Bourbon and Dry

Bourbon // Small Batch // 47% // 94 Proof // Maker’s Mark (Beam Suntory), Loretto, KY

Maker’s 46 was released in 2010 and represented the first new Maker’s Mark recipe since it first hit the shelves in 1958.  Let’s begin with the name…46, a favourite number of yours truly for other reasons (guess correctly and I’ll buy you a beer), stands for the number of attempted wood recipes tested before those fine folks in Loretto were fully satisfied with their creation.

Allegedly made in response to the surge in popularity of rye whiskey, 46 was created with the intention of a longer finish and a more pronounced wood note on the nose.  This is partly achieved by the addition of French Oak staves to the barrel for the final 9-11 weeks of winter maturation.  These staves are seasoned and aged for 18 months before use.  The liquid that heads in to the barrel is the same 70% corn, 16% wheat and 14% malted barley as the eponymous Maker’s Mark, with the only difference being the end result courtesy of being cut to 2%/4 Proof higher, and the aforementioned French Oak.

On the nose we have a sweet and rich line of toffee with a hint of seared oak cutting through a scent of toasty spices in retro-taste.  As soon as it hits the palette, it warms without burning and releases a creamy, rich oak flavour with a pocketful of vanilla up front, caramel at the back, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves in the middle.  

A combination of sweetness and spiced (mulled, almost) fruits, reduces on the tongue slowly, leaving a pleasant yet deeply sweet finish lingering and big gust of wood - the French Oak maturation really does it’s job well in carrying the bourbon through.  The impression gained is that 46 wasn’t made to take away from standard Maker’s Mark, but to open up a new avenue of exploration for the distillery in the way finishing bourbon can have such a major effect on the overall product.  Whatever may be next??

I was in the privileged position of sitting through a seminar and tasting of Maker’s 46 in Loretto in the summer of 2013, and the overwhelming feeling after was the sheer pride of all involved in the process of Maker’s 46 at their achievement - A sense of pride richly deserved, and washed down with a large glass, I’m sure. 

Bourbon // Single Barrel // 43.3% // 86.6 Proof // Heaven Hill, Bardstown, KY.

The passing of a year brings about many things in life, and one of the many to look forward to is a new vintage of Heaven Hill's consistently appealling Evan Williams Single Barrel series.  Having had the 2004 bottle sitting in my cabinet for a few months, it was time for a glass. Master Distiller, Parker Beam, said he'd taken hints from the evolution of the national drinking palate this time around and bottled a whiskey "maybe a bit more assertive and bold than in years past", having chosen barrels from high up in the warehouse, aged for a little over 9 years.

"Assertive" isn't a word I would usually associate with Evan Williams Single Barrel, quite the opposite in fact - It's subtle characteristics on the palate and finish, combined with smoothness made for a pleasing dram, and that isn't something I find changes with the 2004.  The nose offers a balanced yet vibrant fistful of oak, cinnamon and vanilla - not complex but not one to give a negative impression at all.  On the palate, warm spices reminiscent of home baking...from cinnamon and oak chips, to cloves, faint licorice, burnt toffee apples and a good helping of caramel carries through to the finish.

Inspecting the bottle a little closer, the dates and barrel numbers are handwritten, which is a good touch both aesthetically and for the disclosure of such details. 

In summary, the Evan Williams Single Barrel 2004 is a good all round bourbon (it's one of my 'go-to' bottles for an Old Fashioned), and continues the Single Barrel series with honour.  It's a better bottling that almost all around it in Heaven Hill's extensive range, and for it's combination of price point, age statement, and single barrel status, it's extremely competitive.  There are better single barrel bourbons available, but they come at a significantly higher price.  It's a fine addition to any back bar or home bar, but I would be very interested to try something from Heaven Hill's range with one of these barrels as the primary source in the blend.

Bourbon // Blended from multiple sources // 43% // 86 Proof // St. George Spirits, Alameda, CA.

A hangar on the site of a former Naval Air Station isn’t where you’d expect to find one of the world’s foremost producers of craft spirits, but St. George Spirits in Alameda, California have forged a reputation for going against the grain, so to speak.  Having a long standing love for the work of all at St. George, I visited in the summer of 2013 following a chance meeting in Kentucky with an incredibly welcoming employee of the brand…the unobstructed view across the bay in to San Francisco when leaving the site at sunset is something that has to be experienced.  The sampling of a recently acquired bottle of B&E was saved specifically for this piece, so let’s get to work on that.  

