New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon

March 5, 2019 Eric Burke

Last October, in my review of New Riff Bottled in Bond, I mentioned that I couldn’t wait to try “the rye and single barrel that they list on their website.” Seeing as they are a craft distillery that just recently started selling fully mature product, I expected that I would have to wait until I make my spring run to Kentucky for that to happen. So imagine my surprise when I was walking through the bourbon aisle of my local Total Wine a month or so ago and saw two facings of that adorable black bottle.

I immediately grabbed a bottle of the Bottled in Bond and as I was doing do, I noticed that the bottle sitting right next to it was a Single Barrel that I had wanted to try. Since buying both would be about $90 I sent my wife a text asking which she would prefer. I got my second surprise of the day when she told me I should probably grab both. And it is a good thing I did as the next time I was at the store, they were gone.

I’m not going to lie, by this past weekend, I’d consumed the better part of both bottles. I’m unashamedly a fan, at least of the three bottles I’d had to that point. On many a night, they were the go-to pour for our evening’s glass of whiskey. In fact, I ended up putting the single barrel in the closet so that I could assure myself that there would still be some left for this review. I was extremely happy when I saw another two facings this past weekend. This time of just the single barrel. And I felt even happier when I got home and saw it was a different barrel than my previous purchase. It’s always fun to taste the difference between two different barrels side-by-side.

New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon

Purchase Info: $49.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Details:
Barrel# 141144: 56.4% ABV, Distilled in Fall 2014, Bottled in Fall 2018, Barrel produced 209 bottles.
Barrel# 141189: 56.15% ABV, Distilled in Fall 2014, Bottled in Fall 2018, Barrel produced 178 bottles.

Nose::
Barrel# 141144: Caramel, cinnamon, apple, dried nuts
Barrel# 141189: cinnamon, cherry, dark chocolate, dried nuts

Mouth:
Barrel# 141144: Nice mouthfeel. Follows the nose with caramel, apple, cinnamon and ginger.
Barrel# 141189: Hot and spicy with cherry, cinnamon, black tea and a hint of vanilla.

Finish:
Barrel# 141144: On the short side of medium with notes of caramel, coffee and nutmeg.
Barrel# 141189: warm and long with lingering notes of cinnamon red hots candy and dark chocolate.

Thoughts: These are both delicious whiskeys. Though there is a family resemblance, I’m struck by how different they are. One is very caramel forward while the other is spicy and fruit forward. This is why I love doing side by side tastings of single barrels.

I’ll admit, when I first heard way back when that “the guy from the Party Source” was going to be opening a distillery, I was prepared to be underwhelmed by the product that was put out. I’d been burned by too many other craft distilleries who were putting out bourbons that were too young and too expensive. And let’s face it, selling whisky isn’t exactly preparation for making it any more than designing the labels would be. I was wrong. Every bottle of New Riff bourbon that I’ve purchased has been delicious and well worth the money. And the price is pretty good too. $40 for the Bonded and $50 for the Single Barrel, both being at least four years old? That’s a hell of a lot better than some of these guys that are trying to sell two year old whiskey for over $120.

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Old Forester Rye

February 28, 2019 Eric Burke

There were a lot of social media posts that featured the color green on the Old Forester feeds in the weeks leading up to January 15th, 2019. Posts that teased that something new was coming. Whiskey lovers, being the smart, attractive and sophisticated people that they are, soon guessed that all that green could only mean one thing: Rye.

Somewhere along the line green became a default color for Rye whiskey. And although not all ryes use green in their labels, a staggering number do. Currently it is in use on Rye whiskeys from Wild Turkey, Russel’s Reserve, Bulleit, Jim Beam, Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniel’s, Angel’s Envy, Michter’s, Knob, Creek, Pikesville, George Dickel, Balcones, Rabbit Hole, Dad’s Hat, Peerless, Filibuster, Ezra Brooks, and…I stopped looking when I hit page five of the Total Wine website. Needless to say, in at least a few minds, green started meaning rye. And honestly it kinda makes sense. I mean many ryes have prominent mint and dill notes. Two things that are very green.

