Hannah Dawson Whiskey Reviews Archives

Siponey Spritz Royale Review

Posted on 24-May-202324-May-2023 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Siponey Spritz Royale Review

Original review written May 20, 2020

I bet, I know what you’re thinking – “Well this is different!” and you would be right!! “Whiskey for the Ages, how did we get here?” The answer is a great story of connection across the entire country of the US, believe it or not.

When we geared up to record one of our WftA podcast episodes, Women in the Liquor Store Podcast, Dad stumbled on Amanda Victoria, a twenty-year veteran in the whiskey industry. She’s experienced across spirits, with work at Bacardi, and time in New York City cocktail bars. In 2019, she and a partner launched Siponey Spritz Co. After our episode when live, Dad reached out to Amanda via LinkedIn, and after a pleasant dialog exchange, she offered to send us a sample pack of Siponey Royale for us to review.

Fast forward a few short days later, I come home from work to a package on the doorstep and Dad’s happy smile of surprise. He tells me the story, and I’m truly floored by the generosity of Amanda to share her product with us over here in lil’ ol’ Idaho. While none of us partake much in Ready-to-Drink (RTD) offerings, the premise of this immediately caught our attention. Rye, honey, lemon and with a cause of protecting the bees – let’s just get into it!

*Though we are grateful for the opportunity to try a new product shared directly with us by its creator, Whiskey for the Ages’ views and reviews are our true impressions and this review is not sponsored*

VITALS:

– Category: Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Cocktail
– Region: New York City
– Company: Siponey Spritz Co.
– Canned and Packed: Metabrand, Edison, NJ
– Ingredients: 4-year-old rye whiskey, Wildflower Honey, Fresh Lemon Juice, Sparkling Water
– ABV: 7.25
– UPC: 8 60003 96240 4 12 fl oz (355ml) container
– Packaging: 8-Pack Premium Canned Whiskey Cocktail
– Price: $40.00 (Website 2023)
– Availability: Currently limited throughout the United States but soon to be distributed through Whole Foods Market.

Giving Back to Honeybees.
Siponey Spritz Co.™ identified saving honeybees as the “first step in recovering the environment”. We aim to do our part by supporting non-profit environmental organizations that spend 100% of their time saving the planet, with 2% or more of our annual revenue – while we also specialize in making you the best possible drink.

Learn more at Siponey Spritz Co.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

We enjoyed this one a bit differently, instinctually knowing this one was going to be a barbeque-esque drink to enjoy in the warmer months. We each cracked a can – not to have on its own – but as a drink with a meal Dad actually made with the spare can. And it wasn’t just any meal. This was a recipe provided on Siponey’s website, and it was one that looked good to all three of us. Dad improvised only slightly, and the result were these beautiful grill-smoked chicken thighs. My friends, we did indeed crack the perfect setting for this beverage, but more on those later.

Check out Brian’s review here Elora’s review here!

PALATE:

Again, I must reiterate that the Dawson clan doesn’t regularly indulge in RTD products, so please note that our biases may be slightly skewed. That being said, as a spritz, the carbonation was there, though I do suspect that cross-county travel may have reduced it slightly. Nevertheless, it’s clean drink – sharp with lemon on front, and on the back is where the honey shines.

The honey sits with you the longest and transforms into almost a tea-like quality. If you are someone who enjoys tea or especially kombucha, which can also be carbonated, this is reminiscent of that. It’s the middle ground between the two, with the flavor of tea, but the punch of kombucha.

I couldn’t find a great deal of the whiskey in the drink, but I imagine this would be an easy drink to get in trouble with if you had a few.

GRILL-SMOKED CHICKEN THIGHS – THE RECIPE

Ingredients

8-9 deboned, skin-on chicken thighs
1 tbsp Kosher salt
½ tbsp Cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1 cup Siponey (save the rest for the glaze)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp rye whiskey
3 tbsp honey
Remaining Siponey (4 oz)

Steps

1. Set smoker grill to high heat and place a large Dutch oven of water on the grill (the water doesn’t have to be hot before adding the ingredients).
2. Add salt, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, and 1 cup Siponey. Add the thighs and stir.

