
October 27, 2016

A little bag of Americans

At random, more or less… And let's not wait until voting day!

Ironroot Republic ‘Texas Legation’ (46%, Berry Bros & Rudd, Texas bourbon, 2016)

An interesting new bourbon that was ‘accredited in London’. If people as serious and honest as BBR’s spirit specialists have chosen this, there must be some good reasons, let’s see… Oh and that’s certainly not old age, as Ironroot Republic Distillery has been founded in 2013. Colour: deep gold (active wood!) Nose: typical young craft American, with plenty of sweet bread, some spicy grains, whiffs of caraway and gingerbread, and then a rather earthy honeyness and touches of cigarette tobacco (Virginia), as well as green leaves and stems. Woodruff, perhaps? As they say in London, niiiice! Mouth: at such a young age, and given the colour, this is expectedly oaky and spicy, but quite bizarrely, you’d rather believe it’s ex-French oak. Which would be hard to believe from Texans ;-). Spicy bread, poppadom, curry powder, pepper, ginger, plenty of nutmeg, sawdust… This is almost fully oak-driven, but it was quality oak, and I always love bready notes in my whiskey. Finish: long and extremely spicy. Nutmeg and cinnamon in the aftertaste, as well as a little citron. Comments: well done, it’s certainly not one of these sweetish very young bourbons that one can find here and there. Now I doubt they could have kept it in wood for more days. Perhaps minutes. SGP:371 - 80 points.

Eagle Rare 10 yo ‘Single Barrel’ (45%, OB, Kentucky straight bourbon, 2016)

Some fairly priced juice by Buffalo Trace. Colour: deep gold. Nose: starts rather floral, on broom and wisteria, and would go on with notes of warm tarte tatin, cinnamon cake, and gingerbread. And quite a lot of vanilla, obviously, as well as pastries. Panettone? Also some orange juice, which makes it rather fresh, and perhaps one tiny mushroom. Pretty elegant, showing some self-restraint, certainly not an oak bomb. Mouth: good balance, even if there’s more oak now, gingery spices, all-spice mix… Some gingerbread, coco cream, orange zests, fudge, and a little burnt sugar. A spicy/sweet ryeness as well. Finish: rather long yet smooth, on aniseed, marmalade, and gingerbread. Comments: it’s certainly better balanced than the Texan, but it’s also a little more, ach, ‘commercial’. Same level in my book. SGP:551 - 80 points.

David Nicholson ‘1843’ (50%, OB, Kentucky straight bourbon, +/-2015)

I don’t think there is any David Nicholson Distillery, so this is ‘probably’ sourced/branded bourbon. The packaging looks very familiar, doesn’t it… Colour: gold. Nose: rather light, but not uninteresting. BBQ, wood smoke, pears… Noses young, but not unbalanced. Not much else to say I’m afraid… With water: fresh bread and gingery sawdust. I enjoy the fact that it’s no vanilla bomb. Mouth: rather sharp, with some lemon sweets and some pepper, then more cloves. A nice spicy earthiness underneath… With water: same, more or less. Perhaps bitter oranges, and a little more drying cinnamon. Finish: medium, with touches of aromatic herbs, thyme, more cinnamon, nutmeg… And this wee earthiness in the aftertaste. Comments: solid, I have to say I quite liked it. Easier than the others. And it takes water well. Same ballpark once again. SGP:551 - 80 points.

Why not have two monsters at 64% vol.?

Elijah Craig 12 yo ‘Barrel Proof’ (64%, OB, Kentucky straight bourbon, +/-2015)

These come in various strengths. I had one that I liked a lot two years ago (66.2%, WF 85). Colour: amber. Nose: totally sweet and rounded, you’re almost nosing maple syrup, tabernak! An milk chocolate, honey, and much sweetened custard. It’s so rounded that you have to be careful at this strength, you could burn your nose without even noticing. With water: lavender and violet liqueurs, like they make in Provence. Some spicy bread in the background. Have you ever visited Provence? Mouth (neat): spicy, herbal, and very sweet. Lavender honey, coconut liqueur, hipster gin ;-), bananas… But once again, careful, it burns despite the insane sweetness. With water: more sloe, lavender, thyme, sage, rosemary… I’m sure you could pour this onto lamb. In Provence. Finish: unexpectedly short, with gingery tannins coming out. Bitter grass in the aftertaste, that’s the oak. The spirit may have not digested the tannins, as often in these makes, in my opinion. Comments: excellent, but less impressive than an earlier batch (please see above). SGP:651 - 82 points.

Quick, a last monster…

Blanton's 'Straight From The Barrel' (64.8%, OB, bourbon, barrel #447, 2015)

More juice by Buffalo Trace. Colour: deep gold. Nose: much wider than the Elijah Craig, less sweet and rounded, earthier, spicier, with mushrooms, tobacco, Indian spices (I know, that’s very vague), barnyard, hay… But careful, this one too will burn your nose. With water: more herbs and earth, which I find very cool from some bourbon. I’m even finding truffles! And other mushrooms, mosses, cigars… May we now start to quote Cuban cigars when trying some American whisky? Mouth (neat): huge power! I’m almost getting peat, which says a lot. And huge quantities of black pepper. Quick, quick… With water: perhaps a little cologne-y at first, and still quite brutal even at +/-45% vol., but it’s also got these acidic touches that can be found in some bourbons, and which I usually enjoy. Lemon zests, green pepper... Finish: long, breadier, and even spicier. Peppered and smoked bread? Comments: some anti-smooth bourbon. Not the best balanced whisky ever, for sure, but at least it’s got something ‘different’ to tell us. You know, other than coconut, vanilla, and ginger. SGP:462 - 83 points.

Check the index of all Americans I've tasted so far