What better way to enjoy the fall and the holidays with a beautiful bourbon cocktail to warm you up. Try a Basil Hayden’s Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Cocktail with a little bit of milk stout, some cherry liqueur, and bitters. And if you don’t have all the ingredients, a Basil Hayden’s straight or on the rocks is pretty damn good too. Bourbon is as Bourbon does.
2 Parts Basil Hayden’s Bourbon®
¾ parts Heering® Cherry Liquor
1 dash Fee Brothers® Old Fashioned Aromatic Bitters
2 parts Milk Stout Beer
Fresh Nutmeg
***
1. Combine Basil Hayden’s, cherry liquor and bitters in a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and shake.
3. Roll in the milk stout beer.
4. Strain into an old fashioned glass with ice.
5. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and cherry on top.
#PassTheCrown: Whiskey Goldmine Readers with Chance to Win Prizes
By Matt Goldstein
Whiskey Goldmine will be competing with 25 other blogs in the #PassTheCrown holiday contest sponsored by Crown Royal Canadian Whisky. Yup, there’s no “E” in Canadian Whisky, however there is lots of prizes for the holidays, like Ipads, bottles of whiskey, Omaha Steaks and parties. And if our fans help us participate, they will get to see a piece of the prizes. Whatever we win, one lucky fan will win. The blogs we are competing with are already receiving their gifts every day. They can either accept the gift, or #PassTheCrown. Our turn will be on December 9th, and we will receive the gift at 9 am. Being that December 9th is my birthday, I’m feeling lucky. The reader or fan that helps us participate the most and crush the other blogs in the #PassTheCrown contest will be rewarded with holiday cheer and bling. We’re gonna take the prizes they want, and send those other inferior blogs, prizes that we think are beneath us.
FRANKFORT, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY – Apparently there are more spirits at Buffalo Trace Distillery than those aging in the warehouses, at least according to the investigators from a popular ghost hunting show that airs on the SyFy network. Buffalo Trace Distillery was investigated by television’s number one paranormal reality series, “Ghost Hunters®” and the episode will air on Wednesday, Nov. 16th at 9:00 p.m. EST on the SyFy network.
The show’s two lead investigators, Jason and Grant, said Buffalo Trace was one of the few sites they had been to where all of the investigators on the team had a paranormal experience. The show’s producers came to Buffalo Trace asking to film there, due to viewer demand. It is the first time the TV show had ever filmed at a distillery.
Although the Ghost Hunters® findings are confidential until the show airs, it did prove to be a “touching” experience for Jason and Grant.
Now visitors can have their own experience as Buffalo Trace Distillery kicks off its Ghost Tours on Thursday, Nov. 17th at 7 p.m. The tours will run Thursday-Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. each evening, starting Nov. 17th and running indefinitely. (No tours Thanksgiving evening, Nov. 24th, Dec. 1st, or Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve.) Admission to the tours is complimentary, but guests do need a reservation, which they can make at 1-800-654-8471 or email giftshop@buffalotrace.com. Children are permitted, but those under 18 do need to be accompanied by an adult. The tours will conclude with a tasting.
The Ghost Tours will last approximately an hour, and follow the path as seen on “Ghost Hunters®,” including some rarely-toured areas of the Distillery. “We’re really excited to be able to offer this new tour to complement our other three tour offerings,” said Elizabeth Hurst, visitor center manager for Buffalo Trace Distillery. “In addition to our Trace Tour, Hard Hat Tour, and Post Prohibition Tour, we now have a Ghost Tour that will undoubtedly appeal to a whole different audience. We’re hoping it will really increase visitation to this region in Kentucky.”
About Buffalo Trace Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Malt Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskeys.
New Orleans, LA – Since launching in April 2010, Caribou Crossing, the world’s first single barrel Canadian whisky, has been turning heads. The whisky has received a 93 rating from John Hansell at The Whisky Advocate; was named “2010 Canadian Whisky of the Year,” won a double gold medal at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition; a gold medal and “90” rating meaning “exceptional” from Tastings.com (Beverage Testing Institute); a gold medal and “90” rating meaning “excellent, highly recommended” at the 2010 Ultimate Spirits Challenge; a silver medal and best in class at the 2010 International Wine and Spirits Competition; and a bronze medal at the 2010 Los Angeles
.
International Wine and Spirits Competition.
Packaged in a rich, royal blue bag nestled inside an elegant gift box, Caribou Crossing makes the ideal holiday present for anyone desiring the uniqueness of a single barrel Canadian whisky coupled with a rich, smooth flavor that has whisky aficionados everywhere giving it high marks.
