Author: Bill Thornley

Bar Review: Jimmy’s Grill “Fine Food – Craft Beer – Great Whiskey” (Naperville, Illinois)

~ Bill Thornley ~ Leave a comment

I travel a lot for work. Mostly to exotic places like the Midwest and Texas. This week I’m in Naperville, Illinois.  It’s been cold here so I decided I needed a little bourbon. I headed to Jimmy’s Grill in downtown Naperville. It’s a cozy little place with an excellent selection of bourbon’s, rye’s and whiskey – by my count over 75 and that didn’t include the scotch.

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After looking over the bourbon list, I decided on the Old Forester 1897. I’ve had my eye on it after seeing it along with their 1870 at Hi-Time Wine and decided I should try before I buy; what better chance would I have. I was very impressed. It was very smooth and very full bodied. I really liked this bourbon and I was pleased with my selection. I’ll definitely be picking up a bottle when I get back home.

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For locals or those traveling through town, Jimmy’s is a great place to try a bourbon you have not previously enjoyed. The selection is good and their prices are quite reasonable. They also have a good menu with selections that have spice and body to compliment whatever you are drinking. When the weather’s nice you can enjoy the huge patio right on Washington Street right in the heart of Naperville. Jimmy’s is a great place for people watching, or a little mid day food and beverage in the sun. If you want to watch sports or on a cold spring night, inside fits the bill. (Of course there was a Blackhawk’s game on when I was there.)

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There are some very good bourbon bars in downtown Chicago, but if you find yourself close to Naperville make Jimmy’s one of your stops. Downtown Naperville has a lot to offer and for a bourbon lover this is a good place to start.

Bourbon Review: Black Saddle 12 Yr Old Straight Kentucky Bourbon

~ Bill Thornley ~ Leave a comment

I first read about Black Saddle on Caskers’s website. Aged for 12 years, this bourbon was named the “Best Small Batch Bourbon” at the 2014 San Francisco World Spirits Competition winning a Double Gold Medal. It’s spring horse racing season. And, even though it has a western saddle on the label, I felt it follows my spring racing theme.

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I love Black Saddle’s label and bottle graphics. The seal over the cork is also very well done with an embossed saddle on it. Open the bottle and you immediately smell the spice. – it’s a wonderful aroma. Upon tasting it, I immediately got vanilla and a lot of other spices. The distiller’s notes say crème brulee, pepper, and toasted cinnamon. You can taste and sense all of those.

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At 90 proof it grabs your attention in a good way. It definitely says I am going to impress you and hold my intensity and your attention. You get a lot of flavors for the whole experience from first taste to finish. For dinner tonight we had kielbasa simmered in onions and beer served over extra wide egg noodles. I tasted the bourbon prior to dinner, during dinner, and after dinner. It was a “trifecta” and worked all evening.

This is definitely a bourbon I would suggest giving a try. It is a very good bourbon worth you attention and the $50 price tag.

BTW – If you aren’t subscribed to Caskers, you should (you can register here).  They get some very good, unique, hard to find bourbons.

Aged: 12 years
Proof: 90
Color: Dark Amber
Aroma: SPICES, lots of spices!
Taste: Vanilla
Price: $55.99 at BevMo

Release of Woodford’s 2016 Kentucky Derby Bottle

~ Bill Thornley ~ 7 Comments

We are just a month and a half away from the most exciting 2 minutes in sports. Have you started planning your Kentucky Derby gathering? Whether it’s you and your best friends in the den, or a backyard full of people, what bourbon will you serve on Derby Day? As an avid horse racing fan, this is my favorite time of year. Its spring, horse racing’s Triple Crown is around the corner, and it’s time to enjoy a little bourbon on the patio.

I will cover a lot of related subjects the next 2 months and today I am excited to share the special edition 2016 Kentucky Derby Bottle that Woodford Reserve released just a few days ago.

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I believe this is the 6th one of these they have done since becoming the “official bourbon” of the Kentucky Derby. The bottle always has new art, is colorful, and brings the race right to your bar. What better way to jazz up the big day! This is a perfect bourbon for a Mint Julep during the Kentucky Derby.  This year’s bottle does not disappoint. You can read more about the bottle’s artwork in the press release Woodford sent out.

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Woodford’s press release says the bottle will be out in March. It’s usually available at your better liquor stores, BevMo and Total Wine.  The best part of the Woodford bottle is what is inside the bottle. Woodford reserve is a fantastic Bourbon and, as I said in my post about Bourbon Country, a great tour.

