Woodford Reserve Sonoma-Cutrer

”Red Red Wine”

Whisky Review # 896

Country: USA

Region: Kentucky
Brand: Woodford Reserve Sonoma-Cutrer (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 + Sonoma-Cutrer Pinot Noir Finish
Chill Filtration: N/A
Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many Thanks!
Average Price: Around US$ 120 (December 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Way too expensive for what it offers.
Buying Advice: 👎The overlong Red Wine finish leaves this Woodford unbalanced. 

Colour: Brown with hues of Orange and Red (Natural Color)

Nose:

Sweet but pleasant Nose with lots of Caramel, Spices and Dark Berries. The Alcohol is slightly noticeable as well as a distant Iron-like off-note. Nothing serious though. The Red Wine slightly overpowers the Bourbon but on the Nose this is not a big problem.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Corn, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Vanilla, Dark Red Fruit such as Blackberries, Cherries and Blackcurrants, Red Wine, Sweet Apple, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove and Charred Oak.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Brown Sugar, Toffee, Treacle, Seville-Orange, Nectarine, Coconut Milk, Dark and Bitter Chocolate, Pepper, Leather, Tobacco and Licorice. A distant hint of Cheese with Mustard as my mother used to make on birthday parties when I was young.

Palate:

The balance between Bourbon and Pinot Noir was quite good on the Nose but on the Palate it's a different story. Here the slightly Sour Red Wine takes the lead and that leaves a bit of a mess. No coherence at all in this department. This is always a risk with Red-Wine finished spirit. You can easily overdo it and that's clearly the case here.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Dark Red Fruit like Blackcurrants, Cherries and Blackberries,  Seville-Orange, Dark Bitter Chocolate, Charred Oak, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Licorice and Pepper.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Brown Sugar, Buttered Pastry, Toffee, Treacle, Fruit Cake, slightly Bitter Almonds, Coconut, Dry Earth, Tobacco and Leather.

Finish:

Middle-Long and rather Un-balanced. The slightly Sour Red Wine notes completely dominate the Bourbon at this point. We can safely state that 10 months Wine cask was too much for the Woodford Spirit. I find a mix of Sweet, Sour, Earthy and Green notes such as Sweet Corn, Dark Red Fruit (Berries), Red Wine, Dried Herbs, Seville-Orange, Forest Floor, slightly Bitter Almonds, Charred Oak, Resin, Licorice, Menthol, Charred Oak, Dark Chocolate and Christmas Spices.

Drinking Advice:

Due to the small size of the sample, I only tasted this Woodford neat. I do believe it probably won't take a lot of Water.

Rating: 83.5

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion:

This is the 9th release in the Master's Collection. It has been finished in casks that previously held Pinot Noir Red Wine from the well-known Sonoma-Cutrer Winery in California's Russian River. The Mash Bill is said to contain Corn (72%), Rye (18%) and Malted Barley (10%). The standard Woodford Reserve matured for roughly 7 years in new charred American Oak casks before being finished for 10 months in the wine barrels.

Red Wine Cask Finishing is a tricky thing when you talk about Whisky or Whiskey for that matter. It's a total art to find the fine balance between the Spirit and the Red Wine casks. Woodford did not succeed in finding this balance with the Sonoma-Cutrer Finish. The Whiskey overstayed its time in the Wine barrels leaving the end-product too Winy. At least for my taste. So it's back to the drawing board for Brown Forman I'm afraid!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                   December 9, 2020

Highland Park Valknut

”Love Triangle” 

Whisky Review # 895

Country: Scotland
Region: Highlands - Islands - Orkney

Brand: Highland Park Valknut

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46.8%
Maturation: Sherry-Seasoned American and European Oak + Ex-Bourbon casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 60-80  (November 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👌Okay. It's a little expensive for such a Young Whisky.
Buying Advice: 👍 One of the better HP's I've tasted in recent years. 

Colour:

Light Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Pleasant but slightly on the Thin side. The Sherry influences are rather limited. Peat and Smoke weave their spell but they do so in a quiet way. Sweet & Sour notes are in the mix. The high ABV can't hide the fact that this is a rather young Whisky. A hint of Sulphur but nothing too serious. Malt, (Dried) Fruit, Coastal notes and Spice are the main drivers.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Earthy Peat, Smoke from a Distant Fire, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Apricots, Sweet Apple, Fresh Herbs, Dusty Oak, Dough, Pepper and Cinnamon.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Buttered Toast, Heather-Honey, Nectarine, Grapefruit, Lemon, Floral Perfume, Wet Rocks, Nuts, Wax, Straw and Grass, Varnish, Leather, Cloves and Aniseed. A hint of Fish on the BBQ.

