The Small Batch Collection from Jim Beam: Baker’s, Booker’s, Basil Hayden’s and Knob Creek
By Matt Goldstein
The Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon is an old school style of bourbon, made in the traditions of pre-prohibition whiskeys; strong, rich in flavor and prepared in small batches. The entire small Jim Beam batch collection is made in this style; Booker’s, Baker’s, Basil Hayden’s and Knob Creek. The Knob Creek small batch bourbon is aged for more than 9 years in charred American white oak barrels. Knob Creek got its name from a creek close to the distillery and very close to the childhood home of Abe Lincoln. As a boy, Abe Lincoln almost drowned in Knob Creek. When the Lincoln family sold their home before moving to Indiana, some of the purchase was paid to the Lincoln’s in Bourbon. While still living in Kentucky, Abe Lincoln’s father worked in a Bourbon distillery.
The Knob Creek Flavor!
When the bottle is opened, the Knob Creek’s scent is of a sweet corn and oak. In the glass the scent opens up to a wheat, rye wood and oak. The flavor is a sweet corn, complex with a long warming. On ice, the oak flavors and subtle notes of corn are exceptional. The oak aftertaste is also exceptionally complex. This is a classic bourbon and the small batch shines through in the taste. We highly recommend Knob Creek. Enjoy Knob Creek neat or on the rocks. Since the Bourbon is bottled at 100 proof, a little ice can’t hurt.
The Dalmore 12 Years Old Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky:
The Dalmore 12 was a gold medalist at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The 12 Years Old Single Malt is aged in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks and then oak bourbon barrels. In all aged whiskeys, cognacs, and related liquors etc., the age of the liquor inside the bottle must be older then the age labeled or advertised on the outside of the bottle. The Dalmore distillery boasts that its 12 year single malt scotch is much older than any average aging stock in Highland. The Dalmore 12 year has a sweet scent with hints of vanilla, peat and faint citrus; it’s a complex and solid nose feel. The Dalmore 12 is a thin and light single malt that is very smooth with a nice warmth. At first it’s dry and light in flavor, but after we open up the Dalmore with a couple drops of water, a sweet flavor emerges. The opened Dalmore becomes thicker and the vanilla stands out with a dry thin mouth feel, but thick sweet syrupy finish. This is an excellent single malt that grows on you with every sip.
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The Jura 16 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky:
The scent of the Jura 16 is spicy, with hints of fruit and honey. The 16 year flavor is a strong oak and wood with a thick sweet mouth feel. After we open the Jura 16 with a few drops of water. The mouth feel is thick and syrupy and the wood flavors a powdery flour, with a perfume strength. The water made it a bit stronger. The smaller the sip one takes, the better the flavor of the 16 year, with a smooth aftertaste. Distilling scotch on the remote island of Jura dates back to the 1600’s. The Jura 16 Year Single Malt is aged just off the beach on the Isle of Jura and gets much of its complex characteristics from the ocean air. This is a single malt for the experienced scotch drinker.
The 1792 Ridgemont Reserve 8 Years Aged Barrel Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey:
This bourbon commemorates the year that Kentucky was founded as the 15th state. With a good scent of corn, the taste has notes of cream, rye and corn. Having a good and dry and rye mouth feel, the 1792 Ridgemont Reserve has a strong complex finish and lengthy warmth. This is a bourbon that is not too sweet, and the notes of rye make the biggest statement. With hand crafted malted barley, rye and corn, The 1792 is a small batch bourbon that is actually a cross between a bourbon an d a rye. This is a remarkable sipping whiskey. Normally, we like to drink our whiskey and scotches neat, but since the 1792 Ridgemont Reserve is bottled at 93.7 proof, a little ice doesn’t hurt.
The difference between a Bourbon and a Rye is that the mash and batch for a bourbon should be more of a corn base while a Rye focuses on more of a wheat or rye base. The 1792 Ridgemont Reserve has one of the lowest corn bases for any bourbon. That’s why it’s basically a fusion of rye and bourbon. It’s an excellent recipe to say the least. Established in 1879, The 1792 Ridgemont Reserve is crafted at the Thomas Moore Distillery where they use iron free limestone water from the Thomas Moore Spring. .
Nathan Muir: Scotch, never less than twelve years old.
The Balvenie Doublewood 12:
The Doublewood 12 Year Single Malt Scotch is much like the 15 actually but a bit less expensive. The Doublewood gets its name from being aged in two distinct oak casks. The Balvenie Doublewood is aged in traditional oak whisky cask, then a European oak sherry cask. The Doublewood is a very smooth single malt scotch with a touch of peat. There is an excellent malt flavor with nutty and honey notes. The finish has a bit of fruit and vanilla with a peat aftertaste. The light smoky taste makes this a very complex scotch for a 12 year. Established in 1892, the Balvenie distillery is in Dufftown, Banffshire Scotland in the Speyside region.
