Review: Collier and McKeel Tennessee Whiskey

DISCLAIMER

I need to open this review by disclosing that one of my very good friends is an investor in Collier and McKeel.  He provided the whiskey that I sampled and answered a few questions that I had.  That being stated, on to the review!

Collier and McKeel Tennessee Whiskey - 4 out of 5 Noses

One of the best things about this new whiskey is the uniqueness.  Comparing Collier and McKeel's Tennessee Whiskey to other Tennessee Whiskeys like Jack Daniel's or Dickel just really can't be done.  C & M has a small batch feel to it that I've never had with any other TN Whiskey.  That's both good and bad, depending on your personal preference.  From batch to batch, and in some cases, from bottle to bottle it may taste different from the last.

The Collier and McKeel distillery is located in Nashville in the same building with the Corsair Artisan Distillery.  The message the website gives is a great description of what Tennessee Whiskey should be and how C & M conforms to these standards.  From bringing limestone filtered water from the family farm to dripping through several feet of locally cut sugar maples, strict attention to detail was paid to be able to call this product "True Tennessee Whiskey".  It also mentions the smaller barrels and I definitely thought this made a positive impact on the taste of this whiskey.

Packaging:

I really, really like the C & M label.  Its got the basic black background that all TN whiskeys have but they really went above and beyond with the full color winter photo and the gold trim.  The back label is where C & M sets themselves apart from everyone else.  With a brief description of the history of the families and the "Lincoln County Process" comes a thumb print from Mike Williams, the proprietor.  He personally puts his thumb print on each bottle.  This is not a printed thumb print.  That attention to detail is very cool in today's big box product world.

"Yeah, yeah...great label, thumb print...but how does it taste?!?"

I've known for quite a while that this whiskey was coming down the pipe so the excitement was building.  My friend told me about the company, Mike Williams and his commitment to perfection, the Lincoln County Process, and more so the anticipation was building.  However, I was not expecting "true" TN Whiskey.  I'm not a Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 fan per se (I do like Gentleman  Jack) but I do like other TN Whiskeys.  C & M TN Whiskey, I believe, is true TN Whiskey.  It's sweet.  It's volatile.  It's smoooooth.

** Disappointment that was my fault**
When I first opened the bottle I was disappointed to smell a heavy metallic aroma.  I had to dig around and concentrate to smell the woody, sweet scents that I knew were there.  The more I smelled it the more it opened up and the metallic like scent dissipated.  Then it hit me...I had been chewing minty gum for the last couple of hours.  This messed up my initial aroma test as well as my first tasting.  However, the metallic scent is there, the gum just amplified it.  I decided to wait a day to sample it again to make sure my pallet was clean, well, clean"er", anyway.

The next tasting was a lot better, sans gum. 

Color:

The color in the bottle is a typical whiskey caramel to mahogany color.  Very clear and rich.  In the glass it lightens to a light mahogany and manages to maintain the the richness. 

Aroma:

The first aroma that hits me is sweet, almost bourbony.  It's not too much for me, but I could see some thinking that it is a bit over the top.  The next scent that I was able to pick out was a woody, caramel like aroma followed by the sour mash.  I tried and tried but I could not pick out which scent was stronger.  Other than the sweet smell up front, the others are subtle but so complex and I think it's good that way.  At the end, however, I still pick up a metallic smell.  I had a friend  smell and taste it to make sure I wasn't making this up in my mind and he agreed that it is very faint but it is there.

Taste:

The taste is the strong point for this whiskey.  *The taste* Wow!  It took me a few pours to fully appreciate the taste probably because I'm a scotch drinker usually.  I go through bourbon phases from time to time but rarely do I ever buy a bottle of TN whiskey.   C & M is just a bit spicy but not so much that it over runs the other flavors.  With Jack and even Dickel, the sour mash is overwhelming.  Not so with C & M.  The sour mash is definitely noticeable, but without being so predominate that it inundates the other flavors.  The finish is smooth and sweet, remeniscent of honey.  Again, I get a faint metallic taste right at the end but it's so subtle that I'm not sure everyone will notice it.

When reviewing a whiskey, I usually taste it 1. straight, 2. with ice, and 3. with a splash of water.  I didn't feel the need to add anything to this whiskey.  I had it with ice before I sat down to do the actual review and it was great like that too.  The flavor opened up a little more once the ice melted, but not a lot.  It just doesn't need anything else.  I'm sure this would be a good mixer as well (there are several examples under "Mixology" on the C & M website).

I'm giving Collier and McKeel 4 out of 5 noses.  This is a great whiskey that I think will only get better as the company continues to mature.  I've been told that Mike listens to feedback and considers the opinions of others to help improve the product.

My understanding is that Collier and McKeel Tennessee Whiskey is still pretty hard to find.  If you can find it, try it.  You'll be glad you did!


Have you already tried it?  What do you think?  Be sure to leave comments below!

Macallan Royal Wedding Limited Edition

Does anyone even care that a special Royal Wedding edition of Macallan was made? Still, I'd like to taste it!

http://pursuitist.com/epicurean/the-macallan-royal-wedding-limited-edition/ (full article after jump)

Review - Ardbeg Supernova SN2010, like being hit in the mouth!

