Seagram's Seven Crown Review

Country: USA

Brand: Seagram’s Seven Crown

Type: Blended American Whiskey

Age: NAS (Probably 3-4 years)

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Golden

Nose: The harsh Alcohol does not come as a surprise anymore. Almost all young (grain) whiskies suffer from that. It’s difficult to get anything else at first. In this case unfortunately there hardly is anything of importance in the first place. After a while I get some (Charred) Wood, Vanilla, Rubber, Paint Thinner, Margarine, Maple Syrup and cheap Sweet Apricot Marmalade. You will have to Nose this dram from various angles, not forgetting the edge of the glass. In the middle of the glass you will mostly get young Wood and harsh Alcohol.

Taste: Thin and Sugary Sweet with an immediate Alcohol Attack. It tastes more like rubbing Alcohol or cheap Gin than Whiskey. In the background some toast with Margarine and the Apricot Marmalade from the Nose.

Finish: Harsh, Sugary Sweet and not at all pleasant. Thank God it’s very short!

I added a couple of drops of Water and that helps suppressing the harsh Alcohol. The Apricot and Margarine become a bit more present. The Nose certainly benefits from a few drops. On the Palate it all mellows down a bit as well. The Finish remains non-existent and off-putting. If you must drink this neat, than I advise you to add a few drops of water.

Rating: 68 

Nose: 18 – Taste: 17 – Finish: 16 – Overall: 17

General Remarks: Seagram’s Seven Crown was originally a Canadian Whisky Brand that was very popular all around the world in the late Sixties and Seventies until Vodka and Rum took over. The American Soldiers in Vietnam mixed it with Seven-Up and called it 7&7. Seagram’s beverage division was bought in 2000 by Diageo, Pernod-Ricard and Coca Cola. Today, the Seven Crown or Seven as it’s also called is blended and bottled by the Seven Crown Distilling Company, Norwalk (CT), part of the Diageo Group. It’s a Blend of American Whiskeys, a spirit produced by law in the USA from a fermented mash of Cereal Grain(s). The whiskies used in this Blend aged in new – and used charred White Oak Barrels. Oh yes, it costs around US$ 13 a bottle and the name Seven Crown refers to the seven crowns on the label!

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average

Conclusion: Although the Nose is not really horrible once you are able to trick out the wafts of Alcohol, this whiskey is not good enough to drink neat. It does not provide any pleasure whatsoever. The American soldiers in Vietnam were right about this stuff. The only thing sensible to do is to drown it in 7-Up. Or something like that!

Jan van den Ende                                                              October 11, 2012

Redbreast 12 Years Review

Country: Ireland

Brand: Redbreast

Type: Single Pot Still Whiskey

Age: 12

Alcohol: 40%

Colour:  Full Gold

Nose: Very Complex! Give it some time to open up. Lots of Fruit in here. Ripe Dark Red Fruits like Black Cherries but also Apples, Peaches and Pears. There are some similarities with Rye-Whiskey as well. I get Wax, Spices and lightly charred Oak. Nuts and Dried Fruits like Raisins and maybe Apricots. Sherry is present and so are Vanilla, Porridge, Brown Sugar and Orange Peel. Hints of Earth and Sweet Marzipan or Marshmallows. I’m nosing this for almost half an hour already and still I get new impressions. If I have to sum it up this smells like a Multi-Flavoured Fruitcake prepared with Butter and decorated with Nuts, Dried Fruits and Citrus Peels. Quite a Desert! After another half hour or so, I smelled the empty glass again and I was rewarded with the very pleasant aromas of a Peach/Apricot Pie. This is truly the best Nose of the Irish Whiskies I've tasted so far.

Taste: A bit disappointing really after the great Nose. Rather dominating Spices, basically Black Pepper and Nutmeg. I also find Nuts, Honey, Citrus Peels, Raisins, Sherry, Oak, Licorice, Toffee and Sugared Banana Candies. Not really well-balanced.

Finish: Middle-Long and slightly dry in the end with Vanilla, Black Pepper, Licorice, Anise and a touch of Honey.

I added a couple of drops of Water and you get some more Fruit Cake on the Nose. In general however I didn’t find any substantial changes. Better enjoy this dram neat!

Rating: 86 

Nose: 23 – Taste: 21– Finish: 20.5 – Overall: 21.5

General Remarks: This whiskey is produced at the Old Midleton Distillery in Cork, part of the Pernod Ricard Group. Jameson is also produced at this complex. Redbreast 12 is the only aged Single Pot Still Whiskey at the moment, using malted and un-malted Barley in the mash bill. It is Triple-Distilled and matures in Oloroso Sherry - and Bourbon Casks.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: Beautiful Complex Nose! If only Palate and Finish could maintain the same high quality. It would have climbed to one of the top spots in my rankings so far. But as so often, that’s not the case. The Spices are a bit too dominant. I’m slightly disappointed really. It’s certainly a well-crafted Whiskey and it will serve well as an after dinner dram. It is in the same class as the GlenDronach Allardice 18 for that purpose. But taste-wise, it’s not a whiskey I would need to keep in my cabinet at all times. Although I would love to sniff it from time to time!  

