For Christmas I got Aaron a bottle of the Haig Club scotch. We decided to try it out tonight.
First of all the bottle looks like a costco sized bottle of aftershave. I almost passed it by thinking it was a novelty vodka or something. And the pictures of guys drinking it look like they're wearing that same aftershave.
I'm assuming the Haig Club is the European version of Gentleman's Jack so I'm expecting a mild every-man's scotch.
Cost: $42
Alcohol Content: 40%
Color: Light Sherry
Method: Neat
Nose: Mild vanilla, pear, sugar, A hint of oak. Not very strong smelling at all. Would make a nice perfume.
Taste: Hard to believe it's scotch until the after burn. I'm not really picking up any wood or boggy notes at all. This is very sweet with a mild burn. Quite drinkable.
Finish: Light burn in the throat. Very sugary.
Score: This is quite nice 90/100
Notes: I would drink this neat or on the rocks. This wouldn't really do much in making a whiskey sour since there is little whiskey taste. I like the smoothness but if I was in the mood for a scotch I would probably choose something else. Not because it's bad but it's just not what I think of when I think scotch.
Friday, December 25, 2015
Friday, December 4, 2015
Hobo Whiskey - Sad and Smooth OR: Potters Whiskey Plastic Flask
So I'm a little afraid to do this review. I stopped at the corner store and picked up a 3 dollar plastic bottle of whiskey. I may die.
To be fair it WAS on sale. Normally like $6.99. And the bottle IS only 200 ML so it's not like an industrial sized bottle BUT STILL. The bottle says silky smooth but let's be honest. I'm expecting shit.
Anyway here we go.
Potter's Whiskey Special Blend
Cost: $3.00 at the corner store
Alcohol Content: 40%
Color: Ruddy colored.
Method: Neat
Nose: Instant headache. Alcohol and maybe MAYBE a hint of vanilla. The smell makes me a little afraid.
Taste: It doesn't taste too bad. It does burn. Not like some others but it tingles the tongue. If you had a cut in your mouth you would find out. Maybe a slight oak flavor.
Finish: General whiskey taste at the finish.
Notes: This not bad at all. If this is what hobos are drinking I can't say I blame them. It tastes like how you would describe whiskey tasting. They need to work on that smell though.
Score: 80/100. Would be 85 if it didn't smell so intimidating.
To be fair it WAS on sale. Normally like $6.99. And the bottle IS only 200 ML so it's not like an industrial sized bottle BUT STILL. The bottle says silky smooth but let's be honest. I'm expecting shit.
Anyway here we go.
Potter's Whiskey Special Blend
Cost: $3.00 at the corner store
Alcohol Content: 40%
Color: Ruddy colored.
Method: Neat
Nose: Instant headache. Alcohol and maybe MAYBE a hint of vanilla. The smell makes me a little afraid.
Taste: It doesn't taste too bad. It does burn. Not like some others but it tingles the tongue. If you had a cut in your mouth you would find out. Maybe a slight oak flavor.
Finish: General whiskey taste at the finish.
Notes: This not bad at all. If this is what hobos are drinking I can't say I blame them. It tastes like how you would describe whiskey tasting. They need to work on that smell though.
Score: 80/100. Would be 85 if it didn't smell so intimidating.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Tonight I thought I would try out another flavored whiskey to see if it's just the imitation honey or if it's all added flavors. I'm trying out Jim Beam Apple flavored whiskey. The bottle says apple liquor with Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Basically that means it's two alcohols, one being bourbon, mixed together.
And here we go...
Method: Neat
Color: Watered down tea.
Alcohol Content: 35%
Price: 9.99 from Wally World
Nose: Those Halloween caramel apple suckers that you wait to eat because they're always mad melted.
Taste: Those same suckers but only on fire.
Finish: Intense apple flavor. Fire whiskey burn. I think if they went along an apple pie flavor where smoke would be acceptable this would be great but as it stands as a just apple flavor it's alright.
CONCLUSION:
This isn't as bad as the honey. But it's still not a whiskey. I feel like there should be another name; scotch, bourbon, whiskey, flavors. It's not terrible. If you're trying to lure a 22 year-old woman into your dungeon and you've run out of pumpkin spice coffees this might work.
Wait, do they make pumpkin spice alcohol? I need to investigate.
And here we go...
Method: Neat
Color: Watered down tea.
Alcohol Content: 35%
Price: 9.99 from Wally World
Nose: Those Halloween caramel apple suckers that you wait to eat because they're always mad melted.
Taste: Those same suckers but only on fire.
Finish: Intense apple flavor. Fire whiskey burn. I think if they went along an apple pie flavor where smoke would be acceptable this would be great but as it stands as a just apple flavor it's alright.
