I had some time to kill the first full day after Passover (A Jewish holiday where one abstains from bread and grains for 8 days) and decided to sup at a pizza joint.  I was seated near the bar and could hear the training of the new tender.  My eyes started to wander across the whiskey selections and I came across the following bottle:

Something about the label had me transfixed, and I walked up to take a closer look.  You see, though the bottle was with other whiskies, I couldn’t tell if what kind of liquor this was.  Once I got the bartender’s attention and asked, he told me it was their standard “well” whiskey and that since it was Happy Hour, the dram was far more than reasonably priced.  How could I refuse?  He was also kind enough to let me snap a picture of the full label after he poured a generous dram, neat.

Once I had the dram in my hand, it was love at first sight. No, really, the color of this blend was so warm and inviting I was both eager and hesitant to drink it. I’d call it amber, but it doesn’t do it justice. 
Like a mix of honey and candlelight, but with a level of clarity I don’t think I’ve seen before.  (I really hope that is the natural color and not because of an additive, but I’m not sure how to find out.)

The bar did not have a tulip glass, so it was served in an angled old fashioned. Not a bad glass, but without a lower bulb, it was hard to swirl the dram and not spill a drop.  I settled for a slow rotation and was almost hypnotized as the sheet broke into legs led by heavy drops, indicating a greater-than-average viscosity.

Falling in love with the aesthetics, I was ready to start the olfactory experience. Bringing my nose over the glass wood smoke is the first impression, but it is light and tempered with soft brine; like a campfire put out with ocean water. The overall bouquet is mild, and though lingering, even with my nose in the glass, scent seems a little muted, as if I’m trying to find something just out of reach by scent.

I almost don’t want to write the next paragraph, about the actual taste.  I so wanted the flavor to match the visuals and nose; but I found it falling short.

– Here is where I must give a small warning to the reader – at this tasting I had a bit of a burn in my mouth from my morning coffee. I’m afraid this colored my actual tasting of this dram. (Meaning I’ll have to have it again when my lips and mouth are at their best, no?)  –

There was just a little more burn than I wanted, and the flavors, though not bad, just didn’t live up to the complexity of the nose. There was still a distinct smokiness, and a salty feel around the mouth, and even notes of citrus threatening to break through, but nothing really stood out or lingered for very long.  Overall I was left with not much more than wood and burn on my palette.

I tried to warm the dram, but the glass made that impossible, so I bloomed it with a few drops of water, hoping to quiet the heavier wood notes and bring up the hints of citrus and smoke – but it had the opposite effect.  The nose went almost dead, and the flavors just all muddled together into a generic whiskey taste.  I can’t imagine using this in a cocktail if it loses so much character just with a little water.

Overall, I don’t think I’ll be buying the bottle. I wish I knew more about the process, and the distiller to hint at how there can be such disparity between sight, smell and taste – and  I’m hoping this impression is due to poor tools. Stay tuned for the epilogue after I taste this again, (at Happy Hour, or course.)

I met Allison Patel on twitter, as happens nowadays. We exchanged pleasantries via her @whiskygirls account and the @3drunkencelts accounts on twitter and G+, as well as through my own individual accounts as I retweeted her from time to time when I wasn’t logged in as the 3DC. True to the power of social media,  I was able to watch from a far as she worked in New York to launch her newest endeavor: Brenne French Single Malt Whisky

Imagine how cool it is to get in on the ground floor of a product coming to market like hers, watching it grown and starting to hear more and more people talk about it. Every little success she shared was a huge win and brings a smile and hope for the future. But alas, for the past 6+ months since its launch in October, I’d not procured a bottle of my own to taste. I’m sure you could imagine my shame in having to admit that point to Allison and then immediately rectifying such an issue.

I am happy to say now, I did in fact obtain a bottle last week and have had some time to sit with it and take down some tasting notes. As with every bottle we taste and review on the 3DC blog, we have not been paid nor received freebies in exchange for reviews, so what you get are indeed my own opinions without bias, as much as I can possibly muster. I’ve also integrated my wife Jean’s notes as well since we tasted simultaneously and talked through it together.

