We've arrived at the 10th and final day of the 10 Days of Bourbon Christmas! I hope you all have enjoyed my recommendations for your bourbon drinking friends and family members. This last post is going to be short and sweet, with a peppery blast of rye spice and subtle hints of fruit. Yes, this is one you can drink up and enjoy.
Four Roses Single Barrel - a fantastic bourbon
Just this year, for the 3rd straight year and 4th time out of the last six years, Four Roses was named Distillery of the Year by Whisky Magazine's judging panel. That should tell you enough right there! The story of Four Roses rise, fall, and rebirth is one of my favorite stories in bourbon history. Master Distiller, Jim Rutledge, is a man who has my utmost respect. This bourbon, Four Roses Single Barrel, is one of my favorite pours.
Four Roses uses 2 mashbill recipes along with 5 proprietary yeast strains to produce 10 different whiskeys. Four Roses Single Barrel uses just one of those recipes, OBSV, which is aged and then bottled from a single barrel (go figure). What does OBSV mean to you? Well, "O" designates that this bourbon was produced at Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY. "B" tells us that this bourbon uses a mashbill consisting of 60% corn, 5% malted barley, and 35% rye. "S" means that it's straight bourbon that's been aged for a minimum of 2 years. "V" means that the "V" strain of yeast was used, a strain that imparts a creamy flavor with hints of fruit and a blast of spice. The bottle typically sells for $39.99 but I once found a ridiculous sale for $29.99 at a local shop and bought nearly all of their stock. It's just that good and I loves me a great deal on bourbon!
Bottoms up, my bourbon brethren! Bourbon Christmas is here!
Getting this one in just under the wire! Had a crazy day today, my first day wearing prescription glasses. I'm seeing in HD, baby! I can't believe I waited this long to correct my distance vision. Played golf this morning and could actually see my ball past 150 yards! I also shot +2 on the front 9 and +6 on the back 9, good for an 80 which made me really love my new glasses even more. Ok, enough chit chat, let's get down to business with my recommendation for a gift for your bourbon buddy on Day 9 of Bourbon Christmas.
The Cooper Double Old Fashioned Glass from CB2.com
Today we're revisiting glassware again. Why? Because you can't just have an elegant glass to sip bourbon out of, you also need an everyday utility glass good for sipping neat, rocky, or cocktails. That's where the Cooper Double Old Fashioned Glass comes into play. This glass is awesome. First off, it's a little wider than your average old fashioned glass and it begins to taper towards the top. The walls of the glass are a nice thickness too so they don't feel like they'll break easy but they are thin enough that the glass feels comfortable as you sip. My favorite feature on this glass is the base. This glass has a great hand to it and that comes 100% from the base of the glass. It's thick glass that has a heavier weight to it. This is a man's glass, dammit. It's perfect for a spirit like bourbon whiskey.
The official glass of The BTS
I know I've featured the picture above before but I wanted to show how perfect this glass is for a cocktail like a BTS Old Fashioned. Look at the way the glass allows for the large format ice ball while leaving a little bit of room for easy drinking. I currently stock 20 of these glasses at The BTS and have 12 more on order. Last night I held a bourbon tasting that I donated as an auction prize for the Hurricane Sandy Relief Dinner that Cobaya helped put together and the guests loved them. At $3.50 each, you'd be a fool not to at least pick up four for yourself. Only downfall is you'll have to wait until they get back into stock mid-January.
So, there you have it. Another affordable gift for your favorite bourbon buddy during the Bourbon Christmas season. Enjoy!
Well, it took 8 days but it finally happened... I missed a day of updating this here site with my recommendation for Bourbon Christmas. Took the day off yesterday and once I left the house at noon I never made it back. Prepping The BTS for a bourbon tasting today. Well, good thing we've got plenty of time to shop for last minute gifts for our bourbon buddies.
The Bourbon Review is a great source of knowledge for all things bourbon
If you want to learn more about this American spirit, it's best to go right to the source - Kentucky. That's where the good folks at The Bourbon Review come into play. The Bourbon Review is published quarterly and covers all things bourbon including new releases, cocktail recipes, bourbon-laced food recipes, and distillery info. It's a great source of information. I'm always happy when I open up the mailbox and find an issue inside.
Another great reason to subscribe to The Bourbon Review - these guys put together some great events. This fall I flew out with Dad and a couple of buddies for Bourbon Under the Stars. We met the guys from the Bourbon Review for a cocktail hour the night before then hit the event on a Saturday night on the grounds of the Fasig-Tipton Thoroughbred Auction Company. It was an honor having the chance to meet a man I highly respect as a professional and Master Distiller and that man was Jim Rutledge of Four Roses. What a great guy. Both he and Bill Samuels Jr. of Maker's Mark can talk bourbon all day and never get tired of it. It was awesome chatting up both of them while sipping cocktails, tasting bourbons, and chomping on some great grub from local restaurants. This year the guys at The Bourbon Review are putting together the 1st ever Bourbon Classic right in Louisville. Remember the Bourbon Christmas recommendation on Day 6 to plan a trip to Bourbon Country? Well, this would be the time to do it. This is gonna be an awesome event!
