Category — Liquor Reviews

Pendleton Whisky (they drop the E) is a 10-year old blended Canadian whiskey.  It’s made with water from Mt. Hood in Oregon, and is bottled by Oregon’s Hood River Distillers, but since it’s distilled in Canada, Pendleton keeps its Canadian whiskey label.

On the nose, Pendleton Whisky is sweet, with notes of caramel and vanilla.  The first sip is very sweet, with lots of brown sugar and molasses, almost reminiscent of an aged rum.  A bit of rye spiciness and some smoke filters through to add more complexity to the spirit.  It goes down smoothly without any harshness, and finishes with that same sweetness.

Add a bit of water or an ice cube, and the sweetness is tempered a bit, but the flavors become very muted and give way to more pronounced alcohol notes.

Overall, Pendleton’s not bad, but it’s not for me. That said, those with a sweet tooth might have found their new favorite dram, and I imagine Pendleton appealing to some drinkers who don’t traditionally enjoy whiskey.

Stats:
- 40% Alcohol by Volume
- $25

Hood River Distillers also bottles and distributes Broker’s Gin.

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Tequila Avion is a new brand formed by a group of entrepreneurs, including Ken Austin, a former Seagrams and E&J Gallo executive. Tequila Avion is distilled from Blue Weber Agave found in the highest regions of Jalisco, Mexico, where the agave is known for its distinct mineral character.  Once harvested, the Tequila Avion agave is slow roasted in brick ovens under low temperatures to produce a rich and robust flavor.

On the nose, the Avion Silver Tequila is fresh and vegetal with some floral notes.  It’s very mellow and hides its alcohol well.  Take a sip and the spirit is exceptionally smooth and buttery and is soft enough to hold on the palate – a solid feat for an unaged tequila.  The taste is agave and fruit—most notably, pineapple and citrus—plus some herby qualities and white pepper during the long finish.

Overall, Avion Silver Tequila is a very soft and approachable sipping spirit bursting with flavor.  While it might fare well in cocktails, I’d be remiss to mix it with anything.

Avion has also released a reposado and anejo tequila, which—if they’re anything like the silver—should be worth sampling.

Stats:
- 100% Agave
- 40% Alcohol by Volume
- $45

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Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon is part of Four Roses’ core lineup of whiskeys that also includes the Small Batch and Yellow Label bourbons.  The “single barrel” designation means that the bourbon is pulled from single casks and bottled, rather than being a blended product from several barrels. Each bottle is hand-marked by the distiller to indicate the specific warehouse, cask and shelf where the bourbon was aged.

Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon is golden amber with a nose of peppery spice, fruit, citrus and oaky vanilla.  On the palate, the citrus notes are more prominent, with some orange coming through, plus some cherry flavors, caramel and more wood.  At 50% ABV, the whiskey packs a punch, but much of the alcohol hides behind the spice and never overwhelms the palate.  It finishes long and warm, with more peppery spice and some burnt wood notes that add a bit of bitterness.

While I typically make my Manhattans and Old Fashioneds with rye, I mixed up a couple drinks with the Four Roses.  The Single Barrel held its own, creating a couple of spicy, complex cocktails worth tasting.

Overall, Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon is quite good, and at about $35, it’s a pretty decent value.  The higher ABV may prove too intense for some—it’s nothing a bit of water can’t tame—but veteran bourbon drinkers will likely appreciate the punch.

Stats:
- 50% Alcohol by Volume
- $35

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In 1738, King Louis XV issued the Accord Royal, which decreed that only Rémy Martin could plant new vines on his land.  Rémy Martin’s 1738 Accord Royal cognac was created to commemorate the year and the honor.

Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal is a Fine Champagne Cognac, which means that the eaux-de-vie selected come from the two best growth areas of the Cognac region – the Grande Champagne and the Petite Champagne.  The cognac is a blend of nearly 240 eaux-de-vie aged between four and 20 years in Limousin oak barrels.

I’ve remained pretty ambivalent about cognac over the years, and other than a handful of tastings and some recent, ill-fated brushes with Hennessy Black and Conjure, I’ve merely dabbled in the category.  Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal might change that a bit, as I like this stuff.  A lot.

The copper-colored spirit is bursting with oak and candied fruit on the nose, plus chocolate and a hint of cinnamon.  The bouquet is very well balanced, with each scent folded into the next.  Upon tasting 1738, I found lots of oak, more fruit and some light floral notes playing in the background.  It remains very smooth and round on the palate, and the finish is absurdly long.

All in all, I like it.  You could mix Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal into a Sidecar or numerous other cocktails calling for cognac, but with something that’s such a smooth sipping spirit, why bother?

