Spirits Archives - Page 2 of 16 - First Pour Cocktails

Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur

Posted on August 25, 2023August 24, 2023 by Nick

I didn’t believe the buzz around Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur when I first read about it a few years back. Coffee liqueurs tended to be syrupy, sweet, vaguely coffee, and sometimes other flavored malarkey that ended up in peoples coffee mugs for black Friday in my mind. Still, Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur seemed different. Made by some enterprising fellas down under, this coffee liqueur starts with 100% arabica coffee beans and is made by people that actually like coffee. The color is indeed that of rich, brewed coffee. So is it worth the hype and worth keeping on your shelf?

Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur

Sight: Deep brown, slight opacity once coffee oils begin to settle or when shaken.

Smell: Deep, rich, black coffee. A creamy and sweet element comes out the nose with a delightful hint of fruit and nuttiness.

Sip: Sweet with a rich texture and plenty of rich coffee notes. The flavors are layered with creamy elements, hints of raw sugar, mild fruity notes, and a bit of nuttiness. The coffee is layered and continues to evolve on sipping.

Savor: The finish leaves a lingering sweetness and plenty of that dark black coffee laced with brown sugar.

Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur is delightful, rich, and complex. The flavor profile is essentially what you would expect of really solid coffee. The liqueur element mingles well with the browned / raw sugar notes of the sweetness. The quality of coffee also shines through, giving a bit of fruitiness and roasted coffee nuttiness. All in all, this is a stellar liqueur.

In Cocktails

In a Revolver Mr. Black adds a beautifully rich coffee flavor with a slight nuttiness. Thanks to it’s controlled sweetness, it doesn’t overwhelm the drink, but rather lets the bourbon shine, providing a great foil. It also works especially well in an espresso martini, where the richness and clean flavors of the coffee shine through. Finally, I found in making old fashioned style drinks that it works particularly well with orange bitters (like Regan’s*) or banana liqueur (like Giffard’s Banane du Bresil). Overall, this works especially well at adding robust, clean, delicious coffee notes to cocktails.

Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur – In Review

Overall Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur represents our favorite expression of coffee liqueur that we’ve encountered. The quality of the product is high, and delivers the flavor of coffee with a mild sweetness and great viscosity. Thanks to all these factors, it plays particularly well in cocktails and add the coffee flavor without being overwhelming in small amounts. With the price being around $30, it’s an absolute steal, and a bottle we recommend if you like to enjoy coffee flavors in your cocktails.

* – This link is an affiliate link which may result in us getting a partial commission from the sale. In 2022 we made $13.34 from affiliate links and made $6.93 so far in 2023, while we’ve spent well over $200 on just webhosting. Help us keep the lights on if you like our content, and please use our links!

Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect

Posted on August 24, 2023August 23, 2023 by Nick

One of the best ways to experience new whiskey is to try it in a bar at a reasonable price. This is how I fell in love with Little Book Chapter 2, and how I ended up initially finding a bottle of Little Book Chapter 5 to review a few years back. I still find time to celebrate with a pour of it, as I think it’s worth savoring. So when I saw the chance to buy a bottle of Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect, I had to take it and see if it lived up to my memories.

The “In Retrospect” portion of this release of Little Book is described as a, “blend of seven cask strength American whiskies – one curated from each of the brand’s previous six chapters and a seventh new addition.” On paper, the blend looks interesting, but without percentages, it hard to say how it drinks. So how is it?

Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect

Chapter 7 contains the following in its blend. The percentages are not disclosed:

18 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
17 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
10 Year Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
9 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
5 Year Straight Malt Whiskey Finished In Applewood Smoked Barrels
4 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
4 Year Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Little Book Chapter 7 comes in at 118.1 Proof (59.05% A.B.V.) and is not aged stated.

Sight: Deep Russet with a lean of chestnut.

Smell: Floral, apple forward, slight smoke start. A rich caramel gets involved with the apple / apple blossom and baking / all spice notes. Nose is slightly hot, there’s a lot of layered apple and fruit smells here, like apple cider. It’s drier on the nose than the fun description implies. There’s a slight grain or malt character here that appears.

Sip: The flavors starts a bit warm, but mellows as it opens. Vanilla, oak, applewood, and burnt caramel come together. There’s a floral sort of apple blossom that butts up against a smokey char. The body is full, and it goes heavily on the fruit and vanilla. The fruit almost reaches for a dark cherry candy or jam note. That grain note is still around, but not super prominent. It’s pleasant, has some nuttiness, but doesn’t go full on beam profile. It also doesn’t feel as complex as the blend implies.

Savor: The ending lingers heavily on the long notes of apple, applewood, caramelized sugar, and heavily charred wood. The finish lingers lastingly, and almost florally as it’s predominant finish (possibly apple blossom). That fruitier character travels forward.

Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect is less complex than it’s predecessor, and more dependent on finishing. The flavors of apple, applewood, and general wood are the highlights here. Fruity flavors that aren’t apple run toward the darker side of the spectrum (dark cherries, maybe plum skin), and it lacks the general Beam nutty profile. The results in layered and on first blush, complicated. The long term isn’t quite so clear, as the layering doesn’t necessarily make for clean set of flavors.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan (yes, this sacrilege again), Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect starts smooth, delivering a rich body, slightly smokey and wood forward drink. The flavors lean into the burnt sugar, vanilla, and applewood realm, while the floral notes are diminished. The black cherry comes back through with a subtle bitterness. The finish is slightly smokey with a hint of cherry, clove, and herbs. It lingers leaving a dark fruit laden charred wood with a bit of heat and a grainy note, and a touch bitter. It’s really unpleasant, emphasizing the worst parts of both the whiskey and the vermouth.

For reference, this was a fresh cracked bottle of Carpano Antica that tasted fresh and had no off notes.

In Review – Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect

Little Book Chapter 7: In Retrospect doesn’t feel like $130 whiskey. The layering is muddled, the flavors are singular, and it feels like it fights its finish all the way through. The result is it drinks like a finished bottle that lives in the $70-$90 price point. It isn’t bad, but the price of admission feels (at first blush) like it’s paying diminishing returns compared for LB5. Perhaps as American single malts come into their own, this whiskey will age kindly, but right now this feels like an awkward opening salvo.

Patient Wolf Starward Whisky Barrel Gin

Posted on August 12, 2023 by Nick

This review would like have never happened if not for some pure happenstance, the kindness of the folks at Patient Wolf, and pure dumb luck. Departing for Australia last year, I had a couple of distilleries that I ideally wanted to visit. Before we even left, it became apparent that one of them, Mr. Black was too far away, and many of the others sadly don’t reach our American shores, with the exception of some of the big boys, like Starward. This is where the trouble starts, and how I ended up with a bottle of Patient Wolf Starward Whiskey Barrel Gin.

An Accidental Visit…

When traveling large distances, it’s worth noting that not all businesses are particularly good at maintaining their hours on Google. This was something we happened to learn after arriving in Melbourne and discovered that Starward was actually closed that day. Still wanting to visit a distillery, I opted for Patient Wolf, which looked like it had some great reviews, and was in the same area. A few trains later, and we were there during what appeared to be their normal hours, and walked inside. As we walked in, it became apparent as we approached the bar that they were in fact not in normal operation. Thankfully, their bartender saw us, and upon realizing we were a considerable distance away from home, was kind enough to strike up a conversation and pour us a couple of samples.

To be blunt, their gins are great, and if I’d had the space, or could find them on American shelves, I’d be happy to add them to my bar. Beyond that, they have some delightful canned cocktails as well (which we enjoyed over the course of the trip). But the sample that really caught my attention, and the subject of this post, is their special collaboration between Patient Wolf and Starward, an amazing Sloe style gin that I’ll cherish for some time to come.

Patient Wolf Gin & Tonic on the balcony — A Patient Wolf Gin & Tonic Canned Cocktail – deliciously refreshing on the balcony

Patient Wolf Starward Whiskey Barrel Gin

Sight: A charming coppery color.

Smell: The nose is an enchanting mix of spiced plum mixed with mulled cherries and hints of orange. Juniper envelops the nose and becomes charming spicy. There’s a preserved and jammy funk that runs through the plum, and gives it a depth of layered plum and evergreen that runs dimensions from fresh to preserved.

Sip: The flavor is smooth, spicy, and laced with intriguing runs of juniper and spiced plum jam. The spicing is really impressive, running from clove to cinnamon to anise and cardamom. There’s a subtle sweetness, and it’s incredibly smooth the whole way through. Fresh fruit notes unexpectedly pop out (such as cherry and plum), and the subtle herbal notes around the juniper give it grains of paradise and angelica like notes. It’s overwhelmingly fragrant and complex.

Savor: The ending lingers with the baking spice notes, plenty of juniper, and a great subtle oakiness. It lingers pleasantly and complexly.

It’s sad to say that Patient Wolf Starward Whiskey Barrel Gin is not a regular offering from Patient Wolf. It’s frankly an incredible interpretation of an aged sloe gin that builds off an incredibly solid gin base. The use of Starward Whisky gives it a uniquely wonderful flavor that plays to the more world whiskey style that Starward achieves. Probably because of this, the product feels balanced between the whiskey influence and the blackthorn gin. All in all, this is a stellar Sloe Gin that I can only wish was available world wide.

In Cocktails

In a Sloe Gin Fizz, it’s absolutely stellar. The spice notes and hints of sloe come through with a beautiful richness, while the lemon adds a brightness. The concert of flavors is brought to crescendo with juniper playing a prominent role. The entire cocktail works in a refreshing symphony that feels perfect for a late summer evening or early fall afternoon.

