Booker’s Bourbon “Center Cut Batch” (2015-03) Review
Photo courtesy Beam Suntory

Photo courtesy Beam Suntory

Uncut and unfiltered – a great way to experience bourbon at its rawest.  Booker’s was one of the first, if not the first, barrel-proof bourbons on the modern market.  The third batch (2015-03) of Booker’s bourbon is known as “The Center Cut”.  This refers to Booker Noe’s favorite part of the rickhouse, where Booker’s bourbon is aged.  Fred Noe, Booker’s son & current Master Distiller at Jim Beam, called upon a team of whiskey experts, enthusiasts, and writers to help him select this batch.  This batch is aged for 7 years, 2 months and 28 days, and bottled at 127.2 proof.

(more…)

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14-Year Old Single Malt Review

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14-year-old single malt is one of the first Scotches I purchased.  I’ve heard good things about The Balvenie’s core range, and I find the process of “finishing” whisky interesting.  Here we have a whisky that’s aged 14 years in “traditional oak whisky casks,” then finished in ex-Caribbean rum casks.  There’s no official note on how long the whisky is finished in these rum barrels, but I’m guessing it’s just a few months.

(more…)

The Balvenie DoubleWood 12-Year-Old Single Malt Review
Photo courtesy William Grant & Sons

Photo courtesy William Grant & Sons

The Balvenie DoubleWood is a Speyside single malt whisky.  Aged 12 years, this whisky is matured in two different types of casks.  First it ages in a traditional oak whisky cask then it’s transferred to a first fill sherry cask.  I assume traditional oak whisky casks mean they are using ex-bourbon barrels, which would impart some vanilla and spice to the whisky.  The 12 year is the youngest of their core line of whiskies, although a 17-year-old expression of DoubleWood is available.  Owned by William Grant & Sons, The Balvenie is positioned as a premium whisky along the likes of The Macallan, its biggest competitor.

(more…)