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Distiller/Bottler: Brenne French Single Malt Whisky Finished in Cognac Barrels

• Bottling notes: 40% abv, no age statement. Aged in new Limousin oak barrels, then finished in Cognac barrels.
• Nose: Immediate apricot coming from the cognac finish with a hint of green apple which quickly relents to malted milk balls and softer notes of chocolate  and cream.
• Flavour: On the palate I got a heavy creamy mouth-feel which continued the malted milk ball notes and shifted to a milk duds note as the caramel from the barrels came in later. Almost reminiscent of a cream soda at points.
• Finish: Continues with the caramel notes and into a lingering heat of alcohol with a balance of malted barley and a green raw chocolate note.
• Viscosity: 4
• Boldness: 3
• Length of story: 2
• Personal Taste: B+
• Extraneous Notes: A solid B+ score for personal taste here. I think that some more age may help reduce that lingering green note I get on the end, which would move this from a wonderful dram, to an exceptional A score. I was surprised by the depth of creamy chocolate notes, as I wasn’t expecting that richness from a cognac finish. Once my mind embraces the richness, I found it to be sweet enough for my preference, well balanced without being over powering or cloying.

So, yes, thankfully Brenne didn’t disappoint, and happily broke my preconceived notion of a French whiskey; it is indeed a truly enjoyable dram. Since it is rather new, I’m fairly certain most of you have not yet had opportunity to taste this dram. Now that I’ve finally picked up a bottle, I’m even more disappointed in myself for waiting so long; I should have bought a bottle back in October…

Don’t be like me: take this as your personal invitation to flood Allison with orders, as you do not want to miss this bottle. If you do wait, you’ll be kicking yourself like I am, and wondering why you prevented yourself from so much enjoyment.

Click for larger views

As with all good things Irish, this will start with a story of how I came to be tasting this dram on St. Patrick’s Day this year.

Finnegan 8 Year

I figured St. Patrick’s Day would be a perfect occasion to sample a nice Irish Whiskey and do a write up on my findings; but when I checked the liquor cabinet, and the auxiliary cabinet where I store the tall bottles, and the display shelf for the pretty ones (well you get the idea) I couldn’t find a single bottle of Irish Whiskey. Nine bottles of Scotch, one from Taiwan, one American bourbon; but nothing from the Emerald Isle.

I sought recommendations, and was leaning toward Irish Manor when the work week got incredibly busy – it happened that I went shopping ON St. Patrick’s day. There is both a Total Wine and a BevMo near my house, and since their spirit selection is pretty equal, I headed out on the main road resolved to stop at whichever I saw first. It was Total Wine.

Along the back wall they had a whole bookshelf dedicated to Irish Whiskey, but as I looked closer I was a bit disappointed, easily 1/3 of the options were sold out, and another third were well out of my “munitions grade” price range.  Half of what was available and affordable was varieties of Jamison and Bushmills – not that there is anything wrong with that, but I wanted something a little less popular, maybe something I hadn’t tried before.  After all that narrowing, I had four or so to choose from.

Four brands, (some had more than one expression) none of which I’ve tasted before, and all with similarly glowing recommendations on the shelf label. I analyzed each one, trying to make a choice, then trying to set a parameter on which to base my choice. Finally I had a bottle in my hand., Finnegan’s 8, but not the single cask. Honestly, I chose Finnegan’s because of the song (which I twisted for the title up there.)  And on my way to the register, I saw the big St. Patrick’s Day end-cap, full of Irish beers and whiskey.  I sighed, but decided to keep what I’ve already spent too much time choosing.

The Dram

Finnegan Eight Year

This is a honey-coloured whiskey, and is takes a few moments for legs to form. When you swirl it the first time it wants to sheet before legs start to slide down the glass.

The sweetness is not limited to it’s color, as the nose is full of light citrus and caramel candies. There are hints of vanilla and wood, so I am reminded of walking into an old fashioned sweet shop with penny-candy in old barrels.

