Brush Creek Railroad Rye is bottled by The Brush Creek Distillery located in Saratoga, Wyoming. The distillery is located on a 30,000 acre ranch with an elevation of 7,600 feet above sea level. The distillery is new and they have… Continue Reading &#…
Brush Creek Railroad Rye is bottled by The Brush Creek Distillery located in Saratoga, Wyoming. The distillery is located on a 30,000 acre ranch with an elevation of 7,600 feet above sea level. The distillery is new and they have... Continue Reading →
Westland American Single Malt is the classic Westland, the one that started it all. Made from their “signature five-malt barley” mash, this whiskey captured my attention the first time I had it. Which, if I remember right, was at the 2017 Whisky Extravaganza in Los Angeles. I snagged a glass of this American Oak Single […]
Westland American Single Malt is the classic Westland, the one that started it all. Made from their “signature five-malt barley” mash, this whiskey captured my attention the first time I had it. Which, if I remember right, was at the 2017 Whisky Extravaganza in Los Angeles. I snagged a glass of this American Oak Single Malt as I passed their table and walked towards the event floor in search of something interesting to drink. I quickly turned around because I’d already found it.
I remember thinking “this is obviously young, but it’s not bad” as I walked back to the table where Matt Hofmann was talking about his whiskey; I was an instant fan. He was engaging, forthright with information and put on zero front. He was just a guy who loved whiskey and was doing his best to put out an honest product. And as a whiskey geek I can’t ask for much more.
Let’s get to drinkin’!
Westland American Single Malt – Details and Tasting Notes
Whiskey Details
Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Style: Single Malt (American) Region: Washington, USA Distiller: Westland
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley (Washington Select Pale, Munich, Extra Special, Pale Chocolate, Brown) Cask: New Charred Oak Age: 3+ Years ABV: 46%
“In our pursuit of an authentically American single malt whiskey, we bring our signature five-malt barley bill together with new American oak casks—two things practically unheard of in the old world” – Westland
PALATE
Orchard fruity, oaky, baking spice, vanilla, caramel and malty sweet with a nutty banana malted shake.
Velvety warm and fruity with a malty tastiness.
FINISH
Medium -> Oaky, malty and fruity tastiness and caramel banana
BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Decently balanced, medium-full body and a soft easy feel.
Westland American Single Malt – Overall Thoughts and Score
The aroma is dry and fruity with some nice dark notes supporting; the palate follows suite though with a bit more malty sweetness; the finish is a great culmination of the experience. This is a good American single malt.
It’s come a long way from the beginning, as you would hope it would. The first time I tried it (2017) I was intrigued, it was interesting, I was far from enamored, but I tasted promise. However, that night, the distiller, Matt, was more impressive than the whiskey, which was woody, spirity and a tad soapy, but the underlying sweetness was pleasant and I saw the passion he had for his craft.
I remember walking away from his table thinking “give it a few years and this will be some good stuff.” I’m happy to report that past me was right, Westland American Single Malt has turned into a nice whiskey and it continues to get better. Every time I revisit Westland I enjoy it more and more and I’m really excited to see what the future holds for this forward-thinking distillery. These guys keep getting better.
*Disclosure: The bottle for this American Single Malt review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
(LOUISVILLE, KY) This July Michter’s will ship its first and ONLY 2022 bottling of 10 Year Rye. Michter’s Master Distiller Dan McKee commented, “Given that we’re holding back our 10 Year Bourbon until 2023, I’m especially happy to be releasing our 10 Year Rye this summer. It’s one of my very favorite releases.” When remarking […]
(LOUISVILLE, KY) This July Michter’s will ship its first and ONLY 2022 bottling of 10 Year Rye.
Michter’s Master Distiller Dan McKee commented, “Given that we’re holding back our 10 Year Bourbon until 2023, I’m especially happy to be releasing our 10 Year Rye this summer. It’s one of my very favorite releases.”
When remarking on the 2022 release of the distiller’s 10 Year Rye, Michter’s President Joseph J. Magliocco said, “It may be the only release we do of a 10 Year whiskey this year, but it’s a really special one. At Michter’s it’s about never compromising on quality rather than maximizing sales.” The suggested U.S. retail price per 750ml bottle of Michter’s 10 Year Rye is $185.
Michter’s 10 Year Rye is a single barrel product. It is a Kentucky style rye made from a fair amount of corn and barley to give balance and added complexity to the spice of its rye grain.
