-
Sometimes you don’t have anything clever to say. Sometimes, you’re uninspired. Sometimes, that’s your own fault. And sometimes, it’s the fault of whatever you’re experiencing.
Discretion in your choices can help you avoid such experiences devoid of inspiration. Discretion can cause you to say, “Nah, I just don’t think I’ll enjoy that all that much.”
Discretion would be right. Discretion is the better part of not buying mediocre whiskey. Discretion…can be put aside when something is 50% off.
On a visit to one of the area Virginia ABC stores, they had a number of bottles reduced to half price. This included some fantastic deals, like Old Forester Rye for $12. And it also included Tarnished Truth Distillery’s recent new bottle, Discretion. So a bottle I had passed on at $45 now became interesting at half that. If I wasn’t going to try it for that, I was never going to.
Oof. Someone wasn’t having a great night, that’s a healthy pour… So the store’s discretion in reducing prices caused me to put my better discretion aside and purchase a bottle of Discretion. Yes, I’m doing this on purpose. I don’t know why. It’s just who I am. You could stop reading, but you’re not. You know why? It’s either because that’s who you are, or you’ve put YOUR better discretion aside in your curiosity to find out more about Discretion. Either way, you’ve been sucked into my narrative like a dying galaxy being pulled into a black hole.
Our writer-reader relationship, in a nutshell. Image by eli007 via Pixabay Do I regret putting my discretion aside as much as you are regretting jettisoning yours? Probably not. My poor decision making at least led to drinking whiskey, while yours somehow has you trapped in some banal expository purgatory. However, as I said before, this is mediocre whiskey. My regret might rival yours had I paid full price.
What I got for half off is not sourced. It’s 90 proof, with a mash bill of 70% corn, 18% wheat, and 12% malted barley. It’s a straight Virginia Bourbon whiskey, so at least two years old. And it has some story on the bottle that I guess hearkens back to prohibition era bootleggers.
So it could be good to have around if you’re throwing an Untouchables watch party. I’ve just dated myself, haven’t I? Fine! How about a Boardwalk Empire watch party, better? Still dated? Fine, screw the pop culture reference, I’m going full history nerd and we’ll say you can have it at your Repeal Day celebration honoring the passage of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution. Get your bottle before December 5th rolls around.
In terms of what it actually offers, it has a young craft, forced oak, medicinal quality that also has a rubbery element as it progresses. It doesn’t boast any of the standard bourbon flavors really. It’s got some decent oomph for it’s 90 proof, but the fact that it’s wheated does stand out as it also lacks a firm backbone to the palate, which is kind of jarring given the abrupt flavors it opens with. Despite those extremely negative words, it’s actually not terrible. I’ve had much worse and it’s got more character than most 80 proof mediocre bottles. It’s acceptable as something to sip if you’re not paying a lot of attention. It’s probably fine in a cocktail. I rarely drink cocktails, so I didn’t put it in one, so I can’t really confirm this, but it’s what people seem to say when they want to be nice to a mediocre whiskey.
All in all, if you find a bottle of this in the $25 range, and you don’t mind some crafty flavors, by all means, cast your discretion aside and go for it (and, if you’re still reading at this point, I know you know how to). If you’re paying full price, I wouldn’t recommend it unless you really enjoy craft whiskies or that hurried oak character.
Final verdict: use discretion when buying Discretion.
Final Score: 49 of 100
Cost per 50ml: $3.00 (not on sale)
-
I was pretty excited a few years back when I got my hands on my first bottle of Blanton’s. I lucked into it at my local ABC store, it just happened to be there when I stopped in. When ringing up my purchase, the store manager asked if I needed a particular letter, and I had no clue what she was talking about. Now I know she meant the letters of the cork toppers that you can collect to spell out Blanton’s. She said she had “B” “T” and “S” (had I been a K Pop fan, perhaps I would have tried to buy all three), and so as to not look dumb, I quickly picked “S” because my wife’s name starts with “S”.
I waited a few months to crack it open. I picked a special occasion, with the aforementioned owner of the letter S name, where we were kicking off a relaxing long weekend and were looking forward to a special bourbon to start things right.
