Ironton Distillery Colorado Straight Bourbon Whiskey

 

Did you know there are approximately 750 whiskey and bourbon distilleries in operation in the US?  Did you know that not all great distilled spirits come from central Kentucky?  We did and today we are sharing one of those with you.  We're tasting and sharing the Ironton Distillery Colorado Straight Bourbon today and we are thrilled to have connected with these folks.  The female leadership team of Kallyn Romero (co-owner) and Laura Walters (head distiller) is making their mark in the Colorado distilled spirits scene by offering up a nice selection of lower proof whiskey from their core portfolio, but also throwing in some cask strength bourbon, a single malt finished in a coffee cask and then gin, rum and other goodies.  For distilling only since 2018, they have been cranking out some quality products that will surely continue to foot their footprint in the "brown water" world.

With Romero's entrepreneurial knack and Walters' previous experience in the wine and whiskey world, we have no doubt that this team will continue to grow, create and share the goodness that is all things Ironton.  We love what they're doing and where they are going!

The current offering of Colorado Straight Bourbon Whiskey from Ironton comes in at a very sippable and approachable proof that makes it super easy for all experience levels to enjoy.  While the mashbill is unknown, we can tell you that consists of blue heirloom corn, barley, rye and red wheat.  Aged at least 2 years, the charred oak barrels create a beautiful carmel color and sweet nose of vanilla bean, honey and roasted pecan.  The palate is guided by orange and fig cake initially.  A couple sips in are reminiscent of candy corn and hot Spanish peanuts, finishing with red fruits, sweet nutmeg and a touch of cinnamon candy.  The sweet and nutty flavors likely are pulled from the blue corn and that provides a very unique experience that is a refreshing spin on bourbon.  

While we are starting to see more distilleries west of the Mississippi used blue corn, this one will be a stand out for us as a new and lovely experience.  This was tasted three ways - neat, with a couple of drops of water and then with food.  While we don't normally sip whiskey with food (it just isn't our thing), we found that this bottle paired really well with smoked turkey sausage and fried green beans.  This bourbon really connected with food!

This first bottle from Ironton Distillery and Crafthouse in Denver, CO is a winner in our books.  Without knowing how many barrels they have resting, we are hoping (fingers crossed) that they are keeping several on the racks so we can taste some 4 and 6 year whiskies in the future.  We like what this distillery is doing and we will be keeping tabs on them.  If you're in the Denver area, stop by and check them out!

ABV:  43.0% (86.0 proof)

Distillery:  Ironton Distillery & Crafthouse

Suggested retail price:  $65.00

Drink The Bottles score:  89/100

Barrell Craft Spirits Dovetail

We could not be more excited for an opportunity to sample and share with you the Dovetail finished whiskey from Barrell Craft Spirits.  We have been a BCS fan for sometime, polishing off a few bottles of their Seagrass Rye and other offerings over the last year.  Tasted from sample, this offering of Dovetail comes in at 124.7 proof but does not drink hot at all.  The fact that it was finished in rum, port wine and Cabernet Sauvignon barrels from Dunn Vineyards really adds some incredible finesse and flavors to this lovely and aromatic whiskey.

On the nose is a soul-searching saddle leather aroma, followed by slight pepper, campfire smoke and sweet yellow fruits.  There are hints of that lovely limestone or wet rock aromas that peak through as well.  It's a medium chestnut color and we think if we had added a couple drops of water, the dark cholocate flavors would have made an entrance.  We tasted this neat and there was sweet ripe mango, tobacco smoke, herbs and peppercorn on the palate.  This lovely whiskey stays with you to the very end, providing a finish that is long and it calls you back like a siren of the sea.

Is this a keeper?  You bet!  We have never had a bottle of anything from BCS where our reaction was, "Ehh, it's ok".  They have all been winners and they don't last long around here.  This one is right in line with the quality and expert blending that you expect from Joe Beatrice, Tripp Stinson and Nic Chistiansen.   Absolutely delicious.

