Tag: Brian Dawson

Templeton 4 Year Old Rye

Posted on by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Templeton 4 Year Old Rye Review:

reviewed 11-January-2022

TEMPLETON 4 YEAR OLD RYE REVIEW:

Templeton 4 Year Old Rye (Templeton Rye) is the most gentle and quite possibly the simplest whiskey I’ve ever enjoyed, and yet enjoy I did. For someone with a beginners interest in whiskey, Templeton Rye would fit the bill as it is so mellow. This whiskey would lend itself to nearly any summer cocktail one might care to mix or invent. Templeton is not something I would reach for as frequent pour, but I look forward to a sip over ice while sitting on the porch this summer on a hot and sticky evening — maybe with a drizzle of honey and a dash of powdered ginger or some mashed blackberries and crushed mint.

TEMPLETON 4 YEAR OLD RYE VITAL STATS:
Templeton 4 Year Old Rye

Category: Rye Whiskey
Region: Templeton, Iowa
Distillery: MPG Inc.
Producer: Templeton Rye Spirits, LLC
Mash Bill: undisclosed, believed to be 95% rye and 5% barley
Barrel Char: undisclosed
Barrel entry proof: undisclosed
Age: 4 Year Old
ABV: 40% (80 Proof)
Price: $29.95 (Idaho, January 2022)
NABCA CSC #: 27102

Learn more at www.templetonrye.com.

TEMPLETON RYE BACKSTORY:

I must admit I am a sucker for a good story and Templeton Rye has both history and mystique. During prohibition, the area around Templeton, IA produced high quality rye whiskey. Speakeasies in and around Chicago, Kansas City and Omaha created the demand. Al Capone allegedly preferred Templeton Rye.

Years later, Templeton “re-introduced” Rye Whiskey with the claim its mash was “based on a prohibition-era recipe”. Now when one thinks rationally, it is unlikely there was a single distillate or process for making whiskey back in the 1920s. Other omissions got Templeton Rye Spirits in trouble as well. Labeling omitted the origin of the distillate. So in 2015, as a result of a class action settlement, the words “distilled in Indiana” replaced “Prohibition Era Recipe” and “small batch” on the label.

Templeton Rye is currently distilled and aged by MGP of Indiana. While the recipe may be shared with other brands, Templeton employs an “alcohol flavoring formulation” with the goal to make its whiskies taste like prohibition era rye. Later this year (2022) Templeton Rye Spirits, LLC hopes to begin bottling their own distillate.

ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:

Alternate pours, equaling about four ounces, were added into two Glencairns. Hannah and I enjoyed the rye neat for this review.

Check out her review for this rye here!

TEMPLETON 4 YEAR OLD RYE NOSE:

Templeton Rye seems dry and dusty as I bring it to my nose. There is no alcohol with which to contend, even with heavy draws. I sense the presence of rye, but sweetness is the most dominant trait. Brown sugared pastry, yellow cake, light vanilla, butterscotch candy, caramel and toffee are in nearly every sniff. At times I also sense some faint pecans and maybe a trace of light oak but in the end this is a sweet simple rye.

TEMPLETON 4 YEAR OLD RYE PALATE:

As on the nose, the first sip of Templeton Rye is dry. I sense (more than taste) nectarines with the warmth of ginger and white pepper. Most of the sweets noted earlier are gone but light vanilla and now honey come forward. There is still a little light oak but it seems a bit bitter. Like the nose, Templeton Rye is a simple tasting whiskey with little complexity.

Templeton 4 Year Old Rye

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Templeton Rye is mellow, smooth and easy to hold as I get no tickle on the tongue. After each sip the dregs fall quickly in thin broken legs back to the russet colored pool. Left behind is an irregularly spaced inverted crown.

TEMPLETON 4 YEAR OLD RYE FINISH:

Templeton 4 Year Old Rye has a short finish and offers only a little warmth of ginger in the throat. As each sip fades, I sense the nectarines, a bit of citrus and some soft honey which I feel coats any notes of oak which may remain. And when the last dram is downed, the sweetness of honey and a little oak are easy to draw from the empty Glencairn.

