The Daily Bulleit(in)

Sometimes you just need to shut the front door, turn your phone off and draw the curtains -  a sure sign that you're in full on 'Do Not Disturb' mode.  

Today was such a day. Braving the Christmas rush on Oxford Street (seemingly all my present ideas had been exhausted from a blast of online shopping over the previous weekend) I had a list of must-buys - i.e. 'if you don't get these, you're in serious trouble.' (Mrs Ridley) The pressure was on and my two fall back options were department stores John Lewis and Debenhams.  Both seem like havens for lost souls like me; vast palaces of gift ideas for people with desperate, blank looks on their faces, the fear of returning with a pair of too-small slippers weighing heavily on one's mind.  

'What if she already has this?'  'Is the colour right?'  'Does she even like Turkish Delight?'  All questions that lashed my cerebral processing ability into submission - to the point that I completely wandered past the well-stocked drinks section in John Lewis, without even giving it a second look.  

I emerged, blinking, broken and laden with crockery, slippers that looked too big, boxes of sweets and cookery books from chefs that I personally detest. But I had emerged victorious. My list was complete, the recipients of my six large shopping bags of presents unwittingly safe and content for another year.  

Stopping at Berry Bros & Rudd on the way home to place my festive wine order made things feel a lot better (a case of their Extraordinary Claret, a smattering of Sancerre and a cache of Chablis), but the weight of the bags were beginning to take its toll and by the time I eventually arrived at my front door through the fine drizzle that had descended, I was truly shattered -  and need of three things:  

A large whisk(e)y 

My wonderful Bose Soundlink Mini (if you don't own one of these, get on it - they're amazing, especially coupled with a Spotify account) 

And bizarrely, an bag of Cadbury's giant chocolate buttons.  Quite why, I honestly don't know, but they seemed enormously comforting to a chilly, aching, slightly damp confused man. 

As for the whisk(e)y - several options immediately emerged: dive into the brace of old White Horse blends that Caskstrength just won in an auction, a wee sample of Bowmore's stupendous 50 year old or a miniature of Auchentoshan 1975 that had arrived this morning.  (All will be reviewed before the festive period is complete...)

No today, I needed a spicy, warming shot to the system that not only delivers a big flavour but also something rousing, dry and complex. Something to curl up to and revisit the perfect vocal pairing of Ray LaMontagne -  an artist who I fell in love with several years ago and a man whose voice and captivating delivery can stop just about any one in their tracks.  Tonight, as a thunderstorm passes over head, I pour a full-bodied-yet-smooth glass of rye whiskey.  Take it away, Mr Tom Bulleit.

Bulleit has an amazing story to tell, for those who don't already know it.  Changing careers from the legal profession, Tom Bulleit had a desire to follow in his great, great grandfather Augustus' steps and start a bourbon company. He tracked down a recipe of his ancestor and began experimenting with a mash bill containing a particularly high rye content (around 28%, which to the uninitiated may not seem like a lot, but the spicy flavour of rye goes a very long way indeed.)

Tom decided that his love of rye needed to go a step further and recently he produced his very first straight rye. Throwing together 95% rye to 5% malted barley his intentions were to develop something with a classic peppery backbone that might have been served by Augustus, but with an up-front smoothness. Guess what... He succeeded.

Bulleit - Small Batch Frontier Rye Whiskey - 45%  

Nose: An effortless peppery note, slightly toasted rye bread, creamy vanilla custard, stewed banana notes and a deft touch of orchard fruit. Dig deeper and you'll find an earthy tobacco note and dark cocoa powder.  

Palate: The higher strength (Bulleit was previously bottled at 40%) really carries the delivery of spicy peppercorns, hints of clove, flamed orange zest, more of the chubby vanilla pods and a dash of menthol-infused dark chocolate.  If I could be bothered to get off the sofa and head to my home bar, I could be enjoying this in a blinding Manhattan. But I suddenly feel VERY comfortable - just as Michael Kiwanuka's breathtaking 'Home Again' album drifts out of the Soundlink. I think i'll save that option for another day. 

Finish: Lingering notes of white pepper, vanilla and a thick sweet oaky richness, laden with vanilla.

Overall: If you don't own a bottle of rye in your whisk(e)y arsenal, you need a remedy as soon as humanly possible. Rye is a wonderfully complex spirit, full of husky dry complexity and devilish spice  and Bulleit's recipe is undoubtedly a whiskey of extremely high calibre.

Now That's What I Call Maturation... Volume One!

