Month: January 2015

Review: Traverse City Whiskey Co. Straight Bourbon XXX Whiskey

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Traverse City Whiskey Co

With this being our inaugural review, and taking the growing Michigan Bourbon landscape into account, it is important for us to feature one of the many offerings from our home state!  Without further ado, let’s get into it:

Product Details

  • Producer: The Traverse City Whiskey Co. (sourced from MGPI)
  • Location: Traverse City, Michigan
  • Name: Straight Bourbon XXX Whiskey
  • Classification: Small Batch & Hand Crafted
  • Specific Characteristics: Batch Number 006
  • Age: “Four years or more”
  • Proof: 86
  • Michigan Minimum Shelf Price: $29.99

Tasting Notes

Smell: Sweet corn immediately dominates the nasal passages, giving way to savory spices. Rose petal aroma is present after a couple of minutes, as is only a minor alcohol scent indicating its relatively low proof.  Overall, a fairly balanced yet not very complex aroma that doesn’t overpower the palate.

Taste: Like the aroma hinted at, this Bourbon is sweet first, but not overly so.  Spicy flavors from the rye quickly catch up and balance the taste, with an earthy pecan-like flavor mixed in. Flavors of orange, caramel, and cinnamon are also present.

Summary 

Despite not being very old or complex, this Straight Bourbon is balanced from the time the bottle is opened and moves around the mouth as one would hope for.  It is noticeably sweet first on the tip of the tongue, bitter for a only a moment, and then moves to the sides of the tongue for a lingering salty and slightly sweet finish.  As a seasoned Bourbon enthusiast, this is what I would expect for the market around the $30 price point. Although it wouldn’t personally be my first choice of sipping Bourbons in this price range, it is better than I expected from a relatively new brand.  My wife, who is a little bit less of a Bourbon drinker, found it to be enjoyable and commented that it is “very good” and “smooth.”

Recommendation and Score

Recommendation: I would not hesitate to recommend this Bourbon for use in higher-grade cocktails, or as a sipping Bourbon for those new to drinking Bourbon.

Score: 84 out of 100 overall.

Old Forester 1870 Replaces Single Barrel

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As of today, Old Forester Single Barrel will no longer be available in Michigan.  While this may sound like disappointing news to Single Barrel Bourbon lovers, it may not be as hard to swallow as it first sounds.

A new product, Old Forester 1870 Original Batch will now be available. It will be the first release in their new Whiskey Row Series being introduced to celebrate the brand’s history.  According to the Old Forester website – and as the name indicates – this release will be created in a similar fashion as their original batches:

“Old Forester selects barrels from three different warehouses, with each barrel originating from a different day of production, with a different entry proof and a different age profile. The three expressions of Old Forester are batched together to craft Old Forester 1870 Original Batch.”

Both of the Bourbon’s mentioned are 90 proof, and 750 mL bottles of the 1870 will be available in Michigan starting January 4th, 2015 with a minimum shelf price of $44.99.

Jim Beam Straight Rye Whiskey

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Even with the recent surge in the popularity of Bourbon, 2015 may be shaping up to be the “Year of the Rye.” With Woodford Reserve already announcing the addition of a Straight Rye Whiskey, it’s no surprise that Jim Beam is following suit.

As was the case with Woodford Reserve, Jim Beam also made the product announcement via Facebook on New Year’s Day.  However, those with a taste for Rye won’t be forced to wait months for this new product!  750 mL bottles of the 90 proof Rye are already in the Michigan distribution channel with a state minimum price of $19.99, and are already on the shelves at many area bars and stores.

Woodford Reserve Straight Rye Whiskey!

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Originally reported by BourbonBlog.com in August, 2014, Woodford Reserve has now confirmed via Facebook that Straight Rye Whiskey will be “available in select markets this February.”  If the bottle label from the release photo is of the final product, it will be available in 750 mL bottles at 90.4 proof.

Information is not yet available on whether Michigan will be one of the select markets, but previous Woodford Reserve releases have quickly been made available in Michigan.  I would expect to see it on Michigan store shelves in the February to March time frame!