Palate:

Not unpleasant but Young and on the Thin side. This Valknut almost screams for an appropriate maturation time to provide it with strength and character. It's a pity really because this Valknut is a potentially excellent whisky! The Palate is Medium-Dry and mainly Sweet but you will find a few Sour and lightly Bitter notes as well for balance.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Earthy Peat, Distant Smoke, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Sultanas, Sweet Apple, Orange, Nectarine, Pepper, Cinnamon, Aniseed, Cloves, Nutmeg and Ginger.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Toffee, Grapefruit, Lemon, Toasted Pineapple, Blackberry, Fresh Herbs, Leather, Cocoa Powder, Meat and Fish on the BBQ and Peanut Butter.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Medium-Dry and quite Sweet. A few Bitter and Sour notes towards the end. Peat and Smoke remain discretely in the background although there's perhaps a bit more of it around than in your average Highland Park. I find Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Salted Caramel, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas and Plums, Nuts, Dusty Charred Oak, Peat/Smoke, Ashes, Citrus Peel (Orange/Lemon), Wet Rocks, Meat and Fish on the BBQ, Grapefruit Juice, Dark Chocolate, Fresh Herbs, Pepper, Cloves, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Leather, Mint, Aniseed and Licorice.

Drinking Advice:

A few drops of Water really help to open up the flavors. But don't overdo it as it drowns quickly.

Rating: 86

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The distillery was founded in 1798 by David Robertson. It is located in the small town of Kirkwall on the isle of Orkney. Orkney is still quite strongly influenced by its Viking past & the distillery has increasingly used this past as a rather successful marketing tool. Highland Park currently produces around 2.5 million litres of Alcohol & is owned since 1997 by the Edrington Group. The core range basically consists of the 10 (Viking Scars), the 12 (Viking Honour), the 18 (Viking Pride), the 21, 25, 30 and 40 years.

The Viking Legend Series consists of the Valkyrie, the Valknut & the Valhalla, made in partnership with Danish designer Jim Lyngvild who was responsible for the bottle and box design. His 36th grandfather was Ragnvald Eysteinsson, the first Earl of the Orkney Islands. The word Valknut means literally "Knot of Those Slain in Battle". Its symbol of inter-linked triangles on the packaging represents the transition from earthly life to heavenly life. Valknut was released in 2018 and uses a small portion of Orkney-Grown Tartan Barley.

We visited Highland Park in May last year and I really enjoyed the visit despite the terrible weather. Orkney is a special place and I understand the tradition and the bond with the Viking ancestors. It's such a pity that the distillery regularly distorts this picture with mediocre, expensive "Cult" Single Malts based on that theme. But, to be fair, the Valknut is one of the exceptions to the rule. It has its flaws, mainly because it's under-matured. But it also shows a masterful discrete touch of Peat and Smoke that is rare these days. It wouldn't be my favorite whisky to take to heaven once slain on the battlefield but I do consider it to be one of the better Highland Park Whiskies that has been released in recent years. So help me Odin! 

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                    November 28,2020

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2019

Kavalan Solist Port

”Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”

Whisky Review # 894

Country: Taiwan
Region: Yuanshan (North)

Brand: Kavalan Solist Port - Limited Edition
Distilled at: King Car's Kavalan Distillery

Type: Taiwanese Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS (Said to be between 3 and 7 Years)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 59.4% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Scraped and Burned Ex-Port Wine Casks
Chill Filtration: No

Sample Provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many Thanks!
Average Price: US$ 170 (November 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 It's nice but expensive for a Young Whisky
Buying Advice: 👍If you like Sherry-Bombs and X-mas Cake, this is your Malt!

Colour:

Chestnut with Hues of Red (Natural Color)

Nose:

This is quite Sweet. Huge influence of the Port pipes. This is in fact quite similar to a liqueur. It's quite Dark, Thick, Heavy, Oily & Mature despite its relative Youth. But we know that Whisky matures much quicker in the hot & humid Taiwanese climate. It's a bit Musty as well. The Alcohol is quite strong but does not spoil the Nosing procedures. Dark Red (Dried) Fruit & Spices are the main drivers. Xmas is in the air!