CONCLUSION:
This isn't as bad as the honey. But it's still not a whiskey. I feel like there should be another name; scotch, bourbon, whiskey, flavors. It's not terrible. If you're trying to lure a 22 year-old woman into your dungeon and you've run out of pumpkin spice coffees this might work.
Wait, do they make pumpkin spice alcohol? I need to investigate.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey
I actually meant to post this a while ago. Bulleit has become such a part of my bourbon experience that I forgot I had never reviewed it.
Obviously this review will be glowing.
Cost: I actually don't remember. But it was in the lower $20s
Obviously this review will be glowing.
Cost: I actually don't remember. But it was in the lower $20s
Method: Neat
Color: Pretty dark. Not like coke but like a weak tea.
Alcohol Content: 45%
Nose: Vanilla, brown sugar. Very pleasant. I smell it and I want to buy a pair of ugg boots.
Taste: This has a bit of a burn to it, no doubt. Pretty nice vanilla and a touch of sweetness.
Finish: Caramelized sugar. Vanilla but in a much lighter amount. Smoky beach wood.
Notes: I like this. It's got a very feminine sweetness to it but that classic whiskey burn. It'll put hair on your chest and take you to the prom afterwards. A lot of whiskeys are either flavorful or they are strong. This meets both criteria and has the added bonus of reminding me of fall.
What I really like about this is the vanilla notes. Bourbon has 6 rules in order to meet the standard for the bourbon label.
1) It has to be made in the United States. Like Scotch is made in Scotland Bourbon is made in the US. That's where the saying "All bourbon is whiskey but not all whiskey is bourbon" comes from.
2) It has to be aged in a new barrel. A lot of scotch or Irish whiskey has aged barrels that they use to age the liquor in. Bourbon has to have a fresh barrel or it's just not bourbon.
3) The whiskey has to start off in the barrel at at least 125 proof and it has to be 80 proof in the bottle.
4) After that it has to be distilled to no more than 160 proof.
5) Bourbon has to be more than 50% corn mash.
and 6) Bourbon can't have any flavor additives in the final product. Anything that's a bourbon blended with other liquors has to specify that. Which is why Bulleit Bourbon is just so good. It has all of this flavor and it's just they way they make it. They don't add vanilla to it's just awesome on its own.
I really really really really like this bourbon. 95/100. If I'm grading on a curve it's 100/100. But I'm hesitant to give out a perfect score because who knows? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I looked up a pumpkin spice bourbon recipe and I think I'm going to try it out this weekend. I'll make a new post once it's finished. The recipe can be found here:
http://www.spachethespatula.com/spiced-pumpkin-bourbon/
Color: Pretty dark. Not like coke but like a weak tea.
Alcohol Content: 45%
Nose: Vanilla, brown sugar. Very pleasant. I smell it and I want to buy a pair of ugg boots.
Taste: This has a bit of a burn to it, no doubt. Pretty nice vanilla and a touch of sweetness.
Finish: Caramelized sugar. Vanilla but in a much lighter amount. Smoky beach wood.
Notes: I like this. It's got a very feminine sweetness to it but that classic whiskey burn. It'll put hair on your chest and take you to the prom afterwards. A lot of whiskeys are either flavorful or they are strong. This meets both criteria and has the added bonus of reminding me of fall.
What I really like about this is the vanilla notes. Bourbon has 6 rules in order to meet the standard for the bourbon label.
1) It has to be made in the United States. Like Scotch is made in Scotland Bourbon is made in the US. That's where the saying "All bourbon is whiskey but not all whiskey is bourbon" comes from.
2) It has to be aged in a new barrel. A lot of scotch or Irish whiskey has aged barrels that they use to age the liquor in. Bourbon has to have a fresh barrel or it's just not bourbon.
3) The whiskey has to start off in the barrel at at least 125 proof and it has to be 80 proof in the bottle.
4) After that it has to be distilled to no more than 160 proof.
5) Bourbon has to be more than 50% corn mash.
and 6) Bourbon can't have any flavor additives in the final product. Anything that's a bourbon blended with other liquors has to specify that. Which is why Bulleit Bourbon is just so good. It has all of this flavor and it's just they way they make it. They don't add vanilla to it's just awesome on its own.
I really really really really like this bourbon. 95/100. If I'm grading on a curve it's 100/100. But I'm hesitant to give out a perfect score because who knows? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I looked up a pumpkin spice bourbon recipe and I think I'm going to try it out this weekend. I'll make a new post once it's finished. The recipe can be found here:
http://www.spachethespatula.com/spiced-pumpkin-bourbon/
Friday, August 28, 2015
You're not making whiskey better, you're making honey worse.
