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Showing posts with the label american whiskey

Clyde May's Straight Rye Whiskey (Recipe No. 3)

  Color (5%):   Very light, hay hue, 3/5 Nose (10%):  light, faint spice, floral notes. 7/10 Palate (20%):  still has a bit of oiliness, like the bourbon. honey on the tip, light apple presents itself after a few sips. Nice rye bread spice. 14/20 Finish (10%):  quite hot, lots of alcohol burn. some star anise. could've used more time in the wood. 5/10 Overall Impression and Harmony (30%):  Overall this is a pretty good young rye. The alcohol burn is harsh, even for the proof. a bit more time in the wood would clean that up, but it would take away from some of the delicate spice balance. It'd be good with a little water or mixed but isn't great to sip on its own. I'm curious to try it over ice. 21/30 Retry on Ice (25%):  The nose is still there and quite lovely. lighter, weaker alcohol burn. doesn't add anything but it does get rid of some roughness. 20/25 Total Ranking: 70%  Legendary, Amazing, Great, Good, Fair, Average, Tolerable, Swill Est...

Clyde May's Original Alabama Style Whiskey (Batch No. 52, Recipe No. 1)

Color (5%):   lovely light brown / bronze fading to a very thin clear edge, a long gradient. 3/5 Nose (10%):  light honeyed apple note, 4/10 alcohol, mild spice, powdered sugar/sherbet, can't quite place it. sort of nondistinct. 6/10 Palate (20%):  I taste vanilla, spice, apple. An interesting mash bill. I'm used to bourbon, rye, and single malt. I think there's a bit of wheat or something else in here. I'd certainly guess corn is in there, but I'm going to surprise myself on this tasting. It has a rather mild flavor, leaning me toward wheat. 16/20 Finish (10%):  a rather long finish, lovely caramel apple lingers, sherbet. a bit sweet reaffirming my guess of corn. 9/10 Overall Impression and Harmony (30%):  A very mild whiskey overall by my standards. The alcohol impact is undoubtedly there and represents what it is. The nose isn't all that much but I do really enjoy sipping this. It reminds me of some Irish whiskeys I've had in terms of intensity, which is...

Clyde May's Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Recipe No. 2)

Color (5%):  light, amber, thinning edges again. 4/5 Nose (10%):  big corn note, brown sugar, alcohol a bit high, stewed apple, slight roast peach notes. great bourbon character. 7/10 Palate (20%):  lovely apples and pear notes. slight strawberry pop early in the taste. A bit of oiliness. a good deal of oak spice. 14/20 Finish (10%):  very long finish, much less sweet than the Alabama style. rather lingering alcohol burn. 6/10 Overall Impression and Harmony (30%):  This is a pretty rich oily bourbon. the age statement is in the range that I like. Not too young, you can see the impact of the wood, but it's not overdone. There are certain bourbons that I like better and certain bourbons that push the extremes of the category a little more but this is a very good solid bourbon. 19/30 Retry on Ice (25%):  It gets a bit rough on the nose, dirty old apples. still holds its alcohol heat. loses the fun, keeps the rough. 12/25 Total Ranking: 62%  Legendary, Ama...

Review: Red Brick Single Barrel Barrel Strength (Batch 15 Barrel 7)

Color (5%):   Deep tarnished copper, light kiss of ruby red. 5/5 Nose (10%):  Roasted coffee beans. brown sugar. nice bit of punch 8/10 Palate (20%):   light maple syrup at the start, rich roasted barley at the mid palate ending with lovely roasty notes of coffee, chocolate, and might spice. 17/20 Finish (10%):  rich lingering 50% cocoa chocolate. Barrel strength brings the heat, but not as bad as any other barrel strength I've had to date. 7/10 Overall Impression and Harmony (30%):  That first sip will always have a kick, but you get used to it pretty quickly. by the third sip this was easy, and that can be dangerous. Eventually that sweet start really hooks you and that long roasty finish is certainly something to savor. 27/30 Retry on Ice (25%):  Jesus, coffee, so much coffee. not brewed coffee but coffee beans or over-concentrated cold brew. chocolate covered coffee beans. very low cream / vanilla. bitter. movie theatre raisinettes. get this with some s...

Review: Clayton Distillery New York Straight Bourbon Whisky (Batch 16.16 Barrel #3)

Color (5%): lovely rich honey 4/5 Nose (10%): Very, very oaky. a bit overaged maybe, or barrels too small. There's a little of that corn/honey sweetness. faint maltiness. 5/10 Palate (20%): not bad, very low sweetness on the front of the palate. Holding it on the tongue gives a bit of that stinging corn sharpness. That might just be my personal preference but I find whiskeys have an innate sharpness. For a bourbon, it is very rounded and clean. Not the most complex, but good. 15/20 Finish (10%): a little chocolate milk ball finish. Whoppers, or whatever brand of malt you prefer. Not a very heavy alcohol burn for 46%, well distilled. Medium duration. 8/10 Overall Impression and Harmony (30%): It's a fine whiskey, I wouldn't call it that unique or top tier in any sense. Sort of generic with a little extra-aged character. Well made and balanced, but nothing inventive. Does the job. 24/30 Retry on Ice (25%): chocolate maltiness pops a bit more. a little bit of rye spice s...