Brian Haara
Bourbon. Law. Author.
If National Lampoon started a Whiskey Company…
The Ohio River was the waterway for bourbon in the 1800’s, so it is not surprising that many distilleries were built to take advatage of this easy access to the whiskey market. German immigrant, August Krogman, saw opportunity and built his distillery in Tell City, Indiana, in 1863, rising to regional acclaim. Krogman’s was long gone, but MAD Beverage registered the trademark in 2019 and has now lauched a unique single barrel set of the nine masbills distilled at another certain Indiana distillery.
As Krogman’s explains, “Each whiskey is bottled at cask strength, with no chill filtering, featuring a unique nickname for each barrel used. The name of each whiskey reflects a different aspect of the American Whiskey world as it exists today on secondary selling and social media sites. While the names may be ironic, the liquid in the bottles certainly is not. The nine bottle set features four straight bourbons, three straight ryes, a single barrel corn whiskey, and a single barrel light whiskey. With a full set you can taste the entire array of bourbon and rye flavors.” Suggested retail price is $49.99 each.
- Tater Bait Single Barrel Bourbon 115-117 proof – (60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley) This extremely high rye bourbon is a masterclass in balance and depth of flavor. Rich, fruit coating mouthfeel with mid-palate notes of leather, honey, and cocoa.
- Maxx Profitzz Single Barrel Rye 115-117 proof (95% rye, 5% malted barley) This is the rye mashbill that changed everything. Used as a straight whiskey in small proportions in blends for many years, this spice bomb, as a straight release, revolutionized the way bartenders and consumers looked at American rye. At cask strength with no chill filtering all the raw power and flavor are still there and stronger than ever.
- Dusty Hunterzzz Single Barrel Bourbon 115-117 proof (75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley) This particular mashbill is ubiquitous in the industry, utilized in many brands, renowned for a balance of smooth red and tropical fruit, and a long cinnamon spice driven finish.
- Waxx Dippzz Single Barrel Bourbon 115-117 proof (51% corn, 45% wheat, 4% malted barley) This takes “wheater” to a whole new level with 45% wheat in the mash, the super lifted fruit notes lay over a bed of soft spice. More than doubling the wheated standard, this drinks like grain brandy.
- U.N.I. Corn Whiskey 115-120 proof (81% corn, 15% rye, 4% malted barley)
Lashings of fried sweet corn and butter. Candy corn, leather, mint. This whiskey is bursting at the seams with sweet corn flavor. - Smash Bill Single Barrel Rye 115-117 proof (51% rye 45% corn, 4% malted barley) This corn forward rye combines the oily sweetness and mouthfeel of a bourbon with the mellow baking spices of a rye. Perfect for any occasion.
- Flipperzz Single Barrel Light Whiskey 134 proof (99% corn, 1% malted barley) Invented to compete with vodka, light whiskey is still used effectively in blends. High proof, but perfect for a high ball!
- Chuggzz Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey 115-117 proof (99% corn, 1% malted barley) The extremely high corn content makes this a delectably sweet, fatty, oily, and unbelievably smooth single barrel.
- Buyy It Noww Single Barrel Rye 115-117 proof (51% rye, 49% malted barley) This is a malt lover’s dream. The biscuit sweetness and vanilla cake smoothness of a scotch, combined with the classic Lawrenceburg spice is a double knock out.
Traveling Spirits – Because Bourbon is Best When Shared with Friends and Family.
I tend to bring bourbon with me to poker night, when stopping by a friend’s house, Friday night driveway drinking during covid, and on trips up to Michigan. Let’s just say that it’s sort of my thing. But it’s always a tough decision to find the right bottle for the occasion and I often wish that I could bring a few different bourbons to try.
Traveling Spirits just solved my dilemma.
The Traveling Spirits “Sampler Box” includes six two-ounce Boston round bottles with attractive caps and numbered tops, two Glencairn glasses, and a two-inch stainless steel funnel, all housed in an impressive handmade Baltic Birchwood box with a magnetized clear acrylic top. Available for $149.00 online at https://travelingspirits.co/, the Traveling Spirits Sampler Box is my new go-to traveling companion for trips with bourbon.
After a long covid hiatus, next week I’m meeting with a client and good friend to catch up over some bourbon. I’ve poured and packed a 1948 Old Taylor Bottled in Bond, a 10-year old Elijah Craig private barrel aged in Deatsville, and a nearly 11-year old Four Roses Brent Elliott gift shop OESV weighing in at almost 60% ABV, which we’ll save for last. I’m looking forward to two-ounce pours for each of us, and time to catch up with a dear friend after six months.
This is precisely the sort of comradery that inspired the Traveling Spirits Sampler Box: a father and his four sons, a fishing trip, and bonding over blind samples of bourbon. I have such fond memories of spending time with my dad on distillery trips and sipping bourbon on his deck, and the Sampler Box would have been perfect for traveling back and forth.
I highly recommend the Sampler Box, although I’m thinking about the Traveling Spirits 12-Pack (12 bottles in the same type of Baltic Birchwood box, but no Glencairn glasses) as we start to approach the gifting season. Check out the website here: https://travelingspirits.co/, and cheers to friends and family.
