Woodford Reserve Cherry Wood Smoked Barley Review

“Too Hot To Trot”

Whisky Review # 844

Country: USA

Region: Kentucky
Brand: Woodford Reserve Cherry Wood Smoked Barley (Master's Collection)
Distilled at: Woodford Reserve/Brown-Forman Distillery, Versailles, Kentucky
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 45.2%
Maturation: New Charred American Oak casks
Chill Filtration: No
Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many Thanks!
Average Price: Around US$ 100 (December 2019)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎The Cherry Wood extra does not justify the high price.
Buying Advice:  See Price/Quality Ratio

Colour: Dark Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Please give this Woodford some time in the glass before Nosing. Even if you do that though, the Alcohol remains noticeable. There is a little Cherry and Smoke to be found but it's certainly not overpowering. It's a little bit closer to Scotch Whisky thanks to the relatively high Malted Barley content. This limits the Sweet Corn Aroma on the Nose. I'm not sure if traditional Bourbon fans will appreciate that.

Main Aromas:

Butterscotch, Caramel, Demerara Sugar, Sweet Grains, Malted Barley, Yeast, Resin, Orange, Salted Nuts, Damp Cellar, Cocoa Powder and Fresh Herbs like Mint and Coriander.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Honey, Glue, Smoke, Maraschino Cherries, Apricot, Blackberry Muffins, Forrest Floor, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg and Pepper.

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet and quite strong. The Alcohol is very present. It kind of misses that soothing Sweet feeling that standard Bourbons can give you. Although, the regular Woodford is also more Edgy and less Sweet than say Maker's Mark, one of my favourite affordable Bourbons.

Main Flavours:

Malted Barley, Demerara Sugar, Salted Nuts, Smoke, Cocoa Powder, Maraschino Cherries, Yeast, Ashes, Butterscotch, Ginger and Mint.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Caramel, Sweet Grains, Vanilla, Honey, Apricot, Orange, Wet Rock, Damp Oak, Tea, Leather and Pepper.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet and quite Edgy. The Alcohol bites a little. Quite Dry towards the end. The Cherry Wood influence is certainly more clear at this point. But in a kind of medicinal way. I can't say I like it a lot. I find Barley, Grains, Oat Biscuits (I know it shouldn't be there!), Demerara Sugar, Butter, Vanilla, Yeast, Resin, Salted Nuts, BBQ-Smoke, Cherry-Flavoured Cough Syrup, Damp Wood, Cocoa Powder, Ashes, Pepper, Ginger, Menthol and Nutmeg.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and that helps to calm down the Alcohol on the Nose. The Malt and Fruity Aromas (Peach, Apricot) develop. But other than that it is really starting to smell like Pizza Dough. Palate and Finish benefit as well from the fact that the Alcohol retreats.The Finish becomes one big Cherry/Menthol flavoured Cough pastille though. A little water gets rid of the strong Alcohol and gives some extra Fruit on the Nose. But it does not develop the Palate and turns the Finish in a medicinal treat. It's up to you as always to find your preferred level. You can certainly add a few drops though!

Rating: 80

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay.

Conclusion:

The Master's Collection (Limited Editions) started in 2006 and the Cherry Wood Smoked Barley is the 12th release in the meantime. According to the distillery it pays tribute to past distillery industry leaders Oscar Pepper and James Crow. The Cherry Wood differs from the regular Woodford where it exclusively uses Corn(70%) and Malted Barley (30%). No Wheat and/or Rye therefore. The 30% Malted Barley content is much higher than in your regular Bourbon (15-20%). The Malted Barley for this Whiskey has been smoked with Cherry Wood during the kilning process.