3. Bring the water/thigh mixture to a boil (periodically checking for boiling point, stirring upon each check). Let the chicken thighs boil for an additional 10 mins. Once they begin to float, they are ready.
4. Shake off the thighs and place on the grill grate. Grill on medium-high, skin side up for 10 minutes or so, monitoring so they don’t burn.
5. While the thighs are grilling, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the honey and the rest of the Siponey can and stir to combine. Boil to reduce the sauce mixture for a few minutes then remove from heat. Just before step 6, stir in the rye whiskey.
6. Flip and brush on the glaze to the meat side of the thighs. Grill for an additional 10 minutes.
7. Flip again and brush the butter-Siponey glaze onto the skin. As the thighs are crisping, continue to brush with the remaining glaze.

RECIPE REVIEW

Oh. My. Goodness. These little guys were absolutely to die for, with the boiling of the chicken making them absolutely tender. The lemon of the Siponey added a playful zing, but the honey… the honey married the smoker to create this incredible glaze on the chicken. I’m not ashamed to say that I was the one racing to finish so I could claim the second and third thigh before anybody else.

As Dad mentions in his review, we immediately started thinking about ways that we could replicate what Siponey provided for our chicken, Siponey being unavailable to us in ID. (Maybe that will change with a new deal in place to sell in Whole Foods – we will be on the lookout, for sure.)

It’s a great product to cook with and the dinner I shared with my family is THE setting for the RTD. I don’t even need to think about it. My dinner table was IT.

I think it is well-worth the experiment and the cooking potential for it seems limitless.

Thank you for sharing, Amanda!!!

Maker’s Mark BRT-02 Bourbon Review

Posted on 05-May-202305-May-2023 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Maker’s Mark BRT-02 Bourbon Review

Original review written November 28, 2022

GENERAL DESCIPTION:

First dive into BRT-02, and I can’t say that this impressed me as much as it’s older sister, BRT-01. Nevertheless, no regrets buying – just as I am with any Wood Finishing Series Maker’s. 83/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Loretto, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Maker’s Mark Distillery
– Classification: Wheated Bourbon
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: Corn=70%; Wheat=16%; Malted Barley=14%
– Casks: unpublished char
– Finishing Staves: 10 virgin toasted oak staves added to the barrel which is then given an extra eight weeks of maturation.
– Barrel Entry Proof: 110
– ABV: 54.7% (109.4 proof)
– Price: $59.95 USD in Idaho 2022

“2022 marks the fourth year Maker’s has produced the Wood Finishing Series. Each year has had a unique taste vision. This year the two releases focus on barrel rotation (cycling rackhouse location). The goal is to distinguish and enjoy the unique flavors found on the top floors while comparing them to barrels stored lower in the warehouse.

Since 1953, Maker’s consistent flavors have been credited to the hand-Barrel RoTation process. Top barrels in the rickhouse are brought to the bottom, and each level is then raised to ensure equal exposure to varying temperatures over time. The designation “BRT” for this year’s releases comes from this practice.

BRT-02 comes from the cooler bottom ricks. French oak staves help the liquid to reach and impart dark depth.” – Maker’s Mark

Visit makersmark.com for more information.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

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

Check out Elora’s and Brian’s reviews as well!

SETTING:

This bourbon has sweet and it has a healthy dose of bitter as well, coming through pastries and dark bakes. I imagine having this pour in a bakeshop, perched right next to the window shielding rows of warm pies. Everything is inviting, and you know each bite would be rich. Maker’s BRT-02 would settle between each crack of pastry and in the syrupy filling between solid pieces of pecan or fruit.

