Brian Haara
Bourbon. Law. Author.
Sipp’n Corn Review – Charbay Hop Flavored Whiskey (Bourbon Crusaders Private Single Barrel)
I’m veering away from Bourbon again for something out of the ordinary – a Charbay whiskey distilled from multiple craft beers. Because inclusion of hops in the beer make this whiskey more than “an alcoholic distillate from a fermented mash of grain,” 27 C.F.R. § 5.22(b), federal law requires it to be labeled as “hop flavored whiskey.” That might be a little confusing or misleading though, because there are no flavoring additives in this Charbay. All of the flavors come from the distillate and aging.This particular Charbay has numerous components, ranging from Hop Rod Rye Beer, Red Rocket, Racer 5 IPA, and Big Bear Black Stout, all distilled in 2009, to more Big Bear Black Stout and Two-Row Malt Whiskey distilled in 2011, all blended and aged in a Missouri White Oak barrel with #3 char. Bottled at a whopping 73.5% ABV (barrel proof), it was not chill-filtered and again, it has no added flavoring or coloring.
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Whiskey:
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Charbay Bourbon Crusaders Hop Flavored Whiskey
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Age:
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NAS, and varies
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ABV:
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Cask Strength 73.5% (147 proof)
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Cost:
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Good luck
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Tasting Notes
Appearance:
A pleasant amber, with absolutely no relevance or way of warning you about the forthcoming experience.
Nose:
Don’t inhale too vigorously; the high proof is evident. After some air and adjustment to the high proof, oak comes through, but mostly fragrant hops, grapefruit, and black licorice.
Taste:
Hops! While still noticeably hot, I’ve had other whiskies that taste like they’re higher proof, and this Charbay is drinkable neat. There are more flavors going on here than any whiskey that I can recall, from the dominant grapefruit and other citrus like orange zest, to sweetness of tootsie rolls and almond snickers, to roundness of cola and rich coffee, all layered over a base of hops and herbal flavors. What a wild ride!
Finish:
The finish is the least hot part of the experience, but it’s long with a balance of citrus and oak.
Bottom Line
“Unique” is too obvious. “Complex” doesn’t do it justice. “Exotic” is an understatement. The best that I can offer is an analogy. If I were to classify most of the whiskey that I drink as a type of vehicle, many would be new, powerful pickup trucks, and some would be elegant sedans, but there haven’t been many sports cars (maybe a muscle car or two, though). In contrast, this Charbay isn’t just a sports car; it’s a Ferrari doing hairpin turns through the mountains. This is a glorious ride that you need to experience for yourself, however you’re able to find a bottle or a sample. Personally, there’s no doubt that I’m sticking to my Bourbon for the long-term, but the ride was worth it.
Sipp’n Corn Bourbon Review – Yellowstone 2016 Limited Edition
Steve and Paul Beam at Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky (which partners with Luxco), have spent the last 18 months or so reviving their family history with the Yellowstone brand. After releasing a 105 proof Limited Edition last year, they followed up this Fall with a 101 proof blend of 7-year and 12-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon (both with rye as the secondary grain), and finished in wine barrels with varying levels of toast (i.e., not charred).
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Bourbon:
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Yellowstone 2016 Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Toasted Wine Barrels
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Distillery:
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Unknown
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Age:
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Seven-year age statement, but blended with 12-year
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ABV:
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50.5% ABV (101 proof)
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Cost:
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$100.00
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Tasting Notes
Appearance:
Not really dark, but a nice heavy amber.
Nose:
Vanilla, sweet tea, brown sugar, and light fruits, with some oak in the background.
Taste:
The flavors shift immediately to rye, black pepper, oak, and strong tea, with sweetness playing the chorus role with cherry cola, cocoa, and vanilla. There are also some nuanced flavors that come and go, so this is best sipped slowly to enjoy those flavors and the creaminess.
Finish:
I apologize for burying the lead; the finish drives the 2016 Yellowstone Limited Edition. While rye spice dominates, there’s more sweetness (finally some caramel, but a rich, non-candied caramel) to balance it out as the warmth builds and spreads, but not aggressively.
Bottom Line
This is a great follow-up to the Yellowstone 2015 Limited Edition by being different than its predecessor. The 2016 Limited Edition is more nuanced and probably more approachable. It provides rye spice galore, balanced with oak and sweetness, albeit not equally in the aromas and flavors.
