www.ralfy.com re-visits an old peaty monster with Whisky Review 571 – Lagavulin 16yo re-reviewed

The Universal Whisky Experience, the world’s first luxury whisky tasting show, is scheduled for  March  2nd- 5th, 2016 at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. This memorable experience is now a four-day destination event with exclusive tastings of the world’s finest whiskies for connoisseurs and collectors alike, and intimate opportunities to mingle with Master Distillers and Blenders.

Book your tickets at www.universalwhiskyexperience.com

BOURBON LOVERS BOUND TO GO BANANAS  

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottles 3-year-old sweet treat from US 

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is showcasing its reputation for bottling an ever-changing spectrum of spirits and flavours by releasing B4.1 ‘Comforting coconut, bountiful banana’, a bourbon from a new distillery to the Society, based in Chicago.

As well as bottling single cask malt whiskies, the Society regularly explores different spirits such as rum and brandy. As with all of The Society’s whiskies, the releases are all single cask, limited edition releases and there only 114 bottles of its newest bourbon, B4.1 ‘Comforting coconut, bountiful banana’, available in the world.

From the Society’s Spicy & Sweet flavour profile, the 3-year-old bourbon was matured in a new charred oak cask which evokes a taste of coconut macaroons and Walnut Whips.

B4.1 ‘Comforting coconut, bountiful banana’ is the 16^th bourbon the Society has released to date and goes on-sale this Friday 5^th February.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Societyis an international whisky club which bottles the world’s widest selection of single cask, single malt whisky for its members. Membership costs £122 a year and is available at www.smws.com 

To find out more about the distillery in Chicago, read this interview with its founder on The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s blog:  

B4.1 ‘Comforting coconut, bountiful banana’

Flavour Profile: Spicy & sweet

Drinking Tip: Not a bad idea to try this with an ice cube or two.

Age: 3 years

Date Distilled: 11 May 2012

Outturn: 1 of 114 bottles (72 UK)

Cask: New charred oak

Region: Chicago

Alcohol: 62.6%

Bottle Price: £65

Colour: Fiery redhead

Full tasting notes:

The nose was welcoming, sweet and fruity – dried mango, corn candies, bubble gum, vanilla pastries and bountiful banana (banana chips, foamy banana, banana toffee); black pepper and liquorice in the background. The neat taste was ‘fierce’ and ‘explosive’, with quinine, tree bark and resins balancing coconut, cola cubes, red laces, cherry lips and Dandelion and Burdock. On the reduced nose, a charred element brought a frisson of danger and excitement to the sweet, homely aromas of white chocolate, toffee popcorn and pecan pie. The palate was more rounded and comforting – coconut macaroons and Walnut Whips fronting leather and willow twigs.

Only Society members can purchase bottles. To purchase membership for £122, please visit www.smws.com

Notes for Editors: 

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society  

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Societyreleases new whiskies for its members each month
• The Society bottles the finest single malt whisky from around 350 single casks every year from a range of more than 132 distilleries. The very nature of the single cask means that each bottling offered by the Society is limited.
• The Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 26,000 members around the world with branches in 19 countries.
• Members can choose from the world’s widest selection of single cask, single malt whiskies with only the very best selected and approved by the Society’s respected Tasting Panel.
• Exclusive Members’ Rooms are located in Edinburgh and London for tastings, dinners, meeting and presentations.
• Annual renewal after the first year is £61.50
• For more information, visit www.smws.com

Dear Society Members,

Hope you have all had a lovely week and starting to wind down for the weekend! We’ve been very busy here and have just finished sampling some delicious food from Donald in The Tasting Room which may end up on the menu for the Malts Festival Dinner – it’s a hard job but somebody’s got to do it!

With that being said, Mairi has passed me the line up for the festival – here’s what she has to say…

As you may know, the Campbeltown Malts Festival will take place from Wednesday 18th – Friday 20th May 2016 and for the third year running, Campbeltown’s three distilleries will team up to host events in celebration of the whiskies produced at Springbank, Glengyle and Glen Scotia. Please find further details below including the bookable events for each day of the festival:

Wednesday 18th May 2016

On the first day of the festival, there will be a range of events taking place including an exclusive Springbank Society Tasting, the Glen Scotia Open Day and a dinner at Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery, with additional events to be confirmed.

