Whisky I've Drank: Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select

By Masterofmalt
Obviously with it not being blended, not everyone is going to have the same experience. I was eating at the Bourbon House in New Orleans with the family and we figured they knew their whiskey. I asked the waiter for something extra special and he recommended the JD Single Barrel. It was a hit with everyone. I now have a bottle at home that is so good, I honestly don't know how it could possibly be improved upon. I'm down near the bottom of the bottle, and it has mellowed out a bit from evaporation, but the flavor is still excellent. I have a bottle of Glenlivet 12, which was about the same price. It's an eye opening experience to go between the two. The JD Single Barrel is just as complex as the Glenlivet, but just tastes so much better.

Whisky I've Drank: Jack Daniel's Gentleman Jack

By Thewhiskeyjug
What does it take to turn Jack Daniel’s into a Gentleman? Well for starters it gets a second sugar maple charcoal filtering… and that’s it. Sure they might pick slightly better barrels that may have aged in slightly more premium spots in the rick house (barrel warehouse), but that’s pure conjecture and really it’s just the second filtering that turns Jack into a Gentleman.
Jack Daniels gets it’s first sugar maple charcoal filtration (called the Lincoln County process) right after it comes out of the still before it gets put into the barrel. Gentleman Jack gets a secondary filtration after it comes out of the barrel and is on it’s way to being bottled. The purpose is to remove any additional impurities, decrease the oakiness and further mellow and sweeten the whiskey. The result is quite noticeable.
Tasted side by side I like the Gentleman a bit more than Old No. 7. It is cleaner, it’s smoother, there is less rawness to it and the sweet bourbon like notes (which it technically is) come out more. However all of this refinement comes at a cost and part of that cost is excitement. It’s a little boring and I’m missing some of that rough charred character that comes in JD 7 to help balance out the intensely sweet notes in this bottle. Then there’s the actual monetary cost. At about 2x the price of regular Jack it’s just not worth it to me and there is a slew of whiskey I’d rather buy for the same price or even less.

Whisky I've Drank: The Yamazaki Distiller´s Reserve Single Malt

By whiskyforeveryone

The Distiller's Reserve is a new single malt from the Japanese distillery of Yamazaki. The whisky has been constructed to showcase the qualities of Yamazaki's young single malt, which have been matured in ex-red wine casks for three years. These have been accentuated by blending with older malts matured in ex-sherry casks (aged approximately 20 years) and Japanese oak (called mizunara) casks, which are 12+ years old. All the casks used have been hand selected by Shinji Fukuyo, who is only the fourth Chief Blender in owner Suntory's 90 year history.
Yamazaki was Japan's first single malt distillery. It began production in 1923 and was founded by Shinjiro Torri, a man widely regarded as the pioneer of the Japanese whisky industry. It is located in the town of Yamazaki in the Osaka Prefecture, which sits roughly between half way between the major cities of Kyoto and Osaka. It is owned by Suntory, the company that Shinjiro Torri formed in the early 1920s, and has a current annual production of six million litres. This will soon increase as plans have been announced to add four more stills at the distillery, which will increase capacity by 40%.
The Distiller's Reserve joins the 12, 18 and 25 years old expressions to form a core range. They will be occasionally joined by limited editions and older expressions, as has happened in the past. Suntory recommend drinking it neat or in a highball with ice and soda water. The Distiller's Reserve is bottled at 43% ABV and will be £42 per bottle. It will be available very shortly in specialist whisky retailers.
Our tasting notes:
The colour is deep golden yellow and the nose is expressive and full of heady aromas. There is plenty of vanilla and honey to kick things off, before some delicious fruity aromas come through (think of morello cherries and raspberry jam, plus hints of raisin and sultana). There are also underlying fragrant wood spices present including fresh oak, cinnamon, nutmeg and sandalwood.
On the palate, the whisky feels soft and velvety with lovely prominent notes of vanilla, honey and coconut to the fore. There is a lovely delicate and quite sugary sweetness that is reminiscent of something like icing sugar or candyfloss. Further fruity and woody spice notes come through and these add an impressive depth and complexity - think of the morello cherries again plus raisins, bitter orange, cinnamon and oaky tannins (these add a nice 'grip' to the whisky and it clings to the tastebuds as a result). There are also hints of cocoa powder, ginger, toasted nuts and something floral.
The finish is of decent length and begins sweetly and slightly syrup-like, but quickly becomes woodier and spicier. This makes it increasingly dry and the tannic notes from the ex-wine cask matured whisky are definitely most evident now. There is also a slight nuttiness that is most reminiscent of hazelnut.
What's the verdict?
The launch of the Distiller's Reserve has created a ripple of excitement in the whisky community as it is the first new core range whisky to be released by Yamazaki for a number of years. Much like version from its sibling distillery of Hakushu, this new whisky has taken the brand in a slightly different direction to its other core releases.
Suntory have done well with the two Distiller's Reserve releases. Amidst the current fuss being created in certain sections of the whisky community about 'no age statement' whiskies, they have produced two crackers and at a competitive price. The quality of both whiskies is superb and would justify a higher price in our opinion.

