My Wandering Eye: Chateau De Laubade VSOP

May 19, 2016 Eric Burke

Tomorrow I am going to visit family in Wisconsin. And as such it is only fitting that I explore my father’s favorite drink. Yep, my eye is wandering again and once again I’m down the brandy aisle.

Last year, I gave my father Chateau De Laubade VSOP Armagnac for Christmas. As I’ve stated before, he likes his brandy, but usually buys regular release Korbel. Because until recently, I’d yet to explore brandy most of the time he got presents that I had never tasted. And though he shares, it’s usually a pull from the bottle or an 80 proof drowned in ice. So I decided to give it a try. Chateau De Laubade is a Total Wine exclusive. As such, this one was available in a 200 mL bottle so I didn’t have to lay down too much cash to try it. In this case, it was $12 or so.

Chateau De Laubade VSOP

Purchase Info: $11.99 for a 200 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Details: 40% ABV

Nose: Floral with plump raisins, baked apple and sweet caramel.

Mouth: Trending toward dry with a full mouthfeel.

Finish: A long but delicate finish with caramel, raisins, spice and floral notes.

Thoughts: This has a lovely nose and finish. I’d say most of the flavor hits you during the finish. During my initial tasting, I used a Glencairn as I normally do for these reviews and wasn’t impressed. Because when I’m not doing a tasting, I normally drink using different types of glassware, I tried this again using a small snifter style glass. It is amazing what a difference it made. I picked up much more on the nose and mouth and enjoyed it much more. At $40 for a 750, this isn’t a bargain, but it is easily as good as many of the bourbons that have recently entered it’s price point.

My wandering eye is a series reacting to the crazy rising prices in the bourbon world. We’ve reached a place where even average products have hit the range where they compete price-wise with other types of aged spirits. If I’m going be asked to drop $40 to $70 on a mediocre bourbon, I might as well see what else I can get for that money. See if another spirits category offers something that is downright tasty in that price range. The goal isn’t to find cheap spirits, but to maximize the quality I’m getting at a particular price point.

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Rowan's Creek Bourbon

May 17, 2016 Eric Burke

It’s been a few years (or more) since I last bought a bottle of Rowan’s Creek bourbon. I’d been a fan of bourbon for some time but I really didn’t have the most refined palate. I was just starting my expansion from enjoyer of bourbon to someone who thinks critically about what he’s drinking. I’d gone from just having Maker’s or Wild Turkey in the liquor cabinet to exploring enough to have an entire shelf in my office dedicated to bourbon. Can you believe I had an entire 12 bourbons on my shelf…(eye roll).

At the time, I wasn’t impressed. I found it weird, not like the other bourbons that I was enjoying. It wasn’t a caramel bomb that tasted like a hot piece of candy. And so, I never bought another. Recently I was inspired by my decision to make a trip through the Willett line-up to give it another go.

Rowan’s Creek

Purchase info: $35.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Details: 50.05% ABV, Batch QBC No.: 16-30. DSP-KY-78. Part of Willett’s Small Batch Boutique Bourbon Collection.

Nose: Grain forward with cloves, spearmint and a light fruitiness

Mouth: Sweet and not as hot as I’d have expected for over 100° proof. It’s lightly flavored showing cereal, mint and vanilla.

Finish: Decent length with cereal, spice, caramel and mint.

Thoughts: This is a well constructed whiskey that is outside my normally preferred flavor profile. So I can see why I didn’t care for it back when I was starting my bourbon journey. I didn’t have a palate that was experienced enough to realize that different can be good. And though I don’t normally like grain-forward bourbons, this one has grown on me. And I am liking it more as I progress though the bottle. I’d recommend this to people who like bourbons that show more influence from the grain than the barrel and hold it up as an example of how such a bourbon can be a little more refined and show more than just hot and corn.

My Wandering Eye: Copper & Kings American Brandy, Cask Strength

May 12, 2016 Eric Burke

Copper & Kings Cask Strength American Brandy for Ace Spirits

As we all know, bourbon prices are creeping up. So much so that even average products have hit the range where they compete price-wise with other types of aged spirits. If I’m going be asked to drop $40 to $70 on a mediocre bourbon, I might as well see what else I can get for that money. See if another spirits category offers something that is downright tasty in that price range. The goal isn’t to find cheap spirits, but to maximize the quality I’m getting at a particular price point.

