Tony Joe White Album Review (1971)

Songs: They Caught The Devil And Put Him In Jail In Eudora Arkansas, The Change, My Kind of Woman, The Daddy, Black Panther Swamps, Five Summers For Jimmy, A Night In The Life Of A Swamp Fox, Traveling Bone, I Just Walked Away, Copper Kettle (The Pale Moonlight), Voodoo Village. 

All songs written by Tony Joe White.

Type of Music: Swamp-Rock/Soul Ballads

Comments:

This is Tony Joe´s third album and his first for Warner Brothers. His first two albums for Monument Records were rough and (swamp)rocking but Warner Brothers coupled him to British producer Peter Asher who had just produced James Taylor.

As a result, this album is of the Singer/Songwriter type, combining Tony Joe´s Swamp Rock with soulful Ballads. The album has a pleasant flow and there are no really weak songs to break the rhythm. Tony Joe White would go on and use this concept for many years to come.

Personally I prefer the Swamp-Rockers here, especially, They caught the Devil…., Black Panther Swamps and A Night in the Life of a Swamp Fox.

They are just great fun and it´s difficult to sit still while listening.

But some of the ballads are good as well, especially The Change, a theme that returned in many songs in the late sixties/early seventies. Bob Dylan started it all with The Times They Are A-Changing. And the Father and Son problems are adequately addressed in The Daddy. All fathers and sons with problems should listen to this song at least once a month! And I Just Walked Away sounds thoroughly sad.

In short, this is a nicely balanced album with good songs and a great voice! The Kind of Album I can safely recommend to everybody.  

Rating: ********( 8 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Buffalo Trace Review

Country: USA

Brand: Buffalo Trace

Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Age: NAS (Probably between 8-12 years)

ABV: 45%

Colour: Deep Orange Amber

Nose: An interesting combination of Sweet Corn/Popcorn, Butter, Rum, Toffee/Caramel, Maple Syrup, Vanilla, Honey, Dried Apricots, Nuts, Aniseed, Cinnamon and White Pepper. There's some Alcohol here to deal with as well. The Sweetness and Spices, though quite common in nature, are well-balanced.

Palate: Sweet, Fruity and Spicy at the same time with Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Orange, Caramel, Oak, Rye, Nutmeg and Mint.

Finish: Middle-Long, Dry and Spicy with Pepper, Licorice, Mint, Coconut Shells and Vanilla. Both the Corn and Rye are noticeable.

I added a few drops of Water and on the Nose the Alcohol retreats of course. But at the same time Spices and Grain start to dominate in this field while the Fruit quietly gives way. Palate and Finish are washed down completely. Only Licorice is left. Don't add water to this Bourbon.  

Rating: 84  

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21 

General Remarks: The name of this Bourbon is a tribute to the Buffalo and the pioneers that followed them westwards. One of these westward trails or traces was called the Great Buffalo Trace and crossed the Kentucky River just north of present day Frankfort. A distillery was constructed in 1858 but in 1872 E.H. Taylor Jr. built a new one on the site. It was rebuilt again in 1882 after a fire that was caused by lightning. The distillery is currently part of Sazerac Company Inc. and is one of the oldest remaining American distilling sites. Buffalo Trace Bourbon was introduced in 2001, two years after the name of the Frankfort distillery was changed from Ancient Age to Buffalo Trace. The distillery produces  a variety of other Bourbons and Rye-Whiskies a.o. Eagle Rare, Weller, Blanton, Elmer T.Lee, van Winkle and George T. Stagg. The secret Mash Bill of the Buffalo Trace includes Corn, Wheat and some malted Barley. It's low on Rye. The Buffalo Trace is a mix of selected barrels from the middle-floors of the warehouses C, I and K. It's relatively cheap at around 25 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks : Good

Conclusion: A good, well-balanced but slightly spicy day-to-day Bourbon. Much better than most Scotch whisky offered at this price level. It's nice to sip or enjoy on the rocks. If you prefer a sweeter flavour profile, Buffalo Trace might not be your Bourbon of (first) choice.

