Category: Bourbon whiskey Page 6 of 7

Bourbon whiskey

Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for bourbon whiskey. A collection of all the interesting American releases I have tried.

Jim Beam Black Label Bourbon Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/21/2015

In Bourbon whiskey

Some time ago, I tried the Knob Creek bourbon whiskey and loved it. It has become one of my favourite whiskies, and if you follow me on Twitter, you would have seen me pair the Knob Creek bourbon with a brisket smoked on my Big Green Egg.

I started to look around for more bourbon from the Jim Beam Company, but sadly, the availability of bourbon whisky in South Africa is declining. However, I managed to get my hands on the Jim Beam Black Label 6 year old Kentucky Straight bourbon whisky.

Whiskey in the USA has a long history. In the late 1700s, German, Scotch and Irish settlers farmed in Western Pennsylvania. When the U.S. government promised incentives for moving to Kentucky’s wild frontier to grow corn, Jacob Beam jumped at the opportunity. At times when he had excess corn, he turned it into whiskey.

Related Article: Slate Blended Bourbon

Jacob Beam sold his first barrels of corn whiskey around 1795. In 1830, corn-whiskey distillers shipped their whiskey in used fish or vinegar barrels on the long journey from Kentucky to New Orleans.

Not quite the tasting notes you want in your whiskey. But they found that charing the barrels on the inside removed the unpleasant smell and ready them for whiskey storage. The charred wood produced sugars that added a spectacular caramel taste and a golden colour to their whiskey. This style became known as bourbon.

The Jim Beam Black Label is a 6 year old Kentucky Straight bourbon that was triple aged in American oak.

Jim Beam Black Label Bourbon Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Rich dark gold with hints of red shimmers.

NOSE: Not as sweet as you would expect from a traditional bourbon. The nose has notes of spice and is infused with smokiness. Cherries are floating about with lots of vanilla notes and hints of caramel.

PALATE: Big and bold. There are heaps of cinnamon spice with a wonderful balance between the spiciness and the sweetness. This Jim Beam has a freshness that I have not encountered before in a bourbon. After adding water, it becomes smooth and releases more sweetness. There are notes of toffee and hints of BBQ smoke.

FINISH: Hangs around for the longest time. It ends in notes of cinnamon and orange.

RATING: EXCELLENT

At the price point (R260 or around $20 and ₹ 4,323 in India), this is excellent value for money. I think Knob Creek bourbon just got knocked off the No. 1 spot on my favourite bourbon list. I paired this bourbon with some KFC to see how it would work. See which bourbon paired best with the fried chicken.

I have tried the Jim Beam Double Oak Bourbon, and you can see what I thought about it if you follow the link. Other Jim Beam releases include Jim Beam White Label as well as the Devil’s Cut.

Also Read: Evan Williams Bourbon

Elijah Craig 12 year old Bourbon

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/17/2015

In Bourbon whiskey

Today I review an age statement bourbon, the Elijah Craig 12 year old Kentucky Straight bourbon whisky. In around 1789, Reverend Craig founded a distillery in Virginia. Not long after establishing the distillery, the Baptist minister and distiller suffered a fire, which damaged many of his barrels.

The story goes that the Reverend, being too stingy to replace them, filled the burnt barrels with whiskey regardless. Later he noticed that the whiskey from the burnt barrels tasted better than whisky from uncharred barrels. He has ever since, rightly or wrongly, been credited as the “Father of bourbon whiskey”.

Heaven Hill Distilleries Inc was founded in Bardstown, Kentucky in 1934, not long after Prohibition was abolished. Named for William HeavenHill, the company was established by a group of investors.

Related Article: Eagle Rare bourbon

Heaven Hill is the seventh-largest distributor of bourbon in the US, and their massive storage facilities hold 750,000 barrels of maturing whiskey. They not only deal in bourbon whiskey but also gin, vodka and Canadian whisky among others. The company remain independently owned.

In 1986, Heaven Hill launched a 12 year old small batch bourbon, named Elijah Craig in honour of the so-called ‘Father of bourbon’. Elijah Craig whiskey is produced in both 12 year old Small Batch and 18 year old Single Barrel bottlings.

Elijah Craig 12 year old Bourbon

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 47%

COLOUR: Dark red polished copper

NOSE: Quite spicy with bold notes of toasted oak spice, pepper, toffee, Christmas pudding and cinnamon baked apples. After adding a bit of water, the nose has more floral notes, hints of jasmin flowers and fewer spices.

