Tasting Notes: Three Floyds: Keyrock

Three Floyds: Keyrock (Rye Barrel Aged Dark Lord) (USA: Imperial Stout: 15% ABV)

Visual: Very dark brown, with a thin brown rim a of a head and a brown viscous sheen where the beer has been.

Nose: Marzipan. Rye bread. Molasses. Caramel. Coffee. Toffee.

Body: Thick treacle. Raisins. Plums. Tobacco. Rye whiskey. Marzipan. Sultanas to fruitcake. Toasted teacakes. Banana bread. Sherry.

Finish: Plums. Coffee. Sherry. Tobacco. Blueberry. Cocoa dust. Toasted teacakes. Molasses

Conclusion: Holy shit. Back in the day I tried standard Dark Lord, back when it was a “mere” 13% abv rather than the 15% monster it became shortly after. I remember finding it very good, but not quite as good as its quite frankly incredible and over the top reputation. Now over a decade later I get to try this rye aged, 15% abv version of Dark Lord and, holy shit, it is exactly as good as its reputation. It is amazing.

This has the huge body of Dark Lord, the huge viscosity and sweetness, and definitely the molasses sweetness shows through, but now with a lovely spiciness that works here amongst such a big beer where it adds rather than dominates the experience. Even more than that the dark fruit notes seem so much more pronounced – with plums and fruitcake that seem so much more evident and makes for a chewy and rewarding character that shows so much more depth than I remember.

There is that fruitcake, with marzipan sweetness and more layered into it. Then as time goes on coffee notes softly come out along with bready toasted teacake style that gives a real stodgy, chewy weight to the beer – more than just a the viscous weight it had early on.

Then, of course, there is the barrel ageing influence, this is super spirity under all those heavy flavours, with lots of showy notes. It makes it feel almost like a spirit stout, with so much of those spirit characteristics while not losing the base beer in it. It really pushes the limits of the style and is so impressive.

A fantastic beer, if you are lucky enough to get the chance I would say it is a must try,

Background: So, after breaking open Cable Car, our kind American visitor to the Moor taproom at Zwanze day was not done yet! He then only went and broke open this bad boy to share and I cannot thank him enough. A rye barrel aged version of the legendary three Floyds Dark Lord! Like, Dark Lord is hard enough to get hold of, this is a treat indeed. Again the smaller measure is my choice, as the host was more than happy to pour more! Back when I managed to try Dark Lord before, it was the standard version and back when it had a slightly lower abv of 13%. I very much enjoyed it, not as much as its incredibly high reputation but I did enjoy it. This, rye barrel aged is one of only 1,500 bottles for that release, and as always with Three Floyds beers has some amazing art work on the bottle. I was quite a few beers deep by the time this was broken open but there was no way I was not doing notes on this beast, so I did my best to do decent notes on it.

Tasting Notes: Lost Abbey: Cable Car 2020

Lost Abbey: Cable Car 2020 (USA: Sour Ale: 7% ABV)

Visual: Lemon juice coloured body, with a thin white rim of a head.

Nose: Lemon juice. Horse-blankets. Vanilla. Light custard. Apple pie with sugar dusting.

Body: Apple pie. Lemon juice. Sugar dusting. Sugared almond. Sour lemon. Sour lime. White chocolate. Slight peppery. Soft pineapple.

Finish: Lime. Yeast funk. Sour lemon. Buttery pastry. White chocolate. Slight white pepper. Sour rises over time. Tinned tropical fruit.

Conclusion: Ohhh this is so soft, but so rewarding. Initially this was so gentle on the tongue that the sour character from a wild beer only hit in the finish, where it rises to a reasonable but far from powerful punch in a very pleasurable way.

Also in these early days it is a very lemon juice fresh body, but then slowly rounds out a gorgeous soft apple pie filling character and then out into soft tart, sweet pineapple. It feels like the opposite of the Cantillons I had just had. So easy to get into, so gentle, and yet like the Cantillons it is so rewarding and rounded, just in a completely different and more approachable way. As you get used to it the barrel ageing starts to show with burst of tinned tropical fruit amongst a building zestiness.

