buffalo trace

My Favorite Whiskies of 2015

Spirits-based websites and blogs generally post a Top 10 list or Holiday Gift Guide at the end of the year. I did the same in 2014, but this year I’m changing things up a bit. Reflecting back on the past year, I came up with a listing of whiskies that I not only thoroughly enjoyed, but ones that I found were memorable. These cover both American and Scotch whiskies, regular offerings and limited editions.

Except for the top spot, these are listed in no particular order.

George T. Stagg (2015) Bourbon – Hands down my favorite whiskey of 2015. There’s so much flavor packed into the bottle, yet this whiskey still maintains a bit of nuance. Still king of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and the best bourbon coming out of Buffalo Trace distillery.
Michter’s 10-Year-Old Single Barrel Bourbon – This one is a close second. An exquisite expression from the folks at Michter’s. While their standard small batch bourbon is solid, this 10-year single barrel offering is leagues ahead.
Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2015 Bourbon – Jim Rutledge’s last limited edition release. What a great way to say goodbye to this industry giant. Another classic expression from Four Roses.
Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old Bourbon – Not the oldest Elijah Craig release, but EC18 is the one that stands as most balanced. This is one outstanding release from Heaven Hill.
Glenfarclas 17-year-old Single Malt – This sherry bomb is brimming with dried fruit, wood smoke and spice. This is also my wife’s favorite whisky, and she doesn’t drink whiskey.
Highland Park 18-year-old Single Malt – Oh man! What a whiskey – luscious dried fruit, malt and heather all play together in near perfect harmony.
Wild Turkey Master’s Keep 17-Year-Old Bourbon – I don’t have a formal review, but had a chance to sample this exquisite bourbon over the summer while on the Wild Turkey bus. Flavorful and balanced, especially for such an old Turkey.
George Dickel 9-Year-Old Hand Selected Barrel Tennessee Whisky – While not a new release, this whisky is a staple in my household. It just may be the best whiskey coming out of the Dickel Distillery.
Johnnie Walker Select Casks Rye Cask Finish Blended Scotch Whisky – The newest blend from Johnnie Walker, JW Select Cask Rye Cask Finish takes the best parts of JW and American rye. This is one of the most interesting whiskies I’ve tasted all year.
Pikesville Rye Whiskey – A nice step up in quality from Rittenhouse Rye, Pikesville Rye hits all the right notes at an affordable price.
Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye Whiskey – Another powerhouse release from Michter’s.
Laphroaig 10-year-old Cask Strength Single Malt – To me, this smoky beast captures the best qualities of the Laphroaig distillery.

The year is not over yet. I’ve got some potentially incredible whiskies waiting to be tasted. Who knows if they’ll make this humble blogger’s list of favorite whiskies of 2016. Until then, Sláinte!

What’s the best whiskey you’ve tasted this year?

Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Cured Oak Bourbon Whiskey Review

Photo courtesy of Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace’s newest release, at the time of the writing of this post, is 17 year old Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr Cured Oak bourbon whiskey. Like the rest of the line, this is a bottled-in-bond, 100 proof whiskey. What makes it different is an extended barrel stave seasoning. (more…)

Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection – Warehouse Floors Experiment Review

Buffalo Trace’s latest release in their Experimental Collection looks at the aging process using their wheat bourbon mash bill. It’s the same mash bill as W.L. Weller and the Van Winkle bourbons. From their press release:

The Warehouse Floors Experiment was started in 2001, when Buffalo Trace filled 15 barrels with their Wheat Bourbon Mash Bill and placed five barrels on floors one, five, and nine of Warehouse K. This brick warehouse has nine wooden floors in total and was chosen for this experiment due to the variety of tastes it provides during the aging process.

Buffalo Trace Distillery sent me a sample of each. Here’s how the three bourbons panned out:

FIRST FLOOR

nose: soft caramel, slight fruit (maraschino cherries), surprisingly very little oak

palate: toffee, caramel, butterscotch, a little fruit

finish: short & sugary sweet

FIFTH FLOOR

nose: slight oak, caramel.

palate: soft entry followed by caramel, cinnamon, slight oak

finish: nice and balanced. Not as sweet as the first floor… almost bittersweet. Slightly drier and a tad spicier. Very nice.

NINTH FLOOR

nose: sweet oak, caramel, vanilla, smells a bit more robust

palate: a lot of oak, sweet (caramel) and a little nutty

finish: dry and spicy

The first floor was not a spicy whiskey. It was a nice combo of butterscotch, caramel, and fruit. The fifth floor introduced oak. It makes a cameo, but wasn’t the star of the show. It was also slightly spicier than the first floor. The ninth floor is an oakier and drier whiskey. The sweetness and oak went back and forth and never really meshed for me.

Also of note is the evaporation differences between the floors, especially compared to a similar earlier experiment using their rye bourbon mash bill. According to Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley, “we noticed a higher evaporation rate on the wheat recipe experiment vs the rye bourbon recipe experiment. The wheat evaporated between 42-51% over the twelve years, depending on what floor the barrel was aged. The rye experiment evaporated between 25-49% over the twelve years, with significantly less on the lower floors. This higher evaporation rate is expected in wheated recipes, but it’s interesting to see it up close with the rye experiment.”

As always, the Experimental Collection is a limited, one-time release. A 375ml bottle will run you about $46. This is a great examination of the influence the aging location of a bourbon has on its final flavor. These barrels filled with the exact same distillate sat feet apart from each other and end up as completely different whiskies. I’d suggest you pick up a bottle of each to taste the differences for yourself, which is what I think is the heart of this release. However, if you’re in the market for one bottle, I’d stick with the fifth floor. Highly recommended.

9/10

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