Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/118688
Tasting Notes At 80 proof, all the Bird Dog Whiskey flavors are suitable for sipping neat, serving on the rocks or using in classic or creative cocktails. Bird Dog Blackberry David Halliday, General Manager of Tower Beer, Wine & Spirits in Atlanta, is convinced Bird Dog Whiskey will be a category leader. A Win-Win Strategy Bird Dog Blackberry Flavored Whiskey is available nationwide, while the brand's two latest flavors—Peach and Hot Cinnamon—are already in 30 states and counting. Halliday says the Bird Dog Flavored Whiskey line has a great chance of becoming the category leader. "I'm certainly pulling for them, because they are good partners in the business," the retailer says. Halliday's liquor store is Atlanta's number-one wine and spirits outlet, and he's carrying full pallets of all of Bird Dog's products, with prominent in-store exposure. Not surprisingly, each Bird Dog product is selling briskly, he reports. "These flavored whiskeys are just a hot item around the country right now," Halliday says. As for why he prefers working with Bird Dog, Halliday's 40 years of experience has taught him that many new brands come and go. "When you've been around the business as long as I have, you pull for people that have been there for you," he says. "And from my standpoint, we will be doing our part to keep them in the spotlight. I'm looking forward to trying to help them develop the brand, because we both have a vested interest in making it successful." A Little History, A Little Law Flavored whiskey actually comes from historic roots. In the early 1800s, Canadian and Kentucky whiskey distillers flavored whiskeys to make them more palatable—not so much a concern today, but likely a necessity in the days when quality control was sketchy at best. In his new book, Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage, bourbon historian Mike Veach gives an 1810sera recipe for "cherry bounce" finished whiskey. Like any other spirits category, flavored whiskeys are regulated by the federal government. According to the U.S. Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB), the predominant flavor for any brand must appear on the label as part of the designation—Cherry Flavored Whisky, for example—and the flavor must come from natural flavoring materials, with or without addition of sugar. The product must be bottled at not less than 60 proof. And any flavored whiskey's base spirit must meet TTB's definition for that respective spirit. Two different all-natural, handselected blackberry flavors are infused to create a warm, complex whiskey. The nose delivers a powerful and familiar blackberry sweetness that's pleasing and expected. But the expected is followed by the unexpected, with hints of raspberry, vanilla and cinnamon. Bird Dog Peach This super fruity nose is reminiscent of freshly cut peaches— peach pie, anyone? A good sniff shows it's more than just peach, however; there's some apple, caramel and even whipped cream hiding under the peach layer. The palate's creaminess is more like a cordial than a flavored whiskey, a compliment to the spirit's smoothness. Bird Dog Hot Cinnamon An explosion of Christmas spice—cinnamon, nutmeg—or perhaps you'd rather call it a Jolly Rancher cinnamon fire nose. But the flavor source is right there on the nose, never hiding what it is. The spice tickles the tongue without alcohol bite. The whiskey base comes through slightly with a hint of caramel and vanilla. april 2013 / the tasting panel / 49