Springbank Society Tasting (11:30am)

For the fourth year running, we will be holding an exclusive tasting for Springbank Society Members to attend, for free, on the Wednesday. To ensure this does not clash with any of Glen Scotia’s Open Day tastings, the Society Tasting will take place at 11:30am in the Malt Barns at Springbank Distillery.

The format will be similar to the 2013 and 2015 tastings with Society Members getting the opportunity to chose what the Autumn Society bottling will be this year. The Society Tasting will be limited to a maximum of 60 people and places are likely to fill up very quickly so please email mairi@springbankwhisky.com or call +44 (0) 1586 55 2009 asap to book your spot and make sure you don’t miss out.

Glen Scotia Open Day – Start time TBC

For the second year, Glen Scotia Distillery will be holding their Open Day on the Wednesday of the Campbeltown Malts Festival. The distillery will be hosting tours and tastings as well as launching their 3rd Distillery only Single Cask on the Open Day. They are planning other activities for the day and also over the other two days of the festival so please look out for regular announcements on the Glen Scotia website (www.glenscotia.com) and their Facebook / Twitter pages.

Dinner at Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery

To celebrate the upcoming official 12 year old release of Kilkerran Single Malt, this year our special dinner will be held at Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery on Wednesday 18th May 2016 at 7pm.

On arrival to Glengyle Distillery, you will sample a selection of whiskies, hand drawn from the cask. You will be asked to vote for your favourite sample and, at the end of the evening, you will receive your own 70cl bottle from the most popular cask.

Following this, you will be greeted with a champagne reception alongside a range of locally sourced canapés.

You will then be led to our dinner location to enjoy a four course meal with a specially selected wine to accompany each course.

To conclude your unique evening, each guest will be presented with their own exclusive 70cl hand drawn bottle, chosen earlier in the evening from a selection of casks sampled.

During the evening, staff from Springbank, Glengyle and Cadenhead’s will be present to chat to and enjoy a few drams with.

The cost of the dinner is £250.00 per person and payment is required upon booking to secure your place.

Numbers are limited to 40 people so please book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

There will be a set menu so please advise us of any dietary requirements you have when booking.

To book your place, please email mairi@springbankwhisky.com or call +44 (0) 1586 55 2009.

Thursday 19th May 2016

Springbank Open Day (from 11am)

As always, the Springbank Open Day will take place on the second day of the Campbeltown Malts Festival and will include a range of activities including free distillery tours, a range of tastings and masterclasses, local craft and food stalls, exclusive bottlings and the popular warehouse whisky bar, among lots of other activities including live music in the Malt Barns in the evening.

The tasting and masterclasses for the day are now available to book and details of each can be found below:

11:30am: Springbank Intimate Tasting: How wood influences our spirit (1 hour / 30 people max / £25 per person, includes Glencairn glass)

12:30pm: The Distillery Manager’s Springbank Warehouse Tasting (45 mins / 25 people max / £20 per person)

12:45pm Kilkerran Mini Masterclass: Trio of Single Casks (30 minutes / 60 people max / £15 per person, includes Glencairn glass)

1:30pm: Springbank Masterclass: New and Forthcoming Releases (1 hour / 60 people max / £25 per person, includes Glencairn glass)

2:30pm:  The Distillery Manager’s Springbank Warehouse Tasting (45 mins / 25 people max / £20 per person)

2:45pm:  Springbank Intimate Tasting: Favourites from the past (1 hour / 30 people max / £25 per person, includes Glencairn glass)

3:45pm: Cadenhead Masterclass: Cask Samples & Current Bottlings (1 hour / 60 people max / £25 per person, includes Glencairn glass)

4:30pm: The Distillery Manager’s Springbank Warehouse Tasting (45 mins / 25 people max / £20 per person)

The 12:45pm Kilkerran Mini Masterclass, 1:30pm Springbank Masterclass and 3:45pm Cadenhead Masterclass will take place in the Malt Barns at Springbank Distillery (meet at the Malt Barns 10 minutes before tasting begins).

