J. Henry & Sons Bourbon

January 23, 2020 Eric Burke

I am sick tonight so this will be short. It’s the type of sick where my mouth tastes a little like vomit even though I’ve brushed my teeth about three times today.

Speaking of a bad taste in my mouth, tonight’s bourbon is J. Henry & Sons Wisconsin Straight Bourbon Whiskey. My mom lives in Wisconsin and is very proud of where she comes from. One day last fall, she was watching a local PBS station when she saw a segment on J Henry Bourbon. My step-dad is a bourbon drinker so she looked it up, saw it was for sale at my local Total Wine, and picked it up for him the next time she came to visit me. My sample is from this bottle.

Ordinarily, this is where I would do a lot of research and tell you all a little about the bourbon. But as I said, I am sick and in no mood to research bad bourbon. Luckily the folks over at Bourbon and Banter have done it for us. Though it seems they have a much different opinion of this bourbon than I do. Maybe it is a batch difference or Total Wine got a poorly treated case.

Because, yes sometimes you just get a bad bottle. I’ve had it happen a couple of times over the years. For example, I recently bought a bottle of Larceny from Total Wine that tasted super funky. Before proclaiming that the brand had gone downhill I decided to buy another bottle from a different retailer. That second one tasted normal.

But in any event, I can only review the bottle I have in front of me. And in this case, the cost of the bottle is a little high to take the risk on a second one.

Note: these notes were taken before I was sick.

J. Henry Bourbon

Purchase Info: $56.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.80

Details: 5 years old. Batch 57. 46% ABV.

Nose: Dried grains, bubblegum, and mint

Mouth: Bitter almond, dried grains, and cinnamon.

Finish: Medium length with lingering bitter almond notes, as well as mint and cinnamon notes.

Thoughts: This is...not good. It’s bitter, it’s grainy. It's actually unpleasant to drink. I can't recommend this to any but the most fervent localvores. And even then I'd probably try something else.

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My Wandering Eye: A. de Fussigny Cognac Collection

August 6, 2019 Eric Burke

My Wandering Eye is a series reacting to the crazy rising prices in the bourbon world. We’ve reached a place where even average products have hit the range where they compete price-wise with other types of aged spirits. If I’m going be asked to drop $40 to $70 on a mid-range bourbon, I might as well see what else I can get for that money. My hope is to see if another spirits category offers something that is downright tasty in that price range. The goal isn’t to find cheap spirits, but to maximize the quality, I’m getting at a particular price point. And one thing to remember is that these reviews will all be written from the perspective of a bourbon drinker.

IMAGE: five cognacs from the A. de Fussigny Cognac Collection. One from four different cognac regions and one organic blend

As we are coming up on the Autumn Whiskey Release season, I think it is just about time to clear out the last of the items I bought the last time my eye wandered down the brandy aisle at Total Wine. It was a while ago as I was, once again, looking for a Christmas gift for my Korbel Brandy loving father. Often times, I will get him a cognac or an armagnac for Christmas as a treat. But of course, when I look for a gift for him, I often walk out with at least one gift for me as well.

The thing I found interesting about this gift set was that the company that produced it apparently bottled brandies from each of the regions they produce in separately. So conceivably you could taste the terroir of each region. It reminded me of a daydream I had many years ago of buying five barrels of new make whiskey from the same batch at the same distillery and aging them each in different climates to see what the differences were. Needless to say, that idea was too expensive for me. But if you want to do that feel free, just be sure to send me a sample of each when they are done.

A. de Fussigny Cognac Collection

Petite Champagne VSOP

Nose: Delicate floral notes along with light wintergreen and dried fruit.

Mouth: Cinnamon, dried fruit, white sugar.

Finish: Fairly bitter.

Thoughts: Not a fan of this one. Can't get past the bitter finish. This is a distant number 5 of 5. We are not starting out well.

Borderies VSOP

Nose: Subtle. light notes of baking spice.

Mouth: Sweet, Floral, nutty and peppery.

Finish: Black pepper and caramel sweetness.

Thoughts: Nice pepperiness to it. Took me by surprise. It’s ok, but I wouldn’t seek it out. I rank this number 4 of the 5.

Fins Bois VSOP

Nose: Carmel covered raisins.

Mouth: Sweet and spicy, dried fruit, baking spice.

