Last Minute Father’s Day Gift Ideas – 2015 Edition

Haven’t picked up a gift for the old man yet?  With Father’s Day just a few days away, I thought I’d give some whiskey and whiskey-related gift recommendations, in no particular order.  I’ve linked to a full review where available.

Whiskey

  • Booker’s Bourbon Batch 2015-02 – Big bourbon flavors in this barrel-proof offering from Jim Beam. $55
  • George Dickel No. 12 Tennessee Whisky – A no-nonsense whisky with caramel, vanilla and oak flavors. $30
  • Forged Oak Bourbon – A limited release from Orphan Barrel, but still available, bourbon that’s big on oak. $65
  • Alberta Rye Whisky Dark Batch – A little added sherry gives this Canadian rye whisky an interesting flavor profile. $30
  • The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 Year Old Single Malt Scotch – A full review coming later.  This is a great transition to Scotch for the bourbon drinker.  The rum cask maturation really sweetens things up. $65
  • Johnnie Walker Platinum Label – Full review coming in a few weeks.  One of Johnnie Walker’s newest releases, this 18 year old expression turns up the fruit and adds a little smokiness.  $99
  • Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon – A robust 100 proof bourbon full of caramel, spice and fruit. Look out for a barrel proof version from your liquor store.  $50

Whiskey-related

  • Bourbon Empire by Reid Mitenbuler – A great read.  Mitenbuler covers bourbon’s history, unraveling those tall tales we read about all the time. $19 at amazon.
  • Glencairn Whisky Glass – There’s no better way to nose and appreciate whisky than drinking out of a Glencairn glass.  It’s how I sample my whisky. glencairnwhiskyglass.com
  • Tovolo Ice Sphere Mold – Looks cool in your glass, but more importantly the ice dilutes very slowly.  tovolo.com

Johnnie Walker Double Black Scotch Whisky Review

Johnnie Walker Double Black

Although I’ve enjoyed American whiskey for years, I’m a Scotch newbie.   The idea of a peaty, smoky whisky intimidated me.  So I started my Scotch adventures with some sweeter and fruitier Scotch whiskies, such as Glenlivet 12 and The Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask (full reviews coming soon).  Johnnie Walker is such a giant brand, so that was my next stop.  Diageo was kind enough to send me samples of most of the Johnnie Walker lineup, including the focus of this post, Double Black.  I sampled and tasted them all several times, but waited to taste this one last.  It was worth the wait.

Johnnie Walker Master Blender Jim Beveridge took the dark, smoky notes from Johnnie Walker Black Label and amplified them to create Johnnie Walker Double Black.  This is the smokiest JW blend thus far (to my knowledge).  The press release states Johnnie Walker Double Black contains some single malts from smaller distilleries on Scotland’s west coast.  This whisky retails for about $42.   So, how is it?

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Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky Review

Johnnie Walker Black

Johnnie Walker is the most recognizable name in whiskey.  Even non-whiskey drinkers know the brand.  The JW brand can be traced back to John Walker’s grocery store in the early 1800s, when he started selling whisky and other spirits.  It was illegal to sell blended whisky in Scotland until 1860.  A few years later, John’s son Alexander began selling their own blended whisky, “Old Highland Whisky.”  The brand’s famous slanted label came about in the 1870s, allowing larger fonts and more text on the label.  The signature square bottle was already in place.  In 1906, the 12 year old Black Label was introduced and two years later the brand changed names from Old Highland Whisky to Johnnie Walker.  Currently, the range of the primary line of the brand includes the Red Label, 12 year old Black Label, the smoky Double Black, Gold Label Reserve, Platinum Label and the top-of-the-line Blue Label.  There are also limited and one-time offerings, including the 15 year old Green Label and Johnnie Walker Swing.

The Black Label is a 12-year old blended Scotch whisky consisting of about 40 different malt and grain whiskies, each aged at least 12 years.  It is one of the biggest selling blended whiskies in the world, if not the biggest.

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