The Singleton’s 12 Year Single Malt Scotch:
The Singleton’s 12 is very smooth, slightly warming with a good and light flavor. With a fruity nose, and light honey and caramel flavor, a complex finish and light sweet aftertaste. Singleton is a Speyside scotch from Dufftown Banffshire. For about $30-35, this is an excellent single malt scotch and stands up to many single malts for twice price.
The Aberlour 12 Year Single Malt Speyside Scotch:
The Aberlour 12 is also smooth and light with a nice warmth. The Aberlour is sweet with a hint of honey but also thin and a touch dry in the finish. This 12 Year Old single malt has been matured in two types of cask. Many times the double barrel aging adds much complexity. The color is gold and a bit red, and the flavor has a definitive sherry character with pepper and peat smoke. According to their web site, the Aberlour distillery produces 3.2 million liters of alcohol each year. Casked at 63.5%, the main age statements of Aberlour single malt Scotch whiskies are the 10, 12 and 16 Year Olds and A’bunadh. The crystal-clear spring water cascades down the slopes of Ben Rinnes, and makes its way from there along the Lour Valley to the distillery.
The Largest Selling & Most Award Winning Single Malt Scotch Whisky in the World!
By Matt Goldstein
The Glenfiddich 12 Year is a Highland Single Malt Scotch is distilled and matured in the Valley of the Deer. As the bottle is opened, the nose is solid single malt, but in the glass the single malt is much more subtle. The flavor is thick and sweet with a touch of syrup and the finish a soothing warmth. Exceptionally light in color, the sweet flavor remains for a while with notes of honey, syrup, supple fruit, nectar, nuts and oak. After a few drops of water, the Glenfiddich 12 year is exceptionally smooth. After being opened up, the Glenfiddich 12 year is a very smooth, soft spoken scotch. The aftertaste is especially flavorful. The bottle boasts of pear and oak but this scotch is much more complex.
The Glenfiddich 12 Year is the largest selling single malt Scotch whisky in the world and also has received the most awards. Glenfiddich single malt is also available in the 15 year, 18 year, 21 year and the very rare 30 year. If you’re not looking for a smoky or peaty style of Scotch, Glenfiddich is the perfect single malt for the holidays.
History of Glenfiddich Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch: Glenfiddich is the most awarded single malt Scotch whisky in the world – having won more awards at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) and International Spirits Challenge (ISC) than any other single malt since 2000. The pioneer of the prestigious single malt Scotch whisky category, our Glenfiddich 12 Year Old is today enjoyed by more people around the world than any other single malt whisky.
Our original, signature single malt Scotch whisky has matured for at least 12 years in American and Spanish oak casks. The quality of these casks is exceptional as all are individually tended by our experienced team of on-site coopers, ensuring our whisky develops complex, elegantly rounded flavors with notes of fresh pear and subtle oak.
No other single malt has collected as many of the industry’s most prestigious accolades since 2000 as Glenfiddich
2010 Beverage Tasting Institute Gold
2009 International Spirits Challenge (ISC) Bronze
2008 Scotch Whisky Masters Gold
2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Gold
2007 International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) Gold
2005 International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) Gold
In the summer of 1886 our founder, William Grant, set out to fulfill a lifelong ambition of creating the ‘best dram in the valley’.
With the help of his seven sons and two daughters, William built his distillery in a single year. Their hard work was rewarded on Christmas Day 1887 when the first drop of spirit flowed from the small copper pot stills. William named his distillery Glenfiddich, Gaelic for ‘Valley of the Deer’.
Over 120 years later, Glenfiddich is one of the few single malt distilleries to remain entirely family owned and our whisky has become the world’s most awarded single malt, a true reflection of the passion, integrity and innovative spirit that have been passed down through the generations.
At The Glenfiddich Distillery, time and experience are the heart of the operation. Accumulated and passed down through five generations, the rich whisky making experience of our craftsmen ensures each variant in the Glenfiddich single malt Scotch whisky range matures exquisitely well – balancing rich complexity with Glenfiddich’s unmistakable character.
Remaining independent and family-owned gives the maker’s of Glenfiddich Scotch whisky the privilege of a long term perspective. As such we have retained many expensive and time-consuming techniques to ensure the consistent and exceptional quality of our whiskies.
