Canada Week Part III: Lot 40 Canadian Rye

For my final Canadian Whisky of the week, I thought I'd sample Lot 40.  Lot 40 was a popular Canadian Whisky about a decade ago but was abruptly discontinued.  The whisky was rereleased in fall 2012 in Canada, and it was sent to the US shortly thereafter, but I've only recently started seeing it in California. According to Canadian Whisky blogger Davin de Kergommeaux, Lot 40 is produced by a bottler, Corby Distilleries, from whisky distilled at the Hiram Walker Distillery.  The mashbill is 90% rye and 10% malted rye and it is distilled in a pot still.  For the full story, as with any Canadian Whisky, check out Davin's CanadianWhisky.org (and buy his book too!).

Lot 40 Canadian Rye, 2012 Release, 43% abv ($60)

The nose on this has a strong rye, very reminiscent of the herbaceous rye notes on Whistlepig and the other Canadian straight ryes. Then some cocoa notes emerge.  The palate is both drier and less aggressive on the rye than I expected with some brandy notes, cherries, chocolate and a more muted rye than the nose.  The finish is the first time you get more traditional Canadian Whisky notes with some honey joining the rye spice.

This is a very nice whisky.  It has the nice, spicy rye notes of the Canadian straight ryes but with more complexity.  I've been skeptical of recent talk about a Canadian Whisky revival, at least based on we've seen in the US, but this whisky gives me hope that we will start to see some real gems coming out of Canada.

Pike Creek Whisky: Then and Now

Like Lot 40, one of my favorite new whiskies from last year, Pike Creek is a Canadian Whisky distilled at Hiram Walker and bottled by Corby Distillers.  As with Lot 40, the brand was reintroduced last year after more than a decade long absence. It's a non age statement whisky finished in port casks.  I'll also try a sample of its earlier incarnation from the 1990s.

Pike Creek Whisky, Current Bottling, 40% ($30)

The nose is mostly antiseptic.  The palate is slightly sweet and medicinal with a touch of spice and wood before devolving into pure alcohol notes with a kiss of malt.  The finish has a mild sweetness but is dominated by bitterness and alcohol notes on the palate.  Between the heavy medicinal and bitter notes, this stuff is pretty horrible.  

Pike Creek Whisky, 1990s, 40%

The nose on this is quite a contrast to the new version.  It's mild and lightly fruity like a Sauvignon Blanc. The palate is very light but has rye spice, wood and some medicinal notes, trailing off with some beer like notes, like a light lager.  The finish has some rye on the nose and medicinal notes on the palate.  This one's okay.

The difference between these whiskies is surprisingly stark. While the '90s version isn't great, it's fine to drink, whereas the current version is not something I would want to drink.  Whatever they did to it, they should undo it.     

The Good Stuff Continued: Glenfarclas 40

Glenfarclas is an independent Speyside distillery known for its heavily sherried malt whisky. Last year, they made a big splash by introducing a 40 year old. Most 40 year olds released by distilleries are put into hand blown bottles encased in specially carved boxes made out of antique wood made by forest gnomes. Glenfarclas put their 40 year old in a regular bottle encased in a typical cardboard tube and priced it such that you could get it for around $470 retail. Now, that may seem like a lot of money for a bottle of whisky (and indeed, it is), but it is nowhere near what you will pay for other distillery produced 40 year olds. For instance, Highland Park 40 and Glenfiddich 40 both go for around $2,000. And Bowmore 40? That will cost you $11,000. So in the world of extravagantly priced whiskies, the Glenfarclas 40 is a true bargain.

Glenfarclas 40 year old , 46% abv($470)

The nose on this is really wonderful. It starts with Welch's grape juice and then moves into more classically sherried territory with raisins, but it's also got tropical fruit, some maple syrup and vanilla extract. I could smell it all day. The palate starts with vanilla candy and follows up with soft sherried notes, ending on a slightly bitter note. While it's very nice, the palate is not as interesting as the nose. It feels a bit hotter than 46%. Water brings out some nice woody notes that give it a savory flavor. The finish is sherry and vanilla with maybe a bit of creamsicle.

For being so old, this is incredibly drinkable. It's very well balanced, sherried without being a real sherry bomb. If this were an average priced whisky, it would be something I would want to drink every day. Given the price, that's simply not possible. Still, the Glenfarclas 40 is awfully fun to drink, and the more I drink it, the more I like it.

The Rum Society

A couple of weeks ago, K&L held a tasting of rums from the Rum Society, a new Pernod Ricard project featuring unaged, sourced, pot distilled rums. So far, there are three rums in the line, which is only available in Los Angeles. They are all 40% abv and their numerical titles reflect the blend numbers used internally. They do not include any additives or coloring, which makes them unusual for rums produced by a large spirits conglomerate.

The three rums we sampled were "40", an unaged Guyanese rum from a single wooden potstill, "62), a blend of the rum used in 40 with two other pot still rums from Barbados and Jamaica, and "65," a blend of four rums from Guayan, Babados and Trinidad. The 65 is the only rum with an age component, an aged rum from the Angostura Distillery in Trinidad.

These were fun to taste and had plenty of the funky, earthy notes you get in additive-free pot still rum, but seldom find in any rum in the U.S. They seemed to be designed for the cocktail crowd or the Tequila/Mezcal drinkers as opposed to rum geeks who prefer long aged spirits. Drinking them neat, the 40 was my favorite. It was the funkiest and had the most flavor. The 62 still had some of that funk (which makes sense since the 40 is one of the components) but was more mellow. The 65 had a giant candy corn nose and a lot of vanilla notes; it was good but a bit too sweet.

It's great that Pernod is supporting this effort, and there was a lot of flavor here that will likely surprise the folks they are targeting, though for my part (as someone not likely in the target audience), I would have liked to taste these at higher proof. These rums go for $35 each.

This is the second K&L event I've attended at Mini-Bar at the Hollywood Best Western. These tastings are great deals; this one cost $10 which included a cocktail and plenty of hot snacks along with the three rums.

The Walking Blend: Assorted Johnnie Walker

It's been a long time since I tried any Johnnie Walker whiskies; the last one I reviewed was the King George V three years ago, so I figure it's about time for some new Walker.  I've always considered JW to be sort of zombie whiskies.  They look and smell like whisky, but they are devoid of any soul.  Let's see if any of these blends survived the zombie apocalypse.


Johnnie Walker Swing, 40% ($75)

JW's Swing comes in a wobbly bottle.  That appears to be the most significant information about it. The nose is nice and malty. The palate is very light with malt notes and just a touch of spice, trailing off with some pepper in the finish.  It is completely inoffensive but not at all interesting, although, did I mention the wobbly bottle?   


