Dumangin Vieux Marc de Champagne (Champagne) – Spirituous exotica, kinda-sorta floral, or mineral, but then neither. Fruit plays a role as well, but it’s hard to identify which or how. And there are non-primary complexities as well. I like this as much as any marc I’ve tasted since a Château Grillet many, many years ago.. (9/11)
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spirit
Crazy puffs
Willett Bourbon “Cocoa Loco” (Kentucky) – 119.2 proof, aged eight years in white oak. For a time, every sip of this tasted overtly, overwhelmingly, and somewhat unpleasantly of dill, like a very poorly and yet lavishly-oaked Chilean cabernet. That characteristic eventually faded into oblivion, and while what’s left never failed to taste of various polishes, sheens, and buffs, an incredible amount of dark mahogany character eventually emerged. Impossible to ignore, not burdened by excess sweetness as so many American wooded spirits are, and while I would in no way call it sophisticated, it’s certainly swaggering. I like it. (7/11)
Square deal
Rittenhouse Rye (Kentucky) – 100 proof, and the heat is all over this stuff. I’m sure that there are innumerable applications that dampen these spirits (pun intended, and yes I know and enjoy many said dampenings), but it’s a bit of a firehose to deal with in its native form. But oh, is it good anyway. Grains, leaves, seeds, dirt pellets. Everything that bourbon is not. A friend told me that, in terms of sipping tipples, I was destined to be more of a rye guy than a wheat freak. He was right. This is so, so, so much more interesting (to me) than all but the van Winkle Bourbons, and I haven’t even plumbed the depths of the aged versions of this particular spirit. (6/11)
Number one with a…
Bulleit “95” Rye Whiskey (America) – Unlike a fair number of the mass-market ryes, this actually tastes as if it was made by fans of rye rather than the mass-market. Ultimately, however, it’s fairly insignificant. Decent, basic, good guzzling rye, but lacking the grainy complexities of better ryes. A good thing to have around, but the Nixonian among us may want to keep a bottle of Rittenhouse in a plain brown wrapper. (6/11)
Saz you
Sazerac Rye (Kentucky) – Not bad, but there’s certainly better, despite the paradigmatic name. Some grain, some grass, some minor sweetness, but very restrained – almost dilute – and simple. (8/11)
New Underrelease
Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey (Kentucky) – I tend to use this as a blending component in cocktails rather than a drink in itself (though I do like rye on its own), because it’s a attenuated in isolation. There’s really not much more to be said about it. It’s average, though for the price I’m not sure more than that should be expected. (9/11)
Or ask his brother Sherwin
Evan Williams 2001 Single Barrel Vintage Bourbon (Kentucky) – Lots of oak, chewy and toasty, with peach seed. Fiery and direct. Everything’s delivered up front in a burst, after which there’s just not much to hold one’s interest. (9/11)
Phoaigian slip
Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch Whisky (Islay) – Straightfoward Islay smoke with a brittle, slightly fierce edge. Good stuff. (7/11)
Joes
Torres “10” Penedès Brandy (Cataluña) – Supple caramel, wet satin, a touch of cane sugar. I don’t want to like this as much as I do, but it’s awfully easy to like. (6/11)
Cold River, keep on freezin’
Maine Distilleries “Cold River” Vodka (Maine) – Stale butter and old wax. I’m told, by gurus of my acquaintance, that this is likely ethyl myristate or ethyl palmitate. Well, Ethyl Mermanate can take her margarine-stanky tail back to vodka school, because this is offensive when used in any situation in which one might actually think to use vodka rather than Napa chardonnay. (8/11)