Photo by Kelcie Herald on Unsplash

NOSE:

Salted caramel syrup, maple candies, and toffee greet the nose first, biting down on their sweetness. It’s not a burnt sugar, but it’s as though I can already feel the granules of sugar on my tongue. The cloud of confectionary does break a bit as I swirl the glass around and disturb that caramel turtle shell. Underneath are not-quite-ripe granny smith apples, offering a hint of tartness that frankly does not balance out the sweet too much. Deep inhales coax out a scorched earth quality – the smoke is just as buried in the ground as it is in the bourbon. Dark fruits and white pepper but a subtle, but necessary role in this nose, rounding out the complexity. As a fruit lover, it, and the intriguing peppery bite have my salivary glands most excited.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Buttery. It feels thick on the palate and certainly heavy, but I don’t know if I could commit to it going anywhere or sinking deeper.
– Balance: Heavy on the burnt sweets – I do wish I had a bit of fruit to balance it out, but that’s my fruit-lover self, talking loudly, I suspect.
– Visual: Flame in color, this leaves tiny drops with many, many, many long legs behind – all thin.

– Taste: I can hold this in my mouth without feeling prompted at all to aggravate it. Once I do though, the maple and caramel from the nose, along with a dark – almost bitter – dark brown sugar dominate. There’s also pastry, like a caramelized pie crust that had the filling bleed into it. I’m not the biggest fan of pecan pie, but the rich, sweetness with the dark, flavorful chewiness… that’s this bourbon. (The pie may even be a little overbaked, I must add.)

Beyond this and the traditional warmth, I can’t say that this offers the greatest amount of complexity. It IS rich and it IS buttery, but I’d love for the spice to be more aggressive, or a burst of fruit juice to zing at the back of my palate. Nevertheless, this is a quite enjoyable pour – facilitates an easy flow of conversation without being oppressive on the moment. A Kentucky chew bites at the tongue more harshly than I anticipated, and I don’t think it contributes very positively to the flavor. Instead, it brings out a bitterness that sits at the start of the throat, and I feel inclined to take another sip to chase it away. Unfortunately, I’m not sure it worked either.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: I can’t feel a sharp result of finish on this bourbon, but the warmth as a whole is definitely present. And it does linger for some time, which is always a good bonus.
– Between Sips: Nothing but bourbon warmth lingers between sips. A faint hint of pecan can be found wisping in and out, but it is so faint, it’s barely noticeable.

– No More: I don’t know if I can say that the flavor develops, but the warmth does deepen, which I greatly appreciate. The conversation flows even more now, and I find myself sinking into the happy warmth a solid bourbon can provide.

The empty glass is dark oak with a hint of spice. I wish the spice had been present in the rest of the glass, but the richness here certainly matches the pour.

WORTH THE PRICE?

$60 is the going price for many bourbons these days – even entry level bourbons. But buying a special finish Maker’s is always worth the price – it’s just one of those bottles I’ll grab to try for the sake of trying. There are few bad, special-finish Maker’s, and this one is certainly not among them, even with some of its pitfalls. It’s a warm, solid pour, and I’m happy to have it. I’ll lament it when it’s gone… but I don’t know if I’ll buy again. It’s worth this initial bottle in gold, but a 2nd bottle… I’m not so sure.

MAKER’S MARK BRT-02 BOURBON REVIEW RATING: 83/100

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Maker’s Mark BRT-01 Bourbon Review

Posted on 14-April-202318-April-2023 by Dave Macdonald

Hannah’s Maker’s Mark BRT-01 Bourbon Review

Original review written on April 12, 2023

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

This is what bourbon should be, plain and simple. For someone who loves fruit in bourbon, this Marker’s Mark offering is an absolute home run. If it’s possible to find, you’ve got to try! 94/100

VITALS:

– Made in: Loretto, Kentucky, USA
– Distillery: Maker’s Mark Distillery
– Classification: Straight Bourbon with Special Finish
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: Corn=70%; Soft red winter wheat=16%; Malted Barley=14%
– Casks: unpublished char
– Barrel Entry Proof: 110
– ABV: 54.7% (109.4 proof)
– Non-chill filtered
– Finishing Staves: 10 virgin toasted oak staves added to the barrel, which is then given an extra eight weeks of maturation
– Price: $59.95 USD in Idaho (November 2022)

“2022 marks the fourth year Maker’s has produced the Wood Finishing Series. Each year has had a unique taste vision. This year the two releases focus on barrel rotation (cycling rackhouse location). The goal is to distinguish and enjoy the unique flavors found on the top floors while comparing them to barrels stored lower in the warehouse.

