Belle Meade Sherry Cask Finished Bourbon

WOTD 6: Belle Meade Sherry Cask Finished Bourbon

Nelson's Green Brier Distillery had its grand reopening yesterday, and we were fortunate enough to be there for the tour and tastings. They had their unaged White Tennessee Whiskey, there already popular Belle Meade Bourbon and special bottling, 9 year Belle Meade Sherry Cask Finished Bourbon. I picked up a bottle that was signed by both Andy and Charlie and have decided to pop the cork on it, literally.

After letting it decant, the nose on it brings out the sherry almost instantly. The flavors of the whiskey are almost identical to it's predecessor except for a few things. The sherry finish takes the edge off of the bourbon and maturating 9 years as opposed to 6 - 8 of the original surely plays a parts as well. The sherry finish also lends a nice, dark color to the bourbon.

The price point may seem a bit high, but when you factor in Willett's Rye's that sell for much more and come from similar origins, No knock to Willett, just something to factor in when looking at cost.

This a really smooth and nice sipping whiskey and, as shown in the picture, easy enough for even Relakkuma to enjoy. It's ok, shes old enough.

Rating: 96/100

Bulleit Rye Whiskey

WOTD 5: Bulleit Rye Whiskey

Coming back to the rye's: Bulleit is an excellent rye whiskey. 95% rye and 5% barley mashbill means we are talking about some serious rye flavour.

Tasting notes!
Nose: Big heaps of cherries and vanilla, with subtle notes of leather and tobacco.

Palate: Spices at first, followed by peaches, more cherries and a little bit of orange zest.

Finish: A smoky finish, carried by cinnamon, allspice and a hint of sweeties.

So as much as I like it neat you'll notice my picture is not neat. This, my friends, is the Frisco Sour. Bulleit, Benedictine, Lemon juice. Talk about awesome, this is it. Bulleit is the only rye I've tasted that lends itself to this drink in such an amazing way. Equal parts spicy, sour and sweet. Anyone wanting the recipe can Google it or ask me for my own recipe. Thanks Bulleit! This is some seriously good whiskey!

Rating: 95/100

Gentleman Jack

WOTD 4: Gentleman Jack

Now wait just a second. I know what you're thinking. Jack Daniels?!? (or maybe you're not thinking that) But hear me out. This, my friends, is Gentleman Jack. Think of it as a dapper man. What you'd see a rich aristocrat drinking... and then imagine yourself drinking it instead, because who invited him and WHO said he could have any?

Anyways, Gentleman Jack differs from Jack Daniels Old No. 7 in one way only. Whereas Old No. 7 is charcoal mellowed through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal, aged and then bottled, Gentleman Jack goes through another 2 - 3 feet of sugar maple charcoal after aging and before bottling (obviously). That extra mellowing makes it the only double charcoal mellowed whiskey in the world and gives it one of the smoothest tastes around.

Taste profile: Fruits and spices and a finish that is smooth and silky.

Now, I think this is great neat, but if you are a Jack and Coke (or Ginger) kinda person, then watch out, because after you do a GJ with Coke (or Ginger) there's no going back. And at the price difference, why would you go back?

Rating: 96/100

Belle Meade Bourbon

WOTD 3: Belle Meade Bourbon

Out of Nashville, TN and Nelson's Green Brier Distillery comes Belle Meade Bourbon (not pictured here is the 9 year, finished in Sherry Casks version... one day soon though). Head over to greebrierdistillery.com to read about Andy and Charlie Nelson's history. Good stuff! On to the bourbon!

Belle Meade's got a lot of bang for the buck. Sweet to the nose, maple syrup, maybe a little citrus as well. Their taste is vanilla and caramel but not as sweet as the nose would lead you to believe. Has a nice rye spice to it as well. Best served neat! Some awesome stuff especially in $30 - $40 price range.

As previously mentioned, looking forward to trying some of the 9 year Sherry Casked Finished Bourbon.

Rating: 94/100

Congratulations to Andy and Charlie on their upcoming Grand Opening.

Sazerac Rye 6 Year

WOTD (Whiskey of the Day) 2 :

When it's cold and rainy outside, like right now, nothing warms you up quite like Sazerac Rye Whiskey. Sazerac is a New Orleans Original. Rye Whiskey that dates back to the 1800’s, around the time when saloons, veiled as Coffee Houses, began lining the streets of New Orleans. It was at the Sazerac Coffee House on Royal Street where local patrons were served toddies made with Rye Whiskey and Peychaud’s Bitters. The libation became known as the “Sazerac” and America’s first branded cocktail was born.

Tasting notes: Aromas of clove, vanilla, anise and pepper. Subtle notes of candies spices and citrus. The big finish is smooth with hints of licorice.

This is one of my favorites. Great in classic drinks like a Manhattan, Sazerac (duh) and even in an Old Fashioned. Or better yet, neat, with a few whiskey stones.

Rating: 94/100

The Balvenie 12 Year Single Barrel

Here's something new I'm gonna try! WOTD: Whisky of the day (no 'e' since this is a Scotch)

Today we have The Balvenie 12 Year Single Barrel Scotch. These are limited edition bottlings, with each bottle being one of no more than 300 drawn from a single cask. Each is also hand-numbered and labelled with the cask reference number. The one pictured is 1699.

Nose: Toasted, sweet nose with all kinds of charred oak and spice. Hints of maple syrup and allspice, a little vanilla and sweet coffee.

Palate: A complex palate with allspice and toffee apples, cooked fruit and baking spices, hints of sponge cake and creamy caramels.

Finish: Long finish with lingering sweetness and spice.

Overall: An intense whisky with lots of influence from the cask. Great value for money too.

Rating: 89/100

Keep posted for more WOTD!