The 11:30am and 2:45pm Springbank Intimate Tastings will take place in Warehouse 10, Springbank’s newest warehouse (meet at the Distillery Office 10 minutes before tasting begins).

The 12:30pm, 2:30pm and 4:30pm Distillery Manager’s Springbank Warehouse Tastings will take place in Warehouse 3 at Springbank Distillery (meet at the Distillery Office 10 minutes before tasting begins).

To book any of the above tastings or masterclasses or for more information, please email mairi@springbankwhisky.com or call +44 (0) 1586 55 2009. Please note that payment will be required to confirm booking.

Friday 20th May 2016

The final day of the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2016 will be dedicated to Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery and Cadenhead’s Independent Bottler.

To celebrate the first official 12 year old release from Kilkerran Single Malt (which will be released in August 2016 and unfortunately not available to purchase beforehand), we are holding a few events at Glengyle Distillery to mark the occasion, where the first official tasting of this product will take place. In addition, we will also have some Cadenhead tastings and a ‘Lucky Dip Bar’ during the day.

Friday events will kick off at 10am with the first Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting of the day. This will be hosted by Mark Watt and take place in one of the traditional warehouses at Springbank Distillery. The cost will be £30 per person and will include a Cadenhead glass.

At 11am we will open the gates to Glengyle Distillery where there will be hourly free tours of the distillery, local food stalls and local musicians providing a background sound to the day. We will also have a Cadenhead ‘Lucky Dip’ bar set up with lots of Cadenhead

whiskies available to taste (Mark already has some samples looked out which take up half his office!!)

At 12 noon, we will be holding a Kilkerran Masterclass where we will look back and taste a selection of 6 whiskies from the Work in Progress series, concluding with the EXCLUSIVE FIRST TASTE of Kilkerran 12yo whisky. The cost will be £25 per person and will include a Kilkerran glass.

At 2pm, we will have a Question & Answer session with an expert panel who are, or have been, involved with the build, running or promoting of the distillery. The panel will be ready to answer any questions you have and it will be the ideal opportunity to ask any questions you’ve always been afraid to! You will also be treated to 3 drams throughout the session, including an EXCLUSIVE sample of the upcoming Kilkerran 12yo whisky. The cost of the Q&A session is £10 per person.

Events at Glengyle, including the Cadenhead Lucky Dip Bar, food and music will conclude at 3.30pm and at this time, there will be a second Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting taking place back at Springbank Distillery. Again, this will cost £30 per person and will include a Cadenhead glass.

Additional features may be added to the Friday events including something in the evening but more information will be available on this as soon as we have it finalised.

As a summary, the events now available for booking on Friday 20th May 2016 are:

10am: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting with Mark Watt (1 hour / 30 people max / £30 per person, includes Cadenhead glass)“

12 noon: Reflection on the Kilkerran Work in Progress series (6 whiskies), including EXCLUSIVE FIRST TASTING of Kilkerran 12yo whisky (1 hour / 60 people max / £25 per person, includes Kilkerran glass)

2pm:  Question & Answer Session with expert panel, including EXCLUSIVE FIRST TASTING of Kilkerran 12yo whisky (1 hour / 60 people max / £10 per person)

3:30pm: Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting with Mark Watt (1 hour / 30 people max / £30 per person, includes Cadenhead glass)

If you would like to book onto any of the tastings or events listed above then please let me know as soon as possible. You can email me to mairi@springbankwhisky.com or call me on +44 (0) 1586 55 2009. Just a reminder – payment will be required upon booking so please be aware of this when emailing or calling and I look forward to hearing from many of you soon!

Local Barley & Springbank 12yo Cask Strength

I am now taking reservations for the Local Barley & Springbank 12yo Cask Strength. It goes without saying that these will sell out fast so e-mail me quickly to make sure you don’t miss out. As usual, one bottle per person on a first come, first serve basis.

Springbank 16Y/O Local Barley 54.3% £95.00 – no discount applicable

Nose; Initially Sweet and briny before notes of butter shortbread, vanilla, pear drops and raisin develop.

Palate; Sweet and rounded with a very subtle peat influence combining with butter tablet, soft fruit and mineral notes.