Thanks to a friend, I compared the 2016 Limited Edition with a sample of Old Ezra 101 7-year Bourbon, which is also a Luxco-sourced brand, but costs just under $20.00 in most markets. The Old Ezra was pleasant with most of the expected aromas and flavors, and it’s tempting to get into my rotation for that price point. It was an interesting comparison, but night-and-day different due to blend with older Bourbon and the wine barrel finish.
Score on The Sipp’n Corn Scale: 3.5
The Sipp’n Corn Scale:
1 – Swill. I might dump the bottle, but will probably save it for my guests who mix with Coke.
2 – Hits the minimum criteria, but given a choice, I’d rather have something else.
3 – Solid Bourbon with only minor shortcomings. Glad to own and enjoy.
4 – Excellent Bourbon. Need to be hyper-critical to find flaws. I’m lucky to have this.
5 – Bourbon perfection. I’ll search high and low to get another bottle of this.
Sipp’n Corn Bourbon Review – David Nicholson Reserve
I had never really heard much about the David Nicholson brand before, other than having the dim recollection of it being sourced from Stitzel-Weller back in the day. I received a bottle for review back in August as part of a brand refresh over the summer, and while intrigued, I hadn’t posted in a couple of months and had a backup of reviews to do, so I had to wait. Then this fall, I had the 10-year, 100 proof brand extension of Rebel Yell, and my interest in Luxco wheated Bourbon shot through the roof. I had to see if the updated David Nicholson was as impressive.When I checked my bottle though, I had received “David Nicholson Reserve,” which uses rye as the secondary grain, instead of “David Nicholson 1843,” which is the wheated version that I had in mind. But like the new Rebel Yell, it is bottled at 100 proof, and it is “extra aged.” You can expect to pay $5 – $10 more for Reserve compared to 1843.
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Bourbon:
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David Nicholson Reserve
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
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Distillery:
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Undisclosed (possibly Heaven Hill)
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Age:
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NAS
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ABV:
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50% (100 proof)
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Suggested Retail:
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$34.99-39.99
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Disclaimer: The brand managers kindly sent me a sample
for this review, without any strings attached.
Thank you.
Tasting Notes
Appearance:
Brown side of amber with nice legs.
Nose:
The aromas are pleasant with leather and char, balanced with a little black pepper, but more sweetness like cinnamon apples and brown sugar, in addition to the standard caramel and vanilla.
Taste:
There is much more age in the backbone of this Bourbon than I expected. After brown sugar sweetness and creamy nuttiness, oak, rye grain, pepper, and earthy flavors take hold. Mellowing with a splash of water gives way to more sweetness, especially toffee and cocoa.
Finish:
Oak and spice carry the medium-length finish too. Although it leans toward being an overall dry finish, dark berries and toffee balance out the oak and earthiness very nicely.
Bottom Line
This is a solid Bourbon. With the age shown in David Nicholson Reserve and Rebel Yell 10-year, it’s nice to see that Luxco had the foresight to be able to increase ages in the midst of the current Bourbon craze. Options in this price range are getting a little crowded, but David Nicholson Reserve should be able to push its way in with this kind of quality.
Score on The Sipp’n Corn Scale: 4.0
The Sipp’n Corn Scale:
1 – Swill. I might dump the bottle, but will probably save it for my guests who mix with Coke.
2 – Hits the minimum criteria, but given a choice, I’d rather have something else.
3 – Solid Bourbon with only minor shortcomings. Glad to own and enjoy.
4 – Excellent Bourbon. Need to be hyper-critical to find flaws. I’m lucky to have this.
5 – Bourbon perfection. I’ll search high and low to get another bottle of this.
Sipp’n Corn Bourbon Review – Rebel Yell Single Barrel 10-year
Wait, wrong image… Still, in remembrance of the November 10, 1983 release of the Rebel Yell album, it’s high time to review the newest member of the Rebel Yell Bourbon family.
I haven’t been a particular fan of Rebel Yell in the value Bourbon segment. Years ago I had a small pour of old Stitzel-Weller / Ed Foote Rebel Yell, and that was excellent. But I haven’t been impressed lately, even with the upgraded Rebel Reserve. Being the eternal Bourbon optimist, however, I was intrigued by a new release this fall by Luxco of an age-stated 100 proof Rebel Yell.
