alabama whiskey is a style of flavoring whiskey that Clyde May helped pioneer while he was bootlegging that involves using apple peels to sweeten the liquor. It’s not very common to see Alabama whiskey produced, so while a little hesitant, we were really excited to try this one.
Clyde May's Alabama Style Whiskey
Conecuh Brands, LLC, Location unknown (United States)
Overall
7.3 / 10
Burn
5.8 / 10
Specs
Age: 6 to 7 years
ABV: 42.5% or 85 proof
Price (Oregon State): 750 ML $36.95
(Value) Our club average value placed on this bottle was $46.33
(Flavors) Cinnamon, gummy worms, green apple**, vanilla, apple crumble,
crème brûlée , powdered sugar, floral, absinthe, pear, spiced baked apple
(Notes) This bottle didn’t wow us the same as Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon. That said, it did wow us. We tend to expect that syrupy, sugary sensation of additives with a flavored whiskey and this whiskey didn’t have any of those qualities. It has the same viscosity as a regular old whiskey with subtle hints of warm, Autumn flavors. Everyone agreed that this would be the ultimate whiskey to make a seasonal cocktail with if it was about half the price. Even so, over ice or even neat this is a tasty whiskey.
Links:
Last featured tasting (click here)
Distiller’s website (click here)
Assumption 3 – There are a ton of whiskeys that get finished in a used barrel as a kind of novelty. Lately, we’ve seen a lot of sherry cask and other wine cask finished whiskeys. We haven’t had any at our club, but in our conversations most of us have tried and disliked them. That’s why when I saw the beer-barrel whiskey I knew we had to give it a shot at least once.
Beer Barrel Bourbon
New Holland Artisan Spirits, location unknown (United States)
Overall
5.86 / 10
Burn
4.86 / 10
Specs
Age: N/A
ABV: 40% or 80 proof
Price (Oregon State): 750 ML $39.10
(Value) Our club average value placed on this bottle was $41.67
(Flavors) honey, fresh cut grass, sugar cookies, black peppercorn, stout beer*, pine, cinnamon, rich, bananas, charcoal finish
(Notes) This whiskey tastes like beer. There’s no way around it, and that’s what it’s labeled as. It’s what beer would taste like if you had it flat, an additional 30%+ ABV, and maybe threw a shot of bourbon in there. It’s hard to compare to other bourbons and without having the base whiskey I can’t really tell you if it got better after being put in a beer barrel. What I can say is that it’s enjoyable, and I don’t see anything wrong with it at all. In fact, if I got it as a gift I would be happy. If you’re in the market for something novelty, this might be a good choice. Otherwise, there are better choices at almost forty bucks a bottle.
Links:
Last featured tasting (click here)
Distiller’s website (click here)
Assumption 4 – A whiskey that isn’t all that outstanding isn’t worth twice as much just because it’s been aged longer. We’ve tried Evan William’s single barrel, and it’s better but not that much better. At least, not for the jump in price that’s associated with it. This goes for a slew of other prolific, not-so-great whiskeys.
I used to drink a lot of Bulleit Bourbon because, for the $25 a handle I paid at Costco, it was a solid value. With popularity the cost has gone way up and nobody in our club feels it’s worth the price any more. I’m not saying it’s anywhere close to being as bad as Evan William’s, but it’s definitely not as good as the bourbons it sits next to at the liquor store in the $30 range.
Bulleit Bourbon 10-Year
Bulleit Distilling Co., Louisville, KY
Overall
7 / 10
Burn
6.7 / 10
Specs
Age: 10 years
ABV: 45.5% or 91 proof
Price (Oregon State): 750 ML $34.95
(Value) Our club average value placed on this bottle was $49.50
(Flavors) Butter, white granulated sugar, soft caramel chews, earthy*, nutmeg, maple butter, vanilla, sweet **, dusty, maple*, burnt bananas, pickle juice, bread pudding, brown sugar
(Notes) The 10-year bottle doesn’t even taste like the standard bourbon. It’s so much better that none of us could even believe it came from the same distiller!but the 10-year is in a totally different league. Absolutely give this a chance if you can.
Links:
Last featured tasting (click here)
Distiller’s website (click here)
September 2018 tasters
