Four Roses Single Barrel, Gift Shop - September 2015 Brent Elliott selection

January 5, 2016 Eric Burke

Four Roses Single Barrel-Gift Shop Selection

Change is hard sometimes. That’s an understatement, right? For examples see the uproar after any change on any social network. Change is so hard for people to take that even rumors of change can cause news articles to be written. (Real headline from Fortune on New Years Eve 2015: Facebook Might Change It’s Newsfeed.)

Change is especially hard when it involves something you really like. Years ago, I ran the art department of a magazine. When I took over, I wanted to clean up the look of the book a little. In my research, I remember reading a lot of angry letters in other magazines that took them to task for the smallest of changes. I’m thankful that this was basically pre-internet being useful for much or I’d have probably been too scared to make my changes. Because, believe it or not, people don’t like it when you mess with their stuff.

And I really do mean their stuff. People get invested in their favorite brands and products. And the bourbon-world is no exception. The popular outcry that forced Maker’s Mark to reverse an unpopular business decision a few years ago is proof of how much people love their chosen bourbon.

Last summer well-loved bourbon brand Four Roses announced a change of a different sort. Beloved Master Distiller Jim Rutledge was retiring. And while there was honest congratulations for him on a well-deserved retirement, there was also an underlying nervousness. Would the bourbon change? Would the quality decrease? Would they put out a flavored bourbon now?

And while it will take some time to find the answers to the first couple of nervous questions, newly minted Master Distiller Brent Elliott got a round of applause when he announced to a September crowd that the answer to that last question was a resounding no.

But wait, I guess there actually is a way to get a hint of the hands, or at least the palate, that now puts its stamp on Four Roses. And that is to grab a gift shop single barrel selection chosen by him. Which is what I did last September when I visited. Along with the a bottle of one of Mr. Rutledge’s last selections (which I will be sitting on for a bit), I grabbed one of the first two selections by Mr. Elliott for the gift shop. I figure it should be a fair assessment of what he thought was good.

Four Roses Gift Shop Selection

Purchase Info: Roughly $76 after tax for a 750mL at the Four Roses Gift Shop

Details: OBSF, 11 years 4 months old, Chosen by Master Distiller Brent Elliott, Bottled September 2015, 51.2% ABV, Warehouse GW, Barrel 81-1F

Nose: Sweet fruitiness, cinnamon, mint, brown sugar. After some time in the glass rich oaky notes of tobacco and leather are revealed.

Mouth: The mouth leads with a spicy cool tingle before resolving into oak, cloves, eucalyptus, honey and pears.

Finish: The finish is long with a warmth that settles in the chest and a minty coolness in the mouth. Pears and eucalyptus linger.

Thoughts: If I had any fears that the quality of the barrel selections would drop off at the gift shop once Mr Rutledge wasn’t doing the choosing, those fears are laid to rest. While this is certainly different than any of the other picks I’ve gotten there in the past, it is just as tasty. Love this one.

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Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey (110 proof)

December 29, 2015 Eric Burke

Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey with it's cousin, Rittenhouse, in the background

I tend to like rye whiskey more than my wife does. She’s coming around, but things that show a lot of rye character still aren’t her drink of choice. When I find my hand hovering over an open bottle of rye on the shelf it is usually one that is a nice change of pace from bourbon. To be honest, it is probably either from Canada or Indiana. If I’m grabbing a rye, I don’t want it to be confused for a high rye bourbon. If I wanted that I’d just have a bourbon.

My wife on the other hand, tends to like her ryes more bourbony. With rare exceptions, the Kentucky-style barely-legal rye is the style she’d reach for first. Which makes our most recent whiskey to be opened one that is more up her alley than mine.

Pikesville Straight Rye whiskey is a wide-release line extension to the Pikesville Supreme Rye whiskey that is mostly available only in Maryland where the brand was originally from. It is an older and higher proof version of Rittenhouse Rye. But those 10 degrees proof and 2 years time come with a price. Where Rittenhouse can be found hovering around $22 at my nearest Total Wine, Pikesville clocks in at $44.

I guess the only question is…is it worth it?

Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey

Purchase Info: $54.95 for a 750 mL bottle. Heaven Hill Gift Shop, Bardstown, KY

Details: 6 years old, 55% ABV

Nose: Mint, cloves, caramel, a mild fruitiness and hints of cotton candy.

Mouth: Ginger spiciness, cloves, mint and a fruitiness that is more forward on the palate than the nose would lead you to believe.

Finish: Cloves, mild fruitiness and mint follow a lingering spicy ginger heat.

Thoughts: Though this is a barely-legal rye, it has enough rye character that it straddles a line where both my wife and I tend to like this one. Like it’s younger cousin, this is a hot rye whiskey. Unlike it’s younger cousin, I like this in a glass with an ice cube rather than in a cocktail.