In Review – Patient Wolf Starward Whiskey Barrel Gin

Overall, I really love this bottle. We happened upon it by chance, and it really represents a special effort by the distillery to create something unique and collaborative with another major player on the Australian spirits stage. The result is complex, refreshing, and crafted with purpose. Similar to the other gins we got to try in our brief (and accidental visit), this attention to detail is what make Patient Wolf worth your time to seek out. This is a full throated recommended bottle if you happen to have access, and for now, we’ll be over here cherishing this one until another opportunity comes our way.

And if you ever find yourself in Melbourne, visit their distillery and try their gin if you get the chance, you won’t regret it.

Taconic Double Barrel Maple Bourbon

Posted on August 9, 2023August 7, 2023 by Nick

Sometimes the hype train gets you going. People review things that they can find in their local area, that you have no way to obtain where you live, and you think, ‘I have to try that’. A few years back, when I was falling down the Bourbon rabbit hole, that same thing happened to me, and when I saw a bottle of Taconic Double Barrel Maple Bourbon, I just had to buy it! So did I make a good decision on this New York maple finished bourbon?

Taconic Double Barrel Maple Bourbon

Made from Duchess Private Reserve Bourbon, this bourbon starts life in new oak barrels. The Duchess is aged, then removed. The barrel is then filled with maple syrup and aged. The maple syrup is then removed, and the Duchess is finished again. No age statement is provided.

Age: No Age Statement
Finish: Maple Syrup Barrels
Batch: 7
Proof: 90 (45% A.B.V.)

Sight: Russet Muscat

Smell: Maple and pecans / peanuts waft out with notes of evergreens. An earthiness runs through the giving a forest floor, fresh softwood, and a subtle caramelization. Fruits hang around toward the background, but are light and a hint of alcohol follows.

Sip: The start is sweet and soft with a moderate weight. The maple notes are in full effect to lead off, while a nuttiness and earthiness joins in. The evergreen notes and slight resin character is prevalent but not overwhelming. There’s a little spice, and plenty of wood toward the end. Characteristic vanilla like notes are present, but not powerful. A little heat is present.

Savor: The ending is more earthy and peppery, with forest floor and evergreen notes. Little maple sweetness helps accentuate with a little nuttiness.

Taconic Double Barrel Maple Bourbon is maple and forest fresh with a bit of nuttiness. Overall, the flavor profile is kind of one dimensional, slightly sweet, and strongly earthy. These notes are also intriguing if you’re feeling the need to try something that isn’t quite a standard offering. While it’s fun, it also is definitely more of a targeted bourbon, and not everyone will want to crush a glass.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Taconic Double Barrel Maple Bourbon works surprisingly well, although again leads to a floral / earthy undertoned Manhattan. The start is sweet, rich, and the maple-walnut notes come out in spades. These give way to an evergreen herbal mix that’s subtle with some berry notes and spice. The finish is slightly evergreen with a dry maple character. As a Manhattan goes, it’s tasty if unusual, and devilishly complex as it keeps opening. This gives an intriguing prospect as an ingredient for extended bars.

In Review – Taconic Double Barrel Maple Bourbon

Taconic Double Barrel Maple Bourbon is unusual, but has some flavors to expand your perception of how finished bourbon can land. The flavors are similar when drinking neat, and can like they need another dimension. In cocktails, it feels incredibly entertaining, and seems to work better than it would drink straight. Overall, the uniqueness here make it a try it before you buy it, and not a recommendation for stocking in your bar unless you have a love of the flavor or a drink that requires it.

Foursquare Rum Distillery 2005

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Nick

Part of Foursquare’s “Exceptional Cask” Series, Foursquare Rum Distillery 2005 appears to be a rather simple bruiser of a Barbados rum on first glance. Coming in at a hearty 59%, this rum was distilled in 2005 from both Pot and Column stills. It was then aged for 12 years in ex-Bourbon casks stored in Barbados heat, before finally being released in October 2017. While it may appear to be a relatively simple rum, the truth of the matter is that this bottle, like many in the “Exceptional Cask” series is some of the most impressive rum you’ll ever taste. As you’ll see below, sometimes there’s no substitute for doing the simple things exceptionally well.

Foursquare Rum Distillery 2005

Vintage: 2005
Country of Origin: Barbados
Age: 12 years
Cask: Ex-Bourbon Casks
Distillation: Blend of Pot and Column
Proof: 118 (59% A.B.V.)

Sight: Tawny.

Smell: The nose is instantly complex with bursts of black pepper, white pepper, baking spice, and caramelized grilling tropical fruits. They open up with a dried date and white oak note laced with caramel sauce. A vanilla bean aromatic explodes like someone dropped a full tablespoon of vanilla paste into the rum. Golden raisins, butterscotch, vanilla ice cream, papaya, and spicy oak all show up. As the rum sits, the nose just continues to evolve and expand all it’s aroma.