So when the announcement of a new Old Forester Rye showed up, I wasn’t terribly surprised. Their campaign was cute and clever and it helped spark a real interest in the product with me. I love rye whiskey. Especially when I read that the suggested price was going to be $23 per bottle. That price was icing on the cake. You guys know that when it comes to whiskey, I am a big fan of it being affordable. Affordable and tasty is even better. And I didn’t have to wait long after that announcement to find a bottle of Old Forester Rye sitting on the shelf of my corner liquor store. You can bet that bottle came home with me.

Old Forester Rye

Purchase Info: $24.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Details: 50% ABV. Mashbill: 65% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, 15% Corn

Nose: Mint, almond, allspice and cardamom.

Mouth: Minty and spicy with cardamom, nutmeg and honey.

Finish: Minty and of medium length. Lingering baking spice and mint.

Thoughts: This has now become my new house rye. I plan to have this on hand all the time. It has a great price, it works well in cocktails and I’ve been enjoying it neat. The flavor profile sort of splits the difference between a typical Kentucky-style “barely legal” rye and the MGP-style 95% rye. It replaced my “favorite rye this week” as my favorite rye, mostly because it is better, is premade and I don’t have to buy two bottles to get it.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: Batch A119

February 26, 2019 Eric Burke

I state in my Statement of Ethics that if I accept a review sample, I will disclose it at the beginning of the article. I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this sample to me with no strings attached. As always, all thoughts are just my opinion and should be taken as just that.

IMAGE: Sample bottle of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Batch A119

Like many people, the folks I bought my house from did a lot of last-minute cosmetic changes to help their house sell faster. They put in new carpet in the living room, new linoleum in the kitchen, and slapped a quick coat of paint on all the walls. Sometimes drastically changing the color in the process.

As an aside, I’ve never understood this approach. If I’m going through all the cost and trouble to update the look of my house, I’m going to do it while I still have time to enjoy it. This is why most of the rooms in my house have been painted. Some of them multiple times.

But I’ve been in my house for over a decade now and in that time I’ve always had dogs. That previously new carpet is starting to show a bit more wear and tear than my wife would like. And as these things often go, replacing the carpet means all new flooring in the main parts of the house. And of course, since the flooring is changing, it would probably be a good idea to get someone to paint the ceiling before the new floor is installed. And while we have everything out of the room for the ceiling painting, we might as well paint those walls while we are at it.

Or so she has told me. To be honest, I’m ok with all of it. The ceiling has needed to be painted since we moved in. The previous owners put on the thinnest coat the could to cover the discoloration of age. And it didn’t cover that well. Same with the walls in that room. It looks fine if you are a guest, but after a while of living with it, it’s all you can see. I’m not looking forward to doing all the work, but when it is done I’ll be happy. It isn’t going to change a ton and it may not be noticeable to someone who just sees it occasionally, but it will be different enough to those of us who live with it every day.

Kind of like tonight’s bourbon. If you just buy it occasionally, and you only have one bottle open at a time, you may not notice the batch variation that occurs from batch to batch. To be honest, I never really did either until last August when I received a sample of Batch C918 while I also had a bottle of Batch B518 open on my shelf. It was astonishing to me how one batch was almost dessert sweet while the other showed off oaky leather notes.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: Batch A119

Purchase Info: This sample was graciously provided by Heaven Hill.

Details: 12-year age stated. 67.6% ABV. Batch A119

Nose: Vanilla, oak, candle wax, caramel, and cinnamon.

Mouth: Sweet and hot with a great thick mouthfeel. Classic bourbon notes of caramel and vanilla along with oak and nutmeg.

Finish: Long and spicy with lingering cinnamon, nutmeg and caramel.

