I am in Kentucky once more, my wife and I lucky enough to be going to the “Pappy for your Pappy” dinner and tasting event with Preston and Julian Van Winkle at Buffalo Trace Distillery. This is our second year, and we are mixing in a little bit more of the Bourbon Trail this year, with visits planned to Four Roses and Wild Turkey, as well as a few other stops.
I will be posting a few items as we go, and a recap next week… Let the good times roll!
It’s been a little quiet around here at Baseball and Bourbon, although not for a lack of activity. In the last month, I’ve taken a few short trips, and have a few more coming up. A visit to Maryland and Washington DC last month allowed me to both hunt down some bourbons and ryes that I hadn’t been able to find in Michigan, and take in a ballgame at Nationals Park in DC. Next week, I’ve been lucky enough to (thanks to my sister and mother) procure tickets to the Pappy For Your Pappy event at Buffalo Trace for the second year. Lot’s of exciting things to write about! But more immediately, my wife and I spent last weekend in Northern Michigan for the wedding of our friends Brandon and Julie. In between the fudge on Mackinac Island and some para-sailing, we had a chance to visit the Grand Traverse Distillery in Traverse City!
I’ve sampled the wares of the Grand Traverse Distillery several times, including making their bourbon my Bourbon of the Week in August of 2013. I’m also fond of their Cherry Flavored Whiskey as a fun mixer. So when we decided to visit Traverse City, Michigan as part of our trip, a stop in seemed in order.
The first thing that will surprise you on visit is that the Distillery has a less than picturesque location. That is to say it’s in the middle of an industrial park on the outskirts of Traverse City, in a less-than-glamorous warehouse looking building. I was afraid I had taken us to the wrong location, but upon walking in, knew that I had been correct. Through the front doors is a lobby/gift shop/tasting room, with a bartender on call to mix a cocktail, give you distillery information and ring up your purchase or tour. My wife and I each had a cocktail (mine whiskey, hers gin), and we awaited the start of our tour! Now, one thing of note right away is that Grand Traverse DOES actually produce their own bourbon (as opposed to sourcing it). There are very few distillers in Michigan who can say that (if any?), so as you step into the modest size warehouse their still is all the more impressive. Not only is the Grand Traverse Distillery distilling their own spirits, they use almost exclusively locally sourced grains to do it – their corn, wheat, rye, and obviously cherries, are all locally sourced, The entire area is small enough to take it all in visually in a few minutes, but the step by step walk-through tour is much more in depth. Our guide showed us where the grains are delivered, the fermenting process, and their copper still, where they make a variety of different products (whiskey, vodka, gin, and hope to introduce a rum soon).
When explaining their bourbon, it was pointed out that all of their barrels use a number 4 char, and, the average barrel age is about 3 years (although there are some they are holding on to for later release). The barrels are all stored in the warehouse, which is only moderately temperature controlled (some heat in winter), but they do not rotate or move barrels between sealing and opening.
After a 45 minute tour including a question and answer, we retreated back to the tasting room to sample some of the Grand Traverse spirits. I thoroughly enjoyed the Ole George Rye, and while I still find the Grand Traverse Bourbon a bit rough and tumble, it is still a good quality. It is a higher rye content than I like in my bourbon, but for those who like spicier notes, it’s a solid choice. They are opening a new tasting room in downtown Traverse City, to match ones they have in other cities around Michigan. The tour was very enjoyable, and well worth the time and money. Good job Grand Traverse Distillery – keep doing it well!
We are! Have fun!
After a slight sabbatical consisting of a trip to Baltimore (where my hotel overlooked Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and I was able to watch the closing innings of the Toronto Blue Jays at the Baltimore Orioles from the comfort of my hotel room) and, of course, Easter, I am back to review a bourbon that is neither rare nor indie, but that I found absolutely outstanding: Russell’s Reserve 10 Year.
Now, the Russell’s Reserve 10 Year came highly recommended by my co-worker, friend and fellow bourbon enthusiast Josh McAllister, who mentioned how he had sampled it not too long ago and it immediately became one of his favorites. I know Josh to have good taste, so it made my short list as well, and soon enough, an opportunity to sample it came up. The company I work for often has a few international interns at any given time, and we were lucky enough to have Cecile, who came to us from France, in our department. On her last day a few weeks ago, we decided to have a toast to bid her Bon Voyage at our weekly meeting. Spies were dispatched to find her drink of choice, and it was reported back that she was a fan of Wild Turkey. Perfect.