MY RATING: 80/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? NO
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

Click 80/100 to access other whiskies with this score.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
Templeton 4 Year Old Rye
Templeton 4 Year Old Rye

Back to …

Brian’s Whiskey Reviews
Individual Whiskey Reviews

Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Bourbon

Posted on by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Bourbon Review:

reviewed 28-December-2021

ELIJAH CRAIG TOASTED BARREL BOURBON REVIEW:

In my opinion, the Elijah Craig line of bourbons from Heaven Hill Distillery is a stalwart representation of the craft. From small batch shelf stock, and bold barrel proofs to Private Barrel Picks and a yet unreviewed 18 Year, their bourbon is no stranger to our home bar. So it was with great anticipation, we popped the cork on our Christmas bottle of Toasted Barrel Bourbon (ECTB). As stated on the label, this is Elijah Craig Small Batch finished in toasted new oak barrels. I am not disappointed and am happy to have another in the bunker.

ELIJAH CRAIG TOASTED BARREL BOURBON VITAL STATS:

Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in toasted oak barrels
Type: Small Batch Toasted Barrel
Region: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Distillery: Heaven Hill Bernheim Distillery
Mash Bill: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Barrel Char: #3
Barrel entry proof: 125
Age: nas
Non-chill filtered
ABV: 47% (94 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 17913
Price $54.95 (2021 in Idaho)

Twice barreled for added complexity, Toasted Barrel takes our award-winning Small Batch Bourbon to new heights. After it’s fully matured, we finish this Bourbon in a second, custom toasted new oak barrel, where it’s left to develop even more sweet oak flavor.

— ElijahCraig.com

Learn more at https://elijahcraig.com/toasted-barrel.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, alternating pours to equal four once review amounts went into two Glencairns. My daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

NOSE:

ECTB smells warm and inviting. While sweetness dominates the nose, I do get a trace of roasted corn and drying grain along with faint spices of powdered ginger, white pepper and rye. But sweet vanilla infused toasted graham stands out along with candy notes of Milky Way nougat and vanilla taffy. And there’s more — I also get butterscotch and sweet, buttery brown sugar syrup drizzled over toasted pecans. However the woody aromas are faint, simple and gentle even though ‘Toasted Barrel’ is emblazoned the label.

PALATE:

The first sip of ECTB is warm and easy to hold. I sense an herbalness of roasting corn and a few dark dried figs. Spices of dark cinnamon, cloves, and rye are faint as are sweet notes of bittersweet chocolate, some light vanilla, buttery brown sugar and a hint of honeycomb. But now comes the wood, first in the form of bitter hazelnuts, then with plenty of heavy, old oak and toasted barrel char. There’s also some earthy leather here too.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
As I hold ECTB on my palate while taking notes, my salivary glands go into overdrive making the liquid buttery and quite viscous. While the aromas are more sweet, the flavors are more woody … but the blended combination works. After each sip, a heavy sheet clings to the inside of the glass before breaking into fat legs transporting the whiskey back to the deep burnt amber colored pool. The only trace left behind by the sip is a ringed crown with just a few drops.

FINISH:

Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel has a warm medium-long finish. There is a bit of lingering roasted corn and grain mixed with dark fig, cloves and rye but other than a hint of dark molasses, the sweetness sensed on the nose and palate is all but gone. The finish is heavy old oak and char forward, but in no way harsh as a bit of leather fades away. And when the last dram is gone, dried oak plywood sawdust and buttered popcorn drifts from the empty Glencairn.

MY RATING: 88/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

Click 88/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Elijah Craig.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

Back to …

Brian’s Whiskey Reviews
Individual Whiskey Reviews

A Midwinter Nights Dram Act 9 Scene 4

Posted on by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s A Midwinter Nights Dram Act 9 Scene 4 Review:

reviewed 08-December-2021

HIGH WEST A MIDWINTER NIGHTS DRAM ACT 9 SCENE 4 RYE REVIEW:

Each fall, High West Distillery’s A Midwinter Nights Dram is a much sought after bottle. This year’s addition, Act 9 Scene 4 (MWND A9S4) is no exception and my first experience with both the offering and distillery. Admittedly, this is only my ninth rye, (a favorite enjoyed while on vacation went unreviewed). I was really looking forward to this pour. While I understand the passion for limited release whiskies, for me and my nose and palate, I feel a little let down.

