Category: American Blend

Old Elk Infinity Blend 2023 Whiskey Review

By Kenrick Thurston Wilcox Rating: B+ If anyone has wanted to try their hand at being a blender, infinity bottles are an interesting way for consumers to do so, with many articles on websites how to start your own at home blend. With its roots in the wine world via the solera aging system, the …

By Kenrick Thurston Wilcox

Rating: B+

Old Elk Infinity Bottle 2023
(Credit: Old Elk Distillery)

If anyone has wanted to try their hand at being a blender, infinity bottles are an interesting way for consumers to do so, with many articles on websites how to start your own at home blend. With its roots in the wine world via the solera aging system, the process sees consumers taking what whiskey they have available and over time creating their own uniquely personal blend.

Some whiskey companies, such as Old Elk, are aware of this trend and have gone a step further by creating infinity barrels, projects that see producers filling a barrel or tank, then draining a portion of the liquid, and topping it off with different products, creating an ever-evolving whiskey. Started in 2013 by entrepreneur Curt Richardson, founder and ex-CEO of OtterBox, and with Greg Metze at the helm as master distiller. Before coming over to Old Elk, Metze had an illustrious career as head distiller at MGP, where he worked for 38 years.

This is the third iteration of Old Elk’s Infinity Blend, which contains 15.3% of last years infinity blend, 40% of their unique high malted bourbon aged for 8 years, 43.2% wheat whiskey aged for 7 years and 1.5% wheat whiskey aged for 10 years and is bottled at 57.575% ABV.

The Whiskey
Once poured the whiskey is amber in color. The nose is is full, nutty and malty, with notes of toffee, coffee beans, chocolate and a slight leather scent.

On the palate the malt and wheat become more prominent though the liquid still retains the corn sweetness and thickness typical of a bourbon. Some notes of orange citrus come through along with some smoke, with the coffee bean notes fading far into the background.

The finish stays for a long time though is lacking in complexity tasting only of coffee. Adding a couple drops of water I noticed some black pepper on the nose, some leather on the the palate with more of the coffee flavor coming back, and the finish now having notes of chocolate, coffee and black licorice, although the time it lasted was shortened. This dram is great both on neat or on the rocks.

The Price
A bottle will should set you back $150 for a 750ml, but some online retailers have it listed for somewhat higher.

Glyph Spice Spirit Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas Rating: C- As the craft whiskey boom really took off in the early 2010s, many small producers were on the look out for techniques to reduce maturation time or bypass it all together. The classic was to age in small or tiny barrels. The best examples of this tailored their production process …

By Richard Thomas

Rating: C-

Glyph Spice
(Credit: Richard Thomas)

As the craft whiskey boom really took off in the early 2010s, many small producers were on the look out for techniques to reduce maturation time or bypass it all together. The classic was to age in small or tiny barrels. The best examples of this tailored their production process to make a better new make, something that would be drinkable after a mere several months in a cask that was 10 gallons or less. Many did not, giving rise to the whole “craft whiskey sucks” meme that is still kicking around to this day. Others used the small barrel concept and took it a step further, such as Defiant using spiral oak cuts (maximizing surface area) and dropping those into the whiskey, with decidedly mixed results.

The most interesting have been attempts to take a more high-tech approach, such as the ultrasonic TerrePure process. Again, when one takes in the gambit of these more laboratory-oriented methods, some achieve results worth further exploration and others come as as being mere gimmicks. Cleveland Whiskey attempted to circumvent maturation by using pressurization, with notoriously bad results. Yet some, like Bespoken Spirits, show some promise.

Glyph Spirits says they “[craft whiskey] ‘note by note’ in less than 24 hours using flavor and aroma molecules extracted from more efficient sources in nature.” By that, they mean they extract flavors directly from “plants and yeasts” and then add this to neutral grain alcohol (corn vodka, basically).

