Whiskey Review

The Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey Review

5 11 19.1k

 

The Sexton Irish Whiskey

A few months ago, I saw some media announcements about the release of The Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey from Proximo Spirits. My guess is, you’re probably interested in reading about The Sexton for the same reason I was interested in trying it: it has a really, really cool bottle design.

That probably sounds pretty shallow, and I’ll admit it is. But branding and aesthetics are important. Unfortunately, as you’ll read below, more important than style is function, and this bottle doesn’t function the way a bottle should.

For a little background on the spirit, here’s what a PR representative of the company told me about The Sexton:

The Sexton Single Malt draws inspiration from the long tradition of whiskey making on the North Coast of Ireland. Made from 100% Irish malted barley, triple distilled for smoothness in copper pot stills and consciously aged for four years in Oloroso Sherry butts to achieve a depth of flavor from the wine-imbued barrel. The Sexton is unexpected for a young single malt offering a perfect balance of rich, dried fruits and subtle oak notes, with a smooth finish that leaves you wanting more.

Crafted by Master Blender Alex Thomas, one of Ireland’s few female whiskey blenders, The Sexton represents the changing face of Ireland, capturing the romance and provenance of the past and the optimism and creativity of the future.

Product Specifics

Producer: Proximo Spirits
Distiller: Bushmills
ABV: 40%
Age: 4 years (in Oloroso Sherry butts)

Appearance

As mentioned before, Sexton Irish Whiskey is packaged in a really beautiful bottle, which includes some fun marketing language on the side. I’ve got to say though, pouring this whiskey is a HUGE pain in the ass. Because of how squat and square the bottle is, the liquid pours out all over the side of the bottle immediately when it is tipped even a little bit.  This will annoy the consumer, and most importantly will annoy any bartender. The management of Proximo Spirits should seriously consider changing the packaging of this whiskey.

Part of me wonders if the packaging was developed by a designer without the help of a product developer who would have known to ask a basic question like “can it be tipped enough to pour without first spilling down the bottle constantly?” That isn’t a question I’ll ever get an answer to

The whiskey itself is golden orange.

Nose

The nose is pleasant with lots of mixed fruits, some of that sherry influence, and toffee.

Palate

A fairly mild whiskey, but with a decent amount of ethanol burn. The sherry finishing is immediately apparent. Tasting notes include citrus fruits, spices, and touches of chocolate.

Finish

The finish is moderate in length with notes of fruit and sweet maltiness.

Conclusion

The Sexton Irish Whiskey is a decent whiskey. But, at $25/bottle, it has a lot of solid competition (Black Bottle Whisky comes to mind here).

It’s main advantage is its beautiful – if seriously compromised – bottle, which makes for a great look on any bar shelf.

Final Rating: 83

Copper Fox Peachwood American Single Malt Review

4 0 5.7k
A few weeks ago I was down on the outskirts of Shenandoah Valley for a hike-focused bachelor party. It was an amazing time, in part because we were able to visit the Copper Fox distillery in Sperryville, VA.  We got a great tour and I was able to taste the Copper Fox Peachwood American Single Malt. I thought it was so unique I decided to buy a bottle for review.
The bottle explains the production process thusly:
“Aged with a progressive series of hand toasted, select seasoned, new and used peachwood and oak chips, inside used bourbon barrels and finished in a second used barrel.”

Product Specifics

Distillery: Copper Fox
Age: 2 years
ABV: 48% (96 proof)

Appearance

The bottle itself is beautiful. Great color scheme, and I really like the way that the product info is shown on the white strip under the product name. The whisky itself is a dark, burnt orange that comes close to red.
My only complaint, and it’s a big one, is the wax seal. Opening the bottle is fairly easy, but opening it again is a complete hassle. of the six or seven times I’ve opened the bottle so far, I’ve had to use a knife to open it each time. If I try to twist the cork off of the bottle, all I’m left with is red wax smeared on my hand. I would strongly recommend Copper Fox reconsider this element of the packaging. Whatever aesthetic benefit is added with the wax is very much outweighed by the difficulty in opening the bottle.

