Review: 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey

I first became aware of 2 Gingers on a visit to downtown Minneapolis to visit a friend of mine that lives there. Not spending a lot of time downtown, I asked him to recommend a place to get a bite for lunch. We ended up choosing the Local because of the opportunity for prime people watching. He claimed it was the hangout of a particular type of d-bag that is always fun to see in the wild. 

As we took our seat, our waitress informed us that we were in for a treat. They had just gotten their very own Irish whiskey and that they had their very own cocktail featuring it. The whiskey was 2 Gingers and the cocktail was the Big Ginger (basically whiskey and ginger ale with a lemon and line wedge). You see the Local was one of many Irish pubs formerly owned by Kieran Folliard in the Twin Cities. He sold off his share in them and went on to produce 2 Gingers instead. It’s seems he’s done ok by himself since Beam has purchased the brand and expanded it nationally across the US. 

So I had a drink, it was ok, and forgot about it for a little while. I’m not really an Irish whiskey fan and I had a lot of bourbon to learn about. 

I was reminded of the brand again by a coworker of mine just about the time the Beam purchase was occurring. He had worked on a promotional video for the brand before coming on to work with me and was showing it off. It was about that time that I figured I might need to get a bottle of this to keep on hand. I had friends who liked it, it was cheap and it never hurts to have a little local pride in the cupboard. And there it’s stayed, a mostly full bottle that wasn’t much touched unless someone came over. 

Until today when I decided that a timely review might be in order. It’s that time of year when every American either pretends that they are Irish or that they are too cool to pretend they are Irish. I won’t tell you which camp I fall into, but I will share a review of the only Irish whiskey in the house: 2 Gingers.

2 Gingers

Nose: Fruity, but not in an actual fruit way. This is more like Apple Jolly Rancher candy. Followed by silage and a hint of rose petals. 

Mouth: Delicate. Mouthfeel is thin and watery. Very grain forward with little complexity.

Finish: Gentle, with a lingering bitterness. 

Thoughts: This doesn’t perform well neat. But then, from what I understand, it was never intended to. It makes a decent enough cocktail in it’s signature Big Ginger. And that seems to have been it’s intended purpose. So if you are looking for a sipper, this one is just a meh. If you are looking for a nice mixer, this is available for a decent enough price (just over $20 for a liter here in Minnesota).

And now PSA time: St. Patrick’s day is a big drinking holiday in the US. Be smart. If you drink, do so carefully, the temptation to overdo it can be big. In any case, have a driver lined up to bring you home. I want you still around to read when I get back to writing about bourbon later this week.

Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour: Old Pogue Distillery & Five Fathers Pure Malt Rye

A word of advice. Do not try to visit the Old Pogue distillery if you are running late. Maysville is farther away from anywhere than a map would lead you to believe. And once you get there, you realize that the your GPS has taken you to the exit, not the entrance. (The entrance is around back, turn on the road just before you get there.) But if you plan a little extra time, you will be rewarded with a pleasant drive through the country, an historic small town and a beautiful distillery on a hill. A very steep hill. With switchbacks. 

I on the other hand did not plan enough extra time. I had set up my tour at 10 am and parked the car at 9:59 am. I was almost late, or as I like to call it: on-time. All of the tour takers met in the gift shop. We signed in and the tour started. 

The first stop was the house. This is a lovely old home that used to house the Pogue family. Now, according to our tour guide/distiller, it gets rented out for weddings and events. We wandered around inside, listening to our host tell the family history and looking at the old bottles and ads that line the mantle and walls. I love old ads, so it was a real treat for me.

After the house, it was back across the driveway and into the distillery. The distillery is the back room of what I had originally thought was the gift shop. I see why you need to sign up for a tour. It gets a little cramped as everyone tries to get a look. The space is little, but seems to do the job. 

After everyone cycles through the distillery it is time for the tasting. We tasted Old Pogue Bourbon and Five Fathers Pure Malt Rye Whisky. I’ve already stated that I like the Old Pogue bourbon. I wasn’t quite expecting what I got with the Five Fathers though. It was interesting enough that I needed to pick up a bottle and spend a little more time with it. 