Finish: Caramel and baking spice.

Thoughts: Sweet. Very bourbon-like finish. This is where we enter the ones that we actually liked. Number 3 of the 5.

Organic VSOP

Nose: Lemon lime soda, light notes of baking spice

Mouth: Citrus, baking spice, almond.

Finish: Candied Almonds.

Thoughts: Delicate but quite tasty. This is a close number 2. I really like this one.

Grande Champagne VSOP

Nose: Dried fruit with a lime-like tartness.

Mouth: Lime, clove, mint, dried fruit.

Finish: Citrus and baking spice.

Thoughts: Refreshing. I like this one quite a bit. It reminds me of my favorite summer white wines with how crisp and refreshing it is. I liked this enough to look up the price. Total Wine has it for about $70 for a 750 mL. I may have to pick a bottle up next time it is in stock. I think it’s worth it.

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Smooth Ambler Big Level Wheated Bourbon

October 16, 2018 Eric Burke

IMAGE: nighttime shot of a bottle of Smooth Ambler’s Big Level wheated bourbon.

Have you ever had this experience?

Someone uses the restroom in your house when you really gotta go. I mean you gotta go so bad that once the door is opened and your wife (or whomever) comes out, you dodge them and rush through the doorway. Immediately upon entering, you are hit with the smell. It’s like walking into a wall. A wall that wants to slap your nose across the face.

Your head rocks back and you make a noise that sounds like a strangled: “wheeeew!” At which point, your wife (or whomever) exclaims: “Oh, it’s not that bad!” All the while you are just trying to relieve yourself, wash your hands and get out of there as quickly as you can.

You can’t really blame them. They spent too much time with it. They don’t know how bad that thing they made really is. They started with nothing and worked it up into something…different. But they did it gradually. It didn’t just hit them all at once like it did you. They had time to get used to it.

Ever had that experience? Maybe it’s just me.

Smooth Ambler Big Level Wheated Bourbon

Purchase Info: $54.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Details: 50% ABV. This is a wheated bourbon recipe. Non-age stated. Batch 16.

Nose: Herbal mint, dried grains, and green lumber.

Mouth: Spicy heat, dried grains, mint, and black pepper.

Finish: Warm and of medium length. Dried grain notes lend a bitter aftertaste, along with herbal mint and black pepper. A lingering tingle on the tongue.

Thoughts: I’m not going to sugar coat it, this straight up isn’t ready yet. It is very young tasting. I remember tasting their “Yearling” bourbon (which in my bottle was 1.67 years old) and this reminds me a lot of how I remember that. Which is too bad. At the time I reviewed Yearling, I’d said I was looking forward to tasting that when it had grown up. I’m guessing that I’ll need to wait longer. This is highly disappointing, especially considering the price it sells for.

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O.Z. Tyler, Bourbon and Rye

August 14, 2018 Eric Burke

IMAGE: Two miniature bottles. One OZ Tyler Bourbon, one OZ Tyler Rye

When I was a kid, Walt Disney's Bambi taught me two things.

1) The mom will always die in a Disney cartoon.
2) "If you can't say anything nice, don't say nothin' at all"

...

OZ Tyler Bourbon and Rye

Purchase Info: $0.99 each for 50mL bottles from Liquor Barn Middletown, Louisville, KY

Details: 45% ABV. Processed using the TerrePURE fast filtering process.
Bourbon: "Aged a minimum of a year and a day in new charred oak."
Rye: "Aged a minimum of six months in new charred oak."

Nose:
Bourbon: Caramel Corn. Smells very young.
Rye: Buttered corn initially. A hint of rye spice appears after a bit.

Mouth:
Bourbon: Gentle spice (mostly alcohol tingle), Sweet corn.
Rye: Thin and cool in the mouth. After holding it in the mouth for a while, rye spices appear. Slightly sweet with a hint of citrus.

Finish:
Bourbon: The finish really reminds me of the sips of Seagrams 7 and 7-up that I'd steal from my dad as a kid. Thin, grainy and just a bit longer than you'd hope for given the flavors.
Rye: Gentle and short with hints of rye spice that fade quickly.

IMAGE: A hand drawn face with a frown, tongue sticking out and x's for eyes.

