whiskey

Michter’s 10-Year-Old Single Barrel Bourbon Review (2016)

Michters 10yr 2016

December 2015 saw the last release of Michter’s 10-year-old single barrel bourbon (read my review of that here).  I enjoyed it so much I named it one of my favorite whiskies of 2015.  Now, just five months later, Michter’s announced the next release of their 10-year-old bourbon.  That’s a pretty quick turnaround, and a welcome one, especially for whiskey enthusiasts who weren’t able to pick up a bottle.  These tend not to stick around on shelves.

“I love our 10 Year Bourbon and wish we could sell it year-round, but we just don’t have enough,” said Master Distiller Willie Pratt of the 2016 release.

Michter’s 10-year bourbon is part of their Limited Production line, which also features a 10-year-old rye whiskey and a 20-year-old bourbon.  All are single barrel releases.  The 10-year bourbon is bottled at 94.4 proof and is available for $120.

Michters 10yr 2016 tag

My sample comes from barrel 16B233.

This particular barrel of Michter’s 10-year-old bourbon has a rich, sweet nose.  Sweet corn pudding starts things off.  Dive in deeper and find some caramel, tobacco and some vanilla bean.   There’s some subtle cinnamon and clove upon entry, developing into a vanilla creme brûlée, slightly burnt caramel, almonds and dried orange peel.  That cinnamon spice from earlier pops back up a little stronger than it did on the entry.  Some oak tannins are present, but don’t leave too much of a drying effect until the longish finish, where a blast of vanilla coats the mouth, disappearing slowly and leaving behind a slightly dry oak.

The 2015 release is on the left, and the 2016 release is on the right.

The 2015 release is on the left, and the 2016 release is on the right.

How does it compare to the 2015 release?

That’s a question I’ve been asked by several folks since posting a “head-to-head” picture on my Instagram account.  (Cheap plug – follow @adventures_in_whiskey on Instagram.)  Back to the point.  This is less a question of how this whiskey compares year to year.  More accurately it’s a barrel versus barrel comparison, as both are single barrel releases.

My 2016 bottle doesn’t have as much vanilla upfront on the nose as the 2015 bottle.  It develops a little later with a little airtime.  It’s also a bit more complex, especially with that nice tobacco note.  The 2016 release also carries a more corn-based aroma.  The palate and finish has more oak and vanilla, and generally less spicy than the 2015, which carried big cinnamon notes.

Both are fantastic bourbons with luscious, elegant and vibrant profiles.  Either one easily deserves a place in your whiskey shelf.  Love ’em or hate ’em, the folks at Michter’s release quality whiskey and this 2016 10-year-old bourbon is no exception.  Highly recommended.

9/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by Michter’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.)

Col. E.H. Taylor Seasoned Wood Bourbon Review
Photo courtesy of Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Photo courtesy of Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Buffalo Trace Distillery just announced the eighth addition to the Col. E.H. Taylor line – Seasoned Wood.  Just like its brethren, Seasoned Wood is bottled-in-bond, which means it’s bottled at 100 proof and is at least four years old (among other things).  According to press materials, this release is “aged well over a decade”.  This the first wheated bourbon in the Taylor lineup.  Seasoned Wood is a one-time, limited release.

What is seasoned wood exactly?  According to Buffalo Trace:

The barrels in this release underwent a variety of special seasoning processes,   including barrels made from staves that were immersed in an enzyme rich bath with water heated to 100 degrees.  After spending time in this proprietary solution, these staves were then placed into kilns and dried until they reached an ideal humidity level for crafting into barrels.  Other staves were seasoned outdoors for six months, and still others were left outdoors for a full 12 months before being made into barrels and sent to Buffalo Trace Distillery to be filled and aged.  All barrel staves were seasoned, dried, and crafted at Independent Stave Company, who consulted on this project with the premiere expert on oak maturation, Dr. James Swan.

Onto my tasting notes:

The aromatic nose leads with a strong honey note.  Dried cherries, fresh orange peel, and a floral note follow.  In an odd way, it sort of smells like an Old Fashioned cocktail.  There is little to no alcohol vapor to speak of, considering this is a 100 proof bourbon.  The entry is soft, with spiced honey starting things off.  That citrus note and dried fruit from the nose also finds its way to the palate, cutting right through the creamy mouthfeel.  Some oak is present providing a touch of astringency in the back-palate.  The finish is long and warm, leaving citrus, baking spice and honey behind to slowly fade away.  It leaves your mouth watering for more.

You can guess I’m a fan of this one.  Seasoned Wood is a very welcome addition to the good-to-excellent range of Col. E.H. Taylor whiskies.  It’s overall softer but richer profile stands out among others in the lineup.  This is a very well executed bourbon from Buffalo Trace that receives a high recommendation.  Seasoned Wood will be available starting late March for a suggested retail priced of $69.99.  The fact that it is limited won’t help your chances of finding a bottle.  In the rare instance you do see one, pick it up.

9/10
(Note: A small review sample was provided by Buffalo Trace.)