Hirsch Selected Whiskeys: The Horizon

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!

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Happy New Year!

We wish you a safe and happy New Year. May your glass be full of delicious bourbon and your heart be full of kindness in 2023 and beyond!

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Apothic Red Winemaker's Blend and Bourbon and Red Wine Cocktails

I will sometimes get tips or Christmas Gifts from my clients. This year, one of the gifts was a super tasty red wine named Apothic Red Winemaker's Blend. It is a delicious red wine from Modesto, California. Now, I wouldn’t normally talk about wine on a bourbon site, but they had more than one Bourbon and Wine Cocktails on their website that I tried and they were good enough that I wanted to share them with you. First though, Let’s go over some quick tasting notes for the wine itself. I like many wines, but I’m by no means a tasting expert on them so forgive me if I use the wrong terms.

Apothic Red: Winemaker’s Blend

Purchase Info: This was a gift, but I can get it locally for about $10.

Nose: Dark cherry and a hint of chocolate

Mouth: Relatively sweet but nicely balanced by tanins. Fruity with notes of dark cherry and cranberry.

Ok, so now that we have that out of the way, let’s get into the cocktails because these were a big surprise to me. I’ve got two to share with you. Both are from the brand website. One is very wine forward, the other is very bourbon forward.

Maple Bourbon Sour Cocktail

• 1.5 oz. bourbon

• 1 oz. fresh lemon juice

• 1 oz. maple syrup

• 0.5 oz. Apothic Red

Directions:

1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine bourbon, lemon juice and maple syrup.

2. Shake and strain into rocks glass with a large piece of ice.

3. Float the Apothic Red over the drink (pour gently over the bar of a spoon) and serve.

4. Garnish with lemon zest and a cinnamon stick

Thoughts: I’m not normally a bourbon sour sort of person, but the addition of the wine floating on top really took this to another level. I’m honestly shocked at how good this is. The maple adds a nice sweetness too. Just really tasty.

This next one is a little more involved and it originally made four drinks. I decided to cut it down a bit but feel free to double everything and make the full batch if you prefer.

Apothic Spice Cocktail

• 4 oz Apothic Red

• 0.5 oz Bourbon

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• 5 cardamom pods

• 0.5 inch fresh ginger, (peeled and sliced)

• 5 whole cloves

• 3 whole star anise

• pinch cayenne pepper

• whipped cream

• cinnamon sticks

• Bourbon Cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine wine, brown sugar, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and star anise in a small sauce pan and heat to about 145°F while stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar.

2. Remove from heat and add the cayenne, Bourbon and optional splash of Bourbon Cream.

3. Strain the mixture into 2 glasses and top with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick and serve while still warm.

Thoughts: This is like a glass of Christmas. There was no bourbon cream in the original recipe but I loved the silky mouthfeel that stirring in the whipped cream gave me. The bourbon cream accomplished that while allowing your drink to not look like vomit (as mine did when I stirred in the whipped cream). I enjoyed the wine, but this cocktail is really why I’ll be buying this one again.

I hope that you all had a Merry Christmas and please have a safe and happy New Year.

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Merry Christmas!

I want to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas, whether you celebrate or not. I tip my hat to all of you and want you to know that I don’t take anyone who reads my ramblings for granted. I really appreciate that you spend some of your time with me. Happy holidays!

—Eric

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A BourbonGuy look at Bourbon Cream Liqueurs

Earlier this month, reader Mitch reached out to request a rundown of various Bourbon Cream liqueurs. I thought that with it being the holiday season, that was a great idea. So I set out to see what I could find. I was hoping to find products that are readily available across a wide swath of the country. So that meant no boutique brands unless they are hosted my a major retailer. And after stopping at a dozen liquor stores across two states, I realized that also leaves out the OG from Buffalo Trace. If you have Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream available near you and you want to report back how it stacks up with these, please do so! I’d love the feedback and I’m sure Mitch would too.

Ok, so let’s dig right in:

Nooku Bourbon Cream

Purchase Info: $2.99 for a 100 mL bottle at Ace Spirits, Hopkins, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $1.50

Details: 17% ABV. Lightest color of the four

Nose: Almond extract notes.

Mouth: Nutty and a little sharp.

Finish: Not much of a finish.

Thoughts: By far, the Nooku is our least favorite. It seems to have a boozy flavor that isn't well integrated and causes a sharpness to the flavor as the ethanol makes its presence known.

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Ezra Brooks Bourbon Cream

Purchase Info: $8.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $0.60

Details: 12.5% ABV. Darkest color of the four.

Nose: Not much of a nose. Slightly boozy and a little cheesy.

Mouth: Very creamy in the mouth. Slight hint of cherry and mint.

Finish: None to speak of.