That is all very interesting, but the label is somewhat more substantive, because it must be approved by the TTB and meet certain legal requirements. Glyph Spice is a “spirit whiskey with natural flavors,” and spirits whiskey is a blend of the aforementioned neutral spirits with 5% to 20% whiskey. Spirit whiskey was a creation of the Great Whiskey Bust of the 1970s, as big distillers scrambled to create lighter products that they felt the vodka, wine and lite beer drinking Boomers of the day wanted. So, this is a little actually whiskey of some kind, corn vodka and added flavoring. Glyph is also keen on calling attention to how environmentally friendly their process is, using less water and energy than traditional distilling.

The Whiskey
The pour has a dull copper look to it, and a nose that is light, but has a slight bite to it, despite being only 40% ABV. The scents are of pine needles and canned fruit medley. The flavor delivers more pine attached to allspice. This is a simple enough drink, and it might make for a good mixer in the right company.

The Price
One thing Glyph Spice has going for it is that it is pretty cheap. I’ve seen it listed with online retailers in the $16 to $22 range.

Woodford Reserve Releases Latest Distillery Series, Toasted Oak Four Grain Blend

Woodford Reserve has released a new limited-edition bottle as part of its continuing Distillery Series, Toasted Oak Four Grain. This new release is a blend of Woodford Reserve’s Bourbon, Rye, Wheat and Malt whiskeys. The whiskey was first aged in a standard new oak barrel, and was then finished in heavily toasted new oak barrels. …

Woodford Reserve has released a new limited-edition bottle as part of its continuing Distillery Series, Toasted Oak Four Grain.

This new release is a blend of Woodford Reserve’s Bourbon, Rye, Wheat and Malt whiskeys. The whiskey was first aged in a standard new oak barrel, and was then finished in heavily toasted new oak barrels. So, this isn’t a four grain bourbon and shouldn’t be confused as one; it is instead a blended whiskey, with the “four grain” part coming from the lead grain for each constituent part. The proportions are not listed.

The result is a whiskey with a beautiful baked pecan color and a toasted oak flavor with wood spiced and a hint of maple syrup and butterscotch.

This is the first Woodford Reserve release to have Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall’s name on the label. McCall took over the role of Master Distiller from Chris Morris, who now serves as Master Distiller Emeritus, in January of 2023.

“I am thrilled for Toasted Oak Four Grain to be the first Woodford Reserve release with my name on it as Master Distiller,” said McCall. “Experimenting and creating new products is one of the most exciting parts of my job, allowing us to explore new flavors. This is the first of many special releases we have planned in the coming years.”

Toasted Oak Four Gain is part of Woodford Reserve’s Distillery Series, which was created to push Woodford Reserve’s creative boundaries and introduce new whiskeys to the market. This selection was masterminded by McCall and is available for purchase in limited quantities at the Woodford Reserve Distillery and limited Kentucky retailers. Toasted Oak Four Grain is available in 375ml bottles at 90.4 Proof. It is available for an SRP of $59.99.

Sneak Peek: Kings County Coffee Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas Rating: B- A few years ago, FEW Spirits introduced a novel spin on their bourbon by cutting it with cold brew coffee instead of water. They were followed by a Jameson cold brew whiskey and a few cold brew whiskeys introduced by small distillers around the country. Now Kings County in Brooklyn …

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B-

Kings County Distillery

A few years ago, FEW Spirits introduced a novel spin on their bourbon by cutting it with cold brew coffee instead of water. They were followed by a Jameson cold brew whiskey and a few cold brew whiskeys introduced by small distillers around the country. Now Kings County in Brooklyn has joined the cold brew party, partnering with Parlor Coffee.

Cold brew coffee is used in these concoctions because it’s less acidic than the standard coffee brew, and that acidity is prone to foul the taste of the whiskey. This particular version of caffeinated whiskey is said to have 14mg of caffeine per shot (1.5 oz), and the whiskey side of it is a blend of Kings County’s bourbon and corn whiskey. The regular cup of joe packs 16.5 mg into the same volume. Kings County shipped Coffee Whiskey in mid-April, and this entry comes in 750 ml bottles at 40% ABV.

