Few Barrel Gin

Weird!

Gin that has been aged in a barrel.  Take a whiff... it is gin, but there's more going on.  There's a nice little bit of whisky-like oaks and vanilla type things on the nose, but not a ton.  Just enough to let you know that something is going on.

Drinking it neat, it is kinda odd.  I don't drink a lot of gin neat, and it doesn't work quite like a whisky there.  As I don't really like drinking gin neat, no surprise that neat doesn't really work for me here.  But there is enough interesting going on that you think "this is gonna be great for something."  My problem has been that I have no idea what that something would be.

Gin and Tonic.  Nope. Nope, nope, nope.  Get that taste out of my mouth.  ugh.

Manhattan...  now lets's talk.

This worked pretty darned well.  It was a nice blend back towards a good martini from the manhattan.  However, the cherries after sitting in Gin for a half hour were not good.  Added great flavor to the drink, but not good on their own.

Up next, maybe a Negroni?  I need to pick up some Compari.

Blanch de Namur

Again, not much of a beer reviewer, but this was really tasty.  A rich and deep wheat forward Belgian with some nice pepper and citrus notes.  Surprisingly lightly carbonated, mouthfeel was almost more like a nice wine.  Had to go back to Costco and pick up a couple of bottles.

Cheers,
Andy

Lot 40 Canadian, Second Review.

No more release year on the bottle, purchased 4/2015

Nose: vanilla, toffee, alcohol, menthol, young wood.

Palate: sharp tannins, vanilla, toffee caramels,

Finish: harsh, bitter menthol.  Hits really high and hot on the back of the tongue.

Normally, I have no intention of doing a second review... But this new bottle is way different than the 2012 release.  That stuff was great.  I loved it.  See the previous review.  This is similar.  Similar nose, but a younger feel to it.  The palate has a ton of the same notes, but is a lot sharper.  The finish on the new stuff, however, is horrible compared to the first.  I wonder if there is a lot of batch variation, or if they are just trying to capitalize on the success of that first trial of good stuff.  I went out of my way to purchase this, it isn't available in Michigan.  Really disappointed.

As I still had a sample bottle, here is a little head to head comparison...  The older has a great tobacco type note, like you went into a fine lounge where somebody had a nice pipe or cigar.  In the newer, that tobacco note feels like you went to a dive bar and somebody smoked a pack of menthols and blew the smoke at you for a couple of hours. Familial resemblance, but not the same thing.  The finish on the older is also hot and spicy, but it is a warming glow through the mouth, not the fiery belch as the newer.  Don't get me wrong, the new stuff is still pretty good, but it isn't great. It also doesn't represent the price point the way the other stuff did at all. 

WhiskyFest 2015

Just a quick bit of notes from the event… I’m sure I’ll write more later, specifically when I do a further examination of any of these whiskies, but not right now. Some basic Stars (1-5) rating below.  This mostly does not reflect value, some of these are horrible values, but still pretty good drinks.

Sampled:

High West Midwinter Night’s Dram ****

Koval Barrel Strength Rye *

Redbreast 21yr. ****

Forty Creek Confederation Oak ***

Forty Creek Evolution ***

Crown Royal XR Lasalle ***

Old Forester 2014 Birthday Bourbon **

Redemption Rye 7yr. ***

Woodford Reserve Pinot Noir *

Woodford Reserve Rye **

Clyde May’s Special Reserve *

Larceny (in Seminar) ***

Bernheim Original Wheal 7yo (in Seminar) **

Parker’s Heritage Collection Original Batch Wheat (in Seminar) ***

Heaven Hill Select 8yo Cognac Cask Finished (in Seminar) *****

Hibiki 17 *****

Nikka Coffey Grain ****

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof ****

Jefferson’s Ocean Aged *

Michter’s US1 Sour Mash **

Hudson Whiskey Maple Cask *

Jim Beam Distiller’s Masterpiece ****

Jim Beam Harvest Collection Rolled Oat ***

Jim Beam Harvest Collection High Rye ***

J.P.Wiser’s Rye (in Seminar) ***

J.P.Wiser’s 18yr (in Seminar) ****

Pike Creek (in Seminar) ***

Lot 40 (in Seminar) ****

Don’s Phd Blend (in Seminar) ****

J.P.Wiser’s 30yr (in Seminar) *****

Glenfarclas Family Cask 1984 *****

Few Rye ***

Few Barrel Aged Gin ***

Few Single Malt ****

Overall, an excellent time and some very interesting whiskies were sampled.  The ones that struck me most (Heaven Hill Select, Wiser’s 30yr, and Few Single Malt) are sadly all completely unavailable to me.  The one that I figured I’d have a shot at was the Few.  Unfortunately, the two stores that I looked at downtown had both been cleaned out of that.  I won't mention that I did rescue some of that Wiser's 30 year...