Ardbeg Supernova - SN2010 - 4 out of 5 Noses

Let me start by saying that I love smoky, peaty Scotch.  I mean LOVE.  Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and Bowmore are three of my favorite scotch brands, if not my favorite three.  Usually, the peatier the better.  Then I was given a bottle of Ardbeg's Supernova SN2010.  The thanks for this bottle goes to my beautiful wife (and editor), Tori!

Ardbeg is known as being one of the peatiest scotch brands.  Being from Islay, it's hard to not be peaty but Ardbeg takes it to an entirely new level!  Most peaty scotches are going to run around 50 peated parts per million.  Supernova weighs in at 100 ppm.  There are very few scotches that even come close to this, much less eclipse it.

Let  me quote Jim Murray from his Whisky Bible 2010: "This major beast, ...isn't quite a Supernova, much more of a Black Hole.  Because once you get dragged into this one, there really is no escaping!"

Well said.  Even my love of peaty flavor was tested and pushed to the brink  with this bottle.  I got into Scotch drinking because I love cigars but I don't smoke.  Scotch was a perfect way to get that smoky flavor without smoking.  Makes sense, right?

Enter Supernova.

Here is my amateur review of a top-notch, one of a kind whiskey.

Packaging:
On the front is an image of the redesigned Ardbeg Supernova logo breaking free of the traditional Ardbeg logo.  The celtic frame is nowhere near strong enough to hold back this stuff, so bits and pieces are falling as the "A" bursts through.  The box itself is black and all the wording and design is in gold.

On three side of the box is a very subtle design of what looks to be a star chart connecting all the characteristics of this bold nectar.  The quote I referenced earlier is the side and a roadmap is on the back describing what the Supernova product is as well as some Whiskey Geek stuff if your interested.

Color:
The color surprised me when I poured myself a taste.  It is crystal clear and slightly Golden.  My wife says it looks exactly like a semi-precious called citrine.  I was expecting a mahogony color, even a light amber, but the clear golden liquid staring back at me took me by surprise.

Aroma:
The aroma is what one would expect from a company with a rich history and tradition in making the peatiest scotches known.  A woody aroma is prevolant also (sorry, I couldn't pick out what type of wood so I'm guessing Oak) as was a honey type smell and after smelling and inhaling and re-smelling and re-inhaling, I was able to pick out a slight floral scent.
Adding a splash of water opened it up quite a bit, however, you can still prepare for a peaty slap in the face.

Taste:
Mama, it burns! After the burning goes away there is a strong peaty/woody flavor that dares you to ignore.  Surprisingly, a nice floral flavor shows up toward the end; quite a nice contrast to the initial bite!
I added a splash of water and it made a big difference.  The burning was slighter and I found the favor building into a crescendo rather than a smack in the mouth all at once.  All of the afore mentioned flavors, peaty, woody, and floral were even more prevalent, maybe due to the burning being slighted.
The finish for both the straight and the water splashed drams were almost identical.  The flavor lingers, and lingers, and lingers.  This is definitely the strongest finish of any whiskey I've ever tasted.  Bold, baby.  Bold.

All in all, I love this Scotch.  It's not my favorite but it is way, way up there.  And at $120.00US, you should expect it to be this unique and special.  This whiskey is an event.  Basically, I'd get a few friends together to drink this, not bring this to a get together that's already planned.

Ardbeg Supernova 2010 gets a 4 out of 5 noses simply because it is so unique.  Most readers will find this to be too smoky, too peaty, too expensive, too something.  It is an extremists Scotch.  Find a bottle if you can, get "dragged into this one," and let me know what you think.

Maker's Mark Bourbon Chocolate Bread pudding recipe

Bill from Maker's Mark just sent this email to all ambassadors.  This one sounds too good to not share!


Bourbon Chocolate Bread pudding

2 cups whole milk
4 eggs
1/3 cup Maker's Mark Bourbon
8 ounces 72% dark chocolate, chopped
4 cups day-old French bread cubes (packed)
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together milk, eggs, and bourbon. In a large bowl, combine the liquids with the chocolate, bread cubes, and sugar. Toss to coat and set aside to soak for about 45 minutes, gently stirring once or twice.


If anyone makes this and needs a review...let me know.  I'll be more than happy to help with that!


Thanks for the recipe, Bill! 

Review - Corsair Single Barrel Triple Smoke - 3 out of 5 Noses

Corsair – Single Barrel Triple Smoke review

 

www.corsairartisan.com

Quick company profile:
Corsair is a small distillery with two locations, one in Bowling Green, KY which includes a gift shop, and the second, with a brewery, in Nashville, TN.  The Bowling Green location touts a 50 gallon copper still that is used to make products ranging from absinthe to whiskey.  The Nashville facility boasts a 240 gallon still and is housed in the old Marathon Motors building which previously held the Yazoo brewery.  I’ve been there several times for Yazoo so now I’ll have to make a trip to see the new tenant.