So to answer the question above, is it worth twice the price? To me, the answer is yes since I actually like this one where I’m just sort of meh on Rittenhouse outside of a cocktail. If on the other hand, you love your Rittenhouse, your milage may vary. Certainly try it but the value may not be there for you.

Medley Bros. A pretty good bourbon to have while watching TV.

December 21, 2015 Eric Burke

Medley Bros, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and the glass I was drinking it out of while taking the photo.

If you are a loyal reader of the blog, you will notice that this post is appearing on an off day. Being the loyal reader that you are, you probably have your schedule set up so that you will always be reading bourbon guy.com on Tuesday and Thursday nights. And now I’ve gone and screwed that right the hell up.

I do have a good excuse. Tomorrow night I am taking my daughter and wife to see Star Wars. I’ve taken my daughter to see every Star Wars movie. It started when she was young and we took her to see the theatrical release of the Original Trilogy Special Editions when she was little. It continued through the prequels when she was a teenager and now that she is an adult we are going to see Episode VII.

But I have a little secret. I hate Star Wars. I can’t watch them. I used to love them. Then I took my daughter to see them and she loved them. And we had them on VHS, then DVD and then Blu-ray. And she watched them. And watched them. And watched them…

I hate those damn movies with such a passion at this point. I’ve seen them enough that I could probably recite them in my sleep. And yet, she wants to go. And she wants to go with us since it has become a family tradition. And honestly I’m excited. I’ll probably watch this movie exactly one time. And I assume I will enjoy it. Even if it is just for the company. And the fact that the theater I’m going to see it in has recliners.

At home, I love my recliner. It is where I do most of my tv watching. It is soft, leather and is wide enough that my littlest dog can wiggle in next to me while I pet her. At times the other hand will be holding a drink. I have pretty specific requirements for tv bourbon. It has to be good enough that I want to continue drinking it, but not so interesting that I am concentrating on the bourbon instead of the show. A good example of this is tonight’s bourbon:

Medley Bros. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Purchase Info: $21.99 for 750 mL bottle. Chicano’s Liquor Mart, Hudson, WI.

Details: 51% ABV

Nose: Dried orange peal, oak and mint with vanilla and caramel sweetness backing it up.

Mouth: A nice fruitiness, cloves, oak and sweet vanilla.

Finish: Good heat with a slight bitterness that transitions to a lingering vanilla as the heat fades.

Thoughts: This is a decent value bourbon with enough proof and richness of flavor to stand up nicely to a little water or a cube of ice. I’ve found it works nicely when I just want a drink while putting my feet up and binging through a season of something on Netflix. It’s good enough to accentuate my relaxation, but not so good I pause the show to talk with my wife about how good the bourbon is.

I have to say, that out of the ones I’ve had, this is my favorite release from the Medley Company. Personally, I felt that Old Medley and Wathen’s were over-oaked, under-proofed and over-priced. This is just the opposite. The proof is decent at just over 100 and the price is right in the ballpark of perfect. And, as an added bonus, it is pretty tasty too.

If You've Had... Ezra Brooks Edition

December 17, 2015 Eric Burke

This weekend I found myself with two-thirds of the entire Ezra Brooks line up. As I probably wouldn’t have more than one of the lineup at a time for quite a while, I decided to pick up the missing piece and do the second install meant of the If You’ve Had… series

In case you missed it last time, the setup is like this: "If you've had Whiskey A then Whiskey B is..." hotter, spicier, sweeter, more floral, etc. Each section is written as compared to one of the whiskeys. So if you've had that one, but not the others then that section will be of the most use to you. Remember there are no value judgments here. You get to decide based on what you know of Whiskey A if Whiskey B sounds like something you'd want to try.

Up tonight is the Ezra Brooks family. Ezra Brooks Black Label 90 proof, Old Ezra 7-year-old 101 proof, and Ezra B 12 year Single Barrel 99 proof. Mind you that with that last one, your mileage may vary since it is a sourced Single Barrel product.

If you’ve had Ezra Brooks Black then…

Old Ezra is: much darker in the glass and shows much less grain on the nose. It is thicker in the mouth and hotter. It has more pronounced fruitiness, baking spice and oak and a longer and warmer finish.

Ezra B is: darker and richer in color. It is sweeter and fruitier on the nose with pear and maple showing instead of grain. The mouth is richer, sweeter and spicier with an oilier mouthfeel. The finish is longer, warmer and shows more mint and oak.

If you’ve had Old Ezra 7 year then…

Ezra Brooks Black Label is: lighter in color and more grain forward on the nose. It is thinner in the mouth with a more watery mouthfeel. By comparison, the mouth is delicate and grain forward. The finish is much shorter, more gentle, but also more bitter.

