Woodford Reserve Tasting with Elizabeth McCall, Woodford Reserve Sonoma Triple Finish [Tasted #679]

Last week, we had the pleasure of joining Elizabeth McCall, Woodford Reserve’s Master Distiller, for an evening of whisky insights, flavour exploration, and plenty of banter ahead of Old Fashioned Week.

Elizabeth kicked off the evening with her unexpected path to whisky. With a background in psychology and counselling, she entered Brown-Forman’s sensory department almost by chance. Her story unfolded as one of curiosity and a deepening passion for whisky, taking her from quality control to training teams worldwide in sensory analysis, eventually landing her the prestigious role of Master Distiller. One of the standout moments was Elizabeth describing her journey from psych studies to the whisky lab—a blend of fate, sensory expertise, and a love for exploring the depths of flavour.

Elizabeth McCall’s journey into the world of whisky is as unique and unexpected as it is inspiring. Growing up, she never imagined she would one day become a master distiller. Instead, Elizabeth pursued her passion for psychology, earning a degree in counselling psychology and initially envisioning a career as a therapist. 

Her introduction to the whisky world started while attending her younger brother’s graduation party, she happened to strike up a conversation with a guest who worked at Brown-Forman, Woodford Reserve’s parent company. When Elizabeth shared her interest in sensory sciences and her struggles finding the right career path, he suggested she apply to their sensory department, where her psychology background would be a valuable asset. Elizabeth was intrigued—she didn’t know much about whisky or sensory evaluation at the time, but the opportunity was too exciting to pass up.

Starting in Brown-Forman’s quality control department, Elizabeth found herself drawn to the nuances of whisky production and sensory evaluation. She was immersed in the hands-on, often mysterious world of whisky-making, working alongside industry experts who taught her about distilling, blending, and the complex layers of flavour that make each whisky unique. A pivotal moment came when she learned that whisky is clear when it first comes off the still—a revelation that sparked her curiosity and deepened her respect for the entire maturation process. She dove into every aspect of her role, from learning to interpret tasting data to helping shape new methods for sensory training across Brown-Forman’s global teams.

In 2014, Elizabeth’s career took a major step forward when she attended a class with Chris Morris, then Woodford Reserve’s Master Distiller. Chris invited her to train as a Master Taster, a role that would allow her to further her sensory skills. Her training alongside Morris offered her the chance to develop her own sensory style, and she soon became the expert palate behind Woodford Reserve.

In 2015, she officially took on the role of Master Taster, working across both Woodford Reserve and Old Forester. Then, in 2016, Woodford Reserve claimed her focus entirely, and Elizabeth moved to the Woodford Reserve Distillery full-time, working as a sensory scientist and overseeing quality control at the historic site. By 2018, she had advanced to Assistant Master Distiller, and in 2023, she achieved the role of Master Distiller.

The tasting session took us through Woodford Reserve’s five sources of flavour: fruit and floral, spice, grain, sweet aromatics, and wood. The tasting paired three Woodford Reserve expressions, with selected foods. Elizabeth led us through each pour with insights into how flavour is crafted, and, more importantly, how it can transform through pairing.

We started with the flagship Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select bourbon, an iconic expression built around Woodford’s signature “five sources of flavour”—fruit and floral, spice, grain, sweet aromatics, and wood. To bring out the whisky’s versatile profile, Elizabeth introduced a trio of food pairings: parmesan cheese, dried cranberries, and fresh orange slices.

Next up was the Woodford Reserve Rye; a pre-prohibition style rye that’s as approachable as it is complex. Elizabeth guided us through the tasting, with soft hints of baking spices, honeyed sweetness, and dill on the nose. She described the palate as smooth and slightly sweet, with warming cinnamon and nutmeg spices that are softened by notes of light honey and malted barley. This rye is fitting for those who are new to rye or are wanting to check out the category. Elizabeth highlighted how the finish, with its lingering spice and nutty character, reveals the subtle depth and complexity of Woodford’s rye without overpowering the palate. 

The third and final expression we tasted was the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, A personal favourite of Elizabeth’s, Double Oaked takes Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select through a second aging phase in a heavily toasted, lightly charred barrel. This added step builds upon the bourbon’s natural complexity, bringing notes of butterscotch, vanilla, marzipan, and dark caramel. To bring out these indulgent flavours, Elizabeth paired the Double Oaked with dark chocolate.

