Tag: whiskey

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What To Do With All That Extra Bourbon!???

If you’re reading Thirsty South, you’re probably thinking, “WHAT extra bourbon?,” as there is no such thing as too much bourbon in our book. Nevertheless, finding alternate applications for this superb spirit is sometimes as much fun as just sitting down for a sip of it. When we saw a recipe for Bourbon Butter Pecan Gelato over on Imbibe.com, we knew we had to give it a shot. And the results were fabulous, an ice cream (I wouldn’t call it gelato) that weaves together the warmth of bourbon, the nutty crunch of pecans, and the, well, butteriness of butter into one sinfully sweet treat. We followed the recipe pretty much as is, but had to top it off with an extra drizzle of Evan Williams Single Barrel bourbon as well. You can never have too much bourbon, you know.

 

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High West Breaks Out Barreled Manhattans

As noted a few weeks back, the “barrel aged cocktail” craze is in high gear in bars across the country. Here in Atlanta, we recently tried the barrel aged Negroni at Double Zero (delicious, if not quite as bracingly vibrant as its unaged counterpart). And, now, lucky shoppers can find a limited edition, barrel aged Manhattan on the shelves of fine spirits purveyors across the country. High West Distillery of Utah is known for pushing boundaries (note their unique blended rye, bourbon/rye blend, “silver oat whiskey,” and the fact that their proprietor, David Perkins – raised in Georgia by the way, was awarded the 2011 Malt Advocate Pioneer of the Year Award). It’s no surprise that they’ve been a trailblazer for barrel aged cocktails by the bottle, starting last year with a special 100-day-aged “U.S. Grant Centennial Celebration Barreled Manhattan” and progressing to the the version now on store shelves with the moniker “The 36th Vote Barreled Manhattan.” “The 36th Vote” commemorates Utah’s decisive vote in the repeal of Prohibition, and the notion of a Manhattan as the appropriate drink to celebrate Prohibition’s repeal is entirely appropriate given its place in the classic, pre-Prohibition cocktail pantheon.

High West was kind enough to provide two samples of their Manhattan – the barreled version which can be found on store shelves, and an “unaged” version for comparison sake. “The 36th Vote” is a mix of 2 parts High West 95% rye whiskey, 1 part sweet vermouth, and a couple dashes of Angostura bitters per serving, which then spends somewhere between 90 and 120 days of aging time in a 2 year old, American oak, rye whiskey barrel. Perkins admitted that the vermouth used was not necessarily their first choice (Carpano Antica Formula anyone?), but due to federal regulations, had to be one that they could source wholesale in bulk.

The result is a 37 percent alcohol (74 proof), high quality Manhattan in a bottle. To test out the difference of the barrel aging, we tasted these samples first without any ice (I typically like mine shaken with ice and strained into a chilled glass, but many folks prefer stirred). The impact of the barrel aging is not unexpected – it mellows and mingles the flavors to produce a rounder, fuller cocktail (even vs. a version like the one that High West provided that has been pre-mixed and sitting in a bottle, rather than freshly made). With the unaged version, the sharp notes of the vermouth and bitters jump out on the nose, then linger prominently on the finish. With the aged version, there is a softer, more integrated nose, where the rye and the vermouth seem to snuggle up together, rather than posture against each other. It simply comes across as more integrated, more lush, more happily-wed. There are no obvious notes of the wood itself; rather, it’s that little bit of breathing time that the wood barrel provides that brings the drink into a slightly greater harmony. And “The 36th Vote” is exactly that – a beautifully harmonious take on the Manhattan.

Is the barrel aged cocktail in a bottle going to be the next big thing? I don’t think so. It’s just too darn easy to make a great Manhattan at home, not to mention the fact that experimenting with various ryes and various vermouths is a great way to learn what you like best. But “The 36th Vote” is worth experiencing, worth seeking out, to get a taste of time in the barrel, and to experience a uniquely different form of wedded bliss.

High West Distillery, The 36th Vote Barreled Manhattan
74 proof
Approx. $45 retail for a 750ml bottle
Tasting Date: June 7, 2011
Good Stuff – a great way to experience the impact of barrel aging on a classic cocktail

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When in doubt…

When in doubt … post a photo and talk about Pappy Van Winkle. Yes, Pappy is a frequent topic of conversation around these parts. So, three things Pappy today.