I'm not a huge fan of Woodford although I love their bottles! But their regular Bourbon is also a bit harsh and less comforting Sweet as Bourbons like Maker's Mark. The Cherry-Wood Smoked Barley does in fact reinforce that issue. The Malted Barley clearly controls the Sweet Corn and bridges the gap with Scotch Whisky. So it ends up in No-Man's land if you ask me. The Cherry Wood is not a failed experiment but I can't see it reaching out to many Bourbons fans as it's more edgy and less comfortable than your usual day-to-day Bourbon. And the really high price does not help either. Limited Editions are meant to be a bit special and in that respect Cherry Wood certainly scores. But for many Bourbon fans it might be a bit too special. To me it is!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                              December 6, 2019

That Boutique -Y 12 Years Batch 2 (2018) Review

“Half a Boy and Half a Man”

Whisky Review # 843

Country: Ireland

Brand: That Boutique-Y Whiskey Company - Batch 2 - 429 bottles
Distilled at: Unknown (Cooley or Bushmills) - Released March 2018
Type: Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 48.6%
Maturation: Probably Ex-Bourbon Cask(s)
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: Around US$ 75 (December 2019) - 0,5 Litre!
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎The Whiskey is okay but too expensive for what it offers.
Buying Advice: 😑It's not bad but it doesn't work for me personally.

Colour: Pale White Wine (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Did Batch # 2 only use Ex-Bourbon casks or is there some New Oak involved as well. I get impressions from both actually. The Nose is Grassy, Fruity and a bit Mineral. It's Sweet but not overly so. The Alcohol is noticeable. Be sure to give this Single Malt enough time in the glass before Nosing as it opens rather slowly.

Main Aromas:

Malt Biscuits, Vanilla, Grass, Wax, Paint-Thinner, Nougat, Pear, Apple, Freshly Cut Wood, Resin, Pineapple, Mixed Nuts, Fresh Herbs (Mint, Coriander, Thyme) and Green Plants.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Buttered Toast, Honey, Marshmallow, Green Banana, Melon, Tangerine, Lemon, White Wine, Damp Cellar, Iron, Cinnamon, Salt, Ginger and Pepper.

Bushmills

Palate:

A mixture of Sweet, Bitter, Sour and Salty notes. It's a bit Sharp for my liking. I'm not really seduced to have another sip if you know what I mean.

Main Flavours:

Malted Barley, Vanilla, Wax, Salted Butter, Pear, Apple, Grapefruit, Pineapple, Orange, Salted Nuts (Almonds), Pepper and Ginger.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Resin, Lemon, Plums, Melon, Nougat, Fresh Herbs, White Chocolate and Cinnamon.

Finish:

Middle-Long and slightly Sharp. Sweet, Salty, Bitter & Sour notes. Dry towards the end. I manage to identify Malted Barley, Vanilla, Honey, Wax, Grass, Butter, Salted Almonds, Nougat, Apple, Pear, Green Banana, Grapefruit, Lemon, Kiwi, Plums, Pepper, Cinnamon and Fresh Herbs.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and that develops the Green notes and introduces a few Floral notes as well. The sharpness decreases on the Nose, Palate and Finish and that's a good thing. The Finish does become shorter this way and slightly Thin as well. As always, this is a very personal thing. But you can certainly add a few drops in this case.

Rating: 82.5

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion:

That Boutique-Y Whisky Company is a Trading Name of Atom Supplies Ltd of Tonbridge in Kent (UK). The company bottles Single Malts & Grains, Bourbon, Blended Whisky and Blended Malt Whisky using a variety of renowned distilleries and labelling their bottles with fun, informative, humorous graphics, jokes and puns.

The 12 Years I'm tasting today was bottled in March 2018. I don't really know what to write about it. I found it to be okay but not more than that. It didn't touch me neither positively nor negatively. I  just would not fancy another dram of it. The Nose is the best part. But Palate and Finish possess a few Bitter, Sour & Varnish notes that don't quite work for me. Are the casks to blame or should it have matured longer? Whatever the reason(s), I'm a bit disappointed with this or that Boutique-Y. Can't help it! And, by the way, I think it's Bushmills!!!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                              December 3, 2019

Cooley

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2020 Review

“The Perfect Christmas Gift”

Hi Everybody and Welcome at Best Shot Whisky Reviews!

As you all know the purpose of Best Shot Whisky Reviews is to give my personal opinion on Whiskies from all over the world. As I would like to maintain my independent position I'm not engaged in any commercial activity. But, as I have done over the last 5 years, I would like to make an exception to be able to share with you the new edition of The Malt Whisky Yearbook by Ingvar Ronde that has been released every year since 2005. As always, the Year Book is packed with highly interesting stories, this time amongst others about Foreign Ownership of Scotch Whisky, the importance of Yeast and Alcohol, Whisky and Supermarkets, the Relevance/Irrelevance of Whisky regions and Innovation. The writers include Charles MacLean, Gavin Smith, Ian Wisniewski, Neil Ridley, Joel Harrison, Johnny McCormick and Stefan van Eycken 

The most important part of the book remains the detailed description of Scottish and Japanese Distilleries and slightly shorter presentations about Malt Whisky Distilleries from the rest of the world. All in all, a total of 591 distilleries are presented. 