Tonight's review is of Evan Williams Honey Reserve.
I think I like bourbons so much because in order for it to be considered a bourbon it can't have any added flavoring or color. Only water can be added to it and only to dilute the proof. That means bourbon never has an artificial flavor or weird aftertastes. That also means that this is a whiskey and not a bourbon.
So I have seen this in the store for a few months but I was afraid to try it after the Dewars Honey flavored disappointment. But I liked the Evan Williams Bourbon alright so hopefully this will be better. It claims to be all taste with no sting. We'll see about that <$10 whiskey!
Cost: Again, 9.99 from Food Max
Alcohol Content: 35%
Method: Neat
Color: Light yellow.
Nose: Well, it doesn't smell like honey. I'm not quite sure what it smells like. Maybe apples? It smells like cold fruit I guess.
At this point I want to say that I am afraid. I asked Aaron to smell it and tell me what he thought it smelled like. He said it smelled like perfume and rubbing alcohol. Then he tasted it and said "No, bad. They're bad people for making this. Is this that same bad honey one from before? I regret asking what this was. It's the worst thing I've tasted in a month!".
Shit.
Taste: Oh god. You can almost feel thick honey on your tongue. This is like cheep orange flavored honey sticks that you get at a tea shop. This was a bad decision. You can't even taste the whiskey underneath the bad honey flavor.
Finish: It's like I drank a glass of sugar water at maximum saturation. I imagine it's a hummingbird's daydream.
Maybe it's better with cola? Like a whiskey cola? Let's try it out!
It's like extra sweet coke. If you add enough to it you can't taste it. Like homeopathic honey. So it's not really good for that.
How about as a whiskey sour? I made one without adding simple syrup or sugar since it's sweet enough.
No. Don't do this. This was a bad idea.
In short skip this junk. Whiskey makers need to leave the bees alone. What did they ever do to you that you need to defame them like this? Just make whiskey taste like whiskey. If you need to make your whiskey taste like a McDonald's breakfast item then you just don't like whiskey...
And that's okay!
But stop this madness.
10/100
I think I like bourbons so much because in order for it to be considered a bourbon it can't have any added flavoring or color. Only water can be added to it and only to dilute the proof. That means bourbon never has an artificial flavor or weird aftertastes. That also means that this is a whiskey and not a bourbon.
So I have seen this in the store for a few months but I was afraid to try it after the Dewars Honey flavored disappointment. But I liked the Evan Williams Bourbon alright so hopefully this will be better. It claims to be all taste with no sting. We'll see about that <$10 whiskey!
Cost: Again, 9.99 from Food Max
Alcohol Content: 35%
Method: Neat
Color: Light yellow.
Nose: Well, it doesn't smell like honey. I'm not quite sure what it smells like. Maybe apples? It smells like cold fruit I guess.
At this point I want to say that I am afraid. I asked Aaron to smell it and tell me what he thought it smelled like. He said it smelled like perfume and rubbing alcohol. Then he tasted it and said "No, bad. They're bad people for making this. Is this that same bad honey one from before? I regret asking what this was. It's the worst thing I've tasted in a month!".
Shit.
Taste: Oh god. You can almost feel thick honey on your tongue. This is like cheep orange flavored honey sticks that you get at a tea shop. This was a bad decision. You can't even taste the whiskey underneath the bad honey flavor.
Finish: It's like I drank a glass of sugar water at maximum saturation. I imagine it's a hummingbird's daydream.
Maybe it's better with cola? Like a whiskey cola? Let's try it out!
It's like extra sweet coke. If you add enough to it you can't taste it. Like homeopathic honey. So it's not really good for that.
How about as a whiskey sour? I made one without adding simple syrup or sugar since it's sweet enough.
No. Don't do this. This was a bad idea.
In short skip this junk. Whiskey makers need to leave the bees alone. What did they ever do to you that you need to defame them like this? Just make whiskey taste like whiskey. If you need to make your whiskey taste like a McDonald's breakfast item then you just don't like whiskey...
And that's okay!
But stop this madness.
10/100
Friday, August 21, 2015
Review of George Dickel Tennessee Sour Mash Whisky No 8
Tonight's review is of George Dickel Tennessee Sour Mash No8. It was the only version of this brand my grocer had for sale. I wonder if the No8 is just a gimmick or if they had to go through 7 versions of crap before they got to this.
Method: Neat
Alcohol Content: 40%
Cost: 20ish. Can't remember.
Color: Like gold and rust mixed together.
Nose: Mellow. It doesn't really smell like much of anything except slightly like sugar.
