Alcohol in the news; Whet your Whistle, 4.13

From WCIA, Illinois Homepage.net

Whet Your Whistle 4.13

Andy Borbely, of Seven Saints, is here for today's Whet Your Whistle.

Andy talks about whiskey, the distilling process, the aging process, and the barrelling process.

The first is Buffalo Trace White Dog (white whiskey). Next is Montana Whiskey. Next is Rogue Chatoe.

Alcohol in the news; Rogue Oregon Single Malt whiskey

From the Buzz

Rogue Oregon Single Malt Whiskey

An American whiskey with a fruity flavor

I need to start this week's column with a plug for Seven Saint's Whiskey Wednesday. Most of the whiskeys that I try are sampled there. For 50% off a select type (Micro-American/Canadian, Irish, bourbon, scotch) for the week, it's an unbeatable deal and a great way to try some new things without spending $8 on a drink you may not like. Plus, my waitress is a friend from high school, Mary, and we are able to talk casually about whiskey, which she and the other servers, know a lot about and are alway super helpful.

Seven Saints Whiskey Wednesday is an awesome deal.

This week (Micro-American/Canadian) Mary suggested I try the Rogue Oregon Single Malt whiskey, and I am glad that she did. This was the sweetest and most light whiskey I've tasted.

I had this on Wednesday as well, and it was about as smooth as anything I've ever sipped.

The beginning of the drink has a lot of lightness, an opening up of banana and honey flavors. The middle really shows off the toasted grain taste, and the end has a lot of real banana flavor. The first part of the drink is really organized, but the end loosens and lets the sweet, fruit flavors come through.

I wasn't really looking for the banana flavor, but I just couldn't get over how smooth this was. You've probably seen comedians joke about how "smooth" a beverage is, this one actually is. There isn't a hard edge to it. It just flows. If there's ever a whiskey that I could probably chug, it'd be this.

My friend Brad got to try it as well. We didn't get our glasses from the same bottle, and there was a distinct difference between the two. Mine was the top of the bottle, his was the bottom. Both were great, but I thought the top of the bottle was better.

Mary told me to expect banana, but I didn't really anticipate how distinct it would be. Overall, a surprising drink and a good introduction into American whiskey, which is interesting to see the ways micro-Americans define themselves against bourbon and Jack Daniel's which have controlled the American whiskey market for so long.

Mary is awesome. When looking for an American Micro whiskey, (or how to tell it's not bourbon) just look to see where it's made, and if it says bourbon. Additionally, don't look for a rye. If you aren't sure, then go to Seven Saints for Whiskey Wednesday, the lineup for March is:

March 2: Irish
March 9: Bourbon and Rye (my favorite night)
March 16: Scotch
March 23: Canadian and Micro American (like the Rogue)
March 30: Irish

Alcohol in the news; Johnny Walker Black Label

From the Buzz

Johnny Walker Black Label

It seems the buzz is going to be starting a whiskey column. Cool.

I love whiskey — all of the whiskeys. I like the sweetness of bourbons, the smoke of scotch, the way Canadian whiskeys blend in cocktails and the smoothness of Irish whiskeys. I come from a long line of whiskey lovers, too. Russell’s Reserve makes an excellent rye whiskey that my family takes immense pride in even though we have absolutely no affiliation other than the same name. There are so many components and so much history behind whiskey that make it such an interesting and complex drink-turned-hobby and collection. But mostly, I like sharing whiskey and talking about my favorites.

With this column, I’m going to write about — loosely, review — one whiskey a week. My first: Johnny Walker Black Label. It’s one of my favorites because I can drink it neat. It’s not so rough that I need ice or so light that I am left wanting. At around $30 for a bottle, it is also one of the best for the money or for those looking to breakthrough into the world of scotch.

...

Black starts light at the tip of the tongue. It’s sweet in the way of vanilla, and as it finishes it opens up, showing spiciness and smoke. The peat develops through the end, but there is a definite overall smoothness to the scotch in a well-structured and intentional way.

It is not smooth for lack of character. Nothing jumps out harshly. Instead, the flavors roll and develop slowly and evenly through the drink. Because Johnny Walker Black Label is a blend, it acquaints the drinker with different regions of scotch in one drink. The peat and salt of the Islay region scotches compliment the sweetness of the Speyside region. It is all sewn together.

The beauty is really in the following drinks, though, where you become more familiar with the scotch, and as it airs, its flavors will change slightly.

I've recently been able to start enjoying whiskey, so I look forward to keep reading these reviews.

Alcohol in the Local News, Irish Whiskeys

From WCIA, CBS 3

GREENORE Single Grain 8 Years - Cooley Greenore Single Grain is a truly unique whiskey as it is the only expression of Irish Single Grain whiskey in the world. Single Grain whiskeys are very rare as most grain whiskey is normally mixed with Malt whiskeys to make Blended whiskey. Grain whiskey is ma...

Irish Whiskeys

Brian Bowman from Sunsinger Wines & Spirits, visits the morning show.