Reviews

Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey (Maisano’s Single Barrel) Review

photo courtesy of Jonathan Maisano


Something new in the Stranahan’s universe is single barrel offerings of their standard Colorado whiskey.  Like the standard offering, this is the same whiskey on paper: 100% barley; aged in new American oak barrels for at least two years; and bottled at 94 proof.   What makes this different is the lack of blending with other barrels.  Single barrel whiskey is a great litmus test to gauge the skill of the whisky maker.  

The nose is sticky dark maple syrup, toasted barley loaf, sawdust, and slightly burnt orange peel.  On the palate, orange marmalade and sweet malt dominate.  Sprinklings of cinnamon bark, nutmeg and clove add some spice, while toffee, apple vinegar and oak round out the palate.  The finish is slightly longer than the standard offering, leaving behind a combination of honey, orange zest and wood.

This barrel pick features more on the citrus side compared to standard Stranahan’s.  The notes are slightly more spread out and easier to detect.  I’m not sure what other barrel selections Jonathan Maisano had to pick from, but he picked an interesting one.  I am a fan of single barrel offerings that keep the spirit of the standard whiskey, but deviate just slightly.  That’s exactly what’s going on here.  I think I prefer this pick over the standard bottling.  A bottle at Maisano’s Fine Wine & Spirits will cost $54.67.  Recommended.  8/10

Thanks to Jonathan Maisano for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

High West Valley Tan Utah Whiskey Review

Valley Tan Utah Whiskey is a Utah exclusive from High West – they have to take care of their own, after all.  In fact, the distillery is the only place you can buy this one.  Retail is $49.95 for a bottle.  This is batch 3, and things have changed since this whiskey was first released.

High West Master Distiller Brendan Coyle and Owner David Perkins decided to change mash bills.  What used to be oat based is now a wheat based recipe with a touch of oat and malted barley.  According to press materials, the recipe being used now is based on a historical recipe of whiskey made in Utah in the mid 1800s.  The whiskies used in this blend are aged one to six years, and bottled at 43.5% abv.

This is the first whiskey distilled by High West that I had the chance to taste, so I was pretty excited and had high expectations.  Let’s get right to it:

The nose comes across with a softened edge, bringing aromas of buttered wheat bread, maple syrup, Chardonnay and green plantains.  On the palate, there are lots of tamed fruit notes such as unripe banana and melon, alongside toasted grain and honey.  The medium-length finish leaves behind a honeyed grain note.

This is a delicate, flavorful whiskey from the folks at High West, and one that I’m glad they bottled and released.  I’d love to see this in a wider release, as I think it would appeal to folks looking for a lighter style whiskey something different. It doesn’t have the “bourbony” caramel and vanilla sweetness.  Instead, its sweet notes come from the grains used in the mash bill, and come across as more fruity sweetness and honey.  This one earns a recommendation.  7.5/10

Thanks to High West for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Booker’s Batch 2016-04 “Bluegill Creek” Bourbon Review

Booker’s Batch 2016-04 is named after Booker Noe’s love for fishing.  He’d take his son, current Jim Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe, fishing for bluegill.  Other than making bourbon, fishing was one of Booker’s passions.

This batch of Booker’s comes in at 128 proof and aged 6 years, 5 months and 28 days.  Limited editions aside, Booker’s will always come in between 6 and 8 years.  The label mentions that THE Jim Beam liked his bourbon aged in that range.  “Bluegill Creek” barrels were pulled from four different rack houses, always from the center racks.

One thing Booker’s is known for is its big vanilla note.  This is true of all batches of Booker’s, and this one is no exception.  That vanilla note is present in the sweet nose alongside light brown sugar, sweet corn and a touch of baking spices.  Taste-wise, I get vanilla, sweet & spicy popcorn, caramel, and a touch of ground cinnamon and peanut oil.  There isn’t that young corn/grain note I picked up in some of the earlier batches.  The nuttiness I normally get from Booker’s is minimal.  What makes this batch unique is the presence of more prevalent baking spices.  The finish is long, warm and semi-sweet.

All in all, another solid batch of Booker’s, and an extremely drinkable one.  This one earns an easy recommendation.  8.5/10

Thanks to Beam Suntory for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.