All in all, I highly recommend setting up a tour and stopping off. It’s a short tour. But the guide was nice, the history is very interesting, and the drive was pretty. What more can you ask for, really?

Five Fathers Pure Malt Rye Whisky

Nose: Grain/silage on top. Some black pepper lives under that.

Mouth: At 110° proof (55% ABV) it's understandable that this leads with a tingle. This is followed closely by a big sweet grain flavor. Bringing back the black pepper as it moves back. Mouthfeel is thick and almost velvety. 

Finish: Long and a little bitter with some black pepper spice, but not too hot.

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Thoughts: This was unlike any whiskey I've ever had before. It had elements of your typical rye, but also had similarities to malts that I've had. It was certainly young, but that didn't seem hurt it. It was very interesting and I'm very glad I bought it, but I'm pretty sure I won't find myself reaching for it very often. It's just not to my tastes.

Battle of the Bigs: Head-to-head Review of Jim Beam and Jack Daniels

Today the internets are all abuzz with the news that Beam, Inc of Deerfield, IL was purchased by the Japanese company Suntory. On twitter there is shock, on Facebook there’s anger, racial slurs and xenophobia in general. Everyone has an opinion. Me? My thoughts on the matter are really boring. I’m generally apathetic as to which multinational conglomerate owns the distillery where the whiskey I’m drinking is produced. Or where they call home. Or where their stock is traded. I know bourbon jobs have to stay in the US, so ultimately I don’t really care.

But in the spirit of the news of one of America’s own moving to Japan (not really) I decided to do a head-to-head that I’d been thinking of for a while. Japan’s Jim Beam (not really) versus the local boy Jack Daniels. 

I’d been thinking of this, not because either of these end up on my shelf at home very often, but because I travel a lot. And when I’m sitting in a hotel bar somewhere, I’ll as likely as not be faced with the choice between these two with maybe a Maker’s thrown in for good measure. When faced with this prospect, I’ve often made a run to the local liquor store to try to pick up a replacement or gone without. But maybe, just maybe there is something that I am missing. I mean these are the two biggest bourbons* in the world, there has to be something to them.

Right?

Jim Beam (White Label)

Nose: Initially it’s just like standing in the Jim Beam warehouse that they let you go in while visiting the distillery. Oak, alcohol and dust. After a bit of teasing, there is some wet rock, a floral note and a bit of crisp sour apple. 

Mouth: Thin. Watered down tasting. Past that: corn, a little vanilla, pencil shavings and more sourness. 

Finish: Gentle is the only word for this. Lingering Corn. 

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Thoughts: I’m not a fan of this one. The thin mouthfeel and sour flavor are off-putting to me. That said, I’ve had decent cocktails made with this so it has it’s place. It’s just not in my glass. Maybe it’s in yours?

Jack Daniels Old No. 7

Nose: The nose on this one is really quite nice. Cherry, vanilla, a hint of chocolate. It reminds me of the chocolate covered cherry cordials you can buy at Christmas.

Mouth: Dusty, dried corn and some vanilla

Finish: A gentle burn with more corn and a lingering dusty bitterness.

Thoughts: Disappointing. The palate does not live up to the nose. But unlike Jim Beam, I can see why it’s popular. This is gentle and sweet enough to appeal to the new or non-whiskey drinker. And since many people never move beyond the first thing they fall in love with, I can see it. Will it have a permanent home on my shelf? No. But that’s not because it’s bad, it’s just meh.

Overall: If forced to choose between Jack and Jim neat, I’d go Jack. But that said, I doubt I’ll ever be buying either of them for that reason (bars almost always have one halfway decent beer on tap). And as with all whiskey reviews, your milage may vary. Try it yourself. Maybe you’ll love them. 

 

*Jack Daniel’s Sour Mash Tennessee Whiskey meets all the legal requirements of bourbon and could be called bourbon if they chose to. So for the sake of stirring the pot, for this post, I choose to call it bourbon. Because sometimes I like to see people who care way too much get upset.