Oh Taste & See: Carvalho Ribeiro & Ferreira "Brandy 1920" Portuguese Brandy

Hit the brakes! This ain't no whiskey! If you're a frequent visitor to my blog you know that I rarely review spirits that aren't whiskey, but this is something I got not too long ago simply because I saw it and had never seen it before. It turned out to be some pretty darn good brandy so I thought it would be worth a review here.

Brandy 1920 is bottled by the Symington Family which also owns such famous Port wine brands as Graham's, Dow's, and Cockburn's. They obviously know what they're doing with Portuguese grapes, and I guess they quietly turn some of their wine into brandy and let it age for a good long time as evidenced by this rich & oaky example. The only real information I have on this is what's on the bottle - it claims to be fine & old and 80.4 proof, so we'll go with that and jump right into the tasting.

Color: Brandy 1920 is a beautiful dark, polished cherry-wood color. It's crystal clear, but quite thick-looking with gold highlights around the edge of the glass.

Nose: Brandy 1920 has an initial aroma of dusty oak and is just slightly boozy. It reminds me of an old dusty workshop with co-mingled smells of wood, earth, and varnish. There is a hint of red wine aroma, apple pie spices, and hot caramel syrup. Over time the boozy notes shift to a more pleasant orange zest essence.

Flavor: Brandy 1920 is thick and luxurious in texture. The flavors are mostly really dark, ripe fruits - grapes, blackberries, plums. It's also got a good amount of oak flavor with a nutty/caramel vibe coming and going. This really does have that unique "rancio" flavor of older spirits - bordering on funky but just fruity enough to be enjoyable. Like a really really ripe apple that wouldn't be good tomorrow but is nice today.

Finish: The finish is very smooth and pretty quick. The nutty flavors linger but the oak and fruit flavors clear out pretty quickly.

I don't have much experience with Portuguese brandies, but this one is nice. I paid under $20 for a 1-liter bottle, and at that price it can hold its own in terms of value against any Spanish brandies or cognacs that I've had recently. Another case of 'if you happen to see it - get it.'

Oh Taste & See: Clynelish 14 Year Old Single Malt Scotch

I've been sitting on this bottle of Clynelish 14 Year Old for a few months, but I'm glad I finally got around to popping it open as it quickly jumped to the top of my list of favorite single malts. It's not a common single malt - I picked up this bottle at a duty-free shop, but if you see it it's worth every penny of the $45-$50 price tag.

Clynelish distillery is owned by Diageo and is billed as a Coastal Highland malt. It is located in the seaside town of Brora, and is across the road from the much older Brora Distillery which is owned by the same company. The vast majority of the whisky produced at Clynelish is used in Johnnie Walker blends, with the 14 Year Old being their most widely available single-malt bottling. It's bottled at 92 proof, and is a lovely example of a well-balanced Scotch fit for any occasion.

Color: Clynelish 14 Year Old is the color of a golden wheat field - quite light and very natural looking, with a bright pop to it.

Nose: This whisky has a delicate but interesting nose with light aromas in the sweet fruit and floral categories. I picked up hints of honey, lavender, apples, and prunes. The most striking thing about it is how well everything is balanced together, creating a very pleasant aroma that pulls you right in for that first sip.

Flavor: The flavors in Clynelish are equally well balanced and it has a nice rich, thick mouth-feel. There are notes of honey, oatmeal, cloves, vanilla, and just a tiny hint of smokiness and leather.

Finish: The finish is full-bodied with oak flavors that fade to pepper and cinnamon, again with just a hint of lingering smoke and leather to keep you warm until the next sip.

Overall, it's a winner!

Oh Taste & See: Early Times 354 Bourbon

You may have heard the buzz surrounding the release of Early Times 354 Bourbon a few months back. It's the first time since 1983 that the storied Early Times name has appeared on a bourbon available in the U.S. Early Time's only domestic-market product for the past 28 years has been labeled "Kentucky Whiskey" - a bourbon-like whiskey aged in some used barrels instead of all new ones, a minor distinction that meant it couldn't be legally called bourbon. I never thought much of Early Times Kentucky Whiskey, but the 354 bourbon isn't bad at all, and even earned a starring role in my Derby Day mint julep this year.

This new bourbon is a value-priced whiskey (about $16) that packs a decent punch for the price. It also has a very cool bottle that gives it an old-time, small-batch look. It's definitely one of the best-looking bourbons in the under-$20 price bracket, so not a bad option if you're looking for an affordable bourbon to take to a party or to give your whiskey shelf a little color.But it's always what's inside the bottle that counts.

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