But just as we thought we had completed the tasting, came the highlight for the night, the Woodford Reserver Sonoma Triple Finish

Woodford Reserve Sonoma Triple Finish (45.2% ABV, Versailles, Kentucky, USA, A$269.99)

The Sonoma Triple Finish, a limited Master’s Collection release with a triple-barrel maturation process in Korbel brandy, Sonoma-Cutrer Pinot Noir, and Woodford barrels. With its rich, fruity character and slightly red hue, this whisky was the highlight of the night for me.

Nose: A rich, layered aroma opens with brandy-soaked cherries, sweet cherry liqueur, and the warmth of Christmas cake. Notes of juicy raisins and a subtle hint of baking spices emerge, hinting at the complex interplay between brandy, Pinot Noir, and bourbon barrels.

Palate: Silky and creamy on the tongue, leading with soft vanilla and a medley of warming spices. Clove and nutmeg add depth, mingling with sweet caramel and a burst of tart raspberries. The barrel influence brings a gentle, toasted oak character, balancing sweetness with spice.

Finish: The finish is long and warm, lingering with a satisfying, spiced complexity that hints at cloves and subtle red fruit notes, leaving a memorable, layered impression.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Hendy)

As a fitting end to the evening, and to celebrate Old Fashioned Week, we were served a Dessert Old Fashioned made with maple syrup instead of traditional sugar syrup. It’s a fantastic choice for those looking to experience the Old Fashioned in a new way, with a hint of dessert-like richness.

It was a truly remarkable night with Elizabeth McCall, hearing her stories about balancing life as a master distiller and her reflections on the art of sensory tasting. It’s clear that her journey is just beginning, and with her leadership, Woodford Reserve’s spirit of innovation is in great hands.

Thanks to We Are Different PR and Woodford Reserve for having us on the night

Cheers

Hendy

High West Whiskey Tasting with Brendan Coyle [Tasted #653]

Late last month, we joined Brendan Coyle, Master Distiller of High West Whiskey who had visited Australia for the first time to talk through everything High West.

Brendan's passion for the whiskey game was evident as he talked about his journey at High West which began in 2006. 

High West Distillery, located in Park City, Utah, United States, is the first legally licensed distillery in Utah since the end of the American Prohibition. It was founded in 2006 by David Perkins, a former pharmaceutical biochemist, and his wife, Jane. The distillery operates in an old livery stable dubbed “The National Garage” and in the adjacent historic Ellsworth J Beggs house, which was built in 1907.

Brendan noted that American whiskey had been somewhat stuck in its old ways, with many distilleries churning out similar products. He felt that the traditional whiskey landscape in America was slow to change, with many producers following similar methods and High West saw a chance to shake things up, by focusing on innovation and dreaming about what whiskey flavours could be, not just what they were like back in the day. This is primarily why High West is more known for blending whiskey rather than distilling it. 

This unique approach to whiskey production sees High West producing its spirits only in small batches and they are known to source whiskeys from other distilleries to produce the base components of their whiskeys, focusing on blending different grain bills and ages to create a different whiskey profiles. Brendan noted that he has taken inspiration from global spirits like Scotch and Cognac, which are known for their artful blending of young and old spirits. The result is a diverse range of flavours and styles that make up their lineup. Their American Prairies Bourbon is a blend of straight bourbon aged between 2 and 13 years.

On the night, Brendan introduced us to a few High West highlights, including the Double Rye, Double Rye Tawny, American Prairie Bourbon and High West Campfire. The latter is an interesting blend of bourbon, rye, and peated malts from an undisclosed distillery in Scotland - though not the kind of peated malt you think of and certainly not from Islay. The High West Campfire presents a mix of sweet candied, honey notes from the bourbon, a kick of cookie spices and spicy rye, and a subtle smoke. The Campfire does make for a good base for cocktail making.

High West Double Rye Tawny Port Barrel (56.1% ABV, Park City, Utah, A$TBC)

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Part of High West's Barrel Select Program, the High West Double Rye Tawny is a blend of 2-year-old MGP 95/5 rye whiskey and a 7-year-old High West rye whiskey with a mash bill of 80% rye and 20% malted barley.

Nose: The nose opens with notes of marzipan, raisins, baked (rye) spices, gingerbread like, vanilla, cherry. There's some burnt caramel, honey and light citrus notes.

