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.

Tasting Notes: Emperor: Arbor: Jabba The Nutt

Emperor: Arbor: Jabba The Nutt (England: Imperial Stout: 10% ABV)

Visual: Black and still body. Thin brown head that quickly vanishes.

Nose: Walnuts. Vanilla. Dry roasted peanuts. Coca. Crushed bourbon biscuits.

Body: Smooth and creamy. Vanilla fudge. Slight alcohol warmth. Dry fudge. Riesen chocolate chews. Good thickness. Slightly milky.

Finish: Chocolate cake. Bourbon soaked sponge. Bitter cocoa. Watered down blended whisky. Slight crushed peanuts. Riesen chocolate chews. Walnut.

Conclusion: Ok, one, this is really good. Two, this is far less nutty than I expected. There is some influence there but the barrel ageing (At a guess bourbon barrels but it doesn’t say) has a lot more influence here with lots of vanilla and toffee notes. Thus I am torn between the fact that I am definitely enjoying this, and the fact that it doesn’t stand out in a distinct way in the big stouts stakes.

It is remarkably well made, and I am definitely grabbing another can, but it doesn’t have that spark that makes it stand out so much I say “This is a top imperial stout and a must have”. However it is smooth but with enough texture that it feels creamy and so has good weight. Similarly there is some bitter cocoa but generally leaning towards the sweeter end of the imperial stout scale and that mix makes for a noticeably nuanced and rounded beer.

Lots of chocolate cake, that aforementioned cocoa, but you know what I am not getting much of? Nuts. Which is off for a Walnut Whip Imperial Stout. There are kind of nuts here and there but not heavily so – more from the toffee and vanilla notes as mentioned – It is still remarkably solid in all the main elements, maybe more nut influence would have shoved it up there as a special one, but as is it is very good but doesn’t quite stand out.

So a polished, super well crafted base of a beer that just needs some small tweak to stand out.

Background: Emperor are a very well regarded small brewery that is dedicated to making the best Imperial Stouts they can. They are mainly seen in collaborations, but I have managed to get my hands on a few cans of their self made stuff over the years. They don’t always meet their ambitions but they tend to be good enough that I check them out whenever I can. Arbor are a very solid brewery which I have had many a good time with over the years, so was hoping for a good beer here. Also the name made me snigger so much because I am childish. Go figure. This is described as a “Walnut Whip Imperial Stout” made with wheat, oats and lactose on top of the normal ingredients and is aged in 15 oak barrels of an unstated style for a year. No actual nuts listed, again, go figure. I still have no idea how Disney have not sued Emperor’s brewing shitless, but glad they have not. Went with Typo O Negative: October Rust for dark backing music for a dark heavy beer. This was another beer grabbed from Independent Spirit.

Tasting Notes: Kuchlbauer: Turmweisse

Kuchlbauer: Turmweisse (Germany: Hefeweizen: 5.9% ABV)

Visual: Ripe banana skin to apricot coloured body. Very large mounded yellow white head.

Nose: Bubblegum. Banana soft sweets. Light cloves. Cinnamon. Fresh white bread. Orange skin. Vanilla.

Body: Wheaty. Peppery. Slight golden syrup. Moderately thick. Slight apples. Slight lemon. Coriander.

Finish: Vanilla to vanilla ice cream. Sour dough. Peppery. Slight bubblegum.

Conclusion: This opens so interestingly. It has a slightly darker body on the eye than a lot of weizens have – not super unusual, but a tad less common so has my interest from the start.

The aroma is a mix of traditional weisse notes and more unusual bubblegum like character, with the familiar banana notes coming across more as soft banana sweets than the usual style. A mix of the familiar traditional notes and innovation and quirks. A good start to my eyes.

The body is … fine .. but less than that. It is slightly sweeter than expected, prob due to the higher abv. It is recognisably wheaty and peppery, but is nowhere near the interesting style the aroma promises. If is fine but not exciting.

Same sort of thing out into the finish. As time goes on you get nice quirks like the apple touches in the body, or the familiar coriander comes out, but overall it feels slightly underwhelming.

Not bad, but not matching its promise, nor shining through in other respects.