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I was actually asked yesterday what bourbon I serve on Derby Day. There are a lot of good choices and I just think you have to start with Woodford. I love to have bottles on the bar with a horse racing theme. The next that comes to mind for me is Blanton’s. It’s another great Bourbon in an equally impressive package. Blanton’s was the first to market and sell single barrel bourbon. The unique bottle that looks like cut glass is topped by a cork with a brass horse and rider on it. Even more unique, there are 8 different positions of the horse and rider from standing to a full gallop. At the base of each horse’s back foot is a letter that corresponds to the gait you see. The 8 letters spell out Blanton’s.

Lexington is another horse racing themed Bourbon and named after the famous horse Lexington. Not quite the quality of Blanton’s or Woodford but a very reasonable price point. Other horse-themed bourbons are Chestnut Farms and Calumet. Calumet is named for the famous farm which bred several Triple Crown winners, including Citation and Whirlaway.

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Whatever you pour, remember that bourbon is the essential ingredient in a Mint Julep. Make sure your guests enjoy the best.

Bourbon Review: Rebel Yell

~ Bill Thornley ~ Leave a comment

I recall Rebel Yell from when I was living in the Louisville, Kentucky area and you could only buy it south of the Mason Dixon Line. The “Rebel Yell” brand was created for Stitzel-Weller by Charles Farnsley (a former Mayor of Louisville) around the 100th anniversary of the original Weller company, with the idea to distill it in limited batches for exclusive distribution in the Southern United States

The brand name Rebel Yell is currently owned and marketed by Luxco, and the bourbon itself is distilled and bottled under contract by Heaven Hill at its Bernheim distillery in Louisville, Kentucky.

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I bought my bottle at Trader Joe’s where you can currently get a 750 ML bottle for $9.99. You read that right – less than $10 before tax. This is a brand that 30 years ago was aged 6 years and was 90 proof. It was a very good bourbon back then. But now it’s $9.99 and really only a good choice for using as a mixer. I hate to see a good bourbon mixed with anything other than a little ice if necessary. If you are looking for an economical bourbon to use for mixed drinks this will work nicely.

The bourbon starts off with a strong alcohol taste but mellows to caramel, oak, and vanilla. I am not tasting much char at all. It has its nice flavors but they are just not developed to their fullest potential.

As I have said before I am a sucker for good packaging. I have always liked their name, type style, label graphics and bottle. They have changed from the original bottle but the new bottle is a nice shape, very heavy glass with a die cut label.

Age: Not available
Proof: 80
Color: Cinnamon
Aroma: Raisins, caramel
Taste: Alcohol, vanilla,
Price: $9.99 at Trader Joe’s

Bourbon Review: Duke Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

~ Bill Thornley ~ 2 Comments

The first time I saw Duke I thought, “I have to try it.” I always find unique Bourbons at Hi Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, California. A couple years ago, I spotted Duke and bought a bottle. It seemed like a good week to try it. The Academy Awards were last week, and Duke was just sitting there on my bar cart waiting to be opened.

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I love the oval bottle with The Duke on the label. The top edge of the bottle has “Monument Valley Distillers” molded into the bottle. It has a classic red label over the cork that says its 88 Proof. The red label ties into the red DUKE name printed on the label. And, of course, on the back of the label it says: A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. -John Wayne

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Their website says the following about the bourbon:

The Style of DUKE Bourbon was inspired by bottles from John Wayne’s personal whiskey collection, preserved for over 50 years and only recently discovered. Meticulously blended to reflect The Duke’s preferred whiskey flavor profile from tasting notes left behind during the time he was planning his own distillery. Distilled the old-fashioned way; hand crafted in small batches and aged in new hand built heavily charred American Oak barrels. A selection of 5 to 10 year old whiskeys are chosen barrel by barrel and blended by hand before the DUKE Bourbon reaches the bottle, and ultimately, you.

Now, how is Duke Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey? It’s spicy and smooth but with a kick. Would you expect any less from The Duke? I was pleasantly surprised not knowing what to expect. Ethan Wayne, John Wayne’s son, created this spirit using the notes, writings and spirits that had been saved from his dad’s past. It was always John Wayne’s dream to create his own whiskey.

The nose is spicy but soft. I get a lot of vanilla when I smell it, and I get the caramel I seem to smell with all the bourbons I taste. I guess I just love caramel! The taste gives those same flavors with a hint of smoke. The finish is medium and soft on the palette.

I know when it first came out it was a little scarce but I am seeing it in more stores. I would suggest this is a bottle to have on your Bar Cart for the classic look, and ode to John Wayne.