So, this Bourbon Christmas season, give the gift that keeps on giving quarterly and sign your bourbon buddy up for The Bourbon Review. Heck, it's an easy $20 for 2 years so get yourself a subscription while you're at it! I promise you won't regret it.
Yes, we're going back to spherical ice today, this time in a much more affordable and accessible fashion than Day 4's recommendation. Judging by the feedback I received after posting about the Cirrus Ice Ball Press (as my buddy Chadzilla pointed out, that's an awful name), you guys are interested in ice spheres. And why shouldn't you be? They're pretty frickin sweet! So, on Day 7 of Bourbon Christmas I give to you...the Spherical Ice Mold from Tovolo.
In the freezer I keep at The BTS, I've currently got 9 varieties of ice ready to go - 4 types of cubes, 4 types of spheres, and some of the regular chipped ice you get at the market in a big 10-pound bag. I've already discussed the benefits of the ice sphere so no need to rehash. What I can tell you is this - the Tovolo Ice Sphere Mold is the biggest and best ice sphere mold on the market. I like that they are individual molds. Others that I have in my
freezer are trays, and while they work just fine, they tend to leave a
"saturn ring" around the middle of the ball because of the way the tray
is constructed. With the Tovolo mold, you don't get that ring. These
are also the largest ice sphere molds I've found. They fill a double
old fashioned glass perfectly. I haven't timed how fast they melt but
I'd say it's easily an hour. It's real easy to make ice balls using
these molds.
Care for an ice ball with your bourbon, Sir?
So if you don't want to shell out boku bucks for the Cirrus press, this ice sphere mold is the way to go. You can find them at a decent price here. I've bought a ton to give as gifts to my bourbon drinking buddies. I strongly recommend you do the same!
Comin' right back atcha with Day 6 of the 10 Days of Bourbon Christmas! Rather than take the time to recap all of the great bourbon suggestions I've made on days 1-5, I'm just gonna launch into this one.
Bourbon Country!
Sometimes the best gift is not a physical entity. A great gift can be as simple as an idea or a plan. Day 6's recommendation is just that - a great idea. Plan a trip for you and your bourbon buddy to visit Bourbon Country in Kentucky!! There's a ton to do in the Louisville and Lexington areas. You can check out the regions many distilleries, nearly all of which offer guided tours rich with the history of bourbon whiskey. I recommend checking out Buffalo Trace and Four Roses though I've enjoyed every tour I've been on in Bourbon Country. Maybe you try to complete the Kentucky Bourbon Trail? There's also the Urban Bourbon Trail which consists of many bars with fantastic bourbon selections. You could plan to be in Louisville for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival or maybe for the Kentucky Derby! There's even a guide to Bourbon Country to help you plan. The options are endless.
I've been to Kentucky about a dozen times for work and pleasure and I've always had a good time, especially when touring distilleries. It's pretty hard not to have a good time when you're sipping bourbon whiskey all day! Look into it as a vacation right here in the good ol' US of A. Maybe your gift for Bourbon Christmas is picking up the flights or the hotel rooms? Regardless of how you put it together, you're guaranteed a great time. Ya heard me!?!?
Ok, we're back with Day 5 of the 10 Days of Bourbon Christmas and today we're goin' back to the juice. That's right, another bourbon whiskey for you to enjoy. This one is gonna be a hard find though...
John J. Bowman Single Barrel Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey
One question people often ask me is if all bourbon is made in Kentucky. Today's recommendation is clear evidence that, no, bourbon is not only made in Kentucky. The A. Smith Bowman Distillery is located in Fredericksburg, VA. I had the pleasure of popping into the distillery on a business trip through Virginia. I had sampled a few of the Bowman products prior to my visit and the John J. Bowman bourbon had quickly become a favorite. Trouble was in finding it. They don't distribute in South Florida so I had to enlist a friend to get me a bottle. Driving through Virginia with spare time meant I had to check out the distillery and pick up a bottle or two.
I really enjoyed meeting with Master Distiller, Truman Cox, on my visit along with a few other employees at the friendly distillery. Truman had a ton of passion for distilling and aging some great whiskey and that really shows in the Bowman Brothers, John J Bowman, and Abraham Bowman products. The John J. is my current favorite and my frontrunner for new bourbon of the year at The BTS. John J. Bowman is triple distilled. The first 2 distillations take place at Buffalo Trace while the last distillation takes place at the A. Smith Bowman facility. This bourbon is then aged 12-14 years (based on my experiences w/ the regular product and some private bottlings) standing straight up at the Bowman facility and bottled at 100 proof. This is a phenomenal bourbon whiskey. Fragrant nose, tasting hints of toffee, chocolate, fig, and hints of vanilla. Delicious!