Then, to make sure it has that slight grounding, it has a light peppery character,especially white pepper – a lovely savoury spice, and this is from someone who doesn’t like spice notes too much in my beers. It is so drinkable, dangerously so for its elevated 7% ABV. Unlike so many sours, which I treat as slow sipper and cannot have too many of, this goes down so very easily – it is so open and easy to get into the fruit notes and fully appreciate.

This is a fantastic easy to drink sour and a fantastic beer in general, worth its high reputation.

Background: Well this was deeply unexpected, after the joy of all the Zwanze beers at Moor, a visitor from America we had been talking with offered to to share some of the beers he had brought – including this one as the first! Cable Car is a wild beer with an incredibly high reputation, currently highest rated wild beer on ratebeer, and to my memory was once part of their top 50 beers in the world. Now as always ratebeer has some biases on its top beers, but this has always had a buzz everywhere. Lost abbey – the Belgian beer side of a brewery also known as Port Brewing have done incredible beers in the past. Back in the mid 2Ks I managed to try a whole bunch of them and they were amazing, these days world beers are far harder to get and I’ve not seen a Lost Abbey beer for a while. Anyway thank you so very much to our kind American visitor, I know bottle shares is a bit of a tradition in USA beer events, and I felt so bad that we had nothing to offer in return as it is generally not something that happens here. Also, the smaller pour is my choice, he offered as large measure as we wanted, but i went with a restrained measure for a) my own survival and b) So as many people as possible could try as possible as with a rarity like this it is only fair to make sure people get to try when it is so kindly on offer . It was plenty for me to enjoy and not overdo the alcohol on an already heavy drinking day. Anyway yes, a barrel aged sour of high reputation and I was so excited to try it.

Tasting Notes: Cantillon: Magic Lambic

Cantillon: Magic Lambic (Belgium: Fruit Lambic: 5.5% ABV)

Visual: Bright black-cherry red. Thin white dash of a head.

Nose: Vanilla. Dry white oak. Raspberry. Strawberry.

Body: Raspberry. Very fresh. Vanilla. Green grapes. Blueberries. Raspberry coolers. Twigs. Greenery. Strawberry. Light cheese funk.

Finish: Raspberry cooler. Fresh. Lemon. Vanilla sweetness. Blueberry. Strawberry jelly. Shortbread pastry.

Conclusion: Oh this is the epitome of the Cantillon fruited lambic for me, this is the one where I 100% get it. Which may be a sign that I am a lightweight as a lot of people consider this the Cantillon to ease people in, due to it being less mouth puckering than most. Ah well, I like it, a lot, and that is what matters to me.

It is mouth freshening still, but the vanilla gives a gentle sweetness that makes it oh so approachable, giving an in that the sour Cantillon character is less imposing. Now I like the Rose de Gambrinus, but that is mouth puckeringly sharp. This has a lovely fresh, kind of raspberry cooler style fruit character – far brighter and more vibrant that your average use of raspberry in lambic. I have not tried the Lou Pepe Framboise, that makes up the base of this, for a very long time, so have to use Rose de Gambrinus as my closest comparison.

On top of that, or more gently underneath, there are subtle blueberry notes that add a depth, a slight darkness and with that a range of flavour beyond that bright and quite sweet front. There are more traditional lambic notes there, such as twigs and a yeast funk that give a more savoury grip so it doesn’t become simplistic. It is easy to drink, so refreshing despite that – the fruit is so approachable and makes this a fantastic beer to drink on a warm day as I did.

Finally there is a lovely savoury shortbread pasty dryness underlying it, along with a slight greenery – something that helps ground the brighter character and just brings everything together.

This is utter magic, Pun intended.

Background: Last of the Cantillons I did tasting notes for at Zwanze day at the Moor taproom. I had actually tried this at a previous Zwanze day but had not done notes then so wanted to make sure to do notes on it this time. This is based on Lou Pepe Framboise, one of my first Cantillon experiences back in the day, made with 80% raspberries, 20% BlackBerries and madagascar vanilla. The internet tells me is is also called Cantillon Framboise Vanille. Magic Lambic was first made in 2018 to help the Magic Land Theatre which was struggling. Though ratebeer lists Cantillon Zwanze 2016 also as an alias for Cantillon Framboise Vanilla which clashes with that 2018 first brewing date, so take these aliases with a pinch of salt, they may just be very similar rather than the same. This was drunk on tap, but again I took a picture of the bottle version as it is pretty.