“This year’s Michter’s 10 Year Rye continues to provide a consistent, rich and complex experience with beautiful spice and citrus surrounded by decadent chocolate, caramel and fruit. It is the exceptional balance of sweet and spice with a subtle hint of oak maturity that makes Michter’s so special to those who appreciate a Kentucky style rye.” observed Michter’s Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson.
Currently all types of Michter’s are being allocated because demand exceeds supply. In October 2021, Michter’s was named the Most Admired American Whiskey in a survey conducted in 25 countries. In January 2022, Michter’s was named the #1 Top Trending American Whiskey brand by Drinks International in their Annual Brands Report.
THE BIG CHEESE IS STEPPING DOWN. (BARDSTOWN, KY) Max Shapira is a well known name in the Bourbon industry, for good reason. He has been in the leadership role of the family owned/operated Heaven Hill Distillery (HH) since taking the reigns after his father Ed’s passing in 1986, acquiring […]
(BARDSTOWN, KY) Max Shapira is a well known name in the Bourbon industry, for good reason. He has been in the leadership role of the family owned/operated Heaven Hill Distillery (HH) since taking the reigns after his father Ed’s passing in 1986, acquiring the official “President” title a decade later. The company was built on family bedrock, co-founded in 1935 by his father, Ed Shapira, and his four brothers and has since grown to become the largest family owned/run distillery in the US, presently.
Max officially started with HH in 1970 following a 5 year run on Wall Street with J.P. Morgan. Predating this, Max got his undergraduate from Washington and Lee University and his MBA from Harvard.
THIRD GEN IS STEPPING UP.
The time has finally come for a changing of the guard. On Sept 1st, Max Shapira will officially pass the presidential torch to his daughter, Kate Latts, and her husband Allan, as they will be acting co-presidents of Heaven Hill Distillery, thus creating third generation operating/ownership.
Since joining the company in 2001, Kate and Allan have been transformational leaders driving Heaven Hill’s accelerated growth. In their new roles as co-presidents, they will continue to pursue Heaven Hill’s strategic growth plans and corporate vision working collaboratively on all key decisions. Max will transition the day to day operational oversight of the business to Kate and Allan.
“Over the past twenty years, I have been proud to watch Kate and Allan grow and develop into roles of leadership and increased responsibility,” said Max L. Shapira. “They have added immeasurably to the company’s successes and built a foundation for future generations. They bring the passion for this business that has been a hallmark of our company for 85 plus years. I am highly confident the best is yet to come.”
After completing their undergraduate and MBA degrees at Duke University, Kate and Allan then joined Procter & Gamble with careers in marketing and finance, respectively. Today, Kate leads the company’s marketing and brand management functions as Chief Marketing Officer. Allan serves as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing operations, the company’s corporate functions, strategy and the newly acquired Samson & Surrey division.
“Allan and I are proud to assume the leadership of Heaven Hill with full knowledge of our generational responsibility. My dad, grandfather and his brothers built a company with an enduring legacy of family and independence that is increasingly unique in distilled spirits,” said Kate Latts. “With the support of our incredible team, we are as committed as ever to preserving those qualities and ensuring our success for generations to come.”
In his transition, Max will begin his new role as Executive Chairman, providing partnership and counsel on the strategic direction of the business as well as actively leverage his extensive relationships and industry experience in support of the company’s long-term growth goals.
Heaven Hill will immediately begin its search to identify a new Chief Marketing Officer, while the Chief Operating Officer position will not be backfilled.
Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Larceny, and Henry McKenna Bourbons; Rittenhouse Rye Whisky; Deep Eddy Vodka; Admiral Nelson’s Rum; Black Velvet Canadian Whisky; Lunazul Tequila; HPNOTIQ Liqueur; Carolans Irish Cream Liqueur, plus the newly-acquired Samson & Surrey portfolio.
This new whisky is the latest limited edition from the innovative Swedish distillery of Mackmyra. Virvelvind marks the final bottling in their Moments series, a collection of experimental and luxurious single malts. This final whisky takes inspiration …
This new whisky is the latest limited edition from the innovative Swedish distillery of Mackmyra. Virvelvind marks the final bottling in their Moments series, a collection of experimental and luxurious single malts. This final whisky takes inspiration from the very first in the series - the Mackmyra Medvind. It features unpeated and peated whisky matured in ex-bourbon barrels, plus whisky matured in both ex-Oloroso sherry and Swedish oak casks. These casks were all matured in the distillery's Bodås Mine, a unique underground cavern, and have yielded just 2,049 bottles. The oldest whisky was distilled in 2007 with the remainder distilled and filled to cask in 2010.