The A. Smith Bowman Distillery aging warehouse
This is a rare find here in South Florida but do some digging and you may be able to source some for yourself of your best bourbon buddy. That or take a quick flight to DC and make the drive about an hour or so South to the A. Smith Bowman Distillery and pick up a bottle for yourself!!
So now for Bourbon Christmas you've got a little piece of bourbon history to read, some great juice, and a nice glass to sip it in. But what if you want to sip your bourbon on the rocks? On Day 4 of the 10 Days of Bourbon Christmas, we'll address the topic of ice in a premium way. Yup, we're blowing the bourbon budget with Day 4's recommendation. This
is the one you get for the bourbon lover who really appreciates his
spirit and who takes care of you with bourbon recommendations, tastings,
knowledge tidbits, bottle finds, bottle deals, etc. (I hope you're picking up the hints I'm dropping...)
MackDaddy of Ice - The Cirrus Ice Ball Press
When it comes to drinking bourbon, I always recommend trying it neat first, with no water or ice added in. This allows you to get the full flavor of the whiskey as intended by the Master Distiller who gave it life. But sometimes you'll want to add a little ice. Adding ice will cool and dilute your bourbon, bringing it down in proof. For many, this makes drinking bourbon a bit more palatable. Be wary though - traditional ice cubes tend to melt rather quickly and too much can lead to drinking a glass of water with bourbon essence. That's a buzzkill. This is where having the Cirrus Ice Ball Press is a major advantage.
You see, ice as a sphere melts slower than ice as a cube. Why? Simple science. A sphere made of ice has less surface area in contact with the liquid in the glass than a traditional cube while allowing for the most possible volume. This allows for a slow, somewhat controlled dilution of your bourbon without watering it down. A little bit of dilution will open up the bourbon you're drinking and expose more flavors that may have been hidden behind the higher concentration of alcohol.
Goodness, gracious, great balls of...ice?
Not only does the Cirrus Ice Ball Press help you to cool your drink, it does so in a badass way. Makes a great impression on guests of your bar wherever that may be. Check it out in action!
Ok, so it's not the most budget-friendly gift but it sure as hell is pretty cool. Don't worry if this is not in your price range for Bourbon Christmas. I'll have a few more ice-related gift ideas for Bourbon Christmas that will produce great results and fit any budget. Stay tuned!
When I originally set out to do this series of posts my plan was to list bourbon drinking accessories first and then a few bourbons towards the end. Since there was reasonable outcry that Day 1's gift was not consumable, I thought I'd throw ya a bone on Day 2.
My favorite all-around bourbon - Old Weller Antique
Old Weller Antique Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Yes, this is a one I talk about frequently as it's my favorite all-around bourbon. Why? Let's start with a wheated mashbill that imparts a slight sweetness to blend with the spices and woodiness of the barrel. Let me remind you that this mashbill is the same exact mashbill used in Pappy Van Winkle bourbons, which makes perfect sense since they are both distilled and aged by Buffalo Trace. I like these wheat recipe bourbons a lot because wheat doesn't have the flavor fireworks that rye has and the result is that you taste more of the part that the charred white oak barrel has played in the aging process. Speaking of fireworks, this bourbon is 107 proof, or 53.5% alcohol! Another reminder: Pappy Van Winkle 15yr is bottled at 107 proof... My favorite whiskeys are of a higher proof. I enjoy the fiery flavor when sipped neat and also the flavors that open up when the bourbon is taken down in proof through the addition of ice or branch water. I'm also of the opinion that higher proof whiskeys tend to mix better classic cocktails, like The BTS Old Fashioned shown above, as they keep the alcohol on center stage.
Ok, so here you have a bourbon that has the same mashbill, proof, and producer as Pappy Van Winkle 15yr. It's gotta be expensive, right? HELL NO! You can find OWA locally here in Miami for about $25! BOOM!
Instead of killing yourself trying to locate a bottle of Pappy this holiday season and then emptying your wallet when you finally do, take the smart approach and give Old Weller Antique a try. It's a fantastic bourbon at a reasonable price. Plus, you'll save some money to buy even more Bourbon Christmas items!
The Van Winkle family collection (missing Van Winkle Reserve Rye)
Anyone who is mildly into bourbon has heard the name "Pappy Van Winkle". If not, you must be living under a rock. Bourbon is all the rage these days and the Van Winkle brand is the golden goose of the bunch. A little history lesson for ya... Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle made his mark as a whiskey salesman for W.L. Weller & Sons in the late 1800s, later purchasing the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery in 1910 and forming Stitzel-Weller that distilled his own bourbon whiskey - Old Rip Van Winkle amongst other brands like Old Fitzgerald and W.L. Weller. Prohibition hit and the Old Rip brand did not resurface until after 1972 when the distillery and its brands were sold off. The Van Winkle family retained the rights to the Old Rip brand. Julian Van Winkle Jr resurrected the Old Rip Van Winkle brand shortly after Stitzel-Weller sold, buying up stocks of his family's whiskey, a wheated recipe that imparts a smooth, sweet flavor. In 1981, Julian Van Winkle III took the reigns of the family business. In the early 90's, with whiskey an afterthought in a burgeoning rum and vodka market and many whiskey distilleries struggling, he saw opportunity. He bought up barrels of his family's whiskey that had sat for years aging in charred oak barrels and introduced a premium aged bourbon under the Pappy Van Winkle name with the bottle bearing an image of his grandfather. Boom! Last year, Julian Van Winkle III won a James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional and it was well deserved. Today, the Van Winkle family keeps the Pappy Van Winkle brand alive through a partnership with Buffalo Trace.