Palate: The palate is gentle with rye spices, cinnamon, gingerbread. Some sweetness develops with vanilla notes and fluffy vanilla chiffon cake, there's white pepper and developing dryness

Finish: Moderately long finish, with peppery spices and dry finish

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Hendy)

Cheers

Hendy

Thanks to Maven PR and High West Whiskey for having us at the High West Dinner with Brendan Coyle

Tasted #458: Archie Rose Rye Malt Whisky tasting notes

7 odd years ago when we started this little blog, the Australian whisky scene was a very different place. Most people equated "Australian Whisky" with "Tasmanian" (and to be fair, Tasmania did dominate the scene), Starward was called "Victoria Valley Distillery" (and hadn't yet released a whisky), and Sydney was going on 160 years without a whisky distillery.

Then in 2014, Archie Rose came along with their close proximity to Sydney city, stunning bar, unparalleled transparency and a fresh attitude to spirits, and (along with Starward, who released their first whisky in 2013) the scene began to change.

Now to be fair to the plethora of other Australian whisky producers, we're not for a moment suggesting that Archie Rose and Starward single (double?) handedly grew the scene. There are some incredible smaller producers who began distilling or releasing whisky in the same period (as just one example, I'm particularly fond of Fleurieu Distillery who released their first whisky a few years ago) and they've all absolutely been a key part of making the industry what it is today (as have bars like Whisky and Alement and Bad Frankie who do a stellar job educating drinkers on Aussie spirits). It has to be acknowledged though that both Starward and Archie Rose, with their unique releases, focus on quality, marketing, transparency and significant social media footprints, have definitely helped thrust Aussie spirits further into the global limelight than they were previously.

As many distilleries do, Archie Rose started out with white spirits - Gin, Vodka and White Rye, and over the past 5 years they've added a Tailored Spirits program (where you can get your own tailored spirit for under $90AUD!), aged beer spirit, a bevy of fascinating and collectible gins, rhums, and even a "buttered toast spirit".

Earlier this month though, finally, whisky arrived, in the form of the very tasty Chocolate Rye Malt, limited to 1148 bottles, available at a very reasonable $149AUD and all sold in under 3 hours. 

That's not what this post is about though. This post is about what comes next - tomorrow, in fact. Tomorrow (1st August 2019) Archie Rose release their first "core range" whisky - Archie Rose Rye Malt Whisky. Limited to 2,071 individually-numbered bottles (for Batch 1), the whisky represents a watershed moment for the distillery - the culmination of 5 years of incredibly hard work. To quote the distillery:

"To create this truly unique whisky, we selectively sourced rare malted rye and the finest malted barley from progressive malt houses, paired them with virgin American oak casks air-dried for 36 months and let it all mature in the maritime air of coastal Sydney."

AR were kind enough to send Hendy and I a generous sample ahead of its release, and in summary we were both blown away by its elegance and complexity. If this is what we can come to expect from Archie Rose whisky, well, the future is looking very tasty indeed.

Archie Rose Rye Malt Whisky Batch 1 (46% ABV, NAS*, Sydney, Australia, $119AUD)

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Martin's tasting notes:

Colour: Deep intense fiery orange. 

Nose: Far more complex than you expect a rye to be. Perfumed. Vanilla spice. There's definitey sweetness, but also hints of anise, barbecued pineapple, then citrus. Butter menthols. Honey. This is not your average rye.

Palate: The spice is there but there’s also a confectionary sweetnesss and a citric acid element. Rich & robust but never close to harsh, there's also a toffee sweetness and gooey, warming caramel.

Finish: Long and warming, slightly vegetal, absolutely no harsh tannins or overt spice, though there's some cinnamon spice at the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  92/100. Just incredible elegance and complexity from a first release, rye-based spirit.

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Hendy's tasting notes:

Colour: Maple Syrup.

Nose: The nose is striking with sweet sticky bush honey, a little bit of oak, Speculaas and then some more glazed cherries, vanilla and ladened with loads of citrus (orange peel).

Palate: The palate eases you into a gentle spice, a sticky citrus sponge cake welcomes you followed by some pop rocks popping candy that represents the subtle spices and then some more oranges.

Finish: The finish is long with some cinnamon, some cherries and lingering peppery spice.

*No Age Statement, but if you check the whisky's spirit data you can find all the specs you could possibly want, including the barreling and disgorgement dates on each of the whisky's 40 casks!