Mackmyra was founded in 1999 by eight friends who decided to build Sweden's first single malt distillery. The original distillery was replaced in 2012 by a larger new eco-friendly distillery in the town of Gävle. This state-of-the-art distillery is 37 metres high, cost an estimated £50 million to build and uses gravity during production - malted barley is fed in the top and new make spirit comes out of the bottom. The distillery has won an Icon of Whisky award for sustainability. The annual production capacity is around 525,000 litres.
The Mackmyra Virvelvind is bottled at 46.8% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. It is available in specialist whisky retailers in selected world markets including Germany, Sweden and the UK. A bottle will cost €122.50/ £105.50.
Our tasting notes
The colour is a deep golden yellow and the nose is packed with sweet and woody aromas. Golden syrup, vanilla and freshly sawn oak rise first and are joined by further aromas of crisp green pear, candied lemon and lime, white chocolate and underlying cereals. Late hints of dried grass, kiwi fruit and sweet, gentle smoke add depth.
On the palate this whisky has an instant grip. The gentle smoke is much more prominent than on the nose and leads the way. It is quickly joined by the fresh oaky note and the combination is bold. Then come the sweeter and fruity notes. First is plenty of golden syrup, honey and white chocolate which compliments the more savoury smoky and woody characteristics.
Then comes crisp green pear and some cooked apple. Both have a hefty pinch of cinnamon added to them. A distinct candied lime note joins, as does an evolving biscuit-like quality. Something confected sits in the background and is most reminiscent of boiled sweets. There is also a hint of cream soda and a growing warmth, similar to gingerbread. The gentle smoke continues to weave around everything.
The finish is of decent length but does get quite warm and woody as time goes by. The sweet and fruity notes fade slowly but this leaves the oak, smoke, spice and cereals to fight it out. The oak and smoke win the battle, which gives a bitter and drying edge towards the end.
What's the verdict?
The Virvelvind is another good bottling from Mackmyra and one that shows how their whiskies develop with a bit of extra age. Most of their regular core bottlings are youthful, but here you have more depth and complexity.
But the age also gives more woodiness thanks to extra time maturing in the barrel. This adds another dimension but is dangerously close to being too much in this case. It just about holds itself together and gets away with it. Otherwise, a good whisky and a fitting end to the Moments series that has brought us some lovely whiskies over the years.
The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced the release of sixteen barrels worth of Bulleit Single Barrel available starting this week (week of June 27th) at select OHLQ locations across Ohio for $59.99 plus tax. As mentioned, th…
The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced the release of sixteen barrels worth of Bulleit Single Barrel available starting this week (week of June 27th) at select OHLQ locations across Ohio for $59.99 plus tax.
As mentioned, this is a single barrel, but not a barrel proof... meaning the bourbon in the bottle comes from a single barrel, but it is adjusted with water to create a standard proof (102 proof (51% alcohol)).
The tasting notes for the 16 barrels are:
Barrel #2-E3-1230 - Creamy, fruit profile with raspberry and blackberry creates a smoothie-like flavor, followed by clove on the back end
Barrel #2-E3-1232 - Oaky and aged yet bright, with wood and tobacco on the finish
Barrel #2-E3-1267 - An herbaceous nose with dill and a softer, shorter, minty flavor
Barrel #2-E3-1268 - Pear on the nose, with juicy fruit flavors and a soft, round, smooth finish
Barrel #2-E3-1271 - Leathery and balanced, with sweet-tart flavor and dusty notes
Barrel #2-E3-1273 - Sweetness on the nose with a complex taste featuring caramel and baking spices
Barrel #2-E3-1275 - Stone fruit on the front end and herbal, white pepper notes on the finish
Barrel #2-E3-1276 - A balanced smokiness, with cherries jubilee, dried fruit flavors, and a cognac-like notes
Barrel #2-E3-1277 - A minty nose and flavor with a notable wood influence and concentrated floral-herbal aromatics
Barrel #2-E3-1278 - Flavor of orchard fruits like apple and pear with a creamy, candy-like quality
Barrel #2-E4-1302 - Mellow flavors of dark chocolate and orange with a clove finish
Barrel #2-E4-1303 - Leathery nose with flavors of scotch, toffee, caramel, and a nuttiness reminiscent of a honey nut cereal — a sweeter front end followed by a hotter, spicier finish
Barrel #2-E4-1307 - Cherry on the nose with a floral, earthy taste, and sweetness from start to finish
Barrel #2-E4-1314 - Classic high-rye spiciness with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a long finish
Barrel #2-E4-1316 - Herbal, black licorice taste with a crème brûlée finish
Barrel #2-E4-1317 - A nose of dark fruit and fruit leather with a taste of figs
Another good release by the State with 16 barrels worth. Personally, I've been avoiding Bulleit as their namesake has some very serious accusations against him (emotional and sexual abuse). It's not a good look for the brand... Regardless, if you're willing to overlook this, this is a good opportunity to pick up a single-barrel for $60.