Tasting Notes: Cantillon: Zwanze 2024

Cantillon: Zwanze 2024 (Belgium: Flavoured Lambic: 5.5% ABV)

Visual:Lightly hazy lemon juice yellow. Thin rim of a white head.

Nose: Salty and salty water. Sea weed. Gherkins. Slight peat like smoke.

Body: Gherkin. Lemon. Sour. Saline. Oily fish skin. Salty. Oily fish skin. Crunchy nut cornflakes.

Finish: Smoked Peperoni. Gherkin. Salt. Drying. Oysters. Crunchy nut cornflakes.

Conclusion: This is the most unusual lambic I have had, and that is a high bar to clear!

It is salty, very saline indeed, basically the sea weed saltiness and greenery is very evident. Most interestingly this shows itself when you move past the huge aroma and into sipping the body where the light gherkin from the aroma becomes a very evident note. It is sour, tart, definitely not unpleasant but you have to really like that style or this will be so off-putting. It feels like the Islay of the lambics, not with the huge peat or medicinal, but just the general sea and challenging character.

Over time it mellows, becoming more accessible, with a crunchy nut cornflakes sweetness, but it never stops being very saline led, now with slight smoked meat and oily fish skins in the mix that again make me think of the Islay whiskies. There is even a small amount of peat like smoke note, though by far not the biggest element, and much more of that seaweed is there, though easier going now.

There is some of that more traditional lambic lemon freshness, but this is far more full bodied and oily than most lambics.

Not one that I would have often, but possibly the most fascinating lambic I have had and really shows the joy of the experimentation that comes with Zwanze day.

Background: So , as I mentioned in the last tasting note, I live close enough to the moor taproom to be able to drop over when they have their Zwanze day, a day when they get on tap a one off beer from Cantillon – now a once every two year event. This time was a very unusual Zwanze, being one made with Sea Kelp of all things. I can’t say I wasn’t nervous but I was also very interested. So, after trying a lighter Cantillon to kick off, for my second drink I used up my token and tried this, the 2024 Zwanze! It was a lovely day outside when I had this so was in a great mood chatting with people as we drank and compared notes.

Tasting Notes: Cantillon: Sang Bleu

Cantillon: Sang Bleu (Belgium: Fruit Lambic: 6% ABV)

Visual: Deep raspberry red body with a thin reddened head.

Nose: Tart. Raspberry. Wet twigs. Vinegar. Sour grapes. Slight sulphur. Strawberries.

Body: Smooth, almost light. Blueberry. Vinegar. Tart yellow raspberry. Some white dry grapes. Lemon. Slight honey.

Finish: Watered down vinegar. Lemon. Honey. Sour green grapes. Strawberry.

Conclusion: This is a slow building, unusual for a Cantillon which are often intense from the get go. Initially it felt kind of light, with a slight vinegar note with blueberry tones over that. I didn’t hate it, the vinegar notes were mild enough to not be that painful, but like this it did not jump out at me. It was juicer and less dry than a lot of lambics, but those vinegar notes, mild as they were, did not make for a good introduction for me.

Time lets it build up a sheen on your tongue and with that a range of flavours with it, bringing a lot more into play. My first surprise was a honey sheen that came out, especially in the finish. Normally I would call it psychosomatic from the fact the berries in it are called honey-berries, but it came out so slowly, subtly and naturally that I just gradually became aware of it in a way that makes it feel like a real note.

Then I found more lemon freshness giving a better sign of the base lambic character, and better defined white wine like grapes notes help accentuate that character. Finally a strawberry sweet touch comes out from the more blueberry like notes. It is a fantastically complex lambic when you give it time.

The vinegar notes never completely go away, and while it does give a depth I think some lambic fans will love, for me if its not my favourite note, but still overall this is a very good and complex beer.

So, with that knowledge hopefully you have enough info to decide how you feel about such notes and be prepared if you decided to give this wonderfully complex beer a go.

Background: I eternally feel so lucky I have so much happening within a reasonable distance of me. For example Moor taproom has Zwanze day each year it is on (every two years now, as opposed to the original every year). This year the Zwanze sounded like a big one, so I decided to open with something more gentle, and once again they had an absolutely amazing tap list and set of bottles. This one Sang Bleu is made with honeyberry (or to be specific haskap berries according to the internet) and sounded a good starting point. A quick google tells me it used to be called Camerise Lambic, which will just add to confusion when I try to remember which Cantillon beers I have had. While I took a photo of the bottle as it is very pretty, this was drunk from a tap pour. I have had a confused relationship with Cantillon over the years but appreciate them enough I am always excited to try a new one.