Finish; A long evolving finish with notes reminiscent of our earthy dunnage warehouses. The peat is slightly more prominent and integrates well with lighter notes of candy and lemon zest.

Springbank 12Y/O Cask St 54.1% £47.00 – £42.30 with discount

Nose; Classic Springbank with aromas of our damp dunnage warehouses alongside parma violets, vanilla and cocoa. Plenty of fruit too with prominent notes of pear and candied fruits.

Palate; Bold and beautifully rounded. Vanilla and pepper notes are present alongside stewed apples, pear drops, orange marmalade and tropical fruits.

Finish; Peaty embers influence this characteristically long finish which also reveals notes of liquorice, oak and salted caramel.

Blog updates

If you’ve logged into the society blog recently, you’ll notice that I’ve been putting a post up on Friday afternoons. So, if you haven’t done so already, please sign yourself up to become a member. Just incase you don’t have them to hand, here are the steps of joining the blog 

• Click on the ‘Society’ tab along the top of the page

• Click on the ‘Confirm Log-In Details’ orange tab

• Please enter all the information that is required

• Once you have submitted this information, a notification should be displayed to tell you that an email has been sent to your given email address and it will ask you to verify this email address

• Please open this email in your email account and click the link to verify your email • Once you have done this, I will receive a notification informing me that a new member has signed up to the website so I will then activate your account for online use

• When your account has been activated, you will be able to read all news stories in the Society section. To log in, just click the ‘Log-In to Society News’ tab where you will just be asked to enter your username and password for access.

Previous Society Bottles available

There are some previous Society bottles available, please see the list of what’s on offer below. Get in touch with me if you would like purchase any of the bottles – society@springbankwhisky.com.

Slainte,

Julie

For Springbank Society

To join the Springbank Society please contact Janet at society@springbankwhisky.com

Macallan 25 year old Platinum Old and Rare

Beware: This price might blow you away!  A single cask Macallan whisky bottled at 44.8% volume. Distilled in 1989 and bottled in 2014, it’s a sweet, smooth and rounded Macallan whisky with a soft, lingering finish.  One of only 188 bottles. Was £560. Save £191
In stock and available for immediate delivery.

£369 Click to buy

Over the last decade LVMH, the company that owns both Ardbeg and Glenmorangie distilleries, has earned a stellar reputation for its annual limited releases. The Ardbeg Alligator, Supernova, and Rollercoaster releases were all met with immense customer excitment, as were Glenmorangie’s Artein, Tusail, and Ealanta editions. The track record of LVMH’s head of whisky creation Dr. Bill Lumsden is pristine and each time one of his new single malt creations shows up at K&L we sell out within days, if not hours. We’re happy to announce the arrival of 2016’s Glenmorangie Private Edition: the Milsean. Aged in special wine-treated casks, the flavor profile is based entirely on Dr. Bill’s childhood love of candy. It’s a nostalgic attempt to recreate that fruity, slighty-rich character of old time sweets, and it’s extremely limited. Grab a bottle while we still have them!

Glenmorangie “Milsean” Private Edition Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($99.99)

From the distillery: “Glenmorangie Milsean (Scots Gaelic for ‘sweet things’ and pronounced ‘meel-shawn’) is a single malt whisky full of intense candied fruit flavours and mouth-watering sweetness. It has been created from Glenmorangie, matured in ex-bourbon casks, and then extra-matured in former wine casks, re-toasted for the purpose. This distinctive cask preparation replicates something of the moreish sweetshop flavours in a single malt whisky. It is the seventh annual release in our multi-award-winning and always intriguing Private Edition range. And Glenmorangie Milsean, with its remarkable sweetshop allusions, may be the most intriguing of them all.”