First, I hadn’t seen this before, but our friend Jimmy at EatItAtlanta.com posted a link to Mr. Julian Van Winkle III making the “Julian” cocktail at Husk Bar in Charleston. (and here’s our previous take on the subject of a Pappy 15 Old Fashioned)

Second, a recent tasting of Pappy Van Winkle 15 year old vs. Pappy 20 year old confirmed our personal preference for the 15, especially on the value scale (the 15 runs for about $70, the 20 goes for about $120). A group of three all leaned to the 15 in blind preference – it’s a near perfect expression of bourbon in our book, though the 20 was just a touch behind. There are definitely a few folks who vehemently disagree with rating the 15 over the 20 – of course, to each his own.

Third, Old Rip Van Winkle seems to pop up in all sorts of random and unexpected places. Here he is at ROCK CITY in Chattanooga. SEE ROCK CITY! (notice the whiskey jug and the barrel in the foreground – they do pay attention to detail, those mischievous elves)

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Scenes from a Scotch Extravaganza

Glenfifddich Scotch Whisky

I can’t claim to possess much knowledge of Scotch Whisky, other than an unshakable faith in the peaty smokiness of a dram of Lagavulin 16 year old. Bourbon and rye are more my thing – after all, this is “Thirsty South,” not “Thirsty Scotch” (note to self: register domain name for www.ThirstyScotch.com). But our friends at Tower Beer, Wine & Spirits invited me to attend the Atlanta stop of the Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza® (notice the trademark, very important) put on by the the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. They hold these in about 13 cities across the country, and Atlanta is fortunate to be one of them. The event is basically an opportunity to taste a staggering array of both common and rare single malts, blended Scotch whisky, and some other fine whiskies from around the world (notably Japan).

For a bourbon drinker, what is most striking when tasting through these is the incredibly wide range of expressions – from light and floral, to deep smokey peat – as well as the creative variety in barrel aging approaches – from Spanish sherry to Caribbean rum to French sauternes, and, of course, the mainstay of Scotch: bourbon barrels (it’s true!). Scotch is kinda like an older brother to bourbon – more worldly, more experienced, a bit more confident in his roots, so to speak. And you know I’m not knockin bourbon, I’m just trying to provide some flavor for the distinctions between the two. I don’t think anything I tasted quite knocked me out like a whiff of Pappy Van Winkle 23 year old Kentucky straight bourbon, though several came close.

Given the depth of the subject, I won’t even try to give you an education on Scotch – you can start to get that here or here or (if you have a mustache) here – but I will leave you with photos of some of the more remarkable tastes of the evening, and hopefully provide a spark to get a few more bourbon drinkers to at least venture down one of the many mysterious alleys that Scotch inhabits. Enjoy…


A true highlight of the night was this spectacularly good Single Grain Whisky from Suntory of Japan, “Chita,” hard to find, but worth seeking out. There is no better student of the Scotch masters than Suntory. A closer up shot below, beautiful color…


Love Lagavulin. Another highlight of the night was a 12yo cask strength Lagavulin (not pictured), a serious symphony of peat. Interestingly, most of the tables waited until the event was half through to break out the REALLY good/rare stuff, that Lagavulin cask strength included.


Laphroaig 25 year old, cask strength, finished in Oloroso Sherry casks, killer stuff.


I have no recollection what this was, but the label and bottle were cool ; )


The Balvenie 14 year old Caribbean Cask brought the unmistakable sugary coconut notes of Caribbean rum, really nice.


Bowmore 18 year old is an excellent Scotch. Islay Single Malt.


Highland Park 18 year old may be an even more excellent Scotch…


One of the single cask bottlings from the Society, “Gradual Seduction,” one of 181 bottles.


The name alone made this Scotch worth tasting – “Master and Commander” – another small bottling from the the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.


An Irish whiskey cocktail seemed a bit out of place amongst the single malt beasts, but this cocktail by the ever-impressive Eric Simpkins was a highlight of the evening, with a strong whiff of fragrant thyme kicking things off.


Men in kilts acting randy, a 35 year old Scotch, and the venerable Kevin Mulcahy, a true ambassador of the world of Scotch. Good times.


Beware men in kilts, especially blurry ones…


Apparently there’s a law that says events like these should employ a bevy of beautiful ladies to pour the whisky…


… and another law that states that meat must be carved off the bone in the presence of such copious amounts of Scotch.


This may look like a pile of crap, but it’s actually Scotch’s very good friend, Peat.

This about sums it up for the whisk(e)y devotees out there… a T-shirt seen at the event.

For a more educational take on the evening, please check out Whisk(e)y Apostle’s well-written notes. Now back to my bourbon ; )