Jim Beam White

Jim Beam is one of the first names that comes to many minds when the word bourbon is stated. Almost every bar has it on hand, even my own personal one due to its price compared to others. I haven't had it straight in a long time though, because it's alway in a cocktail (like the Perfect Manhattan I listed in my Unappreciated Cocktails post). Let's see how it compares on its own.

The first thing I'd like to say is that there is a burn, but it's nothing compared to other liquors of this price. The nose is simple and the roughest part but lets you know that it's aged in oak. On the tongue oak happens again with a vanilla parallel and caramel in a way that isn't very sweet. Even before you swallow your sip the alcohol is apparent, but in an almost citrus crisp sort of way. At the back of your throat Jim Beam's White burns again of course.

The burn may be better in comparison to other liquors below $20, but you get what you pay for. I'm leaving the White label with a C (decent) mostly because of this but also because it's very simple and doesn't have different levels of taste. It will still be a staple of my bar for mixing cocktails though.

Carolans Irish Cream

The genre of liquor for the holidays is Irish cream, and when most hear that they think of Baileys. Another Irish cream, Carolans is here tonight for review though. It's cheaper, but does that mean it's not as good? Lets find out if you should consider it instead of Baileys.

The only hint that this is alcoholic is lightly in the nose of the glass. An easy sweet is there along with it though. Once on your tongue there is much more going on. Caramel and vanilla is what I got first from this. Honey is another strong point to this but it's rather difficult to note as different from the caramel. As for the whiskey in this, it's rather faint. One last note is that this has a lighter texture than Baileys or St Brendan's (that I reviewed before).

Not that Baileys is bad, but I actually prefer Carolans because it's lighter, balanced in taste and has more 'natural' sensations than Baileys mint, coffee or even original. I give it a B (good) and keep it stocked as my cream of choice for the holidays and beyond.

Twenty 2 Vodka

Vodka can be a hard thing to describe. Some people just want a cheap thing to make a drink of their choice alcoholic. Of course not necessarily a cocktail though. A few actually like notes of flavors added. I'm part of the group that wants a liquor that can make a fine drink with a few other pieces added. Twenty 2 Vodka is made by The Northern Maine Distilling Company in Houlton, ME. Let's see what category this vodka falls in.

Ethanol is apparent in the nose, but not in a biting way. This is certainly a hint of a good vodka that has no similarity to watered down alcohol in a plastic bottle. The palate is quite unique. I feel that it is a touch heavier than water in your mouth, but in perhaps a way of ethereal taste? I'm asking myself if there is drop of honey put in this bottle. Something I do know is the grainy ethanol is existing lightly on the back of the tongue. After sipping my glass I finished it by shotting the rest, and it was the first time I had any major burn.

Experimenting with cocktails such as the godmother and kamakazi, I could taste the difference in quality. I'm not hesitating to score this with an A (excellent) because it's a blank sheet to work with cocktails and is the first clear liquor besides gin that I've enjoyed straight. I'll be keeping this one in stock.

Smirnoff Root Beer 100

The recent trend with vodkas has been as many new and unique flavors as possible. Everyone knows Smirnoff. It seems to be a staple for those who want to just put something in soda or an energy drink. Tonight I have it in it's purest form, in a glass without rocks to sip on.

There's no clue to the flavor smelling it, but once in your mouth it's quite blunt. Wow this is sweet. I suppose this is true to the flavor because root beer is the most sugared soda around. The flavor only exists on your tongue though because there is no aftertaste, just a burn. Quite simple.

Looking back on this selection it was an odd one because it doesn't relate to the title luxurious. I'm leaving it with a F (avoid) and think there are far better options unless you're going to spike an A&W root beer.

Seagram's Seven Crown

Today I have something that should be in everyone's budget, Seagram's Seven Crown. Easy to find and cheap like other liquors that have a plastic 1.75l bottle. One shouldn't judge a drink by its bottle though. Before I begin I'd like to note that not many buy this to drink straight but to mix, I'm drinking it straight to single out the notes it can add to a cocktail.

Even a small whiff of this will let you know it's alcoholic. Beneath the sting of alcohol is a sweet apricot scent along with wood. This is nice but impossible to enjoy with that burn. Once in your mouth notes of "good whiskey" are there but once again overtaken by alcohol. To make it fair I took my glass and turned this into a rickety with club soda and a little lemon. The sweet apricot was most noticeable but the wooden whiskey was only a hint. There was still a touch of burn.