Before tasting Triple Smoke for the first time, I looked at the description on the Corsairartisan.com website to see what I was in for.  Here is the description from the web (and on the back of the bottle):

“We take three fractions of malted barley, each smoked by a different fuel – cherry wood, peat, and beechwood – to craft this deeply complex whiskey.  Pot distilled then barreled in new charred oak, Triple Smoke has the sweetness and barrel notes of an American Whiskey and a single malt’s rich smoke, broadened by tones of cherry and beech.  Excellent mixed or neat.
The fact that this is released as a Single Barrel ensures each bottle is exquisite, offering up subtle nuances to the taster.”


On to the review.


Packaging:
The labeling on this bottle is great!  I’m not sure if the picture is supposed to reference the Reservoir Dogs directly or indirectly, but it’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the label. One point Corsair.  Although…the labels do look as though they were made for a bottle that’s shaped a little differently than the one it’s on.  That's just me being picky, but it kind of stands out as "hey, this is wrong!"

Color:
In the bottle, the color has a light, honey color.  I would have expected a smoky whiskey to be a little darker, however, the color does fit the taste for this whiskey.  In the glass it’s the same light, honey color.

Aroma:
The first thing we all do when pouring a new whiskey is to smell it.  Without water, the first thing that I got from the smell was sour.  Not really like sour mash either.  Just…sour.  Clothes maybe?  After taking a few whiffs I could pick out a definite cherry aroma.  Soon after, the woody aroma hits.  And try as I may, I never did smell the smoke. 

Taste:
The first ounce I tried was straight.  That’s where the smoke comes out.  It’s kind of like a smoky, fruity, woody bite.  Not too bad.  It was actually kind of nice, nothing like the initial nose.

Next ounce, I put a splash of water.  I prefer my scotches with a splash to open up the aroma.  Triple Smoke became a lot fruitier and lost some of the smoky with that splash.  No need to add a splash to this whiskey.

The last ounce was with an ice cube.  Before the ice melted it tasted very much like the straight pour.  I like that.  Some whiskey’s flavor and aroma close up with a cube or two.  After the ice melted, well, just refer to ounce number two.

Finish:
The best way I can describe the finish is to say that it “fades.”   It is nice and light unlike smoky scotches that I love like Lagavulin and Laphroaig.  I didn’t taste it after 30 or so seconds but it didn’t just evaporate either.  It just faded.

Score:
Triple Smoke gets 3 out of 5 noses from me.  It has the potential to be something very, very good.  However, the initial sour smell really drags down the score.  I would keep a bottle of this around to remind me why I love Scotland and it’s nectar so much.   

Go out and buy a bottle (if you can find it).  It’s worth a try, but I bet after a few more years and a little tinkering on the part of the Corsair group, this will be a great whiskey.

Hank Jr. and white whiskey

Hank Williams Jr. is launching a white whiskey modeled after Popcorn Sutton's product.  You can read the full story at RTTnews.com by clicking here: http://www.rttnews.com/Content/EntertainmentNews.aspx?Section=2&Id=1481299&SM=1.

For those of you that don't know who Popcorn Sutton is, for shame! Get edumacated here: http://www.gizmotastic.com/2009/03/16/popcorn-sutton-dead-at-61/.

We also have an inside scoop on a distillery here locally about to release a new white whiskey.  What's "white whiskey" you ask? Hmm... Go here: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1989822,00.html.  As soon as we get the go ahead from the distiller, you'll be the first to know.

If anyone wants to send a bottle to us for reviewing purposes, send an email and we'll be happy to oblige!

Special event message from Laphroaig

I'm probably not supposed to share this message I just received from Laphroaig, but I can't make it and I thought someone else can.

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Dear Friend,

I’m excited to announce that as a special bonus to our WhiskyFest activities, Laphroaig Distillery Manager John Campbell and I will be jointly hosting 50 Friends of Laphroaig at the Statue of Liberty National Monument on Liberty Island.

John and I will give a toast on the way out to the Statue of Liberty. (Alcohol is not allowed at the monument.)  A group photo will be taken by the Statue, with each attendee donning Laphroaig-branded wellies (rubber boots to you Yanks) and a Laphroaig-branded hat.

The group will depart Liberty Island following the photo for an exclusive Friends of Laphroaig Happy Hour celebration at New York’s justly legendary Keen’s Steakhouse.

This is one of the most special, most exclusive events I’ve had the pleasure of hosting.  It would please me greatly if you could join us.  So respond promptly as attendance is limited to the first 50 guests.  All the details you’ll need to plan your evening are below.

Sláinte,

Simon Brooking
Master Ambassador


Date: Monday, November 8
Time: 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Location: Marriott Marquis Hotel
Address: 1535 Broadway (between 45th and 46th streets), New York, NY 10036
RSVP: LaphroaigEvent@gmail.com (limited to one guest, limited to the first 50 who respond)

Event Overview:
1:00 pm - 4:30 pm – Visit to Liberty Island, FOL group photo
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm – Laphroaig Happy Hour at Keen’s Steakhouse, 72 West 36th Street, New York, NY 10018

Transportation will be provided back to the Marriott Marquis after Happy Hour.

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If only I were in New York or even within a reasonable driving distance!!  That's one of the benefits of living smack dab in the middle of the country.  We miss everything!