Category: Whisky Comparison Page 6 of 10

Whisky Comparison

A combination of side by side whisky / bourbon / whiskey comparison blog posts. A look at all the most popular whiskies and how they rate next to their rivals. From bourbons and Scottish whisky to blends and single malts. A broad collection of comparisons I have tried.

Tullamore DEW vs Jameson Irish Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/15/2021

In Whisky Comparison

Tullamore DEW vs Jameson irish whiskey comprison
My second side-by-side comparison for 2021 and I am looking at two well-known Irish whiskey brands: Tullamore DEW vs the Jameson Irish whiskey. Jameson whiskey is the top-selling Irish whiskey in the world, by quite a significant number.

Second is Tullamore DEW with Bushmills following not far behind. I am not the biggest Jameson fan, so we had some fun over the weekend pitting with these two drams against each other. I did it in a blind tasting to take out the bias element.

Also Read: Johnnie Walker Red vs Black Label whisky

Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey

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Tullamore DEW is a brand of Irish whiskey produced by William Grant & Sons. The distillery was founded in 1829 by Michael Molloy in Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland. The Daly Family acquired the distillery after his death.

The brand changed hands various times, and William Grant and Sons purchased it in 2010. The whiskey is triple distilled, triple blended and triple cask matured. Tullamore DEW whiskey is matured in traditional refill casks, ex-bourbon casks and ex-sherry casks.

Jameson Irish Whiskey

Review and tasting notes Jameson's Irish whiskey with glass
John Jameson, a lawyer from Scotland, founded the distillery in Dublin in 1780 and it was called Bow Street Distillery. All four sons followed in his distilling footsteps, and his son John Jameson II took over the family business. At the turn of the 19th century, it was a world-renowned whiskey.

It is part of the Pernod Ricard whiskey portfolio. Jameson whiskey is a blend of pot still and grain whiskey. Like all Irish whiskey, it is triple distilled. The Jameson Irish whiskey is aged for 4 years in oak.

Tullamore DEW vs Jameson Irish Whiskey

Tullamore DEW vs Jameson Irish Whiskey Comparison

	Tullamore DEW Whiskey	Jameson Whiskey
Type	Irish Whiskey	Irish Whiskey
ABV	43%	43%
Colour	Light amber	Gold
Nose	Vanilla and caramel with hints of fresh flowers, butterscotch and citrus with subtropical fruit. In the background, there are faint hints of spice, moss and wood. After the addition of water, the spice and wood dominate the nose.	Freshly baked banana bread, tropical fruit with bits of spicy wood and caramel. Grain mixed with plums, pineapple. Complex and delicious.
Palate	Heaps of spice and oak with hints of grapefruit and lemon rind. Bits of toffee sweetness and malt. However, the peppery spice dominates everything. Adding water mellows out some of the spicy notes.	Very smooth. Medium body but the tropical fruit deliciousness promised by the nose is not there. Bits of malt, aniseed mixed with vanilla and pepper notes. Adding water softens the pepper notes.
Finish	Rather short and end in spicy notes	Short with pepper and orange rind.
My Rating	Very Good	Good
Comments	Quite a spicy whiskey.	The nose promised the world. However, it all fell flat on the palate. Not as complex as I was expecting after the delicious nose.
Price	$29	$32
Pairs well with	Irish Dubliner Cheese.	Hawaiian pizza, Smoked salmon, dried fruit.

My tasting notes for the Tullamore DEW dates from 2016. Since then, my palate has evolved and matured from all the different whisky we taste. Putting these two Irish whiskeys next to each other show how much my tastes has changed.

The Tullamore DEW has notes of caramel, fresh flowers, oak, malt and nearly overwhelming pepper heat. It needs a few drops of water to tone down the spiciness. The Jameson brings notes of banana bread, tropical fruit, malt and vanilla. It has a unique and complex nose, but the nose does not continue on the palate.

