Whisky

Whiskey, Taxes, and a Little History

~ Bill Thornley ~ Leave a comment

Whiskey is woven throughout the history of America, whether it was the Whiskey Rebellion, prohibition, the roaring 20’s and speakeasies, or today with the renaissance of the Bourbon Trail, mixology, and classic cocktails.  Caskers in New York City posted a new Bourbon for sale yesterday that I had never heard of, with an ironic historical name, “Bower Hill.” What grabbed my attention, being a bit of history buff, was the name. Bower Hill was the home of Tax Inspector John Neville — a central figure of the Whiskey Rebellion.

Bower Hill

Here is the story from Caskers’s website:

In 1794 a group of approximately 600 Mingo Creek militiamen surrounded Federal Tax Inspector John Neville’s fortified home, rebelling against the Excise Whiskey Tax of 1791. The farmers and militiamen taking part in this “Whiskey Rebellion” were fighting for the very same principles which fueled the American Revolution, and during the attack on Neville’s home — Bower Hill — two rebel leaders were killed, including Revolutionary War Major James McFarlane. Upon completion of the two-day battle, Neville’s home was razed by fire, and now, Bower Hill and the Whiskey Rebellion are commemorated with a new rebellious spirit, Bower Hill Single Barrel Bourbon.

Distilled and aged in Louisville, Kentucky, Bower Hill Barrel Reserve Bourbon has a warm amber appearance and an aroma of vanilla spice and rich, charred oak. On the palate, there are more spicy oak tannins complemented by lush fruits and wheat toast, leading to a long, smooth finish defined by caramel and popcorn.

Bower Hill Barrel Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon just hit the market in 2015 — be the first to pick up a bottle today!

Isn’t that a great story, and what a good looking bottle! It’s a relatively new bourbon – released in 2015. I need to spend a little more time researching who makes this and what the story is behind the bourbon.

There are so many whiskeys and bourbons with historic names. George Washington is the first to come to mind. I have a bottle of Rye Whiskey from George Washington’s Distillery at Mount Vernon, Virginia (that’s a neat tour btw, we visited the distillery last spring when we were in Virginia visiting our daughter).

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Jefferson’s is the another. Some of their bottles even have Thomas Jefferson’s image on them.

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Booker Noe named Knob Creek after the small stream that flows through Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home in Kentucky.

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Another one that comes to mind is 1792 — the year Kentucky became a state (did you know prior to becoming a state it was part of Virginia?).

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And, Calumet is named for the horse farm that bred many Derby and Triple Crown Winners.

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Reviews on many of these are to come.  There are many more stories behind the names of today’s whiskey brands. Next time you pick up a bottle look into its history, then sip in the sweet success of years of the distiller’s craftsmanship. I, personally, can’t wait to try Bower Hill!

All of these bourbons are available on Caskers’s website. I’ve included links to them below:

George Washington Estate Rye Whiskey (Sold out, they usually release in December)

Jefferson’s Reserve Very Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Knob Creek Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon

1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Calumet Farm Bourbon Whiskey

(This post was not sponsored by Caskers. I am just a big fan! It’s a great website to go to learn about bourbons and buy online.)

 

Bourbon Review: Evan Williams Single Barrel 2005 Vintage

~ Bill Thornley ~ Leave a comment

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As you will learn from reading my blog, I am a big fan of Evan Williams bourbons. Evan Williams makes very good bourbon at a great value. The bottle I’m reviewing today, Single Barrel 2005 Vintage, was put in oak in 2005 and the label even tells you the exact dates it was barreled and bottled.  The Single Barrel Vintage is personally selected by their Master Distiller for this bottling.

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It was ranked #2 in the Fall 2015 Whisky Advocate’s Buyer’s Guide:

#2 – Evan Williams Single Barrel 2005 Vintage (barrel #292), 43.3%, $29
Complex fruit (clementine, pineapple, golden raisin) balanced nicely with honey, vanilla custard, and dusty corn, along with a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg. An extremely versatile whiskey with its medium weight, easy to embrace personality, and subtle charms. Perennially one of the best values in whiskey.—John Hansell
Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 93

This bourbon has a spicy vanilla smell, is a little smokey, and I think strong caramel. Everybody smells different things in the same sample. To me it smells sweet and inviting. The first sips will give you the same impression. It goes down with a strong caramel taste and glides down very smoothly. It has a strong finish that should please most bourbon drinkers.  This is the type of bourbon you could drink any night and also dress up for a special occasion.

Aged: 9 years
Proof: 86.6
Color: Medium Cherry
Price Point: $27-29
Whiskey Advocate Rating: 93

If you want to find out even more about Evan Williams they now have their “Evan Williams Bourbon Experience” in downtown Louisville — I highly recommend it!

