Hven-ly Malt Whisky

We just found a posting over at The Scotch Blog about a new Swedish malt whisky distillery, that goes by the name of Hven. Sounds interesting - we've had whisk(e)ys from all over the world, but never from the land of Vikings. We wonder if a dram will make us want to pillage?

The state-of-the-art distillery, which will thrive on local cultivated barley and water, is built on a small island in the middle of the strait which separate Denmark from Sweden. The island is the former home of the medieval Scandinavian astronomer Tycho Brahe, but was also a stronghold for Vikings.

Corner Creek Bourbon Review

Corner Creek Reserve Bourbon Whiskey
Kentucky Whiskey made with corn, wheat, and rye
8 Years Old
88 Proof (44% ABV)
Typical Price: Mid-$20 range
The Company Line: A selection of the distillery's finest barrels. Smoothed to perfection with pure Kentucky limestone water. Full-bodied, but without any harshness.
Website
Available at Internet Wines & Spirits

Our Thoughts: The first thing that struck us about Corner Creek was the fact that everyone who saw the bottle initially thought it was a wine bottle. We thought this was interesting because the round-shouldered bottle definitely stands out from other whiskey packaging we've seen, plus we didn't mind the idea of being able to hide our bourbon in the wine rack.

When we got the bottle open, the nose was sweet and sultry with no harshness. When we tasted it straight, that sweetness carried through and we were blown away by how smooth this bourbon was. There was no hint of that harshness you get from a lot of rye in the blend, and while we usually take a drop of water in our whiskey we were fully able to enjoy Corner Creek straight.

Corner Creek had a light to medium body that fits with its deep amber color, and a sweet and smoky taste that kept us coming back for more. The finish was long and dare we say sexy, like a nice deep kiss from that special someone you didn't think was interested in you. We were immediately in love, and struck by the fact this was a refined bourbon we would recommend to any of our whiskey snobbish friends.

The Verdict: Corner Creek is a diamond in the rough, and we would expect to pay far more than the $25 or so dollars it costs for a bourbon of this quality and taste. At 88 proof and with that sweet tinge it won't burn off your tongue, and if you're anything like us you'll continually want to wrap your tongue around it. Great value, distinctive bottle, exciting taste - highly recommended for anyone looking to dip their toe into the bourbon world without spending too much.

Corner Creek Bourbon Arrives for Review

We've been thinking lately it's been a while since we sunk our teeth into a bottle of bourbon, and lo and behold what should arrive on our doorstep? A bottle of Corner Creek, that's what. For those of you who, like us, hadn't previously heard of the stuff, it's an 8 year old reserve bottling that's bottled at 88 proof.

The funny thing is everyone who saw the bottle quickly thought it was wine, an easy mistake to make based on the slope-shouldered shape of the bottle. We pulled the cork and took a whiff and we can confirm it's definitely not vino, and we're really looking forward to tasting it.

Learn more at CornerCreekBourbon.com

Raise Your Kentucky Spirits...on a Bike

If there are two things we love, they're drinking whiskey and riding bikes. Thinking about combining the two gets us giddy with anticipation...even if that combination involves a 90 mile ride through the Deep South.

If you're wondering what in tarnation we're talking about, see the details on the three-day bicycle tour of multiple Bourbon distilleries below...and don't forget to bring your helmet and padded britches.

Continue reading: "Raise Your Kentucky Spirits...on a Bike"

FECKiN Irish Whiskey

We can't think of a better name for a bottle of Irish Whiskey than Feckin. Ever since we stumbled across it on the Web, we can't stop saying "I could go for some Feckin' whiskey!" and the like. Makes us feel like we're in Ireland all over again.

It doesn't seem to be available here in the states, but next time you're on the Emerald Isle, make sure you ask for it by name.

at FECKiN Irish Whiskey

Woodford Reserve Sonoma-Cutrer Finish Whiskey

Change is often a good thing, especially if it makes your whiskey taste better. We're not sure that saying will ever make it into common parlance, but we stand behind it. One of the latest changes that's supposed to do just that is Woodford Reserve's aging of its bourbon (which we really dig) in wine barrels. What won't they think of next? It's a limited edition release that will cost about three times the typical $30 price tag of WR, but we're intrigued enough to think it might be worth a try.

“We certainly believe this has a nice connection back to Woodford Reserve, and it would have interest to people who are involved in premium whiskeys,” said Wayne Rose, Woodford’s global brand director.

He added that it could stir wine drinkers to “think a little differently about bourbon.”

Bulleit Bourbon Review

We love bourbon, and although we’ve said it before, it’s worth another look (and taste).

First a bit of education and then we’ll get to the drinking since we are just as much about improvement for our minds as imbibement for our flesh.

Bourbon is the official spirit of the United States via Congress, as of 1964 when legislative types could be proud that they toss back some good ol’ frontier whisky. Bourbon is the most stringently dictated form of spirit out there. Although a common misconception is that all bourbon must come from Kentucky, actually bourbon can legally be made anywhere in America. However, it must be at least 51% corn and the rest of it wheat, rye or barley, plus it must be aged in new charred oak barrels. With all those restrictions you can see that bourbon is a very unique liquor.

So where does Bulleit Bourbon fit in to the Bourbon-osphere?

Continue reading: "Bulleit Bourbon Review"

On Japanese Whisky

We know little or nothing about Japanese whisky, but we've heard good things about Suntory and other brands. We've found a resource that claims Japan is the second biggest producer of single malt whisky in the world - who knew? What is this resource, you ask?

