This week it’s all about the brown spirits! From Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) Access Live 2024 I had many opportunities to try new spirits. In this article, and in the next few following it, I will be sharing the vodka, gin, ready-to-drink craft cocktails, tequila, whisky and bourbons I’ve reviewed.
@BNS_Whisky on Instagram, aka Brave New Spirits online and on Facebook, had several for me to try at WSWA. Thanks to @WhiskyWeegie on Instagram, aka Paul Dempsey, for introducing me to these:
The first I’m sharing here is the McKintyre’s Club and Casino “The Game” single malt whisky, 10 YO, bourbon barrel edition: Caramel, banana, toasted corn, unsalted butter, spicy – all on the nose. Then in the mouth there was orange, white pepper, anise and a lot of spice, maybe from the charred bourbon barrels, also a very long never-ending finish. While there was no burn at all on the nose, the taste was fire-y, made me want to reach for another taste, and another…
And the second bottle from Brave New Spirits was the Celtic Revival, 12 YO single malt whisky: A gorgeous weighted bottle, not the traditional shape, really caught my eye. From the website, “Class by the tumbler. A bar, a band and a casino, the three perfect components of a speakeasy for the Prohibition, enjoy the illicit in comfort and style.” Made in seasoned American Oak casks, from Spey. Aromas included butterscotch hard candy, toasted oak, orange peel and spices that tickled my nose. Rich mouthfeel introduced more spice, orange segments, black pepper, and with a little water – a creaminess. Well done.
One, that we had at WSWA, the Shepherd, is also awesome. @BNS_Whisky
https://www.bravenewspirits.com/
Moving on we have four more whiskies to share:
Tenjaku Whisky Pure Malt, blended whisky, Japan, no age statement. Approximately $9: According to Distiller.com, “Tenjaku Japanese Whisky was released to the US in January 2020. It is comprised of whisky distilled and aged entirely in Japan. The grains used in its production were corn and barley and the whisky was aged from 3-5 years in used bourbon barrels.” Sweet yellow corn, honey, baking spices on the nose with flavors that were both spicy and sweet, plus vanilla, all in a very nice balance. I’ve come to develop more of a fondness for blended whisky than I’ve had in the past, instead of being a purist I’ve noticed that when a distiller is blending he or she can really get the flavor profile they’re after. @tenjaku_usa
The Sassenach Blended Scotch Whisky, Limited Edition, Scotland ($120), multi-medal winner: The brand was “launched” by Scottish actor Sam Heughan, most known for the popular TV series Outlander. I had already reviewed the Sassenach Gin and was looking forward to trying the Scotch blend. Balanced spice, light toast and a soft cream note on the nose, no burn. On the mouth, without water, it was warm and spicy, as I let the whisky rest on my palate, engaging my salivary glands, the heat was cooled as expected and the spice played on and on. I would like this on the rock. Plenty good. https://sassenachspirits.com/ @SassenachSpirits on Instagram.
Slainte 100% Irish whiskey: We had a small sample at WSWA, heard their story during the Brand Battle, and were anxious to review a bottle at our leisure. Aromas of roasted sweet yellow corn, cigar smoke, ash and a hint of menthol beckoned me in for a taste. From there I found it to be a very easy drinker, no water needed, sweet and balanced, with a mouth-coating viscosity, and a nice kick of spice in a very long finish. Made me want more, on the rock or neat. Their Instagram reads, “Pronounced Slahn-Cha. Award-Winning Irish Whiskey. Now available in the United States.” Approximately $38. And $1 of every bottle sold goes to Bluecheck Ukraine, “Since March 2022, BlueCheck has identified, vetted and funded more than 20 frontline organizations providing emergency services to Ukrainian people.” https://www.instagram.com/SlainteWhiskey/
Von Payne Black, blended whiskey infused with natural black currant, $65. Multi-award winner. Bottled in Florida: This was one we learned about at WSWA but there was a snafu at the convention, so we opted to review a bottle at a later time. It did sound very interesting, as it would be new for me to try. Once we removed the seals from the inside stopper and gargoyle pourer, I put a sample in our glasses. The liquid comes out in a narrow waterfall from the gargoyle’s mouth. Very cool. Expecting a lot of black fruit on the nose, I got more wood, as if from cherry wood and sherry oak casks. That developed into black fruit: blackberry and black cherry, as well as the black currant it’s infused with. Now, going in for a taste, I detected Luxardo cherry juice, blackberry jam with jalapeno, darkly toasted oak and a lot of spice! This is not a dessert whiskey, don’t get fooled knowing it’s infused with black currant, as it’s more subtle than that. Of course, I could see this as the last pour of the night with a dish of frozen vanilla custard. Yum! https://vonpayne.com/
https://www.instagram.com/vonpaynewhiskey/
Many of the WSWA bottles were also award winners, see the full report here: https://accesslive.wswa.org/wine-spirits-tasting-competitions
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
