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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It's Mint Julep Time Again

Tomorrow is Kentucky Derby Day, the one day a year when you just must drink bourbon, most likely in the form of a mint julep. Last year I gave you my go-to mint julep recipe which you can check out here. That recipe makes an awesome drink, but it's also a bit complicated, especially if you're trying to make juleps for a whole party full of people who are all drinking like racehorses.

So this year, I offer a simple, more scalable recipe for a quick, easy, and awesomely refreshing Mint Julep. You can use this same recipe to make one mint julep or fifty, and it should be quick and easy either way so have fun with it.

You'll need:
1. Bourbon. I'm going to use the new Early Times 354 Bourbon this year. Early Times Kentucky Whiskey is what they use at Churchill Downs for their standard mint juleps, but now that ET is selling an honest to goodness bourbon in the U.S. why not use that? It's affordable and pretty tasty to boot!
2. Ice - lots of it.
3. Mint - leaves, fresh, cleaned...picked from your garden if possible.
4. Simple syrup - boil 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water until dissolved, refrigerate until you need it.

Put the mint and the ice in a blender, blend until it has a nice snow-cone consistency. Fill your glasses (6-8 oz. old fashioned glasses are perfect) about 2/3 full with the blended ice/mint mixture. Pour in a couple ounces of bourbon and a dash of simple syrup. If you have a few mint sprigs left over use them for garnish. Enjoy while watching the Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports!

Oh Taste & See: Pendleton Blended Canadian Whisky

What makes a whisky Canadian? Well I guess if you ask the folks at Hood River Distillers, the Oregon-based bottlers of Pendleton Blended Canadian Whisky, the only requirement is for the liquid in the bottle to have been distilled and aged in Canada. Given how much I like their product, I won't argue with them at all.

Pendleton is named after Oregon's Pendleton Round-Up, one of the worlds longest-running rodeos. The bottle features the Round-Up's bucking bronco logo, and all of the marketing seeks to tie this whisky to the romance and intrigue of cowboys and rodeo culture. In fact a portion of the proceeds from each bottle is donated to the Pendleton Round-Up. That's all great, but it does even more to make this seem like a distinctly American (Oregonian?) whisky, even if the liquid itself was made in Canada and the bottle says Canadian Whisky. Oh well, enough nitpickin' about Pendleton's provenance, how does it drink?

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Canadian Whisky Getting Some Respect

This recent article from the New York Times gives Canadian whisky a bit of attention that it isn't used to getting. Always the backbone of cheap whisky cocktails and a go-to for old-timers everywhere, Canadian whisky is now aspiring to rival its flashier Scotch and Bourbon competitors with unique, higher-end bottlings. Some of these more sophisticated Canadian whiskys are coming from the major international spirits conglomerates (such as Collingwood Canadian whisky from Brown Forman), while others come from smaller distillers trying their hand at innovative new techniques (such as Forty Creek).

One Canadian whisky that the NYTimes article doesn't discuss, perhaps because it's actually blended and bottled in Hood River, Oregon, is Pendleton, which I will be reviewing in my next blog post.

Oh Taste & See: Angel's Envy Bourbon

Angel's Envy Bourbon has been generating buzz in the bourbon world for a while now, and it's finally starting to become readily available in many areas nationwide. I had a chance to taste it a while back at the Philadelphia Whiskey Festival. At the time it made a great impression, and now I've had the chance to taste a bit more and I still really like it.

The short back-story behind Angel's Envy is that it is the pet-project of bourbon-industry legend Lincoln Henderson, formerly Master Distiller at Woodford Reserve. By finishing Angel's Envy in used Port casks he brings a new flavor profile to Kentucky bourbon, and the result is a whiskey that can claim a deep-rooted link to bourbon heritage as well as a refreshingly daring modern twist. Each bottling of Angel's Envy will be unique, and therefore uniquely labeled with a batch number on the cork. While this first batch (Expression 10/10) is good, I expect the product to evolve into a truly classic bourbon as Mr. Henderson fine-tunes this ground-breaking style of bourbon.

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Whiskey Dinner at Percy Street Barbecue

Last night I had a chance to attend an American Whiskey Dinner at Percy Street Barbecue here in Philadelphia. I had heard great reviews about this relatively new restaurant, and the whiskey dinner featured five courses paired with five different whiskeys so what better time to try it for myself! It even featured some very entertaining and educational commentary by whiskey and beer writer Lew Bryson.

The food at the dinner was awesome, but unfortunately it is not on Percy Street's everyday menu. Their regular menu does feature a wide variety of barbecued meats and down-home sides, and their bar was well stocked with a variety of whiskeys so I don't think I'd be disappointed in a visit on any 'ol night.

On the subject of the food, the country ham trio that started off the dinner was amazing. I grew up on country ham down in Kentucky, but we never sliced it prosciutto thin like they did at this dinner, which really brings out the taste and prevents you from filling up to quickly. We also tended to fry it in a skillet, which is delicious but hides a lot of the meat's natural flavors. If you've never paired country ham with bourbon go do it now...you back? It was great right?

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Bar Hopping: Longman & Eagle, Chicago

The window at Longman & Eagle, the hip whiskey bar in Chicago's up-and-coming Logan Square neighborhood, says simply: "Eat Sleep Whiskey." That seems like a pretty simple slogan, but it concisely captures most of what's going on at this watering hole where I had dinner last weekend.