 
Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Port, Dried Fruit like Figs, Plums and Dates, Dark Red Berries, Rum-Soaked X-Mas Cake, Pepper, Cloves, Dried Herbs, Espresso, Seville-Orange, Pumpkin and Dark Chocolate (70%).

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Caramel, Buttery Pastry, Resin, Nougat, Roasted Nuts, Sweet Red Apple, Glue, Charred Oak, Floral Soap, Mandarin, Leather, Tobacco, Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Cardamom.

Palate:

Thick, Mature and Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour notes. Dry but certainly not in a bad way. The Alcohol is there of course but it's reasonably well-integrated. It's a well made Single Malt.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Rum-Soaked Raisins, Dried Fruit like Figs, Dates and Plums, Dark Berries, Seville-Orange, Charred Oak, Strong Espresso, Dark Chocolate, Pepper, Cloves and Nutmeg.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Toffee, Resin, Glue, Nougat, Roasted Nuts, Dried Herbs, Leather, Tobacco, Cinnamon and Cardamom.

Finish:

Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour notes for balance. Increasing Dryness towards the end. The Alcohol is noticeable of course. I find Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Nougat, Dried Fruit, Dark Berries, Port Wine, Resin, Seville-Orange, Charred Oak, Dark Chocolate, Tobacco, Leather, Strong Espresso, Pepper, Cardamon, Cloves, Nutmeg and Dried Herbs.

Drinking Advice:

With a little Water you tame the strong Alcohol of course. It's more Fruity as well this way. Nougat and Seville-Orange steal the show on the Nose. Palate and Finish become more Creamy and beg for another sip. I strongly advise to add a few drops of Water to this Kavalan.

Rating: 87.5

Nose: 22 - Taste: 22 - Finish: 21.5 - Overall: 22

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The King Car's Kavalan distillery is a new & technically sophisticated facility, located in the city of Yuanshan on the Northern part of the island of Taiwan. The Kavalan is named after an indigenous tribe that lived in the region where the distillery now stands. It was built in 2005/2006 and has a current production capacity of 6 million bottles per year. The Kavalan Whiskies are usually bottled after a relative short time in the casks. In the humid climate of Taiwan, the whiskies mature much faster.

The Solist limited Edition series was first launched in 2009 and enjoyed success. I'm not really sure if the Solist Port I'm reviewing today was completely matured in Port pipes or received a lengthy Finish in those vessels after a first maturation in Ex-Bourbon casks. If you have this info please let me know via the Comments sector. In any case, this is a solid well-made Fortified-Wine matured Single Malt. It's also quite coherent from Nose to Finish. Some of you might find it overly Sweet and it's certainly not your everyday Single Malt. But it's got the perfect Christmas spirit and as such I can fully recommend it.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                   November 23, 2020

Jim Beam Rye (2020 Pre-Prohibition Style)

”Ice Ice Baby”

Whisky Review # 893

Country: USA

Brand: Jim Beam Rye (Pre-Prohibition Style)

Type: Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
Age: NAS (4 Years)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%

Maturation: New Charred American White Oak
Charcoal Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 30-35 (November 2020)

Price/Quality Ratio: 😐Okay I guess.
Buying Advice: 😑 Good on the Rocks but not good enough as a sipping Whiskey.

History:

I reviewed Jim Beam Rye for the first time on June 28, 2013. Below you will find my tasting notes and score. The packaging was revived in 2016 and the whiskey gained the title of Pre-Prohibition Style. I'm pretty sure the Mash-Bill remained the same though. Last month I received a bottle of Jim Beam Rye as a gift and that's a good reason to revisit this Kentucky Whiskey.

Review 2013

Colour: Golden

Nose: Quite different from the Templeton Rye Small Batch I nosed earlier. Sure, the Rye is there and so are Saw Dust and Spices like Cloves, Pepper and Nutmeg. But I also get Corn, Cinnamon, Maraschino Cherries, Charred Oak, Glue, Vanilla, Orange, Lemon, Apple and Tangerine. A hint of Leather and Wood Polish as well. Jim Beam Rye tries to combine the Best of Both Worlds. The result is not unpleasant but a bit flat.

Palate: The Palate basically follows the Nose with lots of Spices like Black Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves and Cinnamon, accompanied by Honey, Citrus, Mint, Rye-Bread, Maraschino Cherries, Tangerine, Vanilla, Caramel and Oak. Some characteristics of the Jim Beam standard Bourbon have been preserved.

