Eve's Wine 101

The Busker “Triple Cask Triple Smooth” Beats Established Competitors in Blind Tasting; Rated Best Irish Whiskey Blend

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NEW YORK (PRWEB) – The Busker, a “new-to-world” Irish Whiskey, is proud to announce that it was named the top Irish Whiskey Blend in a blind, independent tasting of industry experts. The Busker “Triple Cask Triple Smooth” was blind-tasted against four leading Irish whiskeys in similar price points, including Proper Twelve, Jameson, Bushmills and Tullamore D.E.W. The panel consisted of five renowned industry experts, including Andy Seymour, Julie Reiner, Anu Apte, Sean Kenyon and Jackie Summers. The panel judged each spirit on appearance, nose, aroma and finish. Awarded the highest aggregate score, The Busker “Triple Cask Triple Smooth” was recognized as a standout among the judges for its distinctive taste in a world of similar-tasting Irish whiskeys.

“The Busker is unique, unlike any other of the whiskies we tasted,” said Andy Seymour, owner of Liquid Productions and partner in BAR. “All the others were going in the same direction, and this stood out right away. The Busker has a bolder and richer taste that we all immediately picked up on.”

“The Busker is an apple among oranges,” said New York-based Julie Reiner, known for her award-winning beverage programs at Clover Club and Leyenda. “This is a whiskey that bartenders will embrace because it will perform excellently in craft cocktails.” The panel noted that the bold flavors of The Busker make it suitable for sipping as well as for cocktails that might overwhelm less distinctive Irish whiskeys.

The Busker “Triple Cask Triple Smooth” combines the Busker Single Grain with a high percentage of The Busker’s Single Malt and Single Pot whiskeys. Matured and finished in three different casks (Bourbon, Sherry, Marsala), this whiskey brings a new definition of richness and smoothness to the Irish whiskey landscape. The flavor profile of The Busker “Triple Cask Triple Smooth” blend is ideal for multiple consumption occasions, from sipping neat or on the rocks to classic cocktails that don’t typically use Irish whiskey, like Manhattans, Sours, tiki drinks, Old-Fashioneds or even the Vieux-Carre. These are cocktails that craft bartenders embrace and cocktails that are trending at-home with consumers.

“Our team at The Royal Oak Distillery set out to make an Irish whiskey that would appeal not only to Irish whiskey drinkers, but also to bourbon lovers,” said Ignacio Llaneza, Vice President of Brand & Trade Marketing for Disaronno International in the U.S. “We’re able to achieve a fuller, rounder whiskey with a higher malt content in the recipe, and triple cask finishing in Bourbon, Sherry and Marsala casks. Ultimately, we want to provide a journey into Irish whiskey at an affordable price point. Based on the tremendous feedback from our esteemed judging panel, quite frankly we believe The Busker has the potential to become the preferred Irish whiskey in the United States.”

Jackie Summers, creator of Sorel Liqueur and named Drinks International’s “100 Most Influential Bar Industry Figures” (2020) and Imbibe 75 (2021), noted that “The Busker was the outlier, and the only bottle I would drink and buy again.” Denver-based Sean Kenyon, the person behind award-winning bars Williams & Graham, Occidental and American Bonded and recognized as Tales of the Cocktail’s American Bartender of the Year (2014), agreed, calling The Busker blend “a real stand out, something interesting in the Irish whiskey world where the others go in the same direction.” Anu Apte, behind a number of award-winning Seattle bars including Rob Roy, No Anchor, Navy Strength, Vinnie’s Wine Shop and The Bar Bazaar enjoyed The Busker’s round, soft and integrated notes. “The Busker brings an exciting and very different new distillate to market,” she said.

The blind tasting recognition follows The Busker “Triple Cask Triple Smooth” receiving a “Best Buy” rating and 94 points in the April 2021 issue of Wine Enthusiast. This impressive ranking outclassed the other major whiskey brands, and was the highest-rated Irish whiskey when measured against similar priced competitors.

