The Big Red Dram

So tonight I discuss two distillers editions from Lux Row, the Ezra and the Rebel and then finish with the Double Barrel Distillers edition.  All 3 were delicious, without question.  But the surprise of the night was the rich vanilla smoothness of the Ezra Brooks!  It won the night.  Truly remarkable bourbon coming from this young distillery.  Cheers!

This bottle for the money is the best kept secret in bourbon.  Smooth and utterly approachable this whiskey is one of my favorite go to sippers.  Easy to drink, simple to nose and just tasty, it is a super value.  Now this new iteration compared to a sample of a 1980 release?  More refined than it's older sibling, but the 1980 does bring a bit more heat on the back end and a delightfully peppery finish that I didn't pick up on until after I was done recording.  That said, the current version is still the better choice, but this was a fun comparison, as they did compare overall.  Brown Forman got it right. Cheers!

Oh this peaty bottle of deliciousness.  50% Port, 47% Bourbon, 3% Sherry and 100% a product of Islay, this bottle exceeded expectations.  With the signature Kilchoman peat, this bottle checks all the boxes for something special.  I enjoy how Kilchoman has grown to be a force on an island full of power houses.  Kilchoman can stand tall and is quietly becoming, or better yet, is a major force to be reckoned with.  

How can a good bottle be great?  Sometimes you just have to pick the right barrel.  

Well well well.  We meet again Glenlivet.  So I hadn't had a Glenlivet in probably 15 years, and then I tried the Signatory 13 year Sherry.  More recently the 12. Now this.  Ok Ok.  I get it, you have changed, so have I, so it is nice to get reacquainted.  The legendary distillery is still making amazing things.  This one, aged in Limosin French Oak is wonderfully light and refreshing with just a hint of spice and white fruits, that I find tantalizing and utterly satisfying.  IF you see the gift set with the 12, 14 & 15, do yourself a favor and grab one.  You will be happy you did. 

I discuss my first single barrel pick for the Wheaton Whisky Club and the Chicagoland Whiskey Hunters.  With many thanks to A1 Liquors along the way this was such a wonderful experience, and hopefully the first of many more to come.  

A spectacular Warehouse 9 release from Bunnahabhain.  I love everything about this expression.  It is so full of all the Bunna goodness combined with delectable sherry notes.  It is scrumptious!  

After about a Month of coordinating and locating through the help of some bourbon thieves and a WWC member, I was able to assemble 6 of the 9 1792 expressions currently out there in the wild.  The 1792 Small Batch, Single Barrel (store pick), Bottled in Bond (store pick), Sweet Wheat, Aged 12 Years, and Full Proof. The fun thing about doing something like this is that you begin to recognize the common notes that are prevalent amongst the range.  Then you get to enjoy the ebbs and flows of those flavors as they increase and decrease throughout.  1792 Barton is a great distillery nestled in Bardstown and their offerings are worth the hunt, at retail of course. 

Cheers!

On this episode I sit down with Charlie Rodman, the man behind Signatoryusa on Instagram and the Director of Strategy & Business Development for Total Beverage Solution.  We discuss his involvement with Signatory and learn quite a bit about independent bottlers, the reasons why they are doing great things, and why we as single malt consumers should be paying more attention to them.  So pour yourself a nice dram, grab a notepad and get comfy, there is a lot of great information here.  

Cheers!

Signatory is quietly becoming a source of some great Whisky and while I will speak with them next week in my first ever interview, tonight as a warmup I jumped into two 5 year Bunnahabhain Staoisha Signatory picks.  One, Cask #10756 direct from Signatory, in the beautiful Decanter bottle, and the other, Cask #10757 from Binny's in the standard 750 bottle.  I will tell you these tasted better then their age would suggest, and were also extremely difficult to decipher.  On the nose they both had light fruity, almost citrus noses with little peat.  Then their palates differed, with the edge going to Signatory.  Their finishes were warm and peaty with a slight edge going to Signatory again.  Fascinating.