The Bourbon
This pour has a dark coloring that takes it beyond amber to nut brown. That underscores the theme here. I’ve only tried two of these things, but FEW named theirs “FEW Bourbon With Cold Brew Coffee,” while Kings County went with “Coffee Whiskey.” The relative emphasis is right there in the name.

The nose is syrupy, leading with a half-and-half of Hershey’s chocolate and vanilla syrups, with a modest note of tannic coffee grinds underneath. That thick, sweet character continues on into the palate. Kings County compares it with Italian amari, and they have good reason to do so, especially the thicker style of amari. I couldn’t find the signature of the corn whiskey at all, subsumed by the cold brew, which leads the flavor profile by half a foot. The finish sees the sweet, chocolatey side of the coffee swap with the bitter aspect, and that swap takes the bourbon with it.

My confession here is that I’m not a coffee drinker, although I appreciate similar flavors appearing in things like stout and ice cream. I appreciated FEW’s cold brew effort so much because it remained bourbon first and foremost; the coffee was a distinct layer inserted into it. King County’s effort has the two elements of whiskey and coffee as peers, and if one of them is out in front, it’s the coffee.

The Price
Expect to pay about $45 for this caffeinated whiskey.

Redwood Empire Lost Monarch Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas Rating: B- Following their branding and custom, California’s Redwood Empire named their blend of whiskeys after a very old, very tall redwood tree. The tallest coastal redwood, Lost Monarch the tree is 157 feet high and found in Jedediah Smith State Park. Lost Monarch the whiskey is a blend of (presumably MGP-sourced) …

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B-

Redwood Empire Lost Monarch Blend of Whiskeys
(Credit: Redwood Empire)

Following their branding and custom, California’s Redwood Empire named their blend of whiskeys after a very old, very tall redwood tree. The tallest coastal redwood, Lost Monarch the tree is 157 feet high and found in Jedediah Smith State Park.

Lost Monarch the whiskey is a blend of (presumably MGP-sourced) bourbon and rye. I think it is folly to automatically assume every 95% rye, 5% malted barley whiskey comes from MGP these days, because there are several distillers using that mash bill, and Redwood Empire is drawing on it here for 40% of the formulation. What makes me suspect it is MGP is the 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley bourbon in the blend, which comprises 60%. The former is said to draw on 3 to 5 year old stock, and the later 4 to 12 years old. Crossing the two major types of whiskey makes it a Hybrid, but technically it’s an American Blend. Lost Monarch is bottled at 90 proof.

The Whiskey
The pour had a dull copper look in the glass. The nose was herbal, a current of Bigelow Constant Comment tea with the orange zest, clove and cinnamon, plus a strong note of dill and a teaspoon of vanilla stirred in. This sweet, herbal character develops on the palate, with the citrus holding firm and joined by caramel on the sweet side. The herbal side goes to pepper and juniper, taking a decidedly gin-like turn. From there, the whiskey finishes as a sliver of mildly spicy wood.

The Price
Lost Monarch fetches between $30 and $35 with a sampling of online retailers, making it quite reasonably priced.

 

 

High West Campfire Whiskey Review (2022)

By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ A decade ago, Utah’s High West was a fan favorite, instantly earning a reputation for transparency at a time when a handful of whiskey bloggers led an often trollish obsession among enthusiasts with the sometimes shady marketing employed by non-distiller producers. High West was unusual in not only did they …

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

The revamped High West Campfire
(Credit: Richard Thomas)

A decade ago, Utah’s High West was a fan favorite, instantly earning a reputation for transparency at a time when a handful of whiskey bloggers led an often trollish obsession among enthusiasts with the sometimes shady marketing employed by non-distiller producers. High West was unusual in not only did they frankly admit that their whiskeys were sourced, but they even specified from who and what their blending proportions were.

