With the confusing news about Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled 2022 Special Release American Single Malt Whiskey, I got the distinct sense that Jack Daniel’s doesn’t know what they want to do with their single malt. After tasting this, I’m that much more …
With the confusing news about Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled 2022 Special Release American Single Malt Whiskey, I got the distinct sense that Jack Daniel’s doesn’t know what they want to do with their single malt. After tasting this, I’m that much more convinced on the matter.
On July 29, 2022, the Trade and Tax Bureau (TTB) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would give American Single Malt a formal, legal definition in American whiskey. These are also called the Standards of Identity (SOI).These standards were f…
On July 29, 2022, the Trade and Tax Bureau (TTB) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would give American Single Malt a formal, legal definition in American whiskey. These are also called the Standards of Identity (SOI).These standards were first proposed by the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission (ASMWC) in 2016. The Committee is led by Westland’s Steve Hawley and represents nearly 100 member producers in the United States. Currently, American Single Malt Whiskey has no formal definition within the guidelines of U.S. whiskey and there are no relevant parallel regulations as there are for other grains (i.e. bourbon must be 51 percent corn, rye must be 51 percent rye, etc.).
This bottle immediately comes with so many expectations that it’s hard to judge it fairly. Tasted blind, this is an excellent bourbon that balances the strong Kentucky and Indiana bourbon profiles while deftly relegating the overly distinct Tennessee w…
This bottle immediately comes with so many expectations that it’s hard to judge it fairly. Tasted blind, this is an excellent bourbon that balances the strong Kentucky and Indiana bourbon profiles while deftly relegating the overly distinct Tennessee whiskey notes to a supporting role. In a blend of whiskeys as old as 17 years, this could easily have been over-oaked, yet it isn’t. It is warm, orange zest-forward (note: not orange vitamins), with bright red fruit evolving into a maple old fashioned without being too sweet.
Buffalo, Barrels, & Bourbon by F. Paul Pacult is a study in how the bourbon gods giveth and taketh away. Published on September 23, 2021, the book’s release was perfectly timed: Bourbon Heritage Month, the start of allocated bourbon season, and mo…
Buffalo, Barrels, & Bourbon by F. Paul Pacult is a study in how the bourbon gods giveth and taketh away. Published on September 23, 2021, the book’s release was perfectly timed: Bourbon Heritage Month, the start of allocated bourbon season, and most relevantly the time at which Buffalo Trace normally releases the annual Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC). Who could then have foreseen that not even two weeks later, Buffalo Trace would announce that this year’s BTAC would not include its flagship offering, George T. Stagg (GTS). This news, coupled with an already even-more-allocated-than-usual vibe suffusing the bourbon world, made me rethink how to review the entire book.
I tried this after tasting the Watershed Bottled-in-Bond, figuring the apple brandy might taint my palate in a way a straight bourbon wouldn’t. Unfortunately, it didn’t matter. Even after three tries, I just couldn’t find much flavor here. The apple br…
I tried this after tasting the Watershed Bottled-in-Bond, figuring the apple brandy might taint my palate in a way a straight bourbon wouldn’t. Unfortunately, it didn’t matter. Even after three tries, I just couldn’t find much flavor here. The apple brandy influence is way, way in the back, and adding additional straight bourbon into the blend diminishes the point of using the brandy barrels in the first place. I’m not sure if this needs more age, less age, more proof, less proof, fewer barrels, or something else, but the baseline needs more tinkering.
For my first taste of Watershed Distillery, this was a solid if unspectacular bottled-in-bond bourbon. It doesn’t have many youth notes and is more apple- and rye-forward (though the mash bill is undisclosed), and I found it a great mixer for a Manhatt…
For my first taste of Watershed Distillery, this was a solid if unspectacular bottled-in-bond bourbon. It doesn’t have many youth notes and is more apple- and rye-forward (though the mash bill is undisclosed), and I found it a great mixer for a Manhattan or a less-sweet Gold Rush, as the honey and apple notes elevate each other. As a neat pour, the black pepper can easily overpower the rest of the flavors. A tight nose opens with just a hint of dark honey and savory apples. Black pepper and cider power the taste, with oak and spice lingering on the finish. Applewood joins the nose after some air as does roasted corn.