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com/
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Glenfarclas 1967 Family Casks Release W15

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

 $1,079.79

Glenfarclas 1967 Family Casks Release Winter 2015 Speyside single malt Scotch whiskey. Single cask sherry butt #6356 bottled August 2015. 520 bottles. Glenfarclas Distillery was established by Robert Hay in Speyside in 1836. John Grant purchased Glenfarclas in 1865 and it has remained in the ownership of the Grant family ever since. The interior of the visitor centre is stunning, the walls are lined with the original oak panels salvaged from a lounge on the liner SS Empress of Australia when she was scrapped 1952. Ace sherry casks underpin the ethos of Glenfarclas malt whisky, having released its first cask strength single malt way back in 1968 and in 1973 became the third to open a distillery visitor centre. Glenfarclas Distillery participates in the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

PASSPORT COLLABORATES WITH STREET ARTIST FOR FIRST GLOBAL #URBANARTPROJECT

Passport, the unconventional Scotch whisky, has partnered with rising star of the UK urban art scene, Jim Vision, to create the #UrbanArtProject as it looks to consolidate its rapid growth¹ among young adults in emerging markets such as Brazil, Mexico, Angola and Central Europe

Passport challenged Jim Vision to capture the free-spirited and colourful essence of the brand using street art on a single canvas. Known for his bold compositions and high level of detail, Jim was given the freedom to experiment with different materials to express his interpretation of what Passport means to him; the result is a striking piece of street art that forms the basis of the #UrbanArtProject campaign.

The campaign has been brought to life through a limited edition bottle with standout shelf-appeal. Wrapped in Jim’s original artwork, the Passport Scotch #UrbanArtProject limited edition bottle is set to engage with millennial consumers in five markets, including Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria and Poland from this month.

Mark Thorne, Passport Global Brand Director, comments: “In 2015, Passport Scotch earned its position as the fastest growing blended Scotch that sells more than 200,000 cases per annum², which is confirmation of the great successes that we have seen in encouraging our consumers to unleash their curiosity and explore the world around them with Passport. Urban art is an integral part of our cities, so we see it as a natural fit for Passport Scotch as it really allows us to push the boundaries of creativity in the whisky category.

“After seeing Jim Vision’s work, we knew we wanted him to lead our first ever Passport Scotch Urban Art Project and we couldn’t be happier with the results. Jim’s creativity was allowed to flow without constraint, which resulted in this fantastic piece of art that brings our values to life and we hope it will continue to inspire our consumers in emerging markets around the world.”

Click here to watch the creation of the Passport Scotch #UrbanArtProject mural.

About Passport Scotch
Crafted for the first time in 1965, Passport is the unconventional blended Scotch whisky with an original taste profile and a fruity, creamy finish that is increasingly popular among millennial consumers in emerging Scotch markets around the world. The No.2 standard Scotch whisky in Brazil and performing strongly in Angola, Mexico, Spain, Portugal and Poland, Passport grew +20% in net sales to reach a record 1.7m cases in the year ending in June 2015 – helping to earn its position as the fastest growing blended Scotch that sells more than 200,000 cases per annum.

About Chivas Brothers
Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, the world’s co-leader in wines and spirits. Chivas Brothers’ award-winning portfolio features some of the world’s most revered Scotch whisky brands including Chivas Regal, the world’s first luxury whisky and the No.1 Scotch whisky in China; Ballantine’s, Europe’s No.1 Scotch whisky; The Glenlivet, the world’s No.1 single malt whisky; and Royal Salute, the world’s only exclusively prestige Scotch whisky range. The portfolio also includes two of the world’s leading English gins – Beefeater, the world’s most awarded premium gin, and Plymouth gin – plus a selection of highly acclaimed single malt whiskies, including Aberlour, Longmorn, Scapa, Strathisla and Tormore. The range is completed by a collection of blended Scotch whiskies operating in many of the world’s key whisky markets which includes 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport Scotch. www.chivaspirit.com

About Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is the world’s co-leader in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of € 8,558 million in 2014/15. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Kahlúa and Malibu liqueurs, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, Graffigna and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of approximately 18,000 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 “Brand Companies” and 80 “Market Companies” established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index. www.pernod-ricard.com

Glenmorangie Milsean – sweet drams are made of this

Launched in 2010, Glenmorangie’s Private Edition series has given a home to the experiments Dr Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s director of distilling and whisky creation, had been carrying out on a smaller scale for many years. Starting with what Dr Bill described as a ‘safe bet’, Sonnalta was the first incarnation, finished in Pedro Ximénez casks. These were followed by increasingly experimental cask types: Finealta (lightly peated whisky aged in a combination of sherry and virgin-oak casks), Artein (Italian red wine), Ealanta (virgin oak) and Companta (French red wine), while last year’s Tùsail veering away from the usual theme, with the focus on the variety of barley. For 2016, things have returned to 2014’s theme, with the use of red-wine casks, this time from Portugal – introducing Glenmorangie Milsean.