Sip: Instant flavor explosion with spice and caramel mixed with fermenting roasted tropical fruit. Big bursts of vanilla, spice, oak, and just short of ripe pineapple come together. There’s an amazing sweetness that underpins it. The richness is luscious, and it continues pull in nuttiness, preserved tropical fruits, and ginger-nutmeg notes. Milk chocolate rounds things out, and it drinks nowhere near the 59% A.B.V. it posesses.

Savor: The finish is loaded with spices, caramel, light rum funk, and a beautiful subtle dried caramel – vanilla. The finish emphasized the chocolate notes, and really shows off the cask influence from the bourbon. The finish lingers for what seems like an eternity (in a very lovely way).

Foursquare Rum Distillery 2005 is nothing short of completely exceptional (no pun intended). The flavors are complex, layered, and balanced. The cask doesn’t overwhelm the rum, and instead everything is enhanced – balancing spice and funk with tropical fruit and vanilla. The slightly nuttiness and milk chocolate notes combine with the tropical spice and pepper to make something alluring and sultry. This rum shows a deft hand, and you should savor its depth as you enjoy it.

In Cocktails

You’re almost certainly not planning on turning this bottle into cocktails, but here we are. So if you’re curious what it’s like in a Daiquiri, here’s the answer. While it’s beautifully balanced and displays the same exemplary vanilla, spice, chocolate, fruitiness, and a creamy butterscotch. The spice, ginger, nutmeg, and funk gets in there, punching the lime around, which fights back makings this green tea, matcha note. It’s an incredibly complex and overwhelming drink, that is somehow more aggressive with the simple and lime than by itself. So in summary, if you want to make a rum enthusiast cry, make drinks out of this.

In Review – Foursquare Rum 2005

Foursquare Rum Distillery 2005 is an unbelievably deep rum. It’s complex, well balanced, and more than the face values of bourbon casks and high proof. It explodes with flavors, shows the influence of both the rum and the cask in spice, vanilla, tropical fruit, funk, and so, so much more. That said, you’d be mad to turn this into drink. Can it work, sure. But why would you do it? It doesn’t make a better drink than a mid level rum like Doorly’s X.O. (remember you can combine rums to make more complex flavor profiles in cocktails – like adding Plantation’s Barbados Rum to Doorly’s), but it is a way better sipper. Buy this rum if you’re into rum neat or want to explore that area of spirits and enjoy every last delicate, intricate sip.

Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon

Posted on August 2, 2023August 2, 2023 by Nick

Perhaps few bottles command the collectability of Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon. These single barrel expressions of Buffalo Trace’s Mash Bill #2 (more rye – albeit really low high rye at 12%-15%) are well known for not only the solid bourbon they contain, but also their darling little horse toppers that you can collect. Get all 8, and you can spell Blanton’s. Once upon a time, this experience was probably fairly fun and un-stressful. Go to the store, sort through the toppers, and slowly build your set. Now the least stressful ways you can do this are:

Buy Them From Buffalo Trace – They’re over $70 a set – but easy to get them all! [This is not an affiliate link]
Stand in line for hours, and slowly swap bottles or collect the right toppers bottle by bottle.
Buy them at secondary rates ranging from $110 – $130 a bottle (nearly double SRP)

So is it worth it to drink all this bourbon or to buy them to collect them all? How good is the bourbon inside this amazingly crafted bottle?

Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon

Mash Bill: Corn + 12 – 15% Rye (Mash Bill #2)
Dumped: 12-21-17
Barrel No: 877
Rick No.: 23
Warehouse: H
Proof: 93 (A.B.V. 46.5%)

Sight: Deep Gold to Burnished

Smell: The nose has a pleasant amount of vanilla mixed with fresh cherries and orange zest. There’s a lot of caramel and sugar notes laced with fruity, crushed raspberries berries and gentle notes of oak. The nose is actually surprisingly fruity, with an almost fruit punch like amount of fruits blending in behind the primarily vanilla front. Despite the low proof, there’s a surprising whiff of heat from time to time.

Sip: The body is smooth and balanced with just a hint of sweetness. The vanilla comes through with touches of orange, citrus, and cherry. There are pleasant notes of berries and hints of oak.

Savor: On the finish there’s a pop of citrus zest followed by a wave of vanilla ranging from extract to bean. The finish lingers into a slightly toasty oak barrels with that pastry like dessert vanilla.

Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon is nice, simple, smooth, and pleasantly fragrant. It owes a lot to that strong vanilla character, that laces from the nose through the finish. The nose is somewhat more enticing than the body, but the smoothness makes it pleasant to return to and sip over and over. If you’re not thinking about it, or don’t want to think about it, it’s a nice bottle to just sip.

In Cocktails

Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon works better than it would have seemed possible in a Manhattan. The fruitier notes on the nose are given space to expand, splitting out into amazingly bombastic crushed raspberries, blueberry syrup, and fresh cherries. Notes of gentle spice come in, and this powerful way of floral, sweet vanilla slides through with a silky elegance. The result is a truly composed drink, that really sings on every note.