Campfire was not just an example of a transparently sourced American whiskey, but also an early example of a whiskey that blended multiple types of whiskey together, or hybrid. In this instance, it’s a mixture of bourbon, rye and Scottish malts. As Padre John wrote in our 2015 review, “According to David Perkins, founder of High West Distillery, the Campfire saga all began at the Bruichladdich Distillery B & B. He and his wife were served an unusual combination of fresh melon and sweet smoke.  He believed it a very unforgettable experience, and the idea struck him to recreate this marvelous experience only with a bourbon as the base.”

High West discontinued Campfire for a brief spell, but has resurrected it this year, albeit with a new formulation. This version draws on stocks of the ubiquitous MGP-made 95% rye, 5% malt rye whiskey; High West’s own in-house rye whiskey; the 75% corn mash bourbon made by MGP; and a blend of malts from Scotland, sourced from undisclosed distilleries. This Campfire 2022 is bottled at 92 proof.

The Whiskey
I’ve never actually found campfire to have the nose of a campfire, which is perhaps a good thing: American whiskeys have no business aping the peatiest beasts of Scotland. This new formulation has a candied core at the scent, smacking of vanilla, honey and butterscotch, tinged with cookie spices and pine needles. The flavor follows almost exactly in this vein, differing only in the addition of a touch of ash, making it everything anyone could ask for from an Scots-American hybrid whiskey. That ash firmly establishes its feet in both identities, and in a way that doesn’t clash. The finish rolls on woody and spicy, but mildly so.

The Price
Officially, Campfire now goes for $79.99

Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Dovetail Whiskey Review (2022)

By Randall H. Borkus Rating: A Barrell Craft Spirits launched Dovetail, a blend of bourbon and whiskey expressing the company’s favorite sources and flavors, in 2018. For 2022, they have released an ultra-premium Gray Label expression using the same blending. Here Barrell Craft Spirits chose older and rarer barrels with some of the spirits aged …

By Randall H. Borkus

Rating: A

Barrell Craft Spirits Dovetail 2022
(Credit: Barrell Craft Spirits)

Barrell Craft Spirits launched Dovetail, a blend of bourbon and whiskey expressing the company’s favorite sources and flavors, in 2018. For 2022, they have released an ultra-premium Gray Label expression using the same blending. Here Barrell Craft Spirits chose older and rarer barrels with some of the spirits aged up to 20 years. This limited Gray Label Dovetail is finished in rum, port, and Dunn Vineyards Cabernet barrels. The bourbon whiskey is sourced from Indiana, Tennessee and Canada and bottled in Kentucky. Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Dovetail is a stout and complex expression.

The 2022 Dovetail release is bottled at a 131.54 proof with no age statement is a combination of whiskeys finished in rum casks, Port pipes, and Dunn Vinyards Cabernet casks.

Barrell Craft Spirits describes this spirit: “This is an ester-forward bourbon with the brooding depth of cabernet and port casks. The varied distillates and casks come together into a complex palate that showcases the cola notes of whiskey that’s spent many years in oak.”

The Bourbon
The whiskey dances in my Glencairn glass and hosts a bright golden hue.  The spirit exhibits serious thick legs rolling down the sides of my glass.  The nose is full of caramel, molasses, and sweet crushed cane wrapped in fresh cut leather rose cigar tobacco.

The front palate shows up oily with flavors of sweetened molasses and berry preserves.  The mid palate is invitingly warm with a splashes of ginger, cinnamon and chocolate sugar wrapped in a Caramel-prune covered tobacco leaf sprinkled with a hint of black pepper.  The finish is bold and complex with crushed candied fruits, brown sugar, sweet spice with a syrupy earthy mineral quality.  The finish lasts forever resting a satisfying sugared ginger holding on to my taste buds.

This Gray Label Dovetail is elegant and bold.  I really enjoyed each sip and longed for more when the bottle was empty.  For those who are comfortable with buying a $249 bottle you will enjoy this!  This is a damn good whiskey, and I would seek out another pour in one of my favorite watering holes in Chicago if lucky enough to find it.

The Price
The 2022 Gray Label Dovetail retails for $249 a bottle and expect it to become hard to find quickly.