Here at Caskstrength, we love new whisky related-stuff.  The moment we saw a fully operational three litre copper pot still for sale by the side of the road in rural Portugal, we knew we had to have it.  As you may recall, we had a crack at using it (well someone resembling us anyway) and the results were really rather impressive...well, to us anyway.  The point we're trying to make here is that whether or not the spirit which ran from our little gem is deemed to be any good, we had a fantastic time understanding the principles of distillation (albeit on a micro scale) and it only served to highlight how hard the art of the commercial distiller is.

Recently we took the opportunity to explore another key aspect of the whisky making process, from a micro scale - this time in the shape of a brilliantly novel kit, retailed by a US craft distiller.  The Copper Fox distillery, neatly situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia (hang on, this is the opening line of a wonderful song, is it not?) have, under the tenacious eye of owner Rick Wasmund, been bottling some really interesting expressions - from a spanking single malt, the barley smoked using apple and cherry wood, through to a rye whiskey, with a wonderfully malty spicy character.    One of their latest endeavours is to bring the art of maturation straight out of their Virginia warehouses and into the homes of every would-be distiller/whisky enthusiast interested in the effects of wood on a new make spirit.  The bottom line here isn't to achieve perfection, but to have a bit of fun, play around and experiment.

Wasmund's Mature Your Own Whisky Kit (WMYOW) is now available in Europe for the first time (retailing at £120 from The Whisky Exchange and at its heart comes a miniature two litre charred American oak cask and two 75cl bottles of either the single malt new make spirit or, if you're so inclined, the same quantity of the rye new make.  Both new makes roll in at 62% and the cask is, according to Wasmund, 'of a medium char style'.

Well, we couldn't resist, so now the Caskstrength office has now become a little test haven for maturation.  Speyside dunnage-style it certainly isn't, that's for sure - and i'm pretty sure the view from our windows in Exmouth Market is of the local Post Office sorting office, not the Blue Ridge Mountains.

We plumped for the rye option and set to work ensuring the cask was going to be watertight, by first filling it with room temperature water, then spraying the outer surfaces regularly.  After a day, our little wooden beast was ready to go and we marked 'M Day' as Saturday 20st October.   We'll be monitoring the spirit regularly over the next few months, but by way of a first update one week after filling, the news is interesting.  

Wasmund's rye new make is very fruity, with some spiced notes, a hint of smoke (freshly cut green apples) and some fine citrus notes. As a control, we kept a small sample back to reference throughout the maturation experiment.  After a week in the warehouse with an occasional gentle rolling of the cask when we could remember, the spirit has already begun to evolve.  Gone is the initial fruity apple note, replaced with a lightly peppered meat, lots of charcoal and freshly sawn oak.  It is still youthful, immature and vibrant, but as expected, creeping in are the beginnings of what we were hoping to see.  The cask is clearly going to give this a lot of character in a short space of time, including colour, as you can see, taking on an initial light gold note.

One week, eh... If this was Scotland, that wouldn't even register on the maturation map yet.  In actual fact, it bodes well for our plans to re-use this cask for future experiments.  Because of its obvious dominance, putting something in as easily overpowered as a Scotch single malt would perhaps be foolish, without seasoning it prior to filling and this has thrown up all manner of possibilities - sherry, port, wine, peated whisky, rum, vermouth, cola?? who knows, but in any rate, the next few months will be a hugely fun-filled experience.

We'll be putting up regular updates on the rye on our Facebook page, including interim pics to show you the colour and tasting notes.  It's also been suggested that we could have some fun 'manipulating' the spirit to get more from the cask. Hmmm. Next week, Caskstrength are taking a jaunt across the Pyrenees in a very tasty Maserati GranTurismo, so perhaps I should sling the cask in the boot, for a little 'alpine agitation'? Or should we take a leaf from the Tuthilltown distillery and blast bass-heavy music through the cask? The sky's the limit here.

Hello... here comes the ultimate Maturation Playlist -  or if you like... Now That's What I call Maturation -  Volume One!! Watch this space...

Hot on the heels of this superb kit comes another equally interesting version from our chums at Master Of Malt.  The MOM MYOW kit (£99) includes a one litre kit and new make spirit made from malted barley. We'd love to see whether the results are similar to the rye kit we have.  If you decide to get either of these, please feel free to share the results with us -  we're pretty sure that no two whiskies will turn out the same.

All Hail The Rise Of The Artisan...

Over the last six months, we've tried some simply stupendous whiskies from right across the globe, leading us to the assumption that making the brown stuff is probably more popular than ever.  
From Scotland to Switzerland, everyone, it seems, is getting in on the act.

