Author: whiskeyfortheages

Stagg Jr Batch #11 Review

Posted on by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Stagg Jr Batch #11 Review

written on 16-June-2019

STAGG JR BATCH #11 REVIEW:

Stagg Jr Kentucky Straight Bourbon Batch 11 (Stagg Jr B11) is entirely enjoyable. After the first several sips, my mouth waters each time the Glencairn is brought to the nose and mouth which makes me want more!

STAGG JR BATCH 11 VITAL STATS:
Stagg Jr Batch #11 Review

– Batch 11, (Released* in the Winter of 2018)
– Category: Small Batch Bourbon
– Region: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Buffalo Trace
– Mashbill: Buffalo Trace Mashbill #1 (low rye <10% rye)
– Cask: New charred oak
– Barrel Char: #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– Age: nas (but recognized as a blend of 8- to 9-year-old barrels)
– ABV: 63.95% (127.9 Proof)
– Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered
– Price: $52.95 USD in Idaho

Learn more at https://buffalotracedistillery.com/

*NOTE: Buffalo Trace releases batches of Stagg Jr sporadically throughout the year. Batch numbers are not written on bottles so the only way to tell which batch is on the shelf in your local store is to check the ABV/Proof numbers.

Check the The Bourbon Exchange website for information on other Stagg Jr batches.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I drank this spirit neat, from a Glencairn glass.

NOSE:

Initially, Stagg Jr B11 presents with an ethanol nose then settles to a light alcohol burn. Subsequent nosings find sweet light fruit and sweet sherry with a hint of crushed mint leaves. The mouth waters when Maraschino cherry cola, cinnamon and light vanilla hit the nose and then blend into an amazingly sweet concoction of brown sugar, caramel, honey, maple syrup, toffee and light molasses. Further nosing coaxes out sensations of pecans and light oak.

PALATE:

After the initial fiery burn in the throat and stomach subsides, a pleasing warmness of light fruit sherry settles in. The mouth salivates to flavours of dark red berries, raisins and more cherry cola. Fitting spices of cinnamon and pepper blend into subtle bittersweet chocolate and light vanilla. The juice’s sweet brown sugar, maple syrup and toffee are a perfect match to the regal woodiness of almonds and toasted sweet old oak.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
After the initial swallow, the bourbon’s 128 proof has little burn … but yet just enough to let one know this is not one with which to be trifled. It is at once mouthwatering, viscous on the palate and has a nice effervescent tickle. In the Glencairn short thin legs slip quickly back into the mahogany and henna tinged reservoir.

FINISH:

Stagg Jr B11’s finish is pleasant, exceptionally long and has a lastingly warming bite. The cherry cola sensed on the nose and palate are accompanied by ginger, vanilla and old leather. As the dram is emptied, lingering seasoned oak wafts from the Glencairn.

MY RATING: 90/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

Click 90/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Stagg.

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Basil Hayden’s Bourbon Review

Posted on by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Basil Hayden’s Bourbon Review

Original review written November 23, 2019

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Booker’s is one of my favorite veins of bourbon. Given that Basil’s is Booker’s little brother under Jim Beam, I was excited for this. But man, this was a let-down and disappointment. 68/100

VITALS:
Basil Hayden's Bourbon Review

– Made in: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Jim Beam Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Age: 8 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Corn=63%; Rye=27%; Malted Barley=10%
– Casks: Char #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
– ABV: 40% (80 proof)
– Price: $39.95 USD in Idaho

Visit beamsuntory.com/en 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:

It’s planting season and the skies are murky and gray with an impending thunderstorm. You’re out in the middle of a vast plot of fertile land, surrounded by churned earth, prepared for growth.

Photo by Ethan Air on Unsplash

NOSE:

Heavy rye and yeast on even the first inhale, leading me to think of rye bread. There’s a smoke component here as well, backing up some bitter chestnuts. At only 80 proof, an experienced whiskey drinker CANNOT get hurt on the nose, no matter how much you provoke it. (Note: I am still waiting for my glass to warm.)

I also get black pepper and must which leads up to this ominous feeling akin to dark beer (like a porter). There’s maybe a dark molasses for sweetness, but it seems a little off.

It doesn’t smell like a tradition bourbon to me BUT it does smell like Jim Beam. Confusing… All in all, not my flavor profile for sure, but I’m open to it at this juncture.

PALATE:
Basil Hayden's Bourbon Review

– Mouth Feel: That’s water. Not cool, Jim. Not. Cool.
– Balance: I’d say average. I’m not blown away.
– Visual: Tawny colored with droplets that quickly morph to short, short-lived legs.

– Taste: Honestly, the mouth feel is very hard for me to get around. There’s just no grip. And I think this then makes the bourbon very bland to me. There is earth here, but it’s like dirt. Just a neutral flavor that leaves me pretty bored.

The time between sips is the most exciting, as there are at least some wood chips that stick around in the most mild of ways. But there is no warmth or richness to keep it company.

