Glenmorangie Finealta

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• As anyone who knows Dr. Bill Lumsden can attest, Glenmorangie's head of whisky creation never rests. That's because he's always busy ... well ... creating whiskies. Think Signet, Astar, LaSanta. Here is the latest from the Scottish distiller, just now becoming available in the U.S. market.

This new blend has a very old pedigree. It was re-created from a recipe dating to 1903 that was  in the company archives. Back in the day, Glenmorangie dried its barley in a peat-fired kiln which provided a touch of peatiness absent from most of the company's modern expressions.

Finealta -- Scots Gaelic for "elegant" -- has been matured in a combination of used American white oak and Spanish Oloroso sherry casks. It is the second release in the company's Private Edition range of limited-edition whiskies chosen from what the company refers to as its "cabinet of curiosities." (The first was Sonnalta, which means "generous.")
Finealta is non-chill filtered and bottled at 46% alcohol by volume (92 proof).
There is a richness to Finealta that quickly spreads across the palate with notes of pineapple,  butterscotch and caramel. The peatiness doesn't linger as much as one might expect since it stays prominent on the nose throughout a tasting, but it does add to the husky boldness of the concoction.
Suggested retail price: $85 for the 750ml bottle.
Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey

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• In a surge of innovation that hasn't been seen around Lynchburg, TN, in a long time, the Jack Daniel Distillery has put out its second new product in a month, this one following its line of ready-to-drink versions of infused Jack whiskey.

What do you call an alcoholic beverage that is cold, warm and hot stuff all at the same time? You got it.

This new product from the Jack Daniel Distillery that just this week is being rolled out in various U.S. markets should become a quick hit, especially with women and the younger male-female demographic that has shown by their purchasing choices in recent years that they like a robust drink with a sweet component.

There is no coyness about what is in this bottle. It's the standard JD Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey with a touch of a proprietary honey liqueur. It comes in at 35% alcohol by volume, which means 70 proof compared to the usual JD 80 proof.

The makers suggest drinking it straight and cold. I can see why. Following that suggestion, I tried it while expecting the usual too-sweet product that seems to happen so often when whiskey and fruit or honey are combined. This, however, was a very pleasant surprise.

Notes of caramel, charcoal and honeysuckle immediately came through on the nose, followed by a warm rush of the smoothest Jack I've had, thanks to the honey liqueur. The honey, vanilla and oak coated the tongue, and finished warmly and fragrantly.

Jack has a winner here.

Suggested retail price: $22 for the 750ml bottle. It also comes in 50 ml, 375 ml and one-liter sizes.

Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.

Karlsson's Gold Vodka

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• Peter Ekelund was behind the creation of a potato vodka in the Cape Bjäre  region of southern Sweden. He had been instrumental in the launch of Absolut a quarter-century earlier, but making a potato vodka revived a style that had been prevalent in Sweden until the late 1970s when all distillers converted to grain bases. Ekelund enlisted retired Absolut master blender Börje Karlsson to help work out the new recipe. This is the result.
The distillers at Karlsson's say their vodka is "crafted from virgin Swedish potatoes." That's comforting, because I'd be thrown off if I had to sample a potato with no morals. (Actually, a "virgin" potato is one on which the skin has yet to form.)

Potato vodkas are, in my view, the best of the breed even though there are many competitors since vodka can be made from any organic matter containing starch or sugar. This particular entry, made at the  Gripsholms Distillery near Stockholm, uses seven different potato varieties in a sour mash method similar to the one used to make bourbon.

Karlsson's is a single distillation and unfiltered, differentiating it from those vodkas that have been purified to a fare-the-well, losing a lot of character in the process. It rests for just 24 hours after distillation, then is sent right to the bottling facility.

I tried it in the obligatory martini, to good results, but found that sipping it straight from the freezer was the best way to enjoy its bold characteristics -- a pleasant amount of heat, a creamy texture and full, round flavor on the tongue.

Suggested retail price: $39.99 for the 750ml bottle.

Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.

George Washington's Aged Rye Whiskey

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Photo by Bill Dowd

• The rebuilt distillery at George Washington's home in Mount Vernon, VA, had its grand opening in 2007. Since then, everything distillers have made there has been a hit. For the most part, the uniqueness of the operation has created the demand for its output among collectors. And that was unaged whiskey, the same way it was sold in Washington's day when he was the young nation's top distiller.

It will be interesting to see how fast the 2-year-old George Washington Aged Rye Whiskey will go when the limited edition goes on sale at Mount Vernon on October 22.

The first such bottles, Nos. 1 and 1, went for $12,000 at auction Wednesday night during the anual gala there sponsored by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS). The event raised a total of $214,000 for Mount Vernon.

I was fortunate to have a sampling of the aged rye earlier in the day. A distinctive nose, with virtually no alcoholic heat, enticed me to quickly go further. This is a nice rye, not yet in the class of a Michter's or a Sazerac, but made nicely under master distiller Dave Pickerell, formerly of Maker's Mark and now consultant to numerous micro-distillers.

The tang of the rye base is evident, and notes of citrus, leather and perhaps a touch of cardamom are layered, a pleasant surprise from such a relatively young spirit. A tip of the hat to Pickerell and company, working with the only operating 18th Century-style equipment in the nation.

Retail Price: Better get yourself or a surrogate to Mount Vernon early on opening sales day. Just 300 limited-edition bottles will be sold for $185 each beginning at 10 a.m. that Saturday. Proceeds will go toward upkeep and operation of the Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens.

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Go here for "Recreating the past at Mount Vernon distillery."

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Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.