Recently, I wrote a column in Whisky Magazine about the rise and rise of America's craft distillation movement with much enthusiasm about how the lack of a draconian rulebook was helping to create some incredibly innovative spirits - to all intents and purposes, 'whiskies' in their native environment, but under our own relatively (closed-minded) set of regulations in the UK, almost certainly not.

Balcones,  a Texan distillery seemingly run on elastic bands and invention, recently changed a lot of perceptions about 'craft' distillation and how it has clearly outgrown the patronising 'hobbyist' tag when their distiller, the great Chip Tate, came over for Whisky Live a few months ago.  Without a doubt, his small stall at the event was as busy, if not busier than a few noticeable heavyweight Scottish distillers and his incredible concoction, Rumble (technically not even a whisky, due to its lack of a cereal) was the star of the show in many minds.

Tuthilltown have also ripped up the rule book and made a whisky from the pages, especially when it comes to their unconventional maturation methods, which you can read about here.

Closer to home, Adnams have been steadily moving the benchmark forward in terms of an innovative take on new distilled spirits over in Norfolk, without the slightest bit of interest in what the SWA thinks. And with the news that our good friend Darren Rook is gearing up to undertake London's first whisky distillery in over 100 years, the climate for change feels warmer, brighter and less inclement than ever before.

Of course, all this is happening outside the UK or below the border and I kind of feel sorry for anyone wanting to set up a new whisky distillery in Scotland these days.  Even the smallest craft operation is likely to have someone with a clipboard and a red pen breathing down their neck in no time at all, should they dare utter the 'W' word, or, even more shockingly, try using something other than malted barley in their mash tun.  Yes, the world needs Scotch (now more so than ever, especially in the emerging global markets) but it is also woefully short on innovation, which, like it or not SWA, is an attractive proposition for the next generation of whisky drinkers -  given the rival lure of rum and white spirits.

So I thought it was about time we drew attention to a bit of bedtime reading for the would-be (or frustrated) distiller.

First up comes possibly the best new whisky book in the last ten years. A bold statement, but each page is positively dripping with possibility, inspiration and flavour.  


Alt Whiskeys - Alternative Whiskeys And Techniques For The Adventurous Distiller is a labour of love, eloquently written by Corsair distillery owner Darek Bell.   For those of you who aren't familiar with Corsair, it was founded in 2007 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with an additional distillery site opened recently in Tennessee.  The copper still which Darek has lovingly maintained is now 100 years old and looks like something you'd expect to see in an over-sized science lab.

When Darek and his business partner Andrew Webber aren't distilling their more conventional whiskies, (like the one below) their minds are clearly wandering through an imaginary field of bizarre crops, working out whether they can make a whisk(e)y from the harvest.    Hopped whiskies, ale-inspired recipes, buckwheat, black rice, blue maize, einkorn, quinoa, spelt - even...cannabis. Corsair have tinkered, furtled and fiddled with so many different ideas, they surely haven't got room to mature anything 'ordinary' in their warehouses.  With a whole chapter dedicated to the use of different smoke (from hickory and grapevines to cherrywood and pimento) Darek demonstrates that there is life outside the conventional, tried-and-tested 'holy trinity' of ingredients.  In short, he's the modern day Galileo to the Catholic Church of established whisky making and we can't recommend 'Alt Whiskies' more highly.
Click here to buy this amazing book and you too can endlessly wind up distillery managers with amazing facts next time you take a distillery tour.

Like Reservoir Dogs, Corsair are
coming to cut off the ears (of corn) from the establishment

Here's one of Corsair's more conventional recipes, for which the distillery have won a few gongs over the past 18 months.

Corsair - 100% Rye Whiskey - 46%

Nose: An initial spiciness, (think anise, cloves and woody cinnamon) followed by crushed black pepper, some meaty notes, roasted nuts and pipe tobacco.  Given time, notes of fresh vanilla start to emerge and with a dash of water, a salty, buttery note begins to develop.

Palate: A big hit of white pepper, followed up swiftly by more woody spice, (cinnamon and clove) 

a deft touch of vanilla, some dried fruit sweetness (figs and prunes) and more aromatic pipe tobacco. 

Finish: Very spicy, with dried ginger, white pepper and a little lingering vanilla round out the diminishing flavours on the drying palate. 

Overall: Big, bold and spicy.  This is a monster of a rye. It is youthful, but has a full-bodied character kicking you firmly in the nuts from the get go.  It would nail the first Manhattan cocktail of the night, that's for sure. 

On the subject of top whisky books, a certain Mr Ian Buxton has got round to updating his highly successful tome 101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die, giving it a wider 'world whisky' scope (although he shamefully missed the one above... ;-p )  The new edition is full of interesting drams to try from Austria to Wales and is well worth a look.

