My Wandering Eye: Laird’s 10th Generation Apple Brandy – Bottled in Bond

February 23, 2023 Eric Burke

My Wandering Eye is an ongoing series reacting to the 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 to 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. I hope to see if another spirits category offers something 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. The reviews in this series will all be written through a bourbon drinker’s lens.

IMAGE: A Bottle of Laird's 10th Generation Apple Brandy laying in a snow bank.

I’m known amongst friends and family as the “absent-minded one.” Now, mind you, most of them don’t say it to my face. But you can tell that it is common knowledge among my family that if you want Eric to remember something, make sure that you tell his wife too. Or skip Eric entirely and just go straight to his wife.

Nothing proves my point on this more than the posts for this week. I mentioned on Tuesday that I didn’t have a clue exactly when or where I had purchased that whiskey. Well, I have one better today. In doing research for tonight’s post, I was looking for some of the older posts that I’d done for other Apple Brandy releases from Laird’s. I knew that I’d purchased them last year just to review them. There was a bottled-in-bond release and a seven-year-old release. I bought them online after seeing them used in a YouTube cooking show.

The problem was that I never did write about them. They’ve been sitting on my shelf waiting for me. Patiently. Never complaining. Honestly, they seem like a couple of nice chaps. As I said, I only noticed them when I went looking for what I said about the company last year, and…yeah.

So let’s dig into the people who are making Laird’s Apple Brandy and see why this one is called 10th Generation. According to the Laird & Company website, their story starts in 1698 when Alexander Laird arrived in North America from Scotland. It seems he was a distiller back home and took up the trade in New Jersey using locally abundant apples. There is a reason they claim to be America’s Oldest Distiller.

The Laird family had a small operation until around 1850 when a fire destroyed the Inn where they made their AppleJack. Before then, they’d had a reputation for good spirits. They are even mentioned in the diary of George Washington, who requested their recipe for “cyder spirits.” After the fire, they decided that since they were rebuilding, they might as well build big and started to explore a wider commercial production.

Since that time, they have followed the path of many of the distillers. They made due during Prohibition by selling non-alcoholic apple products and medicinal spirits for the government. They helped with the war effort in World War 2, not by making industrial alcohol as other distilleries did (though they may have done that too) but by making pectin from their apples to help preserve food for the war effort. These days they are still run by the Laird family. A member of the eighth generation is currently the president of the company.

Ok, so why is tonight’s whiskey named after the tenth generation? Well, here it is straight from the product description:

For over two centuries, nine generations of the Laird family have been intimately entwined with the production of America’s oldest spirit, Applejack. To commemorate the historic event of a tenth generation Laird continuing our legacy, we proudly introduce “Laird’s 10th Generation Apple Brandy”. We invite you to celebrate with the Laird family and enjoy a taste of American history in every sip of this artisanal, hand crafted brandy.

So, now that we know the story let’s learn about the important part. How does it taste?

Laird’s 10th Generation Apple Brandy – Bottled in Bond

Purchase Info: $45.49 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.03

Details: Five years old. 50% ABV. Bottled-in-Bond. DSP-NJ-1.

Nose: Dried apple, brown sugar, cinnamon.

Mouth: Nice and spicy. Dried apple, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Finish: Medium to long and warm. More apple, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Thoughts: This might be my favorite apple brandy I've had yet. It features a strong apple flavor throughout that is missing from many other apple brandies that I've had. Plus, unlike many that are bottled at 80° proof, Laird’s 10th Generation is Bottled-in-bond and has enough proof and heat to keep this BourbonGuy happy. Big fan of this one.

Look for the “forgotten two” next week to see if this is better or worse than those.

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New Riff Balboa Rye Bottled-in-Bond

February 21, 2023 Eric Burke

IMAGE: The black and bronze front label of New Riff Distilling's Balboa Rye whiskey.

We are flying by the seat of our pants on this one tonight folks. I’ve not only lost the receipt from when I bought tonight’s whiskey, but it was long enough ago that I honestly don’t even remember where I bought it, much less how much it cost. It was long enough ago that all of the snow that is in the photo above (about a foot and a half or so) has melted and is currently in the process of being replaced by upwards of two feet of new snow.

I don’t usually wait so long between purchase and review, but it got stuck behind something and overlooked for, I’m guessing three months or so. It seems one of the many things that I’ve forgotten about this whiskey is exactly when I bought it. Let’s move forward with what I do know though.

