Evan Williams Review

Country: USA

Brand: Evan Williams Black

Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Age: NAS

ABV: 43%

Date: 03/01/2013

Colour: Light Amber

Nose: Sweet with a slight rough Alcohol edge to it. Familiar flavours like Sweet Corn, Rye, Charred Oak, Glue, Vanilla, Butter, Brown Sugar, Coca Cola, Leather, Cinnamon, Furniture Polish from Grandma's days and Pine. Traces of Honey, Peach, Dried Apricot and Banana. Not bad at all!

Taste: Medium Alcohol bite, Caramel, Charred Oak, Dark Red Fruits like Cherries, Rye, Toffee, White Pepper, Vanilla, Brown Sugar. A bit rough I'm afraid.

Finish: Medium-Long, Nutty and a bit Sour towards the end with Charred Oak, Grain, Vanilla, Toffee, Caramel, Brown Sugar, White Pepper and hints of Leather, Licorice and Tobacco.

I added a few drops of Water but the Bourbon just waters down. Better sip it neat or drink it over Ice.

Rating:  81.5  (out of 100)

Nose: 21.5 - Taste:  20- Finish: 20 - Overall: 20

 Heaven Hill Warehouses (Note the Black Fungus!)

General Remarks: Evan Williams started distilling Whiskey on the banks of the Ohio River back in 1783, making him Kentucky's first commercial distiller. Today, this Bourbon is distilled at the Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. Corn, Malted Barley and Rye are part of the Mash bill. The Whiskey matures for around 4 years in new charred White Oak Barrels. Evan Williams is America's second largest selling Kentucky Straight Bourbon after Jim Beam. It's not very expensive at around 12 Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks : Good

Conclusion: This is certainly a good alternative when you don't want to spend too much money on your Bourbon and still want to be able to enjoy an acceptable quality. I applaud the ABV of 43% and I quite like the Nose of the Evan Williams. Nothing too fancy but agreeable and well-balanced. It's a bit rough on the Palate and it's not my favourite sipping Bourbon. But it's quite alright with Ice on a warm day. And fortunately there are many of those in Sao Paulo!

Jan van den Ende                                                                   January 2013

Happy New Year!

Hello Everybody and Welcome to Best Shot Whisky Reviews!

After having spend some very nice days in the mountains of Monte Verde in the state of Minas Gerais I'm back in Sao Paulo to write the first few words in 2013. This is a picture that will give you an idea of Monte Verde and surroundings.

I would like to thank you all for showing so much interest in Whisky and Classic Rock in 2012. Not only by visiting the site but also via comments, e-mails, Facebook messages etc. A special thanks to some of my readers in the Netherlands, Brazil, Germany, the USA, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia and Scotland who surprised me with samples and books on whisky. Really appreciated! So to all of you a very happy and healthy 2013. It will be another challenging year for the world with lots of problems to sort out. I hope that politicians will use common sense for once and will try to tackle some of the most urgent problems. There's too much war, too much unemployment, too much violence, too much poverty and too much pollution. Just to name a few of them. 

As far as whisky is concerned I hope that supply and demand will find a new balance in the coming years with consistent quality and reasonable prices. It won't be easy because demand is booming, especially in the new Asian markets. For 2013 I expect higher prices again. So be careful with what you buy. Try a sample or a miniature bottle first before buying a full bottle. That can save you a lot of money and stress! And read as many reviews as possible, especially from independent reviewers. They will give you a fair idea of what to expect from a whisky. But never forget as well that Taste is something really personal. Just drink what you like! But not too much (well, not every day at least!) and never when you have to drive!!!

I have been able to collect sufficient samples and miniatures to provide you with some very informative (and hopefully useful) reviews in 2013. Tomorrow we will start the year with Evan Williams, a very reasonable and affordable Bourbon from Kentucky! 

I hope you will continue to like Best Shot Whisky reviews in 2013. Please let me know your suggestions, ideas or wishes in the Comments section or send me an e-mail (janende@uol.com.br). 

Cheers, Happy 2013 and hope to see you all back tomorrow to check out the Evan Williams Review.

Jan

Whyte & Mackay 30 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Whyte & Mackay

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky

Age: 30 Years (Said to contain Whiskies as old as 36 Years)

ABV: 40%

Colour: Golden Sunset

Nose: It takes a little while before the Nose starts to reveal itself. But give it some time and you will find that this is a well-crafted balanced Nose. No off-notes to be found here. The first words that come to my mind are luxurious, rich, smooth and comfortable like an old English upholstered chair. A nice combination of Grain and Malt Whiskies with Sherry, Leather, Orange Marmalade, Citrus Peel, Figs, Fruitcake, Malt, Marzipan, Light Spices, Wood, Toffee and lots of Dried Red Fruits like Plums, Prunes and Raisins. Buttered Toast and hints of Tobacco and Cocoa Powder. Very much a sherried Speyside Nose.