The Tullamore DEW was rated ‘Very Good’, and I rated the Jameson whiskey as ‘Good’. However, in the blind tasting, the Jameson came out better than the Tullamore DEW. The Jameson whiskey’s nose is more elegant and inviting, and on the palate, the Jamesons is smoother.

In the Tullamore DEW, the tropical fruit, floral notes, and oaks are more pronounced on the palate than the Jamesons. However, the pepper spiciness of the Tullamore DEW overwhelms all the other tastes. Especially on the finish, the pepper spice of the Tullamore DEW drowns out the fruity sweetness. It is not as smooth as the Jameson, and the finish is shorter as well.

If I had to choose between the two Irish drams, my preference would be the Jameson Irish whiskey. It will never make my list of favourite brands. However, it is excellent for an Irish coffee in winter and this bottle will not go to waste.

Also Read: Teeling Single Malt vs Single Grain Irish Whiskey

Balvenie Golden Cask vs Caribbean Cask Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/18/2021

In Whisky Comparison

Originally this post was part of my Balvenie Golden Cask tasting notes, but it is such a fun and delicious side by side comparison, I decided it warranted a post of its own; Balvenie Golden Cask vs Caribbean Cask whisky. Both these Balvenie releases were finished in rum casks.

The Caribbean Cask release is part of the Balvenie core range, and the Golden Cask was travel retail special. Let’s look at the Balvenie Golden Cask vs Caribbean Cask single malt Scotch whisky comparison.

The Golden Cask has been finished in Caribbean Rum barrels and the Caribbean Cask in barrels that previously held Malt Master David Stewart’s personal blend of select West Indian rum.

I have both these expressions in my collection, so after capturing my tasting notes for the Golden Cask, I got out the Caribbean Cask whisky to do a bit of a comparison. For me, a side-by-side comparison is a valuable learning experience that shows the different sides of each dram.

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask Whisky

Balvenie Golden Cask vs Caribbean casks comparison
Balvenie launched the Caribbean Cask 14 yo whisky to mark the 50th anniversary of David Stewart joining the Balvenie distillery. It is part of the Balvenie core range.

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask Speyside single malt whisky has been matured in traditional oak casks for 14 years. Afterwards, they finished it in casks that previously held Malt Master David Stewart’s blend of select West Indian rum.

The Balvenie Golden Cask Whisky

The Balvenie Golden Cask 14 yo single malt whisky with glass Balvenie Golden Cask vs Caribbean casks comparison
The Balvenie Golden Cask whisky was initially bottled for the travel retail market. The Golden Cask single malt Scotch whisky was first matured in traditional oak casks and then finished in casks that formerly held golden Caribbean rum.

It was crafted by Balvenie’s David Stewart, and it has been discontinued.

Balvenie Golden Cask vs Caribbean Cask Whisky

Balvenie Golden Cask vs Caribbean Cask comparison

	Balvenie Golden Cask	Balvenie Caribbean Cask
Age	14 yo	14 yo
ABV	47.5%	43%
Cask Finish	Caribbean rum	David Stewart’s blend of select West Indian rum
Colour	Light wheat gold	Golden wheat
Nose	Heaps of fruits, florals with butterscotch and fudge and vanilla. Fields of summer flowers with hints of cinnamon spice and hints of chocolate coated fruits and oak.	Ripe mango, pineapple and guava, toffee, Christmas cake and plump rum-soaked raisins. Hints of florals and malt intermingling with oak. Fudge and lashings of spices.
Palate	The fruity sweetness promised on the nose is not so pronounced, and there are more spicy notes on the palate. The Golden Cask is refined and luxurious. It is fresh and light with pineapple, tropical fruit.	Mango and spicy notes, creamy caramel toffee, vanilla, oak, tipsy tart and ginger. Chewy and spicy.
Finish	Big and bold with sweetness and cinnamon that lingers	Softer with notes of pectin and pepper
Rating	Excellent	Excellent
Comments	More refined and floral with an amazing finish.	Chewy and delicious, but with a few sharp pepper notes.
Pairs well with	Dark chocolate and tropical fruit	Softer cheese such as camembert

Side by side, it is amazing how different these two releases are.