Lagavulin is the official classic malt from the Islay region. The recipe for Lagavulin possibly dates back to 1742. The malted barley used to distil Lagavulin has a strong peat scent and twenty times as much exposure to peat smoke as a typical Speyside Scotch. Fermentation of the barley is a slow process, too. Between 55 and 75 hours are taken for the full peat-rich flavour of the locally-malted barley to come through. Lagavulin has the slowest distillation process of any Islay malt. The standard availability of Lagavulin is their 16 years aged single malt available for around $60.
Oban 14 Year West Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is made in small stills and is a full, rich, malty, medium body single malt with a touch of peat. Light and smooth with a nice burn, the Oban 14 Year is a classic malt. Sweet with a touch of sea salt, the finish is sweet and smooth. Named after the caves used by the first settlers of Scotland in 5,000 B.C., called “An Ob,” Oban is distilled in the Oban, capital city of the West Highlands.
Glenkinchie, also known as the Edinburgh malt, is the classic malt of the Lowland region. The malt is also used in blends such as Haig, Johnny Walker Red Label, Johnny Walker Black Label, Buchanan and Dimple. Glenkinchie is available in the 10 year, 12 year and 14 year sherry cask edition.
Cragganmore Single Malt is the most complex Speyside Malt but is limited in supply because of the small distillery. According to Discovering Distillery’s, the Cragganmore’s unique flat topped spirit stills and slowly condensed in traditional wooden worm-tubs, promotes Cragganmore’s complexity, available in the 12 year and 15 year.
Dalwhinnie 15 year single malt scotch is a subtle, yet distinct scotch from the Highland region. Founded in 1897, Dalwhinnie also has a 20 year old, 29 year old and 36 year old single malt, but the 15 year is much more widely available. The Dalwhinnie 15 year has a light nose and tastes of floral, caramel, honey, with a touch of smoke. There is a little biscuit, light bite, and the finish is very smooth. Dalwhinnie had a beautiful yet subtle warmth. What a classic scotch! The Dalwhinnie 15 year is a perfect scotch and can be sipped straight, with water or with 1-2 cubes. We would not recommend using more that 2 cubes as this would destroy the complexity of the single malt. The Dalwhinnie 15 year might be our favorite single malt scotch.
Talisker was founded in 1830 and is made Loch Harport near Cullin range on the Isle of Skye. There is a strong scent of peat as soon the bottle is opened. The whiskey glass nose is a solid peat; less than the Laphroaig 18 but much more than the Macallan 10 and Highland Park 12. The color is a gold, maybe a light red-ish yellow. The taste is a light medium peat, thin malt with a thin dry finish and slow, long burn. The flavor is also delicately sweet, and after being opened up with a few drops of water gets very smooth. Still dry, the finish is easy, complex and warming. The Talisker has a slight peaty flavor but it’s not overdone. It also has some nice undertones including pepper. This is one of Eric’s top 3 single malts along with Lagavulin and Oban, but for the price $50 you can’t go wrong when it feels sooo right. It’s got a lot of flavor but the smokiness is subtle; the scotch whisky makes the statement. The Talisker 10 is an Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky produced on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Talisker has an above average Peat content and is used in part of Jonnie Walker’s blended Scotch whisky. The Talisker 10 is an excellent single malt, definitely in our top 10 single malts, possibly top 5.
The Talisker 10 Year is considered a “classic malt.” Founded in 1830, Talisker is made Loch Harport near Cullin range on the Isle of Skye. There is a strong scent of peat as soon the bottle is opened. The whiskey glass nose is a solid peat; less than the Laphroaig 18 but much more than the Macallan 10 and Highland Park 12. The color is a gold, maybe a light red-ish yellow. The taste is a light medium peat, thin malt with a thin dry finish and slow, long burn. The flavor is also delicately sweet, and after being opened up with a few drops of water gets very smooth. Still dry, the finish is easy, complex and warming. The Talisker has a slight peaty flavor but it’s not overdone. It also has some nice undertones including pepper. This is one of Eric’s top 3 single malts along with Lagavulin and Oban, but for the price $50 you can’t go wrong when it feels sooo right. It’s got a lot of flavor but the smokiness is subtle; the scotch whisky makes the statement. The Talisker 10 is an Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky produced on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Talisker has an above average Peat content and is used in part of Jonnie Walker’s blended Scotch whisky. The Talisker 10 is an excellent single malt, definitely in our top 10 single malts, possibly top 5.