Taste: Again mellow, light burn but hardly anything for a whisky. Maybe a very light apple.
Finish: Burn is more on the lips than the tongue. Mellow finish.
Notes: So this is okay. If you wanted someone to get a taste for a basic whisky this is it. It doesn't have a strong flavor of anything at all and is pretty good. But there is a lot better stuff out there for if you're wanting to drink it neat. I mean, don't get me wrong...this is fine neat. But my preference would be for something with a little stronger flavor notes on the taste and finish. But this would be perfect for cooking or cocktails.
Try it if you get a chance. But don't drive cross country for it.
Anyways. Today is Aaron's birthday so wish him well!
Monday, August 10, 2015
Wild Turkey 101
Tonight's review is of Wild Turkey 101 which I picked up because it was comparable in price to the Evan's from the same store and I wanted to see the differences.
Cost: 19.98 at FoodMax (take it to the max)
Notes: This is pretty harsh for a bourbon. It'is sweet in your mouth. And so long as you keep it in your mouth it doesn't hurt. But the minute you swallow it your throat feels like the golden brick road to Chernobyl. It doesn't taste bad. None of it tastes bad. It's just for the first five seconds I was afraid I was going to die.
For the second five seconds I was afraid I *wouldn't*.
Previous to tonight I had only had it in a whiskey sour. It was great in a whiskey sour. I would not drink this straight.
Straight score: 70/100. Not undrinkable but be prepared.
WHISKEY SOUR RECIPE.
1 TBS sugar
2 TBS lemon juice
2 OZ bourbon
ice
Add sugar and lemon to shaker. Shake until emulsified. Add bourbon and shake vigorously. Pour over ice.
Cost: 19.98 at FoodMax (take it to the max)
Method: Neat
Color: tan-orange. Like 90's sunglasses.
Alcohol Content:
Nose: fruity, candy apple, hints of vanilla
Taste: lemon, sugar, burning on the swallow.
Finish:
Color: tan-orange. Like 90's sunglasses.
Alcohol Content:
Nose: fruity, candy apple, hints of vanilla
Taste: lemon, sugar, burning on the swallow.
Finish:
For the second five seconds I was afraid I *wouldn't*.
Previous to tonight I had only had it in a whiskey sour. It was great in a whiskey sour. I would not drink this straight.
Straight score: 70/100. Not undrinkable but be prepared.
WHISKEY SOUR RECIPE.
1 TBS sugar
2 TBS lemon juice
2 OZ bourbon
ice
Add sugar and lemon to shaker. Shake until emulsified. Add bourbon and shake vigorously. Pour over ice.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Tonight's review is of Evan Williams Bourbon. I like bourbon. It's an inexpensive unpeated alternative to scotch and sweeter than whiskey. I'm trying to convince my husband to take a trip to Kentucky in a few years to do the bourbon trail. The only problem is Kentucky is, you know, Kentucky. I know nothing about Kentucky except some old dude made some chicken, they have bourbon, I believe they watch horses run in a big circle, and I assume it's hot and humid. Only some of those things sound fun.
Anyways onto the review.
Cost: $9.99 from Food Max (so you know it's high quality)
Alcohol Content: 43%.
Method: Neat
Color: Deep reddish brown. Like a wet bark chip.
Nose: Brown sugar, vanilla bean, light hints of wood, for sure alcohol scent but not unpleasant.
Taste: Oh man this is weird. It tastes nothing like it smells. Normally that means it smelled horrible and tastes great or smells great and tastes horrible. But this is different. It's not bad at all but unexpected. Like, you know when you are eating dinner at a restaurant and you have a glass of water and a glass of soda and you go to take a drink of your water but you get soda instead and the soda doesn't taste bad but it's unexpected so you kind of freak out a little bit? It's like that.
This tastes like oak and sugar and a little like pear. I'm not getting any vanilla. It's like if you had a creamy sugary pear popsicle and had gotten down to the wood part that's what this tastes like.
Finish: Oak, slight alcohol, brown sugar, almost a caramel flavor but not quite.
Over all this was pretty good. Much better than what I was expecting for 10 bucks. Its a little harsh on the finish and might go better in a cocktail if someone wasn't used to bourbon or whiskey. But it's for sure drinkable on its own.
Anyways onto the review.
Cost: $9.99 from Food Max (so you know it's high quality)
Alcohol Content: 43%.
Method: Neat
Color: Deep reddish brown. Like a wet bark chip.
Nose: Brown sugar, vanilla bean, light hints of wood, for sure alcohol scent but not unpleasant.