Beam’s Little Book Reaches Chapter Six

Freddie Noe, Eighth Generation Master Distiller of the Fred B. Noe Distillery and creator of Little Book® Whiskey, is proud to announce the sixth installment in his acclaimed annual, limited-release series – Little Book Chapter 6: “To The Finish.” The name of this year’s chapter is inspired by Noe’s passion for both whiskey-making and cooking, …

Freddie Noe, Eighth Generation Master Distiller of the Fred B. Noe Distillery and creator of Little Book® Whiskey, is proud to announce the sixth installment in his acclaimed annual, limited-release series – Little Book Chapter 6: “To The Finish.”

The name of this year’s chapter is inspired by Noe’s passion for both whiskey-making and cooking, and more specifically, his curiosity for how flavors come together to complement each other.

“From generation to generation, the kitchen has always been a place where my family comes together to share traditions including my dad teaching me to cure meat and working to perfect my grandfather’s sausage recipe. These memories ultimately led to my pursuits around the grill,” said Noe. “My love for cooking and grilling, along with my obvious love of whiskey, has inspired my work in the rackhouse, and you’ll see that poured into Chapter 6.”

Noe uses the traditional method of smoking hardwoods to create different aromas and flavors in food, and he’s applied that same method to the whiskey-making process, using unique wood staves and barrel techniques for Chapter 6. This process brings different characteristics together to create a final blend that has a perfect balance of flavors.

“To The Finish” is a blend of five liquid streams all distilled under Noe’s watchful eye. The 4-year-old Straight Malt Whiskey liquid streams all start as the same American Single Malt Whiskey but are aged separately with different wood staves and barrel techniques to impart a unique taste profile. Once the liquids are individually dumped, they are blended back together in different ratios before a 5-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon is added to create the final blend. The result is an extremely approachable liquid, even for those who have yet to try a cask strength whiskey.

Little Book “To The Finish” was developed by Noe with the following characteristics:

  • Blend Overview:
    • The 4-year-old Straight Malt Whiskey finished with cherrywood staves adds a unique presence of dried fruit notes, offering a touch of sweetness. The cherrywood also delivers the rich, deep amber color of the final blend.
    • The 4-year-old Straight Malt Whiskey finished with applewood smoked barrels complements the whiskey by pulling out the savory toasted grain notes with subtle smokiness.
    • The 4-year-old Straight Malt Whiskey finished in hickory smoked barrels brings out the more apparent smokiness in the final blend, complementing the sweetness brought forward by the cherry and applewood components.
    • The 4-year-old Straight Malt Whiskey finished with maplewood staves gives a rounded finish to the whiskey, ultimately complementing the overall blend.
    • Finally, the 5-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon creates a balance throughout by adding in the classic warm, sweet bourbon notes. This brings the full blend together and allows the nuances of each treatment to shine.

“With each release of Little Book, I strive to bring any curious whiskey drinker along for the journey as I explore different flavors, aging, and blending methods,” Noe explained. “For this chapter, I hope to open people’s eyes to a whiskey that has a taste bigger than its individual components, and a flavor that’s inspired from generations of curing, grilling and distilling.”

“To The Finish” is now available nationwide in limited quantities with a suggested retail price of $124.99 for a 750mL bottle.

Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash Blended Bottled In Bond Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Earlier this spring, Jack Daniel’s introduced a new series on bottled in bond whiskeys. One of these was a revamping of an already existing expression, Jack Daniel’s Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whiskey. This one took an already existing, one-liter travel retail bottle and repackaged it as a general release in …

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash Bonded
(Credit: Brown-Forman)

Earlier this spring, Jack Daniel’s introduced a new series on bottled in bond whiskeys. One of these was a revamping of an already existing expression, Jack Daniel’s Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whiskey. This one took an already existing, one-liter travel retail bottle and repackaged it as a general release in a 700ml, Euro-friendly bottle. I’ve taken some time in getting to the other, entirely new part of the series: the Triple Mash Blended.