In Review – Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon

While I wish I could say that I think Blanton’s is worth the hunt and premium to purchase, I just can’t say that I find it interesting enough that I’d like to hunt it down over and over again to drink neat. In a cocktail, it really sings, but it doesn’t provide enough value to justify it over a Buffalo Trace or Eagle Rare Manhattan. If you want to even stretch outside the brand, it a $20 more expensive Manhattan than Four Roses Single Barrel. That’s a tough pill to swallow if you can even find it.

Castle & Key Restoration Rye

Posted on July 7, 2023August 30, 2023 by Nick

After receiving a Castle & Key Restoration Rye Single Barrel from a friend in Chicago, I was intrigued to see how the Castle & Key entry level offering was. The single barrel offering was deep and robust, with lots of layered flavors. With a higher proof point than many standard offerings (coming in at 103), it would seem that this rye could have a lot of the same depth of the single barrel. So does show up like Wild Turkey 101 compared to Rare Breed, or do you have to go up scale with Castle & Key?

(This picture is from Christmas, when my wife was lovely enough to buy me a bottle)

Castle & Key Restoration Rye

Release Year: 2022
Batch: 2
Bottle No.: 08303
Proof: 103 (51.5% A.B.V.) (Annoyingly their website lists this as 105 / 52.5%)
Mash Bill: 63% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, 17% Yellow Corn

Sight: Burnished to chestnut oloroso sherry

Smell: The nose has an orange zest and peanut note off the bat. It gives way to some lightly honeyed notes with hints of herbs, black tea, and pine. There’s heat suggesting that the proof has a little bit of tilt northward, and it gives away some spice and fruitiness. The fruitiness is almost artificial, like candy.

Sip: It’s lightly bodied, but doesn’t feel thin. Notes of pine and slightly yeasty notes come though with hints of spice and oak. The mix isn’t overtly sweet, but not quite savory, running a very straightforward line. Touches of herbal notes and fruit are very minimal but present.

Savor: The finish carries forward a light yeastiness with a good hint of oak and spice. There’s a little more of that black-tea herbal note, but things are pretty simple and straightforward.

Castle & Key Restoration Rye is characteristically rye like in it’s nose, but then doesn’t quite make the transition to the palate. While it’s a bit warm, it doesn’t quite pull up on the flavors the way a 103 proof might suggest. The flavors therefore end up being rye, but rye light.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Castle & Key Restoration Rye’s flavor shortage of the neat preparation carry forward a bit. The start is a little heavy on the oak and spice, and then opens slightly into black tea and dried fruits. There’s a subtle oaky bitterness here, and a bit of sweetness from the vermouth. The weight is good, but it feels let down by the some of the more aggressive herbal notes. It’s not a Manhattan I would reach for again.

In Review – Castle & Key Restoration Rye

Castle & Key Restoration Rye is just really not great at nearly $40. It tastes young and reflects this in the lack of depth of flavor. The proof doesn’t seem to translate into weight or flavor. All these things that add up to a bottle that’s pretty, but hard to recommend. There are better options in this price range, and for nearly half as much. If you must have their distillate, go for a single barrel rye.

Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year Rum

Posted on June 21, 2023June 21, 2023 by Nick

One of the more frequent questions that pops up in the search results for our site is what bottles are recommended by Death & Co. This has changed over time as Death & Co. is now on their third book, and each book represents something of a time capsule. If you venture all the way back to their beginning book*, you’ll find Barbancourt Rhum listed as one of their recommended rhum agricoles. At the bottom of this range, you’ll find Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year Rum. So nearly a decade later, is this still a rum you should consider for your home bar?

Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year Rum

Made from a 100% Sugar Cane and aged in French Limousin casks, Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year Rum is distilled in Haiti and comes in at 43% A.B.V. The French Limousin casks are a nod to cognac aging, which is called out in their marketing. Unrelated, the cap on my particular bottle broke after I opened it (failing to catch the threads), and had to be replaced.

Sight: A mild yellow gold.

Smell: The nose isn’t super aggressive, wafting out notes of caramel, vanilla, subtle oak, touches of spice and some heat. Some esters come out, giving a mild green, herbaceous funk that can go along with the cane juice. The nose has a subtle tropical fruitiness, especially slightly fermented and roasted banana, as well, and a bit of woodsy funk. The heat will continue to jump out as though it’s hotter than it’s proof implies.

Sip: The body is light and caramelly to start with a pleasant sweetness. The flavor moves toward green banana, hazelnuts, spice, and slight rum funk. Light notes of oak and tropical fruits climb in with a hint of pepper. The flavors are subtle.

Savor: The ending brings in more nuttiness, roasted banana notes, and subtle esters. The finish is light and mild.