Thoughts: It goes without saying that this is delicious and if I see a bottle of this batch on the shelf, that bottle will be coming home with me. Based on my recollection of the last batch, this is almost as sweet but is spicier. In any case, Heaven Hill hit it out of the park again. This is really good.

Bar/Restaurant Review: Whiskey Inferno, Savage, MN

February 21, 2019 Eric Burke

IMAGE: Exterior of Whiskey Inferno in Savage, MN

I almost never go out to places in my home state of Minnesota that offer great craft cocktails or have a great whiskey selection. Mostly because I live in the outermost ring of suburbs and most of those places are a half hour to forty-five minute drive away into one of the two Downtowns. Plus, we don’t have a great taxi system and I’m too much of a luddite to have an Uber account.

Well, that has changed. A couple months ago a new restaurant opened in Savage, MN called Whiskey Inferno. As a bar, it is a whiskey and craft cocktail bar. As a restaurant, it serves steaks, BBQ, and seafood. Last night was my first visit and it certainly will not be my last.

The atmosphere is relaxing in a dark wood and leather upholstery sort of way. There are Edison bulbs that supply accent light and at least one gas fire to supply ambiance. The whiskey selection is vast and drinks are the focus of the menu. There are two pages of craft cocktails that include riffs on many classics such as the Negroni, Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, Sazerac and Toronto cocktails among others. There is a two-column page of bourbon, a page of beer, a page of wines, a page of scotch, a half page of rye, a half page of “other” whiskeys and a page of non-alcoholic drinks. They also have quite a few whiskey flights on the menu, though I was a bit confused by the inclusion of Four Roses Single Barrel in a “Wheated” bourbon flight.

And of course, there is food. Out of the eleven pages in the dinner menu, only two are devoted to food. But I wouldn’t count that as a bad thing. With entrees including five different cuts of steak, ribs, brisket, fried chicken, and a selection of seafood based dishes there is something for everyone. Well, everyone who will eat meat that is. I didn’t notice a vegetarian selection as even the salads had egg or seafood on them.

So enough about what we could have had, what about what we actually did have? To start, my wife and I each ordered a cocktail. My wife had a Smoked Manhattan made with Maker’s Private Select. It arrived in a smoke-filled box emblazoned with the Maker’s logo. It was a pretty cool presentation and, since the snow kept a lot of customers home, many surrounding customers were enticed to inspect the box on its way back to the bar. I had a barrel-aged riff on the Toronto cocktail which they call the End of the Line. Both were delicious and their remnants paired well with our entrees. For food, my wife had cornbread and a cup of Texas chili which she said was better than her two previous favorite chilis (her own and Silver Dollar). I had their fried chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and smoked gouda mac and cheese. The fried chicken was delicious and the sides were very good. Prior to leaving we each had a pour off of their bourbon list. My wife had Blanton’s while I had a pour of their private barrel of Old Forester. We were asked “would you like those neat?” which is much nicer than having to request it that way. Neat pours were served in Glencairn glasses with the option of one or two ounce pours.

I had a great time at Whiskey Inferno. Though this was my first visit, I will certainly be back. The food was great and I can’t wait to try some of the other entrees. And I seriously can’t wait to work my way through the cocktail menu.

Whiskey Inferno is online at: WhiskeyInferno.com

Private Selection: Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel (Haskell's Barrel 18-0863)

February 19, 2019 Eric Burke

IMAGE: Neck tag hanging from a bottle of Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit. Tag states the bourbon was aged 8 years and 5 months.

Last week, I talked about picking up a private selection of Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel. Well, on the same shopping trip, I also picked up a private selection of Kentucky Spirit. I hadn’t thought about Kentucky Spirit for a while. I don’t usually purchase it. I’d rather have Rare Breed at a higher proof and a lower price.