Thoughts: It is my understanding that most of the TerrePURE whiskey is being either sold as bulk whiskey or bottled as store brands. Given that, you can be sure that it will end up in plenty of private labels near you. I know that Total Wine has multiple of their own brands that are made from TerrePURE whiskey. I've tried a couple. I haven't found one yet I could recommend. I bought this thinking that since this was a brand being released by the producers, that it might be a good representation of the best that they could do.

I still decided to only risk $4.

If this is representative of TerrePURE whiskey, then "Distilled in Indiana" will become the mark to look for on unknown bourbon instead of "Distilled in Kentucky." This bourbon gives Kentucky bourbon a bad name. Luckily most of the TerrePURE whiskeys I've had have been labeled as such. But maybe we should avoid all store brand Kentucky bourbons, just in case. And in case it wasn't obvious, I really do not like this. At all.

The rye is pretty meh. It's light on rye flavor. Doesn't have the punch you'd expect from even young rye. But, hey, it is much better than the bourbon. So there is that.

George Dickel Tabasco Brand Barrel Finish

May 31, 2018 Eric Burke

I state in my Statement of Ethics that if I accept a review sample, I will disclose it at the beginning of the article. Please consider it disclosed. I’d like to thank Taylor Strategy for providing this sample to me with no strings attached. As always, all thoughts are just my opinion and should be taken as just that.

You've seen the .gif online featuring Jason Bateman in his role from Arrested Development, I'm sure ("What? No. No. No. NoNoNo."). Well, that's what went through my head when I got the PR email regarding a Tabasco barrel finished version of George Dickel.

But then, then I remembered that my favorite condiment is made by Tabasco. And I remembered that I have planned meals around the fact that I wanted something to eat upon which I could put that particular condiment.

And so, I requested a sample. A request, I might add, that I was rightly and roundly mocked for when I last met friends for a drink. I believe that the exclamation was along the lines of "But Tabasco is so vinegary! Why would you want vinegar in your whiskey?" I'm not going to lie. He made a point, I hadn't considered. But still, here it is. I might as well taste it.

George Dickel Tabasco Brand Barrel Finish

Purchase Info: This sample was kindly provided to me free of charge by Taylor Strategy. The suggested price was $24.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Details: 35% ABV

Nose: Citrus and hot peppers

Mouth: Sweet with hints of pepper flavor. Not as hot as you'd expect.

Finish: Mild at first with a hot pepper kick after a few seconds.

Thoughts: This is not a drink that was intended to be consumed neat. It's a gimmick product. The press release describes enjoying it as a shot. So, I'm going to guess that this was initially envisioned as a Fireball competitor (though I'm hearing rumors this is becoming more of a "one-and-done" sort of product). So, as it wasn't intended as to be consumed neat, it was a bit unfair of me to subject it to my standard tasting regimen.

Because of that, I also decided to try it in a few cocktails. And it did ok there. I'm not a cocktail guru, but I could see this becoming an interesting ingredient in the hands of a skilled mixologist. I used it in a whiskey sour and it did well. Made it slightly spicy. I had a few people thinking it might be good in a Bloody Mary, which I could see. I once made a Manhatten riff with a vinegar shrub in place of the vermouth which was pretty good, so that might be a route to explore too.

Bottom line: There is nothing inherently wrong with this and to quote Mark Gillespie from WhiskyCast: it "could have been MUCH worse." But, yeah, this isn't for me. I'll be trying it in more cocktails, but if I can't find something that I like better than my standard ones, I may not finish the bottle. That said, this is a weird one. So if it intrigues you and you see it at a bar, give it a try.

King's Creek Tennessee Whiskey

March 8, 2018 Eric Burke

Last week I got an ad circular letting me know that King's Creek Tennessee Whiskey was Total Wine's Whiskey of the Month for March. I promptly forgot about that since I don't make a habit of buying whiskey on price, preferring instead to purchase most of the stuff I review based on how interesting I think I can make it.

So when I got to the store and noticed that it was 9 years old, my curiosity was piqued. It was a "Spirits Direct" selection which normally means store brand, though there are exceptions. I was curious because a nine-year-old Tennessee whiskey could really only come from a few places. Mostly because there are only a few places in Tennessee that have been distilling and aging whiskey since 2008/2009.