Taste: As so often I had expected more after the Nose. The delivery suffers from the fact that this Blend was bottled at 40% only. This combination of thirty years old - and even older whiskies deserves an ABV of at least 46%. The basic elements of the Nose are confirmed however as I get Malt, Caramel, Marzipan, Sherry, Citrus Peel, Orange Marmalade, Dry Oak and Nuts. Additionally I find Licorice, Brown Sugar and Dark Bitter Chocolate. I also detect a Soapy off-note that continues in the Finish. Could it be the Jura component?

Finish: Middle Long with Malt, Grains, Slightly Bitter Oak, Bitter Chocolate, Caramel and Anise.

I added a few drops of Water but I don't find significant improvements. Better sip this Blend neat.

Rating: 84.5

Nose: 22.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks: Can't complain about the presentation. Very sophisticated bottle and packaging. I received this Sample from my Belgian friend Glenn VanBellingen. Thanks once again Glenn! 

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: This Blend has been elected Blended whisky of the year on two different occasions but based on this sample I can't agree with that. The Nose certainly lives up to expectations but the Palate and Finish don't. Even when I don't consider the clear Soap-like off-note, the delivery is too thin on account of the 40% ABV. Because of that, the luxurious and rich impressions of the Nose are literally watered down. And that's a real pity. I'm not saying that the W&M 30 years is a bad whisky. But this is a very expensive Blend at around 220 US Dollars. At that price level I expect nothing less but an excellent Blend. And the Nose shows that it could have been just that. At 40% however, Nose and Palate do not get the chance to really shine. I really hope I will be able to ask W&M Master Blender Richard Paterson one day why!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 December 27, 2012

Glenmorangie Lasanta Review

Country: Scotland

Region: Highland 

Brand: Glenmorangie Lasanta Extra Matured

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS

ABV: 46%

Date: 25/12/2012 and 05/01/2013

Colour: Amber/Golden

Nose: Quite Sweet and Syrupy with the characteristic Glenmorangie combination of Orange, Dried Fruits (Raisins, Figs), Oak, Caramel, Honey and Spices like Cinnamon and Ginger. I also get Sherry, Nuts, Malt and Fruity tones like Peach and Mango. A hint of Grounded Roasted Coffee. 

Taste: Malt, Sweet Sherry, White Pepper, Orange Liqueur, Vanilla, Nuts (Almonds), Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Licorice and Butterscotch, Hints of Red Grapes, Olive Oil and Grapefruit. 

Finish: Sweet at first but dryer towards the end with Orange, Ginger, Nutmeg, Mint, Cocoa, Nuts, Oak and White Pepper.

I added a few drops of Water and the Nose gets a more Fruity and Malty character while Orange and Spices start to dominate the Palate. I prefer this neat but you can certainly experiment with a bit of Water.

Rating:  84.5 

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

General Remarks: The Lasanta (Gaelic for Warmth) replaces the old Sherry Finish. It has matured for 10 years in Ex-Bourbon Casks and is Extra Matured for 2-3 years in Oloroso Sherry Casks from Spain. It costs around 55 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: The first dram of the Lasanta that I tasted on December 25, 2012 came from a 10 cl. bottle that was part of a gift set that also included the 10 Original, the Nectar d' Or and the Quinta Ruban. Unfortunately I got a strong impression of Sulphur and a clear Rhubarb-like off note. I did not detect Sulphur and off-notes in any of the other three. When my colleague Rodrigo Fernandes read the review he was quite surprised with my findings of Sulphur. He offered me a sample from a large bottle he had recently acquired at the Duty Free Shop at Sao Paulo Airport and I gladly accepted. Thanks for that Rodrigo! I'm tasting this sample today and I do not find any Sulphur or off-notes. I must therefore conclude that something was wrong with the 10 cl. bottle. As a result I have upgraded the Lasanta a full 2 points. This new end result is quite similar to the Quinta Ruban and the Nectar d' Or. And that's about right. All three are Single Malts I will enjoy occasionally as an after dinner dram.

Jan van den Ende                                                                  January 2013

Merry Christmas!

Hello Everybody and Welcome to Best Shot Whisky Reviews!

I don't know about you but for me 2012 is a year that went by very quick.   Almost Christmas again and I'm sweating here behind my computer. The temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius and it's very humid. We had a lot of rain in Sao Paulo again this afternoon. So it was a short - but very interesting year for the site. First of all I would like to thank you all for showing so much - and constant interest in Whisky and Classic Rock. Thanks to the site I have been able to make friends all around the world. It's amazing to see how today's communication brings people together. With so much interest it's easy for me to continue and I'm looking forward to review many interesting whiskies and records in 2013. But first it's Christmas time and I would like to wish you all a Merry Merry Christmas. Enjoy these days with the family, some good food, wine and of course a nice dram. 
Cheers to all of you and see you all back tomorrow!
Saude!
Jan