We congratulate Dave, Will, and all the guys and girls at Archie Rose for what is nothing short of a fantastic product - and an exciting development for the Australian whisky scene. We can't wait to see what the future brings, especially the first malted barley release in 2020!

Archie Rose Rye Malt Whisky goes on sale on Thursday 1st August 2019. Limited bottles will be available online, at the distillery, or via launch day events. Expect them to sell out very, very quickly.

Cheers,
Martin.

Enjoying a sample of 5 month old Archie Rose Single Malt from the TImeforWhisky.com cask, with Master Distiller (and good friend of TimeforWhisky) Dave Withers.

Arbikie Highland Rye Single Grain Scotch Whisky (Tasted #448)

There's been a huge increase in the number of "craft", "startup" or just plain "new" Scottish distilleries over the past few years, which is awesome (and I wish them all immense success), but it's always nice to see someone doing something a little different.

...like what Arbikie Highland Estate have done, distilling the first rye whisky in Scotland in over 100 years. Single grain Scottish whisky is by no means a new thing, but when that grain is rye? That's unique.

Follow @TimeforWhisky on Instagram for regular whisky pics, articles and general banter

Not only that, but they've done so using "Arantes" rye grown on their own estate (52%, along with 33% wheat and 15% malted barley also self-grown), for a truly "field to bottle" whisky. Distilled in copper pot stills, the spirit has been matured in charred 1st Fill American Oak barrels, finished in ex-PX barrels, and is bottled with no colouring or chill filtration. Those casks must have been fairly active, because the whisky gives off a lovely colour for only ~3 years old.

...but how does it taste? Well Arbikie, along with good friends Leigh and Dea from 15PL (who run the Whisky Ambassador course in HK and other parts of Asia) were kind enough to send a generous sample all the way to HK, so I could find out.

Arbikie Highland Rye Single Grain Scotch Whisky (46% ABV, 3yo (distilled 2015), Highlands, Scotland, Casks #9, #11 and #16, 998 bottles, £250)

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Colour: Rusty golden-copper.

Nose: Spicy orange, paprika, flamed orange peel and cloves. It's young, there's no getting away from it, but some nice notes have developed in a few short years.

Palate: Wow...the youth is nowhere near as evident here. Big, jammy, orange marmalade and less spicy than the nose suggests (it's there - paprika and white pepper, but less noticeable). Sweet, with thick treacle, honey, maple syrup. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is an incredibly delicious and moreish dram.

Finish: Medium to long in length, initially sweet, then the spice returns, and finally a slight hint of oak tannins from the first fill American oak casks.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  90/100. For a 3yo Scottish whisky, this is incredibly impressive. Flavourful, delicious, complex...congratulations to Arbikie Highland Estate for crafting a fantastic and unique Scottish whisky. If I wasn't saving the rest of this bottle to share with a few friends, it'd be empty by now.


Arbikie also have single malt on the way (in "a few years") and given the quality of this release, I can't wait to try it!

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #378 - 379: Belgrove Peated Rye and Belgrove Oat Whisky

Almost four years ago, I posted our first Belgrove post - tasting an experimental "Oat" with an Oat-led, four-grain mashbill. The distillery excited me then, and continues to excite me now, as owner Peter Bignell continues to innovate and produce whisky in his own unique way, putting out some truly fantastic products.

Based in Tasmania, the distillery came about when Peter (a sixth-generation farmer) had some excess rye and decided to use it to make whisky. In addition to growing his own rye, building his own copper pot still and peating the rye using a self-converted washing machine(!), Peter also runs the operation on biodiesel he makes from cooking oil, harvests brewing and diluting water from his roofs, and collects cooling water from his own dam.

Call it "closed loop", "green", "sustainable" or whatever buzzword you like, put simply here's a bloke making whisky like no-one else in Australia, and doing a bloody good job of it.

Peter was kind enough to send me few samples recently - of his "Oat Whisky" (@ 58.6% ABV) and a cask sample of his Peated Rye whisky (at a hefty 65.1% ABV).


Belgrove "Oat Whisky" (58.6% ABV, NAS, Tasmania, Australia, $250AUD)

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Colour: Light yellow-gold.

Nose: A little bit muted at first, but after time, creamy, tropical fruit notes emerge - pear, pineapple and a big dollop of cream.

