Penny for Your Thoughts - Tobermory 10, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C917, Jim Beam Double Oak
- Feb 9, 2018
- 2 min read
Tobermory 10 (46.3%) - Tobermory is a close cousin of Ledaig 10. Or, perhaps to put it more accurately, Tobermory is heir to the throne, bearing the name of the distillery itself, while Ledaig 10 is the cousin and second-in-line. The distinction between the two is that Tobermory's malt is unpeated, although its flavor profile purportedly picks up some peat influence because the spring water used actually flows over peat bogs. To be honest, I was hard-pressed to detect that here, but what is apparent is that this is a high-quality single malt. The nose features a slightly oily aroma, green apple, and toffee, and those flavors are joined on the palate by a rich, chewy, pure cereal grain note that is much more pronounced and cleaner than in your typical 10-year single malt. The finish is also cereal and oat-flavored, and makes for a satisfying conclusion to this one. For $50-60, you could do a lot worse. B+
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C917 (65.5% ABV) - Our household is addicted to Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, which is perhaps the best value-for-money in the whiskey world at the moment. We purchased this bottle for $70 plus shipping, which was a bit more expensive than the second bottle we acquired at an incredible bargain price of $58. ECBP's signature is its intense, unmatched level of oak flavor, one counterbalanced by rich, deep sweet flavors. In this case, the nose of C917 features that signature oak savoriness and spiciness combined with a mouthwatering banana nut bread, anise syrup and molasses, vanilla, and butter pecan ice cream. Oh, my, yes. The palate entry is freshly tapped maple syrup, with a swirl of thick oak tannins as always, and then transitions into sugar, spice, and everything nice: cinnamon and rye spice, orange creamsicles, and cornbread. Its texture is buttery and thick, as a true barrel-proof, unfiltered bourbon should be. The finish is white-hot on the first sip, so much so that I almost came out coughing, but subsequent tastes reveal that unmistakable Elijah Craig coda of pepper and spice, caramel, and even a little citrus (which was a unique note that I didn't perceive in the previous two batches I tried this year, A117 and B517). A
Jim Beam Double Oak (43%) - To be honest, I have a hard time differentiating all of the Beam products (white label, black label, etc.). Double Oak seems like it fills the exact same niche as Devil's Cut, albeit it gets there via a different aging technique. As expected, this bourbon is woody as hell. That's the dominant scent on the nose, along with a little caramel sweetness, and a slightly bitter oak is the main feature of the palate and finish as well. This bottle actually is hard to distinguish from Devil's Cut, which arguably has more pleasant wood flavors but a little less sweetness, and sells at a similar price point right around $20. Take two Andrew Jacksons, buy both, and decide which you like better, then make that your go-to bottom-shelf bourbon. B
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