Today, I’m playing in the top end of the price range by purchasing a single cask brandy picked by a local retailer. I’ve run across Copper & Kings on numerous occasions while visiting Kentucky. They often have a spot in various BourbonFest events. So I’ve tried a few of their releases in the past. I’d never purchased one though. Until I tried a sample at a local liquor store.

I was in there looking for inexpensive bourbons to include in Bottom-Shelf Brackets for March. I got to talking with my friendly neighborhood booze vendor about the things I was buying when he mentioned their barrel of Copper & Kings. I was intrigued and asked for a sample. Before I knew it there was a bottle in my hand and I was walking to the register before I found two in there. But a lot of things are good in the store so let’s see if this holds up to closer inspection.

Copper & Kings American Brandy for Ace Spirits

Purchase info: $64.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Ace Spirits

Details: 67% ABV. Single Cask. Per the bottle: Non-chill filtered. No added boisé, sugar or caramel colors.

Nose: Caramel and chocolate covered raisins, a slight smokiness and oak.

Mouth: As you might guess at 134° proof this is really hot. If you can push past the heat, you will find a sweet fruitiness.

Finish: Long, warm and fruity.

With Water (about 100° proof): The fruit really comes to the forefront and is backed with caramel, oak a slight smokiness and a really nice level of warmth. The finish is still long warm and fruity but is sweeter too.

Thoughts: This is really too hot to drink neat. Which even the producer admits on the side of the bottle when they tell you to enjoy it on the rocks, with a mixer or in a cocktail. With some water though, this is a delicious spirit and is highly recommended. It has a spot on my bourbon shelf for as long as it lasts.

Now speaking of cocktails, I think I might have to try this one I found on the Copper and Kings website…

Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel

May 5, 2016 Eric Burke

This week I found myself on a different side of the bourbon zeitgeist than usual. What I thought was good and interesting was viewed by many as controversial and in poor taste. I had people I respect tell me they disagreed with me. I had people I don't respect (or even know) call me out and to tell me how wrong I was to donate to a cause I believe in. But here's the thing, I really don't let what others think inform what I think is good. And if I feel like doing something with my money, I'll do so.

See, I put my money where my mouth is. I'm not just some guy sucking at the teat of big whiskey pretending to be a critic. Well, ok, maybe I am some of that. You see I am just some guy. And you could say that by doing reviews I do pretend to be a critic. I'm not a critic. I'm an enthusiast. I'm a fan. I love the flavors, the aromas, the liquid, the personalities and the history. I even love some of the companies. When I tell you what I think about things, sometimes I gush where others would be measured and professional. This happens because I seriously love bourbon. There are two people in the world that I have gone out of my way to get autographs from. Both make bourbon. One I wrote about earlier this week and the other is Jimmy Russell.

Jimmy Russell is a Master Distiller at Wild Turkey. He is one of the most amazingly fun people I've ever talked with. I'm a fan of his and of Wild Turkey. But even though I'm a fan, that doesn't mean I've tried everything they've put out. Somewhere along the way I missed picking up the single barrel product they put out, Kentucky Spirit.

Single barrel products are hit or miss. They are what many enthusiasts turn to when they've gotten bored of the regular releases. And sometimes they are really, really good. Other times they are less than perfect and show why most companies mix together many barrels when they put out their product.

Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel

Purchase Info: $38.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN.

Details: Bottled on December 8, 2015. Barrel# 2727, Warehouse O, Rick 2. 50.5% ABV

Nose: Fruit notes of pear and cherry, the stick of gum from an old baseball card pack (kind of paper and gum mixed...yes, I'm old, shut up) and freshly tilled earth.

Mouth: Hot with a sharp alcohol bite on the initial sip. After that I get typical bourbon notes of caramel, vanilla and oak.

Finish: The finish brings back the fruit and bubble gum notes from the nose. There is a nice heat that lasts a while.

Thoughts: This is tasty and I do like it but for the price I would probably buy either my beloved 101 or if I wanted something a bit higher up the flavor scale, Rare Breed.