Johnnie Walker Platinum, 18 yo., 40% abv ($115)

JW Platinum joined the rainbow in 2013, shortly before the 18 year old JW Gold was discontinued. New color, same age, but double the price.  Sounds Diageolicious!  This has a nice nose with malt, sea air, green grapes and some floral notes.  The palate is malty with some musty notes, like drinking in a damp cellar.  The finish is dry with notes of autumn leaves.  This is decent stuff, but nothing I'd pay three figures for.


The Explorers' Club Series

This is a series of blends released in 2012 for the duty free market.  Last summer, a New York court enjoined Diageo from using the name after the New York Explorers Club filed suit; the parties settled in September so these whiskies will remain available.

All three of the Explorers' club whiskies are no age statement, 40% abv, come in liter bottles and include a stupid story about how they were specially blended to represent the part of the world alluded to in the name...whatever.

The Spice Road ($40)

The nose is soapy and grainy.  The palate is very grain forward, with light grain notes, sort of like an Irish blend. The finish is a bit medicinal.  This one is pretty blah.

The Gold Route ($125)

The nose on this one has more in the way of coastal notes with a slight whiff of peat.  The palate is malty with some seaweed and very slight peat and mineral notes that follow into the finish.  This one is decent and at least has some interesting stuff going on, though so does JW Black and it's a lot cheaper.

The Royal Route ($195)

The final and highest priced member of the Explorers' Club, The Royal Route has some decent peat on the nose along with some wine notes. The palate opens with the peat but then turns malty/soapy and diluted, leaving only a trace of peat on the finish along with a lot of soapiness and a bit of bitterness.

Wow, the Explorers' Club was a big yawn.  The Gold Route was clearly the strongest of the three.  The Royal Route starts strong but then goes steadily downhill.

All of today's JW whiskies are pretty much in line with my opinion of Johnnie Walker products.  None are offensive, some are decent, most are boring and all are overpriced.

All in all, it's still soulless zombie whisky.  If you see a bottle, don't open: dead inside.

Thanks to Tyler Patton for the samples.

Whiskey Gifts

'Tis the season for holiday gifts (well mostly Christmas because someone made Chanukah start in November this year, but hey, there are still a few days left).  Here, then, are my whiskey gift suggestions.

American Whiskey

It was hard to come up with American Whiskey gift suggestions this year, not because there weren't a number of great new whiskeys released but because they are so hard to find.  I would love to recommend the new Elijah Craig Barrel Proof or either of the Four Roses Small Batch or Four Roses Single Barrel Limited Editions, but good luck finding those.  (And if you came here looking for Pappy Van Winkle, be sure to check out my post on Pappy Van Winkle alternatives).

There were, however, a number of new American whiskeys that are quite good but easier to find.  K&L's Faultline Bourbon, an MGP bourbon blended by Smooth Ambler, is a nice one at $40.  Similarly priced is High West's American Prairie Reserve, which blends MGP and Four Roses bourbons.  For something higher proof, Wild Turkey's Russell's Reserve Single Barrel is a spicy whiskey at 110 proof and around $55.

One of my favorite new whiskeys this year was the George Dickel 14 year old from Park Avenue Liquors.  The new Dickel retailer exclusives are a series of 9 and 14 year old bourbons selected by specific retailers.  The first Park Avenue release that I reviewed is sold out but they have a new one in stock ($90), and The Party Source also has good versions ($46 for the 9yo and $66 for the 14 yo, though they no longer ship out of Kentucky).  I love the dry, minerally profile of Dickel, and these more aged expressions have all of that along with a bit more oak that you'd expect from an older Dickel.

On the rye front, there wasn't as much action this year, but the new Angel's Envy Rye, finished in rum casks, is a sweeter take on MGP distilled rye, though it's a bit pricey at around $70.

Scotch

After a few years where sherry seemed to reign supreme, most of the best Scotch I had this year was peated.  Among those I'd recommend would be the Laphroaig Cask Strength Batch 004 ($60) and the New Laphroaig Cairdeas Port Wood Edition ($60).  On the higher end were Bruichladdich's Port Charlotte PC 10 ($150), the Springbank Calvados Finish ($110) and a new Kilchoman from Binny's ($80).  And for the budget recommendation, you'd be hard pressed to do better than the Smokey Joe Islay Malt ($35) available at Total Wines.

If you're looking to avoid all the smoke, I really enjoyed the  Mortlach 1990 bottled for Binny's ($100), a sherry cask aged malt that tastes more like a bourbon cask malt.

Canadian Whisky

I seldom recommend Canadian Whiskies during my gift posts, but I'm very fond of the new Lot 40 Canadian Rye ($60) that's just showing up on American shelves.  It's got some nice rye spice but it's not as aggressive as the WhistlePig/Masterson's/Jefferson's Canadian Ryes. It's one of the best Canadian Whiskies I've had.

Whiskey Books

This was a great year for whiskey books.  For anyone interested in bourbon, rye or American craft whiskey, Clay Risen's American Whiskey Bourbon & Rye is a must have.  For those with a historical interest, Michael Veach's Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American History is a great survey course on bourbon history.  I haven't read it yet, but I have heard very good things about Fred Minnick's Whiskey Women:  The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch and Irish Whiskey.  And for those looking for more of a story, there's Rob Gard's engaging memoir Distilling Rob: Manly Lies and Whisky Truths.  So drink, but read too.

Later this week:  Brandy Gifts

More French Whiskey: Rozelieures Single Malts

Lately, we seem to be getting a lot of new single malts from France. The latest to land at my door is a quartet of single malts from G. Rozelieures. These malts come from Lorraine, where the family grows its own barley. They are all peated to some degree and are aged in a variety of casks.

Rozelieures Origine Collection, 4 years old, 40% abv ($50)

This whiskey is aged in sherry and Cognac casks. It has a nice nose with malt, light peat, and some agave notes. The palate is very heavy on Tequila type notes with some sweetness at the end that leads into a sweet, Tequila finish. It's not bad but at 40% it tastes a bit diluted. A few points higher on the proof scale would do it well.

Rozelieures Rare Collection, 5 years old, 40% abv ($60)

This expression is lightly peated, aged in sherry and Cognac casks and finished in Sauternes casks. There are nice peaty/malty notes on the nose. The palate has light peat and very slight wine notes. The finish is slightly peated with some nice peat on the nose. Again, very decent, less watery tasting than the Origine.