I knew this wouldn't get a grade as high as many of the other liquors I've reviewed, but I must say this is a F (avoid). Seven Crown's attributes after you got past the burn still didn't make it a good deal. Spend a few extra bucks and get something better.

Bowmore Legend

When it comes to scotch, I'm a fan of the island Islay with smoky and salty whiskey. Legend is one of Bowmore's staple scotches with the lowest price point, so many can keep it in the cabinet. This is a fine thing to do because not many malt scotch's are this affordable! Let's see if it should stay on hand.

As soon as your nose is anywhere near this scotch, you can tell where it's from. The signature Islay peat smoke comes through your nostrils. There is also a burn in smelling this, but not an alcoholic one. More like 'sting' of salt (another Islay standard). On the tongue the smoke stays but the zing is more of a citrus, but not the actual flavor. Honey is also a light note on the back of the tongue. The body is quite lite for a scotch. It finishes with the peat smoke and warmth of alcohol, but once again not a burn.

At first I wasn't all that impressed with the Bowmore Legend, but it grew on me as my first dram got low. I thought this would be a C with my first impressions, but once finished I changed my mind to give it a B (good). It's not too simple, but make sure you like peat smoke because it stays with you through the whole experience.

Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream

St Patrick’s day is coming up (also my birthday)! So I think it’s time I get on top of some Irish choices, don’t you? Many simply refer Irish cream to Bailey’s, but little do they know there are much cheaper alternatives that I find acceptable. If you have the budget to spend $25 on a bottle of the name brand, fine. If you’re like me and want to explore while saving some money, here’s Saint Brendan’s.

Like a glass of milk, there is no smell or aroma to Saint Brendan’s. So straight to the palate. I might prefer this over Bailey’s due to a composure with more distinctive elements that aren’t a prime flavor like Bailey’s caramel or mint. Caramel is a big part of the palate though, and it works great with the dairy cream that’s heavier than Bailey’s. It’s not as smooth however, but I don’t think it’s such a bad thing: The nip at the aftertaste almost works as a counterpart to the heavy cream, so you don’t feel like your throat has a layer of mucus.

So I approve and give it a B (good). I’ll make sure that some will be left for the 18th so I can put some in my coffee for a creamer. Here’s a good robust cocktail to enjoy the 17th with and keep you up for the night, Irish Coffee:
• 2 oz Irish Whiskey
• 2 oz Irish Cream
• Strong black coffee
• Sugar to taste
Layer the cream on top of the spiked coffee on the back of a spoon. To do it right you must keep the tip on the edge of the glass and top of the liquid. Don’t stir and sip it through the cream.

Gosling's Black Seal

It bothers me that the general population sticks to Bacardi and Captain Morgan for rum with so many more, and better, rums out there. Drinking only light and gold rum is a limit of cocktails as well, so I’ve included a cocktail recipe at the end of the review for those willing to explore the dark. Gosling’s has always been my favorite dark rum, so I’ll show you why.

Being nearly solid black in color, many would imagine a bold and hearty rum. It is, but don’t relate those attributes to harsh. Gosling’s has a heavy body and a rich taste of brown sugar and spice. After swallowing you’re left with an aftertaste of the spice and a warm element best described simply as the rum, but not a burn of alcohol.

I don’t believe Black Seal was intended to be drunk straight, even though I do sometimes, but I’d recommend it on the rocks or with ginger ale. In my book Gosling’s Black Seal is a solid A (excellent) due to its unparalleled boldly smooth taste. Because of this it can make cocktails that no other liquor can. Here’s a good one:

Dark Side Daiquiri
• 1 ½ oz Gosling’s Black Seal
• 1 ½ oz amaretto
• ½ oz simple syrup (or ¼ oz sugar and ¼ oz water)
• ¼ oz lemon juice
• ¼ oz lime juice

Bombay Dry Gin

My last review of gin was more like orange vodka than gin, so I set out to get a “regular” one. I didn’t get Bombay Sapphire because I needed something for cocktails though, and that isn’t your typical gin with juniper berry as the prime flavor. This is the standard London dry version of Bombay Sapphire.

The nose of this tells me that it’s more of the gin I wanted, that pine-like smell. It has that warm alcohol nose as well though. Taking a sip of it is a step in the smoother direction though. Besides going down smoothly the palate shows the juniper berry again but there’s a lot more going on and it all intermingles so well that it’s hard to dissect the tastes. I can distinguish a little lemon rind and almond, but I needed to look at the label to distinguish the rest.