Dusty Thursday: Canadian Club, 100 proof "Export Strength"

February 25, 2016 Eric Burke

A bottle of Canadian Club 100 proof. When I bought it, had a thick layer of dust on it.

Back in July of 2014 I reviewed a bottle of Canadian Club. It was fine, a bit delicate. I rated it a meh, having this to say about it:

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with this whisky. And, if you love delicate flavors, I can see this being a nice inexpensive bottle to keep on hand. I prefer my whisky to be a bit more in-your-face and not so eager to please so, although I wouldn’t turn down a glass if offered, I doubt I’ll be buying this one again.”

I’ve reviewed a few more Canadian Club whiskies since then. None were bad. They tended to range from “I really like this” to “meh.” So it was with more than a small bit of excitement when a friend of mine gifted me a bottle of Canadian Club 100 proof as a belated Christmas gift. It sounded like the perfect answer to my main complaint about the base release. Excellent!

But there was bad news. This bottle was one of the few that were left. My friend told me he thought that it had been discontinued. It isn’t on either the Canadian or US website for Canadian Club as a product or on Davin’s site. And I couldn’t find any other info on the expression in any of the other sources I normally check. So, I’m forced to believe him. Either that or it is released in such limited quantities as to be next to impossible to find anyway.

Canadian Club 100 proof Export Strength

Purchase info: 14.99 for a 750 mL bottle, Top Valu Liquor, Columbia Heights, MN

Details: 50% ABV, 6 years old.

Nose: Strong solvent odors off the bat, followed by floral cherries, wet stone and delicate oak.

Mouth: Bright and tingly in the mouth. Sweet and floral with strong vanilla and mineral notes.

Finish: Nice heat with lingering brown sugar and mineral notes.

Thoughts: Oh man! Do I like this better than the base release! It has the same delicate flavors but adds a little heat to the mix. I opened the bottle my friend gave me the night I received it and I’ll admit, the next day I went up to the store and bought another one…and then yesterday I went back and bought one more. I left one on the shelf for the next guy though. It seemed only fair. Though the next time I’m up there, I’ll be stopping in to see if it’s still on the shelf and if it is…that bottle is mine. Because I’m very sad to have discovered this after it seems to have gone away.

My Wandering Eye: Berneroy XO Calvados

February 23, 2016 Eric Burke

Bourbon prices are creeping up. So much so that even average products have hit the range where they compete price-wise with other types of aged spirits. A $50 750 ml bottle of Cognac or Armagnac doesn’t sound outrageous next to a $50 Old Forester 1870 or a $50 375 mL of the Jim Beam Harvest collection. So my eye has started wandering. I’ve done an Aquavit and a rum so far and now I’m about to take a walk down the brandy aisle.

For the last three years, I’ve been making a batch of hard cider each fall. I go to the orchard, buy the varieties I want and proceed to cut, chop and crush my way into 6-7 gallons of fresh apple juice. It’s good fun. I even built the cider press. It takes a few months to ferment, clarify, bottle and age but by the next spring I have enough cider to last me through the following winter.

So it isn’t entirely shocking that the first time my eye wandered in the brandy aisle it landed on an apple brandy. In this case, specifically a Calvados apple brandy. Calvados is an apple brandy made in various subsections of Normandy region of France. As you might have guessed there are plenty of laws governing what can and can not be called Calvados, but I’ll let you google those for yourself. Because the price was right, that wandering eye of mine settled on the XO version of Berneroy Calvados. This should mean it is at least 6 years old.

Berneroy XO Calvados

Purchase info: $15.99 for a 375 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN. (This was listed as a Spirits Direct selection at Total Wine, which they want you to think means that it is cheaper because it is an exclusive.*)

Details: 40% ABV

Nose: Dried fruit and caramel.

Mouth: Thick, supple mouthfeel. Dried apple, brown sugar, clove and more than a hint of spirit flavor. Water enhances the sweetness and reduces the spirit presence.

Finish: Dried apples, clove and a little bitterness linger along with a hint of a burn.