So, what do we know about this? Not much. It is nice years old. It is 90° proof. It was bottled in Princeton, Minnesota so, since it is a Tennessee Whiskey, it is obviously sourced. Like I said, there are only a few places that have been around long enough to put this out so I'm thinking it is either Jack Daniel's, George Dickel, Prichard's or maybe the old Collier and McKeel since, based on my research/SKU's wonderful list, it seems that they may or may not be supplying Costco's Tennessee Whiskey as well.

Based on that, I thought I had pretty good odds of it being something decent. I mean, I'd had 9-year-old Dickel and it was delicious. I've had Prichard but I don't really remember it (I assume that I'd have remembered it if it was bad). Jack can make good whiskey. And that left the one that I knew nothing about except that they sold their brand to a California company that may or may not be supplying Costco.

Well, now onto the important stuff: how does it taste?

King's Creek Tennessee Whiskey

Purchase Info: $39.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN.

Details: 9 years old, 45% ABV.

Nose: Dried Grain, oak, and peanut.

Mouth: Cherry, dried grain, hints of spice.

Finish: Robitussin Cough Syrup. Long and gentle.

Thoughts: Oh please, let this finish stop! The flavor lasts forever and in this case that is not a good thing. You do not want Robitussin to be a lasting reminder of a whiskey and that is precisely what happens here. This is a terrible whiskey. I'll give it this. It would only be a meh if you didn't need to swallow it. But since we all swallow...nothing kinky...this is a hard pass. It is a mediocre mixer but neat? Just steer clear of this one. You can get a better Tennessee whiskey from the same store (Jack Daniel's) at less than half the price. Well, at least I know where my next prop whiskey will come from.

Basil Hayden's Dark Rye

October 31, 2017 Eric Burke

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

This is my favorite holiday of the year. I love the spooky theme of all the decorations. I love jack-o-lanterns. I love seeing the little kids in their costumes. And, I love the candy.

Way back in college, I used to love the parties and the costumes too. But these days, I'm more grown up. I sit at home, hand out candy to the few kids brave enough to head around the neighborhood and watch a spooky movie.

You wouldn't think I would be as happy for Halloween to get here as I am. Ignoring the calendar, before Halloween, it's Autumn. And even though I hate winter, I love Autumn. I love the crisp mornings with the hint of a warm afternoon. I love the fact that, on occasion, I can still get away with shorts and a t-shirt while doing lawn work. The idea that even if you get snow, it probably won't last. But after Halloween, it's winter. November in Minnesota means you are more likely to need a snow shovel than you are shorts.

But in spite of all of that. In spite of the fact that it'll feel more like winter tomorrow than it does today, I still love Halloween. It feels good to indulge my inner child for one night and eat pizza, candy and drink some beer.

All of which has nothing to do with tonight's whiskey, Basil Hayden's Dark Rye. Basil Hayden's Dark Rye is the latest in the line of Basil Hayden brand extensions. It is a blend of Straight Rye whiskey from Kentucky, Canadian Rye whisky from Alberta Distillers, and Port. If this tickles a memory for you, that is because Beam already has a similar product on the market in Alberta Rye Dark Batch. That is a blend of Canadian Rye, Bourbon and Sherry. So similar, but not exactly the same. I didn't care for the Dark Batch, let's see how Dark Rye fares.

Basil Hayden's Dark Rye

Purchase info: $44.99 for a 750 mL at Lakeville Liquors, Lakeville, MN

Details: 40% ABV. A blend of Kentucky straight rye, Alberta Distillers Canadian Rye, and Port.

Nose: Strong caramel notes lead off. Baking Spice, citrus, and ripe red fruits follow.

Mouth: Caramel, lots of baking spice, and ripe red fruits.

Finish: Short, but sweet with jammy wine notes dominating.

Thoughts: I'm going to do something I almost never do. This is getting two ratings from me.

Neat: I was ok with it up until the finish. I don't care for most fortified wines outside of a cocktail and the finish being very wine forward was a problem for me. That said, there is nothing wrong with this if you like that sort of thing. So this gets a dislike from me when tasted neat.

Cocktails: Night and day difference. Because of the fortified wine notes, we first used it in a Manhattan. My wife thought it was ok, but I thought it was a little too sweet. Then I tried swapping the Vermouth in the Manhattan for Amaro (Ramazzotti is my house amaro), and it was really quite good. It accentuated the baking spice notes which was quite tasty. So tasty that I've used most of the rest of the bottle in various cocktails. I've personally favored the ones that feature bitter notes to play off of the sweet fortified wine finish. So it gets a like from me for use in cocktails because this has been a go-to for as long as it has been here.