The Balvenie Golden Cask has a higher ABV and is slightly lighter than the Caribbean Cask release. Both releases have tropical rum notes, but they are more pronounced on the Golden Cask.

The Balvenie Golden Cask single malt has a floral note mixed with pineapples and oak. It also has notes of cinnamon and tropical fruit. The Balvenie Caribbean Cask has more mango, raisins, vanilla, and fudge. It has a spicier finish with more pepper and ginger notes.

Both are excellent and delicious, a testament to Balvenie’s Master Distillers’ skill and quality. If I have to choose a favourite, it will be the Balvenie Golden Cask whisky. The Golden Cask is more refined and less spicy than the Caribbean Cask. It is my favourite of these two bottles.

Both my bottles are nearly finished. I will be sad to see the Golden Cask empty; it was a delicious and unique dram. The Caribbean Cask is readily available, and when the bottle is empty, I will replace it.

I have also done a side by side comparison between the Caribbean Cask and the Balvenie Doublewood.

Johnnie Walker Red vs Black Label Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/23/2020

In Whisky Comparison

Johnny Walker Red Label vs Black Label whisky comaprison
One of the search queries that bring quite a few people to my blog is a comparison between the Johnnie Walker Red vs Black Label whisky. Google brings them to my site because I have written about both, but let me do a proper comparison for people who want to have it all on one page.

Johnnie Walker is considered the most widely distributed brand of Scotch whisky globally. John “Johnnie” Walker started to sell whisky in his grocer’s shop. His blends were trendy at the time.

It wasn’t until he died in 1857, when Alexander Walker with his son Alexander Walker II inherited the company, that the brand took off. Johnnie Walker whisky was sold in the distinctive rectangular bottles for the first time during 1870.

In 1909, as part of a rebranding exercise, the company started to name their blends to match the colours on the bottles. The Special Old Highland became Johnnie Walker Red Label, and Extra Special Old Highland became the Johnnie Walker Black Label. Today the brand is owned by Diageo.

Johnnie Walker Red Label Whisky

review and tasting notes Johnnie Walker red label whisky with glass
Johnnie Walker Red Label Scotch whisky is a blend of 30 single malt and grain whiskies. It’s a combination of light whiskies from Scotland’s East Coast and more peaty whiskies from the West.

It has no age statement. Affordable, consistent taste and quality that is an excellent base for cocktails. The price for the Red Label whisky is around R230.

Johnnie Walker Black Label Whisky

Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 yo with glass
The Johnnie Walker Black Label blended Scotch whisky has a consistent taste profile and an affordable price point. It is a blend of about 40 whiskies from all around Scotland. All the whiskies are at least 12 years old.

You find this bottle of whisky in nearly every bottle store and bar around the world. The price for the Black Label is R 330.

Also Read: Johnnie Walker Black vs Double Black Label

Johnnie Walker Red vs Black Label whisky

Johnny Walker Red Label vs Black Label whisky Comparison

	Johnnie Walker Red Label	Johnnie Walker Black Label
Type	Blended Whisky	Blended Whisky
ABV	43%	43%
Colour	Honey gold	Polished amber
Nose	Fruit, malt and wildflowers. Green notes with bits of vanilla and hints of smoke. Not the most complex nose.	Faint smoke, red berries, Christmas pudding with heaps of toffee and hints of winter spice.
Palate	Toasted oak, toffee sweetness with hints of smoke and peat. Medium body with vanilla, pepper and cardamom heat. A few unrefined alcohol notes that are softened with water.	Smooth and creamy with smoke and peat perfectly balanced with fruit, citrus flowers, oak and malt. A toffee sweetness with hints of spice. You don't even need to add water, but water releases a bit more sweetness.
Finish	Medium length with pepper, pectin and honey	Long and rewarding balanced between fruity sweetness, citrus peel, vanilla and warming pepper spice.
My Rating	Very Good	Divine
Comments	Not the most complex and refined whisky, but certainly drinkable.	Smooth, easy drinking, perfectly balanced peat and sweetness.
Price	$26	$37
Pairs well with	Good in cocktails.	A cheese platter or roasted pork.