Rozelieures  Fumé Collection, 6-8 years old, 40% abv ($75)

This one is aged in first fill Oloroso and Fino sherry casks. The nose opens with big sulfur notes. The sulfur is more muted on the palate which has pleasant dry sherry notes. It gains a touch of sweetness in the finish.

Rozelieures Tourbe Collection, 8 years old 46% abv ($90)

This one is peated to 30 ppm, aged in ex-bourbon casks and finished in new oak from Lorraine. It's malty on the nose with light peat. On the palate, it's got syrupy sweet peat. The peat grows into the finish.

There are all very pleasant and worth trying. They are certainly the most Scotch-like of the French malts I've tried without any of the flowery/perfume notes that I associate with French single malts. They all could benefit from a higher proof point though. I'd love to try them at cask strength.

Thanks to Heavenly Spirits for the samples.

Osocalis Brandy

Along with Germain-Robin, and Anchor Distillery, Osocalis Brandy is one of the grandfathers of the craft distilling movement in California.  Founded by Dan Farber, Osocalis is in Soquel, California in the Santa Cruz area. I recently attended a brandy trade event with Dan and he is one of those guys whose enthusiasm is contagious.  He prides himself on doing things the old fashioned way.  He only makes a few expressions, he only makes brandy and he doesn't use shortcuts, additives or coloring.  He offered his entire range for tasting as well as some others whiskeys by his co-host Nicolas Palazzi. Here are my impressions of the Osocalis range.

Osocalis Rare Alembic Brandy, Lot VII, 40% abv ($43)

The Rare Alembic is made largely from Pinot Noir, Colombard and Semillion grapes and aged around six years, though there are older brandies in the mix.  The nose has a nice must grape note without being two sweet and a pleasant earthy notes.  The palate is sweeter than the nose lets on but it maintains the earthiness which lasts into the finish.  This is a fairly light, wonderfully drinkable brandy.  For $43, this is a huge deal.


Osocalis XO, Bottling 2, 40% abv ($106)

The XO is made from Colombard, Chenin Blanc, Semillon and Pinot Noir grapes. The nose on the XO has more earthiness than the Rare Alembic with some fruit notes in the back.  The same dynamic occurs on the palate with a blast of earthy notes, some spiciness and then sweetness on the back end leading into the finish where some of the pepper comes back.

Osocalis Heritage, Bottling 1, 40% abv ($130)

The Heritage is made from 50% Pinot Noir  and 50% Colombard grapes and the brandies that go into it are around 20 years old. The Heritage has a fantastic nose with strong woody notes; it's almost bourbon like though a bit of fruit creeps in.  The palate has a great balance of wood and fruit.  It starts in with those strong, bourbon-like notes of oak, caramel and spice, then the fruit emerges and leaves you with a lighter brandy like finish, though still with some oak notes.  This is a beautiful, complex brandy and a perfect one for bourbon lovers.  If I were tasting blind, I'm not sure I wouldn't have guessed it was bourbon.

Osocalis Apple Brandy, Bottling 1, 40% abv ($70)

Osocalis also makes an apple brandy made from over a dozen varieties of apples. The nose has apples and vanilla, like an apple pie a la mode.  The palate is very pure, sweet apples, and the finish actually has some sherry like notes of dried fruit.  This one is a bit on the sweet side for me, though I bet it works well in cocktails.

Osocalis is making some really fantastic stuff.  The Heritage is clearly their masterpiece and has a complexity that makes it shine.  The Rare Alambic, as I noted, is a fun easy-drinking brandy.  I was less enamored of the XO; it just didn't seem as special, and I found the apple brandy to be overly sweet.

Like most brandies, Osocalis shies away from anything over 80 proof, but as I was sipping the Heritage, which is great, I was thinking that it could be transcendent at cask strength.  Dan has thought about every element of his spirit making and has been doing this for a long time, but I would appeal to him to think about pushing the abv barriers a little bit.  There's an audience of whiskey drinkers out there that I bet would snap up a cask strength version of the Heritage with it's bourbon like profile.

New K&L Brandies

This is the third year of K&L's exclusive brandy program in which they tour Cognac and Armagnac looking for great brandy for us.  The selections in the past years have been exquisite; some of my top spirits picks for last year were K&L's exclusive brandies.  This year's selection is now available, and K&L kindly sent me some samples from one of their tastings.  I'll start with two days of Armagnacs and end with a day of Cognacs.


Chateau de Laballe Armagnac

This is K&L's frist set of bottles from Chateau de Laballe in the Cazaubon area of Bas Armagnac.

2004 Chateau de Laballe, 10 yo, 52.4% abv ($100)

The nose is spicy and woody.  The palate begins with some acidic (though not off putting) apple cider notes then fades to spice and some good bitter notes.  The finish is vanilla and spice.  This is a nice one that could almost be mistaken for a Calvados with its bright fruit notes. It's very nice.

1992 Chateau de Laballe, 22 yo, 49.5% abv ($120)

The nose is musty and oaky like an old bourbon.  The palate has some of the same acidic notes as the 2004 but balanced by a heavy measure of oak.  As with the nose, there are a lot of bourbon notes and even some aged rum taste flavors.  It has a nice sweet/oaky balance.  The finish is the first time I get any of the more typical Armagnac spiciness. This one is also very nice and the big oak notes make it a great brandy for bourbon lovers.


Domaine de Baraillon Armagnac

Since K&L has been offering up Domaine de Baraillon Armagnac, it has become one of my all time favorite brandies, characterized by bold spicy notes.  Here are this year's bottles.

Domaine de Baraillon 20 yo, 46% abv ($70)

The nose on this one has lots of the same spice you get in old ryes with some sandalwood.  The palate has fruit juice and spice with the spice leading into the finish which has a peppery note.  This is a nice Armagnac with a great balance between sweet and spicy and at this price, it's a no-brainer.

1995 Domaine de Baraillon Folle Blanche, 19 yo, 45% abv  ($90)

This one has a subtle nose with light spice notes.  The palate has mild spice with some rancio bitterness, then the spice grows into the finish.  This is a really nice one that has some nice spicy action.

1988 Domaine de Baraillon Folle Blanche, 26 yo, 46% abv ($110)

This one has a really nice nose with lots of oak and some spice. The palate has molasses, oak and baking spices.  It's syrupy and thick in a very satisfying way.  The early molasses sweetness yields to a nice bitter note that carries into the finish where it meets up with the spice.  This one's a keeper, carrying all my favorite traits of Armagnac in general and Baraillon in particular.