HIGH WEST A MIDWINTER NIGHTS DRAM ACT 9 SCENE 4 RYE VITAL STATS:

Released: October 2021
Category: A blend of straight rye whiskeys, finished in port and French oak barrels.
Region: Wanship, UT
Distillery: High West Distillery (HWD)
Mash Bill: 95% rye, 5% barley malt from MGP Ingredients, Inc.
80% rye, 20% malted rye from HWD
Ratio of whiskeys: Top secret!
Barrel Char: undisclosed
Barrel entry proof: undisclosed
Barrels: Aged in new, charred, white American oak and finished in French oak port barrels
Filtration: Not chill-filtered, or carbon treated.
Age: undisclosed
ABV: 49.3% (98.6 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 27041
Price: $99.95 (Fall 2021, Idaho)
Availability: A limited release of High West Rendezvous Rye finished in French oak port barrels
Bottle Identifier: Act 9 Scene 4

“Act” and “Scene” reference the release and bottling run. This is the 9th release (the Act) bottled on the 4th day (the Scene) of this MWND production.

Learn more at https://www.highwest.com/.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

By alternating pours, four once review amounts went into two Glencairns. My daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.

Check out her review for this rye here!

HIGH WEST A MIDWINTER NIGHTS DRAM ACT 9 SCENE 4 NOSE:

MWND A9S4 has no alcohol nip or burn when first brought to the nose. Most aromas are faint but I do get notes of sherry wine, which I am sure is due to the port barrel finishing. I also sense dusty grain, some tobacco laid out in the sun to dry, red grapes and plump gourmet raisins nestled in a mixture of bready cinnamon and rye. The sweets are faint as well, just a touch of light vanilla, some nearly burnt brown sugar, and roasted hazel and pinenuts. Even the earthy woodiness is muted, with just the faint aroma of seasoned wood toasted to a light char coming through.

HIGH WEST A MIDWINTER NIGHTS DRAM ACT 9 SCENE 4 PALATE:

The first sip of MWND A9S4 is warm, is easy to hold and gives the tongue a nice tickle. The aroma I sensed of sherry wine passes through to the palate but I also taste a potpourri of dried herbs, dusty grain, and faint tobacco. The fruit shifts from grapes to dried figs with some orange zest, pepper and rye now found in the liquid as well. While the light vanilla remains, the sweetness changes to light molasses and slightly bitter hazelnuts. But the woodiness in the Dram throws me off. The wood flavors present as strong seasoned and toasted pine, not the oak to which I am accustomed. But a new flavor of earthy old leather helps to save this pour.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
MWND A9S4 has a subtle balance in its traditional flavors. The mouthfeel is full and silky and in the Glencairn the legs disappear quickly into the burnt amber pool leaving behind fast falling drops from the crown. But while the pineyness I sense is a bit off-putting, the flavor diminishes as my pour is downed.

HIGH WEST A MIDWINTER NIGHTS DRAM ACT 9 SCENE 4 FINISH:

A MWND A9S4 has clean and warm medium finish. I sense a hint of mint, orange zest, some cinnamon, pepper and light molasses; in a sense the flavors of mulling spice. The pine-woodiness I sensed on the palate remains as does the earthy leather. And when the final dram is downed the empty Glencairn smells of toasted pine along with a little black pepper.

MY RATING: 84/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
While I typically would not purchase another bottle with a rating as noted above, A Midwinter Nights Dram is an annual release and each one will differ from one another. Therefore I will always be interested in the next release.
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

Click 84/100 to access other whiskies with this score.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

Back to …

Brian’s Whiskey Reviews
Individual Whiskey Reviews