Jim Beam Red Stag Review

Country: USA

Brand: Jim Beam Red Stag

Type: Straight Bourbon Infused with Natural Flavors

Region: Kentucky

Age: 4 Years

Alcohol: 40%

General Remarks: The Beam/Noe Family and more specifically Jacob Beam started making Bourbon in 1795. The Name Jim Beam was given to this Bourbon in Honor of James B. Beam who rebuilt the Distillery after the end of the Prohibition. Since 2011 the Brand is owned by Beam Inc., Chicago. Several founding-family successors are still active in the company. The most known products are of course the White and the Black Label. In 2009, the Distillery, located in Clermont, Frankfort, Kentucky, also started the production of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Basically Jim Beam White Label) infused with natural flavors under the name Red Stag. There are three varieties, Black Cherry, Honey Tea and Cinnamon Spiced. The producers are aiming at younger consumers who might otherwise not get in contact with Bourbon as they are used to drink cocktails or sweet liquors. Red Stag sells for around US$ 22, - per 750 ml bottle.

The name Red Stag refers to the majestic elks, led by proud Red Stags that roamed the Kentucky Mountains in the time J.Beam started producing Bourbon. Unfortunately they were hunted down to extinction but were re-introduced in 1997. Now large herds exist again, especially east of Montana.

I- Red Stag – Black Cherry

Colour: Deep Gold

Nose: Very pleasant. The Sweet Corn, Oak, Vanilla and Cinnamon combine well with the Maraschino type Cherry flavor. Very fruity and not too Sweet. Hints of white Coconut meat. There is some slightly harsh Alcohol popping up from time to time. Still, this dram is very well balanced on the Nose.

Taste: Very, Very Sweet. Spicy Vanilla (Cinnamon and Nutmeg) with warm Cherry topping. Sweet Grains, Oak and Honey. This tastes much more like Cherry Liquor than as Bourbon. Not as balanced as the Nose promises. This is too sweet to drink neat in my opinion.

Finish: Quite Long. Sugared Cherries and Orange Peel, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.

I added a few drops of water. Unfortunately, the Nose loses its balanced intensity. The Palate remains too Sweet and the Finish just waters down. Better Nose this one neat. Finally I threw in some ice cubes and that does the trick. It’s still very sweet of course but quite enjoyable although images of Cherry-flavoured cough syrup did pop up from time to time.

Rating:  81  (Whisk(e)y-Liquor Rating)

Nose: 22 -Taste: 19 – Finish: 19.5 – Overall: 20.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Too Sweet

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: Excellent well-balanced Nose. Too sweet to drink neat or even with a bit of water. More like a Cherry Liquor infused with Bourbon than the other way around. Better drink this on the Rocks or in Cocktails.

II- Red Stag – Honey Tea

Colour: Amber/Gold

Nose: Sweet Corn, Oak, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Light Honey and a touch of Cherries and Green Tea. Some Alcohol around. This still smells like a Jim Beam Bourbon with some flavors added. Not bad but not spectacular. I had expected a stronger presence of Honey on the Nose.

Taste: Very Sweet. Syrupy. Sugar leading the way rather than Honey. Spices are there as well with Cinnamon in the forefront. Tea is more present now. Bit of Honey and Cherries. It does not taste like Bourbon anymore and it fails to impress me as a Honey-Tea-Bourbon Liquor. It’s a bit of a mess actually.

Finish: Sugary Sweet with Cherries and Tea.

I added a few drops of water but that just waters things down. In fact it enhances the Artificial character of some of the infused ingredients. The Nose gets a bit more Sweet Corn and Vanilla. On the Rocks it gets a bit better though not completely satisfying.

Rating:  74.5  (Whisk(e)y Liquor Rating)

Nose: 20 -Taste: 18 – Finish: 18 – Overall: 18.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Expectations.

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Okay

Conclusion: The Nose is quite Jim Beam Bourbon with only a light presence of Honey. Not as well balanced as the Black Cherry Nose. The Palate and Finish fail to impress me. Again, I can’t find a good Balance. It might have its use as a basis for Cocktails but I’m not at all an expert in that field. So, to round it up, it’s drinkable but I don’t see me buying a full bottle of this.

III- Red Stag – Spiced with Cinnamon

Colour: Golden

Nose: There are more wafts of Alcohol to deal with than in the other two Stags. This needs opening up. Quite strong Spices, slightly artificial Cinnamon, Oak and a bit of Mint as in a Mojito Cocktail. I get some Apple (Pie) as well and Cherry. The Nose is less Sweet than I would have expected. It stills smells like a Whisky but more like a young Grain Whisky than a Sweet Corn Bourbon.  