In fact -  it just so happens that we have one to give away...

If you fancy getting your hands on a copy, it's very easy.  Send us your thoughts about 'One Thing You'd Really Like To Try Before You Die' and the funniest, most entertaining entry will win a copy.  Extra points for rudeness, skullduggery and downright shamelessness!

Email your entries to 101whiskies@caskstrength.net - Competition closes midnight 7th July. 

Re-tracing our steps...

A slight departure for us at Caskstrength.  We've covered some clearly astonishing whiskies over our short, but sweet career as bloggers - and even some slightly odd experiments (Bruichladdich beer anyone?) But for some reason, we've never covered a bourbon. Until now that is.  

Perhaps we're slightly snobbish - or just not really bothered, but neither Joel nor I felt we could get terribly excited about a few new bottles of bourbon to have a crack at.  Perhaps previous bad memories, or minor alcohol-related indescresions are to blame.  Like most, we've had our fair share of bog standard American sour-mash, swished around with a cheap, watery cola mix at the Dullsville Arse & Trumpet pub. But it took a trip to our friends, the Whisky Exchange and the visit from a truly visionary US fellow, Harlen Wheatley to totally change our palates and opinions.  

For those who don't know, Harlen lays claim to the title of 'Master Distiller' at the Buffalo Trace distillery in Kentucky.  On a very rare appearance to these shores, Harlen led a small group of privilaged tasters (luckily including a Caskstrengther) through the distillery's recent  6 expressions, teaching us a few eye opening distillation facts along the way.  

The Premise of distilling great bourbon is not wholly different to distilling great whisky. What does differ is the primary ingredients involved.  Buffalo Trace pride themselves on the expert combination of 3 grains- malted barley, rye and corn which go into the various mash tuns to produce differently flavoured bourbons.  According to Harlen, each grain gives a certain distinct flavour component to the distillate; a well rounded maltiness from the barley, sweetness from the corn and minty, peppery notes from the rye.  

So onwards to the tasting!

Buffalo Trace Bourbon:

90 proof /46%abv

Nose: Masses of immediate fruitiness; passion fruit, raisins and diced apple all mix with a very heady aroma of vanilla, chocolate covered fudge and honey.  what follows is a surprising smokiness combining with cinnamon and spice, as the alcohol prickles through.

Palate: More sweetness, tempered with charred wood from the casks. beautiful mouth feel with more fudge and cinnamon.  Small hints of leather and tobacco also come through on the finish.

Finish:  Different as to be expected from that of a malt- shorter notes of pepper and spice but there's also a longer, lingering mustiness and more leather.

Overall:  Having only tasted a handful of good bourbons in the past, I would say that my palate has been re-awakened to this often disappointing drink. Buffalo Trace has certainly surprised me, as to its complexity and sheer depth of flavour.  I would urge any bourbon virgins to try this first and discover the wealth of hidden treats at the bottom of your glass. At around £20 it's also great value for money.

Eagle Rare 10 Year Old:

 90 proof /45%abv

On to round two and we're on slightly familiar ground here.  Eagle Rare is a limited 'single barrel' bottling, which forms part of the distillery's 'Antique collection'.  Sounds like we're in malt whisky territory then, with this the 10 year old edition. (a 17 yo is also available in even more limited supply) 

Nose: Cinnamon, cloves with wisps of ripe vanilla pods immediately hit you following onto a burst of citrus sherbet and buttery candy.

Palate:  A really pleasing licorice flavour coats the tongue with lovely fresh fruit compote (especially strawberry and blackberry) coming through afterwards. Further hints of leather, tobacco leaf, vanilla and red wine.  an excellent balance.

Finish:  This older bourbon has a much drier finish than the Buffalo Trace but there are equal hints of  vanilla, then salty popcorn which round off this splendid expression.

Overall: Again, for a  a sub £30 drink, this really is worth seeking out. It has a slightly classier feel than the Buffalo Trace, but the care and passion of a great bourbon runs through both expressions.

Rock Hill Farm:

50%abv

Our third tasting and another single barrel bourbon.  Rock Hill Farm is another small batch release  from Buffalo Trace, this time bottled at 8 years old. 

Nose: Spirity, with less fruit than the previous tastings.  Big bold vanilla and cereal notes are the dominant features here, rich and buttery, but with less subtlety than the Eagle Rare.

Palate: More of that smooth butteriness with more hints of old leather and bonfire toffee.  Lighter hints of fragrant fruit (papaya?) emerge as you delve in further.

Finish:  A bitter chocloate hit on the finish, with a slight mintiness and a cigar-like aftertaste.