I first became aware of New Riff’s Balboa Rye Bottled in Bond Whiskey when it was re-released as part of their Fall 2020 slate of Whiskey Club Releases. I know this because I bought the other two of the three that were released that October and because I never delete an email if I can help it. It was part of a, probably ill-advised, harrowing two day road trip to Cincinnati and back during the height of the Pandemic. I doubt I will ever again drive that far in one day only to turn around and drive back home the next.

So first things first, what is Balboa Rye? Why is it the name of this whiskey? Is this some sort of Rocky reference? In reverse order:

No.
It is the name of the rye variety in used in the mash bill
Balboa Rye is an heirloom rye grain grown by New Riff’s Corn farmer Charles Fogg. The variety dates back to the 1940s and, according to the New Riff website was popular in Indiana at the time.

So what is an heirloom rye grain? I’m going to let New Riff’s website tell you this one since their explanation will probably also answer many of your followup questions.

Heirloom rye presents a great challenge to those that grow heirloom crops. Winter rye is a promiscuous grain that can easily cross-pollinate. Winter rye seeds must be grown in isolation to accurately produce seed varieties. If they are allowed to cross with other varieties, the identity of the original will be lost. Farmers and distillers that use heirloom rye have to start with seeds from one particularly known provenance. Depending on the person, ‘heirloom’ can have many different meetings. Typically, the term refers to older varieties of rye (or other plants, or livestock) that date from the early 20th century or even back into the 1800s. Older varieties are often discarded by farmers due to their lower yield. For distillers, however, a low yield can be beneficial because there are more flavorful grains wherever there are lower yields. This is the same for wine, where lower-yielding vines are highly prized for depth of flavor in their grapes. Heirloom grains, including rye, have disadvantages that can make them tough to work with. They’re less disease-resistant and more susceptible to insects. The older varieties are more susceptible to disease, and don’t yield as well. For those who produce rye whiskey, like New Riff, the choice to grow single-strain or heirloom rye is impactful. A way to showcase the provenance of rye grains is through the wonderful rye whiskey from New Riff Distilling.

So now that that is out of the way, let’s see how this tastes and see if I was unlucky back in 2020, when it was sold out before I could buy it on my overnight adventure.

New Riff Balboa Rye Bottled-in-Bond

Purchase Info: Honestly…no idea. It looks like the MSRP was $49.99 back in 2020 so I’ll go with that.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 4 years old, 50% ABV, Bottled-in- Bond. Mash bill: 95% Balboa Rye, 5% malted rye. Non-Chill Filtered.

Nose: Cedar, cinnamon, brown sugar, menthol, a deep earthy note.

Mouth: Spicy cinnamon, caramel, mint, and almonds.

Finish: Medium-long and warm with notes of cinnamon and almond.

Thoughts: This is one of the more interesting whiskies that have come across my desk in recent months. Please don't confuse "most interesting" with "best" though. It’s quite good, don’t get me wrong, it's just different enough that I will probably need to be in the mood for some thing interesting and different before I reach for this one. Which is fine, since it looks like none of the stores near me are currently carrying it.

Bernheim Barrel Proof, A223

February 16, 2023 Eric Burke

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: The new Bernheim Barrel Proof. 118.8 proof. Batch A223

I have the distinct pleasure of watching a puppy this week. He’s only about five months old, so there is a lot of energy. So much so that his usually energetic older brother was asleep shortly after arrival as other pups took over the duty of playing with the baby. It also means that I am saying a lot of things like: “Get out of there.” “Where did you get that?” and, of course, “Get that out of your mouth!”

I have to be on my toes. If things get too noisy, I get nervous. I get even more so when they get quiet. Which, as you might have guessed, makes tasting whiskey a little hard to do. And explains where I was on Tuesday. Well, that and it was Valentine’s Day, so I spent the evening with my wife, chasing the puppy around to get “whatever it was that he found this time” out of his mouth. Puppies are a lot of work, but at the end of the day, my reward is a sleepy little puppy who resembles nothing more than a wet noodle.

But you aren’t here to hear about my new little buddy. You want to know about the newest barrel-proof release from Heaven Hill. Well, as you might expect, Bernheim Barrel Proof is a barrel-proof version of Bernheim Wheat Whiskey. Being a wheat whiskey means that the mash bill used to create it is at least 51% wheat. In this case, it is exactly 51% wheat, with the other grains used being corn (37%) and malted barley (12%). The press release claims that, just like the standard bottling, this is at least seven years old.

This looks like it will be a twice-yearly release, with the second installment coming in the fall of 2023. But enough of that, let’s see how it tastes.