So we were puzzled, much like I was when asked about my alphabetical preferences while simply trying to procure quality whiskey, as to why this highly lauded and sought after whiskey, didn’t actually taste that good. We sniffed, we sipped, we let it open up, we repoured, we repeated. The verdict was best put forth by my wife who said, “This is called Blanton’s? Should be called Blandon’s.”
It’s not bad. It’s perfectly enjoyable. It’s just really basic and devoid of anything interesting in terms of nose palate or finish. It is, well, bland!
It’s even hard to give notes on, because there’s not much beyond vanilla, light caramel, a hint of corn and some cinnamon. All the edges have been smoothed out and no impressive flavor stands in their place. It is an easy sipper through and through. At $30, it would be great. At the $55 MSRP I paid for it at the time, it was an over priced acceptable bourbon that I don’t mind having purchased for the experience, plus, the bottle is cool and will serve to decant other whiskey in the future (maybe I’ll keep Benchmark Fullproof in it, a whiskey I think is better). But I have no idea why people pay $150 or more for this.
The bottle, the story, the cork: all wonderful marketing. Unfortunately, marketing doesn’t have much flavor or mouthfeel. I’ve been happy to let other people give Blanton’s a try from my bottle, and I have yet to have someone love it. In tastings I’ve hosted, newbies and those with some experience alike all agree, there’s better stuff on the table. And often it’s cheaper.
So this particular bottle is almost gone now, probably just one pour left. When it’s gone, I won’t seek it out again. I don’t even think I’d get it again at MSRP (which is up to $65 in my state). There are so many other bourbons I’d prefer at that price point. Was it worth trying once at the price I paid? For sure. And hey, now I have my souvenir bottle. But I won’t be going back to the well.
If Blanton’s is your thing, and you love it, and you hate that you have to pay so much for it or wait in line for it, I’m sorry. That sucks.
But, if you’ve never had a bottle, and the hype on Blanton’s is what has you eager to find a bottle, before you drop way too much of your hard earned money on a huge mark up for at best decent bourbon, think of my wife’s verdict: Blandon’s. Save $125 and get yourself a bottle of Old Forester Signature, or if you’re looking to splurge, get a $65 bottle of Russel’s Reserve Single Barrel. Or just try some other things. $150-$200 can start a small collection with some pretty good whiskies in it.
Rating: 73 of 100
Cost per 50ml: $4.33 @ MSRP, $11-$12 for what it’s usual available price
-
This bottle is beautiful. I love just looking at it. The bottle itself is just enough outside normal, but still classic enough, that it evokes all the traditional good bottle feelings, but also just enough differentiated shape that it feels a little special. What really draws me in though is the labels. The color palate is warm, elegant, sophisticated and brings to mind barrel wood and copper stills. The font is classy and the information presented is clear, detailed and wonderfully geeky.
The label lets you know that the grain for the mash is smoked with applewood and cherrywood for a gentlemanly 12-18ppm phenol level. That the grain used is 100% Virginia grown 2 row and 6 row barley and is floor malted in house by Copper Fox. It’s aged in used bourbon barrels with oak and applewood chips added in and then finished in a second used bourbon barrel. Finally, it’s also non chill filtered. All words that I like to hear and the more information the better. I wouldn’t mind an age statement, but I understand not having one.
That said, as I’ve unfortunately found out, bottle design and information on the bottle does not always equal good whiskey. It does sometimes make me just look at a bottle and appreciate it as a work of art. But even that doesn’t make the spirit taste better.
So, once you get past the niceties, how does Copper Fox Single Malt taste?
The nose starts you out with sweet campfire smoke, apples, roasting herbs, grains with honey toasting over a fire and a nice woodiness. As long as you’re in the mood for smoke, you’ll enjoy this nose.
The palate is two, maybe two and a half stages. The front is delicate honeyed fruit with mild sweetness, and subtle, complimentary smoke. It’s really nice. The mid-palate is short and features mainly toast and single malt spice and bite. The last stage features the various wood elements, bringing a bit of char, tobacco and leather, but also shows some youth as the palate comes apart late into the finish. That finish goes a bit ashy and loses the pleasant flavors replacing them fruit that got a bit too much char over the campfire.