Age: 5-10 year Blend
Proof: 88
Color: Cinnamon
Aroma: Vanilla, caramel
Taste: Spicy, vanilla, smoke
Price: $29.99 at Hi Time Wine Cellars

Visiting the Bourbon Trail

~ Bill Thornley ~ 5 Comments

A great adventure for spring is hitting the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.  Lynn and I did the Bourbon Trail in the Fall a few years ago. Kentucky is a big state and you can’t cover it all in a day, or even two. Before hitting the road, you definitely want to have a plan of attack to see the distilleries you want to tour.

But first, if you are going to earn the official Bourbon Trail t-shirt or Julep Cup, you need to decide which trail you will follow. “Which trail?” you say. Yes! There are 3 trails: The Bourbon Trail (mostly the big distilleries you’ve heard of), the Craft Bourbon Tour (smaller distilleries) and the Urban Bourbon Trail (Louisville’s distilleries). All 3 are unique and offer different experiences, and can also be mixed and matched together.

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Lynn and I drove to Kentucky after visiting our daughter in Richmond, Virginia – so that kind of determined where we began. If flying in, your could start in Lexington and end in Louisville, or vice versa.

We started at “Old Pogue” without reservations. It was during sequestration and while we had planned to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway through Shenandoah National Park, we were shut out, so we went on to Maysville, Kentucky. We showed up at Old Pogue for the first tour of the day. We knocked on the door and when John Pogue opened the door we said we were there for the first tour. John said, “I didn’t know I had a tour this morning,” and we said, “You do now.” It was just the 3 of us.   What a great way to start the week.

Old Pogue is a great little Craft Distillery. Founded in 1876, it closed after prohibition and was re-opened by 5th and 6th generation Pogues. They even bought back the old antebellum home of the family which sits next to small distillery.

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We then continued on to Town Branch

And then it was on to the rest of the distilleries on the Bourbon Trail passport. Although they are big they are all different. Lynn had read about the “Corn to Cork” tour at Woodford Reserve. It was a great education and they do very small groups. Its more expensive and you have to book in advance but well worth it. We sampled some bourbon right out of the barrel at Woodford Reserve. Lynn also got to fill a barrel at Jim Beam, and while there also filled her own bottle of Knob Creek. Along the Bourbon Trail, we also visited Wild Turkey, Four Roses, and Evan Williams.

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Four Roses
Jim Beam
Filling a barrel Jim Beam
Wild Turkey
Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve

The Craft Tour gives you the chance to see things even more up close and have a more intimate experience. We haven’t completed that passport yet, but did a lot of it. I will write about the Old Pogue experience later. It deserves a whole blog.Willett Distillery was another great experience and well worth the stop.Limestone Branch also offered another unique experience.

We also visited many others that technically aren’t part of the branded “Bourbon Trail.”  Makers Mark is another incredible experience and tucked into this beautiful valley. Another “must see” is Buffalo Trace – purveyors of Pappy Van Winkle, E.H. Taylor, Blanton’s, Stagg, and a number of other great bourbons.

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Blanton’s bottles
Where’s the Pappy?

The Urban Bourbon Trail is a bar hopping experience that allows you to experience all that great bourbon you have been tasting and reading about all week. When you combine that with the food in Louisville it’s an evening you will not forget.

We ended our trip in Louisvile, and stayed the night at the Seelbach Hotel, a great old historic hotel. While we were in Louisville, we stopped by the Brown Hotel for a Hot Brown – a must do in Louisville!

Feel free to leave a comment below if you’re planning your Bourbon Trail visit and are looking for additional suggestions on your trip!

Bourbon Review: Lexington Finest Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey

~ Bill Thornley ~ 3 Comments

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For horse racing enthusiasts like myself, spring when a man’s thoughts (fancy?) turns to horse racing and Bourbon. Kentucky has a lot of horses and even more barrels of bourbon. According to the article in the Men’s Journal about the “Pappy Heist” some 5.7 million barrels currently reside in the state, and, yes, they pay taxes every year for sleeping in those warehouses. But that is off the subject. Spring is when the 3-year-olds who are eligible to run in the Kentucky Derby begin their campaign for the Triple Crown. It is also the time of year that part of the country talks bourbon, Mint Juleps and thoroughbred racing.

Lexington Bourbon was inspired by one of horse racing’s most successful thoroughbred sires. It was first launched by Western Spirits (Wyoming) in 2012. So we have a Wyoming bourbon with a Kentucky Thoroughbred on the label. Makes you think it’s made in Kentucky. Thus, the issue with many of these new bourbons you see on the market. You don’t know where they are made or anything about their age or heritage. They have tried to give it heritage with the “Lexington” name and the bottle has a very Woodford Reserve look to its contour.

