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Whiskey Review: W.L. Weller 12 Year Bourbon

1 1 5.9k

Old Weller 12 Year Bourbon   After a few weeks in the Scotch world, I’m returning to my roots on the bourbon trail to review this W.L. Weller 12 Year, another great offering from the Buffalo Trace Distillery. For the price (about $25), this is really a respectable bourbon that delivers on flavor and finish. Here are my thoughts.

Product Information

  • Spirit Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Wheated)
  • Producer: Buffalo Trace
  • Website: https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/brands/wl-weller#2
  • Age: 12 Years
  • ABV: 45% ABV

Old Weller 12 Year

Nose

On the nose is a thick, intense, sweet, corn and caramel smell. Additionally, I pick up a whiff of (surprise) wheat.

Taste

Wow, this is a sweet bourbon. It doesn’t carry with it a ton of complexity, but it is very enjoyable.  Notes include sweet corn, vanilla, oak, and brown sugar.

Finish

As the flavors fade, a confectionary note emerges, offering a nice change of pace. The finish is long and sweet. As others have noted, this bourbon is very similar to Maker’s Mark. It reminds me a lot of Maker’s 46, which at about 75% higher price, doesn’t quite justify the cost.

Conclusion

Other whiskey reviewers have lamented that for being aged 12 years, this bourbon just doesn’t have the complexity to justify the $25 price tag. For a wheated bourbon, though, I think it’s a great deal and absolutely something to carry standard on your shelf.  The W.L. Weller 12 Year will take it’s place as a standard on my shelf next to the similarly value-priced Evan Williams 1783. Final Grade: B+/A- (buy)

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Cigar Review: La Musa Toro

0 0 2.8k

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Up for a quick review tonight is La Musa, distributed by Emilio Cigars, one of my all-time favorite boutique brand popular for the AF1, AF2, Suave, and more. I could go on and on about how enjoyable I find just about every cigar in the Emilio portfolio, but let’s get to the review, right?

Blend specifics

  • Wrapper: Habano Rosado
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Size: Toro (6×50)

Construction & Appearance

First off, the Habano Rosado wrapper on this cigar is truly a beauty. Great oily sheen atop a dark brown, physically flawless wrapper. After cutting the cigar using my now preferred method (thumb-nail!), I give it a try pull — the draw is medium, with slight restriction, which incidentally often-times provides for the best smoke production.

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Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Lighting up the La Musa, I’m greeted with a deep, rich chocolate note that is somewhat similar to what I experienced on the AF blends, but with less sweetness and a bit more mustiness (a good thing). What strikes me most, however, is the physical texture of the smoke: so very smooth for a profile that also includes mild pepper and nuttiness.

As the cigar progresses into the second third, it picks up on strength and also offers a few more notes, including white pepper and some black pepper on the retrohale. And on and on into the final third, where the strength has picked up considerably and now the primary note is a heavy, fresh ground black pepper. Even up to the nub the cigar picks up more and more, which really proves a point about this cigar: it is not a boring cigar. That being said, smoke this with a drink or you’ll find your palate dried out by the end.

Conclusion

La Musa is a great cigar, and it is reflected in this review and the many high marks it has received across the cigar blogosphere. I highly recommend this cigar to anyone looking for a new experience that is both powerful and complex.

Final Grade: A

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Whisky Review: Laphroaig 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

3 0 3.1k

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It seems like anyone beginning their journey in Scotch hears about the Laphroaig 10 Year almost immediately. It’s the go-to “peaty scotch” for beginners. And what can I say? It is indeed a very enjoyable scotch, at a great price-point, that offers a good introduction to the world of peaty scotches. It wouldn’t be my first scotch recommendation, but for any beginner looking to experience Islay, I highly recommend. Here’s why:

Product Information

  • Spirit Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch
  • Producer: Laphroaig
  • Website: http://www.laphroaig.com/
  • Age: 10 Years
  • ABV: 40%

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Nose

Get ready for robust, dominating peat. Smoke and black pepper up front, with an iodine (medicinal) note pushing through. As is common with Islay scotches, a whiff of sea salt is also present in the Laphroaig 10.

Taste

Heavily charred oak, cardomom, hints of vanilla, and pepper. I think in order to understand what this whisky is trying to say, you have to be vigilant in taking in the whisky’s aroma as you sip. The smoke on the nose is a great compliment. The body of the whisky is a medium-full, which surprises me considering the relatively low 40% ABV.  I think the only occasional complaint I have with this whisky is the peat, though welcome, can at times be a bit distracting to the other interesting flavors present in the profile.