Taste: Oh man this is weird. It tastes nothing like it smells. Normally that means it smelled horrible and tastes great or smells great and tastes horrible. But this is different. It's not bad at all but unexpected. Like, you know when you are eating dinner at a restaurant and you have a glass of water and a glass of soda and you go to take a drink of your water but you get soda instead and the soda doesn't taste bad but it's unexpected so you kind of freak out a little bit? It's like that.
This tastes like oak and sugar and a little like pear. I'm not getting any vanilla. It's like if you had a creamy sugary pear popsicle and had gotten down to the wood part that's what this tastes like.
Finish: Oak, slight alcohol, brown sugar, almost a caramel flavor but not quite.
Over all this was pretty good. Much better than what I was expecting for 10 bucks. Its a little harsh on the finish and might go better in a cocktail if someone wasn't used to bourbon or whiskey. But it's for sure drinkable on its own.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Not a scotch - Don Chelada Michelada Beer Booster and Hangover Helper
Today's review is of Don Chelada Michelada in Original Flavor because they were in a bargain bin at the grocery store. I'll be upfront and say that I have no idea what any of those words mean except Original and Flavor. But I can only assume it's Spanish for "wat?"
It's basically a styrofoam cup with some unnamed spices glued? to the rim. The cup says it has a mega moist rim and the cup does not lie. I have no idea how it's retained moisture but I can only assume it's bad that it has. It comes with a hefty packet of more of the rim seasoning inside.
The cup also says that it's a hangover booster. It doesn't say how but who am I to disagree?
The instructions are easy enough. Take off the plastic cover. Dump out the packet into the cup. Pour in 24oz of your favorite beer (or one you don't mind wasting) and consume.
It forms like mad. And the whole beer turns dark orangey brown. We used Guinness American Lager.
In short it tastes like poop.
It's not spicy but it burns the lips. I can't imagine what the spicy flavor does to your insides. I can't place the flavor but it's familiar. I would not buy this again and I probably won't even finish the drink. Aaron and I were going to split it but he took a sip and just said "no".
All in all this is something you should pair with natty ice or mickey's wide mouth, nothing of value. I feel like I wasted a good beer.
50/100. Take a pass on this.
It's basically a styrofoam cup with some unnamed spices glued? to the rim. The cup says it has a mega moist rim and the cup does not lie. I have no idea how it's retained moisture but I can only assume it's bad that it has. It comes with a hefty packet of more of the rim seasoning inside.
The cup also says that it's a hangover booster. It doesn't say how but who am I to disagree?
The instructions are easy enough. Take off the plastic cover. Dump out the packet into the cup. Pour in 24oz of your favorite beer (or one you don't mind wasting) and consume.
It forms like mad. And the whole beer turns dark orangey brown. We used Guinness American Lager.
In short it tastes like poop.
It's not spicy but it burns the lips. I can't imagine what the spicy flavor does to your insides. I can't place the flavor but it's familiar. I would not buy this again and I probably won't even finish the drink. Aaron and I were going to split it but he took a sip and just said "no".
All in all this is something you should pair with natty ice or mickey's wide mouth, nothing of value. I feel like I wasted a good beer.
50/100. Take a pass on this.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Stephanie's Review of Auchentoschan 12
First I want to apologize for not updating for a while. I actually had a baby in April so I wasn't able to do any tastings for about a year. Now that baby is good and healthy and sleeping through the night I thought I would start back up.
Tonight's review is of Auchentoschan 12 - a Scotch I cannot pronounce. Hooked on phonics has failed me.
Cost: 37.99 from Bevmo
Alcohol content: 40%
Method: Neat
Color: Light/Honey
Nose: Sweet, Alcohol, very very light floral, dust. Not musk, but like dusting a room.
Taste: Burn. Not great. Light musk. Sugar.
Finish: Maybe brown sugar? Weird aftertaste. Everything else was normal but the aftertaste is hard to describe.
This scotch is *okay*. I would buy others before this BUT it's a really great price. Sometimes scotch this cheap tastes like motor oil. This isn't half bad.
75/100. Solid C.
Tonight's review is of Auchentoschan 12 - a Scotch I cannot pronounce. Hooked on phonics has failed me.
Cost: 37.99 from Bevmo
Alcohol content: 40%
Method: Neat
Color: Light/Honey
Nose: Sweet, Alcohol, very very light floral, dust. Not musk, but like dusting a room.
Taste: Burn. Not great. Light musk. Sugar.
Finish: Maybe brown sugar? Weird aftertaste. Everything else was normal but the aftertaste is hard to describe.
This scotch is *okay*. I would buy others before this BUT it's a really great price. Sometimes scotch this cheap tastes like motor oil. This isn't half bad.
75/100. Solid C.
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