Collabor&tion

September 28, 2017 Eric Burke

I state in my Statement of Ethics that if I accept a review sample, I will disclose it at the beginning of the article. Please consider it disclosed. I’d like to thank Ro-Bro Marketing and Public Relations, Bardstown Bourbon Company and Copper & Kings for providing this sample to me with no strings attached.

While I was in Kentucky I was invited to a media event to announce the first product to be released by Bardstown Bourbon Company. I was a bit scared of the product, to be honest, they only started distilling a year ago and I was unsure what was going to be released. But my fears were allayed when I got the press release stating that the bourbon was sourced from MGP and was 10-years old.

When I got to the distillery for the event, I came to the realization that there were actually two products. One was a barrel strength, brandy finished bourbon. And one was a barrel strength Mistelle finished bourbon. Which left me with just one question. What the hell is Mistelle?

Luckily they were kind enough to provide us a cheat sheet and so I will quote from that.

"A Mistelle barrel is a unique vessel. Mistelle is unfermented grape juice (in this case Muscat) fortified with un-aged brandy (Muscat eau-de-vie) and then aged in bourbon barrels for 18 months. The empty barrels are deeply and highly caramelized with the grape sugars and fruit essences."

So where did the barrels they used to finish the products come from? Well, that is the source of the name. Both the Mistelle and the Brandy were produced by Louisville's Copper & Kings Brandy. See it was a collaboration between the two companies that made this possible and from what I can tell, both were heavily involved in the final product.

Collabor&tion - Muscat Mistelle Finished

Purchase Info: I received a sample of this from the company at the launch event. SRP is $124.99 and can be purchased at the Copper & Kings gift shop and selected retailers around the country.

Details: 47% ABV. 10-year-old MGP bourbon finished in Copper&Kings Mistelle barrels for an additional 18 months.

Nose: White grape juice, brown sugar, almost no whiskey notes on the nose.

Mouth: Very sweet with just a touch of spice at the tip of the tongue. White grape candy with clove and black pepper.

Finish: Warm and of decent length, but also very sweet. Lingering notes of white grape juice, spearmint, and baking spice.

Thoughts: This one just isn't for me. Aside from a few varieties of baked goods, I don't have much of a sweet tooth. I don't like candy, I don't like most soda, and I don't like most liqueurs. That said, if you want a sweet grape whiskey liqueur but want it to have the proof of a whiskey, this might be right up your alley. I mean, it isn't a liqueur, but it tastes as sweet as one. Personally, I might have liked it better if they had taken this and then blended it back with more of the original straight whiskey. But that's just me.

Collabor&tion - Brandy Finished

Purchase Info: I received a sample of this from the company at the launch event. SRP is $124.99 and can be purchased at the Copper & Kings gift shop and selected retailers around the country.

Details: 56.5% ABV. 10-year-old MGP bourbon finished in Copper&Kings Brandy barrels for an additional 18 months.

Nose: Baking spices, caramel, and oak. Hints of raisin appear after a bit.

Mouth: Sweet, spicy and relatively brandy forward. Notes of nutmeg, raisin, and caramel.

Finish: Long and warm with lingering grape, nutmeg, and caramel notes.

Thoughts: Your thoughts on this will depend largely on how much you like both finished bourbons and brandy. I happen to enjoy both so this is a bit of a treat for me. It is scarily drinkable neat despite its high proof. The flavors are thick and rich. All in all, it is very tasty. (That said, there is no way I would pay $125 for this whiskey. Though that says more about my budget than it does about the quality of the whiskey.)

Blog

J. Henry Bourbon

A. de Fussigny Cognac Collection

Petite Champagne VSOP

Borderies VSOP

Fins Bois VSOP

Organic VSOP

Grande Champagne VSOP

Smooth Ambler Big Level Wheated Bourbon

OZ Tyler Bourbon and Rye

George Dickel Tabasco Brand Barrel Finish

King's Creek Tennessee Whiskey

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Basil Hayden's Dark Rye

Collabor&tion - Muscat Mistelle Finished

Collabor&tion - Brandy Finished