Ezra B is: sweeter and fruitier on the nose. It is also sweeter and fruitier on the mouth with a creamier mouthfeel. The finishes are similar in heat and length but Ezra B is showing more baking spice.

If you’ve had Ezra B 12 year then…

Ezra Brooks Black Label is: much lighter in color. The nose is more delicate and more grain forward. The mouth shows more grain and baking spice but is also more bitter. The finish is more gentle and much shorter.

Old Ezra is: more tannic on the nose showing more black tea. It shows more oak in the mouth and is less sweet. The finish is similar in heat and length but shows more oak tannins.

Hayes Parker Reserve Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey

December 15, 2015 Eric Burke

Every so often as I prowl the aisles of local liquor stores looking to broaden my whiskey horizons, I see something that makes me pause. Most of the time that pause is because the item is intriguing. Something that I expect will be good. That I look forward to trying.

This was not one of those times. On this particular occasion, I saw something that brought out morbid curiosity. The very same morbid curiosity that makes us do things like gawk at an auto accident, go digging in the back of the refrigerator to “find out what that smell is” or buy a bottle of whiskey that has the TerrePure name on it.

If you weren’t aware, TerrePure is a technology that has been developed by the Terressentia Corporation out of South Carolina to rapidly age spirits. They claim they can take 6 month old bourbon and make it taste like it is four years or better. It is a claim that has many a whiskey aficionado cringing every time they read it even though the CEO throws around the medals their products have won in competitions as signs of the quality of their product.

Of course most people who know anything about spirits competitions know that anything under gold medals are variations of a participation trophy. I mean, if no medal means it doesn’t “represent the category,” that means a bourbon only has to resemble bourbon to get a medal. Then the lowest medal (bronze) is good. So good = passing. Above that are 4 more level (Category Winners, Double Gold, Gold and Silver) which I have to assume would relate to A, B, C and D of the US letter grade system since Bronze is a passing grade which I always saw as D-.

All of this went through my head as I stood there looking at the small rack of mini bottles hanging in the middle of the aisle at Total Wine. And it really is neither here nor there except as an explanation as to why I bought two minis instead of a full bottle. But preconceived notions aside, I did not buy this thinking that it would be bad. I bought it thinking that I might learn something. I gave the technology the benefit of the doubt. If I thought it was going to be terrible, I wouldn’t have bought it. Life is too short to waste time drinking terrible whiskey.

Soooo...

Hayes Parker Reserve Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey

Purchase info: $1.49 for a 50 mL bottle. Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Details: 45% ABV. Aged at least 6 months.

Nose: Grain forward, ethanol and a vague fruitiness.

Mouth: Brown sugar, silage, raisins, spearmint.

Finish: Fairly short with lingering minty ethanol notes.

Thoughts: This is a bad whiskey. If this is an example of what the TerrePure process produces, they can keep it. To me, this product doesn’t taste like bourbon. In fact, it reminds me of the fact that most countries mandate 3 years of aging before you can call something whiskey. This is so bad, it makes me long for the same rule here, if only so to keep people like this from adulterating the good name of bourbon.

For another opinion, this is a photo I took of the actual tasting notes my wife took the day we tasted this one. Obviously, she was feeling a bit silly toward the end.

The actual tasting notes my wife took on the day we tasted this.

Ask Arok: Does Luxco have aging warehouses?

December 10, 2015 Eric Burke

@mindtron asked on twitter:

@arok this is super inside baseball, but do you know if Luxco have their own warehouses? asking as I just opened the 7yr and I wondered if it was barrels meant for EC12 that started getting too oaky when young.

The 7 year he was referencing is one of my favorite value bourbons Old Ezra 101 7 year shown above.

Now I love geeky inside-baseball questions and, to be honest, on this one I had no idea. As with all the best questions, this is a question I had never even thought to ask before. So I reached out to my PR contact at Luxco and asked them. I also reached out to a couple other bloggers that I thought might have an answer just in case they declined to answer.

As it stands they were happy to answer this one:

“Our bourbons are not aged by Luxco; they are aged at the source where Luxco contracts.”

This answer was later corroborated by Josh Wright of SipologyBlog and Chuck Cowdery.

So on to the second part. Of course it is impossible to get know for sure, but it’s an open secret in the bourbon community that at least some of the juice for Ezra Brooks comes from Heaven Hill. And so it stands to reason that barrels that were aging a bit too quickly to make it to 12 years for Elijah Craig, might be sold off to someone who would be happy to use them in a 7 year old bourbon.

Do you have a bourbon question you'd like answered? Just get in contact with me using one of the icons in the sidebar to submit one. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll try to find it from someone who does.