Turning back to the positive, the mouthfeel warrants special mention. It’s oily, thick and rich. The 96 proof is a nice change from so many single malts that are only 80-86 proof.
If I’m comparing this to peated whisky, I think it fairs well. more age would make it better and probably put it in the top of that category for me. It’s moderate in its smoke and has some really enjoyable flavors. Against the better Scotch peated whiskies, it doesn’t quite hold up. Also, if you’re an Ardbeg person (full disclosure, I prefer Laphroaig and Caol Ila to Ardbeg), it’s going to be too little smoke. But if you like Highland Park 12 a lot (I do), you’ll enjoy this. More aging would make it head to head competitive with such whiskies, but right now its not that. That said, it’s cheaper, it’s local (for me at least), doesn’t need to be shipped over an ocean, and it’s plenty tasty when I’m not doing that direct comparison with a higher level Scotch.
Virginia is a good place for whisky, and I think it’s a good place for single malt. Between Copper Fox and Virginia Distilling Company, there’s seriously good single malt production going on here. Kinda makes you want to go try your hand at it…nah, I’ll leave production to others and just keep honing my side of the craft, consumption.
Final rating: 80 of 100
Cost per 50 ml: $2.80
-
I have had this bottle for about two years. It was one of the bottles I purchased when I really started to expand my collection and had way more enthusiasm than knowledge. It was a time I remember fondly. A time where, like a toddler at the pool, I sprinted towards the deep end with reckless abandon. Giving no heed to the voices saying “wait, stop!” and throwing myself headlong into a vast expanse of liquid joy.
And like when that toddler finds success and hits the water, sometimes my experience turned to coughing, sputtering, and someone asking “are you sure he’s going to be alright? Should I get a doctor.”
The Double LL 14 year single barrel whiskey in question. Ok, so maybe it wasn’t that violent of a reaction. But it was my first introduction to extremely well-oaked whiskey as well as my first introduction to straight Dickel. I mean, I don’t know for sure it’s Dickel, but it’s 14 year old Tennessee whiskey, it’s sourced, and you know, since I know more now I can say, it tastes like Dickel.
A less experienced version of me had no idea what “Distilled in Tennessee, USA” probably meant. A more experienced version of me now understands that this actually means “This is most likely distilled by the Cascade Hollow Distilling Company, aka George Dickel, and you should have a good idea about how you feel about that before you take this home.” It is all leather, tobacco and oak. Seriously, it’s like someone distilled and aged a tobacco pouch. It’s very deep, dark and rich, but not sweet. It’s got graham cracker flavor in there if you search for it. The finish is strong and dry.
And the first time I tasted that, I ended up quite surprised. I’d tasted old bourbon, I’d tasted dark bourbon, even dry bourbon. But this combined all three, turned the oak up to 11, and kicked the dessert flavor that normally comes with dark bourbon out the door. It left me much like the toddler that reaches the deep end and gets some water down the wrong pipe.
But then does that toddler want to go back into the water after that experience?
A brief digression before I answer that question. The most common flavor I’ve heard used to describe George Dickel products is Flintstone Vitamins. As a child of the 80’s, I have had my fair share of Flintstone Vitamins. There is a distinct possibility that my mom called poison control to see what the safe consumption limit was after I polished off the better part of a bottle while getting ready for bed. And it being the 1980’s, she was told not to worry about it, the thing “professionals” always told parents back then after their kids did crazy sh…stuff. My point is, I know what Flintstone Vitamins taste like. It is a taste that is burned into my memory. I do not taste Flintstone Vitamins when I taste George Dickel. Further, because I thought that chalky vitamins in the shape of Dino would be the defining palate characteristic of Dickel, when I had sourced Dickel and got a very distinct but different flavor, I didn’t know it was in fact Dickel.
I only discovered this when I purchased a bottle of George Dickel Bottled in Bond and said “wait, I know this flavor!”