Most tasting clubs are informal get-togethers between friends, but the Creekside Cask Club has gone the extra step of getting certified by their local homeowners association. That’s because the North Carolina-based group is comprised of residents living in a 55 and older active adult community. So in 2017, when Doug Neptun, Scott Underwood, and Kevin Walls decided that they wanted to organize tastings, they had a built-in audience and outreach tools at their disposal.
“We can use the resources of the association for emailing, scheduling, calendaring, and use of the clubhouse for events that qualify,” Walls says. Only community members or guests are eligible to join, but the Creekside Cask Club makes an effort to appeal to a wide range of drinkers. What started as a group of friends discussing bourbon has grown to include tastings of wine, gin, rum, brandy, and more. “Think of the name ‘Cask’ being, we’re going to deal with products that are aged somehow in a cask,” Walls says.
When a member of the community has an idea for a tasting, they bring it to Walls, who, as the group secretary and coordinator, works with them to get the event on the community calendar. The events occur once or twice a month, and range in size from 20 people in a person’s home to 80 in the clubhouse, with all attendees split into three groups. The first group will bring a bottle to taste, lead a brief discussion, and pass it around. There are usually six to seven bottles at a smaller event. The second group will bring high-end appetizers that grant them access to taste the whiskies. The third group is known as “socializers,” people who are not there to taste. Other than supplying food or drink, there is no cost to join.
“The costs are covered by individuals, and it may be you can bring a bottle that you had already opened for a tasting and virtually the cost is nothing,” Neptun says. They have experimented with blind tastings, but that adds cost and labor. Past tastings have focused on wines east of the Mississippi River, or whiskies from Canada; anything that pushes them to taste something new.
“We have all kinds of crazy criteria. I get to mix it up, so we aren’t just tasting bourbons,” Walls says, noting that the socializers group is key. “These were really set up for spouses that are not spirits-based drinkers. Otherwise, it was going to be the old man’s club.”
Walls moved to North Carolina from upstate New York, Neptun from Illinois, while Underwood is native to the Tar Heel State, but all three have bonded over a love of whisky and shared that with their fellow community members. With 591 units in their community presently, and plans to grow to 665 in the next two years, their club will continue to explore based on members’ interests.
The tastings are a mixture of education and socialization, with Walls saying he’s gone from drinking Maker’s Mark exclusively to now keeping 10 to 12 different bourbons on hand. As the group has expanded, the founding members have discovered a taste for new spirits altogether. “The three of us kind of started out focused on bourbons and whiskies, but as new members come on board, they have recommendations and suggestions,” Underwood says. “Getting into things like brandies and cognacs and that kind of stuff that we would probably never do if we didn’t have a neighbor that was interested in it.”
Club Insider: Creekside Cask Club
Location: Durham, North Carolina Year founded: 2019 Number of members: Varies Membership: Exclusive
Talisker distillery is not only maritime in character but in location, with every drop of whisky distilled by the sea. It’s not surprising that when it comes to charitable endeavours, the oceans are its focus,…
Talisker distillery is not only maritime in character but in location, with every drop of whisky distilled by the sea. It’s not surprising that when it comes to charitable endeavours, the oceans are its focus, and its most recent release dives – literally – into an unseen world that needs our help: marine forests. The whisky to back up the project revitalising them has a fitting name – Talisker 44 Year Old: Forests of the Deep.
Talisker: Made by the Sea
Talisker is very proud of its connection to the oceans. Every bottle proclaims that it is ‘made by the sea’ on the label and if you stride off through the distillery car park with a little too much vigour, then you will very quickly get wet feet – Talisker really is a distillery on the sea shore, looking over Loch Harport, a sea loch that cuts deep into Skye’s western coast.
Over the years, Talisker has worked with a variety of different groups on conservation projects, focusing on the sea, and while its latest may start close to home, it reaches far from Skye, to South Africa and The Great African Sea Forest.
