Category: Uncategorized

Things that don’t fit neatly in other categories

Review: Royal Brackla 11-Year 2006 Virgin French Oak Exclusive Malts

On By MajorHopIn 85-89, Highland, Royal Brackla, Scotch, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Price: $100 for 750 ml

Distilled/Owned by: Royal Brackla / The Exclusive Malts

Region: Highland

58.2% ABV

Aged For: 11-Years, distilled 2006

Mashbill: 100% malted barley

Cask Type: Virgin French oak

Chill Filtered: No

Color Added: No

Color: Amber

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Oak, honey, malt, vanilla, Peach/apricot, French pastries, sweet and sticky syrup

Feel: full bodied, thick

Taste: Vanilla, oak, honey, backlava, spices, subtle, sweet, baked goods

Finish: medium warmth, long, oak, vanilla, honey, malt, ect

Thoughts: awesome oak/vanilla malt bomb

Score: 85/100

Domaine d’Esperance 14 Year 1998

On By MajorHopIn 80-84, Armagnac, Brandy, Domaine d’Esperance, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Domaine d’Esperance 98

Paid: $95 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Domaine d’Esperance

Region: Bas Armagnac, France

49% ABV

Aged For: 14 years

Grapes: Baco 22 A

Cask Type: French Gascon Oak, medium toast

Chill Filtered: No

Color Added: No

Color: Tawny

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Oak, sweet grapes, cinnamon, butterscotch, baking spices

Mouthfeel: Supple

Palate/Taste: A nice dry sweetness, raisins, toasted oak, coffee, and rye spice

Finish: Medium warmth and length, dry port wine, cloves oak, fig, and chocolate

Thoughts: This is one of the younger Armagnacs I have tried that would appeal to a bourbon drinker, while still being very distinctly a brandy.

Score: 83 out of 100

Berneroy XO Calvados

On By MajorHopIn 70-74, Berneroy, Brandy, Calvados, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Berneroy XO Calvados

Price: $30 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Berneroy

Region: Normandy, France

40% ABV

Aged For: NAS, XO, Minimum 6 Years

Cask Type: “Seasoned” Barrels

Distillate: 180+ types of apples

Chill Filtered: Undisclosed

Color Added: Undisclosed

Color: Tarnished gold

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Cinnamon, apple, nougat, floral, and sugary fruits

Mouthfeel: Light bodied

Palate/Taste: Apples, vanilla, gentle plum, fig, floral, cider

Finish: Light warmth, short in length, apple, cinnamon, with pear, orchard fruit, and gentle oak

Thoughts: The flavors are solid, but the palate and finish are too gentle and weak for my personal preference.

Score: 74 out of 100

Michel Huard Reserve Hors d’ Age Le Pertyer Calvados

On By MajorHopIn 80-84, Brandy, Calvados, Huard, UncategorizedLeave a comment

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Paid: $60 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Huard

Region: Normandy, France

40% ABV

Aged For: NAS, Hors d’ Age

Cask Type: Oak Casks

Distillate: About 30 types of apple

Chill Filtered: Undisclosed

Color Added: Undisclosed

 

Color: Off gold

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Apple cinnamon tart, orchard fruit, baking spices, more apples

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body

Palate/Taste: Cinnamon, nutmeg, apple, caramel, baking spice, and what I can best describe as autumn flavors

Finish: Medium warmth and length, apple, tart, dry, crisp sweetness

Thoughts: It’s the fall season in a bottle!

Score: 80 out of 100

Ron Zacapa XO

On By MajorHopIn 75-79, Guatemala, Rum, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Ron Zacapa XO

Price: $120 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Industria Licoreras de Guatemala / Diageo

Region: Guatemala

40% ABV

Distillate: Sugarcane honey

Aged For: NAS, 6-23 years Solera style

Cask Type: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry, finished in cognac casks

Chill Filtered: Yes

Additives used: Yes

Color: Cloudy old oak

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Old molasses, oak, coconut, brown sugar, vanilla

Mouthfeel: Light bodied

Palate/Taste: Vanilla, flat cola, brown sugar, marzipan, more sugar

Finish: Short length, light warmth, molasses, sugar, vanilla, coconut, and coca-cola

Thoughts: I prefer my rum neat, but this is pretty close to drinking a rum and coke on its own, not worth the price.

Score: 77 out of 100

 

Park Cognac 28 Year Old “Lot 28” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #401

On By MajorHopIn 75-79, Brandy, Cognac, Park Cognac, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Park Cognac 28

Price: $109 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Park Cognac

Region: Grand Champagne Cognac, France

44.5% ABV

Aged For: 28 Years

Chill Filtered: No

Color Added: No

Color: Reddish amber

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Honeysuckle, gentle grapes, melon, sugar, floral, and oak

Mouthfeel: Light bodied

Palate/Taste: Gentle fruits, melon, honey flowers, Cantaloupe

Finish: Light to medium warmth, medium length, melon, oak, spice, citrus, and floral notes

Thoughts: I picked up tons of melon and flowers, and thought that with this much age it would have picked up heavier deeper flavors from the wood. Too light for my palate.

Score: 75 out of 100

 

Remy Martin VSOP

On By MajorHopIn 65-69, Brandy, Cognac, Remy Martin, UncategorizedLeave a comment

img_20180811_203401

Price: $35 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Remy Martin

Region: France

40% ABV

Aged For: NAS, 4-12 years

Cask Type: Oak casks

Chill Filtered: Yes

Color Added:Yes

Color: Amber

Drank:

Nose: Wood pulp, white grapes, citrus, grass, floral

Mouthfeel: Light bodied

Palate/Taste: Light grape, oak, dried citrus, raisin, and floral notes

Finish: Short, and light warmth, light grape and floral notes with artificial sweetner

Thoughts: Not a fan, too light, sweet, and artificial.

Score: 68 out of 100

Alberta Rye Dark Batch

On By MajorHopIn 75-79, Blend, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Alberta Rye Dark Batch

Paid: $25 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Alberta Distillers & Jim Beam / Beam Suntory

Region: Canada, America, Spain

45% ABV

Aged For: NAS

Color Added : Nah, but they threw some sherry in there

 

 

Color: Reddish amber

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Sweet fruits, rye bread, damp wood, chocolate

Feel: Slick and light

Taste: Cherry, rye, cedar wood, peppercorn, sherry, clove, chocolate

Finish: Medium length, light burn, with leather rye, berries, and grape tarts.

Thoughts: I can’t see myself reach for it often, but it’s interesting and enjoyable when I’m in the mood.

Score: 79 out of 100

Compass Box Orangerie

On By MajorHopIn 65-69, Blend, UncategorizedLeave a comment

CB Orange

Received this as a free bonus when I ordered a drink of the Hedonism Quindecimus. I didn’t approach it as a scotch, but more of a liquor like Irish Mist or Drambuie. Infused with oranges and clove, I wonder what it could possibly taste like?

Price: $50 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Combination of Glen Moray and Cameronbridge whisky / Compass Box

Region: Scotland

40% ABV

Aged For: No word on this, I would guess young, not that you’d be able to pick out the complexity

Additives: The whisky is “infused”, but no synthetic ingredients have been used.

 

 

Color: Orangish Copper

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: It couldn’t possibly be orange? Yeah it’s orange. Sweet sugary orange.

Taste: Juicy succulent orange. Very faint hints of clove and cinnamon overpowered by orange.

Finish: Now its bitter orange! But quick and leaves a feeling like you just drank some malt liquor.

Thoughts: The whisky equivalent of triple sec, no complexity or reason to drink this neat, but I could see it making some interesting cocktails.

Score: 65 out of 100