On the palette it speaks softly; whispering the sweet promise that started at the nose.  The caramel is strongest, trying to dampen loud alcohol notes that betray this dram’s youth. It is not unpleasant, but just a little more raw than I’d prefer. The vanilla is there too, with other earthy notes of wood, grass, and citrus. Though quiet, these flavors linger and even minutes later I still have the sensation of a whisky-filled caramel candy that was long in its wrapper on my palette. And even after that fades, the citrus lingers, coaxing another sip.

Overall, I’m very happy with this dram, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to those who like a little sweetness in their Irish Whiskey.  And I’m very curious to see if there are older expressions from this distillery.

Epilogue

I think I know how The Knot is made.

You see, I happened to leave the wee-ist of portions in my tasting glass overnight, and what I came back to was a sticky sweet candy-like syrup.  I imagine if I re-hydrated that with a high-proof flavorless spirit, I would have The Knot. No honey, or other flavorings added.

NOTE -  There won’t be too much talk of visuals because there is more light coming from the TV screens than from any interior lighting.

Cadillac
When I asked the bartender about the bottle, he said something about a “cask” and I thought it might be a quarter cask. It wasn’t until I had my first sip that I walked around and studied it that I saw it was a Bruchladdich. At about $100 a bottle, I should not have been surprised how pleasant the taste was – but I’m getting ahead of myself.
The dram looked pale, but looks can be deceiving. Once it got even close to my nose the sweetness was very dominant, hints of vanilla, notes of the oak, and a promise of iodine, but I found the predominant aroma to be sweet cream.
The promise was kept on the palette too, the creaminess counterpointed with iodine all surrounded with vanilla and oak.  While the iodine was too much for Raz, we both agreed this dram was right up my alley. The flavor was full and round, with the wood and vanilla notes turning around the yin and yang of iodine and cream.  I’ve had Bruchladdich before, but I haven’t been this impressed with it in the past.  I’m guessing the age and bourbon cask gave this dram the sweetness and richness that I can not wait to try again.
Sadly there was no water to bloom with, and the Old Fashion glass was too thick to really get it warm enough with my hands.

Honda
I initially passed on the Highland Chief based on name alone – it was obviously a blend, and sounded like a cheap one too.  I also have no great fondness for the cheaper Highland scotches, so I passed.  Raz decided to take the chance, and we are both very glad he did.
So impressed with his reaction, I begged for a sip and found a surprisingly satisfying dram.  A smooth veil of smoke covered a mild spice and citrus flavor that lasted just as long as the whisky was on the tongue.  It was simple and short, but such a nice taste that I’ll be adding this bargain basement bottle (as low as $10, never over $20) to my shelf soon.

The indented text is from the merchants, while the standard text is my own editorial input.

Whiskey: The Definitive World Guide
By Michael Jackson (No, not that Michael Jackson.)
~$30.00

http://books.google.com/books/about/Whiskey.html?id=ZZQMAgAACAAJ

http://www.amazon.com/Whiskey-Definitive-World-Michael-Jackson/dp/0789497107

From grain to glass, “Whiskey” tells you everything and anything you’ll ever want to know about whiskey, from storing and serving whiskey, whiskey cocktails, to pairing whiskey with food. Whether interested in the story behind aromas and flavors, what makes certain distilleries unique or how weather and environment influence taste–this is the most fascinating illustrated examination of whiskey on the market.

Whisky Advocate (formerly Malt Advocate) Magazine

http://www.whiskyadvocate.com/default.asp
1 year – $18.00

Whisky Advocate magazine is America’s leading whisky publication. It’s a premier source for whisky information, education and entertainment for whisky enthusiasts. Whisky Advocate also sponsors WhiskyFest™, the country’s largest and most respected whisky tasting events.

Since the magazine’s inception more than 20 years ago, Whisky Advocate influence reaches an increasing audience of enthusiasts, press and trade from around the world.

Our contributors are the most knowledgeable whisky writers and they stay on top of trends, new products and breaking news.

Butlers Jameson Irish Whiskey Truffles
http://www.chocolate.com/products/butlers-jameson-irish-whiskey-truffles/
$11.00 +S&H

These mouthwatering truffles combine the wonderful taste of Butlers Irish Chocolate with the distinctive flavor of Jameson Irish Whiskey. In 1932, Ms. Marion Bailey Butler set to making delicious and original handcrafted chocolates from her kitchen in Dublin, Ireland. People loved Butlers because of its delicious and original recipes – many of which have been handed down through the years. Butlers has received many awards for both its chocolates as well as attractive packaging.