This might be my gin for tonics and such. It’s my favorite gin yet, at an A (excellent). Now I said I needed this for cocktails, so here’s a good one. The Tom Collins:
- 2 oz gin
- ½ oz lemon juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
- club soda or seltzer
Combine the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a tall glass with ice. Top off with the soda and stir briefly. You can garnish with a cherry and/or orange slice.

Clontarf Irish Whiskey Classic Blend

I'm obviously a fan of Irish whiskeys with my reviews giving Bushmills good grades. But when I ran out of stock I decided to try something different (and at a lower price point). The Clontarf was on sale so I brought it home and here's my review.

Compared to other liquors this has a rather simple and light nose. All I can detect is wheat, but it doesn't have the smell of burning alcohol. With my first sip I could tell this is a full bodied whiskey. The palate reminds me of many chardonnays actually with oak and vanilla, but the malty wheat is still present. Once swallowed it's quite smooth and you're left with the oak and wheat once again. The constant wheat isn't a bad aspect though. On ice the vanilla is brought out much more and the wheat is diluted.

It's rather simple but smooth and I enjoyed it so the Clontarf Irish Whiskey is a B (good). I recommend it to anyone trying to fill their cabinet with a decent Irish product at a good price.

Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur

Not to be sexist, but I'm sure many girl's are going to be drawn to and like Bärenjäger (many of my female friends do already). Now who would've thought of making honey liquor? The Germans in the late 1400s of course and Bärenjäger also appropriately translates as "bear hunter". But despite it's history let's get to the point; would you enjoy it?

The first thing I noticed when pouring some of this into a glass was the smell of "sticky" honey. Yes the smell of sticky. I should note that Bärenjäger is actually not fermented honey, it's alcohol content is vodka and after some unsetteling it can be lightly detected. Despite this it tastes of the same honey and the sticky part become the texture as well. After swallowing you're reminded of the alcohol content but somehow it has no repulsive effect.

I don't think that Bärenjäger would be useful in many cocktails due to its thick body. Visiting the website most of their cocktail recipies use other sweet or creamy liqors, and they had a bartending cometition for creating new recipies. I give Bärenjäger a regular B (good) because it's smooth and easily enjoyable, but it's simple and not something with levels of flavor.

Bushmills Malt 10 Year

As some of you will remember I've already reviewed Bushmills Black Bush blend, but here's the first of their single malt line:

The nose of this is very different from the palate, it contains a honey that's somehow a mix that's difficult to separate from the slight alcohol zest and cut grass. You'd think that grass would be a negative aura but I find it enjoying and it makes me think of the amazing Irish landscape. The palate produces a soft vanilla and honey but the grass returns changed as hay and wooded. A crisp and drying aftertaste leaves the hay on your tongue.

It's hard to convince someone how great this whiskey is with the words used to describe it, but I think it's an A (excellent). I wouldn't recommend this Bushmills to anyone with an undeveloped palate for whiskey or scotch, but to those who do, it's a great value.

Appleton Estate V/X

When I say rum to most people they think of one of two brands, Bacardi and Captain Morgan. It's a shame too because for the most part Captain Morgan is just vanilla rum and Bacardi is just BAD! Many will walk by fine brands such as Sea Wynde, 10 Cane, Gosling's, and the one I'm reviewing; Appleton Estate without even considering them instead. Well hopefully this will be a door opened to all of you tunnel-visioned rum drinkers.

Appleton's V/X is the start of their "Estate" line, and I think it does a great job defining them apart from other rums. Aside from the honey hued gold color, the first impressions I get from the nose are brown sugar and harshness. For some reason this rum has a very rough nose but taking a sip won't make you flinch, it'll bombard your tongue with flavors! The things I get are toasted honey, nutmeg and brown sugar in that order. It almost reminds me of a well seasoned pumpkin pie! It's very full in flavor and smooth on the palate, but it ends with nutmeg and the return of a lighter alcohol burn. If you think Bacardi is smooth then you won't notice this at all though.

Due to that burn, I feel obliged to give this rum a B (good) instead of something more awarding. But I want you all to know that once I'm through with this bottle I'll have my eye open for Appleton Estate's Reserve or Extra 12 Year.

Cutty Sark

This has been one of my most difficult reviews to write due to the simplicity of this liquor. You would think that a blended scotch would have many things to it but this one does not. It's simply oak and vanilla.