Bernheim Barrel Proof, A223

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $64.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Details: 59.4% ABV. Mashbill: 51% Wheat, 37% corn, 12% Malted Barley. 7 to 9 years old (per the press release).

Nose: Brown sugar, spearmint, caramel, and a nutty note.

Mouth: Hot and spicy. Notes of caramel, cinnamon, spearmint, almond, and a bready note (that last especially with a bit of water).

Finish: Hot and medium to long. Follows the mouth with notes of cinnamon, almond, and spearmint.

IMAGE: This made me smile, so I gave it a smiley face.

Thoughts: When neat, I think this is just a little too hot. That isn't such a big deal for me since I usually enjoy a small piece of ice in anything over 100° proof. Speaking of water, a little water accentuates the "bread," notes, and tames the heat. I like it, but not as much as the Elijah Craig or Larceny Barrel Proof whiskeys. My wife disagrees and says it is just as good as the other two.

Calumet Farm Small Batch Bourbon

February 2, 2023 Eric Burke

IMAGE: The front label of Calumet Small Batch, a blend of 15 year old and 8 year old Bourbons

I’ve been noticing something about myself lately. I almost never buy a bourbon that is between $52 and $72 unless I am buying it to review on the site. It was brought to my attention last night when I realized that even though I adore Old Forester 1920, I think that I’ve only actually purchased it two or three times since it was released in 2016. It’s price lives in a price blind spot I have that spans the previously mentioned $52 to $72 range.

So what causes this blind spot? Well, mostly money. As you might guess, in order to keep content going on the site, I end up buying a lot of bourbon. So much so that when I am looking for something that I don’t need to review, I often get lazy and get a handle of Wild Turkey or Maker’s Mark. In my market those are in the $40 to $50 range. But occasionally I want something different. But those familiar prices stick in my head as I scan the shelves. Even if the “something different” is $50 for a 750 mL bottle, my brain sees it as “not too expensive.”

However, when I am looking for something a bit special, I start looking at items that I’ve seen before, but passed over because of price. Maybe it is a store pick or a bottle that has a bit more age on it. In either case the price will probably be some where north of $75. Which as you may have noticed leaves about a $25 window that I almost never buy anything from. And I need to change that. Might be time to start looking specifically at that price range. Which has things like tonight’s bourbon, Calumet Small Batch.

We’ve discussed some of the very expensive 14, 15, and 16 year old expressions that Calumet has released, but until now I’ve not looked at any of the lower priced bottles that have come out since they changed their bottle design to the “wine bottle” shape. So let’s see what the company has to say about their Small Batch bourbon.

Each small batch (50 barrels) is crafted from a blend of premium Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and 8 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Bourbon Details: Distilled/Aging Location: Kentucky. Batch Size: 50 Barrels. Potency: 86 Proof (43% Alc/Vol). Mash Bill: 74% Corn, 18% Rye, 8% Malted Barley. Bottled By: Three Springs Bottling Company, Bowling Green, KY.

Ok so now that we discussed price and provenance, let’s get to the important part: how does it taste?

Calumet Farm Small Batch Bourbon

Purchase Info: $59.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.00

Details: 43% ABV. Blend of 15-year-old and 8-year-old bourbons. Mash Bill: 74% Corn, 18% Rye, 8% Malted Barley.

Nose: Wintergreen, Flintstones vitamins, cotton candy, caramel, and oak.

Mouth: Vanilla, caramel, nutmeg, and black tea.

Finish: Medium in warmth and length. Notes of oak, cherry, and baking spice.

Thoughts: I really like this one. It has enough oak influence to keep it feeling fancy, but not so much that it is over powering. I enjoy the sweetness in the mouth and the heat of the baking spice. Even at 86 proof, it doesn’t taste overly diluted and has a nice spiciness to it. As I discussed above, $60 is a lot of money. And it is a little more than I’d like to pay for this one. It feels like it would fit better in the $40 to $50 range. Luckily I found it at Total Wine for $49.99. And for $50, I'd be happy to buy this one again.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, A123

January 19, 2023 Eric Burke

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

On tap tonight, we have Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. We looked at the whiskey’s stable-mate on Tuesday going in-depth on what Larceny Barrel Proof is and what the labeling means. Tonight, I think we are going to jump right into taking a look at the whiskey. By the way, according to the press release, this is the start of the 11th year of Heaven Hill’s line of products. So Happy Anniversary to them! Can you believe it has been that long? Man. I’m getting old.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, A123

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is: $69.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.67

Details: 12 years old, 62.8% ABV. Non-chill filtered. Mash Bill: 78% corn, 10% Rye, and 12% Malted Barley

Nose: Cinnamon, chocolate, leather, red fruits, nutmeg, and oak.