Jan van den Ende                                                             February 26, 2013

Balvenie Signature 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland 

Region: Speyside

Brand: The Balvenie Signature

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 12 Years

ABV:  40 %

Colour: Full Gold

Nose: Rather Sweet actually with some Fruit (Peach, Banana and Orange), Buttered Toast with Apricot Marmalade, Malt, Sherry, Dried Fruits, Toffee/Caramel, Oak/Vanilla, Cocoa and Honey. Not bad but certainly not as smooth as the Double Wood. There's a slight harsh edge to the Nose.

Palate: Bit Thin. Sweet Honeyed Pastry, Spices (Nutmeg, Pepper, Ginger and Cinnamon), Butter, Dried Fruits, Vanilla/Oak, Dates. Again it' s not as pleasant as the Double Wood. I'm certain this spirit would benefit from a slightly higher ABV. 

Finish: Rather short and disappointing with Vanilla/Oak, Spice, Nuts, Toffee and Malt.

With a bit of water the Nose gets more smooth. Buttered Toast with Apricot and Vanilla are in the lead. Palate and Finish become too watery and slightly bitter.

Rating: 81

Nose: 21 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20

General Remarks: This Balvenie expression was launched in 2008 to replace the 10 Years Founders Reserve. It matures in three different wood types i.e. Sherry, First Fill Bourbon and Refill Casks. Batches are then married together by the Balvenie's Malt Master David Stewart.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: I expected way more to be honest. So far I quite liked the expressions of this Distillery but that's not so much the case here. It's not bad of course but it tastes a bit rough and unfinished. I have never had the chance to experiment the Founders Reserve 10 but when I compare the Signature to the Doublewood, the latter wins on all accounts. The Doublewood, although not at all complicated, is really smooth and always a joy to sip. There's always a bottle of it in my cabinet. The Signatory is perhaps a bit more elaborated on the Nose but I didn't like the slightly harsh edge there. On the Palate I found it too thin and the Finish is short and disappointing. I feel a bit sorry for David Stewart because I'm sure he put a lot of dedication into making the Signature. But I will stick to my Doublewood for the time being!

Jan van den Ende                                                           February 23, 2013

The Temple Bar in Dublin

Hi Everybody and Welcome to Best Shot Whisky Reviews!

Today I received a short report from our special Dutch Whisky Correspondent Jan Bronkhorst. Jan and his wife Joke have spend a long weekend in Dublin and could not resist a visit to The Temple Bar. Here is Jan's report:

Visit to the Temple Bar in Dublin, a “must” for whisky lovers!

During our city trip to Dublin, Ireland, we of course paid a visit to the Temple Bar.
This most famous pub in Ireland is located in the Temple Bar District near the River Liffey.
Always loaded with music - and whisky friends and everyone drinks a Guinness or an Irish Whiskey.
The Temple Bar has the largest whisky drinking collection in Ireland with 450 bottles.

See for further information http://www.thetemplebarpub.com/

And don’t forget to visit the Temple Bar during your stay in Dublin!


Jan Bronkhorst

Thanks Jan, certainly a place well worth the visit! 

Buying a full bottle or try a sample first.

I'm sure that most of you will have confronted this question on a regular basis. Because whisky is expensive and the last thing you want is to spend a lot of money on a whisky you don't really care for after having opened the bottle. On the other hand buying a full bottle of whisky (Nice bottle, Nice Packaging, Nice Presentation) is one of life's great  pleasures. So why not try to combine the Best of Both Worlds as the late Robert Palmer sung back in 1978.

There are great Nosing and Tasting kits out there right now. Special sets that cover a specific area like Speyside or Islay. Or you can make the combination you like the best. Have a look at this website www.nosingtasting.com  and discover your favourite whiskies! And then go out and get that full bottle! Satisfaction Guaranteed!

Today's Whisky Tasting Session.

Tonight I will nose and taste The Balvenie Signature 12 Years, a Single Malt from Speyside that matured in three different wood types - Sherry, First Fill Bourbon and Refill casks and was then married together by The Balvenie's Malt Master David Stewart. Look forward to it. 

From a very hot and humid Sao Paulo I wish you all a very nice weekend! Thanks for visiting the site today. See you all back tomorrow for the Tasting Notes of The Balvenie Signature!

Cheers!

Jan