One of the things I appreciate about the Johnnie Walker Red and Black Label blended whisky is the consistent taste. Bottle after bottle you get excellent drinking whisky. However, it is a massive jump from Red Label to Black Label; in both price and on the palate.

The Red Label whisky has sweet fruit, malt, toasted oak and peat notes. There is vanilla mixed with cardamom and pepper. The Red Label has a few raw alcohol notes and intends a few drops of water to soften the alcohol.

On the other hand, the Black Label has notes of peat, smoke, red berries, Christmas pudding, flowers, malt, and oak. Hints of spices mingle with the fruity sweetness. It is bold and complex, and you don’t need to add water.

The Black Label is more complex, bolder, and more drinkable than the Red Label. The difference is noticeable on both the nose and the palate. The finish on the Black Label also stands out far more than the finish on the Red Label.

If you look at the Johnnie Walker Red Label vs Black Label price change, it is more than worth paying extra for the Johnnie Walker Black Label. The increased smoothness and delicious taste makes the roughly R100 / $11 price difference worth it.

The Johnnie Walker Red Labelis the good, affordable whisky to make cocktails with. It is spicy and unique enough to use in a variety of cocktails but still price-sensitive. If you want to enjoy a delicious peaty experience and spoil your self, the Black Label is ideal.

My favourite cocktail with the Red Label is a ginger highball made with ginger ale and with the Black Label is a Rusty Nail.

Also Read: Ardbeg Corryvreckan vs Uigeadail Whisky

Jack Daniel’s Rye vs Old No 7 Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/02/2020

In Whisky Comparison

Jack Daniel’s Rye vs Old No 7 Tennessee Whiskey side by side comparison
A few weeks ago, I had the fantastic opportunity to chat to Bradley Watson, the South African Brand Ambassador for Jack Daniels about all things Jack and especially the Jack Daniels Rye whiskey. Even though this release has been around since 2017, it is only now available in SA. As part of our chat, we also did a side-by-side comparison between the Jack Daniel’s Rye vs Old No 7 Tennessee whiskey.

These two releases are both produced according to the Lincoln County Process that makes Tennessee whiskey unique. However, the mash bill for the Rye release is different. Jack Daniel’s whiskey isn’t bourbon, despite bearing most of the same characteristics, in production methods at least.

There is, however, one key difference. Jack Daniel’s filtrates their whiskey through sugar maple charcoal before maturation. This process is of key importance to the finished whiskey’s character, bottled as Tennessee whiskey.

Also Read: Jack Daniel’s vs Gentleman Jack Whiskey

Jasper Newton ‘Jack’ Daniel’s started the Jack Daniel’s distillery around 1866. It is one of the oldest registered distilleries in the United States of America. The distillery remained family-owned until 1956 when it was sold to Brown Forman, a Kentucky distilling company.

Moore County, where the Jack Daniel’s distillery is located, is one of Tennessee’s dry counties. While it is legal to distil the product within the county, it is illegal to buy it there. An exception is made where a distillery can sell one commemorative product.

Jack Daniel’s Old No 7 Tennessee Whiskey

Jack Daniel's Old No 7 with glass b
Jack Daniels Old No 7 Tennessee whiskey is the entry-level whiskey from the distillery. The mash bill for this release is 80% corn, 12% barley, and 8% rye. It is a NAS release, but maturation is estimated to be around 4 years.

Jack Daniel’s Rye Tennessee Whiskey

Jack Daniel’s Rye whiskey with glass
Brown Forman released the Rye whiskey in September 2017 as a new addition to the standard Jack Daniel’s lineup. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Straight Ryewhiskey is produced using a mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn and 12% malted barley.

