Review - Wanderback Whiskey Batch No. 1
The first release from Wanderback Whiskey, Batch No. 1 was made in collaboration with Westland Distillery in Seattle, WA….This solid whiskey is full of oak and smoke and perfectly at home enjoyed neat in a Glencairn.
Rating 3 Glasses
Distillery: Westland Distillery (Bottled by Wanderback)
Years Aged: 2 (Website says 3)
Proof: 90
Local Price (USD): $59.95
Availability: Uncommon
We want to thank the the good folks over at Wanderback for providing this sample for review. Our reviews are objective and without bias regardless of how the whiskey was obtained.
Tasting Notes
Color & Consistency: Golden Honey. Slowly developing thin legs.
Nose: Smokey bacon, toffee and maple with a hint of vanilla.
Taste: Buttery toffee gives way to spice and charred oak. Reminds me of Lagavullin.
Finish: Long smokey dry finish with remnants of charred oak and spices.
Conclusion: The first release from Wanderback Whiskey, Batch No. 1 was made in collaboration with Westland Distillery in Seattle, WA. Aged in new American oak barrels, this great single malt contains a mix of Washington Select Pale, Pale Chocolate, Munich & Crystal Malts. Released in Summer of 2017, Wanderback's Batch No. 1 took home the 2018 double gold medal from the The American Distilling Institute. This solid whiskey is full of oak and smoke and perfectly at home enjoyed neat in a Glencairn. If you liked this review of Batch No. 1 go check out our review of Batch No. 2 here and we can't wait for the release of Batch No. 3 which is slated for Fall of 2019. Bottles Released: 2160
Review - Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8
Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8 is a solid barrel proof bourbon that is readily available and reasonably priced. Steadily increasing in proof over the years, this most recent release at 116.8 is the best yet… Rare Breed delivers a flavor packed punch that can hang with the other big boys in the category …
Rating 3.5 Glasses
Distillery: Wild Turkey
Years Aged: NAS
Proof: 116.8
Local Price (USD): $39.95
Availability: Widespread
Tasting Notes
Color & Consistency: Dark caramel with drippy legs that are slow to develop.
Nose: Fir trees, vanilla, spices, pipe tobacco and alcohol.
Taste: Charred oak, lemon zest, vanilla, caramel & a burn that just don’t quit.
Finish: Oak, sour cherries, pepper, bitter dark chocolate. The heat remains long after everything else fades.
Conclusion: Wild Turkey Rare Breed 116.8 is a solid barrel proof bourbon that is readily available and reasonably priced. Steadily increasing in proof over the years, this most recent release at 116.8 is the best yet providing way more flavor and boldness above the previous 112.8 which was kind of a dud. Purportedly comprised of 6-12 year old whiskey, Rare Breed delivers a flavor packed punch that can hang with the other big boys in the category such as Booker’s and Elijah Craig. The price is on point but the only thing that knocked it down a bit on the glass rating was that the alcohol was a bit too forward and wiped out some of the more nuanced flavors that might have been present had it been better balanced.
Review - Old Grand-Dad 114
…Old Grand-Dad uses a mash bill of 62% Corn, 28% Rye & 10% Malted Barley. This unusually high Rye content and high proof makes this pour an especially potent one. Basically like pouring 10lb of sugar into a bucket of kerosene and setting it ablaze…
Rating 3 Glasses
Distillery: Jim Beam
Years Aged: NAS
Proof: 114
Local Price (USD): $29.95
Availability: Widespread
Tasting Notes
Color & Consistency: Amber paraplegic
Nose: Oak and rye spice hits you right upside the head.
Taste: Lemon, alcohol and dark cherry sweetness. This is where it’s high proof really shines through.
Finish: Molasses with a burn that seems to last forever but finally fades leaving just an essence of ethanol.
Conclusion: Named after Basil Hayden Sr. a famous distiller known for being the “King of High Rye”; Old Grand-Dad uses a mash bill of 62% Corn, 28% Rye & 10% Malted Barley. This unusually high Rye content and high proof makes this pour an especially potent one. Basically like pouring 10lb of sugar into a bucket of kerosene and setting it ablaze. All joking aside it is a bit harsh overall and could use a little smoothing around the edges but we can’t really knock it too hard as it’s a decent one to have on the shelf and definitely can’t complain about the price.