Finish: Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet with Cherries, Tangerine, Vanilla, Mint, Pepper and Cinnamon.

I added a bit of Water and the Nose gets more Vanilla and Maple Syrup while the Rye and Spices retreat. The Palate and Finish become a bit too thin and slightly bitter. Better sip it neat or enjoy it on the Rocks.

Rating: 81.5

Let's find out if my opinion on this Rye Whiskey has changed 7 years later!

=================================================

Review 2020

Colour:

Pale Golden with hues of Orange

Nose:

Sweet, Young, Spicy & Nervous. The Alcohol is noticeable. Lots of Grains, Caramel, Citrus & Spices.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Corn, Rye-Bread, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Mandarin, Tangerine, Saw Dust, Glue, Banana Bread, Maraschino Cherries, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves and Nutmeg.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Honey, Orange, Lemon, Char, Nail Polish, Blueberry Muffin, Green Apple, Cardboard Boxes, Leather, Grass and Aniseed.

Palate:

Young, Thin, Harsh, Spicy and Sweet with a few Bitter and Sour notes. This is not really a sipping Whiskey.

Main Flavours:

Rye-Bread, Grains, Caramel, Orange, Mandarin, Tangerine, Maraschino-Cherries, Peppermint, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves and Cinnamon.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Vanilla, Honey, Sour Green Apples, Banana,Floral Soap, Lemon, Varnish, Oak Chips, Licorice and Aniseed.

Finish:

Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet. A few Sour notes as well. An almost artificial dryness towards the end. It doesn't really invite you to have another sip. I find Rye, Grains, Caramel, Vanilla, Cherry-Flavoured Cough Syrup, Mandarin, Tangerine, Sour Apple, Lemon-Tea, Bread Dough, Oak, Peppermint, Licorice, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Cloves.

Drinking Advice:

I added some Water. Vanilla & Caramel advance while the Spices retreat somewhat. Palate and Finish become Thin but also a bit more smooth. I get some Nectarine as well. In 2020 I prefer this Jim Beam over Ice.

Rating: 77.5

Nose: 20 - Taste: 19 - Finish: 19 - Overall: 19.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Borderline Okay

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion:

Jim Beam Rye is produced in Clermont in the state of Kentucky. It's certainly one of America's Top Selling Rye Whiskeys. It is made with 51% Rye in the Mash bill and probably also contains around 40% of corn & around 10% Malted Barley. It matures for 4 years in freshly Charred White Oak Barrels.

I assume that the mash-bill hasn't changed since 2013. I must admit though that I liked this Jim Beam Rye slightly less now than back in 2013. I now find it to be good on the rocks but not good enough as a sipping Whiskey. It's simply too Young, Nervous and Thin for that purpose. It's not overly expensive though and will serve well for cocktails. I think there's a 45% Alcohol expression around and that should be more adequate as the extra Alcohol will carry the Aromas and Flavors in a better way. I would certainly advise you to get this more potent version if you can find it. As it is I find it difficult to really recommend Jim Beam Rye though at this point in time. I certainly won't buy another full bottle of it anytime soon.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                   November 16, 2020

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2021

“All I Want For Christmas is You"

" In 2005, Ingvar Ronde set out on a quest to try and release the perfect one- volume annual Whisky Book. In 2020 we can safely say "Mission Completed".

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 it's important to maintain my independent position I'm not engaged in any commercial activity. But, as I have done over the last 6 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 The Sweet Story of Malting, The Quest For Your Own Whisky Profile, The Whisky Brain, Was Whisky Better in the Old Days, Ten Malts That Broke the Mould, & The American Revolution. The writers include Charles MacLean, Gavin D. Smith, Neil Ridley, Joel Harrison, Johnny McCormick and Ian Wisniewski.

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 665 distilleries are presented. 

And there's much more such as a new item about seven Whisky legends with a total of 358 years of experience between them, a presentation of 150 of the best Whisky Shops in the world, a comprehensive summary of the past whisky year and an entire chapter about the world's most important independent bottlers.

Whisky Statistics, Whisky Web Sites, Distilleries per Owner, Closed Distilleries, New Distilleries and Maps complete this Book that also contains more than 500 color photos and over 200 Tasting Notes.

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, International Book Stores, Distillery Visitor Centers and of course at the editor's website:

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2021

I wish you lots of fun with the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2021!

Cheers!

Jan