Blending Tennessee Rye with Peated Single Malt Scotch to create a World Whiskey.
It sits outside the rules of both camps and would annoy the ‘traditionalists’ – which is another reason for me to love it before even tasting the liquid!
But as it contains rye whiskey & peated whisky – both styles I enjoy – it would appear to be a ‘no-brainer’ for me to purchase.
So I did.
Packaged in an attractive medicine bottle the whiskey exudes a cheeky fun quality.
Pours a rich golden brown.
Smoking nose!
Very inticing.
Fairly mild start to the palate – do find a sherry finish mutes some of the stronger smoky elements with a sweet veneer – before that smoke – finding it more ‘smoked’ than ‘peated’ – shines through.
There is a tingling dryness on the finish – but can’t work out if that’s the peat or rye?
I often experience a similar finish with many a peated whiskey so wonder what the rye element is actually bringing to this fine blend.
Burnt Ends does float my boat however.
A fun & extremely satisfying whiskey to sip & savour!
I was motivated by the unique collaborative effort of Connacht Whiskey Company & New Liberty Distillery to combine 10 year old Irish & American Whiskeys in a single bottling – & I was also under the impression the American component contained a high rye content.
After the recent release of Powers Rye I was keen to revisit Brothership.
Aware that 6 years is WAY beyond the recommended 2 year time limit for opened spirits bottles – I was a little apprehensive.
How had I allowed this shocking situation to develop?
My constant desire to taste new product had built up a large stash of opened bottles I couldn’t possibly safely consume on my own.
To address this my ‘collection’ – as it is – is always open for sample swaps. Also – with the collaboration of World Famous Sean’s Bar in Athlone – I’ve been holding monthly ‘Whiskey By The Water’ tastings where a small group of us gather, drink & debate the virtues of the varied whiskey – & other spirits – featured.
You’re welcome to contact me to get involved in either initiative.
But back to Brothership!
Well the cork appears unblemished.
A fairly light coloured whiskey greets me – along with a rather shy & muted nose.
An easy start to the palate slowly grows with gentle peppery spices.
The finish flourishes with prickly spiciness tingling away to a dry lip-smacking finale.
Brothership’s charms appear to have not been diminished by it’s long time in storage.
A highly entertaining whiskey!
Sláinte
Blog article on how long to store opened bottles here.
Whiskey By The Water tastings are held 1st Wednesday of every month at Sean’s Bar, Athlone, 7.30pm. Check social media for latest bottle choices #WhiskeyByTheWater
Distilled at the Great Wagon Road Distillery in North Carolina & claiming Irish heritage with the Rúa name is this non chill filtered , natural colour organic, non GMO barley offering.
A lovely richness to the nose. Mild & mellow on the palate. Slowly builds developing into a very attractive & enjoyable array of flavours which dance merrily away.
Hailing from the long established & popular Four Roses Distillery in Kentucky is this Small Batch release. A blend of different bourbon mash-bills with varying degrees of rye content.
I immediately get a warm dry nose – indicative of the high rye content Four Roses is known for. A satisfying mouthfeel where the dry spiciness of the rye interplays with the smooth sweet corn influence. Leaves with that signature prickly spice.
Nice & easy.
Thoughts
I enjoyed both of these!
Trying to pick a winner is a bit tricky.
Do I go for the subtle yet engaging flavours of the newcomer single malt?
Or stick with the bolder rye spices of the established player?
Four Roses are relatively easy to encounter – but I do think Rúa is worth seeking out.
It’s constantly seeking new experiences that engage me on this spirit journey – so Rúa it is!
American Single Malt Whiskey is a ‘thing’ – well almost.
Proposals from the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission – AMWSC – have been forwarded to the Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau – TTB – to give definition & legal framework for the category.
While the legislation catches up with evolution in the drinks industry – I’m more interested in how this American Single Malt Whiskey actually tastes!
Sadly – after I’d decanted my samples into my favourite Túath Whiskey Glasses to breathe – the gig was rescheduled!
Undeterred – I tasted away!
Westward Single Malt, 45%
As Thomas Mooney – cofounder of ASMWC & Westward Whiskey – is behind this whiskey I’d assume it complies with the ASMWC proposals.
100% barley – grown in Oregon for a touch of terroir – distilled & matured in Portland using lightly charred oak barrels & presented at 45%
The nose was a trifle shy – clean, fresh, malty with woody vanillas.
A gentle smooth palate.
Slight oakiness towards the rear with a flourish of tannic spice to round things off.
A very pleasant easy single malt to start the show rolling.