Overall:  After the two initial tastings, I was slightly less enamoured by this expression. Sure there's a quality about it but it lacked the overall complexity of the Eagle Rare and the lovely rounded fruitness of the Buffalo Trace.  At nearly £50, it certainly doesn't match up to the value of the others either. Not a miss, but then, not entirely a hit with Caskstrength either. 

Sazerac Straight Rye:

6 yo 45% abv

Wow- a taste departure!! and a definite first for Caskstrength.  This is certainly the first Rye tasted here and it becomes obvious just how much the difference in grain has a profound effect on the taste.  

Nose: Loads of white pepper, mint and cloves combine to give this an unmistakable menthol-like aroma.  Very dry, with further hints of old oak and cedarwood on the second nosing.

Palate: A big cereal hit gets your attention immediately, then a creamy, classic 'rye bread' smoothness with hints of pickle and even spicy pastrami.  A slightly salty soda water note comes through at the end. 

Finish: More drying oak and aromatic cloves give this one of the most distinct finishes we've tasted.

Overall:  A completely different grain and such opposing flavours make this stand apart from the other tasting notes we prepared.  It is an enjoyable experience, but flawed.  I would doubt this has any chance of catching on the same way as bourbon in the UK but one can imagine the flawless cocktails it could complement, so for another sub £30 bottle, this would make a unique aquision to your cabinet.

WL Weller 

12 yo Straight Bourbon 45% abv

So into the home straight now and another different approach from Buffalo Trace. WL Weller is another aged bourbon from the distillery and uses a 4th grain, this time wheat in place of the rye to add a delicate smokiness into the mix.

Nose:  Surprising smoke immediately grabs your attention.  Almost single malt like, it intertwines with wholegrain toast, ripe fruits and sweet hickory BBQ sauce.

Palate: A complex blend of more summer fruits, sherry, raisins and chocolate.  A really moreish mouth feel.

Finish: Dry oak but leads to a real sweetness, like the Buffalo Trace in the death.  Very refined and hugely drinkable.

Overall:  Once again,  more innovation from this excellent distillery.  The use of wheat as a grain is not unique (Woodford Reserve produce a wheat'ed bourbon too) but the complexity of flavour, coupled with the smoky edge really works and makes this an extremely good bourbon.

So our final treat of the night, and it's a proper firecracker of a finish- 'Ladies and Gentleman- my I introduce you to our headlining act of the night: The one, the only.... Mr George, T, Stagggggggggggggg'!!!

(cue frenzied applause and the sound of young bourbon fans fainting in expectation!!) 

George T Stagg

Single Barrel Bourbon, aged 15 years. 72.4% abv!!

Ok, we've all tried some pretty big hitting whiskies over the years. Any one remember the Caol Ila 8 yo unpeated; bottled at 64.9% or the Glenmorangie 100 proof?  They're basically brutish and blunt in their approach to the palate, desensitizing it with the sheer power of alcohol. Undrinkable in our opinion, unless you muzzle them with a good measure of water.  But who wants to remove the bite from the guard dog?? Buy a Labrador and be happy with its generally placid nature.

In Darwinian terminology, the George T Stagg could possibly be the missing hybrid genus between the biggest, meanest Rottweiler- full of snarling ferocity and the prettiest pedigree Spaniel, serving every playful whim you could ever think of... 

Nose: Root beer and freshly cut carrots mixed with sweet floral passion fruit, toasted oak, parma violets and lightly perfumed linen sheets (the kind you imagine Keira Knightley waking up with, on a crisp summer morning) (ok, enough perving Ridley, back to the booze! ED) In a word - divine.  How they create such gentle combinations of flavour at this strength, is extraordinary. 

Palate:  Again, more of that floral passion fruit, but we're fully back in bourbon country with twists of tobacco, thick dark chocolate and espresso coffee.  Not the slightest interference or bitterness of alcohol at all. 

Finish:  More smoke/ cocoa on the finish and a really pleasant warming mouth feel as the alcohol dissipates-  you're left with nothing but smiles and good cheer!!

Overall: An undisputed  'true great' in the world of bourbon.  Buffalo Trace only make a tiny amount of this and if you're lucky enough to find one,  grab it with both hands and don't even think about reaching for the water jug.  

All in all,  an unforgettable night of great chat, history, science and of course, great drinking. Caskstrength acquired a bottle of WL Weller, which in our opinion was the pound-for-pound winner, but pitched against the Stagg- any great single malt whisky, let alone bourbon would struggle to get gain the advantage.  

Watch this space for an exclusive interview with Harlen further down the line hopefully!

Neil