So it was a weird coincidence that just after my first Kentucky Spirit purchase in a while, I stumbled across a partial eulogy for Kentucky Spirit on the excellent site Rare Bird 101. In that article, I noticed that the wonderful fan shaped bottle is in the process of being replaced with the new Rare Breed bottle.

This makes me sad. Sure, using the same bottle as another product in your line up is a good move from both a cost savings and a design consistency standpoint. But in this case they are getting rid of a truly beautiful bottle. One that is gift worthy. Alas, all things pass and the only constant in life is change. And the good news is I don’t drink the bottle, I drink what is inside of it.

Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel (Haskell's Barrel 18-0863)

Purchase Info: $54.99 for a 750mL bottle at Haskell’s, Bloomington, MN

Details: 50.5% ABV. Barrel number 18-0863. Aged 8 years 5 months.

Nose: Pipe tobacco, wintergreen, vanilla, green apple and oak.

Mouth: Sweet and spicy. Follows the nose with green apple, wintergreen, vanilla and oak.

Finish: Sweet and spicy with decent length. Lingering pipe tobacco, oak and apple.

Thoughts: This is a delicious pick. So much so that I literally paused writing this tonight to run to the store and grab a second bottle. I wanted to be sure I got a second one. It reminds me of a sweeter and even more oak forward version of 101. Big fan.

Private Selection: Russell's Reserve Single Barrel (Haskell's Staff, Bold and Spicy)

February 14, 2019 Eric Burke

IMAGE: The neck tag of a private selection of Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel picked by Haskell’s.

I love having friends that are as into whiskey as I am. Especially when they have access to a different set of liquor stores than I do. In this case, my friend had access to Haskell’s, a local chain that no longer serves my part of the metro. They closed the location nearest to me when Total Wine came into the market.

At the time, I thought that was a fair trade off. While that location had once had a magnificent bourbon selection, it had shrunk considerably by the time they pulled out. I haven’t soured on Total Wine. You can still get a screaming deal on a bottle of Four Roses, Jim Beam or Wild Turkey. But, now that Total Wine has started to replace many of the smaller national brands with their own “Spirits Direct” bourbons (many of which are that disgusting Terra Pure crap), they are less useful if you want to explore the category. That, of course, is why I visit many liquors stores and spread my liquor budget around. Sometimes you get a good price, sometimes a good selection, and sometimes you get really tasty private selections.

And that is why I am thankful to have the friend I mentioned above. He has still has a Haskell’s near him. And apparently since my location closed, Haskell’s has started buying a number of private barrels, including few from Wild Turkey. When I stopped in there were two different Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel picks. I grabbed the one labeled “Bold and Spicy.”

Private Selection: Russell's Reserve Single Barrel (Haskell's Staff, Bold and Spicy)

Purchase Info: $59.99 for a 750 ml bottle at Haskell’s, Bloomington, MN.

Details: 55% ABV. Barrel#: 17-095, Rickhouse B, Floor 5.

Nose: Floral with strong notes of dusty oak. Lighter notes of mint, apple and vanilla follow.

Mouth: Nice thick mouthfeel. Very spicy with cinnamon, clove, leather, sweet vanilla notes dominating with hints of green apple underneath.

Finish: Sweet, spicy and long. Lingering caramel sweetness.

Thoughts: Having just recently checked in on the Russell’s Reserve Small Batch, I’d say that this follows the Wild Turkey flavor profile more than the Russell’s Reserve one. Which is definitely working to its advantage. This is delicious. It is sweet and spicy and very rich. Big fan of this one.

My Wandering Eye: Flor de Caña 25 Year Old

February 7, 2019 Eric Burke

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 mid-range bourbon, I might as well see what else I can get for that money. My hope is to 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. And please remember, these will all be from the perspective of someone who basically only drinks bourbon.

IMAGE: Front label of Flor de Caña 25 Year Old Rum

As you may have noticed during the past few weeks, I got really excited by non-bourbon things over the holiday season. I’m doling them out at a slow pace so that there is still bourbon/whiskey content on BourbonGuy.com.