Tasting Notes: Bushmills: Causeway Collection: 1991: Madeira Cask

Bushmills: Causeway Collection: 1991: Madeira Cask (Irish Single Malt Whiskey: 30 years: 50.2% ABV)

Visual:Deep bronzed gold. Fast thick streaks come from the spirit.

Nose: Big. Christmas pudding. Sherry trifle to sherry cream. Lots of raisins and sultanas. Suet. Crushed almond. Orange skin. Water adds sugared almond notes.

Body: Thick and sticky. Lime zest. Sultanas. Malt loaf. Orange skin. Suet. Sugared almonds. Lemon zest. Toffee. Water makes oily and more nutty.

Finish:Raisins. Sticky. Malt loaf. Drying. Suet. Dry fudge. Water makes spicier. Turmeric and paprika. Slight liquorice.

Conclusion: Whew, this is the biggest I have ever felt a Bushmills get, and previous Causeway collection releases were pretty big!

Neat it has a booming aroma, detectable from far from the glass. It is thick and sticky, but with no real alcohol burn – lots of alcohol weight, sure, but no burn. It has lots of dark fruit notes, Christmas Pudding like – with lots of the spirity cream notes to go with it – which is not unexpected for a whiskey that has spent so darn long in odd Madeira casks like this.

What is unusual though, is that you can taste the orange, lemon and lime citrus notes that I always associate with the house character of Bushmills Distillery. Somehow they have not vanished beneath 30 years on Madeira wood. They are not heavy notes, and not always present, but they are there- fresh bright notes against this sticky dark fruit beast.

Water does not really help, but nor does it make it bad, it just feels not quite as good. It makes it a more gentle and more generic sweet and nutty whisky, a bit more spicy with that was which is generally not my favourite style in a whisky. So my advice is to keep this one neat – even at 50% abv it doesn’t need the water to be easy to drink – the Bushmills character and 30 years of ageing does that wonderfully already.

It isn’t my favourite of the three Causeway collections I have now tried – that is a toss up between the 2000 and the 1997 with the 1997 being just in the lead at the moment, but every single one I have tried has been amazing – so this is still incredibly impressive.

This is a genuinely great dram that I unfortunately can not normally afford – even the 1997 is out of my normal price range and the 2000 is a stretch to grab! Still, due to this wonderful set I got to try them all and this is still a wonder of matching high abv with smooth character, and dark fruit with citrus notes.

Silly expensive normally, but that is the whisky industry these days, still a great dram.

Background: So, same as in Bushmills 16 and 1997 notes before “Ok this is incredibly good value. I picked up a set of mini Bushmills from The Whisky shop. It had 3 cl of Bushmills 10,16,21, Causeway Collection 2000 Port cask, 1997 Rum cask and 1991 Madeira cask. For 30 quid. The 1991 Madeira cask goes for 695 quid a bottle, which works out at just short of 30 quid for 3cl of that alone! I have no freaking clue how they sell this for 30 pounds. Any which way, a must grab for me. “ So this is the 1991 Madeira cask mentioned there, so, worth the cost of the box alone. I still cannot get over how they managed to do this set for such a low price. I’ve been a Bushmills fan for ages, but these Causeway bottlings have generally been outside my price range so was very happy to give them a try here. Music wise I went with Laura Jane Grace: At War With the Silverfish for audio backing.

Tasting Notes: Efes: Draft Beer

Efes: Draft Beer (Turkey: Premium Lager: 5% ABV)

Visual: Bright clear gold. Absolute mass of carbonation in the body. Medium sized loose white bubbled head.

Nose: Wheat. Toffee. Slight black liquorice. Crushed shredded wheat. Light cream.

Body: Quite thick bodied. Dry fudge. Slight black liquorice. Slight fizzy lemon sherbet. Some hop oils. Orange sherbet. Slight real ale like hop feel.

Finish: Toffee. Slightly dry. Slight flour. Hop oil sheen. Vanilla. Some bitterness and hop character. Some black liquorice. Some real ale like hop feel.