Palate: Hugely nutty! Very unexpected. Macadamia nuts and walnuts. Oily mouthfeel. There's some creamy caramel, and lots of milk chocolate-coated Macadamia nuts. With water there's a little more fruit - pears and a hint of strawberry, but the nutty notes definitely dominate, which is unusual, unexpected and very enjoyable.

Finish: Long and full of macadamia, with some hints of oak and pepper at the back of the palate.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  90/100. I love an "unusual" whisky, provided it also noses and tastes good. This ticks all those boxes and more.

Belgrove "Peated Rye" Whisky cask sample (65.1% ABV, NAS, Tasmania, Australia, cask sample not available for sale, although when available the Peated Rye is $250AUD)

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Colour: Light orange-gold.

Nose: There's smoke, but it's not coastal or medicinal - it's meaty and BBQ-like. Reminds me of a BBQ'd steak topped with tangy BBQ sauce. With time there's a bit of milk chocolate too.

Palate: Salami drizzled with honey. Lots of honey in fact. Then some charred capsicum, and with water some burnt snags (sausages). Sunday arvo BBQ in a glass?

Finish: Long and campfire-smokey.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  91/100. Not your usual peated whisky, and all the better for it.


It's great to see Peter and his team continuing to do things "their own way", with such impressive results. I've noticed Peter has recently started providing regular updates via his Facebook page too - well worth a follow if this sort of thing interests you like it does me.

Cheers,
Martin.

A Night with Michter's in Hong Kong

We've been fans of Michter's for a while here at TimeforWhisky - and so has Hong Kong it seems - particularly on-premise, with a number of bars using Michter's range of ryes and bourbons in some incredible cocktails (more on that below). In fact, so big has the rise of Michter's been, that last year the brand appointed their own brand ambassador for Asia, John Ng (although prior to that, global sales director and son of founder Matt Magliocco lived in Hong Kong for several years).

Matt and John were joined recently in Hong Kong by Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson, who had flown in from Louisville for the distillery's first Hong Kong media launch dinner, held at Hong Kong's favourite American restaurant Lily & Bloom. 

Steph and I couldn't think of a better way to spend a Monday night.

Kicking things off with a cocktail was a welcome way to beat the 35ish degree heat outside - especially when that cocktail mixed Michter's Rye, ginger, pineapple, lemon and smoked tea spirit. Known as the Bomberger Buck, and served in a similar fashion to a Mint Julep, it was the perfect start to the evening, and evidence that even after 7 years, the drinks program at Lily & Bloom still continue to impress (in particular, since John Nugent's recent hiring as Head Mixologist).

After taking our seats, Matt introduced John and Executive Chef Chris Grare, who talked us through the 6-course menu, explaining it as American-focused with some Asian hints, bringing out charred, smokey flavours with some spice and caramel.

(Or in other words, a perfect match for a range of American whiskies.)

Matt talked us through a brief history of the Michter's brand, and in particular its most recent incarnation under his family's stewardship. Matt explains the company's recent history in three phases - the first involving aged casks of American whiskies being purchased from other distilleries, the second involving whisky produced (using Michter's-spec mashbills) at other distilleries, using rented time known as "Michter's Days", and the third, since August 2015, involving whisky being produced at their own distillery. 

After this brief history, the night's guest of honour Andrea Wilson walked us through a detailed and informative overview of Michter's production (touching on topics including oak drying, barrel entry proof and heat cycling), making it clear that the future of Michter's maturation programme is in safe hands.

One thing I've always found interesting about Michter's is the number of whiskies in the range. There are Ryes and Bourbons, both in "small batch" and single barrel variety. There are age statement varieties (including a 25 year old Bourbon and a 25 year old Rye, both of which we've been fortunate enough to try), there's a Sour Mash, an "unblended American whisky", various limited releases (including popular Toasted Barrel finishes), and barrel proof varieties too.

...little did I know we'd be tasting at least 9 of these on the night!

Following the Smoked Oyster paired with our welcome cocktail (see above), Kombu Cured Sea Bass (with yuzu-lemon compote and black sesame paste) came next, paired with Michter's US*1 Unblended American Whiskey, with the Yuzu in the dish proving a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of the whiskey. Both great on their own, but better together. Off to a good start then!

Lentil-crusted Lobster (with blue point mussels and bouillabaisse) came next, paired with Michter's US*1 Sour Mash Whiskey. As I find the Sour Mash to be a fairly subtle whisky on its own (an easy and enjoyable everyday whisky though), I found the whisky and food complimented each other well here, but in a subtle way, without either really changing or accentuating the other.