Bushmills Whiskey Marmalade
 http://www.englishteastore.com/whiskey-marmalade-bushmills.html
< $10 (Depending on specials, could be only $7 + S&H)

Try our Bushmills Irish Whiskey Marmalade. A traditional medium cut orange rind with a kick of Bushmills Irish Whiskey. The secret spices give it the most distinctive of flavors. The old Bushmills Distillery in Ireland, is devoted to the production of the finest quality Irish whiskey. Whiskey making at Bushmills draws on centuries-old distilling history, including the first license to distill whiskey.

Glencairn 3 Piece Whiskey Glasses and Book Bundled Gift Set
http://www.amazon.com/Glencairn-Piece-Whiskey-Glasses-Bundled/dp/B004085SEQ
$35.00 The perfect gift for the whiskey lover in your life, this gift set includes two Glencairn crystal whiskey tasting glasses and Helen Arthur’s The Single Malt Whisky Companion hardcover book.

Combining the knowledge and expertise of some of the whiskey world’s leading innovators, the unique and stylish shape of the Glencairn glass has been crafted with eminent care to enhance the enjoyment of single malts and aged blends.

The Single Malt Whisky Companion provides information on every major Scottish distillery and their single malts as well as the premier whiskeys from Ireland and Japan.. Covering 500 years of Scottish tradition associated with this unique beverage, this is the essential guide to enjoying the finest premier single malts available.

Little Whizzer Liquor Dispense

• http://www.baronbob.com/liquor-dispenser.htm
• http://www.amazon.com/Little-Whizzer-Novelty-Liquor-Dispenser/dp/B000OKRP2C
• http://www.sears.com/little-wizzer-little-whizzer-novelty-peeing-boy-liquor-dispenser/p-SPM4888367001P

~ $20

Inspired by Brussels’ famous Mannekin Pis (“little man piss”) fountain statue, the Little Whizzer liquor dispenser will provide your guests with a funny (and slightly disturbing ) drinking experience. “A kid peeing whisky into a tumbler is funny no matter where you live.”

Jameson Swag

If you put “Jameson” into an Amazon.com search, you can find all kinds of things:

Socks:  http://www.amazon.com/Jameson-Whiskey-Black-Socks-Size-6-11-Ships/dp/B006LL1ZIS

             $9.99

Shirts:

	http://www.amazon.com/Jameson-Whiskey-Triple-Distilled-Graphic/dp/B007UPIY56/ref=pd_sim_sbs_misc_3	$27.99 – $29.99
	http://www.amazon.com/Malham-Jameson-Whiskey-T-Shirt/dp/B007BEWAAG/ref=pd_sim_sbs_a_1	$19.99 – $25.00
	http://www.amazon.com/Jameson-Whiskey-Striped-Green-Embroidered/dp/B007UPIWJE/ref=pd_sim_sbs_a_4	$42.99
There are many more, but you can do your own search of Amazon’s inventory.

Bar Towel: http://www.amazon.com/Jameson-Irish-Whiskey-Cotton-Towel/dp/B003TS6Q94/ref=pd_sim_sbs_a_3

                      $4.95
They have Jack Daniels too, and many other breweries.

Hats:

	http://www.amazon.com/Jameson-Irish-Whiskey-Military-Cotton/dp/B007EMII5Q/ref=pd_sim_sbs_a_4	$11.99
	http://www.amazon.com/Jameson-Irish-Whiskey-Light-Green/dp/B009UGC7WY/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_1	$16.99

And we have come to the end of my lunch hour, and thus the end of this list.  I hope you are inspired to share your love of whiskey with those whom you share your life.  And seriously, someone tell my husband about those chocolates!  ;>

I’ve know about the warehouse series zin bottlings for a while now and even had some small samples when I stopped in a while back as Ted was prepping the blend. Now that the warehouse series are bottled and I had some time to sit at home and really run through a decent side-by-side tasting, I figured I give you all the run down of what I think.

