Reviews

The Macallan Edition No. 1 Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

Photo courtesy of The Macallan.

Photo courtesy of The Macallan.

The Macallan Edition No. 1 is the start of a new series from the distillery, with a new expression scheduled to be released annually.  Each edition will be “co-created with different partners” while “showcasing The Macallan’s mastery of wood.”

Edition 1 features a blend of single malts matured in 8 different styles and sizes of European and American oak casks.  As is the new norm for Macallan releases, this new series does not feature age statements.  This first expression in the series is bottled at an above average 48% abv and retails for $99.

Those different casks lend to a very rich, sherried nose one attributes to a Macallan whisky.  Dried fruits, spice, and vanilla dominate alongside sweet, honeyed malt.  Some of that malt is young, which provides a vibrancy in the nose.  Taste-wise, there’s a large toffee note right off the bat.  Sherried dried fruit follows and combined, everything comes across as a sort of Christmas fruit cake. Some spice (clove, nutmeg) makes itself known in the mid-palate.  With all this and the 48% abv, you’d think this was a “heavy” whisky.  On the contrary, like on the nose, these heavier notes are balanced with citrus and young malt.  The long, warm finish is spicy and sweet, with the latter provided honey and sherried fruit.

At $100 a bottle, Macallan is priced right for what’s in the bottle.  Is this worth $35 more than the 12? I think so.  It’s got more character for me than their standard 12-year-old expression, but only a bit.  I like what Macallan is doing with their blending of different casks.  It’s richer and more sherried than the 12.  Good stuff.

8/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by Edrington Americas.)

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye Whiskey Review
Photo courtesy of Jack Daniel's.

Photo courtesy of Jack Daniel’s.

During the summer of 2014, I had a chance to talk to Jeff Arnett, the Master Distiller of Jack Daniel’s.  Towards the end of the brief interview he mentioned the upcoming rye whiskey release.  Fast forward a year and a half to March 2016, and Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye (JDSBR) begins hitting shelves.

This rye expression is the distillery’s first new mashbill in 100 years.  Like Arnett stated in that interview, the mashbill is broken down to 70% rye, 18% corn and 12% malted barley.  The high percentage of rye grain should show up in the nose and palate.  Considering their traditional mash bill is 80% corn, 12% malted barley and 8% rye, it’s apparent the company wants to showcase a big rye note in the final product.

JDSBR is bottled at 94 proof and is the newest addition to the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel lineup.  It offers no age statement, which is consistent with every other offering from the distillery.  Arnett says, “You never want to over-barrel a rye whiskey so it was important for us to stay true to the style of grain forward character rather than barrel character while still allowing our barrels to interplay with the whiskey.”

There has been some talk online about wide barrel variation for Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof, the company’s last release.   Some folks claim their whiskey was not of quality, whereas I tasted whiskey from two different barrels and found both to be delicious.  I’m curious to see how this new offering will fare.

Although the mashbill has changed, the nose is unmistakably a member of the Jack Daniel’s family.  Rye grain leads off the nose, followed by familiar JD notes of sweet caramel, banana, and a little oak.  The entry is a mixture of sweet and spicy.  Rye grain is showcased nicely, providing that spiciness and a bit of sharpness.  Caramel and that JD banana note add sweetness and some richness.  The oak note comes in close to the medium-length finish, which is a touch astringent and leaves behind a sweet note.

You know, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye is pretty darn good, especially for the suggested price of $49.99.  It’s pretty much what I expected from a JD rye whiskey.  It keeps the JD characteristics, but focuses on the rye grain.  Arnett and his team have not allowed the barrel influence to dominate the whiskey.  Assuming the whiskey makers are picking great barrels, I have a feeling this will be a hit for the company.

Give this one a chance.  I think you’ll like what you taste.

8/10
(Note: A small review sample was provided by Jack Daniel’s.)

Gifted Horse Whiskey Review

Gifted Horse is the seventh Orphan Barrel release.  Wow, has it been seven already?  To this point, the youngest Orphan Barrel was Forged Oak, a 15-year-old bourbon.  This is the first in the series that  carries no age statement on the label.  If it did have one, it would read “4 years old”.  Also of note is the high 115 proof, making it the highest proof of all the Orphan Barrel whiskies.

Photo courtesy of Diageo.

Photo courtesy of Diageo.

The story here is that 17-year-old bourbon was accidentally mixed with young whiskey (4-year-old corn whiskey and 4-year-old bourbon).  It’s the same thing we heard with Wild Turkey’s Forgiven, which is a blend of rye whiskey and bourbon.  You can choose to believe the story or not.

Something we do know is the source of the whiskies in the blend and how much of each the final blend is comprised of.  38.5% of Gifted Horse is 17-year-old bourbon distilled at the Bernheim Distillery, while 51% is 4-year-old bourbon from Indiana.  A 4-year-old corn whiskey, also distilled in Indiana, makes up the rest of this whiskey.

Let’s take a look at the juice inside the bottle.

The high proof of this whiskey is evident in its initial fiery nose.  Young corn grain and cinnamon candy are the first aromas out of the glass.  Things mellow out a bit after a moment, allowing some caramel and an herbal note to come through.  The entry is a little on the hot side.  Once the alcohol punch dissipates, classic bourbon flavors begin showing up – sweet young corn, caramel richness and some cinnamon spice.  It tastes perfectly fine to this point.  Then the older whiskey shows up, adding some astringent oak which was a slight surprise given the youngish character of the entry.  A long, warm and slightly dry finish leaves behind a sweet corn grain note.

Don’t get me wrong – I know Orphan Barrel whiskies are oak-forward, but I expected a better integration between the young and old whiskies this blend is comprised of.  Instead, Gifted Horse feels a bit scattered.  All the flavors and aromas we love in bourbon are here, but this is a case of the parts being greater than the sum.  I do applaud the high bottling proof here.  It’s something I wish other Orphan Barrel whiskies had.  All in all, Gifted Horse is a mostly solid whiskey.  The suggested retail price of $50 might be a tad on the high side for what’s in the bottle.

7.5/10
(Note: A small review sample was provided by Diageo.)