1974 Domaine de Baraillon , 40 yo, 42% abv ($140)

This is a 100% baco brandy.  The nose is a big fruit bomb.  The palate has a nice balance of fruit and spice.  Some oak and bitterness comes in late palate and the finish is slightly medicinal.  Oh, and did I mention this is a 40 year old brandy for $140...as I'm fond of saying, it's the golden age of brandy.  Unfortunately, it's already sold out, but hopefully they will get some more eventually.


1986 Domaine de Pouchegu, 27 yo, 45% abv ($110)

It's worth reading David Driscoll's write up of his visit to Domaine de Pouchegu, a very small producer in the Tenareze region.  Pouchegu had already stopped distilling for the foreseeable future when, sadly, their proprietor passed away, so this may the last bottle around.

The nose on this 1986 Pouchegu is very bourbon like with huge oak notes. When you spend time with it though, some fruit comes out.  The palate is huge too with dried fruit, mulling spices, wine, cinnamon, slightly acidic; there's just a whole lot going on in here.  The finish is a spice box with a good measure of that wood from the nose.  This one is a big winner.  Get a bottle now!


Conclusion

As usual, the quality of these brandies is exceedingly high.  The Laballes marry an acidic fruity note with Armagnac spice while the Baraillons have a milder fruit note with more spice.  The Pouchegu has all of that with a good measure of wood.  They're all good.

My favorites of the Baraillons were the '88 and the '74 which are both great, the '88 being a bit sweeter and the '74 having heavier oak notes.  That being said, for the price, it's hard to beat the 20 year old Baraillon as an enjoyable but not simplistic sipper.

But the Pouchegu blew me away with its bold flavors and wood and spice balance. It's wonderful stuff, and if you're a bourbon fan, in particular, this is the brandy for you.  

Tomorrow, I'll look at K&L's new Armagnacs from one of my favorite houses: Chateau de Pellehaut. 

The Crazy Year in Whiskey

It's time for my review of the year in whiskey, and what a crazy year it was.

The year in American Whiskey got off to an inauspicious start with Beam's bungled attempt to lower the proof of Maker's Mark.  Pappy mania reached new heights with a crazy new secondary market opening up (and closing down) on Facebook and a heist of Pappy bottles right from the source.  And Tennessee finally answered the question of what a Tennessee Whiskey is.  But what really made this year crazy were the new releases.

There was a stunning number of new American whiskey releases this year and not just from the craft distilleries and independent bottlers.  Nearly every major distiller had new labels, including Buffalo Trace (Stagg Jr.), Heaven Hill (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof and 21 year old), Wild Turkey (Forgiven and Russell's Reserve Single Barrel) and Jim Beam (Jim Beam Signature and White Label Single Barrel).  Even the staid George Dickel Distillery got into the action with a new retailer offering of 9 and 14 year old whiskeys.  Add all of that to the regular annual releases from Four Roses, Buffalo Trace, Brown Forman and Heaven Hill and the growing craft and indie movement and this was a wacky, frenetic year.

Unfortunately, it was also a sad year for American Whiskey.  We lost some giants this year, including Buffalo Trace's Elmer T. Lee, Heaven Hill's Harry Shapira, Angel's Envy's Lincoln Henderson, and A. Smith Bowman's tragically young Truman Cox. Our whiskey world, and the world in general, is a sadder place without them.

This was also the year that Japanese Whiskey finally broke through in the U.S.   We've had Yamazaki for years and a trickling of Nikka whiskies more recently, but this year the floodgates opened.  Now we have Miyagikyo, Nikka Pure Malts and Coffey Grain, Suntory Hakushu and even a Karuizawa from K&L with more Japanese Whiskies to come.

For years, Canada never sent us the best of their whisky, leaving it to American bottlers to try to get their own barrels, but this year we got the new Lot 40 Rye.  Hopefully, Canada will send us more of their good stuff in the future.

The one market that seemed a bit boring this year was Scotch.  There were the predictable regular releases, PC 10, Ardbog, Laphroaig Cairdeas, Highland Park Loki and four figure Diageo releases of Brora and Port Ellen, but nothing that was particularly new and exciting. Critics seemed to acknowledge that this year with Jim Murray saying he'd rather drink bourbon and the Malt Maniacs giving their top award to a Japanese malt. In fact, the only Scotch news anyone seemed to get excited about was Diageo wrangling with Whyte & Mackay.

Have a great holiday season, and here's to an exciting new year in the whiskey world.

Trader Joe's Scotch

Of late, it seems Trader Joe's has been increasing their house-label whiskey selection. Early last year, they introduced the Trader Joe's Single Malt Irish Whiskey, which was followed last fall by a Trader Joe's Bourbon. Now, they are reintroducing some private label single malts.

I say reintroducing because years ago, they had a line of Trader Joe's Scotch that was independently bottled and mostly pretty awful. Those malts listed that name of the distillery whereas the new malts only list the region; the actually distillery they come from is a mystery.

So far, TJ's has two malts: a ten year old Highland and an 18 year old Speyside. Both are bottled at 40% by Alexander Murray & Co., which bottled the previous series of TJ's malts and has also done bottlings for Costco. As with most TJ's items, the prices are extremely reasonable: $19.99 for the Highland and $25.99 for the Speyside.

Tim Read and I are doing a joint review of these whiskies, so be sure to check out Scotch & Ice Cream for his review.


Trader Joe's Highland Single Malt Scotch, 10 years old, 40% abv (%19.99)

The nose is sweet and malty with some nice fruit and white grape juice. The palate is very straightforward and malty without much else going on. It reminds me a lot of Glenmorangie 10, malty and sweet and not bad at all if a bit boring.


Trader Joe's Speyside Single Malt Scotch, 18 years old, vintage 1993, 40% abv ($25.99)

The nose on this one is light and fruity with fruit cocktail notes. The palate is also fruit forward but it devolves a sourness which lasts into the finish which also has a note of stale wine and a touch of bitterness.

These aren't going to win any awards, but they're decent for the (very cheap) price. The ten in particular, at $20, is a good deal if you want something straightforward, though I"d probably spring for five or six bucks more and get a Glenfiddich. The 18 year old has a bit more going on, but also has more flaws.

Both of these strike me as better than most of the malts Trader Joe's released in their last series, so I suppose that's progress.

Are There Any Underrated Distilleries? Part 2

On Monday, I asked if, in this whiskey crazed age, there are any distilleries that still could be considered underrated.  People had numerous suggestions of underrated Scotch, including Glenfarclas, BenRiach, Glen Ord, Fettercain, Ardmore and many others.

