Review: Evan Williams Bottled in Bond

Evan Williams Bottled in Bond (White Label)- 50%, $15


Nose: Carmel corn.  Vanilla.

Taste:  Sweet corn and caramel which is balanced nicely by oak.  This is more corn forward but the oak keeps it from being too sweet.  The corn gives way to whispers of vanilla on the finish.

Conclusion: If someone asked me what a prototypical bourbon flavor profile was this would be pretty close to it.  This is very bourbony (if that's a thing).  That is by no means a knock on it, this is very good.  There are some cheap bourbons that are very good and terrific values, this is one.  Cheaper bourbons tend to be younger, and this is on the younger side but it's in the sweet spot of age where bourbon really shines.  I highly recommend this.

Good + Cheap = Value

Coming up will be my first break from brandy.  There are a lot of amazing whiskeys out there.  When it comes to bourbon there are bourbons that are very expensive and some that are very cheap.  I get just as much enjoyment from the cheap as I do the expensive.  While the special editions and limited editions get a lot of reviews one of my favorite segments tends to get overlooked: good and cheap.  Bourbon doesn't have to be old to be great, in fact the sweet spot is probably 4-10 years.  Even by 10 years bourbon is getting pretty oak forward.  I do love an older bourbon too, don't get me wrong.  I think Elijah Craig 12 (I haven't had the new NAS version yet) and Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond are both fantastic, and I have had some old and very oak forward bourbons that I quite enjoyed but as much as I enjoyed those I also have very much enjoyed some of the younger and cheaper bourbons.  Not all young bourbon is going to be great, or even very good, but a lot of it is and some of it is startlingly cheap and surprisingly available.

While I do plan to mix in whiskey (and whisky) on this blog and plan to drink all types of it (for man can not live on brandy alone) initially I plan to focus on the cheap and good for that is where value lies and these days value seems to be becoming the new true rarity in whiskey.  Coming up: value bourbon week.

Review: 1983 Domaine de Maouhum 32 Year Old Armagnac

1983 Domaine de Maouhum 32 Year Old Armagnac - 2015 bottling - 42%, $100


Nose: Leather, tobacco, earthy, pepper.

Taste:  This has a rich and savory taste.  This really sings.  The initial sip is engaging and has a bit of magic to it.  There is rich oak spice which overpowers the fruit.  The fruit is very muted, I get a little bit of plum wine but not much else in the way of fruit.  The finish leaves some carmel but overall this is dry and oaky.

Conclusion: This is bold and oaky and really tasty.  It's dry, this is a celebration of oak but it's still balanced.  This was very, very good.

Review: Jacques Esteve Coup de Coeur Cognac

Jacques Esteve Coup de Coeur Cognac - A blend of 1979 and 1981 Cognacs, 2015 bottling - 40%


Appearance: A golden orange, somewhere between gold and amber.

Nose: A very sweet nose, some peach, a little orange and passion fruit.

Taste: Big peach up front, then some pineapple and rock candy sweetness but it's not overwhelming.  The oak is subtle but is there and helps to balance and dry out some of the sweeter notes.

Conclusion: This is very good and very well balanced.  It's deceiving at 40%, I would have guessed higher.  Very often I find spirits lacking at 40% but this isn't, it's still full flavored and full bodied.

Review: Domaine de Papolle 28 Year Old

Domaine de Papolle 28 Year Old 1987, 45% - 2015 Bottling



Appearance: Dark and brooding. Burnt caramel. A watered down Coca-Cola

Nose: Oak, spice and caramel. 

Taste: On the entry it's citrus, orange zest and candied lime with waves of vanilla and oak. The vanilla lingers on the finish leaving a strong cream soda taste. Really nice flavor.

Conclusion: This is well integrated with some lovely flavors. The oak is very present but never overpowering.

Review: Ladeveze Plant de Graisse Tenereze Armagnac 1998 - 16 Year Old Armagnac

Ladeveze Plant de Graisse Tenereze Armagnac 1998 - 16 Year Old Armagnac, 2015 bottling, 45%

Appearance:  Light gold, the color of sunshine. 

Nose:  Sweet fruit, a bit floral, alcohol is present but only slightly.  Has a nose more similar to a lot of Cognacs than Armagnacs.

Taste: This has a lot of similarities to a Cognac while still retaining some of the rustic nature of an Armangnac.  The palate confirms the sweetness that was on the nose but it’s balanced by the presence of oak which dries it out a bit on the finish compared to the initial entry but this is still on the sweeter side.  There is a whisper of vanilla and cherry in here.  The palate is more sweet than fruity, the kind of sweetness you get from white grape juice. 

Conclusion: This is a pleasant Armagnac.  It’s good, not great.  For the price of $120 a bottle I think it’s overpriced, at $70 - $80 it would be priced right.  This was recently marked down to $90 at K&L so it’s getting close.  There are some good things going on with this but I never felt that it was very well integrated.  I’m enjoying my bottle but I don’t reach for it often.  This is sweeter than what I usually look for in an Armagnac so it could just not be right for my palate.

Review: Laird's Straight Apple Brandy - 100 proof

Laird's Straight Apple Brandy - 100 proof


Appearance: A little darker than straw, the color of apple juice coincidentally enough.

Nose: Bright, ripe, fresh apples.

Taste: Baked apple, Mott's apple juice, some oak spice and a lot of creamy vanilla on the finish. That vanilla finish lingers and is really, really nice.

Conclusion: Laird's is no longer bonded meaning that it is no longer all four year old brandy.  This is rumored to be a mostly four year brandy with some three and five year barrels in the mix.  Whatever it's a mix of it's full of really clean, juicy apple flavor and is very, very good.  I always keep a bottle of this around.  It's refreshing and a nice change of pace from grape brandies every now and then.