A Kentucky chew (with a BIG sip) earns the most flavor, with black pepper and a touch of caramel. But it’s gone in a second. I credit the departure to the mouth feel and low proof.

I’m not mad… just disappointed.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: I’m sad to say that there is none. I get a wood chip and dirt in the smallest quantity…

– No More: Searching for a fruit the further I get into the glass, if I squint, I might see a golden delicious apple that’s chopped and had its flavor baked out of it. That sounds disparaging, but that’s me throwing it a bone. Only attainable with a Kentucky chew.

This bourbon improves dramatically as you go. But it started at basically zero and even with its improvements, it is nowhere near the $40 price tag in quality.

The empty Glencairn brings the alcohol a bit more forward, but the oak is STILL subtle.

This isn’t a bad bourbon, but it just doesn’t quite make the grade (which would be a 70 for me). I’d give another variant of Basil Hayden’s a shot, but not this one.

WORTH THE PRICE?

No

RATING: 68/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 68/100 to access other whiskeys with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Basil Hayden.

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Oak & Eden Bourbon & Vine Cabernet Steeped Review

Posted on by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Oak & Eden Bourbon & Vine Cabernet Steeped Review

Original review written October 21, 2019

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

A cabernet steeped oak corkscrew sitting at the bottom of a bottle is just exciting. The cab is all over the nose, but the whiskey makes its balanced debut on the palate. Very pleased! Read my Oak & Eden Bourbon & Vine Cabernet Steeped Review here! 90/100

VITALS:
Oak & Eden Bourbon & Vine Cabernet Steeped Review

– Made in: Texas, USA
– Distiller: sourced (curated from notable distilleries across U.S., mainly MGP)*
– Classification: Small Batch finished bourbon whiskey
– Age: 2 yrs. in new oak barrels
– Mash Bill: Corn=60%; Rye=36%; Barley=4%*
– Casks: char undisclosed (spire char: medium toast*)
– Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
– ABV: 45% (90 proof)
– Batch #0002; Bottle #0624
– Availability: TX, OK, LA, CO, KY, MI, TN
– Price: $60.00 USD in Idaho
– Infusion: 5 inch long spiral cut piece of French oak. Spire rest in Marker Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon for 4-8 weeks before placed in the bottle*

*To learn more visit Oak & Eden website oakandeden.com

DISCLOSURE:

This bottle was kindly gifted to our Dawson household for reviewing purposes by Oak & Eden. While my father and I very gratefully and happily accept this bottle into the collection, the reviews and opinions of this spirit are honest and unbiased.

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 whiskey here!

SETTING:

Enjoyable at any time/place, this spirit likely shines that much more under the twinkling lights ornamenting a Christmas tree on Christmas day. The feast is being prepared and joyous warmth and love make the comfort of home potent and peaceful.

Photo by Євгенія Височина on Unsplash

NOSE:

The first several inhales bring about a very soft, velvety texture to the nose. The classic whiskey burn is not present, likely due to the cab’s disembodied present. The rich depth of a red wine, however, still manages to create a warming sensation on the nose that leaves me going back for more of that dark powerhouse of a grape. Never before have tannins been so apparent in a whiskey before.

Little spice is there (cloves?) which is somewhat surprising to me given the high rye content. This smells old, but in a “wizened-with-age” kind of way. VERY pleasant.

The oak is very present and in just the right capacity to marry together dark fruit whiskey flavors and chocolate to the regal cab grape.

Photo taken by Whiskey For the Ages

PALATE:

-Mouth Feel: Silk, velvet… any adjective for soft is applicable. Wine-like.
– Balance: Very balanced; all flavors are in just the right dose.
– Visual: A dark brown sherry color, there is a CLINGING crown with fat droplets that turn to clinging legs far beneath the crown.

– Taste: This spirit is just as soft as soft can be, especially in the mouth feel, but even the alcohol burn is gentle and dare I say, a bit snuggle. Dark fruits, such as the heavy wine graph, warm huckleberry and overripe plum just bloom.

The longer wait between sips transforms those fruits further into an explosive purple firework with pops of rich cloves to play off of.

A Kentucky chew reminds me further that this IS whiskey, but there is a brown sugar or gingerbread cookie element that accompanies an unaggressive black pepper heat. There also seems to be a twinge of salt that’s binded to another flavor I can’t quite put my finger on, but it so nicely puts a bow on the rest of the flavor package that I’m okay with a little unsolved mystery for once.

The oak is soft, again, just a lovely platform for the other flavors to spring from.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: The finish is not incredibly long, but the warmth sticks around just at the back of the throat. Otherwise, it’s relatively short.

– No More: The last sips are very reminiscent of the mouth feel of a wine, particularly a cabernet. The taste stays constant throughout the glass, and I’m not complaining.

The empty Glencairn smells of spicy oak, contrary to my initial guess of a round, wine cork-esque oak. Still enjoyable, but I’m a little sad at the loss of the full oak I was expecting.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Yes

RATING: 90/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 90/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.

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