Background: Don’t think I have done notes on a Kuchlbauer beer before. Independent Spirit have been doing really good at getting a variety of German beers in recently, of which this is one, so I grabbed it. For two main reasons. One, it has a pretty bottle label and I am shallow. Two I have a soft spot for hefeweizens as they were the first odd beer type I tried that started my love of trying different beers. So that is that. Went with Esprit D’air – Constellation as backing music, since seeing them live I have been on a massive kick for their music.

Tasting Notes: Bushmills: Causeway Collection: 1997: Rum Cask

Bushmills: Causeway Collection: 1997: Rum Cask (Irish Single Malt Whiskey: 25 Year: 46.2% ABV)

Visual: Pale yellowed gold. Medium thickness and speed streaks come from the spirit.

Nose: Sherry trifle. Fresh cut apple. Raisins. Vanilla custard. Smooth. Green grapes. Water adds peppery character. More green grapes. Cleaner.

Body: Honey. Slight thickness. Mango. Green grapes. Clotted cream. Raisins. Brandy cream. Slightly drying tannins. Apple. Water adds more mango. Dried banana and toffee.

Finish: Brandy cream. Raisins. Figgy pudding. Slight oak. Vanilla custard. Peppery. Mango. Water adds dried banana. Green grapes and dry fudge.

Conclusion: The Causeway Collection continues to massively impress me. I mean, at the bloody cost for a bottle it damn well should! But often expensive whiskies can be quite the let down. This manages to dodge that (and, again while a full bottle is expensive this six pack of minis is a freaking steal)

This is nothing like what I expected a rum cask whisky to taste like – while there are spirity cream and raisin notes that are familiar the main character showing through is the green fruit that I love as the Bushmills base character but now enhanced by mango that makes it unusual and exceptionally fruity.

Despite a (admittedly comparatively low) cask strength this is super smooth, but the extra abv does give a nice bit of grip that some Bushmills can lack.

While I prefer the sheer intensity of the 2000 Port Wood Causeway bottling, the smoothness and complexity of this one cannot be overstated. It is one of the most unusual Bushmills I have had, while still showing its base character and as that it is one of the most rewarding I have had from them.

Absolutely excellent, rather than overwhelm the base spirit with the unusual ageing this manages to just that fruitiness in a new direction that works magnificently.

Background: So, same as in Bushmills 16 notes “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. “. I still can’t get over how this was only 30 quid for the set. Only the 1997 left to do notes on after this. The Bushills 12 Year Caribbean Rum finish was one of my favourite whiskies all those years ago when you could still get it, so I have had a soft spot for rum cask Bushmills ever since. A competitively low cask strength on this one – at just over 46% it is similar to some of the more robust standard whiskey bottlings you can find – guess the angel share was nasty for this one. Went with Fear Factory: Demanufacture for backing music, big music for big whiskey.

Tasting Notes: Moosehead: Canadian Lager

Moosehead: Canadian Lager (Canada: Premium Lager: 5% ABV)

Visual: Pale yellowed grain body. Moderate amounts of small bubbled carbonation. Thin white bubbled head.

Nose: Bready. Light acidic apples. Vanilla.

Body: Vanilla. Light custard. Slight liquorice at the back. Blueberry. Light chalk. Popcorn. Lightly metallic.

Finish: Blueberry and liquorice notes. Light chalk. Lactose. Dry. Slight cereal grains.

Conclusion: Ok, I’m going to write what I tasted, but I swear a bunch of you are going to think I am going mad for it, and don’t worry, you are not alone. I do too.

This really did not impress me at all at the start. On the eye it was fine, no harm, no foul, it looks like a standard pale lager, but right from the pour the aroma felt kind of cheap. The most interesting note was a slight acidic apple, but generally light, fizzy and not great.

Thus the body was quite the surprise! Quite nutty with vanilla and even some light custard notes. It is slightly chalky but overall surprisingly sweet. But none of those elements are too wild, right? Now here is the point where some of you will think I am going mad. Under those standard lager notes I started getting some slight liquorice, not that unusual, not my favourite thing – it is a slight off note that I see in some lagers but then it developed into this liquorice and soft blueberry mix that I really liked and … what the heck? Where did that come from?

Most of the beer is an inoffensive, occasional sub optimal lager, but that note really makes me enjoy it. I find it so odd that I spent time experimenting and I only seem to get it when I hold the beer at the front of my mouth and tongue. At the back the beer seems to become a more generic slightly dry lager.