Whisky I've Drank: The Glenlivet 18 Years Of Age

By Masterofmalt
This is the best whisky on the market in my book. Smooth as silk with awesome flavor. I have a hard time keeping it in my cabinet because it seems to "disappear" quickly. I nearyly choked my brother-in law when I found he'd poured himself a large "bucket" of Scotch & Soda using my last bottle of 18 year old....bottle is now hidden in the closet!


By TheScotchNoob
To recap, I think The Glenlivet 12 year is slightly better than its similarly-priced rival Glenfiddich 12. On the flip-side, my impression of The Glenlivet 15 year is of moderate improvement that doesn’t justify its price jump. Today, we look at The Glenlivet 18 year, one of the cheapest scotches on the market to have reached 18 years of age. I enjoyed its nemesis, Glenfiddich 18, and I enjoyed the price I got it for at Costco even more. Let’s see how this one fares.
Oddly for The Glenlivet, which staunchly uses ex-bourbon barrels for its maturation, the 18 contains sherry-matured spirit at 12-13% of its volume. Glenlivet does not add coloring agents, but does chill-filter its malts. Finally, this entry in the Glenlivet range gets a bump up in ABV to 43%. About time.
Nose: 

Hint of plum, but otherwise little sherry influence. Some vanilla, but not much wood. Where’s the green apple?
Palate: 

Nice thick body. Creamy, not oily. Golden raisins, fresh green figs, sugar cookies.
Finish: 

Not as smooth as I’d have thought for this age. Vanilla again, and some small amount of bitterness. Anise.
With Water: 

Brings out coconut on the nose, and some nice fresh banana. I actually like this banana – it smells fresh and clean. The water thins the body somewhat, and ups the acidity, but kills the palate in the process, making it watery. Skip the water.
Overall: 

The nice thing about the 12-year is the interesting fresh elements of green apple. The 15 also has some of that, but by the age of 18, it’s mostly gone. In its place isn’t woodiness, or sweetness, or even much complexity. I’m not sure what was happening in the barrel during those 6 extra years, but it wasn’t doing much to elevate this casual standard whisky, alas. That said, it’s hard to beat a decent, drinkable 18 year for under $80. That pricing strategy is the reason I enjoy the 12-year, so why not enjoy the 18 for the same reason? Keep in mind that the Glenfiddich 18 has more flavor and can be even cheaper (I once found it at Costco for $44 a bottle!). Shop accordingly.

Whisky I've Drank: Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select

By Jack Daniel's
Bottled at 90 proof, and made with unique “Sinatra Barrels”, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select pays tribute to Jack’s biggest fan: Mr. Frank Sinatra. These Sinatra barrels have deep grooves on the inside of the staves — which exposes the whiskey to extra layers of oak. This imparts a rich amber color, bold character and a pleasant smokiness, followed by an incredibly smooth vanilla finish. Much like Frank himself, this whiskey is one of a kind.