Established in 1824, the Macallan distillery is Speyside in Easter Elchies, Craigellachie, in the Highlands of Scotland. When you first open the bottle there’s a sweet whisky scent, then the scotch whisky scent settles in slightly. The Macallan 12 years old Highland Scotch is much darker in color than its younger counterpart, the Macallan 10 year. The 12 year sherry aged brings a medium brown color with a good red hue. The darker color in the 12 year is probably due to the strict use of sherry casks and the extra 2 years of aging, as opposed to the Macallan 10 year which is triple cask aged in sherry and bourbon oak barrels. There is not much peat in the Macallan 12 year; in fact it can be barely detected at all, contrasting with the 10 year which has more than a touch of smoke. The Macallan 12 year is especially smooth but with a strong, full finish, understated burn and dry aftertaste. A few drops of water, open the single malt up a bit, and the whisky seems to get thicker with a minute peat scent.
The Basil Hayden’s 8 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a small batch light body bourbon, light amber in color with a slight sour scent made by Jim Beam. Dry for bourbon, with a good bite and strong finish, The Basil Hayden 8 year is warm with a strong burn. Very Smooth when sipped slow, but the burn stays with you, having a sweet aftertaste with pepper spice notes.
The Basil Hayden’s bottle is an art in an of itself. The light brown paper label is draped over and held in place by a wooden and medal belt. Each bottle comes with a booklet describing the full Jim Beam small batch collection: Knob Creek, Booker’s, Baker’s and Basil Hayden’s. The bottle is beautiful bottle but the tin foil at the top can be a problem as it flakes too easily and pieces of the tin foil can fall into the bourbon. We recommend removing the entire piece or pieces of foil before opening the bottle. Basil Hayden’s is an excellent bourbon and won a silver medal at the San Francisco international spirit awards in 2007.
Small Batch Collection:
The eponymous Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon dates back to 1796, when Master Distiller Basil Hayden Sr. created a recipe unlike any other. He used a traditional corn base, but mixed in small grains in his mash to capture the spicy flavor of rye and complement the sweet smoothness of corn. More than 200 years later, Basil Hayden’s is a singular bourbon that bridges the flavor of rye whiskies and small batch bourbons together.
Distinctions:
Basil Hayden’s is unequalled in that it utilizes twice as much rye in it as the other bourbons in the Collection. Enriched by a hint of peppermint, it impresses with notes of pepper balanced by slight citrus overtones, and a spicy, warming finish. Aged eight years at a relatively mild 80 proof, Basil Hayden’s has a broad appeal and is equally enjoyable alone or in cocktails such as a Juicy Basil and Basil Bubbly.
Comments:
“The group liked its clean, dry and most decidedly delicate palate. Elegant and soft.” — Patterson’s Beverage Journal, January 2005
Village Whiskey in downtown Philadelphia offers multiple whiskey flights (restaurant review coming soon). The Flights are available in whiskey, bourbon, scotch etc… For those not familiar with a flight; many establishments serve beer, wine and spirit flights for those patrons interested in tasting multiple offerings. A flight of wine usually consists of 5 different wines from a given style such as cabernet, with 5 glasses about 1/3 full of each different wine. The whiskey flights at Village Whiskey consist of three different whiskeys in a given style with about 2/3’s of a full serving. As we rarely get the chance to taste quality rye, we decided to go with the Rye Whiskey Flight.
The Rittenhouse 100:
A brilliant 100 proof rye whiskey. Light in color and dry with a slow burn, the Rittenhouse 100 proof has a dry scent with a strong finish. According to Heaven Hill distilleries, Rittenhouse 100 is produced in the tradition of the classic Pennsylvania or Monongahela rye whiskies, the classic ryes that were once the preeminent American whiskey style. The Rittenhouse 100 is a throwback whiskey and very smooth for a 100 proof.
The R1 Rye Whiskey:
The R1 is very dry with a good bite but a smooth finish. With a slightly sweet bourbon flavor, the light finish and subtle aftertaste is very good. There is also a bit of spice which gives this rye a certain character, but the R1 is sweeter than most rye whiskies. R1 is produced by the famous bourbon specialists, Jim Beam. For those that associate Jim Beam with a cheap bottom shelf whiskey, think again. Jim Beam also produces the critically acclaimed Knob Creek, and other premium bourbons such as Bookers, Basil Hayden’s and Bakers, all of which are excellent Kentucky Straight Bourbons.
The Thomas Handy Uncut Sazerac:
The Uncut Sazerac126 proof Rye Whiskey has a beautiful light red color with a sweet but sour scent. Although it’s a rye whiskey, you can almost taste the Tennessee style sour mash as you sniff the tulip glass. The Thomas Handy Sazerac has a sweet flavor but the finish is very strong. Did I say very strong!?! WOW! This drink is good, not for beginners… Even after a little water is added; the finish of this 126 proof rye is just as strong. However, as you continue to sip, the unforgiving finish settles down to a solid rye whiskey flavor.
The Small Batch Collection from Jim Beam: Baker’s, Booker’s, Basil Hayden’s and Knob Creek
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