Not a must have lager, the bit I enjoyed isn’t reliable enough in turning up for it to be that, but it is far more interesting than I expected.

Background: This was a pretty random grab for me when I saw it at Independent Spirit, a Canadian brewery I had heard of, but never actually grabbed – one that, while new to me, is Canada’s oldest independent brewery – existing since 1867 – so possibly it was time for me to pull my thumb out and actually try it. I do like Canada, and its beer scene in general. I need to go back there one of these days – there are just so many places I want to visit though! Music wise I went with Battle Beast: Circus Of Doom while drinking, I was meant to see them live a while back but the gig got pushed back. Another thing I will hopefully do one day!

Tasting Notes: Teeling: Explorers Series: Japanese Edition

Teeling: Explorers Series: Japanese Edition (Irish Whiskey: 15 Year: 46% ABV)

Visual: Pale yellow grain coloured spirit.

Nose: Jelly babies in alcohol. Raspberry coolers. Grassy. Vanilla. Clean. Light lime. Vanilla toffee. Lightly earthy. Water makes more like alcoholic jelly shooters.

Body: Vanilla. Jelly babies. Sherry trifle. Grassy. Clean alcohol sheen. Apples. Gingerbread. Slight malt chocolate. Water soothes. More apples. Vanilla custard.

Finish: Warming gingerbread. Apple jolly ranchers. Vanilla fudge. Grassy. Lightly peppery/white pepper. Water adds grapes.

Conclusion: Shochu has always been an interesting on for me. Sake/Nihonshu I definitely like, when done well anyway, Shochu, the little I have got to try anyway, has some interesting flavours but is flipping fire-water!

Whiskey, now whiskey I am on more stable territory with that, until we reach this – Shochu aged whiskey! What madness is this?

When I first opening this it felt like it had inherited some of the shochu roughness, fine enough but a bit rough edged. A bit of time and air and it turns out instead I have myself quite the banger of a dram.

It still has gone some alcoholic … energy shall we say, but no longer feels rough. There are still alcoholic jelly baby flavours that feel like the Shochu influence mellowed through the whisky – allowing you to get the weird flavours without that raw alcohol punch.

The whisky below that is now Irish smooth, despite the shochu influence, when it has time to air anyway, but surprisingly grassy and savoury , with even a lightly earthy touch amongst the more familiar vanilla toffee. There is quite a range to the sweeter side though with fudge, vanilla custard and,erm, vanilla notes.

It all makes for an unusual whisky that is easy drinking but still bright and exciting, yet with good grounding to keep it from feeling overpowering. Lots of good touches taken from each element that makes this dram up, and they have stripped out a lot of the negative elements.

Water smooths it even more but seems to lose some sparkle. It is fine, easier to drink, but I prefer the wilder character it has neat.

I’m very impressed, well worth grabbing, just, you know, give it some time in an open bottle to air to get the best from it.

Background: I am, not quite sure what type of whiskey this is? I have seen it listed as Pot still, blended and single malt online and the box doesn’t seem to specify. I am pretty darn sure it is not single malt though as the box mentions corn and malted barley in the mix, a big no no for single malt. Best guess, Post Still whiskey, but have not managed to find confirmation. Anyway Teeling, they have some nice whiskies in their line up and this one is a tad unusual. Spent its first 11 years in bourbon casks, pretty normal, then the last 4 years in Mugi Shochu casks. From the website Mugi is the barley made version of Shochu, useful to know. I’ve tried a few versions of shochu when I was in Japan, they are .. an experience shall we say, and seem to be able to be made with most grains. Heck according to wiki it is “It is typically distilled from rice, barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, or brown sugar, though it is sometimes produced from other ingredients such as chestnut, sesame seeds, potatoes, or even carrots.“ So, wow more varied than I ever guess, if wiki is not just being flat out wrong again. Music wise went with Espirit d’air’s album Oceans. I would like to claim it is a thematic link as the band is a mixed Japanese British one – but one – this is from Ireland not Britain. Two, I put it on as had just seen them live recently. They have amazing energy live, such a good vibe. Anyway, another one grabbed from Independent Spirit.