Finish

Surprisingly a very clean, bright finish. The lingering note is charred oak and peat. The finish is almost as good as the taste, which is saying something.

Conclusion

Are there better scotches out there? Sure, but for about $45 a bottle in NYC, this is a tough scotch to beat for anyone looking for a peaty scotch on a budget. This is a buy.

Final Grade: B+/A- (Buy)

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Whiskey Review: Rowan’s Creek Bourbon

3 0 4.0k

Rowan's Creek Bourbon

My Bourbon Journey continues with Rowan’s Creek Bourbon. I was looking for an aggressive bourbon at a great price point, and this bottle of Rowan’s Creek was my gamble. What a good gamble it was. At 100.1 proof, this bourbon packs a punch, but at just $38 in New York City, this is easily one of my top 5 bourbons. I picked this whiskey up at my new favorite local liquor store in Crown Heights: Liquor Warehouse, on Bergen St. and Washington Ave.  Now for the review…

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Product Information

  • Spirit Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • Producer: Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD)
  • website: http://www.kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com/whiskeys.html
  • Origin: Kentucky, United States
  • Age: 12 Years
  • ABV: 50%
  • Price: ~$38
  • Reviewed: Neat

Nose

In order of prominence: Caramel, vanilla, honey, rye spice, and cinnamon.

Taste

Plenty of spice present in this whiskey. Spicy upfront that quickly transforms into a thick flavor profile that coats the palate, with notes of caramel, slight butteriness, oak, and honey. Very good. A couple of drops of water bring the spice down and really help the caramel and vanilla to come through quite a bit more.  A complex but accessible whiskey.

Finish

Medium length finish, with caramel and vanilla. I also notice some confectionery notes as well that quickly disappear.

Conclusion

I really enjoy this bourbon. I’ve found it pretty difficult to find a bourbon that pairs well with a powerful cigar at a reasonable price. Rowan’s Creek bourbon absolutely hits the mark here, and at just $38 a bottle I’ll be back for more.

Final Grade: A (strong buy)

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Cigar Review: Ezra Zion Eminence

0 4 4.3k

Ezra Zion Eminence

I’ve waited a long time to finally sit down and review the Ezra Zion Eminence. I had smoked a few in the past and was very excited to come back for an official review. It really is a beautiful cigar to behold and comes with a lot of expectation from Ezra Zion. Featuring a Mexican San Andreas maduro wrapper, this cigar is a medium-full bodied cigar which features a profile of leather, spice, chocolate and roasted coffee bean.

For this smoke I paired Old Forester bourbon whiskey and a glass of water. It was a beautiful night for a review in my small apartment smoke spot. Well, beautiful but for the cigar ash all over my table which you can see is everywhere.

Blend specifics

  • Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas
  • Binder: Dual Nicaraguan binders
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Exquisito 52×6.25 Box Press

Ezra Zion Eminence

Appearance & Construction

Beautiful presentation with a silver, gray, and black double band. The word EMINENCE is featured prominently on the foot band. Contrasting with the silver and black is the dark brown of the Mexican San Andreas maduro wrapper. After clipping the cigar, I take a dry pull and notice that the draw is perfect. I also pick up some notes of pepper, chocolate, and hay.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Upon lighting the Ezra Zion Eminence, I’m greeted with a hefty blast of spice, along with notes of cocoa, roasted coffee beans, and a kind of dry, earthy leather note. By about half an inch in, the pepper has backed off considerably, leaving rich notes of earth, cocoa, and coffee. The flavors stay pretty constant until the second half, when the chocolate notes draw back leaving a lot of dry earth, leather, and some subtle sweetness. Pretty enjoyable but I’m not finding the kind of complexity I’d like with a cigar featuring a San Andreas maduro wrapper.

As the cigar progresses into the final third, the leather notes pick up strength. Unfortunately, so does a bitter note that isn’t good for the overall profile. I have to put it down before I typically like to as the smoke gets too hot to continue.

Conclusion

I smoked two Ezra Zion Eminence cigars for this review. Although both featured thoroughly enjoyable flavor profiles, I had a hard time near the end on both cigars. This is a solid release from Ezra Zion, and I highly recommend trying this smoke if you enjoy a good San Andreas wrapped cigar. I’m not convinced, however, that this size in particular is the best go-to.

Final Grade: B

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