Tag Archives: Wheated

Blind Tastings

Rick’s Mystery Dram series – Week 7 of 10 – Sample #8

Wow, we’re really coming toward the end of this series.  Only 3 more “Rick’s Mystery Dram” posts after this…  My eyes are really being opened to the word of American Whiskeys and I’m starting to make a list of bottles to buy.  Thank you Rick.  I hope this series is helping you as much as it’s helping me.

As I mentioned in the 3rd post for this “Rick’s Mystery Dram” Series, I’ve decided to make this a wee bit more interesting by sending out a mystery dram to the correct guesser of the week’s mystery dram or, if there has been no correct guess, the sample goes to a commenter (randomly chosen).  Last week, “Tony” won the mystery dram and I look forward to hearing from him as to find out what type of whisk(e)y sample he wants – Scotch or American.

Details on how to win a mystery dram sample (which will be Scotch or American whisk(e)y, your choice) are listed below, after the review.

Review time!  And, by the way, this is an American whiskey again.

On the nose – Spicy nose and very “woody”.

Pencil shavings right up front followed by cinnamon buns and something grainy (corn, perhaps some rye influence here).

Vanilla bean creeps up to soothe the spiced top notes.

On the mouth – Less intense and woody as the nose had suggested.

Reminded me a bit of the last mystery dram (getting a similar chlorine note as I got on the last one though not as upfront).

Smooth as a baby’s tuckas (has to be some wheat influence here or some cask-magic going on) but very tannic.

My mouth has been stripped of all my moisture (thankfully this stuff is mouth-watering and it’s all getting replaced good and quick).

Finish – A medium length with notes of sugar daddy and sugar babies.

In sum – This is the first time I am willing to stick my neck out and try to name what the mystery dram is.  I’m a tad bit nervous but hey, Frig it.  I’m going to guess at it because A) it reminds me a bit of last weeks’ mystery dram with a bit less “oomph” (which was Jefferson’s Presidential Select 17yr) and B) I think I’ve had this one before.

Rick, is it Jefferson’s Very Small Batch Bourbon? Whether it is or isn’t, let’s give the good readers time to chime in and hold off on answering until your normal time (this coming Saturday).

In case I am dead wrong, here are the clues –

  • Very woody nose with hints of pencil shavings, grainy grains and sweet, buttery cinnamon.
  • The flavor is much smoother but drying.  Hint of chlorine and what seems to me, obvious wheat influence.  My guess is it’s about 45%-47%ABV
  • Sweet finish, toffee-flavored-taffy goodness

JMSWS antes up!

For those who attempt to guess – each week I will be sending out one mystery dram (a small 5cl bottle) and the first person guesses correctly wins the dram.  Actually, if there are no correct guesses for the week then a winner will be chosen at random.  You win whether your right or not (like a weatherperson – right or not, s/he still has a job)!

So again, I will be awarding a free whisk(e)y sample every week to one lucky winner (whether you guess correctly or not).

How do I enter to win you ask?

Easy, comment on this post with what you think the mystery dram of the week may be.  It’s that simple.

I will let you choose the type of mystery dram — Scotch or American Whiskey (though that’s all you’ll know about it).  And if you’d like, you can send me your tasting notes and I’ll post them for my readers to guess at.  If you’d prefer the blind tasting to be between just you and me… that’s cool too.

For previous “Rick’s Mystery Dram” entries :

Here’s Mystery Dram #1 (which ended up being Parker’s Heritage First Edition)

Here’s Mystery Dram #2 (which ended up being Parker’s Heritage Golden Anniversary)

Here’s Mystery Dram #3 (which ended up being Evan Williams Single Barrel, 2000 vintage, barrel # 234)

Here’s Mystery Dram #4 (which ended up being Tonala 4 year Anejo tequila)

Here’s Mystery Dram #5 (which ended up being Wild Turkey Russell’s Reserve, 10 year)

Here’s Mystery Dram #7 (remember, there was no #6 dram.  #7 ended up being Jefferson’s Presidential Select, 17 year, batch #3)

Blind Tastings

Rick’s Mystery Dram series – Week 6 of 10 – Sample #7

So here we are at mystery dram #7!