PALATE: On the palate, this Elijah Craig is a bit different from the other bourbons we have tried this year. It is spicier with touches of pepper and nutmeg. There are notes of citrus peel, candy apple and warm oak. It is a medium-bodied bourbon. Water softens the spicy notes and smooths the citrus. The Elijah Craig 12 year old becomes sweeter with a few drops of water added.

FINISH: Without water, the finish is smooth and lingering and end in spice and bits of lemon. With water, the finish is sweeter and bring hints of flowers mixed with the spice.

RATING: VERY GOOD

I was expecting quite a lot from this 12 year old bourbon. It certainly is different, with the spicy notes, to some of the other bourbons I tried this year.

Does it offer a challenge to the younger Knob Creek bourbon or Woodford Reserve at the top of my favourites list? Not quite. Not a bad bourbon whiskey for my collection, but it will not become one of my favourites. Have you tried this Elijah Craig bourbon?

I paired this bourbon with some KFC to see how it would work. See which bourbon paired best with the fried chicken. This is a great whiskey for pairing with aged cheddar cheese.

I have also done a side by side comparison between this 12 year old and the Evan Williams Single Barrel bourbon. It is incredible how different they are, coming from the same company.

Also Read: Four Roses bourbon

Knob Creek Straight Bourbon Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/08/2015

In Bourbon whiskey

Named after the small stream that flows through President Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home in Kentucky, today is time for some Knob Creek Kentucky Straight bourbon whiskey. It is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced by Beam Suntory at the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky.

At the end of Prohibition and a boom in demand, re-starting bourbon production was challenging, and distilleries were forced to age their bourbons’ for briefer periods. Due to this, Americans developed a palate for softer whiskies.

However, Booker Noe wanted to bring back the quality bourbon produced in Kentucky before Prohibition collapsed the bourbon boom. He fathered the small batch movement and created Knob Creek Bourbon whiskey.

These smaller batches allowed him to create a ‘Pre-Prohibition’ bourbon that was aged longer (9 years) than other bourbons. He then aged his spirit in the deepest charred American oak barrels to fully draw out more of the natural sugars.

Knob Creek straight bourbon is bottled at 50% ABV, higher than the average bourbon ABV. It comes in a rectangular bottle reminiscent of an old apothecary bottle with a black wax seal. The Whisky Bible gave this Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey a rating of 94,5, so I am expecting quite a lot from this bottle.

Related Article: 1792 Bourbon

Knob Creek Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 50%

COLOUR: Dark amber syrup

NOSE: Packed full of sweet maple, oak and cereal. There are hints of caramel and raisins. After adding a bit of water, the nose develops more floral notes.

PALATE: Without water, this Knob Creek Bourbon packs a big punch. Not an alcohol punch despite the ABV, but a full flavour, mouthfeel. There are notes of caramel sweetness, oak and cinnamon and pumpkin spice on the palate.

After adding a bit of water to the Know Creek, the sweetness softens, and the oak, vanilla and fruit come through. The big mouth full feeling softens a bit, and the Knob Creek bourbon becomes very, very easy drinking.

FINISH: Long and lingering and end in notes of oak and cereals. This is no shrinking violet – this is a full-bodied, big, in your face, bourbon.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It has jumped up to my number 1 spot for bourbons this year. I loved the big, bold flavours of this American whiskey and could not resist a second glass. Best of all, it is readily available in South Africa and retails for less than R500. And for the mouthful deliciousness, you are getting, that is a bargain!

Also Read: Wild Turkey Rare Breed bourbon

Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/04/2015

In Bourbon whiskey

The Wild Turkey Rare Breed bourbon whiskey is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey distilled and bottled in Kentucky. In 1869, the Ripy Brothers built a distillery in Tyrone, near Lawrenceburg.

After Prohibition, they merged with the current facility and resumed distilling. The Gould Brothers bought out the Ripys in 1952. Subsequently, Pernod Ricard bought the brand and the distillery in 1980.

The bourbon acquired its name in 1940 when a distillery executive called Thomas McCarthy grabbed a few sample bottles of 101-proof whiskey from the warehouse to take with him on a trip in South Carolina to hunt wild turkey.