Review - Blanton's Original Single Barrel Bourbon
Light oak and vanilla that wants to stay for a while. Somewhere in between your brother-in-law jetting out before the end of the 1st quarter …and your great uncle just hanging around long after the final buzzer, watching re-runs of The Price Is Right and reciting for the 26th time the story about how he was “that close” to making it on the show…
Rating 3.5 Glasses
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Years Aged: 6-8
Proof: 93
Local Price (USD): $59.95
Availability: Widespread
Tasting Notes
Color & Consistency: Straw honey with medium legs
Nose: Caramel Apple Pops and Josh screaming “I smell prunes! I smell prunes!”. Lime with a little corn, a little oak and caramel to round it out.
Taste: Oak and dark charred sweetness of brown sugar that has been left on the stove just a bit too long.
Finish: Light oak and vanilla that wants to stay for a while. Somewhere in between your brother-in-law jetting out before the end of the 1st quarter because your sister gave him a 7:37pm curfew and your great uncle just hanging around long after the final buzzer, watching re-runs of The Price Is Right and reciting for the 26th time the story about how he was “that close” to making it on the show.
Conclusion: Introduced in 1984 by Elmer T. Lee to honor Albert B. Blanton, former master distiller of George T. Stagg distilllery (previous name of Buffalo Trace Distillery). Blanton’s was the first single barrel bourbon sold commercially and interestingly enough, the mash bill #2 used to produce Blanton’s is the same one used in Elmer T. Lee Bourbon. Unfortunately we can only get the 93 proof variety here in the States but there are higher ABV offerings exported that if one could get a hold of would be worth it.
We feel Blanton’s is a bit like Lil’ Sweet from the Diet Dr. Pepper Commercials with some vanilla, citrus and oak sprinkled on top. A good single barrel bourbon just not quite elevated enough to hang with other newer, higher proof and just plain better offerings in its price range.
Even being slightly overpriced, Blanton’s makes a great gift as the bottle is truly unique and the toppers are even more unique with 8 completely different caricatures available of a jockey riding a horse.
3.5 glasses from us but go grab a bottle, give it a pour and make your own determination. ↓
Review - Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey
…Tuthilltown ages their Baby in “special small American Oak Barrels” which explains how they achieve such a dark color and heavy oak influence from such a young whiskey. The other unique thing…is their use of sonic maturation by playing loud music to agitate the whiskey inside the barrels....
The oak is really the front man of the band…Definitely makes a killer (albeit expensive) whiskey & coke and would feel right at home in an old fashioned…
Rating 2.5 Glasses
Distillery: Tuthilltown Spririts (Gardiner, NY)
Years Aged: < 4
Proof: 92
Local Price (USD): $49.95
Availability: Widespread
Tasting Notes
Color & Consistency: Honey with medium legs and pretty close to the consistency of fresh motor oil.
Nose: Rubbing alcohol, burns pretty good, citrus, oaky. Peeled the phlegm off the back of Russ' throat.
Taste: The initial hit burns just like the nose followed by dark fruits, red grapes and raisins.
Finish: A bit weak with tanniny sweetness and hints of charred oak and maple.
Conclusion: Year 2016, Batch 13, Bottle 3973, non-chill filtered, 100% New York Corn and the “first legal pot-distilled whiskey made in New York since prohibition”. Tuthilltown ages their Baby in “special small American Oak Barrels” which explains how they achieve such a dark color and heavy oak influence from such a young whiskey. The other unique thing about Hudson Baby Bourbon apart from aging in 3-gallon instead of 53-gallon barrels and the fact that it’s 100% instead of the required 51% corn, is their use of sonic maturation by playing loud music to agitate the whiskey inside the barrels instead of moving the barrels themselves for the liquid to interact with the wood.
The oak is really the front man of the band but feels just a bit sharp in this particular batch. Definitely makes a killer (albeit expensive) whiskey & coke and would feel right at home in an old fashioned but we would hold off seeking this one out and stick to your local watering hole for a short pour. It’s balls still haven’t dropped and feels too young despite its forced aging to demand a $50 price point. All this along with the acquired flavor profile brought the glass rating for us down to 2.5.