My Wandering Eye: Bas-Armagnac Delord, 25 ans d'âge

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: the Front label of Bas Armagnac Delord 25 year old.

I have a very bad habit of finding presents when I go shopping for them. But, it isn’t what you think. See I go shopping for other people and end up with presents for me. And it happens every year right around Christmas. I’ve mentioned in years past that my Dad is a big fan of brandy. Especially Korbel brandy. He joins his fellow Wisconsinites in that preference. Anywhere from between half and two-thirds of the yearly output of Korbel brandy is sold in Wisconsin.

When I was young, I’d buy my dad a bottle of Korbel for Christmas. Soon I realized that he was buying multiple handles of Korbel throughout the year and really didn’t need me to get him his favorite brandy. So I started branching out to other varieties of Korbel brandy, VSOP, XS, etc. I even was able to find him a 12 year old version of Korbel after a friend of mine gave me a blind taste from his bottle. These days, I try to find him something new every year. Just to give him something a little special. And this year is no exception. I found him a bottle of Laird’s 10 Generation, five year old Bottled in Bond Apple Brandy. Look for a review of that in the coming weeks since I couldn’t pass up a bottle for myself as well.

But tonight we are looking at an Armagnac that cost a bit more than that and is just a bit older as well. So, you may be asking, what is Armagnac anyway? That’s a very good question. And honestly I only have the smallest idea. I know that it is from the Armagnac region of France…and that’s about it. So let’s do what any good citizen of the internet would do and look it up on Wikipedia:

Armagnac is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni blanc, traditionally using column stills rather than the pot stills used in the production of cognac, which is made predominantly from ugni blanc grapes. The resulting spirit is then aged in oak barrels before release. Production is overseen by the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) and the Bureau National Interprofessionel de l'Armagnac (BNIA).

Huh, that’s a lot of words to say “made in Gascony, France, made from grapes, distilled once in a column still, and aged in oak. But what do you expect from an encyclopedia? they aren’t really meant to be entertaining. One interesting tidbit from further down the article is that apparently we can thank Armagnac for all the spirits we enjoy today as it was “the oldest brandy (and liquor) recorded to be still distilled in the world. In 1310, Prior Vital du Four, a cardinal, wrote of its 40 virtues.” So there’s that.

My love of Armagnac stems from the fact that you can usually find a very delicious bottle that is in the 15-30 year range for less than the price of a small car. I even have one that was distilled in 1968 in my closet that I got for less than $300. That’s 50 years of age (I bought it a few years ago). Bourbons in that price range are in the mid to low teens. Or don’t have a stated age at all. Tonight’s brandy was had for less than $100.

Here is what the producer had to say about it (translated from French by Google translate…translated from Google translate to understandable English by me):

Made from Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Baco and Folle blanche grapes. Fermented with traditional vinification to obtain an aromatic, slightly acidic wine with a low alcohol content. Continuous distillation in column stills equipped with “spider-legged” trays. Aged in new French oak barrels (strong toast) then a finished in “semi-exhausted” or even “exhausted” barrels leading to over 25 years in oak. 40% ABV.

Let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Bas-Armagnac Delord, 25 ans d'âge

Purchase Info: $91.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Price per Drink (50mL): $6.13

Details: Age 25 years in oak barrels. 40% ABV.

Nose: Toffee, dried fruit, coffee, chocolate, and cinnamon candies.

Mouth: Caramel, cinnamon, dried fruit

Finish: Medium length and warm. Notes of chocolate, coffee, dried fruit, brown sugar, and a hint of cinnamon.

Thoughts: If you like a dried fruit note, this is really good. At 25 years old, it is running at a little less than $4 per year of age. That's less than half of what Heaven Hill's pricing strategy of $10-12 per year of age for their special releases (though admittedly the regular releases are in the $4-6 range per year of age). Like most brandies. I could wish that it had a little more proof on it. But that might obscure the nuance of the palate. Overall though this is a nice thing to throw on the special shelf with all the other things I don't want to go through too fast. And heck, even my wife who doesn’t usually care for brandy says she like this one. All in all, I’m pleased with my present. And for the record, I did end up sharing it with my Dad too. As he does every year he informed me that he liked it and that it was “almost as good as his Korbel.”

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

OSMO Salt x Four Roses Toasted Vanilla Bourbon Salt

This jar of OSMO salt and a bottle of Four Roses Small Batch were provided as part of a media kit to announce the launch of the product with no strings attached.

Sorry about missing Tuesday. I was out on a rare date with my wife. We went out for lunch, we went to antique stores, we went to record stores, and we stopped off at a local brewery. It was a lovely day spent with the love of my life. I wouldn’t necessarily call it romantic. I mean, we stared at our phones more often than we stared into each other’s eyes while we had our beers. But after 25 years of marriage, I think that the fact that we are still talking to one another and consider each other best friends is romantic enough to count. So…yeah. Let’s just say we were out on a romantic Day Date that was too much fun to allow for writing.

And it is with romance in my heart that I write about tonight’s…salt?

Bill? Is that right? Salt? Are we talking about salt tonight? You know this is a bourbon site, right? Ok, I sure hope you know what you are doing here.

