Now in its fifth yr, Jack Rose’s Premier Drams continues to be one of many standout whiskey occasions anyplace. WhiskyFest could have given up on our nation’s capital way back, however Jack Rose proprietor Invoice Thomas has confirmed that the town’s whiskey lovers will end up if the best bottles are on supply. Which means no humdrum, customary expressions like what you’ll discover scattered round most different festivals. Premier Drams, because the title suggests, pours solely premium choices like restricted editions, single casks, and new releases.
Bourbon has been plentiful at earlier occasions, with Willett commonly making a uncommon look and producing the lion’s share of queuing. Willett and different beloved bourbon manufacturers confirmed up once more in a giant method this yr, however the Scotch choice was equally spectacular. Or at the very least that’s what I discovered myself sipping most of over the course of a really boozy afternoon. Learn on for a sampling of what was tasted, recalled to the most effective of my admittedly fuzzy reminiscence.
Scotch
Compass Field Artwork & Decadence – A sublime mix of uniquely-aged single malts from Balmenach, Glen Moray and Linkwood with a prime dressing of grain whisky from Port Dundas. It’s comfortable and fruity on the nostril with a little bit of delicate smoke. A hefty, malty physique, nevertheless, carries sizable sherry affect highlighted by citrus and cocoa. It’s impressively beefy for a mix however perhaps somewhat too wine-forward. B+
Compass Field Metropolis – A part of the Extinct Blends Quartet, this launch showcases 30-year-old Aberlour and 26-year-old Bowmore, amongst a number of different well-aged malts. The aroma is heat with toffee and tobacco, whereas the palate is silky and honeyed with a comfortable ashy smoke and lingering notes of well-baked apple. A wholesome dousing of baking spice lingers on the creamy end. A-
Compass Field Celestial – This last launch within the Extinct Blends Quartet contains in its recipe Pulteney, Ardbeg and Caol Ila. The Islay affect is obvious with a nostril of candy smoke and seafoam accented with chocolate and dried herbs. The palate is oily and wealthy with notes of malt and grilled peaches that give solution to torched sugar and vanilla cream earlier than a protracted gently peppered and candy end of seashore bonfire and cinnamon candies. A
Springbank Native Barley 10 Years Outdated – Springbank is uncommon sufficient to see at a whisky competition, by no means thoughts the ultra-limited native barley releases made completely from Campbeltown grain. This bottling from 2021 is vivid and honeyed with sponge cake and lemon cream on the nostril. The palate is juicy candy and well-balanced with notes of pear cake and baking spice that give solution to a clear creamy end heat with clove and candied ginger. I’ll have sampled this dram two or thrice. A
Springbank Cask Power 12 Years Outdated – A 2024 launch of the coveted Springbank Cask Power. This bottling showcases a great deal of cinnamon sugar and spice on the nostril with undertones of barbecue and salty smoke. The palate gives up sugared nuts and spice adopted by poached pear and uncooked honey with a heat, malty end. A-
Cadenhead’s Enigma 15 Years Outdated – A 2023 mix of two well-known Campbeltown malts: 15-year-old Hazelburn and 16-year-old Kilkerran. That is mild however complicated with layers of freshly cooked malt, smoke, spice, and delicate tropical fruits. The end is lengthy and heat with citrus peel and barley sugar. Distinctive stuff. A
The Macallan Uncommon Cask 2023 – An accessible, prime tier non-age acknowledged providing from The Macallan. It’s a basic sherry-forward expression from the model with loads of citrus and stone fruit complementing a nutty, malty basis. That mentioned, it’s all a bit skinny and doesn’t current with the type of richness and complexity you’d count on for a luxury-priced bottling. B+
Raasay Dun Cana – An annual restricted version from craft single malt maker Raasay aged in oloroso and Pedro Ximenez quarter casks. It’s a stupendous whisky with a giant nostril of ripe pink fruit and undertones of rye spice. The palate is all stewed darkish fruit at first however brightens on the end with citrus and barely oxidized notes of mulled wine. The hype is actual with this little island distillery. A-
Benriach Cask Version 1994 Virgin Oak – Aged 28 years in virgin oak casks and bottled at cask power, this one is barrel-forward however nonetheless light on the nostril with resin and wooden spice. The palate is excessive tone however elegant, showcasing loads of baking spice, sandalwood, and furnishings polish. The end is heat and well-spiced with clove and cinnamon stick. Energetic for its age and fairly pleasing. A-
SMWS Sm’oak 25 Years Outdated – One other memorable dram and one of many extra distinctive Laphroaig single casks I’ve tasted. The nostril showcases vegetal seaweed and brine whereas the palate is all recent herbs wrapped in comfortable, ashy smoke and creosote. It’s unusually inexperienced for a peated single malt this previous. The end is perfumed with unique spice and oak and a delicate woodsmoke. Tremendous distinctive. B+
