Whiskey award season continues, as Whisky Advocate recently named Nikka Whisky From The Barrel as its number #1 overall winner for the Top 20 Whiskies of 2018.
December 2018: George Dickel
Our December tasting event explored a menagerie of George Dickel bourbon released in the 1970s, 1990s, and modern day. Products are aged from 9 to 17 years, but all contain the same classic 84% corn, 8% rye, 8% malted barley mash bill from the George A. Dickel & Co. Distillery in Tullahoma, Tennessee.
Knob Creek Single Barrel Rye Selected by Flight Club “Tom’s Handey Rye” Review
Knob Creek Single Barrel Rye store picks are the next novelty in the Knob Creek lineup. Similar to Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon store picks, each of the Knob Creek Single Barrel Rye store picks are bottled from a single barrel selected by a particular retailer.
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Scotch Malt Whiskey Society 133.1 – Speakeasy Sneaky Peeky Review
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is a well-known independent bottler of single cask, single malt whiskies from around the world. Owned by Glenmorangie and based in Edinburgh, Scotland, the SMSW purchases casks from distilleries and then releases the bottles with a distinctive code on the front (the first number states which distillery and then the number after the decimal point tells you which cask). This adds to the mystery and sets up a sort of blind tasting by ideally eradicating preconceived notions about particular distilleries.
Recently, SMWS has ventured into the world of American whiskey and they present us with SMSW 133.1. An interesting note about this release is that the people at SMSW have not really tried to hide the origin of this bottle. It comes from Washington State and the release party was held at the Westland Distillery in Seattle hosted by SMWS and by the good people at Westland. For obvious reasons, distillery 133 is thought to be Westland Distillery which is known for its varieties of American single malts.
SMSW 133.1 is a 5-year-old single malt whiskey sitting at approximately 114 proof. It is aged in heavy char virgin oak barrels.
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June 2017 Pick of the Month: Wild Turkey 81
Each month, Flight Club selects a club-endorsed “Pick of the Month.” The parameters on the Pick of the Month are (a) locally available in Wichita, Kansas (b) under $40 and (c) something believed to be a good value or limited availability at the moment. We invite everyone (Club members or not) to break open a bottle and provide comment and feedback.
This month we thought we would cater directly to the “believed to be a good value” criteria. This bottle of Wild Turkey 81 is actually a 2015 Limited Edition label that happens to still be sitting on shelves around town. However, one such location’s sale price, along with a mail-in-rebate attached to the bottles, makes this a prime candidate for “good value” whiskey.
At under $10 for a name brand, mid-shelf bourbon, we felt we had to give this one the spotlight. This bottle offers a lower proof than its 101-proof brother, which may be more suited for those who desire strong flavors (straight or in a cocktail). But, this bottle is palatable on its own, especially for a new bourbon drinker, and a good one to pick up to use for those cocktails where you (or the drinker) does not desire the whiskey-forward profile. Continue reading “June 2017 Pick of the Month: Wild Turkey 81”