Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/359372
92 / the tasting panel / august 2014 NORTH AMERICAN WHISKEY TAP WHISKIES One taste of this whisky will make you wonder why no Canadian distiller in 300 years has thought of it before. Tap 357 Canadian Maple Rye Whisky is a blend of quadruple-distilled rye whiskies matured for three, five and seven years in a combination of new, second- and third-use bourbon barrels. The final touch is the addition of a small amount of pure "Canada 1 Light" maple syrup; afterwards the whisky is rested to allow its constituent flavors to fully integrate. The result is most singular: The reddish/amber hued whisky has a wafting baking spice and maple nose and a palate in which the rye whisky appears on mid-palate, followed closely by the flavor of the maple syrup on the finish. "The response to Tap has been phenomenal," says Norman Bonchick, Chairman and CEO of Van Gogh Imports. "People seem to like it immedi- ately, so there's no learning curve. I liken it to instant gratification." Equally enticing is limited-edition Tap Port Finished Canadian Rye Whisky, which is comprised of pot distilled rye whiskies that are barrel- aged for up to eight years in a combination of American oak and port barrels and port casks. A small amount of port is added just prior to the whisky being cold-filtered and bottled at 82 proof. Wait, there's more! Van Gogh Imports has announced that an eight-year- old Tap Whisky made with Amontillado Sherry will debut later this year. VAN GOGH IMPORTS CYRUS NOBLE SMALL BATCH BOURBON WHISKEY Cyrus Noble was initially a prospector during California's famed Gold Rush. In 1871, he turned his attention away from mining to creating what he hoped would become a world-class bourbon. Noble returned to Ohio and then to Kentucky, where he developed Cyrus Noble Small Batch Bourbon recipe for Haas Brothers of San Francisco. There, the local purveyor developed the brand, expanding it to the town's saloons and upscale eateries, as well as mining camps throughout the Pacific Northwest. Now, more than 140 years after its debut, San Francisco–based Haas Brothers continues to expand on those proud origins. Still made in Kentucky, Cyrus Noble Small Batch Bourbon is a 90-proof straight bourbon whiskey crafted from a mash bill of corn, rye and malted barley. It is aged in charred, new American oak bar- rels. Cyrus Noble is a classy bourbon with spice and fruit aromas and a boatload of oak-induced flavors. Says Haas Brothers National Sales Manager Jacob Lustig, "Our hope is that this historic bourbon will fuel a new generation of innovative and courageous entrepreneurs, inspiring a new wave of authentic self-expression and adventure." HAAS BROTHERS