Kentucky Archives - Page 5 of 5 - First Pour Cocktails

Christian Brothers Brandy VS

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Nick

Brandy at times conjures up images of St. Bernard’s running through the woods with a barrel around it’s neck. Christian Brothers Brandy VS is priced in a way that you could let a dog run up a mountain with it and not worry about spilling it. But will the receiver enjoy it once the dog gets there?

Christian Brothers Brandy VS

Christian Brothers Brandy VS is made from grapes using a copper pot still. It’s aged for two years in ex-bourbon barrels to create the flavor profile. Then the important bit, they blend it to create a particularly stable flavor profile. At under $10, is it worth it?

Sight: An orange-gold.

Smell: It would be remiss not to note the alcohol hiding around many of the aromas. That said, it does hide decently well behind a creaminess and notes of grapes and caramel. Touches of vanilla and oak come in as well. Despite the persistent burn, it’s pleasant.

Sip: The body is light, but oddly syrupy. There’s a subtle touch of sweetness that runs length, with a gradually building heat. Notes of oak, hints of nuts, touches of vanilla, and caramel all layer with touches of dried fruit. A little bit of bitterness hides toward the back palate.

Savor: The ending picks up a bit of that bitterness, but many of sugary flavors and dried fruit notes are present.

Christian Brothers Brandy VS is simple, unrefined, and easy going. There is some burn here, and the simplicity is to a fault. There’s something slightly strange about the texture, but it isn’t unpleasant. It isn’t the kind of bottle you’re going to pour yourself a nice healthy pour of over an ice cube, but it does have many other better applications.

In Cocktails

Christian Brothers Brandy VS does alright in cocktails. The problem it has it’s never quite strong enough on it’s own, and then it never quite carries through in a cocktail either. While it does work to make a serviceable sidecar, the result is a little lacking on brandy flavor. This same result is why it also works well for liqueurs or flavor extraction, but it’s not going to add a lot of personality.

On a side note, it makes a delicious pan sauce with Pork Chop when you deglaze with it.

Christian Brothers Brandy VS Overall

Christian Brothers Brandy VS is a workhouse spirit for the bar. It works well enough in cocktails, but doesn’t add a lot. It’s a good extractor, that works for creating liqueurs. At the price, it’s a no brainer if you need to keep a cheap bottle of brandy around for cooking or simple cocktail duty.

Want more info, check out Christian Brothers’ website.

Jim Beam White Label

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Nick

Every year my family plays white elephant. You may also know this game as Yankee Swap, or in my family, Grab Bag. As we’ve gotten older – it’s become increasingly alcoholic, and has resulted in many bottles I would never have willingly purchased. One year I received a bottle of Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey, one of, amazingly, 3 that had ended up in a White Elephant game of 12 people. It was terrible – like buttered popcorn fell into a vat of maple candy flavoring that was aged in oak. It took me years to use that bottle – baking apples with it, using it in barbecue sauce, or anywhere else I could hide it. Jim Beam White Label isn’t anywhere near as offensive as Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey – it’s definitely not – but it’s also another bottle I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to buy.

Jim Beam

Jim Beam is a whiskey that’s basically synonymous with bourbon. They produce a phenomenal amount of the stuff. It accordingly shows up everywhere from casinos to ballparks to weddings to neighborhood bars. It’s a workhorse and a utilitarian whiskey that can be had for under $20. Now there’s nothing wrong with that – it can still make a serviceable drink.

Sight: An old gold that’s somewhat toward the richer / sherried side.

Smell: Maraschino cherries, sawdust, and peanuts come out at first. Touches of mellowed corn and powder sugar come round with a touch of char. Possibly a little vanilla or caramel or hint of pome fruit.

Sip: The body is thin, and starts relatively smooth. It gradually gets a bit more unrefined throwing more sharp alcoholic edges across the palate. Heavy notes of charred oak, corn, and hints of red cherries come through. The palate actually gives of a little bit of a raw alcohol flavor and touches of spice.

Savor: The ending is slightly astringent and a little sour. The finish has notes of spice and char.