It's called Nonjatta and it's got a bunch of interesting info on single malts from the Land of the Rising Sun. Check 'em out - it looks like they were on hiatus for the last few years but have sprung back into activity over the past couple months...here's hoping they keep it up.

80 Strong Bourbon Review

We've always liked Bourbon for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it doesn't have the hoity toity vibe people often attribute to things like Scotch. While there are some definite high end Bourbons that'll set you back a good chunk of your rent money, we've always liked the Good Ole Boy aspects of a quintessentially Southern drink.

80 Strong, the latest Bourbon we've gotten our paws on lives right up to that expectation, and it's got the hot-looking pinup girl on the label to prove it. Read on to find out if the flavor lives up to the packaging.

Continue reading: "80 Strong Bourbon Review"

Pre-St. Patrick's Day Irish Whiskey Tips

Most of our loyal readers know we're not the biggest St. Patrick's Day fans (it's a good thing our Irish family members don't read this site, eh?). It's nothing against the Saint Patrick, and his leading of the snakes out of Ireland and whatnot - well done, Pat. It's just that it turns out to be the biggest (or second biggest, if you count New Year's) amateur drinking night of the year. Not to be too Scroogey, but if we want to get overcharged for Guinness we'll just head into downtown Boston any night of the week.

But, just so you don't think we've forgotten about the holiday, we found an interesting roundup of what Irish Whiskey is all about, over at The Scotch Blog of all places. Kevin has some good things to say about the stuff, and drops some science on what Irish whiskey really means, below.

Continue reading: "Pre-St. Patrick's Day Irish Whiskey Tips"

Woodford Reserve Distillery Tour

We've always wanted to take a distillery tour - we've been to plenty of breweries and wineries, but there's something about seeing hard liquor distilled that seems like it would be one of those "check it off the life list" experiences. Alex over at the The Alex Blog just let us know he took a distillery tour, and on top of that it was the distillery of one of our favorite Bourbons, Woodford Reserve. We'll let him tell you about his experience, but let's just say we want to go and we want to go real bad.

In any case, walking around the facility you get the distinct impression that they value quality above quantity. Everything from the distillery, to the stone warehouse, to the “bottling line” (which is quite small, and only operated a couple of days per week), you get the impression of quality, and a more laid-back reflective life. Even if the reality of the south is different, as most of my friends work the same 50-70 hours a week that I do,– but suffice it to say that there’s at least the impression of a more quality life.

Woodford Reserve Four Grain = Good Whiskey

We've been fans of Woodford Reserve Whiskey for a while now, and we got an email a little while back saying they won quite an award at WhiskyFest. Turns out their Four Grain variety has raked in the award for American Whiskey of the Year, which is no small feat. We haven't tried the Four Grain, but we have big love for their regular variety so we have to imagine that fourth grain is where it's at. Of course, for ninety bucks a bottle you kind of imagine it HAS to be good, eh?

A new twist on an old practice, Woodford Reserve Four Grain incorporates wheat into its mash bill. “Traditionally, Kentucky bourbon distillers rely on a three-grain mash bill with corn serving as the majority grain, malted barley necessary for natural starch-to-sugar conversion, and rye as the preferred grain for creating a spicy, fruity character,” Master Distiller Chris Morris said. “By adding a fourth grain – wheat – into our mash bill, we can also deliver a soft, nutty flavor influence.”

Buffalo Trace Bourbons Win More Awards

To be honest, we're not quite sure why we haven't reviewed Buffalo Trace yet. We remember getting a bottle...for Christmas we think. We remember drinking it, and we remember liking it a bunch. But for some reason those notes we scribbled never got translated onto the Web.

Oh well - we can tell you it was really good, and if you don't believe us maybe you'll pay attention to a little thing like the International Wine & Spirits competition where a whole slew of Buffalo Trace whiskeys cleaned up in the 2006 awards.

• William Larue Weller -- Gold Medal & Best in Class
  
• Sazerac Rye Whiskey, 18 year -- Gold Medal & Best in Class
  
• Van Winkle Special Reserve -- Gold Medal & Best in Class
  
• Blanton's Original Single Barrel -- Silver Medal
  
• George T. Stagg -- Silver Medal & Best in Class
  
• Eagle Rare Single Barrel -- Bronze Medal

Learn more at BuffaloTrace.com, and check out the full award announcements over at the IWSC site. Plus, read up on a bunch of the varieties and buy them online at Internet Wine & Spirits.

Pioneer PureMalt Whiskey-Soaked Speakers

We're from the school of thought that a splash of whiskey makes everything better, from baked beans to making love (as long as by "making love" you mean "pushing rope"). Pioneer seems to have had the same thought - they're making the cabinets for their new set of speakers out of the barrels used to age whiskey. Seems like a great idea to us...we're no audiophiles but we do have a theory.

When we drink enough whiskey our worldview skews a bit, people around us become incredibly attractive and we feel like the handsomest guys on the planet. So wouldn't it make sense that whiskey-soaked speakers might play the same trick on our ears and make any old crap from Aguilera to Shakira sound like gold?

...check the latest rev of the "PureMalt" speaker line-up from Pioneer made from the 100 year old oak used to barrel-age whiskey (or is that whisky?) before retiring in your bookshelf HiFi. As to the specs, well, if this is the kind of marketing ploy that appeals to you, then do you really care about the inclusion of Pioneer's Technical Audio Devices (TAD) technology usually found in their professional speakers? Didn't think so.