Once a month, my wife and I do what is called a Mystery Date. One night each month, one of us, takes the other out to…something. The only rule is that the organizer can’t tell the other what the date is. It needs to be a surprise. We don’t do fancy things (we are not fancy people), but we try to make it something or someplace that is at least a little special.

Last month my wife took me to a burger and cocktail restaurant that we had never been to. On the way back, we stopped into the Total Wine location near the restaurant because they had something that I had been lusting over: Flor de Caña 25 Year Old.

See, I really liked the Flor de Caña 18 year old and I got really excited when I found out that not only was there an older version, but it was available in the South Metro. Unfortunately, it was about $155. Not the price range for something I would normally buy for myself. But as part of the special experience of Mystery Date Night, she convinced me to splurge.

And so she raised the bar much higher than I anticipated for this month when I am in charge of organizing the Mystery Date.

Flor de Caña 25 Year Old

Purchase Info: $154.99 for a 750 ml bottle at Total Wine, Eagan, MN

Details: 25 years old (according to their website, the bottle says 25 slow aged). 40% ABV

Nose: Brown sugar, oak, ginger, and chocolate

Mouth: Viscous mouthfeel. Ginger, honey, sugar cookies, and oak.

Finish: Gentle and lingering. Ginger and dark chocolate.

Thoughts: This is delicious. It is a sweet dessert in a glass and I am glad that I purchased it. That said, even if it is available, I probably won’t be buying it again. I just like the 18 year old version better. It is more vibrant and spicy. Plus it sells for over $100 less per bottle.

And I need to save that kind of cash for date night.

Russell's Reserve 10 Year Old Bourbon: Revisited

January 29, 2019 Eric Burke

IMAGE: A Bottle of Russell’s Reserve 10 year old bourbon sitting in some snow.

It has been 1,426 days since I first reviewed a bottle of Russell’s Reserve Bourbon. At the time I liked it, but was a bit at a loss as to why I would buy it. I think this comment from Ben best summarized my feelings at the time:

My thoughts exactly on this one. It was good and very enjoyable … but I believe I'd rather chip in another $5-$10 and get the Rare Breed (which is one of my favorites) or save $10-$15 and get the 101.

Rare Breed was also one of my favorites. Still is for that matter. And honestly, I like it enough that I have been willing to spend the extra $10 for Rare Breed over Russell’s Reserve whenever I wanted an upgrade from Wild Turkey 101. Because, surprisingly that math still works at all of the liquor stores I frequent (and many that I merely occasionally visit).

But a few weeks ago, I decided that the time had come to test that theory again. I was looking for something I hadn’t had in a while and that first review was the last time I’d purchased Russell’s Reserve, you can see that it had been quite a while since I’d had it.

Russell’s Reserve: Revisited

Purchase Info: $33.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN.

Details: 45% ABV. 10 Year Old age statement.

Nose: Floral rye spice, cotton candy and wintergreen.

Mouth: Floral and spicy with oak, ginger, wintergreen and rye spice.

Finish: Hot and spicy. This lasts longer than you’d expect from 90° proof.

Thoughts: This is really good. Much spicier than Wild Turkey 101 even though it is a lower proof. It is different enough from standard Wild Turkey that if I am wanting Wild Turkey, I won’t want this. But if I’m in the mood for a spicy bourbon that won’t break the bank? Yeah. This would fit the bill nicely. I liked it before and still do. But this time I come away thinking I understand why I might not always want to spend that extra $10 on Rare Breed all the time.

Blog

New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon

Old Forester Rye

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: Batch A119

Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel (Haskell's Barrel 18-0863)

Private Selection: Russell's Reserve Single Barrel (Haskell's Staff, Bold and Spicy)

Flor de Caña 25 Year Old

Russell’s Reserve: Revisited