Course four was Truffle tagliatelle (with Australian winter truffle and roasted cauliflower), paired with Michter's US*1 Bourbon, a great match, with the Bourbon surprisingly turning up the creaminess of the pasta significantly.

Bourbon and steak is a hard pairing to beat, and so it was when Pastrami Rib Eye (with potato gratin and pickled mustard jus) was paired with Michter’s 10 Year Old Bourbon. Decadent? Perhaps, but a fantastic combination, with the rich sweetness of the Bourbon playing brilliantly with the rare steak.

Had the meal ended there, we all would have walked off praising the chef and whiskies, but there was one more dish to go, and it was an absolute winner. Pecan Apple Tart (with granola and Michter's raisin ice cream) was very good when paired with the Michter's US*1 Single Barrel Straight Rye, but in my opinion was even better with the 10 Year Old Bourbon - the two making a deliciously sweet and rich pairing, with the Bourbon adding vanilla and honey notes to the already flavoursome dish.

With 6 wonderful pairings down, it was time to leave (it was Monday night after all), but not after a few surprise whiskies made their way out, including one (at the time) unreleased Michter's, the Barrel Strength Toasted Barrel Finish Straight Rye, which put a slightly spicier twist on a whisky I already loved for its spicy profile.

After that it really was time to leave, with memories of wonderful dishes and equally delicious whiskies to carry us home, not to mention the take-home pre-batched "Snickers Old Fashioned" cocktail, made with Michter's US*1 Unblended American Whiskey, vanilla demerara, black walnut and aztec chocolate. One of the best cocktails I've had in a while, and proof (again) that Michter's works wonderfully both in a cocktail and when served neat.

TimeforWhisky.com would like to thank Michter's Whiskey Distillery, Andrea, John and Matt for the invitation.

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #340: Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky 100 Proof

Moving onto something a little bit simpler for a change - Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky (Bottled in Bond). I actually bought this for cocktails (I've always enjoyed it in a Manhattan, Sazerac etc.. and find the 50% ABV holds up well), but it's a highly regarded rye on its own, so thought I'd spend some time with it neat, and post up my thoughts.

Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky100 Proof (50% ABV, NAS, Kentucky, USA, ~$350HKD / £29.99 / $82.99AUD)

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Colour: Copper-brown.

Nose: Treacle, maple syrup, lots of vanilla pods and some peppercorn.

Palate: Smooth, slightly viscous, spicy (pepper and cinnamon). There's orange rind and cinnamon sticks, with a dusting of icing sugar and a fair amount of oak. Simply, but tasty.

Finish: Medium to long in length, peppery.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  88/100. No-one's suggesting this is an earth-shatteringly complex whisky - it's not. It's a simple rye done very well. All the flavours you want in a rye are there, with a bold, solid backbone. The ABV feels spot on and it serves well as a neat dram, or a great base for a booze-forward cocktail.


Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #259: Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye (aka "that" Jim Murray Whisky)

As a rule, I've never put much value in whisky scores given by a single whisky reviewer (yes I'm aware of the irony - bear with me). These days some people seem to place far too much emphasis on what one person thinks of a whisky, rather than developing their own opinion.

Where such scores are useful is in comparing one dram to another based on the preferences of that reviewer. For example - I love Starward whiskies, I love heavily sherried GlenDronach whiskies, and I also love the delicate yet complex nature of Glenfiddich. If you do too, then you might get some value, or insight from my whisky scores - they might resonate with you, and if I score a whisky, say 94, then there's a chance you might like that whisky a lot too.

If my preferences don't resonate with you, then that's fine too - everyone's palate is different, and if you sit in that camp, maybe you shouldn't place so much importance on the scores I give (but feel free to keep reading our reviews anyway)!

As well as representing the opinion of only one man (admittedly one with extensive experience), Jim Murray and his preferences have been proven on many occasions to differ to mine. For example, he referred to the (old) Laphroaig 15yo as a "hugely disappointing, lacklustre dram" and "woefully short on complexity". I disagreed.

So...when Jim recently voted a ~$30USD Canadian Rye as his world whisky of the year, I was pretty sure I wouldn't consider it my whisky of the year. Don't get me wrong, I love a good rye, I just struggled to see how a mass-produced, readily available cheap rye blend could really compete with some of the amazing whiskies we'd tried on this blog over the past 12 months.

