Whiskey
March 17, 2010
Liquor Snob Pickle Back Challenge
Well, you can say what you want about us, but you can never say we backed down from a challenge. For those of you who have no freakin' clue what we're talking about, we here in the Liquor Snob offices made a vow when we first heard about the Pickle Back that if our readers wanted us to try them, we'd do it on St. Patrick's Day. For the record, we found the entire idea to be obscene, but the emails and Facebook messages we received convinced us we should think otherwise. Then, when we read the pickle juice in a Pickle Back can help avoid a hangover, we were all in.
Those of you who think were were just going to toss back a single shot of whiskey with whatever dill juice was lying around our fridge, however, are sorely mistaken. When we say we're going to do something, we do it, so we made an event out of it. We decided to find a Pickle Back winner among four different contenders - pickled egg brine, half sour brine, kosher dill brine, and the crap floating around in a pickled beet jar. Our findings are below, and while we aren't going to put this into our everyday drinking regimen, we have to admit people are on to something...if you find the right pickle juice.
Oh, and you might notice something odd about our pictured shot glasses - we decided to break out our Quaffers to cut down on the possibility of carpal tunnel from doing so many shot/chaser combos in a 10 minute period. And now, on to the show:
Continue reading: "Liquor Snob Pickle Back Challenge"
February 4, 2010
Seagram's 7 Dark Honey Arrives for Review
Last week, we posted about Seagram's 7 Dark Honey, positing it was Seagram's' attempt to hit the same "I don't like whiskey" market that Beam seems to be targeting with Red Stag.The folks at Seagram's were kind enough to send us a bottle of the stuff for us to try it out ourselves, and based on our initial tasting, we have to say we weren't too far off the mark. We're trying to get better about turnaround time on reviewing the products we receive, so we'll post our initial thoughts here and hopefully be able to come back with some thoughts on how to mix it.
The bottle itself is interesting, a boxy affair with subtle honeycomb graphics climbing the outside. When we smelled it, we got a mixture of wheat and sweet, more on the sweet side, like the smell of the milk in your bowl after your morning Honeycombs cereal. There were other smells in there too - obviously the tang of alcohol, accompanied by molasses and a hint of cinnamon.
The cinnamon flavor carried into the taste as well, with a nice balance of cinnamon and the namesake honey, and a long sweet finish. We didn't taste much by way of whiskey flavor hidden in the honey, but the overall taste was pleasant enough that we kept sipping, which seems a good sign.
Overall, we think it would add a nice sweetness to drinks that would otherwise overpower whiskey novices (we're thinking the Liquor Wife would enjoy a Manhattan using half Dark Honey and half whiskey - sacrilege to cocktail nerds we're sure), and it confirms our original thought that this could be a "training wheels" whiskey for novices and the less adventurous. Plus, at $15-$20 per bottle, you don't have to break the bank to do it, which is also pretty sweet.
January 25, 2010
Seagram's 7 Dark Honey
We just heard about a new product from Seagrams 7 that sounds right up our alley, and we're looking forward to getting our hands on a bottle. It's called Dark Honey, and like the Seagram's 7 product you're used to, it's a blend of a variety of whiskeys; the difference comes when they add (you guessed it) honey into the mix.
At 70 proof, or a little lower test than most whiskeys on the shelves, and with that touch of sweetness, we can only imagine they're going after that same demographic Beam's Red Stag started after last year. We're thinking the target market is folks who want something a bit more flavorful, a little less frightening, without turning to a liqueur. If things go well, it's quite possible this could be another "training wheels" whiskey - a gateway spirit that opens the doors to more traditional whiskeys.
We'll let you know when we get a bottle and get our review up ASAP; for more info head over to TheBar.com.
November 7, 2009
Canadian Club Classic 12 Whisky Review
Brand/Name: Canadian Club Classic 12 Blended Whisky
80 Proof (40% ABV)
Review Bottle Source: Supplied by Canadian Club
Typical Price: Around $25
Available online at Internet Wines & Spirits
The Look: A squat and flat-shouldered bottle; the black and white accents on the label give it a classic look.
The Nose: Whiffs of caramel, honey, brown sugar - very reminiscent of a well-aged rum at first whiff. Doesn't jump out of the glass and bite you on the nose - has the reserved quality we associate with aging. There's fruit in there too, adding an interesting sour tang on the back end, but it doesn't overpower the sweet.
The Taste: Starts off sweet, with a burn like raw ginger. Gets a bit more bitter toward the finish, but not in a bad way...like the bitterness of the charred oak it was aged in. Some fruit to go along with the nose, finishes quickly, leaving a vanilla taste in the mouth.
The Verdict: We liked the Classic 12 just fine on the rocks, and a little water went a long way to smooth whatever edges were left on it. We were impressed with it in cocktails we usually make with bourbon as well...right on down to our standby drinks, the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan, where we thought it added a nice je ne sais quois. A must-try for folks who like the regular Canadian Club expression, and bourbon lovers who're looking to broaden their horizons without straying too far from what they like.
July 16, 2009
Win a Weekend in Vegas with Kid Rock
Our more perceptive readers have probably gleaned by now that we're fans of Red Stag from Jim Beam. If you've been following the brand at all, you also probably know Red Stag is sponsoring Kid Rock for his latest tour. What you may not know is that there's currently a sweepstakes running where you can win a weekend in Vegas with the aforementioned Mr. Rock, or some other pretty sweet prizes.
We don't often cover sweepstakes (or "sweeps" as the kids may or may not call them) but this one tickled our fancy. A weekend in Vegas with Kid Rock? Sounds like the premise for The Hangover 2. Or maybe Joe Dirt 2. Either way...awesome. Here's the pitch:
Enter now for your chance to win a trip of a life time for you and three friends to Las Vegas to attend a private Kid Rock concert - plus other amazing prizes including signed display guitars, T-shirts and downloads.
