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.

Whisky I've Drank: Jura 10 Years Old Single Malt Whisky

By Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf)
The Isle of Jura lies just seven miles wide and is 30 miles long. It apparently has only one road and one hotel, and its population is about 200 people strong. The Distillery (the island has only one), was built at an old smugglers’ cave near the hamlet of Craighouse in 1810. Unfortunately the distillery in those early days led a troubled life, and it soon fell into disrepair and was abandoned. It was not until 153 years later, in 1963, that the distillery was rebuilt by two local businessmen, Robin Fletcher and Tony Riley-Smith who then began to distill their Jura Single Malt Whisky.
I mentioned to the folks at Authentic Wine and Spirits, that I was going to be reviewing a few Single Malts this fall, and to my delight they added a couple of the Jura expressions to the review line-up.
In the Bottle 5/5:
The marketing people in Scotland always seem to be just ahead of us guys in North America with respect to product presentation. The single malt whiskies they produce always seem to have just that bit of pizzazz that sets them apart from the other whisky bottles on my shelf. The Jura 10 Year Old is no exception, the bottle arrives in a classy box, it has a unique shape and is corked as good whisky should be. The labeling is professional and exudes class.
In the Glass 8.5/10:
The colour of the whisky in the glass is a nice golden amber with orange flashes. When I tilted my glass and gave it a slow swirl, I noticed the whisky imparted long slow slender legs onto the sides of the glass.
The initial aroma from the glass is of oak spice, almond and marmalade, with a certain fruitiness in evidence as well. Some drier woody notes begin to rise in the breezes and the effect is not unlike the smell of the willow trees in my backyard in the springtime. As the glass breathes hints of peat begin to well up, and that almond scent turns to marzipan. Like most whiskies the scents and the aromas grow in the glass over time, and when the glass has decanted for ten minutes we can smell saw grass, ferns, and mossy spruce within the peat and oak.
In the Mouth 48/60:
The entry into the mouth is a little sharp with orange peel and dry woody flavours leading out. I can taste that light peat which was noticed on the nose as well as the almond. The overall effect is dryish and lightly bitter. Some very light honey sweetness is sitting underneath, but it is never assertive enough to counterbalance the sharper drier flavours. The peat does develop in the glass and becomes more organic over time. It does not ever become boggy as peat sometimes can, rather it continues to bring dry grassy flavours forward of birch, willow and saw grass.
When I added an ice-cube I was able to enjoy the glass much more. The ice smoothed out the lightly bitter flavours and lessened the sharpness of the initial delivery.
In the Throat 12/15:
The finish is dry and leaves the palate coated with sharp oak tannins that taste of orange peel and peppery spice. A few ghostly whispers of peat linger at the back of the throat. Again I much preferred the whisky with an added ice-cube.
The Afterburn 8/10:
The Jura 10 Year Old Single Malt walks on the dry side of the palate with whispers of peat bringing a nice complexity to the dram. My sense however, is that the whisky yearns for a dab of sweetness that never materializes. Lightly bitter accents are never counterbalanced, and the result is a whisky which is begging to be more than what it is.