Thoughts: Glassware seems to make a difference on this one. My initial tasting was done neat in a glencairn and rated it a solid meh. Nothing wrong with it, but not for me. As I wrote this, I revisited it in a small brandy snifter that I picked up at Jim Beam, of all places. After trying it again and trying it with just a few drops of water, I’m upgrading it to a like. For me, the spirit flavor was accentuating the wrong portions of the dried fruit forward parts of the drink while in the glencairn. In the snifter and after adding a little water, I found that I was actually enjoying the dried apple notes. It also makes a better Old Fashioned than many of the bourbons I’ve had. I used brown sugar and aromatic bitters.

*Not always cheaper. By a quirk of Minnesota law, liquor stores are prohibited from carrying exclusive products. This means many local stores buy the exclusives and then undercut Total Wine’s price. Which is nice since these products tend to have the highest markup at Total Wine. Everyone wins…well except the massive megaretailer.

Forty Creek: Three Grain Harmony 2015

February 18, 2016 Eric Burke

If it hasn’t been made perfectly clear in the past, I like trying new whiskies. So when my friend (and patron) Rick in Canada offered to pick me up a bottle of Forty Creek’s annual limited release when he got his, I jumped at the chance. We had a little fun with it and did a bottle swap. I got him a US only release and he got me this.

I love friends. And Whiskey Friends make the best friends.

Forty Creek: Three Grain Harmony 2015

Purchase Info: I got this in a bottle swap, but it looks like the LCBO listed it for roughly $70 Canadian. Of course, it is long gone.

Details: Bottle number: 3764, 43% ABV

Nose: Toffee and dried fruits followed by notes of faintly smoky oak.

Mouth: This has a wonderfully soft mouthfeel that balances a sneaky spiciness. Butterscotch, dried fruits, baking spices and hints of vanilla.

Finish: Medium length finish with lingering dried fruit and a gentle heat.

Thoughts: This is a fine example of a product produced by a Master of the blender’s art. It is an amazingly well put together whisky. And while ordinarily the pronounced dried fruit note would turn me off, in this case it was tasty enough that it worked. I enjoyed this quite a bit and those who normally enjoy dried fruit notes should enjoy it even more.

Thanks Rick!

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Single Barrel

February 16, 2016 Eric Burke

In the last couple years, liquor mega-store, Total Wine has come into the Twin Cities market. They offer ok selections and decent prices to a market that has been fairly well dominated by either small chains or municipal liquor stores.

The chains and munis fought hard to keep Total Wine out and when they lost that battle ended up pulling out of some markets. It’s sad to see people forced out of business when a bigger competitor enters the market, but in this case I found it hard to feel too sorry for those local chains as they previously tended to do the same thing to independent stores when they entered a city.

And while the local chains with the limited sections and higher prices were facing the competition with mixed results, the independents are tending to take a different route. As I travel around the Twin Cities looking for interesting places to spend my liquor budget, I’m noticing that the answer that many stores (both the independents and some of the chain franchises) have come up with is to offer more selection. In the case of one of the small independents in my town, that meant having more facings and differentiating themselves with barrel picks. Right now they offer private selections from Woodford Reserve, Knob Creek and Russel’s Reserve.

I'd had their Russel’s Reserve Single Barrel. It was quite good. So a few weeks ago, I picked up a bottle of their selection of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Single Barrel.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Single Barrel

Purchase Info: $57.99 for a 750 mL bottle. Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Details: 45.2% ABV. Sadly Woodford doesn’t add any barrel information to the label.

Nose: Sweet green apple, baking spices, spearmint and oak.

Mouth: Sweet and nicely spicy. Caramel, clove and allspice dominate with a touch of fruitiness showing up a bit later.

Finish: The oak shows up on the finish with lingering char and tannins. Paired with that is a nice sweet fruitiness that lasts even longer.

Thoughts: I liked this enough that after tasting it, I immediately went back and bought another bottle. If they still have some in a few weeks, I will probably grab a third.

If you like Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and see one of these on a store shelf, I recommend giving it a shot.

Blog

Chateau De Laubade VSOP

Rowan’s Creek

Copper & Kings American Brandy for Ace Spirits

Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel

Canadian Club 100 proof Export Strength

Berneroy XO Calvados

Forty Creek: Three Grain Harmony 2015

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Single Barrel