Westward Single Malt Stout Cask 46%
Lovely rich expressive & inviting nose.
Heavy palate feel – almost chocolatey.
Oh yes! – Enjoying this one.
Lovely touch of prickly heat on the rear too!
My kinda malt!
Westward Single Malt Pinot Noir Cask 45%
Soft gentle nose with hints of sweet fruitiness.
The summer fruits come to the fore on the palate.
Clean fresh finish dries out leaving a pleasing prickly spice.
Nice!
Thoughts
Without a doubt the Stout Cask won me over. Not that the others weren’t good whiskey – just not as inviting on my palate.
Unlike other beer/whiskey cask collaborations Westward matured their whiskey for a year in locally sourced stout barrels & the results certainly shone for me.
All 3 of these malts stand up very well against anything Scotland & Ireland has to offer.
As ever the competition within the spirits sector increases constantly.
A wonderful trio of American Single Malts to launch the category.
Living up to it’s ‘cult’ status a fellow whiskey fan expressed interest in sample swaps.
As I’m sitting on close to 100 opened bottles that will damage my health if I drank the lot – I’m still damaging my wallet by eagerly seeking the next flavour adventure.
My cupboard is always open for exchanges so Old Grand-Dad went one way & a couple of ryes came mine.
This Texas Rye initially offers up a more traditional nose of sweet vanilla & dark caramels.
A rich earthiness – not normally found in US rye – began to make it’s presence felt in a very attractive & enticing way.
For 50% I found Balcones Rye to be full of flavour with a rich warm spiciness on the finish wrapped up with a hint of tobacco too!
Dry yet lip smacking all at the same time.
Using Texas grown rye – along with crystal, chocolate & toasted rye in the mashbill – a melange of unexpected & highly engaging flavours were experienced.
Balcones Rye c/othewhiskeynut
Thoughts
Both these ryes are a delight.
Using mashbills & ingredients not normally encountered elsewhere the range of flavours are boosted adding a richness of depth & complexity I found very alluring.
Both push the rye category forward in new & exciting ways.
Now ‘high rye’ isn’t legally defined. It loosely equates to a rye grain content of between 20 to 35% in the all important mash-bill – along with the 51% minimum corn to be labelled as bourbon.
The rye produces a pleasing dry spiciness over and above the candy floss sweet bourbon which adds a degree of complexity, depth & bite to my palate.
Old Grand-Dad c/othewhiskeynut
Old Grand-Dad certainly is a fine example of this style.
Slightly shy on the nose. The rye is in there – but the 40% ABV might just mute it a little.
Mild & sweet in the palate – it’s not until the finish Old Grand-Dad opens up for me.
That dry, almost biscuity ryeness kicks in above a sugary sweet candy floss leaving an enjoyable prickly tingling slowly departing.
I also read Old Grand-Dad is a ‘cult’ whiskey.
Whether that’s because it’s an old brand given a resurgence, hard to get hold of or limited release – I don’t know.
A happy dram. c/othewhiskeynut
What I do know is Old Grand-Dad offers a lot of flavour for it’s affordable price point.
It also further confirms my high rye bourbon soft spot.
There’s some whiskey launches I didn’t get round to writing up – Michter’s being one of them.
It’s nothing to do with the quality of the product – nor the hospitality shown on the day – which were both outstanding I must say – other things & life just got in the way.
So in February 2019 a packed crowd of whiskey fans gathered in a Dublin venue to sample the delights of Michter’s Whiskey. Oh those heady days of pre-COVID freedom!
I was already convinced of the marvels of Michter’s having sampled the core range at Whisky Birmingham.
Michter’s Birmingham 2017 c/othewhiskeynut
A brief history of Michter’s served as an introduction.
Originally founded in 1753 & incorporating the Shenk’s & Bomberger’s families too, Michter’s – along with many others – collapsed during the lean years of the 70’s & 80’s.
A couple of entrepreneurs bought the brand names in the 90’s, selected choice casks from distilleries & proceeded to build up a reputation for fine bourbon & rye. This was Phase 1.
Phase 2 started in the early 2000’s. With dwindling stocks of barrels & increased sales a more steady supply was needed. Contract distilling in Kentucky began with specific mashbills, filling percentages, maturation policy & filtration standards all being controlled by Michter’s exacting standards.
Phase 3 is Michter’s producing their own whiskey in their own distilleries. That is currently in play right now – so for the moment – the whiskeys presented to us at the event were from Phase 2.