Get the rest of the details below.
Continue reading: "Win a Weekend in Vegas with Kid Rock"
July 2, 2009
I Survived the Drought of '09
We got a package in the mail yesterday that should have had booze in it. It said Knob Creek on the side, and that usually means we're going to be able to whet our whistles. But no. It contained a T-shirt that said "I Survived the Drought of '09" and a letter that started with "Thanks for nothing."
Yeah, exactly. Thanks for nothing to whichever one of you bastards who drank more than your share, because there's apparently no Knob Creek left for the year. Well, they're not exactly out, but they're expecting to run low this year because they didn't put enough whiskey aside for this year and demand has been higher than expected.
Some may think it's more marketing nudge than dire shortage, but we say if you're a big Knob Creek lover you may want to go lay some aside while the getting's good, just to be on the safe side.
@KnobCreek.com
June 12, 2009
Red Stag Cocktail Recipes
We spent some time down in New York this week, and the main attraction of our whirlwind trip was sitting down with Bobby "G" Gleason, Master Mixologist for Beam Global, so he could trot us through some of his favorite Red Stag cocktails. In a masterly fashion, he mixed us a batch of cocktails that surprised us on multiple fronts, and most importantly, gave us a minor buzz at 10 AM.
We were fascinated by Bobby's patter about flavor profiles and his enthusiasm for experimentation (he told us of a bacon-flavored tequila he created), and we dug the drinks too.
We're including the recipes for our favorites - the Manhattan is one we'd drink with enough regularity to be worrisome, the Mating Call moved Red Stag from sweet to tart, and the addition of Tabasco to the Red Hot Stag worried us a bit, but turned out to be one of our favorites of the bunch. See the recipes and our take after the jump.
Continue reading: "Red Stag Cocktail Recipes"
June 11, 2009
Whiskey Stones for the Win
If you're ready to really take your whiskey on the rocks, you might want to think about getting yourself some Whiskey Stones. It seems like years ago that we covered sippin' on the rocks, a snooty-seeming product from Scotland, but these newest whiskey rocks are from a bit closer to home - our native state of Vermont. Stick 'em in the freezer and plop 'em in your drink to get the chilling effect of ice without watering it down.
A win no matter how you tally it, and we're thinking Dad might want some for Father's Day.
@ThinkGeek
(Thanks Tom and Christina)
June 2, 2009
Canadian Club Classic 12 Arrives for Review
It's no secret we love whiskey in all forms, but there is one variant of this many-backed beast we haven't dedicated much time to - Canadian whisky. Nothing against Canadians...we love many things about our neighbors to the North (actually, pretty much just Bob & Doug McKenzie and the bacon), but we just haven't ever delved too far into their booze. That's about the change - we're packing our passport and heading for the border!
Blended then aged for 12 years in oak barrels, our Master Distiller has created a full yet smooth character with hints of spice and vanilla. Canadian Club Classic's® quality is exemplified in the winning of a double-gold medal at the prestigious 2003 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It is the perfect whisky to enjoy by itself or as part of a classic cocktail.
More at
CanadianClubWhisky.com
May 19, 2009
Jim Beam Red Stag Black Cherry Bourbon Review
We got our bottle of Jim Beam's soon-to-be-released black cherry flavored bourbon, Red Stag, a couple weeks ago and now it's time to review it. We mentioned this before - we were hesitant to even try it at first, because full disclosure requires us to say right up front we're Jim Beam White Label men from way back, and we were a bit concerned about a syrupy Nyquil nightmare that would forever tarnish our sweet, sweet nectar.
So how did we fare? Surprisingly well, we must say
Continue reading: "Jim Beam Red Stag Black Cherry Bourbon Review"
April 27, 2009
Jim Beam Red Stag Arrives for Review
When we first heard Jim Beam was coming out with a cherry-flavored bourbon, we have to say we were a bit...skeptical. Once we read Rick's review of the stuff on Martini Groove our mood shifted to cautiously optimistic. When we received the bottle, popped the top, and took a swig, things shifted even more in the positive direction.
Full disclosure, we're Jim Beam guys for a decade and a half now. We will always take Beam over Jack when given the choice, and we were concerned about some syrupy glop closer to Nyquil than our old standby. You'll have to wait for the full tasting notes, but we have to say...our fears were not justified. Red Stag will get a wide release in June, so you have that to look forward to, and our review will be done well before then.
If you absolutely can't wait, keep refreshing the page on JimBeam.com until they announce it's been released. [Update: They've actually got their own site over at TheRedStag.com...that's where you want to fiendishly refresh]
April 14, 2009
Guest Review: Michter's US 1 Whiskey
We haven't done a guest review in a while, so we're excited to drop this great review of Michter's. As usual, the only problem we have with this review is that we didn't get to drink it, but we've had the stuff before and thought it kicked some serious arse.
Thanks for the reivew, Carlos.
Continue reading: "Guest Review: Michter's US 1 Whiskey"
March 5, 2009
(ri)1 Rye Whiskey Review
February 23, 2009
Bourbon at its Best
We've been getting more and more interested in bourbon lately, and while we could just stick a nipple on a bottle of Maker's and be completely happy, we're always interested in trying different labels. That's why we have high hopes for Bourbon at its Best - we've seen the drink at its worst (and it's seen us that way too). This looks like a great book if you're interested in learning more about the history and creation of the sweet nectar, as well as information about particular brands.
Bourbon at its Best: The Lore and Allure of America's Finest Spirits
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