A Slow Pour – Time to Relax

A Slow Pour – Time to Relax

Hello, sippers! I hope you are all keeping well in these challenging times, you and your loved ones are healthy, and your financial situations are secure.

I decided I would hop on today with the thought there may be a fair number of you confined to your homes and may be lacking things to do… Let’s share a slow pour – it’s time to relax…

To those of you who know my dad and me, you’ll know that we both enjoy our bourbon, and we strive to post at least three reviews a week (one from him, two from yours truly) amidst casual sipping.

Surprisingly, for us, there has been a lack of those reviews, and I do want to assure you that those goals are not abandoned and more reviews are coming. Not only have there been a lack of reviews written, but we haven’t been partaking in casual pours and sips so much either, especially since my younger sister was dismissed from university early, due to the virus. Naturally, there has been a fair amount of chaos, confusion, and stress regarding her unanticipated return, change in status to permanent stay, and what the rest of her semester is going to look like.

However, adjustments have been slowly made and as she goes to resume her classes and studies online, the family has been falling into a routine of sorts. My dad still is working, and the rest of the family is at home. We still get groceries. We watch YouTube and have the Pandora app on our Blu-Ray.

There’s also been a lot of game playing! Whether it’s Scrabble or Go Fish or Rummy 500, we’ve found ways to entertain ourselves. Last night, our bird even flew from her cage to join the whole family for a game of UNO. (That’s her on the table below.)

A Slow Pour - Time to Relax

It is during such games when my dad and I feel the most comfortable pouring a dram and sitting back to enjoy the moment. The atmosphere is light; we’re laughing; we’re having FUN.

I am by no means a trained medical doctor or psychologist, but should you reach for a pour in these times, please make it a happy experience. Turn off the news for a moment, get off social media, set down the phone, and put on an old family favorite movie. For us, it was Vin Diesel’s The Pacifier even though my sister and I are both in our twenties, and yes, we still laughed a bunch. Test your skills at an old video game! We’ve been playing a lot of golf and Frisbee golf on our ancient Wii from 2007 that miraculously still works. And lots of Mario Kart too.

Yes, I realize that this post isn’t intensely whiskey related, rather whiskey influenced. Whether it is a pandemic or not, whiskey should always, in my book, be a relaxing and responsible “pause” button where you can enjoy the moment and the company. And it seems to me that many of us are in great need of a pause. So dig out what I call an “old friend bottle” (Eagle Rare, Dry Fly 101, and Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch are always reliable for me) or maybe allow yourself to reach for that unicorn you’ve been saving. Enjoy a contented and peaceful pause – not a panicked and stressed one.

Keep the pours slow, and make sure you have plenty of laughter to go along with them, whether it’s with the immediate family you’re isolated with, or at your pet’s antics, or at one of the many comedians on Netflix. I think you’ll find plenty of things to laugh about, and who knows? You may even make some great memories to look back on once this is all over!

Leave us a reply to tell us what you’ve been up to and what lucky whiskey you’ve been taking your pauses with! Any good games or movies you’ve been playing and watching to go along with your pour? Let us know!

A Slow Pour – Time to Relax

Written by Hannah Dawson

WhiskeyfortheAges.com editor

Featured Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Unsplash

Others in the Slow Pour Series:
A Slow Pour – The Empty Bottle
A Slow Pour – Time Capsules

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Whiskey Reviews

Revisit those First Whiskeys

Revisit those First Whiskeys – They’ll Help Keep you Grounded.

Years ago when I traveled for business, one such trip landed me in Louisville, KY.  The schedule of activities for the three day conference was quite tight and the days were full of information and instruction.   To wind down each evening, the event promoters had a catered Bourbon Trail set up in one of the hotel ballrooms for us to enjoy as we networked.