About The Busker
The Busker is a “new to world” Irish Whiskey that is born out of a modern Ireland, where the contemporary and bold meet at the crossroads of tradition. The Busker is produced at the Royal Oak Distillery, in County Carlow, Ireland, located on an 18th century estate in Ireland’s Ancient East region. It is the only distillery in Ireland which offers all three classic Irish styles of whiskey – Single Grain, Single Malt, & Single Pot Still, which make The Busker Single Collection. The Busker portfolio also includes The Busker Blend which is a beautiful blend of The Single Collection. The Busker uses different casks during the maturation process of their whiskeys including Bourbon casks, Sherry casks and Marsala casks. Most recently, The Busker took home multiple top accolades at the 2020 LA Spirits Awards: The Busker Single Malt was awarded the 2020 Platinum Medal and Best Irish Whiskey, while the Single Pot Still and Blend were awarded the Gold Medal.

For more information, visit http://www.thebusker.com and join the conversation at @thebusker_official

Vintage Eve Circa 12/2014: Tasting Autumn and Oak

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Reviewing two Wine Of the Month Club samples for you today I found myself once again marveling at owner Paul Kalemkiarian’s remarkable palate. He samples more wine than anyone I know, has a great 3-part rating system, and over the years has supplied his club members with the most incredible deals. And, since this wine101er is not a wine snob that bases her purchases on well-known labels or price alone…I always look forward to seeing what bargains Paul has discovered for his members.

Eve and Paul filming at Wine of the Month Club.

Eve and Paul filming at Wine of the Month Club.

Red Autumn

2012 California Chardonnay

Vinted and Bottled by Red Autumn, Napa, CA.

13.9% alcohol

 

Appearance – Pale yellow, clear and clean.

Aroma – Crisp Granny Smith apples, anise, buttered popcorn, toasted rye bread, coconut, a whiff of white pepper, aromatic and perfumy.

Taste – Buttery, oak, sliced pears in light syrup, grassy, nice creamy mouthfeel, pale acid with a medium length.

Conclusion – Wholly pleasant. Would enjoy with soft cheeses, seafood salad, and to cut through the cream in clam chowder or pasta in an Alfredo sauce.

 

Oak Grove

2012 California Reserve Petite Sirah

San Martin, Santa Clara County, CA

13.0% alcohol

 

Appearance – Opaque, black.

Aroma – Crushed blueberry, blackberry, cracked black pepper, eucalyptus, both milk and dark chocolate.

Taste – Same berry profile, nice balance for young Petite Sirah, back palate is rich with tannin and lingering fruit. Nice long peppery finish.

Conclusion – This would stand up to grilled game as well as steaks with Béarnaise sauce to grilled mushrooms, but it also makes me crave pepperoni pizza.

 

About Wine of the Month

Wine of the Month Club™ is the oldest mail order wine club in America. Specializing in value-oriented wines, the Wine of the Month Club is open to anyone who has an appreciation of fine wine and is interested in a monthly wine club service. Quality wine delivered to your door, guaranteed!

Our search for our wine club selections never ends. Each month I taste over 400 Italian wines, German wines, California wines, Argentinean wine, Chilean wines, and wines from all the other regions of the world—and I only select 2 to represent the best wine values in the world.

Website: http://www.wineofthemonthclub.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WineoftheMonthClub

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years.  She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition.  You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Vintage Eve Circa Jan 2013: Chocolate Tasting Separates the Dark from Light, the Leather from the Tea, the Raspberry from the Black Currant

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In keeping to my theory that those who spend time thinking about the aromas and flavors in their wine notice more about what is on their dinner plate, and, in taking it a step further, are blissfully aware of the trees and sky during a drive…to a wine bar or favorite restaurant.

chocolate-1720616_960_720So, it thrilled me when Wine Spectator magazine ran the story, “How to Taste Chocolate”, and supplied the handy Tasting Sheet to host a tasting, both written by Owen Dugan.

(For the article: You must login as a member but you can get the tasting sheet in a PDF. Scroll down until you see the chocolate header: www.winespectator.com/123112)

I read the one-page article with great interest as I had a special dinner coming up, my guests were chocolate fans, and this would save the pesky, “What to make for dessert” dilemma.