The importance of Kelp
Kelp is an essential part of the ecosystem of the oceans. Vast forests grow in the shallows around the world, absorbing carbon dioxide, regulating water acidity and providing a habitat for everything from microbes to sharks. They also, thanks to their location near coasts, help us – they are a buffer against stormy water and stop coastal erosion, as well as often being a nutritious source of food. Without kelp, the sea would be a much quieter and less healthy place.
However, the forests are increasingly threatened by our actions. Overfishing, marine pollution and climate change are all chipping away at the balance of the kelp forests, and they are rapidly disappearing.
talisker x Parley
Parley for the Oceans – Parley for short – is a group dedicated to ocean conservation. They bring together a wide range of people to come up with and work on ideas to help the sea. With everyone from artists, writers and musicians to scientists, engineers, architects and politicians on board, the group look at things differently and try to create innovative solutions to the problems facing the ocean.
Talisker is rightly proud of its collaboration with Parley, which began with the first in its current – as yet unnamed – series of whiskies: Talisker 43 Year Old Xpedition Oak.
That project brought attention to the kelp around Skye and the achievements of those who take part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, this new project moved the focus to South Africa.
The Great African Sea Forest
Starting off the shore of Cape Town in South Africa and stretching more than 1000km north into Namibian waters, The Great African Sea Forest is a hidden wonder of the natural world. A dense kelp jungle, it provides a home for hundreds of species and protects the coast from storm surges, all while helping keep the ocean healthy.
However, not all is well in The Forest, and Parley, with support from Talisker, led a trip to Cape Town to investigate and document the current state of the kelp. The mission yacht not only contained a team of scientists and filmmakers, but also a stack of wooden cask staves that headed back to Scotland at the end of the expedition.
Talisker 44 Year Old: Forests of the Deep
Continuing the ideas of the Xpedition Oak – where staves were rowed around the route of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge – this new Parley project uses the staves that came back from Cape Town. Taking things a step further, they were toasted using sustainably farmed Scottish kelp and shavings from the staves, before being assembled into 10 ‘marine-charred’ casks that were then used to finish a very special Talisker for a few months before bottling.
The whisky in question was a 44-year-old Talisker, the oldest whisky ever released by the distillery.
Nose: Brine and brown sugar, with classic Talisker black pepper underneath. Rich shiitake mushroom, rich loam and bundled twigs are balanced by sweet mint fondant. Wood smoke rolls through followed by singed seaweed and roasted meat. Dark treacle toffee notes sit at the bottom, built on with layers of marzipan and polished oak. A touch of water brings out sweet victoria-sponge cake.
Palate: Butter and singed toast lead, with the classic salt and pepper coarsely ground over the top. Brown sugar and toffee come though, followed by wispy wood smoke. Stewed apples with a dusting of spice are joined by freshly cut oak and wax-polished boards. Stroopwaffel sweetness develops, balanced by singed pears and mulching leaves. Water doubles down on the fruit, revealing more apples and pears and a touch of red berry.
Finish: Black pepper, salted caramel, barrel char and polished oak – a classic Talisker finish.
Comment: It tastes how you would expect old Talisker to taste – still very much a maritime dram, but tempered by years in wood to give a calmed take on the distillery’s salt, pepper and crashing wave character. It might just be the power of suggestion, but the savoury edge of the whisky does bring to mind the tastes and smell of kelp, both fresh and and smoking on a fire – a dark, leathery and richly smoky character that appears here well-balanced against the whisky’s sweeter side. A worthy cause and appropriately special whisky.
There are just 1,997 bottles of Talisker 44 Year Old: Forests of the Deep available worldwide. There are more details available on The Whisky Exchange website.
You can learn more about the Talisker x Parley Rewild our Seas project on their website.
On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Yellowstone Family Recipe. This 6 year old bourbon is 100 proof and $70 MSRP. Let us know what you think. Cheers!
DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.
Lagavulin 30 yo 1990/2020 (45.5%, The Syndicate, cask #4396, 96 bottles)Lagavulin 1993/2021 (50.1%, OB, Prima & Ultima Third Release, Pedro Ximenez/Oloroso seasoned butt and refill American oak hogshead, 642 bottles, 2022)
Lagavulin 30 yo 1990/2020 (45.5%, The Syndicate, cask #4396, 96 bottles) Lagavulin 1993/2021 (50.1%, OB, Prima & Ultima Third Release, Pedro Ximenez/Oloroso seasoned butt and refill American oak hogshead, 642 bottles, 2022)