Thoughts: A big step up from the Nooku, but still in third place (for me, my wife ranked this in second), is Ezra Brooks. It's got a hint of an aged Parmesan cheese note to it that I don't really find enjoyable in this context. I wouldn't mind it so much if it weren't being tasted next to examples that more closely match our palates.

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Paddleford Creek Bourbon Cream

Purchase Info: $18.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Bloomington, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $1.27

Details: 15% ABV. Spirits Direct (Total Wine)

Nose: A touch of cherry on the nose.

Mouth: Very thick and rich. Cinnamon and vanilla join the cream flavors.

Finish: Coats the throat. Cinnamon and vanilla flavors hang around.

Thoughts: In second place (for me) is Paddleford Creek. This has, by far, the creamiest mouthfeel. It's just luscious in the mouth. The slight cinnamon and vanilla notes could be a little more prominent, though. But if tasted without comparison, this would be a very enjoyable pour.

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Jim Beam Bourbon Cream

Purchase Info: $17.99 for a 750 mL bottle at South Lyndale Liquor, Minneapolis, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $1.20

Details: 15% ABV.

Nose: Nutmeg and cream.

Mouth: Not much to this on the mouth.

Finish: Much of the flavor comes after you swallow and there is a lot of flavor. Stong Nutmeg and vanilla notes.

Thoughts: Our very favorite one is the Jim Beam. That strong nutmeg note just feels like a glass of holiday cheer to me.

Overall Thoughts: I’d happily accept a glass of any of the non-Nooku Bourbon Creams. I love how flavorful the Jim Beam Bourbon Cream is. That strong hit of nutmeg is delicious. I can’t say enough about the mouthfeel of the Paddelford Creek Bourbon Cream. I could wish that the flavors were a bit more prominent, but that mostly came about after I tried the Jim Beam. Before that, I was very happy with the amount of flavor. The Ezra Brooks is also a very solid offering. Nothing bad in that pour at all. But on the flip side, there is also nothing that stands out. It’s just tasty. Nooku, I’d just avoid it personally. It was both of our least favorite and it was also the most expensive of the offerings. Even if you bought a bigger bottle. I saw one store I was at selling it for over $30 per 750 mL bottle.

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Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: Private Barrel Selection by Lakeville Liquors

A couple of weeks ago, I had a friend text me an image of an Elijah Craig Private Barrel selection. Now in and of itself, this wouldn’t have registered with me. I see Elijah Craig private selections locally from time to time. When I see them, I tend to grab them, if only to help convince stores to keep doing it.

This time, however, things were a little different. See, this wasn't the burgundy label that I usually see. Instead, the photo showed the black label that usually accompanies the Barrel Proof version of Elijah Craig. And, that was something I hadn’t seen before. Which, honestly, isn’t that unusual these days. I haven’t had my finger on the pulse of Bourbon news for a while now. I’m not a journalist. I’m an enthusiast. And unless someone sends me a press release, I’m as likely as not to miss the bourbon news of the day. (Hell, if you find some interesting news, send it my way, the odds are good that I haven’t seen it. There is an email link in the footer of each page.)

So anyway, I did some digging and realized that the Federal Government approved this label in March of 2021. That was plenty of time to revamp and spin up a Private Barrel program to include the new Barrel Proof option. And long enough ago that if I ever knew about it, I’d completely forgotten. Of course, I ran right out to the store my friend had texted me from, and…they were out of stock.

“Well, shit.”

And then I forgot about it for about a week when I happened to wander into the liquor store just down the road from my preferred movie theater after a showing of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It turns out they had a private barrel too. And since this little municipally run store only has three locations, they still had plenty of their pick. It was very exciting.

Ok, now that all of that is out of the way, Let’s see how it tastes.

Elijah Craig Single Barrel, Lakeville Liquors Private Barrel

Purchase Info: $79.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Lakeville Liquors, Lakeville, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.33

Details: 8 years old. 63% ABV. Barrel#: 6675505. Non-chill filtered.

Nose: Cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, caramel, and oak.

Mouth: Very hot in the mouth. Notes of caramel, oak, mint, ginger, and cinnamon.

Finish: Long, warm and nutty with notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak.

Thoughts: This is very good. I hope other local stores will also participate in this program because I am greedy and want more of this. It was about the same price as the lower end of the local price range for Elijah Craig Barrel Proof's three times yearly releases. But if I can't find that at the lower end of the price range, I'd buy this for $80 before spending $100 on the numbered batches of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, even though this bottle is a little younger than the 12-year-old age statement on recent numbered releases. It’s good. If you find one and it is in your price range grab it!

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Parker's Heritage Collection 2022, Double Barreled Blend

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

Parker's Heritage Collection is Heaven Hill’s annual “Ultra-Premium” bourbon release that is named for Parker Beam, Heaven Hill’s late Master Distiller Emeritus. For many years now, a portion of each bottle’s price is donated to support ALS research and patient care in honor of Mr. Beam. To this point, sales of Parker’s Heritage Collection have raised over $1 million. Which is pretty cool.

