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Volume 5: Alberta Distillers Dark Batch Rye Whisky

This month's pick is Alberta Distillers Dark Batch Rye Whisky.  Note the lack of 'E' - it's a Canadian Whisky.

Before you guffaw, recalling college memories of Canadian Club and feeling all fancy, this one is a true blend that definitely required some deft skills, you see under Canadian regulations they are "allow[ed] for up to 9.09% of any other alcohol to be blended in while still being allowed to call the spirit rye. Weird, but in the most awesome sense. Beam wisely takes full advantage here with the addition of 8% Old Grand Dad Bourbon and 1% of Sherry blended in" (Astor Wines site http://www.astorwines.com/SearchResultsSingle.aspx?p=2&search=32696&searchtype=Contains).

I'll repeat that - this is 91% Lovely, gorgeous, spicy rye, 9% Old Grand Dad (a club favorite all around) and 1% Sherry.  It's a high proof, rocks  and splash of soda ready cocktail.  Or lovely warmer to egg-nog, or spiced punch, or spiced cider....or you know just neat in a pretty glass....

And in case you're wondering where that Rye comes from, "it's a blend of 12 year old rye and 6 year old small pot rye" (Boozedancing.com).

Tasting notes:

From Astor: The result is an intoxicatingly aromatic and full-flavored whisky with notes that include, raspberry, Cheerios, pine sap, Madagascar vanilla, chocolate wafers, candy apple, and cinnamon. The palate is soft, smooth, seamless. Everyone needs to try this whisky.

From Caskers: "Alberta Rye Whisky Dark Batch has an aroma of rye toast, firewood and dark coffee, which leads to notes of vanilla, bitter grapefruit, gingerbread and dark fruits on the palate. The finish is long and spicy, with lasting notes of Eastern spices, licorice and sour candy."

Some other reviews:

"DARK BATCH IS A SPICIER, MORE ROBUST WHISKY... IT QUICKLY MAKES BELIEVERS OUT OF PEOPLE.” Davin De Kergommeaux, author of the award winning book, Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert

"ALBERTA RYE DARK BATCH WHISKY COMBINES CONTEMPORARY FLAVOR TRENDS WITH CLASSIC NOTES OF PREMIUM RYE WHISKY, OFFERING A ONE-OF-A-KIND WHISKY WITH A ROBUST, SOPHISTICATED FLAVOR.” Dan Tullio, North American Whisky Ambassador

[I don't know why these are in all caps]

It has won numerous awards

http://www.albertarye.com/#chapter-5, as you'd expect from Clan Beam Suntory.

The cost of the "fifteenth" will be around $9.07 (I don't trust my math skills in re: taxes this early and I don't want your money yet.  A full bottle would run around 27 and change (prices subject to change by.. y'know..the retailer).

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Volume 4: Bernheim Original Single Cask Astor Selection

This month’s pick is Bernheim Original Single Cask Astor Selection.  Yes, from a single cask, specifically bottled for our friends at Astor Wines (which if you’ve never visited, has a gorgeous showroom with wide selections (at least in the whiskey product line)).  Bernheim is a wheated whiskey (we’ve had some high ryes in the past, this will have a notably different flavor profile) and has also been aging in a barrel cask for at least since year 1 of the first Obama administration (there’s a 7 year age statement).  This is also a super small run - based on the below write-up our club purchase accounted for close to 4% of the total bottling of this spirit.  Total cost also included below the notes 

From the Astor Wines site: 

Wheated whiskies are known for their soft, sweet, easy character and this bottle certainly has all those characteristics. We were extremely pleased to find, however, that it was also incredibly fragrant and complex. Beautiful, sweet, fully ripe orchard fruits and notes of figs, almonds, and oranges greet you on the nose with notes of brown sugar laced with spice and hints of meringue. On the palate, rich honey and confectioner's sugar lead to a body of soft caramel sweetness. The whiskey is mouth-coating and the flavors are filled out with delicate spices and grain. This is very well-balanced overall; the persistent, mellow finish will paste a smile on your face. Aged for a full seven years, this was hand-selected from a series of cask samples and it was bottled exclusively for us. With a yield of just over 100 bottles, get yours while supplies last. 

