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I just got an allocation of the Woodford Reserve New Cask & Aged Cask Ryes in today. I’m a huge fan of rye, so while the price point on these is pretty steep, I figured I’d buy a set (it comes in pairs of 375ml bottles, in a fancy little box) just to try it. FWIW, I could only get one set – apparently this stuff is in major demand.
Both bottles contain the same spirit: triple distilled, 100% rye. However, one was aged in a new charred American oak cask, while the other was aged in a previously used cask. The first difference you’ll notice is the color; the New Cask rye is a deep caramel, while the Aged Cask rye is a much lighter straw color.
Woodford describes these as “grain forward” (Aged Cask) and “barrel forward” (New Cask), which is pretty accurate. I personally prefer the New Cask Rye, but here are my tasting notes on them… both very interesting.
Woodford Reserve Aged Cask Rye
Aroma: Delicate, slightly grassy, lightly citrus and very subtle vanilla.
Taste: Green & black pepper, tastes young (duh), very light vanilla, clean finish.
Woodford Reserve New Cask Rye
Aroma: Wow. Shit tons of oak, cinnamon, caramel, vanilla on the nose.
Taste: Soft pepper and tons of nuttiness on the palate. Much fuller bodied than the Aged, with a slightly sweet finish.
Overall, these are both excellent, and a very fun experiment in aging, if you consider rye fun, which I do. Personally, I prefer a “rye” that doesn’t have a 100% rye mash bill – Rittenhouse, Wild Turkey – where the pepper and snap from the rye is cut with sweetness of a corn, and which I generally find have a greater depth of flavor. Having said that, I’ll fuck up some Bulleit rye, which has a 95% rye mash bill.
Either way, I’m not going to use these in a drink, as they are way too expensive, but we’ll have them on hand at the bar if you want to try them.
January 12, 2012 at 2:01 pm | 2 CommentsMe? I’m a root beer guy. And I’m also a BLT guy. But in terms of drinks, I’m a root beer guy. Unless I’m drinking whiskey, in which case I’m a drunk guy. Either way. This drink here? Well… It’ll knock your dick in the dirt. (Which is an expression that a friend of mine used to say quite a bit, but I’ve never honestly understood what it meant. Until now.)
Root Beer Flizzip
1 oz. Cruzan Black Strap Rum
1 oz. Art in the Age Root Liqueur
.5 oz. Canela Syrup
Whole Egg
Dry / Hard / Double / Nutmeg
And let me just take a moment to endorse Art in the Age Root Liqueur. As I mentioned earlier, root beer plays a very important role in my life. As soon as this stuff became available, I was on it like Michelle Kwan, dressed as Voltron at Comicon, drinking a Fin du Monde, chilling with Steve Zahn who was, as usual, acting like a moron. It’s infinitely better than BlackMaker Root Beer Liqueur, which is another new product available here, and tastes artificially root beery. Which I’m pretty sure, is a thing.
December 24, 2011 at 10:00 am | Be the first to comment
For those of you who live in states like New York or California or Denver, you are fortunate enough to be able to buy your booze in a “free market” environment. Michigan, unfortunately, is a “control state,” which means that all the liquor has to be sold by the manufacturer to the state, who then marks it up and sells it to the bars, party stores, etc. It’s some bullshit law that dates back to prohibition, and needless to say, inherently inhibits the spirits that are sold in the state, and increases their price point to boot. And it also means, as a licensee, we cannot sell spirits that are not sold thru the state (I think technically it’s considered bootlegging). So when you’re reading thru the bloggs about all the sexy new liquors and liqueurs that the kids are using (Bols Genever, Battavia Arrack, etc., etc.,), rest assured that they are beyond our reach, and that Michigan will therefore always reside in the dark taint of the mixology world.
So let me be the first to say how very “fucking jazzed up” I am that the Haus Alpenz wine based liqueur portfolio is now on sale here. It’s only stuff under 20% abv, but we’ll take it. With any luck, we’ll get the rest of the portfolio in the state next year, so we can really “run with the dick punchers,” as the kids say.
So yeah, we’re going heavy with that shit on my new menu. Can you blame us?
The Historic Brownfield Project
1.5 oz. Wild Turkey Rye
.5 oz. Cynar
.5 oz. Cardamaro
3 dash Root Beer Bitters
This bastard tastes like a bitter little dirt sandwich, in all the right ways. The root beer bitts really make the whole thing work, and if you squeeze a lemon peel over top, well, then you’re doing God’s work.
December 23, 2011 at 2:52 pm | 4 Comments
Here’s a tip: if you don’t like mezcal, just give it up. Just give up on life, cause you’ve already fucking lost. It’s way, way up there with the best stuff I’ve ever put in my mouth. And everybody that knows anybody that knows anything about cocktails knows that single village mezcal is the thing to be getting woooorsted on these days. To that end, my freaks, I give you the Gun Show…
The Gun Show
1 oz. Vida Mezcal
1 oz. Elijah Craig 12 Year Bourbon
.375 oz. Chestnut Syrup
a few dashes orange bitters
Build in glass, add ice, stir, represent.
December 22, 2011 at 1:44 pm | Be the first to comment
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