BANFF 21 years old 57,1% Distilled 1982

Nose:
Fresh lemon cough drops embedded in a light creamy texture. Constantly harassed by prickly, aggressive white peppers.

Palate:
Lemon curd fit for a Royal Court. Syrupy texture. Gradually the citrus dies off, allowing an ozone-fresh malt to shine. Oaky spices constantly on the move.




Finish:
In the grip of a tyrefitters hand. Dry and smoky oak envelopes the whole sector of the mouth. A small lemon pocket of resistance hangs on at the roof. Slightly too dry, perhaps.


Comment:
Maybe, just maybe the oak acts in a tad too obtrusive manner but that is still a minor complaint about this whisky from a defunct distillery (demolished 1983). Get some before prices start to sky-rocket. Bottle No. 4320.


Rating: 8 1/4/ 10

PLATTE VALLEY Straight Missouri Sour Mash 5 years old 80,6%

Nose:
Well balanced, moderately oily corn benefits from confident support of spices.




Palate:
Smooth buttery corn. Nothing else, really but very tasty all the same. Nice creamy texture.




Finish:
More corn abetted by short bursts of helpful white pepper. Perhaps a bit subdued.


Comment:
This is the original bottling from the McCormick distillery in Missouri. I have never tried the current version thus being unable to make any comparisons. Complexity is not the first word that springs to mind here. Still, a charming little rascal. Approach with an open mind if you can find it.

Rating: 8/10

CARSEBRIDGE 25 years old 56,4%

Nose:
Vanilla ice cream with peaches, held together by steadfast oak.





Palate:
Chewy oak supports a river of delicous summer berries. Hints of old-fashioned candy.





Finish:
Dry and spicy at first. Followed by tongue-based waves of soft, fruit-infused charcoal. Very long.


Comment:
A single grain whisky from the dismantled Carsebridge distillery. If you are willing to sacrifice complexity on the altar of hedonism, you´ll find plenty to savour here. Date distilled: 03.1979. Date bottled: 01.2005.

Rating: 8 1/4

OLD HICKORY Seven years old 43%

Nose:
Seductively sweet. Lightly roasted almonds swimming around in a sea of sugared oranges. Hints of nail varnish and flavoured tea. At its most vigorous before it reaches body temperature.




Palate:
Blistering pepperiness to begin with. Then juicy fruitiness accompanied by a pleasant tang of cloves. Falls away rather swiftly though with vanilla and cream toffee becoming too dominant.




Finish:
Short-ish and rather dry. Oak with a dash of burnt toffee and just a faint echo of fruit.



Comment:
One of the lost distilleries of America, Old Hickory was based in Philadelphia. This is a whisky that is great in parts only. Still, could be worth it for the delicious nose, alone or if you are a distillery completist, like me.

Rating: 7,5/10

YELLOWSTONE Mellow mash, 7 years old 91 proof

Nose:

Creamy. Cherry de luxe. Exotic spices. A unique nosing experience.

Palate:

More or less a continuation of the nose. Luxurious. Curiously rum-like.

Finish:
Aggressively spicy with a subdued fruitiness in the background.

Comment:

A late 70´s (?) bottling from the now silent Yellowstone distillery in Louisville. I have no idea what part the mellow mash (as opposed to sour mash) plays but this tastes like no other bourbon I have tried. Not that dissimilar to a Guyana pot still Rum. A minor complaint would be that it lacks some of that whiskey robustness.

Rating: 8/10

OLD GRAND-DAD 86 proof ( DSP KY. 14 )

Nose:

Dry woodsmoke. A faint echo of tobacco.

Palate:

Starts off dry then develops a magnificently refined sweetness. Exquisitely textured. Short burts of pepper in the background.

Finish:

Spicy oak mixed with natural sweet toffee.

Comment:

Not the current Jim Beam product. This is from the defunct Old Grand-Dad distillery in Frankfort. A sad loss, heavily accentuated by the fact that this is not even a premium whiskey.

Rating: 8,5/10