Major American distilleries that got mentions included Wild Turkey, Brown Forman and A. Smith Bowman, along with a slew of craft operations.

And Canadians were represented with Forty Creek, Alberta Distillers and Hiram Walker, where Lot 40 and the Wiser's whiskies are made.

There were no entries from Ireland, Japan or elsewhere (though there was some discussion of whether the category of Japanese Whisky is underrated as a whole).

While I'd quibble with some, I agreed with a number of the suggestions, so there still are a few underrated distilleries out there.

It was a spirited discussion, so be sure to check out the comments, and join the discussion.

Very Olde St. Nick Rye Whiskeys

Thanks to the Southern California Whiskey Club, I've been able to sample the full line of Very Olde St. Nick bourbons and ryes over the past few months (and attend a really fun tasting).

Very Olde St. Nick was a line of American whiskeys made exclusively for the Japanese market by the a California company. There were a multitude of sources for the whiskeys.  Julian Van Winkle bottled some of the earlier editions, Kentucky Bourbon Distillers bottled the later ones and the the company went directly to Diageo to acquire bourbon stocks, including Stitzel-Weller.

With all of that action, it's tough to tell where the bourbons are from, and of course, they could be from multiple sources.  The ryes, based on their age and when they were released are mostly likely from the Medley and/or old Bernheim distilleries.

These are exceedingly hard to find, especially in the US, but there is a lot of interest around them, so I thought I would share my reviews.  I will start with the ryes, and later this week, I'll cover the bourbons.

 
Very Olde St. Nick Summer Rye, 40%  abv

The nose has big, spicy rye notes with lots of sweetness and fruit cocktail.  The palate is light and fruity, very diluted tasting.  There is some spice at the very end which fades into the finish where it's met with sweetness.

This is pleasant enough with its sweet, fruity notes and a touch of spice, but it's lacking complexity and too weak.  Still, it's plenty drinkable.

Very Olde St. Nick 15 year old Ancient Rye, 43% abv

The nose is nice and spicy with sandalwood. The sandalwood spice continues on the palate combined with some rock candy sweetness. The sweetness is lightly present in the finish which is more dominated by spice. 

This one is nice and spicy with good balance. I wish it was higher proof because I would like more of those flavors, but it's good stuff.

Very Olde St. Nick 16 year old Rare Perfection Rye, 43% abv

The nose on this one is pure, old rye with lots of sandalwood spice.  It's really beautiful.  The palate is spicy with licorice and fruit.  It's got a lot going on and is a bit soapy.  The finish has muted spice, black licorice sticks and some soap.

This one is bold, and if it weren't for the soapy notes, it would be perfect, but the soap brings it down a few notches.

Very Olde St. Nick 17 year old Ancient Rye, 51.85% abv

This has a more muted nose than the younger VOSNs with hay and coastal notes.  It's almost more like a coastal Scotch. The palate has a sort of generic whiskey taste. It's not discernibly rye. There's some very muted spice, but it's mostly just a vague sweet, grain note.  The finish has candy and wood.

I wonder if this might be a different distillery than the younger ryes from this series. Either that or 17 years was just too long for this particular rye and the wood got the better of it. It's not bad. There are some light chocolate notes and some decent oak, but not much in the way of distinctive characteristics. While this one didn't do much for me, I should note that for many others, this was their favorite rye of the series.

Very Olde St. Nick 18 year old Ancient Rye, 52.3% abv

The nose has rye spice and oak.  The palate comes on very oaky and then has sweet baking spices.  The finish, again, is very woody.

This one is heavy on the oak but a nice whiskey.

Conclusion

These are all good whiskeys, though none of them were amazing.  They certainly share a lot of characteristics with those old Bernheim ryes, but none are anywhere near as good as the best of those that we saw in the US (Rathskeller, LeNell's, etc.).  My favorite of the bunch was probably the 16 year old, probably because it was the most similar in flavor profile to those great old ryes, but I also really liked the 15 and 18 year olds. 

Ask Me Anything!

I got tons of great questions in response to my Ask Me Anything post.  Here are answers to a number of them.

Years ago, you wrote an article for one of the whiskey magazines titled "Craft Whiskey Sucks." Now, many years later, would you write the same thing? Do you still think it mostly sucks? 

It was back in 2010 that I wrote on the Malt Advocate blog that "Most Craft Whiskeys Suck" (Whisky Advocate seems to have taken down the old blog archive but I cross posted the piece on my blog). For the most  part, I think that's still true. There are over 800 craft distilleries making whiskey in the US, but I can count the ones I've had anything good from on two hands: Charbay, Balcones, Cut Spike, Old Potrero, Seven Stills Tom's Foolery...maybe a few more, but not many. It's surprising because seven years ago, I assumed that the reason most craft whiskeys sucked was that they were too young, but now there are a number of four and five year old craft whiskeys, even BIBs, and they still mostly suck. If it isn't age, what's the issue?  I've heard lots of theories, from the stills to the yeast to the length of fermentation, but I can't claim to know.

Sku - at what point does a whisky that you own become too expensive that you don't open the bottle? For instance, I have a 2012 FR Small Batch that I'm told now sells for over $700 - that seems a ludicrous amount to spend on a bottle, and I wouldn't spend that amount on it and I'm happy I got it at retail back then. But now I find that decision to open is harder and harder, and I might not ever.

I do my best to ignore the secondary market. Every bottle in my closet is there to drink. I don't think of it as an investment except in my own happiness, so I don't hesitate to open anything.

Do Armagnac houses/domaines have recognizable profiles? For example are there specific differences in notes between Chateau de Gaube and Domaine de Busquet that you could expect to find despite the vintage?

I can't speak to your two examples as I've don't think I've had them, but Armagnacs absolutely have house styles. There are a number of variables which contribute to house style including grape varietals, types of barrels used and use of additives. Even within houses, there are recognizable differences, such as a Domaine de Baraillon Armagnacs made from Folle Blanche, which tend to be dry and earthy, vs. those made from Baco/Ugni Blanc. which tend to be fruitier.

How many spirits bottles do you tend to have in your personal collection at any given time (more or less)? of that group, what percentage consists of whiskey v. brandy v. other spirits at this point? do you have any favorite spirits categories other than whiskey or brandy (e.g. mezcal or Jamaican rum)?

-JCR 

I keep a list, so I can tell you exactly. I currently have 269 bottles of whiskey (115 of which are open), 55 bottles of brandy (25 open), and 14 bottles of rum (9 open). Beyond that I have a handful of Mezcals and  Absinthes and a dozen or so spirits I mostly use as cocktail ingredients. Other than whiskey and brandy, I love super-funky rums, and in the summer, I drink a lot of amaro (Aperol, Campari, Cynar, etc.).