Nose

The nose of Copper Fox Peachwood American Single Malt contains touches of caramel, cinnamon, all balanced by moderate amounts of smoke and a subtle sulfur. Not peat smoke though. The Peach wood smoke has much more of a savory, meat-like quality, not dissimilar to barbecue. I think this smokiness is innovative and fun because it seems to capture something distinctly American. That alone makes this an interesting whisky.

Palate

Like other Copper Fox whiskies, the Peachwood American Single Malt shows its youth, with a considerable amount of ethanol burn on entry. Tasting notes include Peachwood smoke, copper, malt, and cinnamon.

Finish

The finish is moderate to long in length, with notes of copper, burnt firewood, spicy maltiness, and some salt.

Conclusion

On its merits alone, at over $50 a bottle, the Copper Fox Peachwood Single Malt is a tough sell. There are a lot of incredible whiskies in that category. However, I do think this whisky offers something new and unique to the American Single Malt market, so this is a good buy for American single malt enthusiasts.

Rating: 88

McKenzie Bourbon Whiskey Review

3 0 3.5k

A few years ago, we did a wonderful whiskey education event at Cielo Bar in Times Square featuring our whiskey up for review today. At the event, we actually tasted both the McKenzie Bourbon and Rye. This bottle has been sitting on my shelf since then, waiting to be opened and reviewed.

The Whiskey Jug reports that this whiskey is aged first in new oak barrels, and then moved to large ex-Chardonnay casks. I didn’t find this information on the Finger Lakes Distilling website, but it does explain some of the nuances of this bourbon that I enjoy.

Product Specs

  • Distillery: Finger Lakes Distillery
  • Mashbill: 70% corn, 20% rye, 10% malted barley
  • Age: 18 months (1.5 years)
  • ABV: 45.5%

Appearance

In the glass, this bourbon is a golden, corn yellow. The bottle itself doesn’t scream for attention – it has some classy branding but is ultimately understated.

Nose

The nose is assertive, bright, and complex. Possibly a result of it’s relatively low age, possibly as a result of the substantial rye content. Notes of kitchen spices, fresh grapes, and some caramel.

Taste

On entry, this whiskey is full of zest, with caramel, lots of fruits (green apples and plums, which I take as the influence of the Chardonnay finish), and oak. Very enjoyable.

Finish

Sweet and long, with notes of spice and banana bread.

Conclusion

Though this whiskey hasn’t received rave reviews by other bloggers, I absolutely think this whiskey is deserving of at least one bottle purchase. Though this whiskey is by no means new to the market, it does offer something unique that bourbon fans will enjoy and possibly even bring into their lineup.

Final Grade: B+

 

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Five Craft Incredible American Whiskies You’ve Never Heard Of

6 0 4.9k

Since the whiskey boom of 2008, the craft whiskey industry has seen its growth almost exponential in the number of new and interesting craft distilleries that are opening up shop. Not to take anything away from the classics we should always pay tribute to like Michters, Pappy, Buffalo Trace, even Westland, there are a number of amazing distilleries whom you’ve probably never even heard of. I am here today to give you a sneak peek into some great American made whiskey. Let’s start off with number 5 and work our way down to the Top American Dram by our standards.

Number 5: Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch

Priced at around $43, this dram is quite sensational in both its nose, palate and finish. On the nose you’ll find light oak, green apples and hints of sweet caramel. The taste leads way into caramel crisps, brown sugar and a touch of cinnamon, with undertones of wet wood laying in the background, giving subtle notice to its oak flavors. It finishes up pretty short, but has a nice richness and spice that lingers for a few minutes .

Number 4: Virginia Highland Single Malt

Priced at about $65, this dram is a little more on an expensive side, because of the way it’s made. It arrives to the distillery as a six year old malt whisky from the Highlands of Scotland and is cask finished on-site. The distillery works with a variety of Virginia port-style wine partners to source the finishing casks. It starts off with hints of brown sugar and nutmeg. As you sip your first sip, it transitions to notes of dark chocolate, butter and leathery tobacco. It’s very strong to the tongue. The port finish gives it a nice sherry like cask finish. The finish is quite long and lingers on the tongue with sweet cinnamon sherry spices.