Mouth: First Sip is hot and oaky. Notes of caramel toffee, nutmeg, cinnamon, and leather

Finish: Long and warm. Notes of leather, oak, nutmeg, and red fruits.

Comparison to C922: A123 has a much more vibrant nose. By comparison, C922 guards its secrets much more closely. A123 is hotter and focuses on leather and baking spice notes when compared to the dark chocolate and nougat that C922 is showing. Both finishes are long and warm and basically follow their mouths. Both are excellent and I'm having a hard time choosing between them. Can’t I just have both?

Thoughts: Another home run in a long line of them. If a bourbon could be put into a hall of fame, the entire Elijah Craig Barrel Proof line-up would go in on the first ballot.

Larceny Barrel Proof, A123

January 17, 2023 Eric Burke

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Welcome to January folks. Sure, I know that it’s almost half over, but as far as I’m concerned January starts when Heaven Hill drops the first of their three-times yearly batches of Larceny Barrel Proof and Elijah Craig Barrel proof. I always look forward to these releases. Any why might that be, you ask? Because they’re always delicious. And it is nice to look at things that you know are going to be tasty. Since it is the first drop of the year, let’s go over a little basic info as to what this is.

Born as an offshoot of Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald line of wheated bourbons, Larceny bourbon uses wheat instead of rye as the “flavoring” grain. In this case, Heaven Hill tells us that the recipe is 68% corn (remember to be bourbon it needs over 51% corn in the mash bill), 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. This release being barrel-proof means there is no water added to the batch. They dump, blend, and bottle at whatever strength it comes out of the barrel. Now, of course, that sometimes leads to a very hot product. The first batch of this was so hot that I was worried as to what they were trying to accomplish. In the intervening years, it has calmed itself a bit.

Speaking of different batches if you run across this in the store, how do you know which batch you have? Heaven Hill has nicely given us the key to knowing what is in our hands as we hold that bottle of the precious liquid. The batch code is made up of three parts. The first part is a letter, A, B, or C. This corresponds to if it is the first, second, or third batch of the year. The second part is a number, to this point it has always been 1, 5, or 9. This is the month of the year the release came out. The final part of the code is made up of the final two digits which indicate the year. So in this case A123 means it is the first batch of the year and it was released in January of 2023. Simple.

But unless this is your first time learning about the Barrel-Proof releases from Heaven Hill (in which case: welcome! the bar is in the corner. pour yourself something nice), you actually just want to know how this one tastes. So let’s dig in.

Larceny Barrel Proof, A123

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $59.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.00

Details: Heaven Hill’s wheated mash bill (68% corn, 20% Wheat, and 12% malted barley). 6-8 years old. 62.9% ABV.

Nose: This is a caramel bomb on notes of oak, vanilla, and a hint of wintergreen.

Mouth: Very warm but not uncomfortably so. Notes follow the nose with caramel, oak, and wintergreen.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium length. Strong cinnamon candy notes.

Thoughts: Normally if I see this on the shelf I pick it up because it is delicious. However, I don’t usually get too bent out of shape if I don’t run across it because in this market Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is usually easier to find. This time however, I really hope that my local store gets their hands on a bottle because if I see this one, it is coming home with me. This might be my favorite release of Larceny Barrel Proof yet.

Wyoming Whiskey Ten Year Anniversary Edition

January 5, 2023 Eric Burke

I’d like to thank Verde Brand Communications for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Ok, so on Tuesday, I was whining about the quantity of snow that we’d received in recent weeks. I will not make that mistake again because I was repaid for that by receiving another foot or so after I hit publish. I’m not sure which karmic deity or spirit thought that was funny, but I found it less so as I was running the snowblowers and shovels. Because of that, let’s jump right into the bourbon, shall we? I don’t want to chance getting cosmically punished for something else I say.

Way back in 2015, I set up a visit with Distiller Samuel Mead to tour Wyoming Whiskey. (You can see photos and read about that visit here. ) I was on a trip to Yellowstone with my wife, my Mom, and my Stepdad and I thought that it would be fun to bring them along on the tour. Especially for my Stepdad who is also a whiskey fan. Mead was a gracious host and I have had a soft spot for Wyoming Whiskey ever since.