Each year, a limited quantity of 7000 or so cases is released and states and their distribution channels are allocated a limited amount to sell to consumers. Last year the chances of getting a bottle were somewhat slim. Today it's damn near impossible without paying, in many cases, double what you would've paid last year or more. It's the bourbon industry's hottest commodity, coming in bottles of 10, 12, 15, 20, and 23 years of age and fetching suggested prices of anywhere from $50 to $300 per bottle. You've got to get lucky and/or have some cash to burn to get your hands on your bottle of Pappy. But it wasn't always this way...
I remember a mere 2 years ago walking into Total Wine & Spirits, seeing a bunch of bottles of Pappy gracing the shelves, and purchasing one for my buddy, Chadzilla, for his birthday. No frenzy, no fuss, no muss. This year, I was at Total Wine & Spirits the day they got a few bottles in stock. The Pappy Van Winkle 15yr bottle, a favorite of mine, last year sold at Total Wine & Spirits for a well-deserved and respectable $69.99. This year? Try $149.99. The 20yr, a great bourbon at $89.99-$119.99, is now $199.99. The 23yr somehow held the selling price of $299.99 on Total's shelves.
So why the price hike? Well, like I said, bourbon is all the rage these days. Pop culture has embraced bourbon whiskey and distilleries are producing like no tomorrow. This is great for the industry. After all, bourbon is the only spirit classified by Congress as a distinct product of the United States of America. That means you can't get Chinese, Italian, Latvian, French, or Russian bourbon. This juice must come from the good ol' US of A in order to bear the "bourbon" name. More business is great for this American industry. It creates more jobs. But now what used to be a prize savored by enthusiasts has now become mainstream society's object of affection. The Pappy that I once knew and loved is dead. He's buried far underneath a pile of pop culture television shows and celebrities that have taken this prize usually reserved for appreciative enthusiasts and placed it in the limelight, many just to say they're the big man for drinking the best stuff. Well, they broke rule #1 of Pappy Club and that is...you don't talk about Pappy Club!
We make fine bourbon.
At a profit if we can,
at a loss if we must,
but always fine bourbon.
- Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle
It's pretty simple math, really. Take something that is limited and blab about it in the media where millions are exposed to it and...BOOM...demand far exceeds supply even more than it ever had with a cult following. And what happens when demand exceeds supply? Yes, that's right - prices increase. You can't fault the producers. They pay taxes on this whiskey as it ages in charred, white oak barrels for 10-23 years. Why shouldn't they make the boku bucks? Thing is, they really don't. The ones who benefit are usually those on the distributor level or on the consumer level where people flip bottles on eBay and elsewhere for ridiculous amounts because there are those people out there ready to spend, spend, spend, who just HAVE to have the most expensive product out there. After all, it must be the best if it costs the most, right?
Thing is - when it comes to Pappy Van Winkle bourbon - it is the best. As frustrated as I've become with the chore of sourcing a bottle, I simply can't say it's not the best bourbon on the market. I love the stuff. I'm more than happy to have stocked up on bottles of the 15yr last year at a fair price. I enjoy the hell out of them every time I pour a dram of Pappy, usually reserved for special occasions. A bottle of the precious 23yr lasted me nearly 2 years, kept hidden away on my home bar to be poured in celebration only. The 20yr expression is my favorite bourbon whiskey of all time. I love that juice.
When I say "the best" I'm purely stating my personal opinion on the flavor of the bourbon whiskey that's in the bottle. Is it the best value? At the prices bottles of PVW are fetching today the answer is no. I had a hearty laugh when the clerk at Total Wine told me the 15yr would be $150 this year, more than double it's cost on the very same shelf the previous year. That was pure comedy to me. But sadly, it was also confirmation that my Pappy is dead. Part of what made PVW the best was that it was priced at a premium but that premium was still a somewhat accessible price. The sensationalists who want to shell out $150 for a bottle of Pappy 15yr can have at it. I'll happily take 6-7 bottles of Old Weller Antique, a bourbon made from the exact same wheated recipe as Pappy that is aged differently (age, rickhouse location) but bottled at the same exact proof, for the same $150 price.
Yup, you won't find me chasing after any Van Winkle bottles this year. I've got a few stashed away in my bourbon bunker and I'm finding so many bourbons under $30 that I love that I really don't care to spend the extra dough. I'm enjoying more and more great rye whiskeys for short money too. I'm also loving other limited releases of single barrel and small batch bourbons like those the good folks at Four Roses are producing. These days, there's a lot of fantastic stuff out there to be sipped and savored, too much to be chasing the ghost of a whiskey that was once
My Pappy is dead. He was great and I loved him. Still do. But he's buried in the back of my bourbon bunker now. I've moved on.