Conclusion: This is not bad. High praise I know – “not bad”. I best hold back lest I go overboard.

I was worried by the absolute mass of carbonation in the body when I poured this thing, fearing a horrid soda stream like, stomach punishing thing – but on sipping in the body it came across more like a kind of sherbety fizzy feel than anything painful.

In fact the body’s main impression was of something fairly malty in general with toffee and fudge notes, with those sherbety lemon and orange notes over it. What I find odd, and with that most interesting about it is it has a slightly, I dunno, slightly sulphur but gripping hop feel that reminds me more of the traditional middle of the road real bitters than it does a lager’s general use of hops. It isn’t bad just … unexpected. Beyond the maltiness it has a certain weight of body and character I did not expect.

So, with all that why am I only saying “Not bad”? Mainly because there is not much else there outside of that. Solid malt, nice sherbety character, odd but intriguing real ale like references – but not a point that grabs it and makes it a must have beer. Also, and this is a personal preference thing, there are dry black liquorice notes. Not always a bad note, but often, like here, a kind of crappy note to get in a lager.

So, I’m not complaining about having it, heck I may even have it again some time as it is interesting, but far from a must have. Make of that what you will.

Background: I cannot remember if I have ever had standard Efes before. I probably have, but have no firm memory of it. Anyway, this caught my attention for two reasons. 1) This is a less pasteurised version of the beer, so has a shorter shelf life, but hopefully more flavour for that. Saying that it still has a year best before date so its not like its a Stone brewing short dated IPA. 2) The bottle looks like a brown water cooler and that amuses me. Yes, once again I am that childish and easy to sell to. Anyway, another beer grabbed from Independent Spirit. Went back to the ever excellent Miracle of Sound: Level 12 for backing music. Apparently he is touring soon so hope he comes nearby.

Tasting Notes: Adelphi: Akkeshi: 3 Year: Cask 1011

Adelphi: Akkeshi: 3 Year: Cask 1011 (Japanese Single Malt Whisky: 3 Year: 57.8% ABV)

Visual: Very pale grain colour. Fast thick streaks come from the spirit.

Nose: Light salt. Alcohol strength. Soot and cigarette ash. Peat smoke. Moss. Smoked kippers. Slight vanilla. Lightly medicinal. Burnt marshmallow. Water adds toasted teacakes.

Body: Toffee. Alcohol strength. Burnt beef. Caramel. Moss. Peaty. Malt chocolate. Vanilla. Dry smoke. Smoked beef. Strawberry crème. Water adds golden syrup. Smoked bacon. More moss. Cherries.

Finish: Burnt marshmallow. Mossy. Soot. Mild lime cordial. Alcohol tingle. Vanilla. Water adds smoked bacon and sweet toffee syrup.

Conclusion: Ok, there is no way a 50% plus abv, 3 year old whisky should be this smooth. Ok, it does have a noticeable alcohol weight, warmth and a prickle, but compared to what you would expect from a dram like this? This is silk smooth by that measure. I mean apart from the peat natch, this is a freaking peat bomb.

While it has a slight salt and medicinal style that calls to having slight Islay influence that is definitely not the main point – but more on that later. But on the peat, yeah this is peaty, definitely emphasises by its youth so there has not been time for the peat to be lost. There is kind of kippers in the aroma but more into smoked meat in the body, going from more beef like neat, into smoked bacon with water, and with ash notes just lying around that. So, yeah, big peat, as I say really taking advantage if its youth to just punch out all the smokey strengths.

Like, if you want a comparison for intensity this feels like a somehow smoother despite being younger take on Ardbegs Wee Beastie for peat punch (Though this is significantly more expensive), offset slightly by vanilla notes from its time in the bourbon. A simple but effective style.

Water just mixes this all up. SO MUCH!

Like, the peat is still intense and the vanilla/toffee/etc sweet notes take on a watered down golden syrup style around the edges but more importantly the bright fruity notes come out, and not only the green fruit notes I would expect from a young whisky like this.

There are hints of strawberry and cherry, subtle but present. Is this the sign of the distillery character under the peat? Is my mind making shit up to compensate for the range of intensities it has just been hit by? No idea, but whatever the reason it made for delicious spirit.

