A Couple New Micro-Distilleries

While going through the emails piled up in my inbox - which isn't nearly as fun as a big stack of paper mail used to be after a long vacation - I came across articles about two new micro-distilleries whose whiskies have recently hit the market and sound quite interesting.

The first article was about Reservoir Distillery of Richmond, VA which just came out with a very small-batch bourbon that's currently available only in 375 mL bottles and only by special order in Virginia which has a notoriously silly state-run system of liquor stores.

The other new-to-me whiskey that I read about in this article is an unaged corn whiskey that's also made in Virginia with a 1933 vintage copper still and a pre-prohibition recipe. The Belmont Farm Distillery grows and mills its own corn on-site for its Virginia Lightening, and also offers a triple-grain whiskey called Kopper Kettle that should have a very unique flavor after spending time in locally-sourced apple wood and white oak barrels.

Since I don't have any plans to head to Virginia in the near future I'd love to hear from anyone who has a chance to try either of these whiskeys.

Did Ya Miss Me?

After a very relaxing couple of weeks traveling around Canada, the Caribbean, and New England and completely ignoring the internet and other modern technologies I'm back in action and I have plenty to write about. I picked up several cool bottles of whiskey during my travels and I look forward to reviewing those over the next few days. I was also forced to drink lots of rum and fruity cocktails (see below) while in the Caribbean, so look forward to a series of posts about whiskey-alternatives that might appeal to your inner beach bum.

Check back over the next week or two for these and more exciting posts.

Saturday Night Whiskey Song IX

And good 'ol boys were drinking whiskey and rye...a classic - American Pie, performed here by Don McLean, Garth Brooks, and Nanci Griffith. Sure to keep your weekend rocking.

Whiskey Jim's Manly Manhattan

I usually drink my whiskey straight - with a couple rocks in the summer. I like to think of myself as a rugged frontiersman swilling whiskey in a dusty saloon most of the time. However, on occasion, this image just doesn't fly. When you want to appear more civilized, but still crave a taste of whiskey go for a Manhattan. You'll look just as classy as any wine or martini drinker you're forced to converse with, and you'll have a delicious, manly drink to enjoy.


Here's how I make my Manhattans, although it's certainly a recipe worth playing around with to match your tastes.

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Oh Taste & See: Four Roses Bourbon

I've always been intrigued by Four Roses Bourbon. I think the mystique comes from the fact that it wasn't available in the U.S. for over 40 years while the brand was owned by Seagram's. During that time Four Roses became immensely popular around the world - it's Japan's #1 selling bourbon - and it has finally started to become widely available again in the U.S. over the last several years. As soon as I saw a bottle for sale in Pennsylvania I scooped it up and started enjoying this very nice everyday sipping bourbon. The "yellow label" bottle is the standard Four Roses expression, although they also make several small batch and premium products as well, some of which still aren't available in the U.S. In Pennsylvania Four Roses Yellow Label sells for $18.99 - in the same range as Jim Beam or Wild Turkey - but carries a bit more mystique than those more commonly-known brands. It also has a distinct flavor profile that makes it extremely smooth and easy too drink - no wonder it's so popular worldwide.

Color: Classic young bourbon - pale caramel color with a bit of an orange tinge to it.

Nose: Very light nose, with an almost neutral watery scent at first. After a few swirls it opens up to hints of grain, char, and a peppery spice.

Flavor: Four Roses is a light, almost fruity bourbon. It tastes very fresh and has all the requisite bourbon flavors (oak, vanilla, grain, char) without letting any of them come through too strongly. There's also a hint of sweet butter in the taste. Four Roses blends 10 different straight bourbons to make their Yellow Label expression. Perhaps this blending is why it's such a very drinkable, classic bourbon but is also fairly nondescript and unoriginal.

Finish: Smooth and quick, a little spiciness left behind, but that's it.