The whiskey was such a hit with his friends; they repeatedly asked him to send them more of that “wild turkey bourbon.” The rest is history. The nickname became a famous brand, as Wild Turkey bourbon hit the shelves not long afterwards.

The Wild Turkey label carries a vividly printed, seemingly engraved illustration of its namesake. The Campari Group owns the Wild Turkey brand together with Glen Grant, Forty Creek Canadian whisky and Bisquit & Dubouché cognac.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed is a “barrel-proof bourbon” (54.1% ABV), meaning it has no added water to lower the proof or dilute the bourbon after it’s been distilled.

This Wild Turkey Rare Breed bourbon whiskey is a unique marriage of Wild Turkey 6 year old, 8 year old, and 12 year old stocks.

Related Article: Blanton’s Gold Edition Bourbon

Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 54.1%

COLOUR: Quite a dark colour, and the official description is dark caramel. The caramel theme pulls through in the rest of the bourbon as well.

NOSE: Lots of caramel notes mixed with sweet spice and woody oaks. The nose is rich and sweet and invites you to dive straight in. Hints of cinnamon and nutmeg mixed with vanilla and sweetness.

PALATE: Without water, this Wild Turkey is big and spicy. A bit of alcohol burn that softens and mellows after adding water. There is a distinctive sweetness to this bourbon that I have not tasted before. Notes of burnt caramel, oak, cinnamon and pepper.

Water transforms this bourbon into a smooth, creamy, big mouthful glass of yumminess. Getting the whisky to water ratio right made all the difference. We had a 1:1 ratio (1 tot Wild Turkey Rare Breed: 1 tot water).

FINISH: Builds for a long time and end in pepper, nutmeg, oak and caramel sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It is a bold bourbon that satisfies. Delicious and creamy with a wonderful mouthfeel. We could not resist a second glass. This Wild Turkey Rare Breed bourbon whiskey is sure to become one of my favourite bourbons. I can’t wait to try more from this American distillery.

Also Read: Four Roses Single Barrel bourbon

Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Bourbon

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/16/2015

In Bourbon whiskey

Time for a bourbon again; well, some kind of bourbon anyway. This week I try the Devil’s Cut Kentucky Straight bourbon whiskey from Jim Beam. Jim Beam is a brand of bourbon whiskey produced in Clermont, Kentucky, by Beam Suntory.

The name “Jim Beam” is in honour of James B. Beam, who rebuilt the business after Prohibition ended. Launched in 2011, Devil’s Cut bourbon comes with a long story. According to the Jim Beam website: “As bourbon ages, a portion of the liquid is lost from the barrel due to evaporation—that’s the “Angel’s Share.”

After ageing, when the bourbon is poured out of the barrel, a certain amount of whiskey is left trapped within the wood of every barrel.” Jim Beam calls that the “Devil’s Cut.” According to Jim Beam, to create Devil’s Cut bourbon, they developed a proprietary process that extracts the whiskey trapped inside the wood after emptying.

Jim Beam claims they can extract some of this “lost” liquid by filling the emptied casks with water and spinning them at high-speed. The water containing a large amount of this ‘devil’s cut’ is then used to cut down the traditional 6 yo Jim Beam bourbon.

I am not so sure if the theory behind it all adds up, but it is certainly a clever way of selling more of their 6 yo whiskey. For me, however, the only important thing that matters is how does it taste.

Related Article: WL Weller Wheated bourbon

Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Bourbon Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Dark copper in colour. It is quite an oily whiskey.

NOSE: It has a typical bourbon sweet nose. The sweetness intermingles with hints of oak, warm spice, caramel and condensed milk. There are notes of toffee and fresh doughnuts hiding in the background.

PALATE: Not as sweet as we expected it to be. Notes of wood and spice are enhanced when you add a dash of water. The Jim Beam Devil’s Cut has a medium body and is very smooth. There are hints of vanilla sweetness in the background. Not a very complex bourbon.

FINISH: Builds slowly. There are notes of spice and wood, and it ends in caramel and burnt nuts.

RATING: VERY GOOD

It should make a good addition to bourbon-based cocktails. Not sure if I will rebuy this Jim Beam release though, I find it a bit gimmicky.

I have also tried the Jim Beam Double Oak Bourbon, and you can see what I thought about it if you follow the link.

Also Read: Top 5 Single Malt under R750