Review - Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 22 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon
This one we gotta say is good for a collector or to experience once but for the price we will pass on a chance to buy again.
Rating 3 Glasses
- Distillery: Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Co.
- Years Aged: 22
- Proof: 90.4
- Local Price (USD): $110.00
- Availability: Rare
- Local Price (USD): $110.00
Tasting Notes
- Color & Consistency: The color of Bourbon. Legs like the facets of a Hibiki bottle.
- Nose: Oooooooaaaaaaaaak & brown sugar coated cherries.
- Taste: Heavy on the tannins like a very dry red wine & the oak coming all the way through overshadows everything else.
- Finish: Muted but still sweet. For the proof and the age we thought the finish would last a bit longer. Couldn't pick it out at first but then BANG! Banana at the end.
- Conclusion: Mash bill: 86% Corn, 8% Barley, 6% Rye. Even being aged 22 years it doesn't hold a candle to the Elijah Craig 18 YR that we sampled on the same evening. Bottle looks cool and its definitely a rare throwback style bourbon but the amount of oak kinda killed it for us. If we can find it we are looking forward to reviewing the next release (23 Year) in the Rhetoric line from Orphan Barrel. This one we gotta say is good for a collector or to experience once but for the price we will pass on a chance to buy again.
Review - Auchentoshan 12 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Good for sipping or at dinner to pair with lighter fair such as fish, chicken or pasta. As far as a 12 year goes it's better than some and just right for the price.
Rating 3 Glasses
- Distillery: Auchentoshan Distillery
- Years Aged: 12
- Proof: 80
- Local Price (USD): $46.95
- Availability: Widespread
- Local Price (USD): $46.95
Tasting Notes
- Color & Consistency: Golden yellow with legs that run the length of the glass. Pretty impressive for a 40% ABV dram.
- Nose: Light Sherry influence and grassy. Somewhat like sweet horse manure with an earthly decomposition akin to freshly laid bark dust.
- Taste: Very light and mild on the palate almost like its triple distilled..... wait, we just read the label. Definitely Sherry and citrus rind.
- Finish: Light and dry dissipating quickly. Cocoa nibs & chocolate
- Conclusion: If it had a slightly higher proof the finish would be better/longer. Good for sipping or at dinner to pair with lighter fair such as fish, chicken or pasta. As far as a 12 year goes it's better than some and just right for the price.
Review - Aberlour A'bunadh Batch No. 54
Sherry finished Scotches are a dime a dozen but try to find an over-proof cask strength that is as balanced as A'bunadh?... good luck.
Rating 4 Glasses
- Distillery: Aberlour Distillery Company, LTD.
- Years Aged: NAS
- Proof: 121.4
- Local Price (USD): $84.95
- Availability: Widespread
- Local Price (USD): $84.95
Tasting Notes
- Color & Consistency: Deep amber with extremely thin legs
- Nose: Initial nose is incredibly stringent with loads of that good ol' Oloroso Sherry then leads to bourbon levels of caramel and a hint of orange.
- Taste: Pepper, Sherry. Oak and tannins that are noticeable but not overpowering. A sweetness that hides some of the initial citrus that was found on the nose.
- Finish: Corn Syrupy sweet with a heat that warms your tonsils on a cold winters night and is like a hug from a Tibetan Mastiff.
- Conclusion: We have nothing bad to say as there is no other Scotch quite like it. The Oloroso Sherry is up front but not overpowering and adds to the multitude of other flavors. Sherry finished Scotches are a dime a dozen but try to find an over-proof cask strength that is as balanced as A'bunadh?... good luck.
Review - STRONG'eR Limited Edition American Light Whiskey - Solar Eclipse 2017
It's just darned good. Got a little Razzle Dazzle to it & bravo to New Basin as this is one of the better craft whiskeys we have had in a long time.
Rating 3.5 Glasses
- Distillery: New Basin Distilling Company
- Years Aged: 10
- Proof: 97
- Local Price (USD): $97.00
- Availability: Very Rare
- Local Price (USD): $97.00
Tasting Notes
- Color & Consistency: Light in color comparable to a pilsner. Slow wobbly legs
- Nose: Vanilla, alcohol, nutmeg with a hint of apple
- Taste: Definite Oakiness & best friends caramel and honey are hanging with vanilla causing trouble
- Finish: Smooth, light & peppery.
- Conclusion: Barrel No. 7 / Bottle #180. It's just darned good. Got a little Razzle Dazzle to it & bravo to New Basin as this is one of the better craft whiskeys we have had in a long time. We would recommend grabbing this one-off if you can find it and don't mind the sticker shock. Not the most complex 10 year aged American whiskey we have sampled but we would have rated it 4 glasses had the price been 20 bucks less. (As of the date of this review there are a few bottles still scattered around Oregon liquor stores)
Background Info
As the company has been in business for the past 5 years and only officially open for the last 2 you might wonder how they get a 10 year aged whiskey? Well, after talking with Jeremiah at their booth @ Solarfest he informed us that their whiskey currently comes from back east and they finish age it in Oregon oak barrels. This at first was slightly disappointing but he followed up by saying that they hope to be all Oregon made very soon. Diane was also at the booth as well and said that currently their vodka & gin as well as their rye are completely Oregon made with grains grown by her brother right in Madras, Oregon just a few miles from the distillery. Little known fact.... Their logo is actually NBW and was derived from the names of the founders: Norton, Boyle & Williams.
Jeremiah & Diane of New Basin at the New Basin booth - Solartown Madras, OR
STRONG'eR During 2017 Solar Eclipse - Madras, OR
Review - Tamdhu Batch Strength Batch No.1 Single Malt Scotch Whisky
"The finish leaves your tongue writhing in agony and pleasure, all at the same time hating itself but wanting more."
Rating 4.5 Glasses
- Distillery: Tamdhu Distillery
- Years Aged: NAS
- Proof: 117.6
- Local Price (USD): $97.60
- Availability: Rare (Batch No.1 only)
- Local Price (USD): $97.60
Tasting Notes
- Color & Consistency: Reddish-tan & the legs just hold on like Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger
- Nose: Sherry first then butterscotch, cherry and oak
- Taste: Berry & cherry sweetness but not in a bad way. Syrupy, tangy & due to the batch strength it just burns so good
- Finish: Oaky with lingering sugars and alcohol.
- Excerpt from the tasting session - "The finish leaves your tongue writhing in agony and pleasure, all at the same time hating itself but wanting more." ..maybe a little too 50 Shades of Grey perhaps?
- Conclusion: Batch No.1 is a rare commodity but as a whole, Tamdhu Batch Strength is easy to come by. First taste is bliss, super sweet, but bliss. We were pleasantly surprised when the Willy Wonka sweetness started to overpower but the abundance of alcohol did its part to keep everything in check.
- If the batches keep on par with No.1 then yes, thank you ma'am may we have another! We know its on the higher side of the price range but if you are a fan of over-proof, cask strength, barrel strength, etc. then definitely grab yourself a bottle and don't look back.
Quick Facts
1. Introduced in 2015- 2. Majority is aged in first-fill sherry oak casks from America & Europe
- 3. Ongoing debate whether caramel coloring added
- 4. Tamdhu Distillery was built in 1897 & currently plays a significant role in the blends of Cutty Sark, The Famous Grouse & Dunhill Brand