ABV:  62.35% (124.7 proof)

Distillery:  Barrell Craft Spirits

Suggested retail price:  $79.99

Drink The Bottles score:  94/100

 

Green River Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

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

Traveller Whiskey (Blended)

 

What does a country music superstar and one of the world's most famous distilleries have in common?  Well, let's find out!  Right out of the gate, we're going to tell you that we were surprised that this wasn't a marriage between the 8-time Grammy winner and Jack Daniel's, but we'll get to that later.

Chris Stapleton has teamed up with Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley to offer this first-of-a-kind blended whiskey with a celebrity association from the Frankfort, KY landmark.  Gimmick?  Genius marketing?  When this bottle was released just a few weeks ago we heard comments all over the board.  Most whiskey enthusiasts were skeptical, but admittedly, they "had" to have that bottle.....or three.  Some people cried foul and said this was all a poor attempt at boosting sales for both the country crooner and the distillery.

If you know anything about either one, you quickly realize that they don't need to boost their sales.  Both parties are doing just fine.  Stapleton has a net worth of about $25 million and climbing.  Buffalo Trace invested $1.2 billion into their expansion in order to keep up with demand.  So, you can debunk the sales boosting theory.

While many country music fans welcomed the collaboriation between the two brands, some questioned why Stapleton, who is admittedly now sober, would add his name to the bottle.  Well, back up a second.  Stapleton recently told Rolling Stone that while he isn't exactly sober, he has cut back on his drinking.  The miscommunication was from a previous interview last year, but "CS" admits that he does enjoy drinking alcohol (he has about 200 bottles of bourbon at home), but not to the volume he used to in younger years.

We love Buffalo Trace.  We really, really enjoy all of their products that we have tasted to date.  When we heard that Harlen Wheatley and Chris Stapleton had joined forces to marry a bottle of blended whiskey, we were pretty excited about the opportunity to find and taste this one.  We really thought that Jack Daniel's would have snagged Stapleton first, especially with his remake of the hit song, "Tennessee Whiskey".  But......we're not mad!  Stapleton had been approached by distilleries and brands before, but the joint effor with BT felt right.

So let's talk about Traveller Whiskey.  Over 50 whiskey blends were sampled and number 40 was the winner and what made it to the bottle.  While the mash bills, age statement and specific sources are under wraps, Buffalo Trace says that this blend is from "award winning distilleries".  This was blended and bottled at the Frankfort distillery.  The bottle features a roadmap of the back woods and the liquid inside is a gorgeous light to medium brown.  Once you pop the cork you're going to love the abundant aromas of vanilla extract, ooey gooey butter cake and carmel syrup.  The nose is definitely on the sweeter side, and that carries over to the first flavors you experience with that intital sip.  Lightly salted nuts and kitchen spices finish this out with a somewhat short finish.  

Almost immediately after Traveller Whiskey was released, we saw several 'taters' flipping these bottles on the secondary market for upwards of $150 per bottle.  Take our advice and don't pay that for this bottle.  Is it one worth having in your whiskey library to share and talk about with friends?  Sure.  Is it worth an inflated secondary price?  Not in our opinion.

No matter what your opinion is of this bottle, we can all agree that it is getting harder to find, is on the minds of collectors and enthusiasts alike, and it has created some buzz in the whiskey world.  Selfishly, we would love to see more artistic collaborations between Buffalo Trace and other music superstars, but that remains to be seen.  Cheers!

ABV:  45% (90 proof)

Distillery:  Buffalo Trace

Suggested Retail Price:  $39.99

Drink The Bottles score:  85/100

NV Harvester Cabernet Sauvignon

 

This wine is another testament from the pulpit where we continually exclaim that not all wine has to be expensive to be good.  This is a non-vintage Harvester Cabernet Sauvignon from Austin Hope Winery.  Non-vintage generally eludes that this wine is a blend of several vineyards and vintages and the production is on the higher side.  That not only means that this wine is readily available, but it is also affordable.  We originally tasted this bottle at a local wine shop and while it didn't mirror the $100 Ghost Block that we tasted, it certainly held its own.