Jim Beam White Label is a budget bourbon, set your expectations accordingly. The palate is neither refined nor complex. The nose is not offensive, but might inspired a notation that it appears to be bourbon in the glass. The finish is, for lack of a better word, present. At under $20 for a 750ml the entire experience is acceptable.

In Cocktails

Does it taste like bourbon? Yes! Jim is by no means bad, but it doesn’t necessarily shave off all it’s edges. In a Manhattan it feels a little aggressive, while in an old-fashioned it leaves a little desire for more complexity. Again, nothing wrong with it, but it could be contributing more.

Jim Beam White Label Overall

Jim Beam White Label is everywhere. You’re unlikely to walk into any average bar and not find it. It’s dependable, theoretically what many people thing bourbon tastes like, and won’t move a drink outside of someone’s perception of reality. It’s also very affordable. For all these reasons, it’s not my recommended bourbon for your shelf, but it’s perfectly acceptable bourbon for fixing a drink.

If you’re looking for something else from Jim to setup to, check out their Bonded offer.

Jim Beam Bonded

Posted on June 18, 2020June 21, 2020 by Nick

Among the most popular brands of bourbon is Jim Beam. Part of the Beam Suntory family of brands – Jim Beam is a standard bearer for the conglomerate. As a result, Jim Beam White is ubiquitous. You’ll see it on planes, in stadiums, weddings; it’s practically everywhere. Most people will at one point or another have an opportunity to have Jim Beam White Label or have unknowingly had it served to them. Beyond Jim Beam White Label, Beam Suntory actually produces a number of premium products including Booker’s, Baker’s, and Knob Creek. Just a step up the ladder from White Label is Jim Beam Bonded.

Bottled in Bond of course means that Jim Beam Bonded is subject to more stringent requirements than ordinary bourbon. Jim Beam White Label is aged 4 years – while Jim Beam Bonded provides no age statement, but must be aged a minimum for a bonded bourbon as well. While there are other differences, the biggest is going to be the proof. Jim Beam Bonded is bottled at 100 proof compared to the standard White Label 80 proof. The higher proof is going to be the result of less cutting of the final product and should result in more richness. Priced in the low $20 range, is it worth paying the upgrade over their ubiquitous white label.

If you need a quick refreshed on how Bottled-In-Bond is different – than check out or review of Rittenhouse Bottled-In-Bond for an overview.

Jim Beam Bonded

Sight: A gorgeous amber brown, bordering into sherry.

Smell: The nose is a little warm at the start thanks to the bonded nature bringing up the proof. Peanuts and brittle come forward, mixing with notes of grain and spice. Subtle caramel and malted milk duds hang out behind the peanuts.

Sip: The start is warm and bright within seconds, and the mouth feel is solid. The primary flavors are roasted peanuts, hints of nougat, and touches of preserved cherry, charred oak, and graham cracker waiting for smores.

Savor: The ending is tannic with a heavy astringency The finish is laced with peanut, charred oak, and graham crackers.

Reddit’s r/bourbon frequently talks about how Beam Suntory products evoke peanuts – something I’ve never tasted in whiskey. Jim Beam Bonded is like a whiskey mashing the peanut button on the whiskey flavor wheel. There are other interesting notes, but it’s clearly not designed for sipping with it’s relative warmth. That said, the strong backbone and reasonable price tag makes this a potential versatile whiskey for crafting cocktails with.

In Cocktails

The flavor of peanuts is truly remarkable here. It’s such a predominate flavor that even when paired with sweet vermouth in a Manhattan, it sticks out like someone added Skrewball. That said, dilution here is bringing in some of the nicer baked cookie notes and a nice toasted brown sugar element.

Jim Beam Bonded Overall

Jim Beam Bonded is thicker and richer thank it’s normal white label counterpart. There’s a price premium here of about $5-10, and there are some nice flavors that are worth buying up to from the normal white label. That said – in the same mid $20 price range there’s some strong competition from others like Bulleit and Elijah Craig. So if you’re a fan of regular Jim, then Jim Beam Bonded is certainly worth it. For those that are fans of other brands should consider if the flavor profile described fits what you’re looking for – and make a decision from there.