The liquor has a light hay color and a scent with no burn at all that puts oak at the front. It's body is rather light, but the palate is almost non-existent. I think oak may just be a flavor that can be sensed through smell more than taste, but it does leave a prominent after taste. The vanilla occurs in all of stages as well but not like vanilla extract, it compliments the light oak flavor and makes the overall flavor more "round".

Cutty Sark isn't a bad product, it's just a simple one. Think of it as a oak and vanilla flavored vodka. C (decent). Now approaching it like a flavored vodka you should ask "what cocktails can I make with this?" Here's a good one:

CUTTY COLLINS:
2 oz Cutty Sark
1 tsp fine sugar
1 oz lemon juice
3 oz club soda
combine Cutty Sark, sugar and lemon juice in a glass full of crushed ice and stir well. Top off with club soda, stir again and serve.

Talisker 10 Year Old

This is the most expensive bottle of liquor I've bought yet, and I don't regret it...

The Talisker 10 Year Old has amazing levels of different elements that all work together in perfect harmony like a professional orchestra. Something I find amazing about this scotch is the change that happens when you add a touch of water to your dram, and I always do when I drink this beauty, so I'll be reviewing it based on the qualities of it after this change. (The drink has far less peppery qualities without the touch of water).

To start the nose has a peaty smoke that's very typical of Islay scotches. The more unique part of the aroma is a sea-salt scent that's like a sea breeze in your face, a touch of citrus can also be caught. Past the lips the smokyness remains but in a weaker element, but the sea salt takes on a sweetness that's unlike sugar or most fruits. If I had to compare it to something I'd say it was like dried fruit sweet, but not any taste of the actual fruit. The most unique part appears on the back of the tongue and in the finish of the drink after you've experienced all listed above; an intense pepper that warms your mouth and lingers for a awhile (not an alcohol burn at all).

I only open this bottle when I want to experience something unlike any other drink, tea, coffee, wine, beer, or even other whiskeys. I'm nearing the end of it with maybe one and a half servings left :-( Guess what will be on my Christmas list.

It should be obvious the score on this beverage is a solid A (excellent).

New Amsterdam No. 485

I got a great deal on this gin due to the fact that it was in a "blowout sale" bin with many other bottles of liquor. It was an easy decision choosing this bottle out of the bin due to the fact that most of the other options were in plastic bottles, like plain vodkas or schnapps. After coming home with the untried liquor and taking a sip, I was surprised.

For those of you who've tried your typical gin before like Beefeater or Tanqueray you know that the prime character of gin is juniper berry (pine). Only taking a whiff of New Amsterdam would conclude that it includes juniper berry and a little harshness, but taking a sip shows how an American gin is different from a Brittish one. The principle character of this gin is a citrus orange. This will make a very different martini.

To be fair it does have a hint of juniper berry but not enough for me. When making cocktails with this liquor approach it with the idea that you're using an orange flavored vodka, like a screwdriver would be great with it. New Amsterdam doesn't fit my tastebuds though, I want real gin. It's not good, but it's worthy C (decent).

Bushmills Black Bush

Bushmills has been a favorite of mine for awhile now and I've tried every product they have within reasonable costs. I'm starting with Black Bush because I think it'll reel in the people who will get the most out of my blog, (it won't draw in as many college freshmen who are looking for the liquor to have their senior friends buy).

I think Bushmills does a good job on their website describing the flavors in this Irish whisky. The website declares that fruitcake, sherry, and nuts are to be expected in this bottle, this is true. The nose has the "round" sweetness of sherry and raisins or other dried pitted fruit but more is discovered once you take a sip. Your tongue will encounter the sherry again but a new nutty taste also appears, the best way to compare this taste would be to almonds and/or brazillian nuts. But what's shocking is the fullness of the body! If you don't know what I mean by this, think of something that clings to you throat and has the texture of a syrupy liquid (it's not sticky though). It finishes with a lingering of the sherry-nutty sweetness that seems to be the same component. I think it's also quite smooth in my book but I've had my friends and fiance try it and they didn't think it was as much, but they didn't think it was harsh either.

Black Bush isn't the whiskey to choose if you want something for mixing as well as straight because I think it has enough going on already and a cocktail of this would simply cover up some of the better aspects of it and the wisky wouldn't add to the cocktail. I've given the Bushmills Black Bush an A (excellent). For those who are looking for a whiskey of choice and found bourbon to blunt and scotch to smokey, go for Irish.