This is a blend/hybrid of three separate whiskeys made in Lynchburg: 20% is the familiar JD Tennessee Whiskey; another 20% is their American Malt, presumably of the same stock as the Special Release made earlier this year; and 60% from their rye whiskey. All three stocks are bonded, as they must be for the blend to consequently qualify as bonded. So, the whiskey is four years old (the statutory minimum age), all coming from the Lynchburg distillery and made in the same season, and all bottled at 100 proof. Also, all three have undergone the signature Lincoln County Process as applied by Jack Daniel’s: the new make whiskey is drip-filtered through a vat of sugar maple charcoal prior to barreling.

The Whiskey
The nose present as oatmeal cookie dough with a heavy helping of the attendant spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger) stirred in. On the palate, it’s as mellow as one should expect from a Jack Daniel’s whiskey, but also heavier. The flavor profile takes more of a turn towards banana bread, albeit one with plenty of the aforementioned cookie spice blend and vanilla added. The malty side, I suspect, presents itself more with the gravity of the pour than in its flavor profile, but having not tried the American Malt from Jack Daniel’s, I’m ill-equipped to pull it out from the other elements. The finish delivers a soft current of spiciness.

The Price

This is set at a very reasonable $33 per bottle.

Utah’s High West Brings Back Campfire Whiskey

High West, the Park City-based distillery known for its meticulously sourced and innovatively blended whiskeys, announces today its Protect the West initiative, a $1 million commitment over the next three years to protect the land and its inhabitants. The announcement coincides with the national release of High West’s seasonal bottle Campfire, one of the brand’s …

High West, the Park City-based distillery known for its meticulously sourced and innovatively blended whiskeys, announces today its Protect the West initiative, a $1 million commitment over the next three years to protect the land and its inhabitants. The announcement coincides with the national release of High West’s seasonal bottle Campfire, one of the brand’s most unique and iconic expressions. In honor of Campfire, the first donation will benefit the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the brave few who run towards the fire, including the wildfires increasingly plaguing the West.

Since opening its doors in 2007, High West has witnessed firsthand how the West has been impacted by a rapidly changing climate, resulting in higher temperatures, severe droughts, drier forests and reduced snowpack. Immediately taking note, the brand has donated more than $1M to nonprofits to date, with the majority of those funds going toward organizations protecting the West and its inhabitants. Now, High West is reaffirming and strengthening this commitment to its own backyard. As part of the Protect the West initiative, High West will partner with organizations that share High West’s passion for the West and whose conservation efforts fall into three focus areas: the fight against wildfires, protecting winters and wildland preservation.

“Now is not the time for us to sit on the sidelines. Our home in the West and everything we love about it is in more and more danger every year,” said Daniel Schear, General Manager of High West. “We’re building on our past work with this $1 million commitment to protect the West, and we are excited to work with those who are also passionate about saving this beautiful part of the world we call home.”

The $150,000 inaugural donation will be split between three organizations to support them in their crucial missions. Future donations will be announced over the course of the next three years as High West continues to identify and support organizations striving to Protect the West.

  • Wildland Firefighter Foundation, dedicated to helping the families of firefighters killed in the line of duty and to assisting injured firefighters and their families.
  • Protect Our Winters, a community of athletes, scientists, creatives, and business leaders advancing non-partisan policies to protect our outdoor playgrounds from climate change.
  • American Prairie, creating the largest nature reserve in the contiguous United States by purchasing critical habitat that connects a vast network of existing public lands for wildlife conservation and public access.

In recognition of the Campfire release and to continue supporting the brave protectors who defend us from fires each and every day, High West is donating $50,000 to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation and matching consumer donations up to an additional $50,000. The American West is burning more quickly than it has in a decade, and over three million acres of U.S. land – almost the size of  Connecticut – have burned so far this year.[1] The donation to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation will directly benefit the families of fallen and injured firefighters, honoring those who tirelessly work to protect our lands.

Available nationally, Campfire ($79.99) is a unique blend of scotch, bourbon and whiskey with a complex flavor profile including s’mores, burnt almond toffee, mocha and tobacco, balsam fir needles, and woodsmoke from a long-forgotten campfire.