- 1 1/2 parts ANGEL'S ENVY Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Port Wine Barrels
- 1 part Vanilla Liqueur
- 2 parts Espresso
Whether or not you're familiar with Westward Whiskey, you need to pay attention to their history and their philosophies. This award-winning distillery has been around for 20 years, back when craft distilling wasn't "a thing" and they helped pave the way for the now more than 2200 craft brands in the US. Head distiller Miles Munroe approaches each offering with critical care, always conscious of the footprint that the northwest United States will leave on each bottle.
This single malt whiskey is finished in French Oak Pinot Noir barrels, after first starting off the aging process in American Oak. For finished whiskey enthusiasts, this one is hitting on all cylinders. You start with a cherry pie, sweet tobacco, leather and vanilla. We tasted this neat and allowed it some ample air time, rather than a pop-and-pour method. Suspecting we had something special here, we wanted to give this dark amber offering some time to show itself, and it did! Scorched earth, fig, stone fruits and vanilla were at the forefront with a more herb-like finish, combined with cocoa powder and sweet, savory vanilla pudding.
While we don't know the mash bill or the details of the finishing time in the Pinot barrels, we can tell you that this whiskey really put a smile on our faces. As someone who genuinely loves Pinot Noir from the Pacific Northwest and whiskey, this was a fanstastic marriage. A self-proclaimed "whiskey purist" might not appreciate a finish like this, but they would be remiss. If you aren't familiar with wine finished whiskey, we definitely recommend you try this one out. It may blow your mind!
The distillery's founder, Dave Landrum, pays homage to two important men in his life who also bear the namesake of the brand. Both named James (father and grandfather), left a positive mark on those around them by the love they showed for their communities and the passsion for life, among other things. Dave is no stranger to the food and beverage world. He is a mixologist, sommerlier and self-proclaimed spirits snob who wanted to carve his own path by creating a brand he could call his own.
Two James Spirits is deeply rooted and excited about their Corktown, Detroit community. While being environmentally conscious, they also corn and grain locally in Michigan, maintaing not only more control of the overall process, but also supporting local family farms.
To say Johnny Smoking Gun is riddled with individuality would be a huge understatement. The packaging and label are both on point and really stand out. We have always exlcaimed that you need to start with good packaging. Aged at least 2 years, this 87 proof blended whiskey is proofed down with Japanese tea. Yes, you read that right. Japanese tea. We really didn't know what to expect with this but were very eager to taste it. We popped this and tasted it neat (and later tasted it with some time in the glass).
On the nose initially were aromas of dried earth, butter cream frosting, lemon and corn casserole. We've decided after tasting this we are going to skip the casserole for the holidays this year and serve JSG! The first taste was a real eye opener (literally) with green tea, frosting, faint smoke and a treasure trove of aromas you would pick up at a Hallmark store. That may sound extreme, but we all know what that feels like. This is a tasty beast that finishes with a buttery and herbacious blend that draws you back for the next sip.
We generally never taste spirits with food. It's just not our thing for the most part. But I'm going to tell you that I had a few sips of Johnny Smoking Gun last night with beef arm roast, carrots and potatoes and the pairing was just remarkable. If you're looking for something outside of the standard whiskey or bourbon on a lower proof side, give the Two James Distillery a try with this bottle!
Distillery: Driftless Glen
Suggested retail price: $49.95
Drink The Bottles score: 92/100
Most folks know in order for a bourbon to be labeled "Bottled-In-Bond" that it must be aged for 4 or more years in a federally bonded warehouse (hence the name), bottled at 100 proof where it was distilled and produced in a single season. But...... Did you know that in this particular case, this brown water is aged more than six years? In addition, Missouri law requires that bourbon must be mashed, fermented, distilled, aged and bottled in Missouri in order for it to have the "Missouri" label on it? What really impresses us about this is the law was updated in 2020 for all corn to be grown in Missouri as well. Keep in mind, going forward, that the Show Me State is taking things very seriously with bourbon by showcasing the the talents and determination from their distilleries.
The Soft Red Wheat has a mash bill of primarily corn. Wheat and barley round out the grains and no rye is present here. Red wheat in particular tends to present a sweeter aroma and taste in the glass, which is exactly what we picked up when tasting this bottle neat.
The majority of the whiskey from each of the Soft Red Wheat releases has historically come from Floor 4 of the rickhouse. That seems to be the sweet spot and the distiller has honed in on what's really working here. Here's what we think....
Medium chestnut color in the glass. You get cinnamon stick, honey, baking spices and strawberry cheesecake for the initial aromas. Some swirling and time in the glass (that's always the hard part!) throw homemade caramel and red fruits at you as well. The mouth-watering aromas are justitified at first sip. Strawberry preserves, honey, cinnamon, fresh baked biscuits and cherry candy are dominant. There's a very welcoming and surprising mint leaf component that shows up with some cocoa powder towards the mid palate to finish.
We think that this bottle lives up to every accolade that is published about it. And we will be so bold to say that we think this gives Weller Antique a very hard run for the money! This is a bottle that you want to have a back up in place in your bar and then a back up for the back up bottle! If you're a wheater fan, we have no doubt that this is going to be a pleaser for your palate. We love what Holladay is doing and where they are going. This is definitely a brand to keep on your radar and you'll want to snatch up whatever they produce because if this bottle is any clue of the deliciousness they are producing, they are creating another footprint in their long legacy.
Green River Distilling Company recently expanded their offering by releasing their first ever Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. This 95 proof bottle joins their previously-released and very successful bourbons. This whiskey is a blend from four to six year barrels and has a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley. In the bottle is a bright mahogany colored whiskey with a nose that includes red fruit, mint and baked biscuits. This is a very easy sipper and will appeal to devoted rye whiskey enthusiasts as they taste black tea, hints of spice, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and maple candy. After a few days opened, we kept going back to this bottle and we're picking up more citrus on the nose and fruit on the palate. This might be one of the best rye whiskeys we have tasted in months!
This bottle is another fine example that whiskey doesn't have to be expensive to be good and that it doesn't have to age for 10+ years to have mass appeal. Green River Distilling Company is the 10th oldest licensed distillery in Kentucky (DSP-KY-10) and they are owned by Bardstown Bourbon Company. This latest addition to their also means that GRDC is expanding their distribution markets and they will be in 34 states. In the coming years Green River anticipates nationwide distribution in addition to their Australian exports.
We should note that this whiskey was tasted neat and then again with one small ice cube. We are guessing that this one would also be fine in an Old Fashioned, so if you go that route, you'll have to let us know. This rye whiskey from Green River Distlling Company is a winner in our book and we can't wait to see what future releases are in store for the whiskey community!
Check out our YouTube review of this incredible Rye!
ABV: 47.5% (95 proof)
Distillery: Green River Distilling Company
Suggested retail price: $34.99
Drink The Bottles score: 93+/100
ANGEL'S ENVY is breaking down barriers with their wildly popular, award-winning and globally recognized finished whiskeys. They are r...