As you may have figured out by now from reading this blog - every day is bourbon day. Today we've got something for everyone else. Yes indeed, folks! Today, on this lovely 14th day of June, marks National Bourbon Day. Why today? I have no idea. In the age of National (insert something totally random here) Days we've finally come across one worth noting.
Bourbon whiskey is the only spirit designated as a distinct product of the United States of America. By law, in order to be bourbon the following factors must be in play:
Made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn
Distilled to a proof of no higher than 160 proof
Dumped into a barrel at a proof of no higher than 125 proof
Aged in a new, charred white oak barrel
Bottled at a proof of no lower than 80 proof
These guidelines are also known as "How to Make Liquid Awesome".
Bourbon has a history that coincides with American history itself and, like American history, some of it's legends and claims are somewhat foggy. Take it's development for example. Some claim the Reverend Elijah Craig was the man responsible for bourbon whiskey, that he was the first to age in charred oak casks which led to the clear whiskey distillate working into the grain of the barrel and taking on the reddish hue of bourbon whiskey. Others claim that a distiller by the name of James Spears who lived in Bourbon County was the first to label his whiskey as "Bourbon Whiskey" and therefore is responsible for it coming to light. Some refute all claims, stating there is no clear cut inventor.
Please note that none of the laws that designate a spirit as bourbon whiskey state that it must be made in a specific state. Today, about 90-95% of all bourbon is made in the state of Kentucky. As you can guess, that makes Kentucky a bourbon mecca. They hold the Kentucky Bourbon Festival each September (which is National Bourbon Heritage Month) and have setup the Kentucky Bourbon Trail which encourages tourism of various distilleries around the bluegrass state.
Here at The Blind Tastes Speakeasy (aka The BTS pictured atop this post) we are big fans of the Old Fashioned and after much experimentation we have found our preferred recipe. Today, on National Bourbon Day, we share it with you.
The BTS Old Fashioned
4oz W.L. Weller Antique 107 proof bourbon
1 sugar cube
4 dashes Orange Angostura bitters
splash of water (small splash! helps dissolve the sugar)
1 ice ball or large ice cube
orange zest
Double Old Fashioned glass (or rocks glass of your choosing)
Drop a sugar cube into a rocks glass and add bitters and splash of water and muddle until the cube is dissolved. Add the ice ball and give 'er a spin for a minute to cool the glass. Add the bourbon. Zest an orange so it's about 1/2 inch wide and 2-3 inches long, making sure to avoid too much of the white pithe that is more bitter. Squeeze or twist the zest over the glass. You'll see the oils from the zest spray out into the cocktail. Rub the rim with the orange peel and toss that puppy in the drink. Give it a stir and enjoy!
Yesterday marked the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby. A nice gathering of people assembled at Bourbon Steak for the big race and it filled up even more as we got closer to post time. Everyone dressed their Derby best and there were some really impressive hats worn by the ladies, keeping with tradition that dates back to the 1800s. I think I can safely say that everyone had a great time.
The Mint Julep in all it's glory
The mint juleps prepared by the bar staff were cool and refreshing and
they tasted great! This year they even stepped up their game and got
some legit julep cups, courtesy of Woodford Reserve. At $5 it was an easy decision to enjoy one if you hadn't tried them before. It also made it an easy decision to enjoy 10 if you had tried them before. Fried green tomatoes and buffalo oysters were passed around and those were good as well.
The Derby Day trophy and prize for best hat
Earlier in the day, I had gotten my arts n crafts on and created some prizes for the person with the winning horse and for best hat (the trophy box wrapped in tinfoil contained a stainless steel Churchill Downs julep cup) The numbers 1 through 20 were distributed to the first 20 people who showed and that was their corresponding horse in the race. The horses went to post and a few minutes later it was all over. In the end, it was the #19 horse, I'll Have Another (10:1 odds), that crossed the finish line first and won the Kentucky Derby. It was the first time in Derby history that a horse starting from the #19 post won the race.
Winner of the race prize with #19 I'll Have Another
Winner for Best Hat
My horse was the #5 Dullahann who finished 3rd. I also had an exacta and trifecta bet going but the winner busted both of those since I didn't have him on either ticket. It's kind of inexcusable not to have a horse named "I'll Have Another" on my ticket. The payout on a $2 trifecta was $3065.60. That woulda been nice!
A big thanks to GM John Riccardo and all of the staff at Bourbon Steak for being the host bar for the Kentucky Derby for the past two years. I'm looking forward to doing it again next year...if I'm not at the Derby in person!!
When it comes to drinks for Derby Day, there's the Mint Julep and then there's nothing else. The mint julep and the Kentucky Derby have been kissin' cousins for a long, long time. Spring is here and it's hot in South Florida. This drink is sure to keep you cool and refreshed while you watch and wish for your horse to come in!