Stats:
- 40% Alcohol by Volume
- $50

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In March, I spoke with Maker’s Mark Master Distiller Kevin Smith about the launch of the new Maker’s 46 bourbon.  Skip forward a few months, and Maker’s 46 has officially launched, hitting store shelves July 1st.  The release of Maker’s 46 marks two important points: 1) this is the first new Maker’s Mark product ever, and 2) I can finally stop nursing the sample I received in March.

Maker’s 46 starts out as regular Maker’s Mark bourbon, but at the point when the whiskey is typically bottled, it’s instead put into a holding tank while aged, seasoned oak staves are inserted into the original barrel.  The bourbon is then poured back into the barrel, now fitted with oak staves, and left to age for two to three more months until it reaches the flavor that Smith and President Bill Samuels set out to achieve when creating the Maker’s 46 flavor profile.

The profile they wanted was one of warmth and spiciness, but with the traditional bourbon sweetness and forward finish.  I’d say they hit what they aimed for, as Maker’s 46 is just that – spicy, with more of a bite than the original, but with all the characteristics of the original that Maker’s Mark fans expect.

Maker’s 46 is 94 proof, a slight increase from Maker’s Mark, which clocks in at 90 proof.  On the nose, it’s warm and toasty with some baking spices—like cinnamon and nutmeg—that remind me of the holidays.  Vanilla and caramel are also noticeable.  On the palate, Maker’s 46 is spicy and biting, in a good way, and still soft enough to hold on the tongue.  The toasted oak notes are very apparent, but they work within the whiskey, rather than dominate the flavor.  The signature Maker’s forward finish remains, but adds some spiciness as the flavor lingers on the tongue.

All in all, Maker’s 46 is quite good, and while it starts its life as original Maker’s Mark, it’s certainly different enough to warrant this new product.  The toasty spiciness will appeal to drinkers seeking a more aggressive bourbon, but the vanilla and caramel notes, along with that forward finish, should secure the allegiance of fans of the original.

Stats:
- 47% Alcohol by Volume
- $35

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The Kōloa Rum Company operates the first-ever distillery on the Hawaiian island of Kaua`i and produces three rums – white, gold and dark.  Kōloa Rum is made from pure raw crystal sugar from Gay and Robinson, the last plantation to operate on the island, and it’s handcrafted and distilled in small batches in the company’s 1210-gallon, hand-hammered vintage copper pot still.

Back in March, Kōloa won two silvers (for dark and gold) and a bronze award (for white) at the Polished Palate Rum Festival in Ybor City, Florida. Then, in May, Kōloa scored a gold medal for its dark rum at the Rum Renaissance Festival in Miami.  Needless to say, my interest was piqued.

Kōloa Dark Rum is a deep mahogany, and on the nose it gives a bouquet of molasses, vanilla and cola.  Tasted neat, molasses, vanilla and some toffee are present, plus a hint of spice.  It finishes warm and sweet, and overall very smooth, especially impressive for a rum that’s seemingly quite young (there’s no age statement to confirm the exact age).

Mixed into an añejo daiquiri and mai tai, Kōloa worked pretty well. In the daiquiri I adjusted the spirit to lime to sugar proportions to account for Kōloa’s relatively sweet taste.  The result was serviceable, but Kōloa seemed a bit out of place in the daiquiri. It fared better in the mai tai, but generally, I preferred sipping it straight.

All in all, a pretty good rum.  It’s very smooth and easy to sip straight, but powerful enough to stand up in most cocktails. As of now, Kōloa is only available in Hawaii and California, but look for distribution to continue heading eastward.

Stats:
- 40% Alcohol by Volume
- $33

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Broker’s Gin is distilled near Birmingham, England in traditional pot stills, and though Broker’s Gin was created in 1998, its recipe dates back 200 years.  Broker’s is a London dry gin, with the base spirit distilled from English wheat, and it’s crafted with a bevy of herbs, spices and fruits imported from around the world.

On the nose, there’s no mistaking Broker’s for anything but a London Dry style gin. It’s an uncompromising, unapologetic classic gin, with very apparent juniper notes and some citrus.  It adds a bit of cinnamon and coriander to the mix, plus some floral notes, which ups its complexity and results in a pretty pleasant smelling spirit.

Tasted neat, the juniper flavor jumps on your palate, with more citrus and some peppery spice.  The mouth feel is a bit heavy and oily, coating the tongue as the flavors work their way around the mouth. Throughout it all, Broker’s remains very smooth and drinkable.  It finishes very warm and lingers on the tongue with a bit of spice.

Adding a bit of ice tempered the oily texture a bit, and adding a lemon peel brought out more of the gin’s citrus notes.  While the ice-and-lemon-peel variety works well enough, it kills some of the juniper and spice you get when tasting Broker’s neat.