I learned from Dugan that I would need a variety of manufacturers, I would have to place the chocolate facedown (as name recognition – just like when tasting wine – creates a bias), glossy is more refined than dull, and we would need to slowly move the chocolate around in our mouths to detect the primary flavors.

For my tasting I cut off the section of the cardboard wrapper, which listed the cocoa percentage, and taped each underneath the corresponding serving plate. All could see that we were going dark to light, but there were some surprises (ingredients) along the way.

Dugan suggested going from light to dark, but as I wanted my guests to taste the gradual difference, from bitter to sweet, I did it opposite. Everyone enjoyed the chocolate more and more as it progressively grew less bitter as we worked our way to less cocoa and more milk.

Below is a collective of what we found during our blind tasting (Note: I used Appearance over Dugan’s “Look” and “Bite”, Flavor over “Savor.”)

Bar #1 – Appearance/First Bite: Matte, dark, clean, crisp, smooth and dry.

Flavor: Earthy, orange, coffee, leather, mushroom, smoke, tea with a short, bitter finish.

Comment: “A lot like a woman on a Sunday morning: cold and bitter!”

 

Bar #2 – Appearance/First Bite: More matte than glossy, dark, clean, crisp, smooth and dry.

Flavor: Earthy, leather, tea, smoke, nuts, coffee with a short to medium, bitter finish.

Comment: “The tea flavor reminds me of an Earl Gray.”

 

Bar #3 – Appearance/First Bite: Medium matte/gloss, medium dark and mottled, with a medium dull, grainy first impression.

Flavor: Stewed fruit, floral, savory spice, molasses, cinnamon, sweet herbs, nuts, vanilla and coffee, medium length.

 

Bar #4 – Appearance/First Bite: Glossy, dark, clean with a bite that was crisp, smooth and melty.

Flavor: Floral, plum, earthy, tea, molasses, orange, caramel, fruity and vanilla leading to a longer, sweeter finish.

Comment: “The best yet” and “Hot cocoa.”

 

Bar #5 – Appearance/First Bite: Medium matte/gloss, medium color, mottled with a crisp, smooth and grainy first taste.

Flavor: Floral, fruity, flowers, stewed fruit, pineapple, plum, citrus, raspberry, red berries, vanilla, savory spice and milk leading to a long sweet finish.

Comment: “My fave.”

 

Bar #6 – Appearance/First Bite: matte, light, clean, dull, smooth and melty.

Flavor: Earthy, tea, molasses, fruity, caramel, vanilla, nuts, coffee and very milky.

 

What was revealed

Bar #1 was Lindt Excellence, 90% Cocoa

Bar #2 was Godiva Santo Domingo, 85% Cacao*

Bar #3 was Godiva Dark Chocolate Almond, 72% Cacao

Bar #4 was Perugina Luisa, 51% Cacao

Bar #5 was Lindt Excellence, Black Currant Dark, 49% Cacao

Bar #6 was Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk, 32% Cacao

*Cacao and Cocoa are the same thing.

Conclusion

Can you say fun? Something new? Light dessert? Inexpensive? Or all four? Besides all that, the big thing we learned was that the black currant in Bar #5, was a surprise over the others. Not due to the sudden fruit, but to how we described it. Much like describing wine made from grapes, right?

And, as predicted, halfway through, at bar #3, I had more fans of the dark. My conclusion was that, just like in a wine tasting, appreciation grows as you taste and learn.

Vintage Eve Oct 2012: One-Bottle Post, 2010 Pulchella Zinfandel, Mainini Vineyard

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Pulchella Winery

2010 Mainini Vineyard Zinfandel

Paso Robles

Alcohol 15.3%

Pulchella glasses in winery, photo credit Rick Lott

Pulchella glasses in winery, photo credit Rick Lott

Disclosure

For a change, and for fun, I pulled out my “WSET* Systematic Approach to Tasting Level 2 to use during the tasting of this wine. I often use the guide in Wine 101 tastings to help beginners, and those not-so-new to wine, with descriptors that sometimes are on the tip of our tongue, literally, that a little prompting helps identify. And all my tastes are with a 1 to 2 ounce pour, which means what I find in the color may be lighter than you would in a 4 to 6 ounce pour.