I've been busy at the Blind Tastes Speakeasy mixing up mint juleps all night and we've finally nailed down a solid recipe to pass along so I'll share it with you below. Don't forget that Bourbon Steak will be mixing up juleps like crazy for $5.00 tomorrow so be sure to come to the party dressed in your Derby Day best and ready to have fun and stay refreshed.
Bourbon, simple syrup, mint, & a stainless steel Julep Cup is all you need...
There are two schools of thought on the mint julep. One says that the julep is a drink to savor and the other says that the julep is to be consumed rapidly. Members of the savory club will use a higher proof bourbon to combat the melting of the ice over time that will water down the drink slightly. Those who drink quickly will not pay attention to proof and instead focus on their favorite bourbon to add flavor. Both sides will agree to stay away from the more premium bourbons whose flavors need not to be ruined in a cocktail.
Here's what you'll need...
8-10 mint leaves
1oz simple syrup
3oz bourbon
crushed ice
additional mint sprig for garnish/aromatics
1 stainless steel julep cup or other drinking vessel of your choice
I tend to fall in the middle but slightly to the rapid consumption side. I've always found that Woodford Reserve makes for a great mint julep, especially if you're using a stainless steel julep cup. Stirring will frost the cup and the cocktail will stay ice cold with minimal melting goin' on. Woodford is a 90.4 proof (45.2% alcohol) bourbon with nice notes of wood and very floral on the finish. I like the way the floral notes blend with the mint. It's also not very sweet which is key because we'll be adding simple syrup.
To begin, take your mint leaves and gently muddle them in your julep cup. You really don't need to go nuts here. Just a light muddle will release the oils of the mint to get them rockin'. Next, add your simple syrup. I like to give a little stir here too to marry the mint and sugar water together.
Now you'll need your crushed ice. You can crush it easily in a blender but the heat from the blender will produce some water so be sure to strain the ice out before adding to the cup. The alternative is to take a towel and put your wrap your cubes in it and then beat the crap out of it with a rolling pin or a wooden muddler like I do. You'll want to fill it to the rim or above the rim.
The next ingredient is the star of the show - the bourbon! pour it over the ice and then grab a bar spoon and stir until the outside of the julep cup begins to frost. If you're using a glass this may be tough to achieve so you can just move on to the next step.
Ok, you've got your bourbon in there, it's icy cold and you're ready to go bottoms up! But wait! Add a little spring of mint to the drink. When you sip the drink, the aroma of the mint will tickle your nose and make your julep taste even more awesome. Pro tip: that mint is still good! Pluck the leaves and use it for your next julep!
The Mint Julep
So, there you have it. I hope this improves your Derby Day experience and that you'll enjoy a couple juleps while cashing in on your winning ticket!
Race fans and bourbon fans take heed! The 138th running of the Kentucky Derby is this Saturday, May 5th! This year we will be heading back to Bourbon Steak in Aventura, FL for another fantastic Derby Day experience. Last year was an awesome time. The ladies came dressed to impress in big hats, and the fellas enjoyed the $5 mint julep specials while hoping their horse came in for a nice payday. Blind Tastes will be giving away more prizes this year! Once again, we will be randomly handing out numbers for the field of horses numbered 1 through 20 for the first 20 attendees to show up. The holder of the number with the winning horse will win a prize! We'll also have a prize for best hat that will be determined by a number of factors so complex they can't be divulged in advance!
The kind folks at Bourbon Steak will once again be opening up at 5pm and offering $5 Mint Juleps! Derby Day attendees can also take advantage of May being National Hamburger Month by wolfing down one of Chef Gabe Fenton's BBQ BLT Burgers. Betting, Bourbon, and Burgers is the trifecta lock of the century!!! It doesn't get better than that! Wait, maybe it does!! Bourbon Steak is also holding a horse betting workshop with Ron Nicoletti, handicapper for Gulfstream Park, this Friday! Stop in and learn the ins and outs of the Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta bets to make your Derby Day experience even more enjoyable*!
Stay tuned to Blind Tastes for more Derby Day fun facts and trivia leading up to the big race on Saturday and be sure to be there LIVE at Bourbon Steak this Saturday to watch the race!
*Blind Tastes thoroughly enjoys gambling and encouraging others to take part, responsibly of course. We are total enablers and fully believe that any sporting event is way more fun when there's money on the line.
The boomerang effect: When you share knowledge and have the luck to have knowledge come back to be shared with you. That's what happened a few weeks ago when I got an email from Dad titled, "Just in case...". It was a forward from his buddy Denny who had found a new love and that love was Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch Bourbon. You know, "just in case" I needed to add another bottle to my collection.
Included in the email was a lengthy review of the product with history of the distillery (1783 was the year it was established), tasting notes, and the 10 year length of time that this bourbon has sat in the barrel aging. It sounded good enough to seek out and try.