Want to read more:

Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Nick

When it comes to bourbon over the past year – there’s been no substitute on our bar for Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon. This no age statement bourbon delivers solid bourbon for a good price. In the mid-$20 price point, Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon comes from Heaven Hill Distillery. This same group also makes the wonderful Rittenhouse Rye we covered not to long ago.

Elijah Craig Small Batch has a nose of caramel, dried apricots, pecan, and oak. The palate is woodsy, but reveals baking spices, toffee nut, and more vanilla like oak. Just a hint of burn, a mild finish that layers out with oak, caramel, and spice. While it’s not unbelievably special, it also not unbelievably expensive – and delivers a solid bourbon to make a cocktail with.

So How Does Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon Play In Cocktails?

Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon shows up – bringing a nice healthy dose of toasted oak and spice box. The rye notes and hints of dried fruits emphasis well with other liqueurs. In a Manhattan, the rye notes and the spice notes in the sweet vermouth work well together, and give a nice bit of spice to the underlying vanilla and caramel flavors. Ultimately, it has a stronger presence than a softer whiskies – like the wheated Weller Special Reserve. This dominance can make it a bit more unruly when crafting new flavors – so balance of sweetness and acidity are more crucial, but the base canvas is pliable.

Final Thoughts

There are fewer and fewer bourbons sitting in the $20-$30 price point, and among them Elijah Craig is quite solid. If you’re looking for a bourbon that’s stereo typically bourbon-esque, then Elijah Craig will easily fit your home bar and serve as a work horse, even in a Glencairns glass or on a giant ice sphere.

Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon Raw Tasting Notes

Nose of caramel, dried apricots, pecan, oak, and minerality. Woodsy palate, oak, hints of cigar box, and baking spices. With water – it opens up revealing toffeenut, cinnamon, spice, and honey.

Distillery: Elijah Craig Distillery Co. – Kentucky

Website: Elijah Craig on Heaven Hill

Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond

Posted on October 17, 2019 by Nick

Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond was one of the first, and most affordable, liquors I was able to purchase after I got seriously into cocktails. This standby staple is a go to in our collection, and from a value for money perspective – it’s not particularly hard to see why. Rittenhouse sparkles with a nutty nose, laced with baked vanilla, warm brown sugar, and hints of esthery banana, baking spices, and cedar box. The palate is a lovely mix of cocoa, black tea, almond extract, pepper, and hints of wood. At 100 proof – it gets a touch hot on the palate, but delivers full flavor in spades.

What Does Bottled-In-Bond mean?

Bottled-In-Bond is connected to the 1897 Bottled-In-Bond Act which was designed to help with the widespread adulteration of liquors. The idea was that the government would be the guarantor of quality – and participants would be a tax advantage. To participate (and be labeled Bonded or Bottled-In-Bond) the following conditions must be met:

Produced in one distilling season (Jan-Jun, Jul-Dec) by one distiller at one distillery.
Aged in a federally bonded warehouse under U.S. Government Supervision for at least 4 years.
Bottled at 100 proof (50% A.B.V.)
The label must contain the distillery and where it was bottled.
Must be produced in the United States.

Do Bonded Whiskies Really Taste Better?

It’s a complicated question, and the answer is it depends. Governments have long sought to ensure quality, and the results are decidedly mixed. If you look at the wine world, you’ll see D.O.C., D.O.C.G., I.G.T., A.O.C., V.Q.A., A.V.A, and the list goes on and on. Does it mean the wine is better? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Sometimes a region with no standing produces something amazing. What it does do, is provide customers an assurance that spirits and wines produced in these regions meet certain quality requirements.

So How Does Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond Play In Cocktails?

Going to the base choice of an Old Fashioned, we compared Rittenhouse to a competitor. The spicy notes came to the forefront and mingled well with the warm sugar and woodsy notes. The body holds up well thanks to the higher proof. When compared head to head, we agreed the Rittenhouse has more depth, and was more inviting thanks to the warm spice notes.

Final Thoughts

Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond is a sturdy work horse of a rye that delivers a great amount of spice and warmth. At a value proposition typically around $25-30 a bottle, it’s hard to not argue that Rittenhouse deserves a spot in your home bar. This is a must buy.

Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond Raw Tasting Notes:

A nutty nose – with baked vanilla and warm brown sugar – an esthery banana. There’s a spiciness present as well – hints of more baking spice – cedar box / wood. On the palate it gets warm, black tea – bitter almond / extract – pepper – and cedar come to the forefront. The flesh close to the pit of a peach’s nuttiness.

Distillery: Heaven Hill Distilleries – KY

Website: Heaven Hill – Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond

W. L. Weller Special Reserve

Posted on August 2, 2019January 9, 2023 by Nick

Back in 2010 I was fortunate enough to Pappy Van Winkle 23 in a bar in Manhattan. Ironically – and at the risk of being called a heathen – I didn’t think much of it – ranking it a solid 3 points out of 10 below the Sunatory 1984. This probably wasn’t a fair comparison either – but apparently I had perfect timing for avoid the hype train that’s been running all over the bourbon world. Uninsulated from this is trend is Weller Special Reserve.

W. L. Weller Special Reserve

Produced at the Buffalo Trace distillery in Kentucky, Weller Special Reserve is bottled at 90 proof. While it is bourbon, the mash bill is not listed on the web site – you can assume it’s using wheat as the secondary grain here. It also briefly got caught up in some hype where it underwent multiple comparisons to rejected Pappy or poor mans Pappy. This was mostly due to sharing a distillery at one point. Similarly, I was once in a bar with Jon Hamm – regrettably this doesn’t mean I act like Jon Hamm. Let’s ignore all the hype here and focus on what matter.

Retailing for only $15 a few years ago, Weller Special Reserve has climbed up to a healthy $22 a bottle. This 50% increase in price doesn’t quite put Weller out of reach, but it continues to stretch the value proposition. Weller is a simple, well crafted, wheated bourbon. It starts with pleasant notes of cereal, vanilla, oak, and brown sugar on the nose. The palate is smooth with a hint of an edge, but relaxes into some vanilla, spice, and baked goods. The finish has bits of spice and caramel. Weller is very pleasant.

If you add some water – it doesn’t fall apart. The vanilla gets stronger and a hint of nuttiness comes out. The vanilla keeps coming through the palate and it’s a little more sugary on the ending.

It’s a thoroughly nice bourbon. Unsurprisingly – I enjoy Maker’s Mark as well as Weller. Those who enjoy a healthy touch of rye may leave disappointed – and might be better served by Elijah Craig Small Batch.

In Cocktails

Obviously, feel free to use this in whatever you like – but I’ve found that Weller Special Reserve works well in Manhattans. The sweeter notes play well with the vermouth, and the bitters help to replace some of the missing rye notes without overpowering the drink.

Perhaps from the dilution – it doesn’t quite hold it’s own as well in an old fashioned as a regular bourbon like Elijah Craig Small Batch.

The Final Word – Weller Special Reserve

Weller Special Reserve is a nice sipper, and something you won’t be loathe to use in a cocktail. Is it the most versatile bourbon in history? No, but it doesn’t have to be. Weller Special Reserve is a solid budget addition to a whiskey collection for sipping. Keep your expectations in check and there’s a lot to like here.

Others Share Their Thoughts on Weller Special Reserve:

Cocktails to feature W.L. Weller Special Reserve

Raw Notes

Nick: A beautiful amber hue. A wonderful cereal note wafts up with a hint of spice and vanilla. Touches of raisin and baked goods join in. There’s a mild burn as it starts – but it relaxes and gives way to vanilla, oak, and spices – like allspice and clove mixed and muddle. The ending has hints of black pepper, caramel, and coffee. Adding water – the nose softens – moving heavily into vanilla syrup and hints of spice. The edges of raisins soften – and have a hint of almond. The body is still warm – but caramel and vanilla dominate with loads of oak and spice. There is more sweetness – and it’s well rounded. On the finish it becomes more nutty – and opens into elements of cookie and sugar.

Ann Marie: The nose is full of sweet, dark brown sugar with hints of cinnamon and oak. A hint of orange and vanilla extract. Undiluted: Oak on the palate with vanilla and baked goods and spice. When the water is added – a vanilla biscuit comes forward and almonds and brown sugar hold strong. The palate has more spice come forward – rich and thick – mouth coating. It lingers with hints of dark molasses