Penny for Your Thoughts - Mandarin Hide
We had quite a few whiskies on New Year's Eve to ring in 2018. Can't wait to see what it brings!
George T. Stagg, 2017 (64.6% ABV) - Not easy to find Buffalo Trace Antique Collection bottles, and even harder to find them for a decent price. Thankfully, Mandarin Hide is operating like a charity for whiskey lovers at the moment, so we got two pours of this beautiful bourbon for $16 a drink. Compared to the last George T. Stagg I enjoyed, the 2013 version, this bourbon seemed less intense, despite the almost identical ABV and aging. Its nose is distinctive and exhibits the dried fruit and chocolate character that I associate with Buffalo Trace. This year's version is reminiscent of chocolate-covered raisins, with a rich backdrop of luxurious leather. Each sip is more delicious than the last, exhibiting apricot, raisin, chocolate, and caramel in equal measure. The finish has a pop of rye spice and a long, spicy, dry, oak coda. Another lovely bourbon, although I wouldn't kill myself to find a bottle. A
Green Spot (40%) - Irish whiskey may be the type of whiskey that I have the least exposure to or experience with (sorry for ending that sentence in an ugly string of prepositions). I took one step toward remedying that on New Year's with this dram, which is one of the more acclaimed examples of the genre. I know I say it all the time, but in this case, I believe it's true: this needs to be bottled at 48% or perhaps even at cask strength, where it would be an absolute stunner. As it is, there are no glaring flaws to it, other than a faintness to some of its flavors. Its aromas reminded me at first of banana cream pie, which I love. Over time, the creaminess fades out in favor of some plum. The palate also has plenty of that plum and a sweet, whipped cream flavor, which is what lingers on the finish. The emergence of the fruits over time is a testament to some sherry cask influence. This is an affordable whiskey at $50-60 a bottle, and probably would be my go-to recommendation in the Irish genre. B+
Old Forester Statesman (47.5%) - I am not a huge fan of product tie-ins, but this bourbon was released as part of the marketing blitz for the Kingsman sequel. Now, it just so happens that the original movie is pretty good, mostly thanks to another star turn from Colin Firth. Although I haven't seen the sequel and abhor these sorts of cash grabs, there's been some positive buzz about this bourbon, so we took a chance on it. By this point in the night -- keep in mind this is New Year's Eve -- I wasn't exactly writing down the most detailed or poetic tasting notes I could conjure. Perhaps I'll just deliver my assessment unfiltered for once, to give a sense of how odd my scribbled notes on the phone can be: "Pleasant also rye forward more grain and cola." From what I can remember, that sounds about right. B
Baker's (53.5%) - Baker's is one of those bourbons that's found on a lot of bar shelves, and yet seems to have relatively low prestige and brand recognition compared to some of its cousins from Jim Beam. It doesn't carry the actual Beam name, nor is it the iconic cask-strength Booker's or the well-marketed Knob Creek. It just is a good, relatively high proof, decently affordable bourbon. Again, my notes aren't the most detailed, but I wrote that Baker's reminded me a lot of Blanton's and was "rye forward to the extreme." This is a complex, spicy expression, with less sweetness and not much of the iconic "Beam funk" that people find in a lot of their other products, such as the Beams, Knob Creek, and Booker's. It's a little generic aside from the spiciness, but worth a try. B