Yes, dear reader, salt. Salt that is a co-branded collaboration between Four Roses Bourbon and OSMO Salt. Now, why did I bring up romance at the beginning? Well, as we all know, the foundation legend of the Four Roses brand involved a young man who was looking to marry a young lady. He asked her to wear a corsage of four roses to the ball if she was going to accept his proposal. And, as the legend has it, she did just that. It’s a nice story. There is evidence that it is nothing more than a legend, but what would be the fun in that? And besides, Valentine’s Day is coming up soon.

So, how does this salt taste? What makes it different than other salts that you might have on hand? Well, it is sweet. I’ll have tasting notes below, but here is what the PR firm had to say:

Four Roses was built on a 134 year old love story, making the bourbon the perfect spirit to toast with on Valentine’s Day. This year, Four Roses sought out to create an offering to elevate the date-night-in and make restaurant quality drinks and meals right at home. Tapping OSMO Salt -  the premium salt company created by celebrity Chef Nick Digiovanni intended to easily turn homemade dishes into Michelin-quality meals - for its first-ever culinary collab, the result is the new Toasted Vanilla Bourbon Salt, perfect for rimming bourbon drinks and for home chefs to add a robust yet sweet final touch to meals. 

OSMO Salt x Four Roses Toasted Vanilla Bourbon Salt

Purchase Info: This sample was provided free of charge by the producer for review purposes. It can be purchased from the OSMO website for $18.99 for a 3.5 oz jar. You can also buy the salt with a bottle of Four Roses Small Batch from ReserveBar for $60.99.

Nose: This is a caramel and vanilla bomb on the nose.

Mouth: Caramel, vanilla, and coconut, which transition into salt as the flavors wash off.

Thoughts: I'm probably not the target market for this, as my usual cocktail is whiskey in a glass. I like it as much as I like any salt, but I’m not really a “glass rimmer,” if you know what I mean. That said, though, if you make cocktails on the regular, this could be an interesting addition to your tool kit.

Along with the salt and bourbon came a cocktail recipe that I quite enjoyed. Created by Abby Martinie, Four Roses brand ambassador and mixologist, it contains raspberries, bourbon, Crème de Cacao, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Of course, the drink is garnished with tonight’s salt, as seen in the photo above. I really like this one. And if you are a person who likes pink, fruity drinks (or know someone who does), this is one that it wouldn’t hurt to keep in your recipe holder.

Twisted Sour

  • 1.5 oz Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon

  • 0.5 oz Crème de Cacao

  • 0.75 oz lemon juice

  • 0.5 oz brown sugar syrup

  • 3-4 muddled raspberries

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Rim rocks glass with Osmo Toasted Vanilla Bourbon Salt. Double strain over fresh ice into a rimmed rocks glass.

Cocktail Thoughts: If you like raspberry, this is pretty good. I'm not convinced the salt adds more than an aesthetic touch after the first sip, but if you are making a cocktail for your loved one (and the theme of the night is romance, after all), you might as well make it as pretty as possible, right? Though the smell of the salt on the rim does add a little bit of a sweet note as you sip.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, A123

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.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Larceny Barrel Proof, A123

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.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Rye

Well, it’s official, for me at least, the Holiday season is now over. I had my last family gathering this past weekend, I’ve spent all the Christmas tips that clients have given me (my vinyl record collection has just about doubled), and we are now in that time when things return to normal.

Thanks, I hate it.

I love the holidays. I love the Bowl Games, I love the gatherings, I love the lights, and the festive spirit. I love the gifts and tv specials. I even don’t mind the snow as much during December (though Mother Nature did certainly test that this year). Now starts the long slog to spring. When the sky is a uniform gray and the cold gets oppressive. The good news is that the days are getting longer, little by little. The light will be returning to our lives. And then…we get to complain about the heat.

Woo!

Anyway, one holdover from the Holidays is tonight’s whiskey. It arrived in between snowstorms along with other holiday packages. It is the last release in Uncle Nearest’s explosion of new products that they’ve had over the last few months. This rye, like the others before it started life in Canada, British Columbia according to their website. It then spent a bunch of time in New York state and then moved to its final resting spot in Tennessee before being bottled for us to enjoy. This release is a distillery-only release and is priced at $89. So, let’s see how it tastes.

Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Rye

Purchase Info: This sample was provided free of charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $89 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.93

Details: Barrel number 001. 60.5% ABV.

Nose: Caramel toffee, cedar, allspice, and a touch of spearmint.

Mouth: Hot and spicy with notes of cola, toffee, cedar, allspice, and cinnamon.

Finish: Warm and of medium length. Notes of caramel, cinnamon, and cherry.

Thoughts: This has all the strong caramel and toffee notes that you find in really good Canadian whisky. It's hot as you would expect from 121° proof but it takes ice well. I really like this one. And even my wife who doesn't really like rye whiskies likes this one. The caveat is that she does really enjoy Canadian so that can kind of help you gauge the direction of the flavor profile. This is going on the special shelf as I want it to last.

Comparison to Uncle Nearest Rye: Nose very similar. The mouthfeel on the single barrel is much oilier and thicker than its lower-proof brother but that is to be expected with a twenty-one proof difference. The flavor notes are pretty similar though.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Wyoming Whiskey Ten Year Anniversary Edition

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!

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.