We genuinely feel the need to apologize folks. We knew getting into a 2 month or so whiskey bender that there would be a few stinkers, but if the last weeks have been bad – there’s no salvation here. This however goes out of it’s way beyond just being mediocre or overpriced to tasting downright awful.
Credit where it’s due – Suntory and there selection of Japanese whiskies have done more than simply exist, and have left a distinctive flavor and style (albeit a derivative one). The Hibiki is no exception, and while preferred over some others from Suntory – it’s still going to be the Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve for us.
Well, folks, we’re not going to lie to you. The next few weeks around here are going to have a prevailing theme, and that theme is Whiskey. Due to the site updates changing the typical review seeking, and because we are prepping some special December goodness the old fallback of whiskey dominated reviews reigns again. We have at least been kind to break it up instead of being scotch every week, which leads us here.
Back in my day you only called yourself a bourbon if you came from the right county in Kentucky. It was like our own American champagne or cognac, and while biased – better than the both of those. In fairness there isn’t anything in Vermont aside from trees, and while their hicks might be different than southern hicks – they’re hicks all the same.
If you’ve ever been curious about ‘what if Jim Bean made a 50 dollar whiskey’? Look no further. Then turn back, and run. Run far away. This whiskey is meant for a whiskey sour as it’s got some teeth, but if you are looking for a sipping whiskey, something higher-tier maybe you add a bit of ice? NOPE.
Always a good sign when the cost of the bourbon is under $10 and the website doesn’t actually exist on it’s own. (I’m only kidding Ezra Brooks you’re not that bad come back). For those of you gamers out there we release this ‘Ten High” bourbon at Noon (we always have) so this a perfect whiskey for Overwatch. Provided you give it to the other team to make them lose and so you don’t hear the coughing.
Speaking of our “Battle of the Glen’s” idea from last week, we go here to Glenfarclas with a 105 proof whiskey that is best described by Buster Poindexter (hot, hot, hot)
We begin our month of scotch with something a little more on the lower end. Glen Garioch is by no means a bad scotch, but when you compare it to other highland scotchs even the basics of Highland Park are better. If you don’t read anything further just please go find a better highland scotch, maybe an Ardmore or Deanston’s.
We have a theory. To preface there is an exception in the Johnnie Walker name, but otherwise it hold’s true. If a scotch is named after a person and not a place, it’s a worse scotch. We see this with things like Grant’s, Justerini & Brook’s, and now Bell’s. We attribute this to what we call ‘the just because an old man got people to buy something doesn’t make it good.’ The world is full of con men, and sometimes they make spirits.
Continuing our foray on the British Isles we have a low-tier blended scotch. Because London is expensive dammit, and if we risk purchasing a good scotch we’ll make sure it’s good first. (by checking our handy-dandy website). While this might not win any height competitions with it’s shelf position, it’s actually quite nice.