Following are the notes of the three warehouse series single cask bottlings as well as the commercially available blend (Note that I had a clean palate prior to sitting down to taste, cleared with both a small cup of black coffee followed by water prior to and after each glass.):

• Bottling: Amy’s Vineyard cask, finished 6 months.
• Nose: Red licorice, currants, cardamom, and a citric whiff of orange and cranberry
• Flavour: Fruit and oak tannins up front, followed by some white pepper and a return of red licorice
• Finish: Light vanilla combined with the fullness of red fruit, almost jammy, then balanced quickly by the rye spice and dry finish.
• Viscocity: 4
• Boldness: 4
• Length of Story: 3
• Personal Taste: B
• Extraneous Notes: Complex and subtle notes from the zin barrel come through, as well as the zinfandel itself. Heavier on the rye notes as well.

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• Bottling: RedwoodValley cask, finished 6 months.
• Nose: More red licorice and berries with a heavier oakiness.Orange as well, works into a cinnamon finish on the nose.
• Flavour: Dry tannins roll into the oakiness of a heavy zinfandel with muted rye spice notes.
• Finish: As the zin fades, the rye spice returns forward and finally balanced with the sweetness of cinnamon Christmas candies.
• Viscocity: 3
• Boldness: 3
• Length of Story: 3
• Personal Taste: B
• Extraneous Notes: The explicit barrel notes really come through with this bottling.

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• Bottling: Ancient Vineyard cask, finished 6 months.
• Nose: Pepper and red fruit indicative of a good zinfandel. More red licorice with a slight toastiness that presents the entire dram quite big on the nose.
• Flavour: Round sweetness and charred oak. Big fruit gives way to coffee and char, then moves right into a rye spice.
• Finish: As the coffee and char fade, the ry spice and fruit comes back to linger with a distinct but mild alcohol burn.
• Viscocity: 4
• Boldness: 3
• Length of Story: 4
• Personal Taste: A
• Extraneous Notes: Big and complex. Much more of the French oak. A great marriage of zin and bourbon here.

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• Bottling: Zinfandel Finish, blend of four different zin casks. Same winery, but different vineyards.
• Nose: Cardamom and red licorice, with orange, cinnamon, and very light oak.
• Flavour: Berries and oak tannins move into a complex mix of char, toast, and a melange of spices including rye, cinnamon, cardamom, and white pepper.
• Finish: The spice moves back to the sweetness of berries with a slight chocolate espresso note that lingers at the end.
• Viscocity: 3
• Boldness: 3
• Length of Story: 4
• Personal Taste: A
• Extraneous Notes: This dram is surprisingly greater than the sum of its parts. The blend exemplifies how critical barrel choice and blending percentages can be. The blend results in a dram that is entirely new but still maintains the best qualities of the included casks. 

All in all, I am amazingly pleased with how the entire vertical series turned out. While I enjoy the final blend the most of all four bottlings, I actually enjoy it more as a direct result of being able to compare it with the single casks that went into it. Of the single cask bottlings, I do have to side with the complexity of the Ancient Vineyard cask as it reminds me so much of the high quality and BIG California Zinfandels my palate grew up with; the rye spice in the bourbon being the perfect complement to the pepper in a good zin. The finished blend is a wine and bourbon lover’s dream come true.

The good news for you all local to the Portland area, the warehouse series should be on sale this coming weekend exclusively at the Big Bottom Tasting Room in Hillsboro, Oregon.  For the rest of you all, you may be out of luck, unless you can find an on-line retailer (connected to one of these distributors) to special order and ship you some of the Zin Finish Blend… unless you’re lucky enough to happen upon some in your local store 

For some of our newer readers, I’ll remind you that whiskies do not age in the bottle, so what was discovered in the crates in Ernest Shackleton’s hundred year old base camp was unchanged from when it when in the bottle so many years back. This provided an amazing opportunity for some lucky few (one being Richard Patterson, also known as “The Nose”, of Whyte & Mackay) to test, sample, and ultimately reproduce a new blend whisky to replicate the original as closely as possible with today’s available stock.