Bourbon
Uncle Nearest Single Barrel Bourbon (No. 2312) – I’ve tasted just a few Uncle Nearest single barrel bourbons, however this one stands out for its steadiness and approachability. It gives up maple sweet and caramel on the nostril with a candy peppery palate of caramel inexperienced apple and sweet corn, whereas the end is heat and lingering with baking spice. B+
Brook Hill 10 Years Outdated – An previous bourbon label reborn underneath indie bottler and up to date bourbon bro darling Uncommon Character. It’s impossibly comfortable at cask power with a nostril of spun sugar, caramel sauce, and praline. The palate is heat and well-spiced exhibiting extra cask power character with ample spice and sweet apple earlier than a end of chili pepper and cinnamon. A-
Barrell Bourbon Ice Wine End – This was my first style of our #1 whiskey of 2024, and whereas I didn’t like it as a lot as Chris, it was nonetheless a standout. The intense, candy nostril showcases notes of peach candies and cocktail cherry that give solution to a full, spherical palate of apple pie and almond cake earlier than a protracted end of honey and ginger scones. Barrell’s mixing magicians at their finest. A-
Maker’s The Coronary heart Launch 2024 – This new Maker’s Mark restricted version appears like a center floor between Cellar Aged and the previous Wooden Ending Collection. It’s not fairly as burly or punchy because the latter but in addition not fairly as finessed and layered as the previous. There’s numerous pink fruit on the nostril and the palate sees a pleasant mixture of oak and spice with a modest sweetness. A slight twist on the basic. A-
Seelbach’s 15 Years Outdated – Seelbach is healthier often called a craft-focused on-line retailer, however they’ve dabbled with indie bottling through the years. This 15-year bourbon from an undisclosed supply is the oldest expression I’ve seen from the outfit, and it’s an impressively mature and unusually fruity bourbon. Oak and Zebra stripe gum on the nostril offers solution to an oily, heat palate of jackfruit and orange candies. A little bit of latent warmth and barrel spice on the end helps to reign within the sweetness. A-
Rye
New Riff Balboa Rye – Made with heirloom Balboa rye however aged and bottled to the identical specs as New Riff’s flagship rye whiskey. It’s grain-forward on the nostril with heat rye bread and grist that opens to disclose treacle and herbs, dill foremost. The palate is well-spiced with undertones of darkish fruit and a heat end of root beer and wintergreen. Enjoyable stuff. A-
Uncommon Character Single Barrel Rye – I’ll be trustworthy. I can’t even keep in mind which Uncommon Character single barrel expressions I sampled as a result of co-founder Pablo Moix was slinging them behind the basement bar like a Cirque du Soleil performer. I do know I attempted at the very least one single barrel rye, round 8 or 10 years previous, and it was terribly recent and distinctive. Reality in promoting, of us. A
Willett Rye 10 Years Outdated “OHLQ Unique 2022” – Willett is often one of many standout drams of the occasion, however I apparently selected poorly and wasn’t ready to queue for an additional 20 minutes for a do-over. Or perhaps I simply desire youthful Willett expressions. The nostril on the ten yr I sampled was vivid and juicy with a giant wintergreen word, whereas the muscular palate was loaded with menthol and clove. Only a bit too heavy on the rye spice for my liking. B+
Wilderness Path Single Barrel Rye – Wilderness Path continues to churn out older variations of its flagship whiskeys, in addition to increasingly more single barrels. This well-aged rye is partaking with numerous depth on the nostril showcasing a chocolate-forward, virtually toasted profile. Pulled from a excessive flooring, in response to distiller Pat Heist, the palate is all cocoa and spearmint with a recent silky end of Andes mints. A-
World Whisky
Discovered North Single Barrel Port End Rye – Canadian sourced rye whisky completed in Port casks and bottled at cask power. It’s fairly tart, bordering on bitter, with plenty of tannic astringency up entrance. A maple syrup sweetness beneath at the very least offers issues a pleasing mouthfeel. This one in all probability deserves the advantage of the doubt, given my palate fatigue and the inherent dangers of blending closely completed whiskies with anything. B-
The Matsui Sakura Cask – Matured in Japanese cherry wooden casks. It opens with a plump, sugary nostril of buttercream and lemon cake with a darkish fruit syrup drizzle. It’s mild on the palate and silky however with rather less to offer than the aroma. Strawberry shortcake and vanilla bean lead right into a clear, honeyed end of malt and cocktail cherry. A contact too candy and light-weight on its ft however perhaps essentially the most attention-grabbing dram of the day. B+