And there's much more such as a new item about Independent Bottlers called "Pioneers of Whisky", a presentation of 150 of the best Whisky Shops in the world, a comprehensive summary of the past whisky year.

Whisky Statistics, Whisky Web Sites, Distilleries per Owner, Closed Distilleries, New Distilleries and Maps complete this Book that also contains hundreds of colour photographs..

Ingvar Ronde

Year after year, this book not only manages to inform you in depth about the Malt distilleries all over the world but it also gives you solid background info that gives you an idea of the state of today's Whisky market. That's basically all you need if you want to buy one book on Whisky.

On top of that, this book is certainly not expensive for what it offers and is sold in Whisky Shops, Distillery Visitor Centres and at the editor's website:

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2020

I wish you lots of fun with the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2020!

Cheers!

Jan

Blair Athol 1988 (Sansibar) Review

“Simply Irresistible”

Whisky Review # 842

Country: Scotland
Region: Southern Highlands

Brand: Blair Athol 1988
Bottled by: Sansibar Whisky GmbH, Bad Nenndorf, Germany- 203 Bottles
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky

Age: 28 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 50.7% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Cask
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: Around US$ 240 (November 2019)
Price/Quality Ratio: Good
Buying Advice: 😋It can't be cheap but it's delicious! Go for it!

Colour: Pale Gold/Chardonnay (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Soft, Mature, Pleasant, Malty and Fruity. Sweet but not overly so. The Alcohol is nicely integrated. A few Dusty Warehouse notes.

Main Aromas:

Malted and Toasted Barley, Fresh Pastry, Bread, Mixed Breakfast Cereals, Grass, Dusty Straw, Wax, Salted Nuts, Fruit Cake with layers of Pineapple, Mango and Apple, Dusty Oak and a squeeze of Lime.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Sultanas, Slivovitz, Fresh Herbs, Nectarine, Mandarin, Banana, Pear, Ginger and Cinnamon.

Palate:

The first word that comes to mind is Tasty! The combination of Creamy Malt and Sweet (Tropical) Fruit is simply delicious. A few Bitter, Dusty & Salty notes provide the necessary balance. Very nice!

Main Flavours:

Malted and Toasted Barley, Fresh Pastry, Wax, Tropical Fruit Cake with layers of Pineapple, Mango, Papaya, Banana and Apple, Salted Nuts, Mandarins in heavy Syrup, Milk Chocolate, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Leather, Tobacco and Menthol.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Caramel, Vanilla, Butterscotch, Orange, Lemon, Tangerine, Fresh Herbs, Green Tea, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg and Licorice.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Creamy and Sweet. A few light Bitter/Salty notes provide balance. Quite Fresh and Vibrant considering its age. The Finish really invites you to have another sip. Well done! I find Malted & Toasted Barley, Pastry, Vanilla, Tropical Fruit Cake, Heather-Honey, Banana, Mandarin, Lemon, Slivovitz, Salted Nuts, Milk Chocolate, Dusty Oak, Tobacco, Leather, Fresh Herbs, Green Tea, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Menthol, Wax and light Nutmeg and Licorice.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and Fruity, Floral and Malty notes develop even more. It does move slightly in the direction of Tropical Fruit Liqueurs though. In prefer it neat but you you can certainly play with a few drops.

Rating: 89.5

Nose: 22.5 - Taste: 22.5 - Finish: 22 - Overall: 22.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Excellent

Conclusion:

The distillery was founded in Pitlochry (Pertshire) in 1798 by John Stewart and Robert Robertson, initially under the name Aldour. Only in 1825 did it receive its current name. It was mothballed in 1932 and bought by Arthur Bell & Sons, a family owned Blender. Production restarted in 1949 and from then on and until today Blair Athol became the heart of Bell's Blended Whisky. Eventually, the distillery, via take-overs, became part of Diageo. Only very few Single Malts are launched from time to time by Blair Athol so we mostly depend on independent bottlers in this respect. The only regular official bottling is the 12 Years Flora & Fauna. Blair Athol produces around 2 million litres of Alcohol per year.