Staff Pick Notes: Bernheim is one of the most overlooked American whiskeys. This is inexplicable for a number of reasons: they are one of the oldest distilleries in the country, and their level of quality is so reliable that they are the source for many other brands. The most famous of these is, of course, Pappy Van Winkle. That’s right, you heard me: Bernheim distills and ages a huge proportion of what later gets bottled as Pappy Van Winkle. What makes this producer unique is the dominance of wheat in their whiskeys, which produces a spirit of subtle delicacy and lively, fully formed individual aromas and flavors. Sweet vanilla, honey, spicy char, nectarines, and almonds greet the nose and a buttery texture soothes the palate. This is top-shelf stuff; my favorite of all the exclusive single casks we’ve brought in recently. 

For some additional background on wheated whiskeys - From Bernheim’s site: 

HOW IS WHEAT WHISKEY DIFFERENT THAN BOURBON?

All straight Bourbon whiskey is distilled from at least 51% corn. Straight wheat whiskey differs as it must be distilled from a mash containing at least 51% soft winter wheat. 

WHAT MAKES BERNHEIM DIFFERENT THAN OTHER WHEATED BOURBONS?

Wheated Bourbons like Old Fitzgerald, Larceny and Maker's Mark adhere to all of the laws of straight Bourbon whiskey, but use a small amount of wheat in place of rye, whereas Bernheim's main grain is wheat. Bernheim also has an age statement of seven years, which means that seven year old whiskey is the youngest that can be put in the bottle.  

Cost per ‘fifteenth’ - $15.51 (with bottle) 

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Volume 3: Old Grand-dad 114

8 Members

This month's selection is a special Barrel Proof (high proof) edition of Old Grand-Dad - 114 proof (or 57% alcohol for those of you bad at math).  That is notably higher than the 'normal' 40% ABV.  So yes, this can get you blasted about 30% faster.

As a byproduct of this high proofiness you could theoretically add 106ml to your 250ml stash and get a normal 40% ABV lovely bourbon. I would not recommend that - IMHO definitely start at full strength then add a bit of water to let the flavor fully develop.  Ideally you'd use 'branch' water (water pulled off the branch of the river the bourbon was distilled from over the limestone used in KY bourbon), but any water would do.  And yes, there is a company that bottles and resells branch water.  And if you’re an old school Dallas (TV Show) fan - when JR ordered Bourbon & Branch - that’s what he was ordering.

</tangent>

Old Grand-Dad first launched in 1840 and has been in production ever since (during prohibition the company made "medicinal" whiskey). If you were a Boardwalk Empire fan you may recall at one point our hero receives possession of the Old Overholt rye distillery from a member of government. Old Overholt, Old Grand-Dad and several other "Old" brands are currently marketed by Beam Suntory as "The Olds."

Old Grand-Dad himself is Basil Hayden, Sr., who a) has yet another whiskey named after hi and b) was also a well known distiller during his lifetime.

The 'regular' Old Grand-Dad has a long history in pop culture (this stuff directly stolen from Wikipedia):

In Travels with Charley, John Steinbeck's 1961 account of a road-trip across America, he stocks Old Grand-Dad on his truck and regularly offers "a dollop" to people he meets.[4]

Old Grand-Dad is featured prominently in the opening scenes of the film Bad Santa and in the Nick Stefanos novels by George P. Pelecanos, as well as in John Hawkes's classic novel Second Skin.

George Thorogood references Old Grand-Dad whiskey in his song "I Drink Alone", in the lyrics "...the only one who will hang out with me is my dear Old Grand-Dad..." Old Grand-Dad is cited in the Lynyrd Skynyrd song "Whiskey Rock-a-Roller" (from the 1975 album Nuthin' Fancy) saying, "She likes to drink Old Grand-Dad, and her shoes do shuffle around".

Old Grand-Dad is specified by James Bond in the novel Live and Let Die for his Old Fashioned.

In his book Truman, David G. McCullough writes extensively about President Harry S. Truman's love for bourbon, in which he was joined by his wife Bess. He further writes that the President's preferred drink was Old Grand-Dad on the rocks.