Mixed into a martini, Broker’s Gin holds its own.  While some new western style gins are quite popular these days, for me, nothing makes a martini quite like a London Dry style gin.  To compensate for Broker’s relatively high proof (94), I stirred with ice a bit longer than usual to get the proper dilution.

Overall, Broker’s Gin is a quality spirit.  It’s a gin that shines through in martinis and other classic cocktails and stands up well when mixed with tonic, which, despite its popularity as a gin mixer, often overpowers the spirit entirely.  Plus at only about $20, it’s a hell of a bargain.

Stats:
- London Dry Style
- 47% Alcohol by Volume
- Bottle top adorned with a nice hat
- $20

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Zaya Gran Reserva is a 12-year old rum distilled in Trinidad and Tobago.  It’s a blend of rums that have been aged at least 12 years in used bourbon barrels, and then blended together to create the finished spirit.

Drinkers often compare Zaya Gran Reserva to Ron Zacapa 23 (Zaya was formerly distilled in Guatemala by the same company that produces Ron Zacapa), which is a compliment to Zaya, as Zacapa is a great sipping rum.  While both good, they have some noticeable differences.  Zaya has more pronounced vanilla and caramel notes and has a spicier finish, while Zacapa 23 is a bit sweeter and has some floral notes. They’re both very good, but different.  Now onto the details:

In the glass, Zaya Gran Reserva has a deep mahogany hue with touches of gold.  On the nose you’ll find deep vanilla and caramel, plus sweet brown sugar and some molasses.  Sniff closely and you might pick up hints of cocoa.

The first taste is sweet vanilla and caramel, with some honey, and you’re reminded that Zaya, like many aged rums, spent time in bourbon casks.  There are some light flavors of fruit behind the pervasive vanilla.  On the palate it’s full-bodied and velvety.  The rum coats your tongue, doesn’t burn at all and finishes smoothly.

While perfectly competent as a sipping rum, and marketed as such, Zaya Gran Reserva can hold its own in a cocktail, especially those calling for an aged rum.  Aged rums can also work well in traditional whiskey drinks, like the Old Fashioned and Manhattan, if you’re so inclined.

Zaya Manhattan

1 1/2 oz Zaya Gran Reserva Rum
1/2 oz Carpano Antica
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass.

Final Thoughts

Zaya Gran Reserva is a fine rum.  It’s very sweet, with intense vanilla and caramel flavors, but I still enjoy it on its own in a snifter.  Regardless of your usage preferences, for the modest price of about $30, it’s a great addition to your booze collection.

Stats:
- 40% Alcohol by Volume
- $30

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Jura Prophecy is one of the newer scotch whisky offerings from the Isle of Jura Distillery and a recent addition to the U.S. market.  Jura falls under the Glasgow-based distiller, Whyte and Mackay, which also produces the Dalmore lineup.

This heavily-peated single malt is bottled without chill filtration, which preserves more of the original spirit’s texture and character. Chill filtering removes some residue from whisky, mostly for cosmetic reasons, so Jura Prophecy retains some haze in its appearance.

On the nose, the rich amber whisky smells of subtle peat smoke, which gives way to soft fruit and sherry notes, plus some baking spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg.  Drink some down and you’ll taste sweet smoke, more spice notes and a bit of salt.  Jura Prophecy finishes long and dry, with some mouth-gripping bonfire smokiness.

Overall, Jura Prophecy is a quality whisky and a great introduction to peated single malts. It’s less intense than its Islay counterparts, but still bursting with flavor.  The contrast between sweet, smoke and spice creates a complexity worth exploring frequently.

Stats:
- 46% Alcohol by Volume
- $50 – $60

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The Bowmore Distillery is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, having stood on the shores of Islay since 1779.  It is one of the few distilleries that continues to hand turn its own floor malted barley, rather than outsourcing the chore.

Bowmore’s 12-Year-Old Scotch Whisky is the youngest of the age specified Bowmore lineup, which also includes 15- 18- and 25-year old expressions.

On the nose, the amber spirit is distinctively smoky, with hints of citrus and honeyed sweetness. The body is light, almost watery.  On the palate, the peat smoke is very noticeable, and there’s a warm, subtle chocolate undertone.  It finishes with more peat smoke, plus a hint of saltiness that’s more subdued than many Islay whiskies.

All in all, Bowmore 12 is a good whisky and a good introduction to Islay single malts.  Plus, at the $40 price point, it’s a better value for your money, in my estimation, than the $90 Bowmore 18.

Stats:
- Aged 12 Years
- Islay Region
- 40% Alcohol by Volume
- $45

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