Review - Jack Daniel's Old No. 7

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Rating 3 Glasses

• Distillery: Jack Daniel Distillery (Lynchburg, TN)
  • Years Aged: NAS
  • Proof: 80
    • Local Price (USD): $22.95
      • Availability: Widespread

 

Tasting Notes

• Color & Consistency: Light honey with thin, quick legs.
• Nose: Light alcohol, pretty mellow actually with a hint of confectioners sugar.
• Taste: Nutty, buttery & bitey. Salty peanut butter.
• Finish: Lingers a while, oak with some brown sugar. Like a smoldering campfire in your mouth.
• Conclusion: Smoother on the palate but harsher on the finish than Evan Williams or Jim Beam. Jack Daniel's is the Toby Keith of whiskey. It'll put a boot in your ass and is just about as American as you can get for under $25. Is rumored to have been enjoyed by George Washington as he crossed the Delaware and Thomas Jefferson as he inspired the Bill of Rights (We know that Jack Daniel's started in 1866 but it seemed to work). The only way to get more American than Jack Daniel's is if you bottled the amount of freedom in 50 Bald Eagles, drank it while flying the Flag standing on the roof of a Walmart® on the 4th of July eating a Big Mac®.

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Review - Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon

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Rating 2.5 Glasses

• Distillery: James B. Beam Distilling Co.
  • Years Aged: 4
  • Proof: 80
    • Local Price (USD): $19.95
      • Availability: Widespread

 

Tasting Notes

• Color & Consistency: Straw Yellow. Usain Bolt legs (quick and runny).
• Nose: Lighter on the nose than Evan Williams but still alcohol forward & sour.
• Taste: Watery, sugary, corny & alcoholy, Burns pretty good going down.
• Finish: Runs away as fast as it showed up leaving you with a bit of bitter citrus & sugar.
• Conclusion: As our palates have matured we realize that whiskeys of this caliber just don't quite make the grade as far as a sipper goes. Definitely fine as a mixer or if you want to re-live your your lost college days. If you like the Beam we suggest you check out Evan Williams as we feel it is more interesting in flavor profile and cheaper to boot! Even though we gave it a lower rating due to its in-your-faceness and low complexity, the majority do not agree with us anyway as it is still one of the top selling bourbons in the world.

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Review - Evan Williams Bourbon

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Rating 3 Glasses

Distillery: Heaven Hill Distillery
Years Aged: 4-5
Proof: 86
Local Price (USD): $12.95
Availability: Widespread

 Tasting Notes

Color & Consistency: Honey yellow like the cheap stuff you get on the side of the road in rural Iowa. Slow legs that are tighter than a camel's ass in a sandstorm.
Nose: Sour mash to its core. Tingles the nostrils. Sugar & turpentine.
Taste: Like being 19 again. Alcohol, corn, oak.
Finish: Alcohol with a little bit of spice and caramel
Conclusion: Evan Williams is the second largest selling Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey in the US and the world. Fits the bill for the price and good for a bonfire and one heck of a hangover. If you put the glass up to your ear you can hear banjos playing. Kicks you in the face on the first sip then mellows out and a few rocks of ice and/or your favorite soda will make this awesome. Keep it on hand as a great mixer and for your friends that don't appreciate your higher end whiskeys.

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Review - Barlow Trail Port Cask Finish American Whiskey

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Rating 2.5 Glasses

• Distillery: Big Bottom Distillery
• Years Aged: N/A
  • Proof: 91
    • Local Price (USD): $39.75
      • Availability: Widespread

 

Tasting Notes

• Color & Consistency: Rich mahogany & fat sticky legs 
• Nose: A lumber mill wet with morning dew. The port comes through like the Kool-Aid man through concrete.

• Taste: Thick bitter woodiness and heavy oak tannins. Cherry cough syrup.
  • Finish: Marred by a lingering bitterness much like an overdose of NyQuil™
• Conclusion: Batch No. 10. Good well rounded whiskey for beginners that lends itself to the sweeter side of life thanks to finishing off in port wine casks. It's price is slightly reaching in this category but would be a great stocking stuffer for Christmas.

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Review - Jameson Irish Whiskey

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Rating 4 Glasses

• Distillery: John Jameson & Son Ltd
  • Years Aged: NAS
  • Proof: 80
    • Local Price (USD): $29.95
      • Availability: Widespread

 

Tasting Notes

• Color & Consistency: Honey with thin legs
• Nose: Apples & alcohol
• Taste: Low heat but smooth with  vanilla & citrus
  • Finish: I forgot already
• Conclusion: Jameson is at the top of the Irish whiskey world by capturing 80% of all sales globally. In the United States the annual figures alone are staggering with #1 being of course Jameson w/ over 2 Million cases sold, followed by #2 - Bushmills (185K Cases) & #3 - Tullamore D.E.W. (142K Cases).
• What us Americans would usually term as table/house whiskey, Jameson being so readily available makes it a great mixer but is also enjoyable to drink neat or on the rocks (a staple in Matt's cabinet). This is the whiskey you bring to a party because the price doesn't leave you broke and it won't embarrass you in front of your friends. Only real downside is it being so well blended, balanced & smooth you may not be able to pick out as many unique aromas and flavors to break down. We want to applaud Jameson for fueling the Irish whiskey revolution that has been happening over the past decade or so and look forward to experiencing more of what the region has to offer.
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• Fun Facts:
• Did you know John Jameson isn't actually Irish?
• Even though Jameson Original is a NAS the distillate is usually aged between 5 & 7 years

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