Since 1953, Maker’s consistent flavors have been credited to the hand-Barrel RoTation process. Top barrels in the rickhouse are brought to the bottom, and each level is then raised to ensure equal exposure to varying temperatures over time. The designation “BRT” for this year’s releases comes from this practice.

BRT-01 comes from the top (hotter) space of the rickhouse. American oak staves are inserted into the barrels to develop big and bold flavors extracted from the barrels during the first three years of aging.” – Maker’s Mark

Visit makersmark.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For this Maker’s Mark BRT-01 Review, I enjoyed the whiskey neat from a Glencairn glass with sister, Elora, as well as father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages editor, Brian.

Check out Brian’s review here, and Elora’s here!

SETTING:

This bourbon practically IS fruit syrup. It makes me want to pour it over a fruit cup and just bask in it and pretend I’m being extra healthy. This bourbon screams luxury and decadence, and prettily sliced fruit layered in intricate patterns and BRT-01 are a match made in heaven.

Photo by Hans Reniers on Unsplash

NOSE:

Maker’s Mark products are often classified by a smooth inhale with dark fruits coming to greet you. BRT-01, instead, starts with a punch of brown sugar and cinnamon. Behind these baking spices, is a rich vanilla custard and even a maraschino cherry, which isn’t something I frequently find on a nose. I can find a sweet maple buried in a new oak as well, adding almost a sunny warmth. The alcohol is gentle, even being at nearly 110 proof. It’s a nose that makes me salivate – more than most whiskeys do.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Velvet. It grips the tongue in a hug, but you are certainly running with the “soft” grain of the velvet.
– Balance: Fruit heavy. You have to search for other profiles, and it might difficult… but it will be there.
– Visual: Terracotta pot in color, the crown shatters quickly into droplets. What’s left are long, clinging legs that break into scattered droplets.

– Taste: The start of the sip – and truly, I only mean the very start – contains the wheaty grain, but it transitions so quickly into a maraschino cherry that’s been soaked in fruit syrup. There’s a bright acidity here as well, like the pineapple that could be found in the fruit cup next to that cherry. A light vanilla appears for a moment, but the hero of this palate really is the fruit. (Readers who know me: I bet you can sense my pure glee at this moment). There’s yellow-fleshed peach that fades into almonds ever-so-slightly.

I will say that the complexity is slightly lacking here – fruit is dominant from start to finish, and if that’s your favored profile, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a bourbon doing it better than BRT-01. If you want heavy spice, or oak, you’ll have to hunt. Nevertheless, you can still find those things underneath the fruit. The oak is new, much like it was on the nose. New like it was just milled and the moisture hasn’t seeped out yet. The spices consist largely of ones to use when baking, like nutmeg.

A Kentucky chew aggravates the vanilla, which makes me salivate even more. It doesn’t particularly hurt, and I quickly give into the temptation to do it again.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium-long. Heat lingers on the tongue and bourbon warmth persists everywhere.
– Between Sips: A nearly burnt caramel appears between sips accompanied by one or two sour cherries.

– No More: This stays consistent throughout the glass – in fact, it even gets better. The warmth grows without seeming to peak, and it’s easy to fall into a fruit haze. It’s an incredibly impressive pour, and as soon as I set the glass down, I want another sip.

The empty Glencairn is a warm sawdust, as if it was freshly milled and the heat of the saw is still present. There’s more spice in the empty glass than there was in the original pour, but I am still perfectly content. A great pour finishing with a great empty glass…. when is the next pour?

WORTH THE PRICE?

I wish there were more of these bottles available now. It’s an easy decision – if you see this bottle on the shelf, then you need to grab it. It’s a great addition to the Wood Finishing Series from Maker’s, and it could very well be the best. $60.00 gets you exactly what a bourbon should be without breaking the bank too hard.

MAKER’S MARK BRT-01 REVIEW RATING: 94/100

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