Overall, Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year Rum is easy going, easy to sip, and not overly complicated. The flavors a sort of subtle rhum agricole that doesn’t get too wild, but gives off nice woodsy notes from the French Limousin oak casks. The result is something that shaves off the edges of the sugar cane juice, but that also let’s some of that herbaceousness through. It’s certainly possible to just sip on thanks to this.

In Cocktails

Putting it in a Ti’ Punch, Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star opens up into caramelized banana and notes of slight mango with a touch of lime. The finish gets a hint of toasted coconut thanks to the vanilla notes from the oak. Subtle lime pops make it brighter, cutting some of the richness. Overall, a smooth and tasty Ti’ Punch!

In Review – Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year Rum

Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year Rum is a very pleasant, lightly aged rhum. If you find that unaged agricoles are too strong for you, this is a great way to easy in for some of the flavors without getting overwhelmed. From a usability standpoint, there aren’t a ton of entry level recipes that look for this style of rum. While you could make a Daiquiri out of it, you probably wouldn’t start there. For these reasons, we recommend this bottle if you’re purposefully looking for a lightly aged agricole and have drinks that call for it. Those looking for a rum to start their bar with should instead consult our list!

* – This link is an affiliate link which may result in us getting a partial commission from the sale. In 2022 we made $13.34 from affiliate links and made $5.11 so far in 2023, while we’ve spent well over $200 on just webhosting. Help us keep the lights on if you like our content, and please use our links!

Maker’s Mark: Crumble Coffee Cake – OHLQ Exclusive 2022

Posted on May 31, 2023March 13, 2023 by Nick

As mentioned in our review of Maker’s Mark Marshmallow Krispy Treat, Maker’s does a fairly substantial presence on the shelves as private selections (or store picks). These picks are made up of combinations of finishing staves to impart different flavors on 5 – 7 year old Maker’s Mark Cask Strength. The finished Maker’s Mark Cask Strength then aged for an additional 9 weeks in temperature controlled conditions. Unlike their Marshmallow Krispy Treat, this offering is going for a more breakfast or dessert approach, as they’ve selected the name Maker’s Mark: Crumble Coffee Cake.

As always, be aware these combinations get reused by other private selections with different names, so double check your stave profiles to avoid duplicates or find your favorites.

Maker’s Mark Crumble Coffee Cake

OHLQ described Maker’s Mark Crumble Coffee Cake as follows:

Complex, velvety mouthfeel with aromas of roasted coffee beans, and rich flavors of brown sugar, warm cinnamon and bold baking spices, pie crust, and dried fruit.

Stave Profile:
- 2 Baked American Pure
- 2 Maker’s Mark 46
- 2 Roasted French Mendiant
- 4 Toasted French Spice
Proof: 111.3 (ABV 55.65%)
Age: NAS

As I split this bottle with a friend, the fill level is at half.

Sight: A pleasant oloroso sherry.

Smell: The nose erupts with vanilla and caramel. Behind them comes in this wonderful unctuous, creamy coffee note. Like a cappuccino with some cinnamon on top. A subtle dessert pastry like note comes in with plenty of brown sugar and a hint of preserved fruits, syrupy cherry, and baking spice.

Sip: The body lighter than the proof would imply, and before you read lots of sweet words, drier than it seems from the nose. A coffee and perfumed vanilla note comes through, before the heat starts joining. The midpalate has a more crumbly brown sugar note going on, with more vanilla, touches of caramel, and a bit of dried fruit. The back end gets vanilla cream heavy, somehow feeling lanolin and thin at the same time, but nailing this vanilla frosting note.

Savor: The ending is a cacophony of vanillas mixing with caramel and some obvious oak. The add in of spice and brown sugars make this combination a bit muddle, but does do a good job of conveying a dessert / cake like element. Perhaps just a bit of bitter tannins on the end.

Maker’s Mark Crumble Coffee Cake has a highly developed nose, and a palate that tries to keep up. The influence of the different finishes on the nose is really stunning, drawing you in like you’re about to have dessert. The taste is good but dry, but has a middling level of complexity that keeps you picking at it. The ending is where it gets a little muddled, throwing every sweet note from the staves at you, with vanilla (capital VANILLA) wherever it can. Overall, it’s fun to sip, but certainly not going to be the sort of bottle you shout from the roof tops about.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan, this expression of Maker’s Mark does a beautiful vanilla and caramel cream mix across a background of baking spice (leaning toward clove). The coffee notes of the oak really come out here, giving a nice subtle roasty nature to the whole drink. Made with Maker’s Mark Crumble Coffee Cake, the drink comes out like a mature dessert, that would probably pair well with actual coffee cake or a dessert with less sweetness (like flourless chocolate cake).

In Review – Maker’s Mark Crumble Coffee Cake

While Maker’s Mark Crumble Cake seems like it should be a dessert, it’s more dry than the name implies. Despite this, it’s an ok sipper that probably slightly undersells its $70 price tag. The shine here is in making a bang on dessert like Manhattan. It keeps your wanting another sip that goes all the way through vanilla and caramel with a cup of coffee. While this is a good bottle, the price tag means you’ll have to weigh how much you want to enjoy quite good bourbon, versus how much you want look for great bourbon or a new bottle.