Henry McKenna 10yo BiB

Nose: peaches, leather, and spice.  Some tobacco and dark tea.

Palate: chewy leather, tannins, good spice with darker burnt sugars.  Plenty of heat but not burn feelings.

Finish: long and strong. Holding on to the bitter tannins and stronger tea and leathers.  Thick and full mouthfeel, even long after it is gone.  Strong, and if you happen to like what it is doing, you will enjoy it.  If the bitterness gets to you, it will be a stain you have trouble cleaning off.

I like this.  It isn't in my top pantheon of great values, as I like more Carmel and vanilla in my flavor profile, but it is a great drink at a good price point.  It is also a bottled in bond whiskey, which is a great identifier of at least a pretty strong indication of attempt at quality.  At 10 years, it is also getting on in years.  Made by Heaven Hill, they are the current kings of old whisky, even though many of those are too old for my tastes.

New Trombone Parts

New to the herd...  A complete Shires Bell section.

Specifics:
-Traditional rotors.  Not my favorite, but surprisingly open and nimble.
-BII 7YM Screw Bell. Feels pretty stout, unlacquered.  Has a nice vibrancy and solidity.
-C drawn Tuning Slide.  I only briefly played a B, and never back-to-back so I cannot really comment.

Overall a nice sounding, solid and full bass trombone with my Edwards Dual-Bore Orchestral Weight slide.  I'll have to try this with my Standard Bach slide, but I'm thinking this will be the winner.  The valves aren't as open as my Thayers (duh.), but they have plenty of punch down low and only are a hair slower responding.  That is really picking nits, but it is enough that I do have to think about it when sliding around down there.  I wasn't planning on this being a horn that I had... the valve section came on a trade.  I tried to move it, but not very hard.  This flare and tuning slide just came up as an opportunity that was too good to pass up.  I may eventually sell the entire bell section, but it will be a good horn to blow for a while as I re-work my dual thayer Bach.

Cheers,
Andy

George T. Stagg 2014

Huge, big nose.  Can't contain itself to the glass.  For the high proof, surprisingly little alcohol.  I find I have to be careful with most whiskies not to just blow my nose away with the alcohol and sneak up to get the hidden vapors.  Not this guy, smells like there is a big ball of caramel taffy sitting on top of the liquid. Caramel, taffy, cotton candy, vanilla, honey... Name your sugar and it is sitting right there.  I'm not a huge nose guy, but just sniffing this stuff is almost enough to leave you happy.  On drinking, all those big sugar flavors take a full frontal assault on your tongue.  Straight over the front and top it engages everything.  And it is hot.  Tingly through the whole mouth, even with the tiniest of sip.  Here is the odd part for me... I experience zero burn from it.  All that heat does not translate into a burn.  Just a rich peppery-ness to pair with the abundance of sweet richness in all of those caramel and vanilla flavors.  Either by itself would be way too much and would make you want to gag. But together, man they are locked arm in arm and taking full command of your mouth.  You will have no other tastes before them.  Nor after them.  The finish is long.  Like get your stopwatch out and amuse yourself for just how long it lasts. It is truly ridiculous.

How I'm drinking: tiny pours, savoring every last drop. Heck, I'll be licking my glass now.

Value? Ha. Yeah right.  Would I buy it again? Yup. Bought the first and only bottle I was offered at my local haunt.  I've purchased BTAC from them before, but usually the Handy.  I like the Handy, it is tasty.  But this is in another world, man. I'm on the in now with my local place.  I hope to stay there.  This is probably the best bottle I've ever purchased. Over the Van Winkles that I used to get before the crazy increase, above the Handy or Sazerac.  My all-time favorite is probably either the PHC promise of Hope or a W.L. Weller from a few years back. I've had some Stagg before during a sampling and at a WhiskyFest, but this is my first bottle.  Granted, I don't hunt.  I didn't even ask for this when it was offered.  I was however, buying another bottle of the PHC wheat, mainly because they still had it and it is darned good, but you might already know that.