9 Michter’s awaiting c/othewhiskeynut
Michter’s Straight Rye, 42.4%
Distinctive rye nose, candy sweet & spicy dry. Smooth & easy palate. Decent complexity with long dry peppery spice on the finish.
A solid rye to start the proceedings.
Michter’s Straight Bourbon, 45.7%
Sweet & surprisingly spicy nose. The rye content isn’t too high – the exact ratios weren’t revealed – & it was suggested the spice emanates from the char 3 level virgin oak casks used. Whatever the method – it resulted in a warmth of flavour rounded up by a long peppery spice finish.
Lovely.
Michter’s Sour Mash, 43%
Being neither 51% corn or rye – Sour Mash has a mixed mashbill offering an intriguing sweet & sour nose. Lovely mouthfeel with soft spices & quite a dry finish.
Entertaining.
Michter’s American Whiskey, 41%
Using 2nd fill barrels for maturation & a corn, rye & barley mashbill – American Whiskey cannot be called Bourbon or Rye. Lighter on the palate than the others, there was still a richness of flavour & slight spice which reeled me in.
Alluring.
The above 4 made up the core range – & very engaging they were too! In a divergence from my love of rye – I have to say the combination of rich warm flavours along with a peppery dry spiciness of Straight Bourbon won me over in this group.
Part of a limited release range, Toasted Barrel benefits from extra ageing in – no surprises – toasted barrels which impart a slight smokiness to the bourbon. Not a peatiness nor BBQ style however – more a gentle wood fire vibe going on.
Very pleasing.
Then a couple of age statement whiskeys – rare enough for America!
10 Year Old Straight Rye, 47.2%
Great classic rye nose – boosted with more depth & warmth – which flowed through into the palate. Smoother, richer & more complex than before.
A gorgeous rye.
10 Year Old Straight Bourbon, 47.2%
Again this bourbon impressed! A winning combination that just dialled up the overall experience a big notch.
Fabulous.
Yet the goodies kept on coming!
I was particularly looking forward to the next pair from the Legacy Series.
Shenk’s Homestead c/othewhiskeynut
Shenk’s Homestead, 2018, 45.6%
Finished in French Oak Barrels – there was more of a rounded dark fruity sweetness on this one. Very chewy – although the finish fell away a bit quickly.
Luxurious.
Bomberger’s Declarartion c/othewhiskeynut
Bomberger’s Declaration, 2018, 54%
Finished in Chinquapin Oak – a gorgeous dry tannic spice gave wonderful richness & depth to this bottle which immediately propelled it to my top spot!
Stunning.
Such a fabulous showcasing of the Michter’s range & generous hospitality of the brand!
There was much milling around & happy chatting afterwards & I managed a cheeky sampling of the 20 Year Old Straight Bourbon, 57.1%
20yo Michter’s c/othewhiskeynut
Ooops!
Despite being such a rare opportunity – I must admit to finding the dryness & high strength combo being too much for me & obliterating the welcome warmth & engaging flavours of it’s younger stablemates.
So what did I take away from it all?
Well I really enjoyed Michter’s!
Their attention to detail certainly comes through in the fabulous flavours of the range.
For my part, age, high ABV & rye aren’t automatic winners. A combination of elements & ingredients along with careful maturation in varied cask regimes can bring about stunning whiskey.
I wish Michter’s future success with their own distilleries!
The most Northern point on the Island of Ireland is in what is often known as The South.
To access the political North from here you travel South.
TinCup American Whiskey proudly displays it’s Colorado heritage on the attractively embossed bottle – as well as the marketing story.
TinCup story. c/othewhiskeynut
The bulk of the whiskey is actually distilled in Indiana – blended & cut with some Colorado single malt & ‘Pure Rocky Mountain Water’.
So now that’s all clear – what was I doing in The North?
Simple really.
The North – being a different jurisdiction – stocks a more comprehensive & varied array of spirits than The South. Always keen to pick up something new & interesting I called in on an Asda supermarket on my travels & bagged this American Whiskey.
I like it! c/othewhiskeynut
The design is cool – the marketing is slick – it’s reasonably priced – it made my basket.
A rich golden brown hue with that classic candyfloss bourbon sweetness tempered by a sawdusty dry rye aroma greeted me.
The palate was relatively mellow – yet gradually opened up with smooth vanilla & gently growing peppery spices building to a gorgeously drying finish leaving a tingling prickliness dancing away.
I found the overall presentation of this whiskey extremely endearing & enticing.
The whiskey itself suitably matched the marketing.
A lovely combination of rugged rye & smooth bourbon – stories of the past & visions for the future.
WestmeathWhiskeyWorld 