Appearance

Clear in clarity, deep intensity, and over a white sheet or paper the colour (yes, that’s how they spell in England) is garnet with a ruby edge.

Nose

The condition was clean, the intensity medium to pronounced, and the characteristics included plum, blackberry, black cherry, some fig, black olive, mint, walnut, and milk chocolate.

Palate

Ripe dark fruit, juicy plum, raisin, white pepper, nice tannins, and for the percentage of alcohol I thought it decidedly very nicely balanced between the fruit and tannins.

Conclusion

I’d gone through my 2-once pour by this time and decided I would mull over my conclusion with a nice 4-ounce glass. The WSET gives me one-word answers ranging from poor to outstanding. I do find that tough as I think there is more to a conclusion. I found the wine very good to outstanding. I plan on pairing it with a burger and fries in a few minutes. And, I want to thank Pulchella Winery winemakers Steve Lemley and Nate Hasper for their talents.

*Wine and Spirits Education Trust is a sommelier certification course that originated, and is graded, in England. To learn more or to find local classes, this is their website:

http://www.wsetglobal.com/

http://www.pulchellawinery.com/l

Our allocations are available to our wine Club Members and guests visiting our tasting room exclusively. All releases typically sell out less than one year after release and before their potential. Our winemakers are in the tasting room quite often, personally walking each guest down their dirt road of passion. Our tasting room is located at: 24261 Main Street in the Oldtown Newhall historical district. (91321). We are typically open for tastings Thurs – sat from 5 pm to 10pm and Sunday 12pm – 5pm.
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however hours do vary so please call our tasting room at 661-799-wine for current hours. Closed all major holidays./ hours

Becoming a Guerrilla

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Today we have one of my Two-Bottle posts of Wine Guerrilla Zinfandels crafted by Bruce Patch.  (Info on how you can become a guerrilla, and get your hands on possibly “the greatest Zin in the world”, is below the tasting report):

09 Harris-Kratka Vineyard Zinfandel

Alexander Valley, Sonoma County

85% Zinfandel, 10% Carignan & 5% Petite Sirah
14.8 percent alcohol

268 Cases Produced

Appearance – Bright garnet to a ruby edge, opaque.

Aroma – Plums, musty mushrooms, black peppercorns, stewed fruit, rare sirloin.

Taste – Brighter than expected, pushing tart fruit deep into my palate and leaving a lingering dryness, dark and light fruit, pepper, astringency causing my tastebuds to erect and a lingering juiciness.

Conclusion – To age or not to age…if you want the bright fruit to match the nose, age it.  If you don’t care, as I did, drink one bottle now, cellar another no more than five years…and see.

09 Conte Vineyards Russian River Valley

83% Zin, 12% Petite Sirah, 2% Carignan, 2% Alacante Bouchet, and 1% Grenache

15.1 percent alcohol

238 cases produced

Appearance – Magenta to purple colored, stretched out to just a sliver of darker edge.

Aroma – Sweet dark fruits – plum and blackberry, mushrooms, forest floor, a slight mustiness-gamey quality that made me hungry.

Taste – Juicy dark fruit, sharp tannins, black pepper, smoother in five minutes, but both were very pleasant.

Conclusion –  Extremely long and flavorful finish.

Membership Info:

Membership has its privileges….you can chose your membership one of two ways: the club is 6 bottles twice a year or 12 bottles twice a year.  Bruce said, “Our first Zindicate release (wine club only) will be the 2010 Monte Rosso Vineyard Sonoma Valley Zinfandel.  This may just be the most famous Zinfandel vineyard in the world.”

From the website: Wine Guerrilla is a hero to those who seek wines of unabashed uniqueness and character. Wherever proud zinfandel grapes are oppressed and the taste buds of consumers are in peril, Wine Guerrilla is there!

The Zindicate wine club offers single vineyard Zinfandels that are not available at any restaurant or wine store nationally as well as all of our other releases. And, you get 25% off all wine purchases once you are a member and have received your first shipment.  http://WineGuerrilla.com