whiskey review

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.

Hilhaven Lodge Whiskey Review
Photo courtesy of Diageo.

Photo courtesy of Diageo.

Named after the famous Hollywood home, Hilhaven Lodge is a new offering from Diageo and Hollywood director Brett Ratner.  The whiskey itself is a blend of bourbon, Tennessee whiskey and rye whiskey.  Sounds interesting, right?

Ratner is the latest celebrity endorsing a whiskey, but the buck doesn’t stop there.  Based on what I’ve seen and heard online, Ratner is passionate about this whiskey.  Hell, he reportedly helped develop the whiskey with Diageo and is really putting his weight behind promoting this release.  But why? The answer is rather simple:  he loves whiskey.  Not in the hard-core super serious whiskey enthusiast kind of way, but rather just a big fan of the stuff.  Ratner is also the current owner of Hilhaven Lodge.

How is it?

Decent stuff, actually.  The nose is full of rye spice and sweet maple syrup.  Some charred fresh corn and vanilla follow.  Hilhaven Lodge is bottled at 40% abv, but tastes richer than expected.  Just like the nose, the flavors here are a decent contrast of sweet and spicy.  There’s an initial syrupy blast on entry.  Notes of spice, creamy vanilla and barrel char sit on top.  Not much complexity here, though.  The finish leaves behind notes of candied orange peel and cinnamon.

I love the idea of blending these three types of American whiskey.  The best parts of each come out, making this an enjoyable whiskey, if a little on the sweet side.  My only real complaint is this isn’t complex enough to warrant a $50 price tag.  7.5/10

Thanks to Diageo for the sample.  As always, thoughts and opinions are my own.

Barrell Whiskey Batch 002 Review

Barrel Whiskey B2In addition to fantastic bourbons, Joe Beatrice’s Barrell Bourbon company also drops the occasional whiskey on the market.  The difference between the two could be in the makeup of the mash bill (remember, bourbon must be at least 51% corn), but is most likely the use of used barrels.  That’s a no-no for straight bourbon, which has to be aged in new barrels.  So we have whiskey.

Batch 002 was distilled in Indiana from a corn/rye/malted barley mash bill.  The whiskey was aged in ex-bourbon barrels in Kentucky for 9.5 years, then finished in sherry casks.  This particular batch is bottled at 123.8 proof.

The nose isn’t as rich as recent batches of  Barrell Bourbon, but that’s to be expected.  A used barrel doesn’t give as much flavor and color as a new one. Still, there’s lots of good stuff to be found here.  Buttered corn bread, apple tart, vanilla ice cream and some fruit leap out of the glass.  Taste-wise, strong notes of graininess and graham cracker support delicate honeyed fruit.  The lightest touch of spice on the backend adds to the complexity of this whiskey.    The finish showcases the fruit notes of the palate with a touch of sweetness.

This is a nice sipping whiskey.  It’s light, but packs great flavors.  I like that the sherry cask finish is not overdone at all.  I like that it’s aged almost a decade.  I like that this is cask strength, allowing you to proof down the whiskey to your liking.  You see the trend here.  This is one I’ll pour over ice and enjoy outdoors during the hot, humid Louisiana summer months.  Nicely done.

8.5/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by the company behind this whisky free of charge.  The opinions written are my own.)