Bourbon Review: Wild Turkey 101

~ Bill Thornley ~ 3 Comments

It’s 101 Proof and as good as it sounds.  Doesn’t it sound interesting and a cut above?  Being 101 proof means it’s 50.5% alcohol.  They get Wild Turkey to 101 when they dilute the bourbon down from about 109 after filtering to  bottle it.  It has matured in barrels with a #4 char between 6, 7 & 8 years.   Austin Nichols was Established in the mid 1800’s but it hasn’t always been called Wild Turkey.  A little history is below from the Campari Group’s website.

In 1940, Austin, Nichols executive Thomas McCarthy inadvertently established the Wild Turkey Bourbon brand name. An avid sportsman, McCarthy gathered with friends each year for a wild turkey hunt on a South Carolina estate. McCarthy, who was asked to bring the whiskey, pulled a sample of undiluted 101 proof from the warehouse. The following year, his friends insisted he bring more of “that wild turkey bourbon.” McCarthy, a businessman with a background in marketing, realized he had a winning product and soon began to market Wild Turkey Bourbon.

Knowing it was 101 proof, the first time I tried it I wasn’t sure what the first sip would bring.  It was delightful, very robust in flavor and a wellspring of flavors as it opens up.  As I was tasting it for this blog post, I was looking for the bite of the proof but it’s smooth for a high proof bourbon.  A lot of complex flavors: cinnamon (I would call it liquid cinnamon in color), very strong caramel, nutmeg. I detect some fruit which to me is apple, others call it orchard fruit.

I enjoy this bourbon and would recommend you try a bottle for sipping or mixing.  It will play well with other flavors.

I have had many bottles of Wild Turkey on my Southwest Airlines flights (thanks for the free drink coupons Southwest!) but never the 101.  Watch for it at your local store and give it a try.  Like me, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Aged: Blend of 7, 8, & 9 Years
Proof: 101
Color: Deep Russet (Distillers Notes)
Price Point: $24.99 (at BevMo)
Wine Enthusiast Rating: 91

Bolder but hotter than the 81 proof version, this Kentucky Bourbon has a drying feel, and lots of maple, caramel and vanilla flavor, finishing long with touches of dried orange peel and clove. Add a splash of branchwater to even out the alcohol. (Read more here)

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“O Pappy, Pappy, wherefore art thou Pappy?”

~ Bill Thornley ~ 2 Comments
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My Pappy Van Winkle collection.

That elusive bottle of 12, 15, 20, or 23-year-old Pappy Van Winkle. Everyone wants to know where to find a bottle. When we toured the Buffalo Trace Distillery in 2013 everyone on our tour wanted to know which barrel warehouse had the Pappy in it. Our tour guide, who had been a 40-year employee, said he didn’t even know. By now, everyone has heard about the theft of Pappy from Buffalo Trace and the subsequent capture of the thieves. It was an inside job by one of the few people in the world who knew, “Where in the world is Pappy Van Winkle” for Carmen Sandiego fans, or, “Where’s Pappy” for Waldo fans.

How I got my first bottle

I got my first bottle because my friend John called and said they had some Pappy at Total Wine for sale. That was about 5 years ago, maybe 7. At that time they would get in all the years and sell one bottle per customer until it was gone. Those days are gone.

Collecting more Pappy

My second bottle was given to me by one of my best friends and college roommate, Jeff. Jeff buys a lot of wine from several stores.   If you are a very good customer, well, rank (and relationship) has its privilege.

My latest acquisition, a 20-year bottle, my wife Lynn gave to me for Christmas this year. She got it in a state lottery she entered on a whim while we in Idaho this fall! NOW THAT’S A GREAT GIFT.

Finding Pappy

So how do YOU find a bottle?   Pappy is released in late fall. It is never too early to start. Start early, find a friend, make a friend, get creative.

Make a friend means get close to your local liquor store manager/owner that gets Pappy. I got to know the manager of my local BevMo in Brea, California. He put me on the list early in the year in the year and they called me to say I was high enough on the list I had my pick of years. Of course, I took the 23 (more on preferred years in another post). This is key to acquiring any rare spirit, whether it’s bourbon, scotch, wine, etc. Identifying a good store and building a strong relationship will get you far.

My Christmas bottle came from a lottery. Some states with state run liquor stores have a lottery for the Pappy they receive – so, try to win the lottery. Other states with state run liquor stores have long waiting lists for Pappy. It’s worth putting your name on it, but you’ll probably have to wait years.

And, having friends scouting for you helps too.  One of my bottles came from Indiana (from Jeff).  I bought a bottle from BevMo for a family friend in LA who was interested.  Having friends on the team, especially out of the area friends, can pay off.

Years ago I saw a guy on Johnny Carson who got a White Baby Grand Piano for free. His philosophy was if you let enough people know, you can find almost anything you want, at the price you want to pay. He was looking for a White Baby Grand piano and he didn’t want to pay much for it.

Happy hunting and remember start early and be creative!