The Russell alluded to in the name Russell’s Reserve is none other than legendary Master Distiller Jimmy Russell (as well as his son, Associate Distiller Eddie Russell), the man behind Wild Turkey. Jimmy Russell is a legend, and I was fortunate enough to hear him speak at the Bourbon Classic this year in January. So Russell’s Reserve, which claims to be Jimmy’s hand picked small batch, should truly be the representation of his son and his combined 85 years of experience. The website also mentions that they cut it with water less than other bourbons before barreling, and that “Russell’s Reserve is matured in barrels with the deepest #4 char, or “alligator” char, ensuring the maximum flavor and colour is developed during aging.”
So I bought a bottle and, as our weekly meeting wrapped up, poured glasses for those hearty souls to toast the outgoing Cecile, off to new adventures!
My take: Wow. There is everything to love about this bourbon. The availability (here in Michigan, I’ve seen RR at local Meijer stores – I’ve seen Blanton’s and Elmer T Lee there too – so it’s not too hard to find), the price point (between $28-$33 here in Michigan), the bottle (classy) and cetainly not the taste.
The nose was warm and inviting, with notes of caramel and vanilla. Enough sweet cinnamon showed through to make me anticipate a ‘popping’ taste (more on that in a second), and the age and char showed through with a deep, distinct air of toasted oak.
The taste was also warm, but I didn’t get the jarring taste of burned wood that I anticipated, nor a spicy ‘bite,’ but rather, a smooth soft woodiness mixed with a slight sweet vanilla and caramel taste. I will reinforce the word ‘smooth,’ because I was taken aback with just how smooth this was, not too thick a mouth feel, but not thin in anyway. Alongside the oak and vanilla, there were the sparkles of cinnamon, but minus the roughness that sometimes follows it.
The finish was clean and soft, if a little short. I was impressed all the way around and, if Wild Turkey or Mr. Russell ever put out a barrel strength, I would sincerely love to try it. It’s not a perfect 10, but for what it is it’s an A in my book.
Dan’s Rating: 9.1
It’s opening day, folks, a good day for getting a good glass of bourbon or a fine mixed bourbon drink, and watching your favorite baseball team start a fresh new season! I’ve been fortunate enough to visit many stadiums, and as I post some write-ups about them in the coming days and weeks along with my new bourbon reviews, please tell me about your favorites – I love to hear them.
For me, my loves were always the New York Mets, and most of all, my hometown Detroit Tigers, and while hope springs eternal, let’s welcome in a new year and season with the legendary hall of fame broadcaster for the tigers, Ernie Harwell, who would bless each new season with this short poem:
Go get em Tigers, and happy Opening Day!
It’s been a rough week over here at Baseball and Bourbon: I had my wisdom teeth out. I won’t embellish, it didn’t go as poorly – or painfully – as some people had warned me. But it wasn’t exactly fun either. Most saddening was the fact that I was advised not to drink bourbon while my jaw recovered. The one saving grace was that it gave me the perfect excuse to rest and watch the NCAA tournament all weekend. So with a congrats to the Dayton Flyers, as well as Michigan and Michigan State, this week’s review is of a new favorite of mine.
Now, I have no been lucky enough yet to get my hands (and taste buds) on a pour of George T. Stagg, try as I may. I’ve been able to hunt down glasses, if not bottles, of almost all of the other Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, but the GTS eludes me.
That said, I was fortunate enough, when in Kentucky, to get my hands on a bottle of Stagg Jr, the newer offering from the BTAC. Aged 8-9 years (unlike the 15+ GTS is bottled at), but coming from the exact same mash bill, ‘unfiltered’ and ‘uncut,’ it pours at a barrel strength. My bottle shows a 136.6 proof, or 68.3% alcohol. Potent.
What I really note about the Stagg Jr was how my opinion changed over three months, and three different tastings. I first had the Stagg Jr. in December at a bourbon event at the Wine Garden in St. Clair Shores. There I found it too brash and even harsh. Two months later I tried it again at a local whiskey bar, and found that I enjoyed it much more, and found it much more complex. Last week, for review purposes, I tried it again, and came to trust my second, rather than first impression.
The nose: Make no mistake, like any barrel proof, that first sniff will be a burn. Give it a minute to breathe, and you will note a burned-sugar-toffee, vanilla, charred oak and some spiciness. The sweet notes – vanilla and toffee – strengthen as it site, too.
The taste: Again, let’s not kid – that barrel proof is a kicker. It has a thicker mouth taste than I expected, but I could taste very strong influence of charred oak and rye spiciness. A hint of brown sugar, but the sweetness gave way to the spicier hints of cinnamon, pepper and oak. It didn’t knock me back, but I found it smoother than anticipated, without ice.