Put differently, Maker’s continues to put out solid, high floor / low ceiling bottles that range from good to very good, but slide slightly short of great. This bottle falls toward to the good side of the spectrum, but is still very enjoyable.

Old Forester Single Barrel – Barrel Strength Bourbon – Baytowne Spirits

Posted on March 29, 2023February 14, 2023 by Nick

If you just want to have your Old Forester with a bit more power, then you should consider Old Forester Single Barrel – Barrel Strength Bourbon. As the name implies, these bottles are made up of single barrels, and barreled at barrel strength. Unsurprisingly, they’re quite high in proof, and suggest that they might also be quite strong in flavors. This pick comes from Baytowne Spirits in Rochester, NY – where in addition to an amazing selection of single barrels, they have an outstanding selection of rums.

Old Forester Single Barrel – Barrel Strength Bourbon

This barrel has the following stats:

Warehouse: K
Floor: 2
Proof: 130 pf
Common Abbreviations: OFSBBS / OFSiBBS

Sight: Solid Auburn

Smell: The nose starts with a blast of oak spice and cherry. Notes of more fruity elements come out, such as macerated strawberries and ripe banana. Brown sugar and caramel roll around over a layer of heat. The spiciness grows and builds in ways ranging from peppercorn to chili to clove and allspice.

Sip: The start is smooth and more moderate bodied. Cherries cooked in brandy and chewy caramel come sliding out in thick waves. There are more fruity elements like dried strawberry and banana. Walnut comes in with full force and give more pepper and brown sugar elements room to grow. Things get increasingly hot, not unsurprisingly – with a rip of oak in between.

Savor: The ending keeps plenty of oak, walnut, cherry jubilee, and caramelized sugar notes. The ending is dry, tannic, and maintains a bit of warmth throughout. It lingers for a longer period than you might expect, but maintains the oak flavor – adding some cigar box and dried cherry as it goes.

Old Forester Single Barrel – Barrel Strength Bourbon is both complicated and relatively straightforward at the same time. This seems like a contradiction, but what it delivers is consistency of flavor. In all of the tastings I’ve had of this particular bottle, it tends to pull a very consistent flavor profile, and the glass drinks the same at the start as the beginning. As neat drinking goes, this is a barrel proofer that’s quite good, especially for Old Forester fans.

In Cocktails:

In a Manhattan it immediately makes you aware of its prescience. The weight alone is probably in the top 5 of Manhattans I’ve ever made (unsurprising again, given the proof) and the finish reflects this further with a bit of a heat. In the middle are waves of oak spice, caramel, fire roasted cherries, and cigar spice box. The flavor profile doesn’t really ever relax, but instead either sends spice, bombastic fruit, or oaky notes. Drinking it as it warms up, begs for more heat, but lets a bit more of the vanilla and berry notes through. If you’ve been reading previous Manhattan notes, you might conclude (quite correctly) that this is a bruiser of a bottle in the drink – which might excite some hardcore bourbon enthusiasts.

In Review – Old Forester Single Barrel – Barrel Strength Bourbon

Old Forester Single Barrel – Barrel Strength Bourbon is a powerful, beast of a bourbon. The flavors match the strength, and it delivers a well rounded experience. Fans of Old Forester’s regular offerings should find a lot to like here, and it should be a stretch to grab a bottle. If you’re not a huge fan of Old Forester or barrel strength offerings, this is going to be a stretch – especially at $80, and more than double that on the secondary.

Giffard Banane du Bresil

Posted on March 24, 2023February 14, 2023 by Nick

Most people don’t look to add a banana liqueur to their bar unless they either love bananas, or are planning on using it for something really specific. If you happen to be looking for a high quality banana liqueur, Giffard Banane du Bresil might be just the ticket. Made from slow macerated bananas mostly from Brazil, this banana liqueur is heavy on the banana notes and finished with just a touch of cognac. So does this hold up to the high standards of Giffard’s other products?

Giffard Banane du Bresil

Sight: A moderate gold with hints of copper.

Smell: The smell is sweet and initially stands out as a banana candy note. The smell is more dynamic though, giving way to overly ripe, mashed banana notes and a slight caramelization.

Sip: The sip starts sweet and has a correspondingly thick texture. The flavors of overripened mashed bananas bump up against candied banana notes. A subtle caramelized sugar flavor leans toward bananas foster. A range of other banana flavors flit in and out.

Savor: The candied banana carries over to the finish and has a subtle dried banana chip flavor.

Giffard Banane du Bresil is banana forward and does a good job of balancing real banana flavors and candied notes. The flavors here are obviously sweet, which is to be expected, but there’s complexity that underlies the liqueur. The different sugar notes bring depth and dimensions. The net effect is rather sweet to sip on its own, but it has enough character if you were to try to drink it straight that you wouldn’t feel overwhelmed with one note.