They’re up front about it so I will be too - not a drop of this fine liquid is made by St. George Spirits, but do not hold that against what we have in the bottle. Blending well is an incredibly difficult and artful task in it’s own right, and over 400 different barrels were tasted for approval, each between 5 and 8 years in age.

On the nose, and I went back to this at times over a couple of days to make sure brinner wasn’t influencing the result, is a breakfast cafe. Banana pancakes, fresh pulped blueberries and warm maple syrup with cherry preserves come through in an aroma you want to spoon up and eat.

In many ways, you could be forgiven for wondering if the palate could possibly match up to the immense expectations but this is where you’re in for a treat.  Zero burn, incredibly mellow at 86 proof, and savoury enough to avoid overpowering the mouthfeel with sweetness.  The maple syrup remains, as do the bananas, but they bring along a burst of caramel and a mild yet agreeable level of toasted red chilli for the ride.

There is a pleasant loitering to the finish, not short enough to wonder where it all went, not long enough to line the inside of the mouth for minutes after, but just the right amount of rye and mild chilli spice progresses and sticks around to make the next sip from the glass feel like a pleasant encouragement on which to build rather than a necessity to recapture some flavour.

To be surprised by B&E is not to say expectations were low, quite the opposite in fact given the quality of the St. George Spirits operation, and that itself speaks volumes on how good this bourbon is.  There are waves of flavour and balance that work so well together, it’s difficult to imagine how this could have come to be without blending

Bourbon // Small Batch // 53.5% // 107 Proof // Jim Beam, Clermont, KY.

There's plenty to be said when it comes to Jim Beam's excellent mid-market selection and we'll start by sipping some Baker's. This is the first of the Jim Beam 'Small Batch' series featured on Bourbon and Dry, with the others three parts of the quartet coming up very soon.

Named after Jim Beam's great-nephew, it carries the family name with honour and style, holding a subtle punch at 107 proof and a sweetness that belies the strength.  Upon inspecting the bottle, it suggests taking it with ice or water but here at B&D, we'll always say to try it normally first before adding anything.

The nose is quite sweet, with vanilla, dried bush fruits, caramel coming to fore in the guise of a chewy aroma.  Given the proof, a burn was anticipated but gratefully not present, and for a bourbon over 100 proof, the balance between strength and flavour is very pleasing, perhaps owing to a lack of spice up front allowing the fruit to mellow the palate.

There is a slight spice towards the finish but nothing dominant or in danger of leading you away from the sweet vanilla and dried fruit.  Adding a couple of drops of spring water unwrapped Baker's, especially on the nose, releasing more caramel and offering some sultana to the middle of the mouth.  Although it was neutered slightly by the addition of water, it didn't remove any quality or taste from the glass, only adding a degree of ease to what was already a surprisingly mellow offering.

I'll start by saying this...the Maker's Mark facility is the most magical place I have visited in the distillation world.  Last year was an experience like no other and this year's had a lot to live up to, and they knew it.  We were split in to new and returning groups, and given different tours accordingly.

Ours started with a quick history lesson and update on future plans with Robert Samuels, the charming and entertaining son of owner Bill Samuels.  They've started work on a $20m investment to the facility which will increase production and lead to the end of shortages seen in some areas recently.

We had the great honour of an audience with Bill Samuels as he spoke about many things with passion and length for over an hour, ranging from the origin of the name and label (all his mother's work), his life in the industry and working with Colonel Sanders, his friendship with his fellow competing distillers (Jimmy Russell in particular), and how long it took to get Maker's off the ground - he claims it didn't turn a profit until 1981, and that was thanks to a front page piece in the Wall Street Journal.

The future of Maker's Mark is looking rosy and is in very safe hands with Robert Samuels ready to step up when Bill chooses to step down.  Bill told me that he sent an ambassador to the UK to work for a year and was surprised that I didn't meet her...my offer to do the same over in the Kentucky was met with a laugh and,'that's fair I suppose' (my letter is already in the post Mr Samuels!).

Following this, we had a tasting of various Maker's proofs in the newly decorated tasting rooms.  American artist Dale Chiluly has blown hundreds of pieces of glass to line the ceiling of the chamber leading to the tasting rooms which is absolutely magnificent - it really has to be seen.  

As we were leaving, the staff joked about what else they could possibly do for us next year, and it shows just how much they put in to showcasing their work.  Each and every person at the facility is incredibly proud of their work and we as bartenders have nothing but complete respect for the way they go about it.