Woodford Master's Collection Rare Ryes

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• For its sixth annual release in its Master's Collection, Woodford Reserve has created a change of pace with a pair of 375ml bottles of rye -- one aged in a used, charred cask, the other in new wood.
Woodford master distiller Chris Morris hates being predictable. Thus, the "Rare Rye" version of his Master's Collection, to be released sometime in November.

The two are a triple distilled rye bottled at 92.4 proof. I obtained samples of both and evaluate them side-by-side, as Morris suggests doing.

The New Cask Rye has an enticing aroma, heavy on the brown sugar caramel with a hint of spice. On the tongue, both elements expand to go along with a noticeable heat one might expect from being matured in new wood. The finish is lingering, spicy and smooth.

The Aged Cask Rye has, surprisingly, a much more restrained nose and lighter color -- both more of a lemon honey than the pale brown and brown sugar, respectively, of its companion. On the tongue, there is a distinct tarry edge before the semi-sweet chocolate, thyme and burnt sugar notes kick in. A long finish, smooth to the very end.

To be frank, I'm not wild about the execution of either, but like elements of both.

Suggested retail price: $99.99 for the two 375ml bottle.

Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.

(Review) Old Grand-Dad 100 proof Bonded Bourbon Whiskey

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Mystique: 1-10 points
Score: 2
It doesn't really have any

Color: 1-10 points
Score: 8
Nice dark garnet

Scent: 1-10 points
Score: 8
bourbon / vanilla / caramel

Initial Impression: 1-10 points
Score: 6
Cheap, old mannish and unexciting

Mouthfeel: 1-10 points
Score: 3
very oily / coating

Taste: 1-10 x 4 points
Score: 16
big burn / alcohol / slight woody taste

Raw Score Total: 41 points

Bonus Points
Value 1-10 points
Score: 2
It's not that cheap, but it tastes cheap $19.99 for a 750ml

Total Score: 43 points

I don't normally drink this stuff. I bought a small bottle just to do this review. You might see this in some old bar or maybe your grandmother has some sitting in the liquor cabinet, but I don't think its very popular anymore. There's good reason for that as this is the worst bourbon I have ever had. I drink bourbon pretty regularly from about five or so different brands. I've had many others over the years, but never tried The Old Grand-Dad. No one in my family drank it, so I can't even say maybe I sneaked some out of the liquor cabinet as a kid. It does look and smell great so I had high hopes that I had possibly found another cheap good bourbon, but as soon as it hits your tongue the horror show begins. Captain Spaulding couldn't burn your mouth with a flame thrower any worse. I drink Wild Turkey regularly and I'm used to high proof bourbons, but this doesn't even come close. I think me experience went like this:

“ Ahhhh...AHHHHH!...EWWW...BLECH!”

First it's the big burn on your tongue. You’re then wondering if you just drank rubbing alcohol. After that maybe someone must have pinched your nose until you opened your mouth and they rubbed a tongue depressor all over your tongue until your breath is the same as a Canadian Beaver. Next someone must have crashed the Exxon Valdez in your mouth to create an oil slick this big. Finally you're dazed and just trying to figure out what the hell you just did. If you add some water to it, which usually opens up the flavor of bourbon the whole horror show completely disappears like it folded up it's tent and moved on to the next town. It's work is done here. It just leaves a vaguely alcohol smell and oily aftertaste where it was. A strange experience indeed. The price is high too - it's not a value by any stretch. If your looking for a cheaper bourbon that's good, buy Evan Williams and skip the tickets to this horror show.

(Review) Monte Alban 100% Agave Mezcal 80 Proof

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Mystique: 1-10 points
Score: 10
It has mystery / The worm / why is it the only one on the shelf

Color: 1-10 points
Score: 7
pale clear yellow / nothing special

Scent: 1-10
Score: 8
Agave / Wood / Earth

Initial Impression: 1-10
Score: 8
Cool patterned bottle / THE WORM

Mouthfeel: 1-10 points
Score: 8
Thicker than water / Not Oily / pleasant

Taste: 1-10 x 4 points
Score 36
Very Smooth / Slight Bitter / Very Small Burn

Raw score total: 77 points

Bonus Points: Value 1-10 points
Score: 9
$25 for a 750ml its just below premium tequila and way above regular in taste and priced like regular tequila Score: 9

Total Score: 86 points

I could write forever about Mezcal, so I'll try to hit the basics. It's not tequila even though its made from the agave plant and it has a history dating back to the Central American Indians. The Spanish Conquistadors were thirsty after all that raping and pillaging and they wanted to get hammered and party. The local priest had conjured up a new batch of pulque and they gave it a shot. What they wanted was rum, and this stuff was too thick and pulpy but it had potential. So they stopped raping and pillaging for a while and got to work refining the stuff and using their superior knowledge of distillation to make something more potent and drinkable. After all, what fun is conquering an indigenous population sober, and rum was too expensive or unavailable so lets try some chemistry! All in the name of having a good time of course. The distillation technique for making Mezcal was primarily started in the Oaxaca region of Mexico and involves using hearts of the Agave plant and mashing them with a horse drawn stone wheel. Then straining and fermenting the liquid using a steam distillation method. This process is still used today and gives Mezcal its smooth and distinct flavor. Mezcal in keeping with the Conquistador tradition is usually taken as a shooter mostly with salt and a lime wedge for maximum effect. This one goes down smooth and flavorful. Its sometimes chased with sangarita (a shot of a citrus mixed tomato juice). The 2 go together very well and its a welcome addition. Lastly every bottle of Monte Alban Mezcal comes with an Agave worm. The website states that those that eat the worm gain power and strength. I also think it could be used as a drink holder, but as it's usually a shooter it doesn't sit around long. Mostly it winds up being a challenge to see who will get it and if they with eat it. It only adds more fun to a good time.