When I first tried this a few weeks back I was viewing it as an excellent peat bomb, fantastic for its age, but, you know what you can get better for much cheaper. For example the aforementioned Wee Beastie. I was going to say only get this if you love trying new Japanese whiskies as you know that unfortunately, like most Japanese distilleries, new releases from this Distillery are just going to go up and up in price from here. So, while this is a great example of their whisky, generally I would recommend a cheaper dram.

Now, after it has had some time to air and I have returned to it a few times… well it is still mostly that, but the quality of the spirit, combined with that huge peat, it may just be worth the marked up price for such a young whisky. Maybe. Not sure but maybe. It is very good.

Background: Ohh this is exciting. While I was in a cool hotel whisky bar in Nikko, one of my fellow travels tried a dram of Akkeshi’s blended whisky and said it was very nice – at the time I presumed them to be the name of a blender and didn’t realise they were a distillery turning out their own single malts as well. So then this turned up at Independent Spirit I was very interested. A heavily peated expression, from Adelphi who tend to be a phenomenal independent bottler and at decent prices. Now about that price, despite this being three years old it was around the hundred pounds mark, which is a heck of a lot for a three year old whisky, even a cask strength one like this, however I’ve seen how much darn Japanese whiskies like Chichibu end up going for, with their new 10 year old being over a thousand pounds, so I figured this may be my only chance to try before it went out of my price range so decided to grab. On that age, this was distilled 2018 and bottled in 2023, yet is three years old? At best guess this spent some time travelling between Japan and UK in a contained that did not count for ageing which is why it is 3 year old despite that obviously not 3 year range of dates. One of only 253 bottles from cask 1011 which was a first fill bourbon barrel. Whew that is a lot of text, anything else? Oh yeah for a young peaty dram like this I wanted big music so went with Napalm Death: Apex Predator, Easy Meat.

Tasting Notes: Elusive: Sunken Knave : Overboard

Elusive: Sunken Knave : Overboard (England: Old Ale: 6% ABV)

Visual: Very dark brown to black. Moderate sized browned head that doesn’t last long.

Nose: Raisins. Brown bread. Light chalk. Malt chocolate.

Body: Slightly sour. Sour grapes. Vinous. Sherry soaked raisins. Slight chalk. Brown bread. Slight yeastie funk. Malt chocolate. Light sulphur.

Finish: Raisins. Sour grapes. Vinous touches. Sour red wine. Slightly chalky. Slight yeastie funk. Slight smoked cheese. Light bitter hop character. Cocoa dust.

Conclusion: I oft bemoan that some beer styles are so under-represented these days. Oft while I buy my 2000^th west coast IPA, So I admit I may not be helping there. I am a hypocrite some times, I know it. Anyway, the old ale style is definitely one that deserves more love, and here we have one.

This, made in conjunction with Sunken Knave who I can’t wait to try more from, utterly nails it.

It has that slight vinous sourness – a part I love and is oft ignored by the more mainstream takes on old ales, then it layers that over a maltly, slightly malt chocolate body. It also expresses dark fruit but does not rely on them as the main core. The sourness keeps it feeling fresh and yet solid.

There is this mix of sour grapes and sherry soaked dark fruit that feels so rewarding to explore, with light chalkiness and bitterness underlining the whole experience.

Do I like it? I’m on my third can I have bought and I’m only just letting it survive long enough for me to do notes on it. Yes I like it. There is a slight yeast funk that works really well with the sourness, and seems to give a light smoke like, sulphurous touch, very mild – but just enough that it adds to how this beer just nails everything I want from an Old Ale.

Another great Elusive beer, and I can’t wait to see what comes from Sunken Knave after this.

Background: Initially I grabbed this as it was an old ale and you don’t see enough of them these days. Later I found out Sunken Knave is a new brewery trying to bring focus back to traditional British beer styles, and classic recipes to try to gain them the kind of respect that the traditional Belgian beers currently have. Which you know what, I am behind. I love the craft beer movement and the new beer interpretations, but my problems with more traditional British beers in the old days were never the beer styles, but how so often the most dull versions were the ones available. A focus on the traditional British beer styles with an emphasis on quality sounds just the thing we need these days. I am looking forwards to seeing Sunken Knave’s solo work, hopefully soon. It also helps that Elysium, the main brewer for this is one I have gained massive respect for over the past year or so. Anyway, not much else to add. Grabbed from Independent Spirit and drunk while listening to Bikini Kill: Pussy Whipped. One of their albums I had not heard before.