“Wait a sec, number seven?!”, you ask.  “Yes, number seven”, I say.  Dram number six ended up being a sample of Ardbeg’s Airigh Nam Beist with the code “L6” on the bottle.  My personal bottle has the code “L8” and supposedly there’s a slight difference in taste between the two.  Though someone I spoke with at Ardbeg says that no one should be able taste any difference.  The “L6” code supposedly meant that the bottle was an 16 year expression, “L7” was 17yrs and L8 was 18yrs.  I wanted to find out if there was any difference so Rick was nice enough to send me a sample of his “L6” Ardbeg.  A post on the possible differences between the “L6” and “L8” Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beisties will follow soon.  Until then, feel free to enjoy my current review of the L8 Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist.

So, all this being said, we will move forward as if mystery dram number 6 never existed (“these aren’t the droids you’re looking for” – Obi Wan Kenobi) and move onto mystery dram number seven.

As I mentioned in the 3rd post for this “Rick’s Mystery Dram” Series, I’ve decided to make this a wee bit more interesting by sending out a mystery dram to the correct guesser of the week’s mystery dram or, if there has been no correct guess, the sample goes to a commenter (randomly chosen).  Last week, “Tony” won the mystery dram and I look forward to hearing from him as to find out what type of whisk(e)y sample he wants – Scotch or American.

Details on how to win a mystery dram sample (which will be Scotch or American whisk(e)y, your choice) are listed below, after the review.

For previous “Rick’s Mystery Dram” entries :

Here’s Mystery Dram #1 (which ended up being Parker’s Heritage First Edition)

Here’s Mystery Dram #2 (which ended up being Parker’s Heritage Golden Anniversary)

Here’s Mystery Dram #3 (which ended up being Evan Williams Single Barrel, 2000 vintage, barrel # 234)

Here’s Mystery Dram #4 (which ended up being Tonala 4 year Anejo tequila)

Here’s Mystery Dram #5 (which ended up being Wild Turkey Russell’s Reserve, 10 year)

Review time!  And, by the way, this is an American whiskey again.

On the nose — Big easy noser filled with Loads of vanilla and a hint of toasted coconut.  There’s a barbecue sauce quality to the nose and a damn good amount of oak.  Very fragrant, very summery.  Just smelling this stuff makes me want a mint julep.

On the mouth — Nice entry here filled with caramel covered apples.  Decent attack but nothing overwhelming.

Pool water (think chlorine in your nose and Phoebe Cates a la Fast Times at Ridgemont High).  More vanilla and grape soda (a similar grape soda note as I got on the 2nd mystery dram in this series).

A hint of pumpkin spices (cardamom, nutmeg, etc…)

Finish — A good length and the grape soda notes carry through to the end

In sum — An easy drinker.  Perhaps too easy.  You could get into trouble with this one — hot summer day, dip in the pool, a few drams of this, potato salad, veggie burgers, macaroni salad, not enough water, a few more drams, hitting on your cousin’s girlfriend, punch in the eye, somehow you find yourself back in your bed at home, hangover the next morning…  You get the idea (and no, this never happened to me).

Clues —

  • Big wood influence with lots of vanilla and some toasted coconut.  Not extremely spicy, easy to nose (perhaps a lower ABV% 43-46%?).
  • Good attack in the tasting but perhaps some wheat influence as it was quite an easy drinker.  Interesting chlorine-type note.
  • Grape soda notes in the taste and finish (though, admittedly, not everyone may come away with that…).

JMSWS antes up!

For those who attempt to guess – each week I will be sending out one mystery dram (a small 5cl bottle) and the first person guesses correctly wins the dram.  Actually, if there are no correct guesses for the week then a winner will be chosen at random.  You win whether your right or not (like a weatherperson – right or not, s/he still has a job)!