If you’ve not seen the show, I highly recommend checking out NatGeo’s “Shackleton’s Whisky” episode on the discovery of the whiskies he’d purchased for his expedition. This show delves into a good balance of the history of the expedition, as well as the process used in recreating the replica bottling. They really treated the bottles with utmost care and respect; amazing they held up so well for so long in such harsh conditions, but they do show their age

So, of course, when I heard the replica was finally released and available in the States, I had to grab a bottle for my shelves. (Can’t quite say collection, as I don’t collect…. though this one will likely be opened far fewer times than most bottles on my shelves.) Well, it just arrived today, so I took the opportunity to snap a few photos then crack her open for a wee dram to take some studious notes and share for you all to drool over…

My first amusement was the packaging, which does a great job at mimicking the original crates. Of course the bottles weren’t individually packaged for Shackleton’s voyage, so Whyte & Mackay had to take some small liberties with the individual cases. The packaging could have been gimmicky and simple novelty, but thought was obviously put into this and resulted in a job well done. I will admit, as I stood in my kitchen opening the box, I did feel a bit of an explorer uncovering a long lost treasure, and a slight silly pang of guilt for not wearing my white gloves for the job. Gingerly pulling off the tissue paper wrapping, noting tears in expected places from the boxing, I was greeted by a lovely sight:

But, as I noted above, I’m not a collector and can’t leave well enough alone, so I grabbed a tulip glass and gently shuffled the tin wrapper up and off without causing a tear (easily replaced back to original effect once I poured my dram). Right off the bat I noted how surprisingly light the whisky actually appeared. A few pictures later and I got down to tasting…  here are my notes:

Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt “Shackleton” Whiskey

• Nose: A bit of heat at the start, then straight into the sweetness from the sherry butts and a waft of smoke to compliment. Next some subtle spices like a Major Grey’s chutney slink in, but hang around the shadows while lightly buttered toast enters only to highlight the orange zest originally hidden by the initial ethanol heat.
• Flavour: Mild and subtle are the two words to spring to mind at first taste. There is very little bite from the alcohol, which at a higher 47.3% was as surprising as the light colouring. The first flavours to hit my palate are cheesecake with a nice toasted graham-cracker crust into a smokey fine quality toffee, then the oak follows to balance the sweet with the dry.
• Finish: This dram has a middle to long finish which moves into heavier oak on the end. Quite dry during the last half of the finish as it slowly fades away leaving a nice woody tannin dryness to contrast the sweetness from the start.
• Viscosity: 4   (it looks quite crisp in the glass, but in the mouth it is surprisingly and pleasantly chewy)
• Boldness: 2
• Length of Story: 4
• Personal Taste:  A+
• Extraneous Notes: It is very light in colour than what I was expecting for the age and casks of the distillates used in creating this replica, as well as the final marrying. This really is a quintessential Speyside dram though, as it drinks with far more depth than the colour would initially indicate. Like all quality aged whiskies, the subtleties really shine here, as the recipe is perfectly balanced to highlight each of the mild and balanced tones coming through. Not only is this dram balance at every point on the palate, but the balance transcends the immediate taste and works effortlessly to balance the entire length of the story; a task easily but brilliantly achieved by this blending.

I’m sure none of you are surprised to find this rated so highly on my personal taste; after all it is an expensive dram with a Speyside pedigree which I have been looking forward to for a while now. And yes, that may well indeed cloud my perception of this dram to some extent. But I tell you this: I’ve had far older, and far more expensive drams which don’t compare to the complexities and balance of Shackleton’s whisky. There is an impressive marriage of notes to this whisky which take it from a simple good dram, to an outstanding dram which may now take the top spot as my favourite (bumping the Balvenie 21 Portwood to a meager second place), but I think another dram or two will be needed before I close the books on that end. I’m quite pleased to have obtained a bottle for what I did, as I can imagine the price increasing exponentially from here on out as supplies become more limited. This IS a strictly limited 50,000 bottle run. Once gone, well… you’re only hope will be if another adventurer stocks away a case or two which are later rediscovered and replicated within your lifetime.