Number 3: Henebery Whiskey

– Priced at $35, it’s a steal of a dram. The Henebery Whiskey is a Rye based whiskey that has a small infusion after the aging process that really respects and compliments what the American Oak does throughout aging. The fragrance brings cinnamon and spice, butter and dried fruits to the forefront. The palate is more of bitter orange, cinnamon and citrus. The finish is quite light but it has a nice bite to it. Overall, pretty interesting dram, if you’re looking for something a bit different.

Number 2: Thistle Finch Whiskey

Priced at around $35, it’s a modest yet affordable whiskey, that’s worth looking into. This dram is composed of 60% rye, 30% wheat, and 10% malted barley. This mix gives it a nice tasting profile for an unaged whiskey. The nose brings forth cereal and outdoor floral notes. It has a nice layer of complexity on the palate with butterscotch, toffee, lemons and citrus. It finishes up with florals, that has its own layers of complexity. Beautiful dram worth checking out.

Number 1: Heritage Distilling BSB Duel Barrel Bourbon

Priced at around $32 it’s def a steal. Duel Barrel collection is aged in new charred oak barrels and then rests again in premium used barrels that held pure vanilla extract. The nose gives way to sweet caramel and cinnamon sweetness, with vanilla creamy buttery notes. The palate leads us into toffee and spices layered with complexity and smoothness of cedar and buttery goodness. There are hints of caramel and nutmeg present as well. The finish is dry and medium with light spices. Beautiful and extremely affordable dram.

These 5 drams should be sought out if possible, because big things are coming from the distilleries behind them.

This article is a guest post by Gene Kizhnerman, Managing Partner at TasteTheDRAM. Read more of Gene’s expert reviews here.

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Whisky Review: Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch 10 Year Triple Grain

3 0 10.2k

I happened across a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch 10 Year Triple Grain (called “Johnnie Walker 10 year Triple Grain” for the remainder of the review–too much of a mouthful) at my local liquor store and was intrigued enough to pick it up. I’m glad I did.

Interestingly, as of my writing of this article (2/14/2017), there’s almost zero information about this product available online. The whisky isn’t even listed on the Johnnie Walker website under the “Limited Edition” category.  Either way, the bottle came with a bit of information. This whisky is a blend of 10 year whiskies from the Port Dundas, Mortlach, and Cardhu distilleries. The bottle’s “Blender Notes” includes this description:

“Three Grain whiskies using wheat, barley and corn – blended with select Malts. Sweet and creamy with fresh fruits and gentle, spicy smoke. Aged 10 years in American oak casks.”

On with the review…

Product Specifics

  • Brand: Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch Whisky
  • Distillery: combination of Port Dundas, Mortlach, and Cardhu distilleries
  • Age: 10 years
  • ABV: 41.3% ABV (82.6 proof)

Nose

The nose is gentle, but complex, with hints of fresh-sliced bananas, vanilla, sweet maltiness, all rounded off with a touch of sea-salt.

Palate

On entry, this scotch tingles the tip of my tongue. As the liquid expands in my mouth, the flavor is complex and balanced, with sweet spiciness, hints of vanilla, caramel, touches of smoke, charcoal, and salt.

Finish

The finish is long and pleasing, with cereal and sweet maltiness followed by hints of sea salt and light smokiness.

Conclusion

Other blogs will surely go into much more detail about the origins and innovations of Johnnie Walker 10 Year Triple Grain. As for your humble servant, this is a scotch I recommend. It has most all that I look for in a quality offering: complexity, balance of competing flavors, and a mix of sweetness, spice, and smoke.

If my local liquor store wasn’t currently closed, I’d be walking over now to pick up at least another bottle. At $33/bottle, I could see this bottle being a standard on my shelf, alongside my other standards at this price point (Monkey Shoulder and Tomatin 12 year to name two).

Final Grade

A-

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