This wine is from Paso Robles and has a pleasant, medium-dark purple color.  The aromas are on the brighter side of red fruits and baked pastry, followed by notes of allspice and vanilla.  On the palate is a plesant and sleek flavor profile of cherry, plum, spices and vanilla.  The wine doesn't linger but the finish is satisfying and this is certainly a wine that would pair well with barbeque or stuffed peppers.  

When you're having one of those nights that you want a solid Cabernet Sauvignon, but you don't want to pluck a $200 bottle out of your cellar, reach for this one!  This would be a solid wine to serve at an informal get together as well.  Enjoy!

ABV:  13.5%

Winery:  Austin Hope Winery

Suggested retail price:  $19.99

Drink The Bottles score:  88/100

J Rieger's Kansas City Whiskey

 

There has been a buzz online for several months about J Rieger's whiskey offerings.  Admittedly, we weren't familiar, but the excitement was growing both locally and across the country since they released their first bottle about 20 months ago.  Well, it's not their first, but there was that pesky Prohibition that go in the way.  It only takes a spark to get a fire going, right?  When we came across this bottle of J Rieger's Kansas City Whiskey at a local liquor store, we snatched it up.  In fact, it was the last bottle on the shelf and it has been difficult to find since that time.  Why?  Well, let us tell you!

This is a blended whiskey, coming at 92 proof.  The blend includes straight rye whiskey, straight bourbon whiskey and light corn whiskey - all aged 4 years or more.  But there's also the smallest amount of oloroso sherry from spain (15 year) that is introduced to the blend to create a unique and welcoming flavor profile.  In fact, whether you are a sherry fan or not, you pick up on that decadent and rich buterscotch aroma at first pour.  Dried fig, dark chocolate morsels, candied almonds and allspice swirl around in your mouth, providing you with a solid and mildly spicy finish.  

We paid only $29.99 for this bottle of whiskey and it is an absolute winner!  The price generally ranges from $24.99 to $35.99, depending on your location.  Currently, Rieger's is distributed in 28 states and I'm guessing they will be expanding more in the upcoming year.  Available in 375ml, 750ml and 1.75L bottles.  J Rieger has a fascinating and long history, dating back well before Prohibition.  But in current day, they have been "back in business" since 2014.  Their first release, Bottled in Bond Straight Rye, was released in August of 2021 and they haven't looked back since.  We can't wait to see what is in store for this delicious and proud brand.

ABV:  46% (92 proof)

Distillery:  J. Rieger & Co.

Suggested retail price:  $29.99

Drink The Bottles score:  92/100

Russell's Reserve 13 Year Old Bourbon

 

Just over a year ago I had the opportunity to taste Russell's Reserve 13 Year Old Bourbon for the first time.  A friend of mine had picked up a bottle locally for $107 (MSRP at the time was $99) and surprised me with a taste.  He knew, at the time, that this was on my top-10 "wish list" so I was ecstatic to have this opportunity.  We later discovered that he had Batch 2 of this limited release bourbon from Wild Turkey Distillery.

The mash bill on this is 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley and it comes in just under 115 proof (114.8).  The initial nose was on the sweeter side with cinnamon toast, apple pie and baking spices at the forefront.  Admittedly, we didn't really let this one sit very long which was a mistake in hindsight.  In the mouth was a fruity and leathery blend of whiskey that brought to light more complexity with cracked pepper, cherry pie and maple towards the mid palate.  The 13 year oak helps frame this bourbon, bringing back the leather and sweeter flavors.  This is a great example of expert bourbon creation from the Russell men.  

The new MSRP on the latest release of Russell's Reserve 13 Year is $149.  While I would (and have) paid $149 for that bottle, I honestly think that the better bang for your buck is to find a Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Private Barrel Selection.  Nearly every one of those that I have tasted are as equally amazing as the RR 13 and you only lose a few proof points.  Don't get me wrong.  If I see one of these in the wild and not at secondary prices, I'm picking it up.  

ABV:  57.4% (114.8 proof)

Distillery:  Wild Turkey

Suggested retail price:  $99 (currently $149)

Drink The Bottles score:  91/100