The barrels used for Caribou Crossing were hand-selected by Sazerac’s Master Blender Drew Mayville. He selected the most mature and flavor-rich samples available and oversaw the bottling of each individual barrel. Each bottle of Caribou Crossing has its own subtle uniqueness. Whisky buffs can expect to taste radiantly-hued nectar with a nod to the tantalizing silky texture provided by the barrel. The rye grain cuts through the wood flavors making its spicy presence known without risking the creamy vanilla custard smoothness. The finish is oak with an orangey tang.
Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky is available at retail for $49.99 for a 750ml bottle.
About The Sazerac Company
Sazerac is based in New Orleans, Louisiana and is one of New Orleans’ oldest family owned, privately held companies. The company has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Frankfort, Bardstown, Louisville and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Carson, California; Baltimore, Maryland; and Montreal, Canada.
With the recent resurgence of Bourbon, America’s signature whiskey, Rye whiskey has also experienced a major resurgence. This year’s sixth release of the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection begins arriving in stores this week. It includes dual 375ml bottles – one that has been matured in a new charred cask and one matured in an aged cask. Both are from a 100% rye recipe but the difference in the final product is the manner of maturation.
.
Tasting Notes for Woodford Reserve New Cask Rye
Color: Golden brown.
Aroma: Cinnamon and delicate mint spice sweetened with a balance of oak aromatics, tobacco leaf, honey vanilla, caramel and ripe apple fruit.
Taste: A creamy balance of new cask sweetness with spiced apple and rich berry fruitiness.
Finish: Smooth with rich fruit and warming spice hints.
.
Tasting Notes for Woodford Reserve Aged Cask Rye
Color: Light straw.
Aroma: Grassy rye grain with hints or citrus, vanilla and spice.
Taste: Distinct soft fresh rye and malt grain dusted with vanilla and sweet oak character.
Finish: Fresh and clean with caramelized green apple crispiness and a hint of rye.
Because of the price tag, about $250, very few get a chance to taste the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky. But when confronted with the opportunity, it’s an absolute must! The Johnnie Walker Blue Label is hand crafted in single barrel batches and is a blend of 9 whiskies. The Johnnie Walker Master Blender hand selects the premium whiskies used for the blend, and draws from the largest whisky reserves in the world, dating back 200 years.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Tasting Notes:
The scent is a medium to solid scent of peat smoke. The whisky is very light and smooth with flavors of grain. Having a peat mouth feel with notes of sweet honey, this is a complex and excellent whiskey. The mouth feel was also thick and creamy, and we consider it to be incomparable. The Blue Label is perhaps the best mouth feel of any whisky in the world. A flat out stud! The Johnnie Walker Blue Label is simply one of the best whisky’s you will ever try.
From Johnnie Walker!
Johnnie Walker Blue Label is the epitome of blending. Created to reflect the style of whiskies in the early 19th century, it’s created using some of our rarest casks from the Johnnie Walker stocks, the largest in the world.
The casks are hand-selected and set aside for their exceptional quality, character and flavor. The character of Blue Label is truly unique; it is complex, powerful, incredibly smooth and retains the Johnnie Walker signature smokiness.
King George V from Blue Label was created to celebrate the Royal Warrant given to the Walker family in 1934 to mark their exceptional quality. This blend includes Port Ellen™, a highly prized malt whose distillery no longer exists.
The John Walker is the most recent addition, created as a tribute to our founder. Hand-crafted in single barrel batches of only 330 bottles, it’s an exceptionally rare blend of 9 whiskies, including those from Glen Albyn™ and Cambus™ distilleries. It’s presented in a unique, individually numbered Baccarat crystal decanter – hand blown, polished and engraved by one of only three Master Craftsmen in the world.
Check out this classic cocktail recipe with one of the world’s best bourbons. Knob Creek small batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey by Jim Beam is a classic bourbon. Made in the traditions of pre-prohibition whiskeys, Knob Creek is aged for more than 9 years in charred American white oak barrels and bottled at 100 proof. If you like Knob Creek and are serious about your whiskey, try the Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve, bottled at 120 proof. It’s an absolute masterpiece.
The Prince of Whiskies is a Smooth Beautiful Blend
By Matt Goldstein & Amy K. Haight
With more than two centuries’ of history, Chivas Regal 12 year old is an expression of a unique tradition that has continued unbroken since the Chivas Brothers first introduced the world to the rich, smooth Scotch whisky of Chivas Regal. “For more than 500 years, Scotland has been perfecting the art of producing Scotch whisky. Chivas Regal is made from pure, natural, Scottish ingredients. For more than 500 years, Scotland has distilled their original whisky – malt Scotch whisky. Malt Scotch whisky is made from only three natural ingredients – quality malted barley, natural spring water and yeast. A blended Scotch whisky must contain both malt Scotch whisky and grain Scotch whisky. The art of blending is to harmonize the characters and flavours of selected malt and grain Scotch whiskies to produce a blended Scotch whisky of the highest possible quality. This requires the master blender to possess an expert ‘nose’ and many years’ experience of Scotch whisky.