Sipp’n Corn Tasting Notes: Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Decanter, Fall 2020
When I teased the Fall 2020 Old Fitzgerald release in my review of the Spring edition, I was expecting the standard profile that, in varying degrees, defines each of the releases to date. But then it arrived and I realized that Heaven Hill is keeping us on our toes.
I had a little bit of the Spring 9-year release to try them side-by-side to make sure that it was as different as I was thinking. And then in my subsequent tastings I found the same unique flavors. While still keeping up with the strict Bottled in Bond requirements, Heaven Hill was able to pull barrels from different rickhouses, different floors, and different production dates (within the same season, of course), to feature a unique profile. Reading between the lines, this should also mean that Heaven Hill has more of these 14-year old barrels speckled throughout its rickhouses for future releases!
Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Tasting Notes
| Bourbon: | Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey |
| Distillery: | Heaven Hill, Bardstown, Kentucky (distilled in Louisville and aged in Bardstown) |
| Age: | 14 years |
| ABV: | 50% (100 proof) |
| Cost: | $140.00 |
Appearance:
Brown with copper highlights.
Nose:
Great aromas that hit as soon as I removed the cap. Lots of caramel, lightly toasted bread, maple syrup, a little bit of earthiness, and boiled peanuts.
Taste:
Really amazing—caramel and peanuts mixed together; not salty like a Payday bar, but along those lines. More like praline and chicory coffee. Buttery on the tongue and lightly oaked (less than expected for 14 years) and light fruit sweetness round it out.
Finish:
Seemingly medium finish with an initial rush of nuttiness, but then the caramel lingers and lasts as it fades. It’s a sweet tooth’s dream.
Bottom Line
This was a unique profile for me for a Heaven Hill Old Fitzgerald and I loved it. It lacks the spiciness of some of the prior releases, but I didn’t miss it one bit.
Disclaimer: The brand managers kindly
sent me samples for this review,
without any strings attached.
Thank you.
Sipp’n Corn Tasting Notes: Four Gate Batch 7—River Kelvin Rye.
Four Gate is back with another extremely limited batch of only 1,484 bottles. And for the first time, it’s a Straight Rye Whiskey. It’s not a Kentucky Rye—or “barely Rye”—it’s a 95% rye grain Indiana Straight Rye, meaning we can all pretty much guess the source.
Batch 7—River Kelvin Rye
Bourbon: Straight Rye Whiskey
Distillery: Undisclosed, but distilled in Indiana
Age: 7 years
ABV: 56.6% ABV (113.2 Proof)
Cost: $174.99
Appearance:
Brown side of amber.
Nose:
Yup, that’s a Rye. There’s some ABV sting, but once you get past that, it’s brown sugar, baking spice, lemon zest, and dark, dried fruit.
Taste:
Yup, it’s a big Rye again. There’s a little telltale dill, brown sugar, black pepper, and oak. Really mouthwatering flavors.
Finish:
Lingering spice with warmth that lasts.
Bottom Line
Distribution is limited like Four Gate’s other releases, but even more than I recall for earlier expressions, with distribution just for Kentucky and Indiana, and via Seelbachs.com. Four Gate is also holding back some of this Rye Whiskey to be used with future barrel finishing projects, including a return of the Kelvin Split-Stave and Ruby Port-Rum casks anticipated for 2021. I probably shouldn’t commit before tasting those, but River Kelvin Rye just as it is hits everything that I’m looking for in a Rye Whiskey.
Disclaimer: The brand managers kindly
sent me a sample for this review,
without any strings attached.
Thank you.
Sipp’n Corn Tasting Notes: 2020 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch
It’s time again for the September Limited Editions! The Limited Edition that I look forward to most of all is the annual Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch. Because of the unique ten recipes at Four Roses, no other distillery can match the components available to Four Roses.
This year, Master Distiller Brent Elliott used the following recipes and ages:
OESV – 12 years
OBSV – 12 years
OESK – 16 years
OBSK – 19 years
This is like a dream come true for me because “V” and “K” have been my favorite yeast strains for Four Roses Private Single Barrels. My first distinct memory of the “K” yeast was in 2013 when OBSK was featured as the 125th Anniversary Limited Edition Single Barrel, and a majority of the barrels that I’ve helped to select since then have used these yeasts. And as always, this Four Roses Limited Edition is non-chill filtered and bottled at barrel proof, which this time is 111.4.
Four Roses Limited Edition Tasting Notes
Bourbon: 2020 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery: Four Roses, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky (and aged in Cox’s Creek)
Age: 12-19 years (% not disclosed)
ABV: 55.7% (111.4 proof)
Cost: $150.00
Bottles: 14,040 for U.S. distribution only
Appearance:
Golden amber brown.
Nose:
Light fruit, caramel apple pie, vanilla, rye spice, and light leather. There’s no indication of the high proof.
Taste:
The light fruit shifts to deeper dark red berries balanced with bold rye spice and oak. This really showcases why high rye grain is so important to the balance of bourbon
Finish:
The finish is forever. Long and lingering with a rye spice backbone and light fruit on the edges.
Bottom Line
The Four Roses 2020 Limited Edition Small Batch is another home run. Four Roses has continually set the bar extremely high for itself and Brent and his team delivered again this year. That’s a remarkable feat!
Disclaimer: The brand managers kindly
sent me a sample for this review,
without any strings attached.
Thank you.
Brian Haara 