Month: October 2013

Categories
Bourbon Reviews Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon

Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Small Batch Review

Elijah-Craig

Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Small Batch is named for the minister who discovered the defining method of making Kentucky Bourbon when he stored his drink in barrels that had been charred by a fire. It is bottled from parcels of 100 barrels or less, giving it small batch status.

In the glass, Elijah Craig has a good color and slight flowery scent. It is extremely smooth from the start, turning into a lingering comfortable burn, finishing with some impressive complexity. There is a maple syrup sweetness to it, but it softens quickly to allow flavors of smoke, toffee, and plum to come through. The oak on Elijah Craig is notable.

It’s price-point is very reasonable for such a good bourbon. To be honest, I’ve overlooked Elijah Craig for years opting for other mainstream brands. It was always on my short list, but it always seemed to be passed over for no real reason. However, I am pleased to say that I have a new option for my rotation.

Categories
Recipes

Gone A’Rye

Gone-A-Rye

Lucy’s Fried Chicken’s Gone A’Rye, made with Old Overholt Rye, Luxardo, Campari and lemon, is sure to warm you right up.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz Old Overholt Rye Whiskey
  • 1/2 oz Campari
  • 1/4 oz Luxardo Cherry Liqueur
  • 1/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in a shaker tin with ice. Shake well. Stir until well chilled and strain into a cocktail (or highball) glass.

Recipe courtesy of William Schulte
Lucy’s Fried Chicken, Austin, Tx

Categories
Recipes

Cat’s Pajamas

Cats-Pajamas

And at drink.well., the Cat’s Pajamas stays true to its namesake, a lively blend of Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon, Savory & James Creamy Sherry, Cynar, Bar Keep Chinese Five Spice Bitters and topped off with apple slices.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Four Roses Single Barrel
  • .75 oz Savory & James Cream Sherry
  • .5 oz Cynar
  • 2 Dashes Barkeep Chinese Five Spice Bitters
  • Apple slices

Add all ingredients together and stir. Pour into a chilled Leopold’s coupe and garnish with fanned apple slices.

Courtesy of Head Barman, Dennis Gobis
Drink.Well., Austin, Tx

Categories
Bourbon Reviews PennyPaker

PennyPacker Bourbon Whiskey Review

pennypacker

PennyPacker Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey was the number one selling Bourbon in the European market in the 1970s, but was only introduced to the US market in the Spring of 2013. The whiskey itself is aged in white oak for at least three years, but the actual aging time is at the discretion of the distiller.

The brand itself embodies vernacular American culture – Abraham Lincoln, the penny, and old glory are well represented on the label. The bottle shape, embossing, and typesetting also harken back to the days of old.

PennyPacker has a fairly benign smell with a slight vanilla-poundcake scent, but not overpowering by any means. With 70% corn, it has a medium color and very light body. The taste is also subtle with hints of caramel and white pepper. It has a very long burn from the onset to well after the finish. A cube of ice mellows it out a lot and evokes some almond flavors.

After I tasted it neat, I also tried PennyPacker with a Northern Neck Ginger Ale and ice which mixed well. I think PennyPacker is on par with Jim Beam, but not nearly as sweet. I think it works well as a mixing cocktail as it doesn’t add unnecessary sugar to the mix.