Author Charles Bukowski frequently mentioned Old Grand-Dad in his stories.

In the Veronica Mars (film), Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie insists that Veronica bring her a glass of Old Grand-Dad after being dragged to their ten-year high school reunion.

On the The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lou offers Mary Old Grand-Dad at a party; Mary mistakenly assumes he's referring to her 68-year-old date.

On the show Mad Men, Freddie Rumsen orders a "Grand-Dad Rocks" while out for the evening with Donald Draper and Roger Sterling.

On the show M*A*S*H, Hawkeye gives Klinger a quart of "Old Grad-Dad" as his contribution to a potluck.

On the show The Wayans Bros When a woman is giving birth in the diner, Pops asks for Shawn to bring some hot water, towels and half of pint of "Old Grand-Dad".

(Credit and outright stealing for lots of the above from wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Grand-Dad).

Now, onto the details of the juice.

From

http://sourmashmanifesto.com/2014/08/05/review-old-grand-dad-114-bourbon/

It’s one of those whiskeys, that you just don’t taste all the time. It’s NOT a heavy whiskey in terms of nose and flavor, but the proof nips in spots. Water is your friend, and it’s easily to dial this one into a comfort zone for you.

This bourbon’s attitude is airy and effervescent even at full strength. Orange rind, burned sugars, honey, southern spearmint, touches of floral (orange blossom, honeysuckle) notes and grain (corn and dry rye). Pour and leave in the glass for a good 3-4 minutes. The initial alcohol blast quickly subsides and you can get to business.

Palate: Brief notes of honey, bitter orange, caramel and vanilla yield to warming spices (cinnamon, mint, white pepper). Barrel flavors and a bit of resiny grip lead to the finish.

Finish: Lingering finish of toasty oak, orange, and caramel sweetness.

From

http://thewhiskeyjug.com/bourbon-whiskey/old-grand-dad-114-review/

NOSE : Oh man this is nice. Rich and full the aroma is layered with notes of dark fruit, caramel heavy dark sweets, vanilla, bold spice, hay, oak and a syrupy sweet undertone. It needs a bit more of those rustic earthy notes to fully balance it out, but it’s nice nonetheless.

From:

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/1092/old-grand-dad-114:

A full-proof version of this classic rye-tinged bourbon. Unbelievably smooth for a spirit of this strength, Old Gran-dad 114 will put hairs on your chest.

Another review at:

http://www.breakingbourbon.com/old-grand-dad-114.html

And the total take per "fifteenth" this time around - $9.80 - yep, this lovely little high proof bottle is under $30 for a full fifth, and at a pretty damn high proof.

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Volume 2: Van Brunt Stillhouse Rye

September 13, 2016 - 6 members

This month's pick comes to us from the far away land of Red Hook - specifically the Van Brunt Stillhouse.

About the distillery (from their site):

Van Brunt Stillhouse takes a time honored traditional approach to distilling. Sourcing wheat, rye and corn directly from upstate New York farmers. Making every spirit from scratch in the waterfront neighborhood of Red Hook in Brooklyn.  Our family of whiskeys give a nod to classic styles while remaining innovative, creating bold and flavorful spirits.

About their products (by them, from their site).  We've got the Rye this time around, last one listed, but for you Scotch fans there's also a single malt and a non-specific "American" blend.

Van Brunt Stillhouse American Whiskey does not fit neatly into typical whiskey categories.  It is a four grain whiskey made primarily from malted barley and wheat, with a little bit of corn and a touch of rye.  This unique whiskey has floral notes of a malt whiskey with the new barrel sweetness of a bourbon.

Van Brunt Stillhouse Malt Whiskey, like it's Scottish cousin, is made with 100% malted barley.  But the Stillhouse's uniquely American approach makes this bold and bright whiskey stand out from Scotch with caramel and roasted notes unlike any whisky you've had from across the pond.  At 9 months the grain comes to the front, and the small, new barrels give this whiskey a healthy dose of the wood character that American's look for in whiskey.