It was with that thought in mind that I happily accepted a sample of their new 10th Anniversary Edition bourbon. So, what makes the 10th Anniversary Edition special? For starters, it is 10 years old. This is pretty obviously about as old as you can get out of a 10-year-old distillery that doesn’t source its products. So beyond being crafted from 20 of their oldest barrels, it was also a collaboration between founding Master Distiller—and Bourbon Hall of Fame member—Steve Nally and current Master Blender Nancy Fraley. Here’s what the distillery has to say about this special release:

“We are proud to honor our roots in this state with an exceptional 10-year-old whiskey created by the fusion of Wyoming water, Wyoming grains and Wyoming weather. We will always distill our whiskey the right way, not the easy way,” said Brad Mead, Co-Founder of Wyoming Whiskey.

Let’s see how it tastes.

Wyoming Whiskey Ten Year Anniversary Edition

Purchase Info: This sample was graciously provided by the producer and their team for review purposes. The suggested retail rpice is $199.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $13.33

Notes: 10 years old. 51.7% ABV. 68% Corn, 20% Rye, 12% Malted Barley

Nose: Caramel, vanilla, cherry, and oak.

Mouth: Sweet. Notes of cinnamon, caramel, allspice, almond, and oak.

Finish: Long and warm. Lots of cinnamon and allspice and a hint of mint

Thoughts: This is a very tasty bourbon. It is out of my price range, but I'd happily accept a glass or two if you were pouring it. It has nice baking spice notes and a sweetness that is present but not cloying. Wonderfully drinkable neat, but takes an ice cube well. I really like it. It is worthy of a milestone release.

Congratulations to Wyoming Whiskey on 10 years!

Hirsch Selected Whiskeys: The Horizon

January 3, 2023 Eric Burke

Over the last two weeks, about two to three feet of snow have fallen at my house. As I don’t have anywhere to go, I wasn’t nearly as upset about that as I would have been in past years. In fact, since my mail delivery has been sporadic, at best, since May I really only need to leave my home to clean up the snow. Unless the Postal Service actually delivers that day, that is. (Want to get me worked up…ask me about the absolute joke of a Post Office that Prior Lake, MN has…anyway).

Well, last week on one of my short forays out into the world beyond my four walls, I stopped at a liquor store.

I know…I was shocked too.

Now I was just looking for a little bit of something to warm me up. I’d stocked up on enough “content” for the next month, I just needed something to have a little taste of now and then. I was thinking maybe some Wild Turkey 101 or some Maker’s Mark. Things that I love to drink, but can’t write about too often. Of course, on this particular day, my local corner liquor store had a brand rep in doing tastings. I took a look at what they were pouring and realized that I hadn’t had it before so I took the sample.

When asked how I liked it, I had to be honest and let him know that I couldn’t really answer him since I had only brushed my teeth a few minutes before leaving the house. But since he mentioned that the whiskey came from MGP in Indiana, I was pretty sure that I would have really liked it had my mouth not been full of toothpaste residue.

In any case, I brought the bottle home, and somehow, it has made it to the front of the editorial calendar for the year. Pure luck, that. We planned on doing lots of tastings over the holiday break and didn’t get around to it. And apparently, we started at the end.

My apologies to those brands who were nice enough to send me samples that have been jumped. That’s just how things work out sometimes.

The Horizon by Hirsch

Purchase Info: $32.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.20

Details: 46% ABV. 94% 4-year-old MGP 21% Rye Mash Bourbon and 6% 8-year-old MGP 36% Rye Mash Bourbon.

Nose: Vanilla, caramel, mint, and cinnamon candy.

Mouth: This is pretty dry and spicy. Notes of cinnamon, cedar, almond, and mint.

Finish: Medium warmth and on the longer side of medium in length. Notes of mint, cinnamon, and honey.

Thoughts: This is not too bad at all. It's almost a little too dry for me in the mouth but redeems itself on the finish. And since I spend much more contemplating the finish between sips than I do holding it in my mouth when I consume whiskey, I'm ok with that. All in all, I'm very happy with the purchase. Thanks for the recommendation Mr. Brand Rep!

Blog

Laird’s 10th Generation Apple Brandy – Bottled in Bond

New Riff Balboa Rye Bottled-in-Bond

Bernheim Barrel Proof, A223

Calumet Farm Small Batch Bourbon

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, A123

Larceny Barrel Proof, A123

Wyoming Whiskey Ten Year Anniversary Edition

The Horizon by Hirsch