Up ’til then my whiskey experience had been limited to university days (nothing of substance from which to draw) so I got to learn a bit from the hosts. Samples of basic Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Maker’s Mark, Woodford Reserve, and a couple of others were offered.  On the plane home, I remember thinking I could get attached to bourbon.  Maker’s and Four Roses had really impressed me. But, as the world continued to turn, other pursuits had more gravity.

As time went by, a couple of friends and I began planning a multi-day back-packing and fly fishing adventure deep into Idaho’s “Frank Church River of No Return” wilderness area.  There would be plenty of water along the way, but no means of refrigeration and carrying a sufficient supply of the typical adult beverage wouldn’t be practical.  I remembered the business trip and decided bourbon would be something I could enjoy each evening as we wound down around the fire.

Frank Church Wilderness map found on MyTopo.com

Now I’d enjoyed a pour (or two) of Buffalo Trace on other outings, but I felt some research was in order, as I really didn’t know much about bourbon (and I wanted bring something which would enhance the adventure).  So with a desire to learn, I headed to the nearby liquor store to get my education.  There I met Adam who soon became my expert (see “How to Pick A Whiskey“).  I had much to learn.  Fortunately I had several months to devote to the task.

With Adam’s help, I began with middle tier bourbons, forsaking those on the bottom shelves.  Soon I had a small collection of common offerings: Buffalo Trace, Elijah Craig Small Batch, Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey 101, and as I was a newbie, all in 375 ml bottles. (Cost was a factor and I was still reluctant to spend money on something I might not like.)  Each night while preparing dinner on the grill, I would assess two offerings, working through the bunch, finding “my profile” much like an optometrist fits for glasses (“A or B”, “2 or 3”).

From my original four, I found Maker’s good and Elijah Craig better.  Then Adam convinced me to spend a bit more, and Eagle Rare and Four Roses Small Batch came home for trials.  Along the way, my experiment expanded and others were tried. Some failed to impress and others shined.  My palate was developing.  Adam asked if I was ready for some heat, recommending Colonel Taylor Small Batch (my first Bottled-in-Bond bourbon), Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, and Old Forester 1920.  They each have become regulars in my bunker.

My bourbon journey was well underway and soon I had three solid options from which to choose for the wilderness adventure: Eagle Rare, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, and Old Forester 1920 – Yes, all have very different profiles, yet I found all most enjoyable in their own unique way.  And I knew the amber liquid would be simple to transfer into easy to carry 8 oz. stainless steel flasks I now had in my collection.

Revisit those First Whiskeys

Flask photo taken by Brian Dawson

But this article was written to revisit those first whiskeys and stay grounded, not a history lesson nobody but me cares about.  Fast forward to present day … … …

Hannah, my fellow WhiskeyfortheAges.com editor and reviewer, is diligently working on her whiskey review list.  As she works through my originals, I figured there was an opportunity to circle back and revisit those first whiskeys which had fallen to newfound options.  In addition, some of my early notes were really lacking – largely due to inexperience … I just didn’t know what I was tasting back then … but I had discovered the basics of what I liked.

Amazingly, as I sipped the various bourbons Hannah was reviewing, I noticed my nose and palate picked up far more aromas and flavors than I had jotted down in those original notes.  All are better than I remembered and Elijah Craig was much better than my notes had indicated.  Because my senses have matured, certain aromas and flavors are now easier to identify.  I’ve come to enjoy this bourbon adventure even more and it has made sipping this wonderful nectar even more delectable.

Interestingly enough, my profile has remained fairly consistent with those first few months of tasting and testing:  I liked the earthy, sweet and oaky bourbons back then; I still prefer big, bold, high proof bourbons which are earthy, have traces of fruits and nuts, and are sweet and full of oak now.  Today, some of those originals are daily sippers in my bunker and they’re close at hand for times when I feel like visiting with an old friend: Elijah Craig Small Batch, Eagle Rare and Four Roses Small Batch, Colonel Taylor Small Batch, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, and Old Forester 1920.

So here’s my recommendation … Consider taking a hint from my these pages – Revisit those first whiskeys.  See how they compare to what you are drinking now.  You might find a new old favorite.

