Posts Tagged With: 101 Whiskies

Tasting Notes: Balcones – Baby Blue

Posted on February 18, 2018 by whiskyunplugged
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Balcones Baby Blue

Hailing from Waco, Texas, Balcones are a relatively new distillery, having only opened in 2008, but have made quite a name for themselves from the get go. As a corn whiskey, this features at least 80% corn in the original mash, and also features hopi blue corn (which is actually blue, hence the name) and was the first whiskey to be LEGALLY distilled in Texas since the end of the Prohibition. Presumably the “baby” part of the name comes from this whiskey’s young age and,  the fact that the distillers got this unique first product out on the market as soon as they could. Bottled at 46% ABV, did that rush to start generating revenues compromise on quality?

 

Nose

Woah! Is this a whiskey or a liqueur? The first smells are very, very sweet, honeyed and so concentrated. There is a really fruity side to this too, with figs, damsons and sloes really dominating the smell along with a rich vanilla, rum-like sweetness before you are battered with corn, corn and more corn. It is potentially the sweetest smelling whisk(e)y I’ve ever experienced.

 

Taste

More sweet fruits follow, but more of a summer feel to the flavours: peach, pineapple, banana. There’s loads of vanilla and, of course, sweet corn fill this thick, syrupy, mouth-coating dram.

 

Finish

It has bit of a firey finish, but it is the fruit sensations that linger.

 

Verdict

This is some crazy stuff. With all that fruit flavour, sweetness and intensity, this is more like a whiskey smoothie than something that I could cook up in the kitchen – a marketing plan that I hereby claim ownership to. There is so much going on and is so different that I can see why Balcones have been able to make such a name for themselves. At £70+ however (presumably due to rarity within the UK and import charges etc) this is quite a stretch but I would recommend anyone who could try this to do so, as it really is something completely different for the discerning dram dabbler to experiment with. I will also note that this is an entirely different beast to Mellow Corn (my only other foray with corn whiskies) that the spectrum for these whiskies must be so vast that I am really intrigued to delve further into what is out there. In answer to the question at the end of the preamble above then: “Absolutely not.” This appears as whisk(e)y #9 in my edition of 101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die, and I would put it in my 101 too. Maybe even Top 10 To Try. Maybe.

M

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Tasting Notes: Heaven Hill – Mellow Corn

Posted on February 11, 2018 by whiskyunplugged
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Mellow Corn

Currently owned and made by Kentucky’s dominant distillers Heaven Hill, Mellow Corn has an interesting history behind it. As the name suggests this is a corn whiskey meaning that it has to be made from a mash of at least 80% corn. In fact, this whiskey is made from a mash bill of 90% corn, with remaining 10% comprised of rye & malted barley. The distinctive bottle is labelled as being “bottled in bond” meaning that it has to be aged for at least 4 years in a federally bonded warehouse and made from the distillate of a single distillery from a single distilling season – left to then mature under the careful scrutiny of the US federal powers that be. Rumour has it that the labels haven’t changed since the 1940s because the original distillery was so confident that it would sell so well that they ordered 100s and 1000s of labels and then couldn’t shift them, so it has remained the same since to maintain that history (and probably to save face). Being bottled in bond, this whiskey is presented at 50% ABV.

Nose

It’s a very clean nose. It cuts through the nostrils and hits you at the back of your head but not without leaving a trail of faint vanilla sweetness along the way.

Taste

Perhaps unimaginatively for me, I’m getting a distinct corn syrup flavour to this, but without the treacle-like body. There’s a bit of oak in there too at the back and some light, white sugar left behind in the mixing bowl.

Finish

This stuff is quick and to the point. It has an oily texture that just slips off the tongue and gets to work on warming you up from the inside. As it does so it does leave behind some softer, more floral notes – though this is far from being a gin!

Verdict

I tried this sample under the guidance of my copy of 101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die (not that I want that process to hurry along). It’s entry as #69 (dude) in my edition of the book referred to this as “something unusual and uniquely American” and is, in fact, my first dalliance with corn whiskey – maybe unwisely so. For this reason, when trying it, I was unable to think of anything else than this whiskey having been made from (predominantly) corn. That maybe why the notes above are a little sparse, but then again, Ian Buxton’s further description of this whiskey is that it is “the nearest thing you’ll get to moonshine that’s legal” and that I can believe! This whiskey is quick, light, sweet and very easy to drink, without leaving much of a trace, and at 50% ABV, that is very dangerous territory to tread because the effects of the alcohol will catch up with you quickly without you noticing. Maybe that’s why they called it “mellow” in the first place. It’s stealthy stuff; and with a flavour more akin to sweet popcorn, this is going to sneak up on you quickly!

M

Categories: Heaven Hill, Mellow Corn, Tasting Notes | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tasting Notes: Mackmyra – Skördetid

Posted on February 4, 2018 by whiskyunplugged
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Mackmyra – Skördetid

Mackmyra are renowned for their no age statement, flavour-dominated expressions and are very capable of keeping their collectors happy with numerous limited editions and seasonal releases. This whisky is no different in that respect, but quite different in many others. This seasonal release is named with the Swedish word for “harvest time” and is intended to celebrate the flavours of the grape vine harvest, by maturing some of Mackmyra’s quality stock from the Bodas mines for a final 6 months in Amarone red wine casks (provided by Masi Costasera). The packaging of the full product matches the latter’s former barrel contents with red wine colours and certainly befits the festive season for which it has been released. Available for a limited time only, this expression is bottled at the distillery’s preferred favourite 46.1% ABV.

 

Nose

Wow. There’s so much going on here. There’s that distinctive sweet and malty Mackmyra barley, but it is also quite drying, with a nutty spice. It’s a pretty punchy and fresh spirit here too – still recognisable as coming from their raw spirit (Vit Hund) nose – with quite a lot of sweetness. Not too much vanilla sweetness though, and with the red fruit influence there also and a fresh wood / saw dust note in the background, this could be my longest nosing note yet!

 

Taste

Strong malt to begin with, giving it a big biscuit bite, then comes the red grape fruitiness that we’ve been waiting for and some warming spices like nutmeg and ginger.

 

Finish

It’s a firey finish. Quite chemically actually but it soon dissipates. Juicy red fruits left behind (strawberries, cherries, and more red grapes). A cut and dry finale.

 

Verdict

Clearly the red wine casks are playing their part and strongly influencing the Mackmyra body that I’ve come to recognise (see notes on 7 other Mackmyra releases here). It’s certainly tasty stuff. Given the timing involved, I would love to taste the whisky again after way more than it’s 6 months in the Amarone casks as experienced here. On balance it tastes a lot like their Brukswhisky with added dollops of raisins and red grapes. We’ll never know the age of this whisky, as that’s not the Swedes’ way, but it feels very fresh and young. The youth seems to make everything quite extreme on the palate too. Overall, there are a lot of strong flavours at play but it is all balanced well and I rather enjoyed this. I’m also glad that this featured in the Dram Team’s monthly subscription because at £75 per bottle, it’s not exactly something I’d buy on a whim – not that I could any more as it’s totally sold out! Chalk up another success for Mackmyra!

M

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