Tasting Notes: Blanton: Black Label

Blanton: Black Label (USA: Single Cask Bourbon: 40% ABV)

Visual: Darkened gold. Fast, thick streaks come from the spirit.

Nose: Honeycomb. Slight sulphur. Rye crackers. Vanilla toffee. Smooth. Water smooths out more to crushed shortbread.

Body: Very smooth. Honey. Custard slices. Warming. Oily sheen. Vanilla yogurt. Orange skin. Rounded feel. Green grapes. Water gives shortbread. Toffee. Subtle coffee.

Finish: Vanilla fudge. Shredded wheat. Custard touches. Peppery. Slight oak. Orange skin. Water adds slight malted chocolate. Grapes. Milky coffee.

Conclusion: Ok, so, invariably I’m going to compare this to Blanton’s Gold. Like, with no pun intended Blanton’s Gold is the gold standard of Bourbon for me. As a single barrel experience I know each Blanton’s I experience will be a tad different, but they have yet to let me down.

But before I dig into comparing it against the king of Bourbon, how does it do as a dram in itself? It is incredibly smooth, very well rounded and gripping with a slight oily sheen that covers the tongue. It all gives a wonderful mix of weight and easy drinking character. Is very surprisingly gripping for its reduced 40% ABV.

The flavour range isn’t surprising but it is robust, with a very warming and rounded take on the usual toffee, peppery, rye crackers and cereal notes. It does expand into sweeter and honey and on the darker side subtle milky coffee notes which really give a classy feel.

Initially I was blown away, I was considering it a serious competitor to Gold, it is so smooth yet so rounded in flavour. The easier drinking Blantons. It has less alcohol to work with and against, but has a ton of character.

After thinking, I have to admit I would still go with Gold as the all time great though. With the advantage the extra abv give Gold it gets to play with a bigger and wider range of notes. So, it is the better bourbon overall, but this cannot be beaten for quality matched with ease of drinking. Though I will say if there is available a version with this thing’s age, and Golds higher abv I have a feeling it may win best bourbon ever. Also if it is something I can afford as I have a feeling such a thing would cost a pretty penny.

As is, at the cost this goes for in Japan this is a freaking steal – an amazing quality and rounded bourbon with grip, a nice sheen, bright sweet notes, slight pepper and those coffee notes all combining to something special. At this cost it goes for outside Japan … I would say grab the Gold as that extra abv gives it the edge.

Still a fantastic bourbon if you can get it at a non silly price.

Background: My 500^th Whiskey tasting! And something special I have been saving. The eagle eyed and with long memories of you may recall ages back I mentioned that I had one final drink to do note on from my Japan holiday, then I never did it. THIS IS IT! Yes my last drink from Japan is an American whiskey, stick with me for a moment. This is the Japan only Black Label release of Blanton, that gets flipped for silly money over here. It is only 40% abv compared to the 45-50% and up of most Blantons release, but Black Label is said to have a higher minimum age of whiskey in it. I say “Is said” as I see different dates from different sources. The most common said is minimum 6 years for standard Blantons, and 8 years for Blantons Black, so lets go with that for now. I kept my eyes out for this in bars but never saw it, and then, while I was hunting for a local seafood market in Niigata as I had heard the red snow crab was a delicacy to try, I saw right next to it a big beer and liquor store. So of course I poked my head in and … there it was ..one single bottle of this rarity. I used my phone, checked and yep that was it. I had found it while looking for something else entirely. Only one bottle, much to the chagrin of many a friend who would have loved a bottle. Then again I had enough issues trying to get it back undamaged in my luggage – especially when my flight home was cancelled and I got sent via Scotland adding nearly a day to my trip, where their x-ray made them think I had brought back the worlds largest perfume bottle due to the bottle’s odd shape. Anyway, for what it is it was incredibly cheap. I wont give exact amount, but less than 40 quid. So I figured at that cost it was worth the risk of trying to get it back undamaged. As you can see the box took a bit of a kicking. So there we are, the tale of my 500^th whiskey tasting. Music wise I want for the Roadrunner United album for some great music to back this event.