The bourbon runs about $25.99 at Total Wine. Being my first review of the Racing Season I want to be positive. But unlike some of my other reviews, it’s not a new favorite. It is a lighter, less complex bourbon. It’s a good bourbon for your Whiskey Sours, and other cocktails. It is rather short on finish but has a vanilla, spicy, sweet, and some say woody taste to it.

They have done a wonderful job of packaging this bourbon to have that old Kentucky look. It would look good on your bar on Derby Day. But I would stick to Woodford Reserve, Blanton’s, or some of the other Thoroughbred inspired Bourbon’s for those dressed-up mint Juleps you want to make to impress your friends this Spring.

Age: Unknown
Proof: 86
Color: Golden Brown
Aroma: Vanilla, Woody, Spicy
Taste: Woody, Vanilla, Sweet
Price: $25.99 at Total Wine

Bourbon Review: Jefferson’s Ocean: Aged at Sea

~ Bill Thornley ~ 1 Comment

Remember when you were little and Mom or Dad would hand you a conch shell? They would say put it up to ear and you can hear the ocean. You would and you would be amazed at how you could hear the ocean. How could the shell could do that and take you back to the sea?

Trey Zoeller, Master Blender at Jefferson’s Bourbon, is good friends with Chris Fischer of OCEARCH, a nonprofit that researches great white sharks and other marine species. Chris has been featured on National Geographic Channel’s “Shark Men.” What happens when a Bourbon Man and a Shark Man get together? They came up with the idea of aging the bourbon, in its barrels, on board the 126 foot OCEARCH research vessel.

In 2012, Jefferson’s released the first Jefferson’s Ocean, aged 4 years at sea. There were only 200 bottles the first year. They are now on their 4th release of Ocean. They seem to be perfecting the process and its getting bigger and better every year.  You can even track the voyage of their ocean aged bourbon on their website.

Jeffersons Ocean Aged

Anyone who has toured the Bourbon Trail has heard all the stories about the warehouses and how aging the barrels hot in the summer and cold in the winter pulls the bourbon into and out of the oak.   The French have aged Cognac by the sea. Why not bourbon?

Well, open a bottle of Jefferson’s Ocean bourbon and they will take you back to the sea as well. I know what you are thinking. Just like me when I first read about Jefferson’s and I said, “No way.” Well, I am here to say “WAY.” You can taste the ocean, honest, you can taste the ocean. Aging at sea is allowing that breathing barrel to bring in the salty air, and the taste profile it brings with it.

The first whiff you get of the bourbon is soft, at first mellow, but with a full flavor profile of caramel and cinnamon, and a strong finish. It is like a very good wine or cognac as it gets to the middle of your palate.

I highly recommend you try a bottle and relax by the sea without even leaving the house. Turn on House Hunters International, or the Travel Channel and watch the sea as you sip it. Or better yet take a bottle on that next vacation to the bay, beach, coast, ocean, or shore depending upon which coast you inhabit.

Age: 4 years+
Proof: 90
Color: Dark Amber
Aroma: Caramel, Cinnamon, raisins
Taste: Salted Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla
Price: $84.99 Total Wine

Pappy Van Winkle Sweepstakes

~ Bill Thornley ~ Leave a comment

A couple weeks ago I wrote a blog post about how to get your hands on a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle.  Well, here’s one way. I got a notice from Casker’s this morning about their Pappy Van Winkle sweepstakes. You can enter the sweepstakes here. Good luck!

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Bourbon Drink: Bourbon and Ginger

~ Bill Thornley ~ 2 Comments

Yesterday was a warm Monday evening in California and I was at the office late.  What did I make for my cocktail when I got home?  I went back to a house favorite: bourbon and ginger.

We usually make it with the traditional ginger ale — or sometimes mix it up with ginger beer — and a lime wedge.  I know it sounds pretty simple and that’s the point.  I use 2 ounces of bourbon and 3 ounces of ginger ale, and a squeeze of lime.  You can make it to suit your taste.

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I use Evan Williams Black as my house bourbon to mix our cocktail.  Once again, use what you like. I think Evan Williams is just a good bourbon at a good price point for mixed drinks.  As for the ginger ale, we love Fever Tree. Today there are tons of ginger ale and ginger beer options — you no longer are limited to Seagrams. Pick the one with a flavor profile you enjoy.

We had our first “Presbyterian Press” cocktail at Sissy’s Southern Kitchen in Dallas and I have been a fan of the bourbon and ginger cocktail since then.  I will review Sissy’s another day.  I will just say for now: bourbon, fried chicken, and deviled eggs make for a wonderful evening.

Next time you want a bourbon cocktail get a really good ginger ale and mix it with your favorite bourbon.  Don’t forget that lime!