UPDATE: the day after I wrote this, we received the news that Luxco was planning a distillery in Bardstown. I'm assuming there will be aging facilities there.

Whiskey: An American Pictorial History by Oscar Getz

December 8, 2015 Eric Burke

A while back, I wrote a post about the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History in Bardstown, KY. In doing research for that post, I stumbled upon the information that Mr. Getz, aside from being an avid collector of whiskey historical memorabilia, also wrote a book on whiskey history as well.

Having stumbled upon that information just as the the monthly patron donations hit, I immediately decided to use that month’s proceeds to purchase the book should I be able to find it. It turns out that it I didn’t have to look too hard. Though the book is long out of print, there are plenty of used copies for sale on the Amazon Marketplace. And so, not knowing exactly what I would get, I placed the order and waited.

Whiskey: An American Pictorial History

by Oscar Getz

Based upon the title, I expected this book to be made up almost entirely of pictures. I expected that most of those pictures would be from Mr. Getz’s collection, the seed of the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History in Bardstown, KY. I half expected that most of the images would be of things I remembered seeing from the museum.

I was both right and wrong. There are images of items that I’ve seen in the museum and many of the images are of items from Mr. Getz’s collection. But contrary to my expectations this book is not as image heavy as the title would lead you to believe. Now don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of images, but many, if not most, of them are images of documents. Within it’s pages are an amazing collection of letters, laws, newspaper pages, liquor licenses and advertisements from Colonial times through the mid-1970s.

Like other books on American whiskey history, this one starts with the pilgrims, retelling legends that in many of us learned in elementary school. It talks about the intertwined nature of taverns, liquor and the early United States. It touches on George Washington, Hamilton, the Whiskey Rebellion, the Civil War before ending it’s narrative with Prohibition.

But though it hits all the same notes as many other books, I found this book to be interesting for the parts it includes that many others don’t. There is a chapter on Abraham Lincoln and his tavern. There is a chapter on mail-order whiskey marketing. And the book ends with a chapter on a subject that reads as a personal one for Mr. Getz, the economic and social contributions of the liquor industry.

This final chapter details a history of charitable contributions, the many ways that states used their liquor tax revenue in the 1970s and a plea that the distilling industry devote itself to helping end teenage consumption as well as drinking and driving. Though this chapter was not written as a history, almost forty years on, it provides some interesting insights.

Overall if you happen to see this book somewhere, I’d recommend picking it up. Though the text can be dry and hard to read at times, the information and documents contained in it’s pages are worth the effort.

Old Forester "75th Anniversary of Repeal" gift set

December 3, 2015 Eric Burke

Seventy-second Congress of the United States of America
At the Second Session,

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, the fifth
day of December, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-two.

Joint Resolution
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States

Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is hereby proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by conventions in three-fourths of the several States:

“Article

“Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

“Sec. 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.

“Sec. 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.”

On December 5th, 1933 Utah voted to pass the 21st Amendment, becoming the 36th and deciding state to do so. On that day the Prohibition was officially ended.

75 years later, the Brown-Forman company put out a special gift set of Old Forester to commemorate the passage of the 21st Amendment. Included in the box was a bottle of 100 proof Old Forester in 375 mL flask shaped bottle with an old timey looking label design, an etched Glencairn glass and a replica of the 21st Amendment.

7 years later, I picked up the gift set at a charity auction during the Kentucky Bourbon Festival for roughly $90. If I was just buying bourbon, I would have horribly over paid. It’s not very old or special, but I was supporting a museum I really enjoy attending (that doesn’t charge people to get in) with my purchase. I paid a relatively low sum to help keep the doors open and the lights on while getting a tiny piece of history back in return. Seems like a fair deal.

Old Forester 100° (circa 2008) “75th Anniversary of Repeal” gift set

Purchase info: ~$90 at the Master Distiller’s Auction to support the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History, Bardstown, KY.

Details: 50% ABV

Nose: Sweet and fruity with brown sugar and apricot layered over the top of the typical “Brown Forman” latex paint note.

Mouth: Spicy with a nice tingle to the mouth. Ginger, oak, vanilla and caramel.

Finish: warm ginger and molasses linger.

Thoughts: I like it. But I’m a fan of Old Forester so that doesn’t surprise me. But there is something that does surprise me. I used to love the Old Forester Signature (100 proof). I recommended it to everyone. But then about a year and a half ago, after not buying it for a while, I got around to reviewing it and found it immensely bitter. This made me sad. So now, I get to taste something from seven years ago and I didn’t find that bitterness. In fact, it tastes just like I remember. So somewhere along the way something happened to Old Forester’s 100 proof expression and like most things in whiskey these days, it wasn’t for the better. Which is too bad.

Anyway, this is what I’ll be celebrating Repeal Day with on Saturday, hope you have something just as fun.