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Bourbon:
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Rebel Yell Single Barrel
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
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Distillery:
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Undisclosed (possibly Heaven Hill)
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Age:
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10 years
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ABV:
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50% (100 proof)
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Cost:
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$49.99
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Tasting Notes
Appearance:
Deep amber.
Nose:
I really liked the nose. It goes far beyond the one-dimensional noses of many wheated Bourbons, with more honey and somehow a creamy sensation reminiscent of fresh pancake batter and butter (in addition to the standard caramel and vanilla). It also has prominent oak and leather, and a tell-tale dark cherry aroma found in some of the classic wheated Bourbons.
Taste:
The ten years of aging appears to have done wonders for Rebel Yell. It picked up the right amount of brown sugar along with the forecasted dark cherries, caramel, and vanilla, followed by oak, cinnamon, and more leather/tobacco. Like the nose, it was such a relief to not find one-dimensional flavors. There’s a lot going on here.
Finish:
The finish was impressive too. The age is more pronounced here with more oak, char, and leather, and it is more savory than sweet.
Bottom Line
I knew from the first sip that this was going to be a great Bourbon, and now I’m ready to declare Rebel Yell Single Barrel the best new brand of 2016 (non-limited edition special release). I just hope that Luxco has the stock to keep up so that this doesn’t turn into a limited edition.
Score on The Sipp’n Corn Scale: 4.0
The Sipp’n Corn Scale:
1 – Swill. I might dump the bottle, but will probably save it for my guests who mix with Coke.
2 – Hits the minimum criteria, but given a choice, I’d rather have something else.
3 – Solid Bourbon with only minor shortcomings. Glad to own and enjoy.
4 – Excellent Bourbon. Need to be hyper-critical to find flaws. I’m lucky to have this.
5 – Bourbon perfection. I’ll search high and low to get another bottle of this.
Sipp’n Corn Bourbon Review – Four Roses 2016 Limited Edition Small Batch
Whereas OBSV and OESK at Four Roses are often used in blends (and often sought-after in private barrels), the OESO recipe is not typically seen in Limited Edition Small Batches. However, it’s always part of the standard Small Batch, showing that it is a trusted component of finding a great profile. The 2016 Limited Edition Small Batch is also Brent Elliott’s inaugural release of this storied line as Master Distiller, so there has been and will continue to be a focus on how this batch of 9258 bottles compares to previous Limited Editions.
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Bourbon:
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Four Roses 2016 Small Batch Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
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Distillery:
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Four Roses, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
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Age:
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OESO 12 years; OBSV 12 years; OESK 16 years
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ABV:
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55.6% (111.2 proof)
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Cost:
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$124.99
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Disclaimer: The brand managers kindly sent me a sample
for this review, without any strings attached.
Thank you.
But I also bought my own bottle from the Four Roses Gift Shop.
Tasting Notes
Appearance:
Standard amber; nothing unexpected.
Nose:
The aromas are predominantly floral and fruity, and in particular light fruits like honey crisp apples and white peaches, with an indication of oak to follow. Overall it is light and subtle.
Taste:
There’s more light fruit on the palate too, but it combines with a rush of candy sweetness and vanilla cream, along with an interesting balancing act of tart citrus. Heat on the tongue dissipates as the flavors shift to black pepper, rye spice, and some clove, while maintaining the sweet foundation.
Finish:
Staying true to the aromas and flavors, the finish is sweet too, with great length, and a nice transition to oak and mint for welcome dryness and spice at the very end.
Bottom Line
Master Distiller Brent Elliott has another solid hit at about his one-year anniversary. As we all know, the Four Roses Limited Editions have set the bar extremely high and not many Bourbons can compare to the recent legendary streak from Four Roses (more than just the back-to-back Limited Editions in 2012 and 2013), but this means that expectations each year are for consensus whiskey of the year. The 2016 Limited Edition Small Batch probably won’t get those accolades, but it’s a solid pour worthy of its heritage.
Score on The Sipp’n Corn Scale: 3.5
The Sipp’n Corn Scale:
1 – Swill. I might dump the bottle, but will probably save it for my guests who mix with Coke.
2 – Hits the minimum criteria, but given a choice, I’d rather have something else.
3 – Solid Bourbon with only minor shortcomings. Glad to own and enjoy.
4 – Excellent Bourbon. Need to be hyper-critical to find flaws. I’m lucky to have this.
5 – Bourbon perfection. I’ll search high and low to get another bottle of this.
Brian Haara 