If you’re a fan of slightly smoked Speyside whiskies, do yourself a favour and pick up this bottle soon… you’ll regret it if you don’t. Thus far, my only regret is that I can’t buy more!

[Show as slideshow]

So what to do once your 2 liter barrel has aged two runs of whitedog whiskies and is essentially spent when it comes to aging bourbon? Well, you take a page out of Jeffery Morgenthaler’s blog (soon to be book), and barrel age your Manhattan, obviously.

Here’s the recipe I used (thanks to Big Bottom Whiskey’s website ) to mix up my first batch of what I un-creatively dubbed “The Manhattan Project”:

• 2 ½ oz Big Bottom American Straight Bourbon
• ¾ oz Sweet Vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

I scaled the recipe up to fit my 2 liter barrel using the following amounts:

• 2200 ml Big Bottom American Straight Bourbon
• 660 ml Sweet Vermouth
• 60 dashes (18ml) Angostura bitters

Once the 2 liter barrel was filled, this recipe yields an extra 750ml bottle of finished cocktail plus enough for one drink while I’m cleaning up… You may wish to scale down the recipe slightly if you don’t wish to have that much extra. In my case I wanted to see how the same cocktail faired in glass versus barrel storage, so having a bottle extra worked perfectly for me.

I filled my barrel and promptly forgot about it for a week. To my utter shock and surprise, when I remembered to test a sample a week and a day later, the change was remarkable. So much so I opted to halt the experiment then and there, bottle up the first run, and mix up a second batch.

Because of the large difference I tasted after only that first week, I was hesitant to keep it in the barrel any longer for fear of getting too much oak and tannins from the wood in the final cocktail. As it stands after only a week, the cocktail has pulled a nice mild smokiness and woodiness from the barrel while at the same time marrying the vermouth, bitters, and bourbon into a single entity rather than three distinct parts. A comparison of the glass bottle cocktail aged for the same length of time shows the marrying beginning to occur, but only in its infancy stages after a week. Obviously the glass version doesn’t have that deeper richness imparted by the 2 liter oak barrel either. The difference a single week in the barrel made was a spectacular showing of just how distinctly different barrel aged cocktails can be from their normal counterparts.

I enjoyed the outcome of this experiment so much so that batch 2 is now resting in the barrel, perhaps for even a bit longer this go around. After that I may experiment with only barrel aging the vermouth rather than the entire cocktail (a suggestion from Ted Pappas of Big Bottom Whiskey) based on the fact that the bourbon is already oak aged but the vermouth is not. The only component missing being the time to marry the ingredients, which could then be done in a neutral vessel like glass.

Of course, next up I can really start playing with the variables and find the perfect vermouth and bitters, or even go down the path of making my own bitters… but I think I’ll save that rabbit hole for some other time and simply enjoy my pre-made cocktail for a bit instead

Well, last Friday (June 1st, 2012) five of us got together for an on-line interactive tasting to celebrate Friar John Cor Day, which we broadcast using the On Air feature. Since we didn’t promote this in order to protect ourselves from catastrophic failure, you likely missed it. Well have no fear, the On Air feature automatically saves the broadcast to our Youtube channel for posterity! While we don’t expect you’ll wish to sit through the full hour, we would ask that you take a gander for however long you are able and give us some feedback. If you enjoy it, we will likely hold more and open it up to more participants… suggestions to improve are also welcome! In either case we want to hear from you!

The 3DC go through a few bottles of tasting notes in honour of Friar John Cor’s Day (June 1st)
You can get…..

• A.D. Rattray at: http://www.totalwine.com/eng/product/a-d-rattray-craigellachie-2002/120422375
• Angel’s Envy at: http://www.hitimewine.net/ANGELS-ENVY-K.S.B.W.-PORT-CASK.html
• Aberlour A’Buhnadh at: http://www.totalwine.com/eng/product/aberlour-abunadh/95661750
• Knappogue Castle at: http://www.cranberryliquors.com/Spirits.htm#whiskeycan%20irish
• Lagavulin 1981 Distiller’s Edition at: http://www.kupsch-whisky.de/product_info.php?language=de&info=p1809_Lagavulin-1981-OB-Distillers-Edition-43–2cl-Sample.html