By WhiskyBee
Last spring, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select was released as a duty-free-only bottling. Last week, Binny’s made a precious few bottles available on their shelves. And just yesterday, a very special friend (who thought he owed me a favor, which he really didn’t) gave me a bottle of Sinatra Select as a gift. What made him an even more special friend was that he also provided me with a sample from his own bottle, as he had the good sense to know that I may never open mine.
To say I’m a huge Frank Sinatra fan would be a bigger understatement than saying Niagara Falls is rather wet. Say what you will about his personal life (and I offer no apologies for that), the man was the greatest popular singer of all time. I own everything The Voice ever recorded, including hundreds of recordings that the law says I'm not supposed to own. I saw him in concert nine times and only regret that I couldn’t have seen him a hundred more times.
Needless to say, I was hugely appreciative of this gift, even if I’ve never been blown away by anything in the JD family since I started taking whisk(e)y seriously. These days, Old No. 7 tastes more like number two to me. (Okay, it’s not that bad; I just couldn’t resist the cheap joke.) But Sinatra lived during a time when Chivas (for which he also shilled) was the epitome of whisky connoisseurship, so I’ll forgive that his favorite libation was JD with a splash. The man was married to Ava Gardner, so shaddap already.
Word is that Sinatra Select was aged at least a year longer than Old No. 7, in barrels with grooves that “go deeper than the charred surface.” It’s also bottled at 45% ABV, “the same strength as when Frank drank it,” according to JD’s marketing department. All I know from my sample is that it’s a decent, straightforward, and bold whiskey that suggests a time when entertainers could indulge in booze and cigarettes on stage and grownups were neither offended nor worried if such vices seduced the youn’uns.
Nose: Wow, wood. The woodiest whisky or whiskey I’ve ever sniffed. Also more smoke than I’m used to in a bourbon (oops, sorry—make that Tennessee Whiskey). Some corn, pepper, and oranges in the background, but it’s the oak (with a bit of its natural vanilla) that overwhelms. A little rough and one-dimensional but not bad.
Palate: Through the arrival, development, and finish, I get caramel, vanilla, and oak wood. Some nice peppery heat on the tongue, followed by a very smooth finish with a nice little citrus tang. Goes back and forth from oranges to limes with each sip. Decent enough, even if the sweetness has to struggle to balance the bitter wood.
I usually have two drams when writing a review, but in this case I did what I could with my wee sample. I found it smooth enough to enjoy neat, so I can’t tell you what a little water does to it. It’s definitely a step up from Old No. 7, although it’s mostly a more intense, yet smoother, version of the same. Before Sinatra Select was released to a few stores, it was commanding ridiculous prices among collectors, which is why I’m choosing to keep my bottle sealed for either future sale or a special occasion. Perhaps I’ll crack it open for Frank’s 100th birthday in 2015.

Whisky I've Drank - Evan Williams

By ModernThirst
Bourbon drinkers know what they like, and bourbon drinkers like Evan Williams. This standard Black Label offering is second only to standard Jim Beam in global sales. Previously, Evan Williams carried a 7 year age statement. Recently, to meet growing demand, that age statement has been dropped. I understand this bourbon is aged between 5 and 7 years now, and it is 86 proof. There is a White Label Bottled-in-Bond version available on-the-cheap as well, at 100 proof, but this review covers the lower proof version.
Appearance: Medium Amber.
Nose: Caramel, vanilla, Leather, Oak.
Taste: Caramel hits the tip of the tongue, and it develops into further flavors of toffee, vanilla bean, and caramel corn throughout. Oak makes an appearance n the back of the tongue, with only a light alcohol burn.
Finish: Medium, somewhat dry, but the caramel lingers with tannins from the barrel showing through at the end along with the slightest hint of peppermint.
Score: 82/100. Recommended.
This is the second-best selling bourbon in the world for a reason, it seems. It’s sweet, smooth, and packed with flavor- especially so for an 86 proof whiskey. However, I felt like the finish left me wanting just a bit more. It lacked punch and bite. While that’s likely due to the lower proof, it still can’t be brushed aside. I am looking forward to sampling the White Label (100 Proof Bottled-in-Bond) version of this very soon, and I have a feeling the extra oomph from the higher alcohol content might be a difference maker. But don’t sleep on black label Evan Williams. If lower proof is your thing, give it a shot.

Whisky I've Drank: Woodford Reserve

By Masterofmalt
Woodford Reserve Bottling Note:

The mashbill for Woodford Reserve features a high percentage of rye: 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malt. Unusual also for being triple distilled and having the lowest proof upon entering the barrel where it matures for at least six years. A must have Kentucky bourbon. Makes a wonderful Old-Fashioned cocktail!
Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt:
The nose is quite thick and creamy. There are notes of honey and spice, leather, a touch of cocoa, a little smoke, toasty oak and vanilla cream with a hint of butterscotch. The palate is thick and full. There are notes of espresso beans, winter spice, cereal sweetness, plenty of rye, ground ginger, almond oil, toasty oak and a little rum. The finish is long and mature with notes of cereals and toasty oaken spice.