Taste: Very Sweet and Syrupy. Spice, Cinnamon and Cherry. Jim Beam White Label is still there in the background. This dram can be savoured neat. On the Palate this is less complex than the Black Cherries but much better balanced than the Honey Tea.

Finish: Warm Cinnamon and Cherry.

I added a few drops of water. On the Nose, the Cinnamon and Cherry flavors are more dominant versus the Oak and Mint. On the Palate, the water tames the Hot Spices a bit but it kills the Finish. Still, it pays of to experiment a bit.

Rating:   79.5  (Whisk(e)y Liquor Rating)

Nose: 20 - Taste: 20 – Finish: 19 – Overall: 20.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Quite Nice

Conclusion: Instinctively I would have thought that the Cinnamon Spiced Stag would be the best of the three as Cinnamon is a common flavor to be found in whiskies and Bourbons. It certainly is the best balanced of the three and the best hybrid between a Bourbon and a Liquor. It’s also the only one of the three that can be savoured neat. But although it easily beats the Honey Tea and it’s probably the only one of the three I would drink on the Rocks from time to time, I found it less complex than the Black Cherries Stag, especially on the Nose.

Final Conclusion: In the end the Black Cherry scored slightly higher than the Cinnamon Spiced because of its more complex features. The Cinnamon however will be the Crowd Pleaser in my opinion as it is very easy to sip, especially on the Rocks. It’s easy to get drunk on this stuff as you hardly sense the Alcohol. Beware of that! The Honey Tea scored clearly lower as it lacks balance and purpose. All three are better savoured on the Rocks or in your favourite Cocktails. I can also imagine sprinkling some Cinnamon or Cherries Red Stag over some Vanilla ice cream!

Jim Beam Red Stag is hardly comparable to Whiskey or Bourbon. Most of the time it smells and tastes as a Liquor infused with Bourbon rather than a Bourbon infused with flavors. But I think that’s exactly the point behind this product. Whiskey and Bourbon drinkers are not targeted here. It’s those large herds of guys and, especially, girls that can’t stand whiskey or Bourbon but love sweet stuff and Alcohol and will be slowly but surely drawn into the world of Whiskey and (Jim Beam) Bourbon. Just follow the Red Stag!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 August 24, 2012

50.000

Hi everybody and welcome to the Whisky Paradise,

Normally you will find my Tasting Notes and Reviews here where I tell you what I think about a Whisky or a Classic Rock Album. Today I want to celebrate the fact that you visited the Whisky Paradise 50.000 times. Thanks a lot for your interest and the opinions and questions you leave in the Comments sections. Of course tasting whisky and listening to Classic Rock are my hobbies and I love writing about it. But it makes it so much more fun to know that a lot of people from all around the world are interested in - and take the time to read my stuff. 
So today I want to say thanks to all of you. I'll drink to your health with a dram of BenRiach 16 Years, one of my favourites so far. You can find the Tasting Notes here: BenRiach 16.
Cheers and see you all back tomorrow!
Saude!
Jan

Auchentoshan 18 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Auchentoshan

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Lowlands

Age: 18 Years

Alcohol: 43%

Date: 20/08/2012

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: A rich nose with mature Fruit, Honey and Oak to start with. Then I get impressions of Rum soaked Cake, (over)-ripe Bananas, Vanilla, Malt, English Orange Marmalade and Caramel. Hints of Green Tea and Grass. I also get a hint of Sherry but that should be impossible given the fact that the 18 Years is matured in American Oak Barrels. But what can I do! I smelled the empty glass the next morning and was welcomed by Buttered Toast with Orange Marmalade. Very nice!

Taste: Despite the 43%, the delivery is still a touch too watery. This should be bottled at (at least) 46% in my opinion. On the Palate this dram is Sweet and quite Dry at the same time. Sweet Barley, Honey, Oak and Spices (Ginger and Nutmeg). A Touch of Lemon -and Orange Peel.

Finish: Middle-Long and very Dry with Oak, slightly bitter Almonds, Dried Fruits and a little Spice and Honey.

I added a few drops of water. The Nose does not change a lot although I get some more Malt and also some Pear. On the Palate, the Fruity tones become even more present. The Finish however gets a bit too bitter in my opinion. I suspect that some Sulphur is the cause of this. You can experiment with a couple of drops if you like but I prefer this dram straight.