That of course brings us back to the question, do I like it? Does this toddler want to get back in the pool?
This toddler, yes. At least in the general sense. In the specific as sense of this whiskey, I still don’t know. I’m more than three fourths of the way through it, and I still don’t know how I feel about it. I’ve had it many times. I’ve experimented with blending it (respect to those who blend with Dickel, it’s damn hard to pair with anything and not just get a result that is Dickel next to another flavor that is now very weird because it’s next to Dickel). I’ve tried it in different moods and when I’m eating different foods. I’ve tried it in a house, and with a mouse and in a box and with a fox. All in all it’s an extremely interesting whiskey, with a flavor that is wholly unique. But it’s also rough and at times hard to palate.
For now, where I come down on it, is this is a good whiskey. It’s also a very difficult whiskey. It’s not traditional sweet and dessert flavors. It’s deep and rough. It’s not something you’re going to want all the time, or even all that often. But it will expand your palate, and your whiskey experience. It’s something that is worth exploring.
Final Rating: 76 of 100
Cost per 50 ml: $7.33
-
Soapbox moment? Soapbox moment. Too many whiskies these days are intended to be limited, or special, or allocated, or something you can’t find, can’t afford, and can’t understand why there’s so much hype about it, or just a cash grab. As a fan of whiskey exploration, that frustrates me. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good limited edition whiskey, and I understand not everyone can have each of those. But if we try to make all new whiskey limited, then we’re not improving the options of the whiskey moment for everyone, just for those with both the time and money to track down and pay for rare products. So, sometimes I get fed up with the limited whiskey category.
This whiskey is not of that category.
I would say that this whiskey is not intended to be mind blowing whiskey. It’s also not meant to be hard to get, or to be absurdly expensive.
It’s meant to be good, enjoyable, and something you’ll keep around in your collection, buying it over and over again without concern, because you don’t have to take dip into your retirement fund to afford it, and you don’t have to wait in line for two hours
I mean, do I know these things for certain? No. I don’t know anything about the fine people who produce this product. But I do know it’s usually something I can find around me (in VA and DC) and it’s not that expensive (last time I picked it up, I paid $35). Since I live in the land of limited supply and high demand, the confluence of being able to find it and not pay through the nose for it means the folks at Redwood Empire are interested in providing a product that everyone can enjoy.
And they’ve succeeded. It’s available, and more importantly, it’s very enjoyable. Again, it’s not mind blowing. But it’s solid. I never feel disappointed when drinking this. It’s a top 20 affordable whiskey for me.
On the nose, a rich high rye character gives way to sweet floral rye notes which are nice, and a little bit of herbal soapiness, which I enjoy less.
The heat is very mild, just enough to balance things out but not enough to cover up the delicate palate notes.
On the palate it is very bright, sweet and light, steering toward the rye side of things on the palate, with floral herb elements really coming through, but none of the soap I got on the nose, which I count as a positive. The bourbon element provides nice depth giving the palate more layers than you’d get in either a 90 proof rye or bourbon. It does nothing wrong, but also does nothing that I would call special. But, if you look back to the beginning of this post, that’s kinda the point and I’m happy with that.
The finish is generally weak, lacking in mouth linger, and has an off note pop up here or there. I put that more towards this being 90 proof than anything else. I expect no chest hug from a 90 proof whiskey, and any positive mouth linger is just a bonus.
Overall this is a whiskey that does a great job of occupying the same space as Russell’s Reserve 10, or Knob Creek Small Batch, or similar whiskies. It’s not going to change your life when you taste it, but it is an excellent option for a daily sipper of high quality that doesn’t break the bank.
So a tip of the cap to, and a cheer for, Redwood Empire. Lost Monarch is good daily whiskey that you can find, afford and enjoy. And then repeat.
Final rating: 81 of 100
Cost per 50 ml: $2.33
Lost Monarch is a nice bottle. Nice label, good design, simple but elegant. Damned
weird artwork, but who doesn’t occasionally have trees on the brain, right?
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Whiskey Repartee 