Jan van den Ende                                                                October 7, 2012

Santis Malt Edition Marwees Review

Country: Switzerland

Brand: Santis Cream Whisky Liqueur  

Type: Edition “Marwees”

Age: NAS

Alcohol: 18%

Date: 04/10/2012

Colour: Cafe au Lait (French Breakfast Coffee)

Nose: Pleasant and Creamy with Cocoa (Chocomel) Caramel and Butterscotch. Hints of Malt, Hazelnut and Oak. The Whisky is there but really hidden in the back of the glass. And that’s the whole idea of course.

Taste: Medium-Bodied. Sweet but not too Sweet. Smooth and Creamy with Nougat, Caramel and Butterscotch. Again, only a touch of whisky.

Finish: A bit light and on the short side. I think this liqueur would benefit when bottled at a slightly higher Alcohol percentage.

I added a bit of ice. This practically kills the Nose of course but taste wise it’s a very nice combination.

Rating:  82 

Nose: 21.5– Taste: 21– Finish: 19  – Overall: 20,5

General Remarks: General Remarks: The Brewery in Appenzell (Switzerland) produces beer since around 1830 but was purchased by the Locher Family in 1886. Today they produce a wide range of beers, with or without Alcohol. In 1999 the Brewery started distilling whisky that was presented to the market for the first time in 2002. It uses water from the Alpstein Mountains and the whisky is matured in old used Oak Beer Casks. There are a number expressions, all named after Alpstein Mountain formations. They are Santis, Sigel, Drei-faltigkeit and Marwees. There is also a Single Cask expression finished in a fresh Merlot Cask and bottled at 48% that is called Edition "Germany ". And new expressions are being presented to the market as I write. The Whisky Liqueur that I taste today is a mixture of the Edition Santis and Cream made of Milk from the Alps.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: This is certainly a well-made liqueur with a pleasant Nose and a Palate that’s not too sweet and has a remarkable Nougat taste. You can enjoy it both neat and with a bit of Ice. The Finish is a bit short. Personally, I think that the Marwees would benefit from a higher Alcohol percentage in the range of 25%. Still a very pleasant whisky Liqueur that will appeal to most people!

Jan van den Ende                                                                      October 2012

New Name - New Site

Hi Everybody and Welcome to Best Shot Whisky Reviews!

Yes, it is official now. Goodbye Jan's Whisky Paradise and Hello Best Shot Whisky Reviews. And the site is new as well. I've changed from blogspot.com to a full . com. Here's the new address of the site:

bestshotwhiskyreviews.com

http://www.bestshotwhiskyreviews.com/

You can still access it via the old name but it's good to mark the new name if you are interested in Whisky and Classic Rock. With this new name I hope to be more visible on the Internet so it will be more easy for you to find the site. The contents are not going to change. I will continue to review and taste whiskies from all over the world and in all price categories. I will also start posting some more Classic Rock Album Reviews again. That had slowed down a bit because of the large supply of miniatures and samples. 

I also posted a Review of the Woodford Reserve Bourbon earlier today. You can find the Tasting Notes below or here:  Woodford Reserve

That's all for today! Hope I will see you again soon here.

Take care and Saude!

Jan

Woodford Reserve Review

Country: USA

Brand: Woodford Reserve

Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Age: NAS (Probably at least 6 years)

Alcohol: 43.2%

Colour: Shiny Dark Amber

Nose: The Nose is a bit different from the Bourbons I’ve tasted so far. It’s Kentucky Straight alright but with references to Scotch and Irish Whisk(e)y. Of course there are the immediate Vanilla and Sweet Corn impressions but there’s also a very strong presence of Oak and Oranges and Spices like Nutmeg and Ginger. Additionally I find Mint, Fruit and Honey tones. This Nose needs some patience but will reward you!

Taste: A combination of Fruit, Toffee, Oak, Maple Syrup, slightly Bitter Grain, Orange, Ginger and Mint. I wouldn’t call this an extremely smooth whiskey! If you’re in to Sweet Bourbons, this might not be your call.

Finish: Strong and Dry with Oak, Rye, Black Pepper, Ginger and Nutmeg.

I added a couple of drops of Water and the Nose becomes more mellow with Sweet Corn, Honey, Vanilla and Oranges in the lead. Palate and Finish do not seem to benefit a lot from the additional water but I would surely advise you to experiment a bit with a couple of drops.

Rating:  80 

Nose: 21– Taste: 20– Finish: 19– Overall: 20

General Remarks: Elijah Pepper started distilling whiskey on the banks of Glenn’s Creek in 1812. Today, the facility is the oldest operational Distillery in Kentucky. The Whiskey produced here is triple distilled in copper pot stills imported from Scotland. The Master Distiller (Chris Morris) selects the matured charred White Oak barrels from this Distillery and vats them with selected barrels from the Brown-Forman stocks to produce the Woodford Reserve. The Mash Bill consists of 72% Corn, 18% Rye and 10% Malted Barley. Today I tasted bottle 07602 from Batch 293. The Woodford Reserve is bottled by Labrot & Graham Distillers Company of Versailles, Kentucky.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: This Bourbon is certainly different from the ones I tasted so far. It starts with the Nose that has some clear references to Scotch and Irish whisk(e)y. On the Palate and in the Finish you will find the Woodford quite Woody and Spicy. I won’t go so far as to call it harsh but I certainly don’t consider it to be very smooth either. If you like your Bourbon Sweet as Honey, the Woodford Reserve would not be your obvious choice. But if you like it Rough and Woody, this might just be what you’re looking for!

Jan van den Ende                                                                  September 30, 2012