So on to the bourbon. Heaven Hill was very detailed on how this bourbon was created so instead of rehashing everything, I’ll just let them speak for themselves in this one.

This edition consists of 67% 13-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey that has been double barreled for four weeks and then blended post aging with 33% 15-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The 13-year-old Bourbon, from barrels produced in December 2008, was aged on the 5th-7th floors of Rickhouse Q and then re-barreled into new American white oak barrels with a level three char for four weeks. Then, it was later blended with 15-year-old Bourbon from barrels produced in January 2007 aged on the 2nd and 5th floors of Rickhouse II. The unique, bold flavor profile is balanced by the double barreled 13-year-old Bourbon, bringing out even more oak and spice notes from the barrel, with the 15-year-old Bourbon rounding out the older aged mouthfeel. At bottling, the liquid was uncut and non-chill filtered to preserve the complex flavors. This edition leads with an oak forward nose and hints of butterscotch and caramel, and once tasted is followed by a balance of spice notes, sweetness and slight oak tannins. The finish is long and warm with elements of dark chocolate, baking spices and white pepper. The mashbill for this edition is comprised of Heaven Hill Distillery's traditional Bourbon mashbill 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley and ultimately bottled at barrel proof 132.2 or 66.1% alcohol by volume.

Ok. Now for the elephant in the room. $174.99 for a 750 mL bottle. That is a lot of coin. Even if the whiskey is created using multiple barrels and using whiskey with double-digit ages. I’m going to let you know now, that I would never buy this. I just can’t afford it. Well, I probably could, depending on if and when freelance checks come in, but there are a lot of things that I’d much rather spend that money on. That said, let’s breakdown how it tastes. Spoiler alert: it is delicious.

Parker's Heritage Collection 2022, Double Barreled Blend

Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $174.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $11.67

Details: Blend of 67% 13-year-old bourbon and 33% 15-year-old bourbon. 66.1% ABV.

Nose: Oak, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, and mint.

Mouth: Sweet with notes of caramel, vanilla, red fruit, oak, and leather.

Finish: Medium length and warmth with notes of cinnamon, red fruit, barrel warehouse, leather, and chocolate.

Thoughts: Wow! That's all I can say about this. This might be the best Heaven Hill product I've ever tasted. I love it. It is dangerously drinkable neat. It's rich, thick, sweet, spicy, and downright delicious. They knocked it out of the park. If anything is worth $175 (and I’m not sure that anything actually is, but if anything is), it’s this. And, from me, that is saying a lot. Just wow!

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Old Ezra 7-Year Straight Rye Whiskey

These days more than anything else, I am having fun playing with lasers. Well, kinda. I bought a laser engraver and have been using it to make all sorts of fun stuff. I love working with wood, but I’ve been a professional digital artist for 20 years or so. This combines the fun that I can have with digital art, with the fun that I can have with physical items and blends it in a way that is rewarding and, well, fun. So far I’ve just been burning designs into wood and cutting things out, but that will change as I get used to the medium. I can’t wait.

One slick segue later and you’ll find that I’m not the only one who’s been doing some blending. (nailed it) The folks over at Lux Row are back at it. This time extending the Ezra Brooks brand lineup with a rye whiskey that is a blend of rye whiskeys. Old Ezra 7-Year Straight Rye Whiskey blends two ryes whiskeys. One with a mash bill that contains 51% rye and another that has a mash bill of 95% rye. That last one is one of my favorite styles of rye so I was pretty excited to see this one land on my desk. Especially since it is 7 years old and 114° proof. That made my day. Here is what the producer has to say about their new release.

"With Old Ezra 7-Year Straight Rye Whiskey, we've delivered a rye whiskey worthy of the Old Ezra label," said Lux Row Distillers master distiller John Rempe. "This tasty 7-year-old rye offers slightly sweet and oaky tones with hints of vanilla and honey, and it finishes with a warm touch of spice and tobacco. It's certain to become a favorite among both rye fans and fans of the Ezra Brooks brand family."

Now that we know what the producer has to say, let’s dig in and see how it tastes.

Old Ezra 7-Year Straight Rye Whiskey

Purchase Info: This sample was provided for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $79.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 ml): $5.33

Details: 7 years old. 57% ABV. Blend of 51% rye mash whiskey and 95% rye mash whiskey.

Nose: Dusty aging warehouse, toffee, and an herbal mint.

Mouth: Rich mouthfeel. Toffee, mint, cinnamon, and oak.

Finish: Long and minty. Notes of herbal mint, toffee and cinnamon.

Thoughts: Even my wife who doesn't care for most rye whiskeys likes this. It is rich and sweet in the mouth with the minty rye notes taking over as the finish starts. This is tasty. I really am enjoying it.

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