1. in your opinion are micro-distillers pricing their bourbons too high?
2. is the bourbon renaissance a bubble?
2a. if it is a bubble how bad will the pop be?
3. are "tech" whiskies like cleveland viable? that is, in the long run, can a "whisky" that's aged for an hour really compete on price/quality with a bourbon that's aged for 10 years? in fact, i have seen cleveland priced higher than eagle rare and laughed all the way home.
regards,

-dan

1.  Yes.
2.  Not entirely, but there is a bubble.
2a.  Somewhere between Bordeaux and Beanie Babies.
3.  I doubt we will see amazing tech whiskey that connoisseurs will seek out, but eventually, technology will likely allow for the production of whiskey that is close enough to standard aged whiskey that it will sell successfully. I'm guessing one day there will be hour-old tech whiskeys competing with standard Beam and Jack Daniel's. Even if they aren't quite as good, if the price is significantly lower, they will be fierce competitors.

Simple: 100 duck sized horses or one horse sized duck?

The duck, assuming I get to eat it if I win.

How does it feel to be the dean of American whiskey bloggers? How much longer do you think you'll keep going? Do you think blogging about whiskey is still relevant?

1.  I appreciate the accolade, but if there is a dean of American whiskey bloggers, it's Chuck Cowdery. He had already been at it for years when I showed up on the scene.
2. At least through the end of the week.
3. Blogging, in general, is much less relevant than when I started ten years ago.  These days, people spend a lot more time on social media than on blogs, but I still find blogs relevant and read them, both for reviews and information. That being said, it does seems like a dying form...like books.

1. What is the next big thing in spirits and why is it Armagnac?
2. Do you believe that dusty bourbon/rye has a familiar profile that you don't find in today's products, i.e. "dusty notes"? If so, do you believe that's due to bottle conditioning or some other factor(s)?
3. Given the current boom and scarcity of anything allocated or limited edition, are there bottles you regret passing on years ago that you wish you would have bought more of?

-signde 

1.  I love Armagnac, but I actually think full proof, additive-free rum is more likely to be the next craze. Serge at Whiskyfun recently compared Hampden Jamaican rum to 1970s Ardbeg which pretty much guarantees that thousands of malt-heads will be seeking it out, and they should. In terms of Armagnac, there's a new new generation of Armagnacs aged in new oak (e.g. Charron, L'Encantada) which may well catch on with the bourbon lovers.
2.  That's a great question. My experience, and I think most folks who drink a lot of dusties would agree, is that those bourbons definitely have a different profile and one that's changed through the years.  For instance, prohibition era bourbon tastes much spicier than today's stuff whereas '70s bourbon is like liquid candy.  I have no idea why the differences exist and how much of it is related to so-called old bottle effect. I don't think we will ever know for sure, since there were many differences between how they made bourbon and rye decades ago and how they make it now - lower entry proofs, differences in fermentation and distillation, etc.
3. There aren't really bottles I regret passing on because I didn't pass on much. I was lucky to get into this whiskey in the early 2000s when things were cheap and plentiful, so I had some great stuff at ridiculously low prices (some of which seemed ridiculously high at the time). In terms of bottles I wish I had bought more of, one of the first bottles of bourbon I purchased was the old Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve 10 year, 101 proof - that's one that I really miss, though not enough to pay secondary prices for it.

Why "Sku"?  

It's my initials.

We often talk about the downsides of the bourbon boom? From your perspective, what are some of the positive aspects?

Great question! With all the complaining about prices, loss of age statements and the secondary market, it's easy to forget that thirty years ago, almost no one was drinking bourbon, and there were only one or two ryes on the shelf, if that. No one bothered to do special releases, experiment or put out well aged whiskey because no one cared about American whiskey. Fast forward thirty years and there's bourbon everywhere. I just did a tasting of 20 currently available, affordable rye whiskeys, and we could have probably done 40. We have a diversity of mashbills, yeast, proof and nearly everything else. It's true that compared to ten years ago, prices are higher and well-aged whiskey is harder to come by, but there are more choices in the American whiskey aisle than there have ever been, and more is coming. Everyone talks about the craft distillers, but the growth of mid-sized Kentucky distilleries is what I find most promising. These larger distilleries like Willett, Michter's and New Riff are going to have the means and capacity to produce great bourbon and rye, and I'm betting they will.

Does MAO still make you swoon? 

-Jealous in Jersey

 Nah, that guy's annoying.

Do you ever have any regrets about spending so much of your life on this whisky hobby?

Not at all. On the contrary, I've met amazing friends, had a lot of great times, and I have been endlessly impressed by the kindness and generosity of the other folks in the hobby.


That was fun! Thanks to everyone who sent in questions.

Whiskey Gifts You Can Actually Buy

The end of the year means lots of "best of" lists and gift recommendations. I get exhausted with some of these lists which typically read like this:

1.  Port Ellen 35 year old
2.  George T. Stagg
3.  Pappy Van Winkle 23 year old
4.  Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition
5.  Brora 35 year old

It's all well and good to taste rare and ridiculously expensive whiskey.  I'm thrilled when I get to taste that kind of stuff, and I'm glad some people have the access and/or funds to do that and write about it so the rest of us know what they taste like, but the truth is, lists like that aren't helpful to 99% of the folks out there.  That's why I've tried to spend some time this year on good affordable whiskey you can actually buy.

But what if you want a special gift for your whiskey loving friend who already has plenty of Henry McKenna?  Well, this year saw some very good new whiskey releases that you can actually walk into a store and buy for a fairly reasonable price.  So here are some of my favorite whiskeys of the year.

Scotch:  I've been very impressed with the Springbank owned Kilkerran Whiskies, distilled at the Glengyle distillery.  I especially liked the bourbon barrel aged expressions, but the sherry casks are also good.  They go for around $60.

Bourbon:  One of the best new release bourbons I tried this year was the Maker's Mark Cask Strength.  While it's not as easy to find as some bourbons, it seems to be more available than many of the other new releases.  It goes for around $40 for a half bottle.

Rye:  It was a good year for finished rye.  High West's Midwinter Night's Dram ($80) is their Rendezvous Rye (a blend of Barton and MGP rye) finished in new French oak and port casks. Willett XCF ($150) is an MGP rye finished in Grand Marnier casks.  These were both good whiskeys that successfully balance spicy rye with a sweet finish.