I happened to be headed to Total Wine and Spirits in Fort Lauderdale the day after I received this email. Lincoln Henderson, Master Distiller for Angel's Envy, was holding a tasting and I thought it would be cool to meet him. What a great guy. We chatted for a few and then I headed to the bourbon section to see what else was on the shelf. It was there that I saw Evan Williams 1783 Number 10 Small Batch Bourbon.
It was also there that I saw the one bit that the review I'd read did not state...
The price was $9.99 for a 750ml bottle!!
Upon returning home, I was eager to give it a shot. Could a bourbon at this price actually be decent? I grabbed a glass, twisted off the screw cap (yup, $9.99 doesn't get ya a cork), and poured myself a couple fingers worth. The nose was oaky with hints of sweetness, vanilla and sweet corn seemed to be what stood out most. Surprisingly, chocolate appeared when I took the first sip along with some hints of pepper, allspice, and more oak. The finish had a little spice to it along with some nuttiness but it faded fast and I found it thin and kind of lackluster. At 86 proof, it was smooth as hell though. Later in the evening, I made myself an Old Fashioned with this juice and it wasn't great. Just not enough spice to counterbalance the sweetness of the drink. Perhaps without muddling a sugar cube and merely adding bitters and an orange rind it would fare better?
I've found myself stepping away from the more expensive bourbons and ryes lately, instead focusing on value in the category. I'm here to tell ya - there's a lot to be had at under $30 and even under $20. Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch Bourbon proves that you can still find a decent quality bourbon at a price under $10 too!
Those who know me, know that I love bourbon whiskey. You can find evidence of that on thisblog as well. I enjoy everything about it, from flavor to bite to it's history as a true American spirit. When you have something you're passionate about, nothing is better than getting others fired up about it too. Well, I'm proud to say that my own father is one of those whom I love sharing bourbon knowledge with and it's great to see our talks trickle down through his motley crew of buddies. They've done a great job in guiding me to spots in the Boston area that have great bourbon lists when I've come home to visit. Lately, they'd stumbled into (and out of) a great spot called Five Horses Tavern which is right in the Davis Square section of Sommerville, MA. I was home for the holidays, so after taking a tour of Dad's latest conquest (the construction of a maintenance facility at the club where he sometimes plays golf and often groans of other golfers not filling in their divots) we picked up one of his partners in bourbon crime, Denny aka "Primo Photori" aka "The Guy with the Hollow Knee That Houses a Second Liver", and headed on down to check it out for lunch.
The lower bar at Five Horses Tavern
We arrived and anchored ourselves at the corner of the bar in the front lower section of the restaurant. The bar was finished with a layer of copper plating that reminded me of the copper stills used by some distilleries to produce whiskey before it's aged in the barrel to become bourbon. It was a nice touch. As you can see in the photo above and on the whiskey menu here, they've got a pretty badass selection of whiskey with the widest selection being in the bourbon category.
Above the TV at the bar was this cool piece of chalk-drawn art that weaves and winds the names of their beer and whiskey offerings
Elijah Craig 12yr Bourbon
I was given the reigns to get us going and chose to start us out with one of my favorite value bourbons, Elijah Craig 12yr, while we took a look at the lunch menu. They had those cool Japanese ice ball makers and Dad is real high on those now, so high that he just happened to receive one from Santa aka "himself" for Christmas. Since it was relatively slow at the bar (making the ice balls can be somewhat troublesome), we each got one. It was a nice touch and it totally worked out because the bartender hadn't got a chance to use the ice ball press yet. She would get more than her fair share of education on this apparatus before we were done.
Pappy Van Winkle 20 year Bourbon
They had a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 20yr and that marked our 2nd bourbon of the day. It was the holidays, ya know? I was glad to get a taste of this one since it was gobbled up before I could get a bottle at Total Wine this year. Pappy Van Winkle is made from a wheated mash recipe which means that, in addition to corn and malted barley, wheat grain is used rather than the more common rye grain. Many agree with the notion that wheated bourbons get better with age and this 20 year old bourbon is a great example of that. Fantastic stuff. I'm 100% sure that this is my favorite bourbon of all time. Ok, time for lunch.
The lunch menu looked great and that made it tough to choose what to eat. In the end, I narrowed it down to their fried chicken sandwich or a selection of tacos. On the bartender's recommendation I went with the pork belly taco, potato taco, and toro furioso (shortrib) taco with a side of tots for everyone to share. Dad went with the grilled wings and Denny had the whitebean hummus and the buttermilk fried chicken tenders. The food was great. Dad housed his wings and Denny's fried chicken was such a large portion that some of it went home with him for a snack later on. The pork belly taco was just ok. I had to remove a ton of excess raw onion from it and the belly was slightly overdone and cut into a portion that made eating it a taco shell a bit awkward. My shortrib taco and potato taco were both great though. We also got a colossal portion of tater tots that lasted throughout the entire afternoon. It was a bonus to have great food to serve as "base" for the whiskey we'd been imbibing on this afternoon voyage.
Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon
We'd planned on having three whiskeys and then heading on our way. I was excited when I saw that they had Parker's Heritage on their list. This year's release was finished in Cognac barrels and I'd heard it was some tasty juice. That was to be the third pick, the final pick. But Denny had read my post about Four Roses Single Barrel and wanted to give that a whirl so we bumped our intake from three to four. Plus, there was still food to be finished. I actually recall the decision going something like this...
Denny: "Hey, what about that Four Roses I read about on your blog? We should try that one."
Dad: "Well, we said we would have three but, you know, four would be like the stations of the cross and it was just Christmas yesterday so it's only right..."
Me: "Hard to argue with that logic!"
Denny fell in love with the Four Roses so it was more than a worthy religious experiment. The conversation continued and one of the owners came down to say hello. We complimented him on his selection and then this happened...
Dad: "I'm thinking we do one more individual choice before the Parker's..."
Me: "So five? Like the star of David in observance of the Hanukkah holiday?"
Denny: "I think I'd like to try that Elmer T. Lee that Steve was talking about earlier."
Dad: "Wait a minute... The star of David has six points!"
Me: "Oh no way!" *hearty laughter ensues*
Hancock's President's Reserve Bourbon
Dad decided on one of my favorites, Black Maple Hill, while Denny went with the aforementioned Elmer T. Lee. I decided I'd try one I'd never had before and chose Hancock's President's Reserve, a single barrel bourbon produced by the Buffalo Trace distillery using its higher-rye mashbill. This was a great call. Really easy sippin' juice and I really loved the punch of the rye. I made a mental note to pick up a bottle in the future for the home bar.
Whistlepig Straight Rye Whiskey
I don't know if it was the tacos kicking in or what but I felt surprisingly sober. Then again, by this point we had been there for a good two and a half hours, paying little attention to the clock. It was a Monday and a holiday so the schedule was clear except that we had to be home by 6pm for dinner with my sister and her in-laws. We'd arrived at noon so we were cool. Oh yeah, our laissez faire attitude was spread all over the corner of that bar, the copper plating just winking at us with approval. And with that, someone (I think it was Denny because he was shining in the role of "enabler" for the afternoon) suggested Whistlepig Rye as our next feature for this afternoon American whiskey matinee. Whistlepig Rye is a Canadian rye whiskey that is made from 100% rye and bottled in Vermont. It's a product of the partnership between a former Maker's Mark Master Distiller and a former contestant on "The Apprentice". I'd recently tried Whistlepig while on a business trip in Seattle and found it less than favorable with a nose of heavy leather and a leathery flavor to match but I felt there were a few variables that may have influenced the flavor and I wanted to give it another shot. This time the rye grain shined through. But still, this was no $70+ bottle of whiskey. At least I wouldn't pay that asking price. There are about 3 different rye whiskeys at half that price or under (Redemption Rye, Williet 3yr Rye, Jefferson's Rye) that I would recommend before Whistlepig. This one is all dough, not enough show.
Parker's Heritage Collection, Cognac Finish
We finished off our glasses of Whistlepig and then a glass of water before heading into the grand finale - Parker's Heritage Collection. Each year for the past five years, Heaven Hill distillery releases a limited edition whiskey under the Parker's Heritage Collection name. The name comes from Parker Beam, of that Beam family, who along with his son, Craig, holds the title of Master Distiller at Heaven Hill. This year's PHC release is a 10 year bourbon that is finished in Grande Champagne Cognac barrels from Frapin Cellars in France. It is some awesome stuff. I was a little afraid that the cognac finish might impart too much sweetness on this bourbon but it is barely noticeable, kinda like the dude who plays the triangle in a symphony orchestra. You know he's there but he's mostly drowned out by the rest of the symphony. Bourbon flavors were prevalent with vanilla, caramel, toffee, and dark cherry and then that tiny hint of cognac on the finish (it's hilarious how many entries on the "notepad" app on my phone contain bourbon tasting notes). At 100 proof, I was surprised at how easy this one went down when sipped neat. I loved it. Currently seeking out a bottle to add to the home bar.
We indulged ourselves with yet another glass of water and more conversation with the barkeepers. I think around the 3.5 hour mark was when we got a mini dose of reality... Mum had texted Dad with some disapproval that we had not returned home yet. Apparently we were supposed to help get ready for the dinner with my sister and her in-laws. Hey, unless specific instructions are doled out in the morning there's no way any man is going to find that sort of common sense, especially when bourbon has clouded the common sense radar. We made small talk for a bit, thanked the bar staff and the owner for their hospitality, and headed on our way.
Five Horses Tavern was a nice way to spend a holiday afternoon with good company, great food, and some excellent American Whiskey. Dad was in the doghouse due to our "lunch" turning into a 4-hour escapade so I dropped him off before taking Denny home. It was then that Dad thought it would be funny to play a prank based on him being in the doghouse not only for our tardiness but because Mum knew there was bourbon involved. It was at this point that he delivered this gem and I'll end it at that hahahahaha...
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