In Cocktails

There aren’t really standard classic cocktails that call for a banana flavor, but the Educated Barfly’s reader Chase Hoffman from Denver, was nice enough to contribute the Banana Farmer to the world. This riff on Planter’s Punch and Zombie ends up using almost an ounce of Giffard Banane du Bresil to make an amazing rum forward drink that does a slam dunk of caramelized banana flavor with underlying bruleed sugar. The falernum adds a beautiful spicing, and the lime comes to brighten the whole thing up. While not listed in the written recipe, you’ll find two dashes of angostura bitters in the video presentation of it. I recommend that you try it both ways to find your preference for spice level.

Banana Farmer

1 oz

Smith & Cross Rum

1 oz

Plantation 3 Star Rum

1 oz

Giffard Banane du Bresil

½ oz

Velvet Falernum

1 oz

Lime Juice

¾ oz

Pineapple Juice

2 Dashes

Angostura Bitters (Optional)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Add ice and shake. Strain into a Collins glass and fill with fresh pellet or crushed ice. Garnish with caramelized banana and 2 pineapple fronds.

If perhaps a Banana forward Zombie cousin isn’t your jam, we’ll talk about how this works in cocktails in general. To start with, we’ve found that the sweetness is strong enough to replace most one to one simple syrups, but with a strong caramelized banana flavor. This means you can use it in relatively small proportions to add a good amount of banana flavor, like by substituting it in an old fashioned. Doing so gives a subtle caramelized banana note that compliments Jim Beam’s peanut note.

In Review – Giffard Banane du Bresil

Giffard Banane du Bresil is a deliciously flavored with lots of different banana flavors and a good mix of sugars. It has depth, sweetness, and complexity that align well with it’s mid $20 price tag. Despite this, it’s definitely an expansion bottle or one that you target specific drinks you want to make with it. True banana fans should also consider trying a bottle, and spicing up their favorite cocktail with hint of banana.

Old Forester Single Barrel – OHLQ Exclusive #6418

Posted on March 22, 2023February 14, 2023 by Nick

Old Forester offers three different bottlings at 100 proof. We’ve covered two of these, the Signature 100 and the 1897 Bottled-In-Bond, both of which can be found on the shelf easily. What’s less common is the highly sought after Old Forester Single Barrel. Barreled at 100 proof, this offering proposes flavors with less proof than their barrel strength offerings, but also is typically selected by a retailer. While this is priced close to 1897, is it worth the hunt?

Old Forester Single Barrel – OHLQ Exclusive #6418

Warehouse: H
Floor: 4
Proof: 100 (A.B.V. 50%)
Secondary Abbreviation(s): OFSiB, OFSB

Sight: Between Tawny and Russet Muscat

Smell: There’s a surprising amount of warmth coming out of this nose that gives way to caramelized peanut treacle and spicy oak. Caramel, vanilla icing, and powder sugar join in for a very dessert like character. A banana French toast gets in there with a slight red berry compote element. Like it’s on the whipped cream with the French toast.

Sip: The start is on the sweet side, and very approachable with plenty of caramel and vanilla cake notes. The nuttiness quickly catches up with a strong roasted peanut brittle character. There’s a nice amount of cinnamon spice here, and a bit of that caramelized banana again. There’s a build of cigar box and toasty oak that come in as well.

Savor: That sweet caramel and toasty oak spice roll through with a beautiful amount of vanilla icing. The banana foster notes lean in throughout the rest of the palate, but the oak also gets more spicy as it goes, giving off cigar box and clove with a certain sweetness.

Old Forester Single Barrel – OHLQ Exclusive #6418 is complex, sweet, and enticingly layered. The nuttiness is well balanced with the caramelized notes, and the baked goods mixing with the banana tones is really a well balanced mix of flavors. While the influence of the oak is strong, it also doesn’t overwhelm the more delicate flavors. As a single barrel, this bottle is well balanced and enjoyable.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Old Forester Single Barrel – OHLQ Exclusive #6418 is smooth, caramelly, lightly banana oriented, and solidly spiced. There’s a good amount of sweetness here, and the general texture is rich. On the finish, it carries forward a blast of spice, ranging from cinnamon to clove to nutmeg, before picking up some notes of vanilla cake. As a Manhattan it’s good, if heavily spiced.

In Review – Old Forester Single Barrel – OHLQ Exclusive #6418

Old Forester Single Barrel – OHLQ Exclusive #6418 is a really a solid bourbon, especially at $50. Single barrel variation should thoroughly be expected to come into play with these, and as such you’re likely to have more success if you’re already an Old Forester fan. If you can’t find this, remember that Old Forester Signature 100 Bourbon comes in at the same proof point. Although in my experience the flavors won’t reach this level, the cost is less than half at $21.