My verdict is that taste-wise Four Roses is good. Certainly as good as other bourbons in the $15-$20 price range, and very smooth and light if you're looking for an easy-sipping drink. It would also make a good mixer in drinks where you don't want too much bourbon flavor. Still, the best thing about Four Roses is its mystique: if you're going to take a bottle of bourbon to a party and your budget max is $20 you can't go wrong with one of the world's favorite whiskeys that many Americans still haven't heard of.

Saturday Night Whiskey Song VIII

This one's a bit of a downer, but Brad Paisley is one of my favorite singers and songwriters, and paired with Alison Krauss he's even better. The video for this song is like a depressing little five minute movie...hope you enjoy it!

Whiskey Movie: On the Irish Whiskey Trail

Netflix can be a dangerous thing - thanks to their modern technology and endless library of titles I spend untold hours watching movies that I never would have known existed in pre-Netflix days. On the Irish Whiskey Trail fits this description. I found it on Netflix while browsing through the documentary category, and added it to my queue on a whim. Turns out On the Irish Whiskey Trail is more like a commercial for Irish Whiskey disguised as an hour-and-a-half long travel documentary. If it wasn't for the fact that the film ends with a visit to independent distiller Cooley and a nod to up-and-coming craft distillers I would assume that On the Irish Whiskey Trail was bankrolled by Irish Distillers - part of spirits giant Pernod Ricard and the owner of the three largest Irish whiskey brands.

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Saturday Night Whiskey Song VII

This weekend's whiskey song was originally written in 1927 by Bertolt Brecht for a German opera. The version recorded by the Doors is a little bit more up my alley though, so that's the version of Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) I present to you here. Enjoy!

Would You Drink Speed Whiskey from Cleveland?

I came across this article that highlights one of the ways in which the traditional boundaries of whiskey-making are being pushed by modern technology. Tom Lix is a 58 year old serial entrepreneur whose latest venture is a Cleveland, Ohio based company that aims to make high-quality whiskey while reducing the amount of time that the whiskey must spend aging in barrels. Lix claims his process makes six month aged whiskeys that taste like six year aged whiskeys, quite a feat that could revolutionize the economics of the whiskey business if it ever catches on.

The article doesn't go into his process too much, but apparently it involves using smaller-than-standard barrels, a fairly common practice among small-scale and start-up distillers, as well as controlling temperatures and pressures in order to help the whiskey age more quickly. I assume there's more to the process than simply storing a small barrel of spirits in a temperature controlled room, as Nix has a patent pending for his process and has received $25,000 in start-up funding from a Cleveland small-business incubator. He has also received a helping hand from a Kentucky bourbon-maker who supplied unaged white dog whiskey for Nix to use in testing his aging process, saving him the need to distill his own raw product.

Cutting down the time needed to make high quality whiskey would certainly have it's advantages, allowing distillers to bring new products to market more quickly and reducing the costs associated with storing and insuring aging whiskey for years. On the flip side, adding new technology to whiskey production takes away some of the traditional, artisanal nature of the product. What could be less traditional than speed-aged whiskey from Cleveland? Although that does have a very modern, American ring to it.

King of New York Taking on Scotland

Is there anything Donald Trump won't try? The real estate mogul, TV host, casino magnate, and all around one-man-mega-brand has now announced plans to create a high-end brand of Scotch to pair with his under-development golf resort in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The whisky will be produced under contract by an existing distiller, most likely one of the 40 or so operating in the Grampian region of Scotland around the proposed golf resort.

Given that The Donald is involved, expect this whisky to be a big deal - at least in terms of marketing and promotion. He has high hopes for his Trump International Golf Links Scotland including one day hosting the British Open which was contested over the past weekend at St. Andrews' Old Course. That means his golf course will have to be a serious competitor indeed, so we can assume that the Scotch will strive to be equally world class.

I'm sure we'll all be waiting anxiously for Trump's whiskey - planned to hit the market in 2012 - but for now you can get your toupee'd tipple in the form of  Trump Vodka which has been around since 2006 at $35.00 per bottle and shows that a true salesman really can sell just about anything be it million dollar condos, ugly neckties, or overpriced booze.