Alright Todd Rossi, based on your recommendation I tried Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bourbon.  As far a Maker’s Mark regukar bourvon goes I am not a huge fan as it lacks character due to the intentional increase of wheat in the mash to make it more mellow. But this Cask Strength release is another story. It has huge satisfying flavor.  Smells like dried dates and brown sugar. The initial flavor is full and almost fruity like fig and dates, it then mellows into a caramel finish.  The finish stays with you and builds in pleasant heat.  The release I have is at 111.4 proof, but it is so smooth.  This one is great.  I rate it at 93.  Get some of this hooch.

Bob

There are plenty of ryes out there that are really darn good and they are a good change of pace for whisky drinkers and Knob Creek puts out a pretty good bourbon; so one wonders why Knob Creek would create a rye?  After trying the Knob Creek Rye I am still left wondering – why?  The nose on this rye is dry and smells like cut straw.  The flavor starts out in a promising fashion (like it is going to be full bodied) but then it fizzles quickly and develops into a cut grass or sawdusty flavor. Surprisingly, after it is swallowed, several seconds later, it develops a sweet molassy taste.  This rye is not good compared to others out there like Sazerac Rye and Bulleit Rye, but it is not entirely bad either.  Overall I give it a 78.

Bob

I had the pleasure of attending a conference in Stevenson, Washington where I stayed at the Skamania Lodge.  The picture above is a view from my room of the Columbia River.  To get to my destination I had to travel along the Columbia River Gorge (a National Scenic Area). I have traveled along the Columbia on the Oregon side on Hwy 84 dozens of times and that is a beautiful trip.  This time I traveled west along the River but on the Washington side on Hwy 14.  Oh my goodness what a beautiful ride – even better than the Oregon side.  The scenery is breathtaking and there are dozens of trailheads leading to trails to explore along the way.  Hwy 14 also takes you through many smaller communities with so much character. And there are wineries along the way as well.  I traveled for business and was on a tight timeline.  Next time I am going to make extra time to explore for sure.

Bob

Want a good bourbon that will leave with a couple of shekels to rub together, then Bulleit fits the bill.  This bourbon has a strong spicy nose.  It starts out spicy (peppery) then mellows into a sweet toffee finish.  Good solid stuff.  I rate it at 85.

Bob

So, in an interesting twist, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a federal judge’s decision  where that judge ruled that the NFL improperly suspended Tom Brady for his part in Deflategate.  The 2nd Circuit’s decision to overturn that federal judge’s decision and support the NFL Commissioner’s decision to suspend Brady is huge and should end the legal wranglings surrounding Deflategate.  Even if the player’s union and Brady petition the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case, it is highly unlikely that the U.S. Supreme Court will actually hear the case.  The Supreme Court receives about 8000 petition for review a year and usually only takes about 80 cases for review.  If the Supreme Court denies review, the decision of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals decision will stand as the final word on the matter.  The 2nd Circuit’s decision has likely put to rest this issue.  I am waiting to hear the outcry from the Patriot/Brady fans.  I wonder what type of spin they will put in it this time.

Also interesting is that the odds makers in Vegas had the Patriots as 6-1 favorites to win Superbowl 51.  With the news of the 2nd Circuit decision, the odds makers now have the Seahawks and Patriots as co-favorites to win the Superbowl.  Check out the ESPN article.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/15353950/tom-brady-new-england-patriots-four-game-suspension-deflategate-reinstated-appeals-court

Bob

I had the opportunity to try Macallan’s 15 Year Fine Oak Single Malt Scotch over the weekend. Macallan is considered a staple by many scotch drinkers because of it consistently good quality and the 15 Year Fine Oak is no exception.  The nose is sweet with bit of wood scent, cedar. The taste starts out sweet and then becomes oaky and smoky.  The smokiness is, however, subtle and the peat very slight unlike other heavily peated scotches.  It has a very smooth finish. Overall a very nice scotch.  I am rating it at 86.

Bob

Booker Noe is famous for his bourbons.  His family established the Jim Beam brand of bourbon.  In the late 80’s Booker Noe created Booker’s Bourbon to market a higher end – small batch bourbon.  This bourbon smells like burnt marshmellows.  It has a butterscotch flavor on its front end which develops into a pretty strong wood (oak) flavor in the middle and in the finish.  Not too hot.  Deep color, nice aroma, and the taste all work well together.  Pretty decent stuff.  I give it an 87.

Bob

Its Spring Barrel time!  Go out and enjoy what the local wineries have to offer – have fun, but don’t be stupid about it.  Stay safe!  Have a DD.

As many of you know, Pappy Van Winkle is highly sought after, hard to find, and considered to be the best bourbon in the world.  I have been blessed with the opportunity to experience four different Pappy Van Winkle offerings; the 10 year, 15 year, 20 year, and 23 year.  These bourbons have served as my benchmark against which all other bourbons are compared.

Of the four, the 15 year is actually my favorite.  It is sublime and the second best (not the best) bourbon I have ever had (my favorite is not a Pappy and will be the subject of a future review).  The 15 smells how I imagine heaven might smell.  It smells of toffee, vanilla, and oak.  The taste, however, is what will take your breath away.  It starts out silky and then explodes into flavors of vanilla and caramel.  It has a long finish that tastes sweet but yet isn’t and it is tempered by just a perfect amount of burn.  You want the flavor to stay in mouth forever.  I rate the 15 year as a 97.

The rest of the Pappys in order of age:

10 year- nose is nice, not as potent as the 15 year.  The flavor is smooth and not as full bodied as the 15 year – it is reminiscent of Eagle Rare 10 year bourbon, with hints of leather and toffee.  The finish is very smooth with really minimal burn.  I rate the 10 year as a 92.

20 year – nose is much like the 15 year and the flavor is much the same as the 15 year, but obviously aged longer and has taken on more of the flavor from the charred oak barrel, giving this bourbon a smoky edge not found in the 15 year.  Overall a great bourbon, which I rate at 94.

23 year – considered to be the Holy Grail of bourbons.  The bourbon has a huge nose and flavor.  The nose is caramelly but also very earthy, almost smelling of dirt or minerals.  The flavor starts timid but grows in strength.  It erupts into an explosion of caramel, oak, leather, and has a minerally bite (any earthy – primal experience).  It definitely lives up to the hype.  I rate this at 95.

Bob