Luckily, the legends at Malt Whisky Bar in Sheung Wan (Hong Kong) got their hands on a bottle, and were happy to share a taste with me recently, so I could reliably form my own opinion...

Crown Royal "Northern Harvest" Rye (45% ABV, NAS, Blended Rye, Canada, $32.99CAD)

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Colour: Light gold.

Nose: Tropical fruit - passionfruit, papaya, and loads of candied ginger. 

Palate: Ginger - both fresh and candied. Pineapple, passionfruit, lots of floral notes. Slight peppery notes but they're very much in the background rather than the dominant feature. To be fair, there's quite a bit going on here, and it's all enjoyable.

Finish: Long, drying and slightly bitter (bitter oranges / orange peel).

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100. OK, it's a good Rye. A very good rye even, quite complex, and for ~$33CAD, it's excellent value. When compared to whiskies like this, this and this however, it doesn't make it to the top of my list I'm afraid...

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #24: Jack Daniels Unaged Tennessee Rye

Unaged, or "white dog" spirits are becoming increasingly popular these days. I even saw Buffalo Trace White Dog at my tiny, local suburban bottle shop the other day. Is it the increasing interest in spirits and how they're made, the need to differentiate product lines, or simply an easy way for a distillery to gain extra revenue without the hassle of the aging process? Whatever it is, we think it's fantastic. Now if only I could get my hands on some Islay new make...

At Eau de Vie recently I noticed a bottle of JD Unaged Tennessee Rye on the shelf. I hadn't seen this in Australia before (its release in January 2013 was mostly a US-centric one), so jumped at the chance to try it.

Jack Daniels Unaged Tennessee Rye Whisky (40%, unaged, Tennessee USA)

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Nose: Bananas and bubblegum (Steph says "metho").

Palate: Smooth! That was a surprise. No real dominant flavours - still hints of banana, and clearly extremely young (Steph says "metho").

Finish: Short as expected. Reminds me of a young, but not completely unaged rye. Still a bit of complexity evident to the end. Obviously needs (a lot) of time, but it wasn't horrible. (Steph still says "metho").

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 79/100. Let's be honest - whisky gets aged for a reason, and whilst this wasn't something I'd drink every day, it was an interesting way to see what JD rye is like before it ever sees a barrel. And it wasn't horrible by any stretch of the imagination - I'd happily drink it again (just not if a nicely aged whisky was on offer).

Before finishing off the night, Steph and I enjoyed a dram from our (sadly now very low!) bottle of JD kept for us at Eau de Vie, as part of Brown Forman's fantastic "Jack Daniels Embassy" program.

Cheers,
 - Martin.

PR #1: Hudson moves to William Grant and Sons in Australia

While this blog will never become solely an outlet for press releases, as I mentioned from the outset, from time to time I do plan to include the odd press release, particularly if I think it's of note to you fine readers (and particularly if it relates to the Australian whisky scene). So on that note...

           

William Grant & Sons Australia have recently announced that the Hudson range of American whiskies (which you may been lucky enough to try if you visited Whisky Live last year) have transferred from Vanguard Luxury Brands to WG&S.

For those of you not familiar with Hudson, it's a range of craft whiskey distilled by New York based distiller Tuthilltown Spirits Company, consisting of two Bourbons, a Single Malt, Rye Whiskey and Corn Whiskey. Bottles are sold in 350mL format and, speaking from experience tasting the Bourbons, Rye and Single Malt, are all excellent whiskies produced with extensive experience and care.

To quote the WG&S press release:

Vanguard Luxury Brands based in Coogee and managed by James France, has been handling the brand in the Australian market for the past three years - taking it on prior to William Grant & Sons ownership - and has been successful in seeding the range into many of Australia’s top bars.

Said Brian Sharp, general manager of William Grant & Sons Australia, “James and the team at Vanguard have built a solid platform for Hudson in Australia. We are very pleased with the great job they’ve done to place Hudson carefully into high end on and off trade outlets, nationally. We sat down with James and agreed that it made sense for all if we were to take Hudson back into our own portfolio and release Vanguard to go ahead with the other projects and brands they’ve been keen to get started on.”

WG&S Australia plan to focus efforts on the Baby Bourbon and Manhattan Rye, and we can only hope this means seeing these in more bars and bottles hops in the near future.

Cheers, 

 - Martin.