It follows the same Lincoln County Process that makes Tennessee whiskey unique. It is a NAS release, and it also has an excellent ABV.

Jack Daniel’s Rye vs Old No 7 Whiskey

Jack Daniel’s Rye vs Old No 7 comparison

	Jack Daniel's Old no 7	Jack Daniel's Rye
Type	Tennessee Whiskey	Tennessee Rye Whiskey
Mash Bill	80% corn, 12% barley, and 8% rye	70% rye, 18% corn and 12% malted barley
ABV	43%	45%
Colour	Light amber	Light amber
Nose	Sweet with caramel, vanilla and dry oak and a hint of smoke. Some dried fruit and marzipan.	Tropical banana, hints of dark chocolate and toasted oak. Cinnamon and sweetness
Palate	Toasted oak and butterscotch sweetness. Hints of vanilla, overripe cherries and nuts. Something like sour cherries and cereal on the palate. It is quite an oily whiskey. Mellow and smooth.	Freshly baked banana bread, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Drying cinnamon and nutmeg with hints of chocolate sweetness. Bits of oily wood and vanilla. Medium body.
Finish	Medium length with some toasty oak, butterscotch and spice.	Medium length with lack pepper and spicy cinnamon and oak spices
My Rating	Very Good	Excellent
Comments	Not very complex. However, it is easy-drinking and great to use in marinades or basting sauce when cooking.	Tropical notes with an oily mouthfeel. Smooth and warming
Price	$27	$28
Pairs well with	Smoky chicken, KFC	Aged steak, dark chocolate

Putting these two releases side by side shows the difference in the mash bill very nicely while keeping to the smooth Jack Daniel’s distillery character.

The standard Jack Daniel’s has notes of caramel, vanilla, and dry oak, with cherries and cereal. The Jack Rye release has a tropical tone, with banana, dark chocolate, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The standard release showcases cherry and vanilla notes with toasted oak. The Rye release is spicier than the standard release and more complex than the Old No. 7.

Both releases are readily available in SA and affordable, and if you enjoy Jack Daniel’s, I would recommend that you try this comparison.

I prefer the Rye release. It is better balanced, more versatile and just delicious. It reminds me of freshly baked banana bread and chocolate. The Rye suits my sweet palate but with enough bits of rye spice to make it distinguishable.

I got this nice breakdown from the friendly folks at Jack Daniel’s. A quick way to see the differences.

Jack daniels old no 7 vs rye whiskey

Woodford Reserve vs Bulleit Bourbon

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/28/2020

In Whisky Comparison

Today I look at another side by side bourbon comparison; this week between one of my favourite bourbons against one of John’s favourite bourbons. I look at the Woodford Reserve vs Bulleit Bourbon.

Both very well known and readily available in South Africa. I wonder which of these two will be the favourite after our side by side afternoon experiments.
For these side by side comparisons, we usually move out onto the patio (it is summer in SA right now and pleasantly warm) and then pour two glasses of each and then sit back and taste.

When you have two bourbons next to each other, you can better understand the different spices and sweet notes that each bourbon has.

Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey

Review and tasting notes Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey with glass Woodford Reserve vs Bulleit
Bulleit Bourbon whiskey was inspired by a 150-year-old family recipe created by founder, Tom Bulleit’s, great-great-grandfather Augustus Bulleit. The original recipe was for a rye whiskey made with 2/3 rye and 1/3 corn. It was produced between 1830 and 1860 in Louisville, Kentucky. The younger Bulleit first served in the US Marine Corps and then went to law school.

But he always dreamt of recreating his ancestor’s recipe. In 1987, he created a small batch bourbon, bearing the family name. To make sure it is qualified as bourbon, he’s adjusted the mash bill to 68% corn, 28% rye and 4% malted barley.

