The Tasting Panel magazine

April 2012

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NORTH AMERICAN WHISK(E)Y CAPTIVATING SPIRITS: Jailers, Breakout and Forbidden Secret If you haven't yet heard of the Tennessee Spirits Company a division of the Capital Brands Company, you will. The founders— President Ernie Blockburger; Senior VP and CMO Bob Reider; Senior VP/General Manager of the Tennessee Spirits Company Ray Steelman; and CFO Pete Lazzari—along with newly appointed Master Distiller Dave Scheurich (the man who brought Woodford Reserve out from the dusty shadows of history and into the modern world) are poised to launch one of the most dynamic new distilleries—and some of the best whiskies—ever seen along the Whiskey Trail. While plans for a new distillery in Pulaski, Tennessee, are taking shape, the company has already introduced its fi rst three prod- ucts, sourced from Kentucky and Tennessee under Scheurich's expertise. Authentic Jailers Premium Tennessee Whiskey takes its name from the legend that there was a small island on a Tennessee lake where captured moonshiners were sequestered during Prohibition. "We fi gured that among all those bootleggers, there had to have been some pretty good whiskies," says Reider, "and if anyone was able to get the best whiskies, it had to have been the jailer. " Indeed, cherries, chocolate and white pepper with a cinnamon fi nish makes this a perfect summertime sip while listening to Johnny Cash's "Starkville City Jail." Breakout Premium Rye Whisky is an appropriate eight-year- old companion to Jailer's on the backbar. But it certainly isn't guilty of any crime. In fact, if this rye whiskey was a boxer, I'd put it in the middleweight class—not an overpowering heavyweight but no lightweight when it comes to fl avor. I found it full of wet cedar, red earth and almonds. In short, an excellent pour for someone who wants to enter the world of rye clandestinely, without kicking down the door. The company's Forbidden Secret Cream Liqueur—pure cream from Wisconsin combined with mocha and a touch of Jailers Tennessee whiskey—is best served and kept chilled, although I bumped the 30 proof up a bit by adding an additional splash of Jailers. After all, it never hurts to have the law on your side. CAPITAL BRANDS/TENNESSEE SPIRITS COMPANY Wild Turkey Wild Turkey is pure Americana, thanks to a fellow named Tom McCarthy, who wanted to share his personal turkey-hunting bourbon with the rest of country. Today it has gone beyond his classic Wild Turkey 101, and includes Russell's Reserve 10 Year Old, the meaty barrel proof Rare Breed and the fi nely crafted single barrel Kentucky Spirit. And now comes Wild Turkey 81 Proof, for those who still want to be able to carve the turkey on Thanksgiving Day. CAMPARI AMERICA 66 / the tasting panel / april 2012 Blanton's Named after Colonel Albert Bacon Blanton, in 1984 this smoothly masculine whiskey became the fi rst "modern" single barrel bourbon. There is an almost creamy quality to the spirit, which warmly embraces its honeyed caramel notes. SAZERAC COMPANY Hudson You gotta take notice of a bourbon bottled in New York (the fi rst). And only in 375 mls. Doesn't take much space on the bar. Their corn whiskey Baby Bourbon is only four years old and proud of it (that's why it's a baby). Hudson Four Grain Bourbon is the fi rst pot-distilled whiskey to be produced in New York's Hudson Valley since Prohibition. Corn, wheat, rye, barley—they all work together. Smooth and slightly sweet. TUTHILLTOWN SPIRITS Jeff erson's Jefferson's Reserve at 90.2 proof is rich in caramel and vanilla while their Very Small Batch, at 82.3 proof, leans more towards the caramel side. Their fuller and deeper 18 Year Old Presidential Select, at 94 proof, was distilled in 1991 and is rumored to be the last of the old Stitzel-Weller stocks from Louisville. CASTLE BRANDS INC. Breckenridge From the world's high- est distillery (in Colorado) comes this small batch bourbon. Although young, it's loaded with a high rye mash bill (38%), which adds to the sweetness, and the crisp snowmelt mountain water wraps everything together in a smooth blanket. BRECKENRIDGE DISTILLERY Balcones They claim this is a corn whiskey, not a bour- bon; but it's been barrel- aged (albeit for about four months, but in extremely small barrels to speed up the aging), so I'm calling it an underaged bourbon —a contradiction in terms, to be sure. The True Blue is dark and slightly resiny, while the Baby Blue lets the grain whiskey taste fl oat to the top. BALCONES DISTILLING

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