Irish: At $20, Clontarf 1014 is a great deal for a solid Irish Whiskey.  The slightly pricier Teeling ($40) was a nice, light, drinkable whiskey.

Other:  For a delicious but completely different bourbon, the Corti Brothers Mission del Sol aged Exquisite Whiskey was a real hoot and is still on shelves in California, though its sherry like notes may appeal more to Scotch and brandy fans than bourbon lovers.  It goes for $50 or $30 for a half bottle. 

Splurge:  It is the holidays, so what if you do want to splurge on something?  One of the best whiskeys I tasted this year was Charbay III, the third release of Charbay's original, massively flavorful, hoppy distilled pilsner.  It is definitely a splurge at $400, but Charbay Whiskey is one of a kind and it's still on the shelves after a year on the market.  If you want to try Charbay style whiskey without the big bucks, the R5 (distilled Racer 5 IPA) and S (distilled Big Bear Black Stout) are aren't as good as the pilsner, but they are a lot more affordable at $70 and give a good view of the house style. 

Books:  The good thing about whiskey books is they don't get bought up by whiskey flippers.  This year was another fantastic year for whiskey reading with great books for every level of whiskey lover.  For the beginning whiskey fan, Heather Greene's Whisk(e)y Distilled is the perfect introduction to all types of whiskey; for the intermediate whiskey lover, Lew Bryson's Tasting Whiskey goes a bit more in depth; and for the advanced bourbon geek, Chuck Cowdery's Bourbon, Strange drills deep into the world of bourbon. And if you're a real whiskey nerd, just do what I did and buy them all!

And while it wasn't a whiskey book, Jeffrey Morgenthaler's The Bar Book deserves heaps of praise as the best bartending book to come out in years with great instruction on ingredients and techniques.

Happy holidays!

Later this week:  Brandy Gifts

Whiskey Wednesday: Tennessee Smackdown

Grab your coonskin cap, put some BB King on the juke box and break open your copy of Inherit the Wind, it's time for a Tennessee Whiskey Smackdown!

Ahh,Tennessee Whiskey, that nearly-Bourbon whiskey, filtered through sugar maple charcoal and made by only two distilleries: Jack Daniel's and George Dickel.

Scots and Kentuckians alike shiver when they are reminded that a Tennessee Whiskey, not a Scotch or a Bourbon, is the world's biggest selling whiskey. That's right, not Johnnie Walker, not Jim Beam...Jack Daniel's is the world's best selling whiskey.

I've tasted my share of Bourbons, ryes and even American single malts, but like many American whiskey drinkers, I've largely ignored the land south of Kentucky. I made up for it by sitting down with three different Tennessee whiskies to see how they compared, both to Bourbon and to each other.

One thing is certain: the price is right. All of the bottles tasted are in the $20 range for a standard 750 ml bottle.


Jack Daniel's Old Number 7, 40% alcohol

Jack truly needs no introduction. As noted above, it is the best selling whiskey in the world. Its label graces thousands of t-shirts, leather jackets, aprons and jars of barbecue sauce. It is as ubiquitous as whiskey gets.

Well, Jack is popular for a reason. It's an easy-drinker. It has a nice, sweet taste and a light mouth feel. It's a light, perfectly decent whiskey and, though it lacks much in the way of complexity, it is smoother than some similarly situated Bourbons. It's amusing that, for all its rebel image of bikers taking swigs on their hogs, Jack is mostly smooth and sweet. As for me, it's not my favorite; it lacks the boldness that I seek in whiskey.


Gentleman Jack, Rare Tennessee Whiskey, 40% alcohol

Gentleman Jack markets itself as a more refined, slightly more upscale Jack. It has a sweet honey aroma, which is followed up on the palate by fruit and candy flavors. It's much sweeter than Old No. 7 and tastes a lot less like Bourbon than its black labeled counterpart. Frankly, I found it too sweet and lacking in complexity. If I want liquid candy, I'll drink a liqueur.


George Dickel, Superior No. 12, (what is it with Tennessee whiskey and the numbers?) 45% alcohol

George Dickel is forever the other Tennessee whiskey. He is Ashlee Simpson to Jack's Jessica (Shaun Cassidy to Jack's David for us older folks), always in the shadow of his more successful sibling.

But what George lacks in stature, he makes up for in flavor. George is a solid, oaky whiskey with some real complexity. The sweetness of Jack is replaced by some of the flavors you get in a good Bourbon: polished wood, tobacco, leather. Having met George, I don't think I'll be hanging with Jack much anymore. This is a sophisticated whiskey and one that clearly deserves more attention than it's getting.

On second thought, I think the better sibling analogy would be George as adventurous Branford to Jack's smoother, people-pleasing Wynton Marsalis.


And the winner of the Great Tennessee Smackdown is...

George Dickel, hands down, a great whiskey that could stand up to good Bourbon. Jack comes in second with its perfectly drinkable, if not particularly exciting old No. 7 and Gentleman Jack, which I found too sweet, picks up the rear.


Next Wednesday: A Whiskey Bar in LA?
In Two Weeks: You've met Jack and George, now meet Johnnie

Wild Turkey 101 Rye

Since I recently reviewed the newest edition of Rittenhouse Rye, I thought I would do the same with Wild Turkey 101 Rye. For years, 101 rye was a great, budget rye. Then, in 2012, Wild Turkey announced that it was temporarily taking it off the market and putting out an 81 proof rye. We were all worried that the 101 would be gone for good or would come back with a huge price tag. Luckily, it returned, though it did see a price hike. It seems to only come in liter bottles now and goes for $40 (so they increased the volume by a third but doubled the price  - maybe they thought with the bigger bottle we wouldn't notice). Let's see how it tastes.

Wild Turkey 101 Rye, 50.5% ($40 for 1 liter)

The nose opens with soft rye notes and some bourbon-style caramel. On the palate, it's much more bourbon like than I remember, with a lot of light, Evan Williams type notes and vanilla.  Toward the end of the palate, the rye spice kicks in and you get some nice baking spice notes. The finish has light vanilla and baking spice notes but is fairly short.

This is still a very decent rye, but it's not as bold as the older version I remember. Still, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it as a decent rye for a pretty good price (though no longer really a budget option).

Thanks to Funky Tape for the sample.