Please click the ‘Leave a Reply’ button below to share your first whiskeys and how they have influenced your whiskey journey. Cheers!

Written by Brian Dawson

WhiskeyfortheAges.com editor

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Featured image taken from MyTopo.com

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 Review

Hannah’s Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 Review

Original review written March 10, 2020

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 Review: A bourbon I hadn’t had in a while, I forgot how much I enjoy this, with spiciness and baking sweets consistently making me excited for the next sip. 90/100

VITALS:
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 Review

– Made: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Small Batch
– Age: 12 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Corn=75%; Rye=13%; Malted Barley=12%
– Casks: undisclosed char
– Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
– ABV: 66.7% (133.4 proof)
– Price: $59.95 USD in Idaho

Visit heavenhill.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

This bourbon makes me want to visit the salt flats in the Andes Mountain Range – light and free, but simultaneously deep and rich. The air is cool, but charged and the world’s wonders seem impossible to contemplate in such a pure atmosphere.

Photo by Christopher Crouzet on Unsplash

NOSE:

I’m met with a velvety soft, sugary warmth that screams bourbon right off the bat. Gentle caramel and black pepper combine with a roasted corn-on-the-cob element, with the alcohol surprisingly not being too aggressive.

There’s a little bit of maybe grapefruit, but it’s barely there, and I struggle to sense any other fruits. I can pull brown sugar, graham crackers, maple and perhaps vanilla taffy. Oak is here too, but I’d say that it’s a bit masked by all of these baking-esque flavors.

PALATE:
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 Review

– Mouth Feel: This is very oily and viscous, perhaps among the most oily bourbons I have ever tasted, which is certainly impressive.
– Balance: Only the slightest bit heavy on salt. Otherwise, this is a solid blend.
– Visual: Burnt amber in color, and the numerous thick legs drop pretty quickly.

– Taste: The alcohol hits hard initially; however, it is quickly overtaken by a grassy sensation that then melts into cherries. The grassy aspect has a black pepper influence to it that makes it interesting.

I find rye, both as a raw grain and also as a yeasty bread that could have some dried fruits (fig?) embedded in it. In this sense, B518 seems quite hardy and something I’d like to munch on.

I get a nuttiness as well, maybe like cashews – salted at that, as there is a mouth-watering component here akin to how I’d feel after eating some potato chips (obviously just the sensation – not the flavor).

The cherries have not faded, and they mix well with fresh cut oak still retaining its moisture.

As for baking sweets mentioned from the nose, I can taste mostly just light maple syrup and brown sugar. The vanilla and caramel are a bit more subdued now, but nevertheless, these flavors make for an enjoyable pour!

A Kentucky chew kicks the black pepper and saltiness into high gear, which solidifies the aged and intense character of this bourbon.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Definitely long, with the spices and warmth both contributing to a lingering sensation in my mouth and chest. It CAN come back unexpectedly to give you an unwanted and powerful Kentucky hug, so be careful!
– Between Sips: Saltiness, cherries, oak and black pepper wait at the end of each sip, and I have nothing to complain about.

– No More: The bourbon becomes a solid warmth with only hints of spices and cherry flavors the further into the glass I get. It could be more flavorful, I suppose, but I never mind a traditional feel-good bourbon warmth.

The empty Glencairn is an unassuming oak that is aged and full of warmth and with a story all of its own to tell.

COMPARISON NOTES:

I experimented with this bourbon a bit, and pit it up against other tri-annual iterations of Barrel Proof batches: A118 and C917. B518 was my second favorite, with C917 being my favorite of the three.

WORTH THE PRICE?

I think that $60 is a fair price for this bourbon, but I’m hesitant to say that it is worth being priced much higher. It may be difficult to find now (2020); however, if you are able to find it, I do recommend the purchase.

RATING: 90/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 90/100 to access other whiskeys with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Elijah Craig.

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