Rating:  82  

Nose:  22 - Taste: 20.5 – Finish: 19.5– Overall: 20

General Remarks: Auchentoshan is the only remaining permanently triple-distilled Scottish whisky. The Distillery, that is located close to the city of Glasgow, was licensed in 1823 and is owned since 1984 by Morrison Bowmore that in turn was acquired by the Japanese Suntory Group in 1994. Under the new management the brand has made a huge turn-around in popularity. Auchentoshan is the Gaelic word for Corner of the Field by the way.

Conclusion: Let me start by saying that I’m not (yet) a huge fan of the Auchentoshans I’ve tasted so far (12 Y and Three Wood). And I’m struggling a bit with the 18 years as well. Let’s start with the good part. I really enjoyed the Nose. I’ve enjoyed at least half an hour Nosing each time I tasted this dram. And I even more liked smelling the empty glass the next day. Quite a treat if you like Buttered Toast with Orange Marmalade. (And I do!). But the Palate is too heavy on Sweet Stuff and I can’t find a good balance in this Department. It tastes a bit tired although I’m not sure you can apply this term to a whisky. But I hope you understand what I’m trying to say here. And the Finish is too dry for my taste. This is quite an expensive dram at around US$ 90 and I don’t think it’s worth that kind of money. Although I smile when I recall the smell of my empty glass the following day!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Jan van den Ende                                                               August 2012

O' Kanagan Irish Whiskey Review

Country: Ireland

Brand: O’Kanagan

Type: Triple Distilled Blended Whiskey

Age: NAS

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 19/08/2012

Colour: Pale Straw/White Wine (Chardonnay)

Nose: Very Light. It’s almost non-existing. You have to dig deep here to get Slightly Sharp Grain, Oak, Light Alcohol, Malt, Lemon Peel, Vanilla, Bread Dough. Very light Notes of Toast with Margarine and a little Honey.

Taste: Very light on the Palate. Malt and Oak. Hot, Spicy and slightly Bitter. Almost nothing is happening here.

Finish: Extremely Short. Bit of Sugar, Wood and Hot Spices. A hint of Licorice at the end.

I added a bit of water but it does not make a lot of difference. You can try it either way.

Rating: 71 

Nose: 19 – Taste: 17.5 – Finish: 17– Overall: 17.5

General Remarks: I can’t find any essential information on this Blend other than that it is composed of Irish Grain and Malt Whiskeys. It is distilled in Ireland, maybe by the Cooley Distillery. It is (probably) bottled and (certainly) distributed by Distillery Group Toorank BV, a Dutch based Distilling company with distilleries in the Netherlands and Poland that produce a.o. liquors and rum. I’ve read somewhere that Canada is one of the main markets for this Blend. It’s a cheap blend at around US$ 20,-

Drinking Experience Straight: Not Satisfying.

Conclusion: I had never heard of this Blend before and I can see why. While the Nose, although very faint, is not unpleasant, Palate and Finish have almost nothing to show for. I seldom have tested a whisky with so little Taste and such a short Finish. It’s probably usable as a mixing Alcohol for Fruit Cocktails but I can’t recommend this when you like to drink your dram neat.  

Jan van den Ende                                                                 August 2012

Chivas Regal 12 Years Review - The Final Verdict

Country : Scotland

Brand: Chivas Regal

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Tasting Date: 30/09/2011 + 18/08/2012

Colour: Light Gold

Nose: Oak and Malt followed by some Sherry and  Dried Fruit (Orange Peel and Apricot). Not much else there.

Taste: Creamy Delivery with some Toffee , Sherry and Spice. Then suddenly something of a bite on the palate.

Finish: Short, some Spice. Not much here as well. A bit of Hazelnut after a while.

Rating : 73

Nose: 20 - Taste: 18 – Finish: - 17 Overall: 18

General Remarks. This blend contains some Strathisla, the Speyside Distillery that is the home of the Chivas.

I added a few drops of water which brought down the sharp Spices a bit. Still, better drink it neat.

Drinking Experience Neat : Average

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: The nose, as so often, is the best part of this rather unbalanced blend. The rest is a bit aggressive. It’s not really bad but not something I would recommend. Buy a miniature bottle first (as I did). It's good enough however to drink On the Rocks or mixed.

Jan van den Ende                                                                           August 2012