Whiskey Wednesday: GlenDronach

GlenDronach is a relatively obscure Speyside distillery, known for sherried malts, which has been raising its profile of late. Like Ardbeg and Bruichladdich, GlenDronach was closed for a brief period in the '90s. The distillery shuttered in 1996 and was reopened in 2002, but the real action took place in 2008 when liquor giant Pernod-Ricard sold the distillery to the owners of the BenRiach Distillery. BenRiach rebooted GlenDronach and launched a new line of whiskies including 12, 15, 18, 31 and 33 year old expressions and a vintage series. The 12, 15 and 18 began hitting US shelves in 2010 so I thought I would check them out. (Excluding the 31 which doesn't seem to be available in the US).

GlenDronach 12 "Original", 43% ($45)

The Original is aged in Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks. I love the nose on this with chocolate, sherry and dried cherries. The palate is sweet with chocolate notes. The finish is sweet with sherry fumes. This screams to be accompanied by a chocolate bar in the 80% cacao range. There is not a huge amount of complexity here but it's a pleasant sherried number.


GlenDronach 15 "Revival," 46% ($75)

Probably the most popular GlenDronach, the Revival is aged in Oloroso sherry casks. The nose is much more muted than the 12, with less sweetness but the same sherry interplay with just a touch of rubber. On the palate, you get a bit drier sherry with malt and the background. There are some of the same chocolate notes that you get with the 12 but less sweetness. It's a solid sherried malt.


GlenDronach 18 "Allardice," 46% ($120)

Named for the distillery's founder James Allardice, the Allardice, like the Revival, is also aged in Olorso sherry casks. The nose on this one is really wonderful. It doesn't bang you over the head at all but it's got some deep sherry and deep dark chocolate going on. The palate starts with a drier sherry than the others. There are some metallic notes and some interesting botanical notes which last into the finish that are almost vermouth like. This is a very nice one.


GlenDronach 33, Vintage 1971, 40% ($330)

The nose on this has very refined, dry sherry notes. The palate is very pure, dry sherry flavor with some vanilla, floral and woody notes as well. There is lots of flavor packed into this even at only 40% abv. The finish is fleeting with sherry and fruit. This is certainly the most complex of the lot.



Tasting through these all at once, the house style is definitely heavy on sweet sherry with chocolate notes, though they get drier as they age. For my part, the 12 was a bit too sweet for me, and I tended to enjoy them more as they got older. Fans of Macallan, Glenfarclas and other sherried malts should definitely give GlenDronach a try.

Back to Basics with Beam

As a high fallutin' whiskey aficionado, I don't spend a lot of time drinking Jim Beam. I prefer me a single barrel, cask strength, limited edition non-filtered, get out your credit card type bourbon. In fact, if I'm drinking Beam, it most likely means I'm in an airport, on an airplane or staring down a six bottle bar at a wedding, convention, bar mitzvah, etc.

But my picky tastes aside, Jim Beam is the world's best selling bourbon (assuming you pretend that Jack Daniel's isn't a bourbon, as everyone seems happy enough to do). And what right do I have to call myself a whiskey blogger if I've never written up the standard Jim Beam line. Not much I tell you. Luckily, a Beam miniature bottle sampler is available for a mere $7.99 which includes Beam white, Beam Black, Beam Rye, and perhaps because misery loves company, Red Stag.


Jim Bean White Label, 40% abv ($15)

This has a light nose with candy, medicinal notes and some rye notes. The palate comes on sweet with some medicinal/rye type notes and ends with a bitterness that carries into the finish. It's not good, but it's certainly not horrible.


Jim Beam Black Label, 8 years old, 43% abv ($20)

The nose on this has some of the same candy notes as the White Label but with a dose of oak that gives it a bit more complexity. The palate is quite acidic without much flavor, then some chocolate malt notes, and then the bitterness kicks in. I actually think I like the White Label better than this. The main flavors in this are acid and bitterness and they don't play well together.


Jim Beam Rye ("Yellow Label"), 40% abv ($20)

The nose has rye but more medicinal than spicy. The palate is sweet with canned fruit and just a touch of spice. The spice is a bit more evident in the finish, but not by much. Tasting blind, I doubt I would have ever guessed this was a rye given out light it is on rye spice. This has been my general experience with Beam ryes, so I did a head to head with some Old Overholt, another Beam rye. The Yellow Label actually has a bit more rye spice than the Overholt, while the Overholt seems to have a bit more oak on it and lacks some of the rough edges that the Yellow Label has.


So there it is, the standard Jim Beam line. If I had to choose between these three Beams, I would definitely choose the rye, which has a bit more character. Honestly, these were not as bad as I expected, though I'll still reserve my Beam consumption to the wedding bar.

Later this week, I descend even further into the bottom shelf!

Daniel Bouju Cognac

Having done a number of Cognac reviews in the past, I've been focusing on Armagnac during this series, but I did want to feature one Cognac that has piqued my interest and seems to be highly regarded. Daniel Bouju is a small grower/producer in the Grande Champagne region of Cognac. It seems that much of their Cognac isn't available in the U.S. or is very hard to find, but I was able to get some samples from a friend. Like many of the Armagnacs I tasted last week, the Bouju Cognacs exhibit a bolder flavor profile than the typical syrupy sweetness that we find in many Cognacs.

Bouju claims that they don't use any additives or caramel, but these things are all as black as night which certainly makes me suspicious. They don't carry any age statement, but I'm told that the Royal is 15 years old, the Extra is 35 years old and the Tres Vieux is 40 years old. The Royal and the Tres Vieux are cask strength (brut de fut).


Daniel Bouju Royal, 60% abv

The nose is dry and a bit musty. On the palate, there's an initial sweetness yielding to a dry palate, some spice and some of the mustiness from the nose as well as some medicinal notes. The mouthfeel is thick and syrupy. The finish is peppery. This tastes like some kind of Cognac concentrate, thick and rich and syrupy.


Daniel Bouju Extra, 40% abv

The nose is quite spicy with fruit underneath. The palate is sweet with freshly dried prunes, raisins and ends in spice which joins the prunes in the finish with just a touch of bitterness.


Daniel Bouju Tres Vieux, 50% abv

The nose on this is dry and woody, more like a bourbon than a Cognac. On the palate, it comes on astringent, though not in a bad way, with a fair amount of acid as well as spicy tobacco notes, yielding to some fruit, then menthol. The fruit comes back for the finish, mixed with some spice, then trails off with a palate numbing menthol.


After all of that Armagnac, I had to adjust to the sweetness of these, though they are not as sweet as most Cognacs. Of these three, I most enjoyed the Royal, with it's concentrated flavor, but also liked the Tres Vieux which had a lot going on but may not have had as many high notes. I didn't care as much for the Extra, which was overly bitter on the finish. All of these are very intense such that a little goes a long way.