The Bulleit bourbon bottle shape is modelled on the medicine bottles of old, with raised lettering and a skew label. Just like it might have looked in the 1860s. Today it is owned by Diageo and is produced at the Kirin Brewing Company Four Roses distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. This bourbon is readily available in SA.
Also Read: Maker’s Mark vs Buffalo Trace Bourbon

Woodford Reserve Bourbon Whiskey

Review and tastingnotes Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon with glass Woodford Reserve vs Bulleit

Woodford Reserve is a brand of small-batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey produced by the Brown-Forman Corporation. A distiller named Elijah Pepper began producing small amounts of whiskey in 1797 and soon afterwards built a distillery.

Following Elijah’s death in 1831, his son Oscar Pepper inherited the distillery. The distillery became known as The Oscar Pepper Distillery. He hired a Scotsman, Dr James Crow as the head distiller.

Crow was a qualified physician and a chemist. He championed the sour mash fermentation process that is key in the production of bourbon. After changing hands a few times and falling in disrepair, Brown-Forman purchased the property in 1993 and refurbished it to bring it back into operation. They renamed it The Woodford Reserve Distillery in 2003.

The mash bill for Woodford Reserve features a high percentage of rye. It has a 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malt ratio. Unusual also for being triple distilled and having the lowest proof upon entering the barrel where it matures for at least 6 years.

Woodford Reserve vs Bulleit Bourbon Whiskey

Woodford Reserve vs Bulleit bourbon whiskey comparison

	Bulleit Bourbon	Woodford Reserve Bourbon
ABV	45%	43.2%
Type	Bourbon whiskey	Bourbon whiskey
Mashbill	68% corn, 28% rye, and 4% malted barley	72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malt
Colour	Light amber	Clear honey amber
Nose	Quite spicy, lacking the more traditional bourbon sweetness. Some sweetness reminiscent of sticky toffee pudding and vanilla bean. After standing for a while, some caramel comes through.	Honey sweetness with apricots and oranges. There are bits of condensed milk richness mixed with vanilla and hints of spices.
Palate	Loads of spice, but is not overwhelmingly spicy. After the initial spice, there are notes of toffee caramel and vanilla with a bit of wood and orange floating about. Freshly baked sugar biscuits. Water brings sweetness forward.	Oak and sweetness perfectly balanced with a bit of apricot and cinnamon spiciness. Notes of tangy winter fruits and vanilla mixed with toffee. Creamy and smooth with a full body and a satisfying mouthfeel
Finish	Long and lingering, it stays with you long after finishing the glass. Notes of mild spice and hints of oak.	Long and lingering and ends in notes of sweet spices
My Rating	Excellent	Excellent
Comments	It's a rich, chewy mouthful of bourbon. Bold character	Smooth with a great balance between sweet and spicy.
Price	$33	$40
Pairs well with	Bacon, spicy BBQ chicken wings	Aged Parmesan cheese, dark chocolate, roasted hazelnuts, Hawaiian Pizza

The Woodford Reserve bourbon is softer, sweeter with notes of fruity apricot, vanilla and oak. The balance between sweetness and oak spice is inviting, and this bottle leaves a smile on my face. In comparison, the Bulleit is bolder, spicier with notes of orange and vanilla.

Both of these releases have a strong finish, and the traditional oak and vanilla note that, for me, characterises a bourbon. The Bulleit bourbon has a unique character that makes it more memorable, and John loves it. He does not need any help in finishing the Bulleit bourbon.

If you like a softer, sweeter bourbon, the Woodford Reserve is perfect. If you are looking for something bolder and spicier, then grab the Bulleit. Both of these releases are worth space on your whiskey shelf. I am rather happy that John prefers to Bulleit, now I don’t have to share my bottle of Woodford Reserve bourbon with him.

I have also done a side by side comparison between the Woodford Rye and the Bulleit Rye as well as with the Buffalo Trace to see how they stack up against each other.

Also Read: Maker’s Mark vs Woodford Reserve