Dr Bill Lumsden at the launch of the seventh Glenmorangie Private Edition – Milsean

Dr Bill’s inspiration behind the seventh Private Edition was to create a whisky reminiscent of the flavours you’d find in a sweet shop. The packaging is styled on a striped sweet bag, the name Milsean is Gaelic for ‘sweet things’, and at the launch we were treated to a goody bag in the truest sense – pick ‘n’ mix, to help us pick out flavours in the whisky. The casks used formerly held Portuguese red wine, and were toasted in Scotland with a live flame to bring out the sweeter notes in the wood. A total of 269 barriques were filled with bourbon-cask-aged Glenmorangie which, as per the other previous cask-finished releases, is similar in style to the 10 Year Old Original recipe.

Brendan McCarron, Dr Bill Lumsden’s successor in waiting

This year’s Private Edition is notable for being the first major Glenmorangie project for Brendan McCarron, who has assumed part of Dr Bill’s role as head of maturing whisky stocks, and is set to eventually succeed him. One of his first jobs was to assess samples from the 269 barriques. The intention was to finish the whisky in the casks for five years, but after two and a half, it became apparent that it was at its peak and in danger of going too far. The final blend of 154 barriques was therefore removed from wood as soon as was practical and married in a vat for the final six months before it was bottled in October last year. Thus Milsean became the 2016 release, rather than the 2018 as originally envisaged.

Previous Private Editions have had mixed reviews from Jim Murray, ranging from the 70s to 97.5 points and title of World Whisky of the Year for Ealanta in 2014. The early marrying of this year’s release allowed him time to try it for the 2016 Whisky Bible, awarding it 94 points. Here’s what I thought:

Glenmorangie Milsean, 46%

Nose: Overtly fruity and sweet in character with orange, dolly mixtures and lemon sherbet.

Palate: Warm and spicy at first sip, then the sweet fruit comes through, with cherry, mango, plum, orange, grapefruit, lemon sherbet, coconut and ginger all complementing the oily texture.

Finish: Medium in length, with the fruitiness only superseded by ginger spice at the very finale.

Comment: Another excellent Private Edition release, the wine casks have added an exceptional amount of fruitiness. It is very sweet, but this is tempered by the spicy ginger also present.

Glenmorangie Milsean is now available from The Whisky Exchange, priced at £75.95. If you like sweeter styles of whisky, this is definitely one for you.

TPS PRIVATE BARRELS

Knob Creek TPS Barrel #1726 ($34.99) – Here’s a big, rich, oily barrel of Bourbon. Heather and Tiernan chose this pick for its richness and depth, but also the fact that it’s not a heat monster. Add a little ice and sip it neat on a cold winter day.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked #1425 ($57.99) – Woodford has officially suspended its Private Barrel Program ☹. However, this is the first of our last three Double Oaked Private Barrels we were able to sneak in! It’s a particularly delightful bourbon; full bodied, rich caramel and brulee flavors abound, it’s oh so smooth going down and the finish just keeps on going.

Four Roses OBSF #81-15 ($59.99) – Five of us went down to Four Roses to taste ten barrels blind (meaning we didn’t know ages, recipes, or warehouse locations for any of the barrels prior to tasting). This was the last barrel we tried, and after we did, all of our eyes locked, there was a soft glow of sunlight that filled the room, and somewhere in the distance an other-worldly choir sang joyfully. Maybe that’s an exaggeration, but we did agree unanimously that this barrel was going home with us. It’s 11 years 6 months old, 104 proof at full cask strength, and atypical for an OB (read high rye) recipe. This is a light, elegant, and floral bottle with a lot of finesse and grace.

While we’re waiting for our next round of barrels to show up, we thought you might enjoy these pics from our recent visit to Jim Beam.