Van Brunt Stillhouse Bourbon Whiskey  is a wheated bourbon made with 65% organic NY state corn.   This American classic is carefully made with only the best ingredients.

Van Brunt Stillhouse Rye Whiskey  is available now!  But act quickly, when this batch is gone it won't be back until next year. This batch is a mix of our recipe experiments last year.  Nice rye spiciness and dried apricots with a dry toasted finish.

The company also makes a grappa, a moonshine and a rum.

One tasting note from a blog commenter:

"Spicy and light, with a slight floral finish. Sometimes whiskeys taste like what they are, and this really tastes like rye bread! Very clean finish with tart apricot notes."

Other, more specific commentary:

Van Brunt Stillhouse, located in Red Hook, Brooklyn, is named for Cornelius Van Brunt, one of the founding fathers of the neighborhood. The distillery harkens to the days before the Prohibition, when distilleries dotted the Brooklyn waterfront. Made with NY rye and unfiltered.

And more commentary, but people with apparently much more honed tastebuds than my own:

This beautiful classic rye whiskey is made from a lot of rye grain and a little malted barley, so it's got plenty of black pepper bite and a rich body. After aging for 10 months in very modern (i.e. small) 10 gallon virgin American oak casks, this whiskey has great rye spiciness balanced by hints of cinnamon and dried apricots, with a dry toasty finish. It's a fantastic combination of old and new with a flavor worth lingering over. Our neighbors at Van Brunt Stillhouse make tiny batches of whiskey by hand. Because of their small size and their love of experimentation, they release different styles throughout the year.

TIP OF THE TONGUE A whiskey this rare and tasty begs to be sipped straight, or with a small splash of water. But it's classic flavor makes it terrific in traditional cocktails like the geographically-appropriate Brooklyn: combine 2 ounces of rye whiskey with 1 ounce of Vya Extra Dry Vermouth, 1/4 ounce of Maraschino liqueur and 3 or 4 dashes of Hella Bitters Aromatic Bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Stir until cold and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.

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Volume 1: Russell’s Reserve

August 19, 2016 - 6 members

For this month’s selection we’ve got a special distillation from the folks who crafted that bottle of American whiskey you remember your grandfather having – Wild Turkey Distillery (I certainly recall the turkey icon from my grandfather’s basement bar, notwithstanding that he made bourbon for Seagram’s in Louisville) – Russell’s Reserve 10 year.

Russell’s Reserve bourbons and ryes are crafted by (and named after) legendary master distiller Jimmy Russell (who has been in charge at WT since ’54) and his son Eddie Russell. The duo are 3rd and 4th generation distillers with some 80 odd years distilling between them. The story goes that while selecting the flavor profile for this blend (intended to celebrate an anniversary at the company for the elder Russell) he didn’t even know why the special blend was being created and initially objected to having it named after him.

Aged a full 10 years (age statements are going the way of the do-do), “Russell’s Reserve is reportedly made from a mashbill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% barley. The barrels used in each batch are chosen by Jimmy and Eddie, and are from the center of the Wild Turkey rickhouses.” (Source)

Following distillation, the bourbon is aged for at least 10 years in virgin American oak casks that have been charred with a #4 char. (Source) Typically, the degree of charring within a cask is measured on a scale of one to four, with a #1 char referring to casks that have been slightly toasted, and a #4 char referring to casks that have been charred so heavily that the interior resembles an alligator hide (the latter are nicknamed alligator-charred casks). The heavy char contributes bold notes of vanilla, cinnamon and oak to Russell's Reserve 10 Year Old Bourbon, and compliments its notes of honey and cloves.

(Source) Russell's Reserve 10 Year Old Bourbon has an aroma of cinnamon raisin bread, sweet vanilla and honey. The aroma gives way to notes of orange, cloves and oak, which are complemented by subtle undertones of maple and caramel. The finish is slightly warming, with a well-balanced complexity.

Russell's Reserve 10 Year Old Bourbon earned the Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2011, and earned a score of 92 points from the Beverage Testing Institute. In addition, it earned a score of 95 points — tying Pappy Van Winkle's 20 Year Old Bourbon — at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

This month’s total: $14.51 for the 1/3 bottle.