Chivas Regal 12 year is one of the Blended Scotch Whiskies where it’s clear that the master blender skillfully blended the whiskies together for an excellent scotch. The scent is complex and the whisky has a beautiful amber color. A thin Scotch whisky, the Chivas Regal 12 year blended scotch whisky has notes of caramel, toffee, chocolate, vanilla with a smooth, sweet and great flavor. We love this scotch and will drink it again and again. Greatly recommended.
New York — Glenmorangie has won the top honor in this year’s Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards in the Distiller of the Year category, beating out an impressive list of nominees. “We are extremely honored to be recognized by Wine Enthusiast for the great yet unseen lengths that we go to in crafting our whisky,” said Brian Cox, Vice President of Glenmorangie. According to Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Glenmorangie’s nomination resulted from its impressive innovation “ranging from polished classics and elegant cask-finished whiskies to its 2011 release of the luxurious Glenmorangie Pride 1981 bottling.”
Glenmorangie pioneered the now widely used techniques of extra maturation, best illustrated in its 12 years old Extra Matured Range: Lasanta (Sherry Finish), Quinta Ruban (Port Finish) and Nectar d’Or (Sauternes Finish). After spending 10 years in American white oak bourbon casks, each expression is extra-matured in superior quality wine casks for two more years. The original smoothness of Glenmorangie is enhanced by the rich layers of flavors and wine characteristics that each cask brings.
Glenmorangie Pride 1981 is the culmination of 28 years of passion, patience and artistry. Pride 1981 is the longest extra maturation Glenmorangie has ever offered. The whisky is matured in the finest oak casks for 18 years before being aged exclusively in Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes casks for another ten years. Presented in a Baccarat crystal decanter, it is an extremely rare, limited edition of only 1,000 bottles worldwide.
The distinguished Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Award comes in addition to more than eighteen ‘Gold Best in Class’ medals from the International Wine and Spirit Competition that the Company has received over the past five years, cementing its reputation for creating an ‘Unnecessarily Well Made’ portfolio of single malt Scotch whiskies.
Glenmorangie will be showcased with other winners in the December 15th issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine and will be honored at the Wine Star Awards black-tie gala dinner in New York City on January 30, 2012.
About Glenmorangie The Glenmorangie distillery was founded in 1843 in the Highlands of Scotland and is renowned as a pioneer in its field for uniting tradition with innovation. Glenmorangie is distilled in the tallest malt whisky stills, expertly matured in the finest oak casks, and perfected by the 16 Men of Tain. It has been Scotland’s favorite single malt for over 50 years and is famous worldwide for producing the most complex and perfectly balanced Single Malts in the world.
About The Glenmorangie Company The Company is one of the most renowned and innovative distillers of Scotch whisky brands worldwide and is part of Moet Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH). Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, the company produces two main single malt brands – Glenmorangie Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky and Ardbeg Single Islay Malt Whisky.
About Wine Enthusiast Wine Enthusiast Companies is the world’s number one source for wine accessories, storage, information, education, events and travel, and is a driving force in the marketplace. As part of the Wine Enthusiast family, Wine Enthusiast Magazine hosts events for consumers and the trade, such as the Toast of the Town walk-around food and wine event (New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Atlanta) and The Annual Wine Star Awards dinner, during which awards are given to recipients in ten major industry categories.
Responsible Drinking The Glenmorangie Company advocates responsible drinking and suggests that drinkers savor Glenmorangie whiskies in moderation and in line with recommended daily guidelines for alcohol consumption.
This Halloween, Basil Hayden’s cocktail mixologist Daniel Hyatt has created a masterful bourbon cocktail, the Bloody Sunday. Perfectly evil and wonderfully tasty, the Bloody Sunday Cocktail is perfect for all Halloween parties. Mix it up, shake it and serve to enjoy. Happy Halloween!
Bloody Sunday
1 ½ parts Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon
½ part Orange Juice
½ part Grenadine
1 dash Peychaud’s® Bitters
1 barspoon of Crème de Violette
½ Vanilla Bean
***
Shake bourbon, orange juice and bitters with ice.
Strain into cordial glass.
Sink the Crème de Violette and slowly drizzle grenadine over the top.
Place on half of a split of vanilla bean in glass and stir.
Recipe by Charles Joly – Chicago, IL
Recent Comments