I must congratulate both Blair Athol and Sansibar for producing this excellent Single Malt. It once again proves what a good Fruity Spirit, a good Cask and a perfect maturation can do. Mind you, this Blair Athol isn't extremely complex. It's a rather straightforward combination of Creamy Malt and Tropical Fruit. What does make the difference are these subtle notes of Dusty Oak, Tobacco, Herbs, Leather and Spices. It's simply delicious. A Single Cask of this age can't be very cheap of course but if you can still find it I advise you to go for it. You won't be disappointed. Blair Athol should really consider to focus a bit more on their Single Malt potential despite the obvious profitability of the Bell's Blend!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                              November 14, 2019

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2014

Glenfiddich 15 Years Distillery Edition Review

“Ordinary World”

Whisky Review # 841

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside

Brand: Glenfiddich 15 Distillery Edition

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 51%
Maturation: Mix of Ex-Bourbon and Oloroso casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 50-60 (October 2019)
Price/Quality Ratio: Okay
Buying Advice: 😑Okay for starters. Not interesting enough for regulars.

Colour:

Deep Golden (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

A little too Edgy and "Hot" for a matured Speysider. The Alcohol is noticeable. I would suspect that mainly Refill casks were used. A little Sulphur perhaps but nothing too serious. The Sherry Wood is noticeable. On the Nose this Glenfiddich presents a mix of Sweet, Bitter, Sour and Floral notes. It is definitively quite modern and "mainstream". It 's not bad but I can't get excited about it either.

Main Aromas:

Barley Sugar, Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas and Apricots, Orange Marmalade, Toasted Nuts, Charred Oak, Milk Chocolate, Grapefruit Juice, Pepper, Cinnamon and Leather.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Caramel, Apple, Pear, Mandarin, Pineapple, Dusty Straw, Dried Herbs, Coconut, Nutmeg, Cloves and Lemon-Pepper.

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour notes. The Alcohol remains quite present. It tastes younger than its actual age.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas and Apricots, Apple, Pear, Hazelnuts, Orange Marmalade, Mandarin, Charred Oak, Cinnamon, Clove, Pepper, Nutmeg and Licorice.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Butterscotch, Black Currant Cake, Wet  Rocks, Ginger, Mustard and Leather.

Finish:

Middle-Long & Bitter-Sweet. A few Sour notes.The Alcohol remains noticeable. It is quite consistent with Nose and Palate. I find Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Heather-Honey, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Sultanas, Hazelnut paste, slightly Bitter Orange and Grapefruit Juice, Apple, Pear, Lemon, Grapes, Oak Char, Cocoa Powder, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Licorice, Mustard & Mint.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and that eases the slightly "rough" character of this Malt. Other than that it basically remains unchanged. Just add a few drops and see how you like it best.

Rating: 82.5

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion:

Glenfiddich was founded in Dufftown in 1886 by William Grant. It's one of the few distilleries that is still in the hands of the founder's family. In the year 1963 it became the first whisky that was marketed worldwide as a Single Malt. It was the first Single Malt to appear in the Travel Retail/Duty Free shops as well and the chance is very big that Glenfiddich was your first Single Malt. It was mine anyhow. It is also the first distillery that opened a visitor centre, back in 1969. The current core range consists of the 12, 15, 18, 21, 26, 30  and 40 years old. We visited the distillery in May 2014 and May 2019. Despite the large number of visitors they still do a good job on the Tours.

The 15 DE I'm reviewing today is around for a while and is available at the distillery and some Travel Retail Shops. It's not a bad Whisky but it has all the slightly boring characteristics of many of today's Single Malts. I have a specific issue with this Glenfiddich though. It smells & tastes a little rough and not fully matured. I must blame the indifferent refill Wood for that. This 15 DE will most certainly appeal to new whisky drinkers and that's most likely the idea behind it. But it doesn't convince me. It's all a bit plain & without any "Wow" moments. The P/Q ratio is okay if you can get it at around US$ 50.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 October 24, 2019

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2019