Let's start with the drinking. Longman & Eagle has an epic selection of whiskeys behind the bar. There are so many bottles that many of them have been turned sideways so that you can't even identify the labels. Thankfully there's a well-organized list to choose from so that you don't have to rely solely on your eyes scanning the bar shelves. The drinks menu lists numerous craft beers, wines, and cocktails - both whiskey-based and other - along with a complete list of the whiskey selections available. The whiskeys are categorized by type (bourbon, scotch, etc.), but there's also a great menu section entitled "Whiskey For Drinking" where all the 'affordable' whiskeys are listed again - each one available for only $3 per shot. Each whiskey on the menu is offered in 1.25 oz or 2 oz pours, and the prices seem to be fairly reasonable across the board. One thing I didn't care for was the glassware that the whiskeys are served in - basically a straight-up-and-down shot glass. It's fine if you're doing shots of Jack or Jim, but for some of the higher-end tipples on the list a nicer glass would have made me feel better about dropping the big bucks.

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St. Patty's Day Tasting: Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old Special Reserve

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! I'm not Irish, and I don't like artificially colored beer, but I do enjoy the occasional glass of Irish Whiskey, so I thought I'd review Tullamore Dew's 12 Year Old Special Reserve bottling in honor of the holiday. Tullamore Dew's standard bottling is the world's second best selling Irish whiskey (behind Jamison), and the brand is owned by William Grant & Sons and produced at Pernod Ricard's Midleton Distillery alongside Jamison, Powers, and other brands. While the standard Tullamore Dew is heavily advertised and can stand up to any other mainstream Irish whiskey, I hadn't heard much buzz about their 12 Year Old expression, so I thought I'd give it a try.

At $35.99 per 750 mL bottle in Pennsylvania, Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old Special Reserve isn't a cheap Irish whiskey. Along with being aged 12 years, this whiskey also has the distinction of being aged in used bourbon barrels and finished in Oloroso sherry barrels. It also claims to have a higher malt whiskey content (and therefore lower grain whiskey content) than other Irish whiskeys which should give it a fuller flavor. To me Irish whiskeys are meant to be smooth, easy-drinking, and very approachable, and achieving that in a 12 year old whiskey that will also appeal to those looking for more distinctive flavors is quite a challenge. Tullamore Dew does a good job of meeting this challenge, and my overall impression is good, although I'd like to try their 10 Year Reserve as well to see how much difference there is in the two.

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Oh Taste & See: Buffalo Trace Bourbon

Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort, KY flies bit under the radar compared to some of the other bourbon distillers, but it always seems to be highly regarded by folks who know their bourbon. I rarely see it stocked at bars and restaurants around Philadelphia, and it's certainly not a household name like Maker's or Jim Beam but it is sold in some Pennsylvania state stores around here. I somehow managed to make it to this past weekend without ever trying Buffalo Trace, but after a few tastes I'm starting to understand what all the subdued buzz is about. It's a very solid, low-key bourbon that's an outstanding value compared to some of the more highly marketed and higher priced bourbons on the shelves.

Buffalo Trace has only been around as a brand since 1999, but it's produced at the Buffalo Trace distillery which has been around in one form or another for about a century and half. It was formerly known as the George T. Stagg distillery and produces the George T. Stagg line of high-end bourbons as well as the Blanton's, W.L. Weller, and Eagle Rare labels. All of these bourbons also follow the 'substance before style' path of Buffalo Trace, winning awards and accolades, but avoiding being over-hyped. So, enough hype how does BT drink?

Color: Buffalo Trace has a very nice golden amber hue and appears thick and sticky when swirled around in the glass (in a good way that implies a certain richness).

Nose: When I opened the bottle a bouquet of rich, fruity dark berry aromas jumped out at me right away. After pouring a glass the nose was more ethanol and honey, but the fruity blackberry aromas came back as the glass sat a bit and opened up. There were also hints of vanilla and grain in the nose.

Flavor: Buffalo Trace feels nice and creamy in the mouth, not watered down or weak, and it's immensely smooth for a 90 proof whiskey without even a hint of burn. The dominant flavors are of oak: vanilla, honey, and caramel. There are also some peppery spice flavors and a hint of the blackberries that come through so nicely in the nose.

Finish: This is where BT really surprised me for a $20 bourbon. The finish is long and much more interesting than the actual taste. All the same flavors are present, but the peppery spice really hangs on for a long time, and there are hints of corn and more vanilla. Again there's no alcohol burn, making this a great one to sip slowly and really savor.

Overall I have to agree with all bourbon-heads who have told me that Buffalo Trace is one of the best deals in bourbon. A great bottle to keep around as an everyday whiskey that will never disappoint.

Jim Beam Devil's Cut

If you read this blog frequently you may have picked up on the fact that I'm a bit of a traditionalist. I'm usually not a fan of new or modern techniques when it comes to making whiskey. If it ain't broke don't fix it right? Well Jim Beam is introducing a new product that I might be a little more friendly too, but I'll have to taste some before I give my final approval.

The new 90-proof Beam product is called Devil's Cut (the opposite of Angel's Share), and it is essentially the bourbon that's left soaked into the barrel after the barrel is emptied. They've come up with a way to extract this extremely-woody bourbon and bottle it for our drinking pleasure. Although I'd like to have a taste of the straight 'devil's cut' right from the wood, the commercial product is mixed with regular Jim Beam in unspecified proportions. I'm sure it's an interesting twist on the world's best-selling bourbon, and I look forward to giving it a try. In the meantime you can read a review of it from Cigar Aficionado here.