As part of my 2nd year attending Camp Runamok, we started out on Monday 8th September at the distillery of Four Roses (Kirin).  The distillery buildings have a slightly Spanish theme to their external appearance, which was curious amidst the backdrop of Kentucky but matched their straw yellow branding well.

We were shown around the facility by Al Young, author of 'Four Roses: The Return of a Whiskey Legend', who gave us his unique and entertaining insight in to the history of the company, followed by a Q&A session where he answered questions ranging from activity during prohibition, to sources of the grains used.

The tasting room was set out in a different manner to a typical tour.  Acknowledging that, as bartenders, we have tasted all their consumer and trade products many times, we were able to taste each individual recipe in aged and white dog form, which threw up some remarkable differences (for those of you that don't know, Four Roses uses 5 strains of yeast and two mash bills which they blend, or not, to make their bourbons.  There'll be a post about it coming soon).

Walking around the site, you could feel the uniqueness of Four Roses' history in the walls.  The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, despite it not being available in the US during that time.  The employees on site have a rich passion for the heritage of the brand, as evidenced by the well-kept mementos of the brand's past on show throughout (on a side note, my colleague bought an empty 1940s 1 pint bottle at a flea market a couple of days later, which we first saw at the distillery).

After the tour we had lunch and an open session with Jim Rutledge, who has been Master Distiller since 1995 and has worked for Four Roses in some capacity for over 40 years.  Jim's knowledge and dedication to his craft is an example for everyone in the industry to be, telling tales of working across the country and yearning for home, all while maintaining a drive to make the best bourbon he feels he can.  

6th: Arrive in Louisville, Pendennis Club tour. 7th: Camp Runamok begins 8th: Distillery tours, WhistlePig dinner 9th: Distillery tours, Paintball with Crown Royal 10th: Distillery tours, Heaven Hill's 'Evolution of Bourbon' with Bernie Lubbers 11th: Angel's Envy blending class, Domaine de Canton lunch, Tanqueray dinner. 12th: Camp Runamok ends, return to Louisville. 13th: Brunch at The Silver Dollar, Clifton. Explore Germantown, hit up The Monkey Wrench and The Back Door. 14th: Depart Louisville for Manchester, UK.

This past weekend I found myself in NOLA, upstairs at Bedroom Bar in Shoreditch for 'Sazerac Sunday with Bulleit Rye'.  A couple of friends made in Kentucky last summer were over for the weekend so we made plans and went along.  The event menu was a simple but effective three drink affair, Sazerac, Manhattan, Sour, all made with Bulleit Rye (two other friends from Kentucky had drinks featured on the bar's main menu, shout out to KPB and Chris Hannah).

I first encountered Bulleit Rye through my Diageo rep in Leeds and while initially not blown away, it really came alive when used a cocktail rye.  Boasting a 95% rye content and 45% abv, it's got the kick needed to get a good classic rye cocktail started.  

Our bartender, Iain, knocked up one of each perfectly, even giving us a great tip for absinthe coating along the way, and the Bulleit Rye carried the drinks very, very well, highlighting its versatility.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/11/maker-s-mark-adds-water-lowers-proof-shocks-bourbon-lovers.html "Talk about diluting the brand. Maker’s Mark, the Loretto, Kentucky, bourbon manufacturer, has the sort of problem that every consumer-products company wishes it had: too much demand for too little product. But the company’s solution might surprise the very consumers demanding its product—adding water to its existing supply of bourbon, thereby cutting the alcohol content in each bottle from 45 percent to 42 percent..."

(click link to continue article)

High West Double Rye

Rye // Small Batch // 46% // 92 Proof // High West Distillery, Park City, Utah

High West have been coming out with some interesting whiskies since its inception in 2007 and this sticks with that trend.  A blend of their own 2 year old rye (95% rye, 6% barley malt) and a 16 year old rye from Evan Williams (53% rye, 37% corn), it is amongst the spiciest of all American whiskies.  It retains a smooth, mellow body with a good range of spices and botanicals prevailing - caramel, vanilla, corn and dark chocolate on the nose, with clove, cinnamon, licquorice, and pine nuts on the palate.

The extra age and increased corn in the mash from the Evan Williams 16y/o make for a light sweetness and woody note to calm the bite of the younger whiskey, making it an exceptionally well balanced blend of two completely specimens.  High West don't chill filter their spirits, so don't be put off by a slight mist or haze in in the glass.