So again, I will be awarding a free whisk(e)y sample every week to one lucky winner (whether you guess correctly or not).

How do I enter to win you ask?

Easy, comment on this post with what you think the mystery dram of the week may be.  It’s that simple.

I will let you choose the type of mystery dram — Scotch or American Whiskey (though that’s all you’ll know about it).  And if you’d like, you can send me your tasting notes and I’ll post them for my readers to guess at.  If you’d prefer the blind tasting to be between just you and me… that’s cool too.

Autumn, Blind Tastings, Springtime

Rick’s Mystery Dram series – Week 2 of 10 – Sample #2

Ah yes, Rick’s mystery dram series continues.  As a refresher: I am not Rick, my name is Joshua.  Rick is a loyal JSMWS blog reader who challenged me to a mystery dram /blind taste testing.  There are 10 drams in all and I decided to spread the challenge over 10 weeks.

So, how did I get the samples?  Initially we were going to do a sample trade through the mail but when I found out I was going to be traveling near to wear Rick lives, I suggested we meet for a dram or two and do the trade then and there.

Here are the samples Rick provided:

Rick suggested we meet at a whisky bar called “The Daily Pint” which is in Santa Monica California.  If you’re ever in the area, check it out.  If you do plan to go, bring A LOT of cash – this is one pricey whisky bar!!

So the planning of the meeting was easy.  As part of my job, I travel for work travel for work and had a trip planned already to the LA area so we knew the date and the time was easy to figure.  Rick found The Daily Pint so, we had the place.  What was hard (for me) was finding the damn place!  I think I circled the block about 5 times before Rick finally called to ask where I was.

I passed the place each of the five times I circled the block but, in truth, I should have seen it off the bat as G-d himself was telling me where to look.  Yes folks, right next to The Daily Pint was “Adonai Cleaners” – Dry Cleaning:

As a side note, and for any and all non-Jews out there who may not know, one of many the Hebrew names for G-d is “Adonai” (others are: YHWH (the unpronounceable name of G-d not to be mis-pronounced as Yahweh or Jehovah), Shechina, Elohim, Shadai, the list can go on – if interested, check out this wikipedia page on the Names of G-d in Judaism).

Back to the whisky-story at hand — I told Rick that if I had even the slightest inkling as to what this week’s dram was that I’d take a guess.  Well, I don’t so I wont.  I’ll let you, the good reader, try to figure it out.  Even if you want to take a shot in the dark, please enter your guess in the comments section.  Rick will post the answer this Friday or Saturday (June 4th or 5th, 2010).

OK, onto the tasting – this one is a mystery to me for sure!

On the nose — Perfect for Memorial Day – another American whiskey.  The nose is similar to the dram in the first mystery dram but not at strong.  A bit more corn here (think creamed corn), green apples, fresh cut wood

On the mouth — Hmmm, a bit flat here or should I say, smooth?  Not smooth good, smooth as in “where’s the beef?”.  Not an amazingly strong attack so I’m guessing this is more like 45-47%ABV, A touch grassy (maybe some wheat influence)?  Ginger, grape soda.  

Nutmeg and clove (spicy but subtle in a way… as if these notes want to make more of an appearance but are not being allowed to.  Like a kid who really wants to play piano but his/her dad wants him/her to play tennis instead – subdued and could/should be more than allowed).

Finish — Spice and burn on the sides and back of my tongue, flat cola (the flavor of, not the feel of).

In sum — Great promise on the nose but flavor fell flat for me.  Sorry Rick.  I was not pleased or very impressed with this one.

Here are the clues:

Strong nose with some obvious corn notes and apples and fresh cut wood (Timber!!)

Palate is subdued but has some interesting grape soda notes, ginger and (I’m guessing) wheat influence.

Standard ABV of 45% (90 proof)

For last week’s “Rick’s Mystery Dram” post along with what the answer was, click here.