The finish: It has a burn, a good solid one. Notes of spice hold out along with the taste of wood and subtle sugar sweetness. A little dry, as though there were tannins, on the throat.
My take: Personally, I like Stagg Jr. Looking around online, it seems the biggest drawback Stagg Jr has is not being George T Stagg. Maybe I will feel that way when I’ve had the GTS, but for now, I find this to be a nice, strong drink.
Dan’s Rating: 8.4
Hello, and happy Pi day! Not that one needs a reason to celebrate pies, or to cook with bourbon, but just in case you are interested in doing just that, I’ve got a recipe for you. It comes from the fine website Doughmesstic, with a few changes suggested by my wife Jen.
Last year, my work celebrated Pi day with a pie-potluck of sorts, where people brought in pies of all shapes and sizes, including quiches, breakfast specialties and some desert items. That’s when Jen first made this Bourbon pie, and even included bourbon whipped topping.
I won’t lie, it was a bit of a wake up at 8 in the morning…
But that said, at the end of the day, I took home TWO empty pie tins, and regretted we had not made a third just for our own consumption.
So make the pie with the recipe below, and enjoy!
Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)
1/4 tsp. salt
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon bourbon (I prefer Woodford Reserve for this)
Combine flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt in a food processor (if possible) and combine with ‘pulse’ mode
Take the butter pieces and lay over dry ingredients. Once more, ‘pulse’ to allow butter to cut in. It will be in varied sizes – that’s ok.
Break up the yolk and stir it in, slowly, ‘pulsing’ with each small addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses–about 10 seconds each–until the dough, whisk will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds.*
Add bourbon.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.
To press the dough into the pan: Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan, using all but one little piece of dough, which you should save in the refrigerator to patch any cracks after the crust is baked.
Don’t be too heavy-handed–press the crust in so that the edges of the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.*
*italicized text from Doughmesstic website
Filling:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Vanilla Sugar (or regular sugar – vanilla sugar can be difficult to find)
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Melted Butter
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1/3 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
3 Tablespoons Bourbon (I prefer Elijah Craig for this)
1 Tbsp Vanilla
Combine flour and sugar, then add beaten eggs. Pour over melted butter and stir to incorporate. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Pour into frozen pie crust, and bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, until a nice crust forms on top and appears set. Do not overbake. Also, be careful of burning crust – if it appears to be getting too brown, wrap it in foil and continue to bake the remaining time.
Jen’s Bourbon Whipped Topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp Bourbon
Mix well and chill
…with the help of Traverse City Whiskey Co. American Cherry Edition Bourbon, a Kitchen-aid mixer and a book of bourbon recipes from Albert Schmid, National Center for Hospitality Studies, Sullivan University. Woo-hoo!
I’ve been spoiled a bit lately with the bourbons I’ve been sampling. Pappy Van Winkle, Eagle Rare 17, even the local spirits have been impressive. And I have plenty more quality beverages to sample in the near future. But today I turn my attention to a bit of an odd one: The John B. Stetson Bourbon.
Now, I appreciate a good Stetson hat. Growing up with a love for country music, how couldn’t I? But a Bourbon produced for a company famous for hats and western clothes – color me skeptical.
I purchased the bottle in Kentucky, unaware that it was available here in Michigan. It’s certainly an attractive enough bottle, with it’s leather tie and old style label.
My take: On pour, this bourbon is light. Very light. Not at all the darker hues I’m used to, it has an amber clearness to it. Looking online, the belief is that it is a four-year-old bourbon, and there is much speculation as to where the juice is sourced from, before being labeled and bottled for the Stetson company.
The nose reflects this – it is light and airy at first, and slowly opens up to reveal a corn syrup smell, with a sharp alcohol bite. It’s a rye/wheat blend (in addition to the usual barley and, of course, corn), but has only the lightest spiciness (baking spices, not pepper) in the smell.
To me it tasted very much as I suspected it would: very light and almost watery with a corn sugar opening. It never really heats up too much, and while very light hints of allspice, and a trace of butterscotch are present, it tastes…young. The finish is quite smooth, but very short, and didn’t burn at all (which is fine with me).
If you gave me the choice between this and a Stetson hat, I’d probably take the hat. But it’s not a bad bourbon, just a little young and a little light for my tastes.
Dan’s rating: 7.3
The explosion of bourbon popularity has led to many things: one one hand, there is a massive array of new, innovative and exciting brands and makers growing larger by the day. On the other hand, many products are harder and harder to find.
Another one of the advantages is the number of bourbon, or whiskey, themed bars popping up. Here in Detroit, where the bourbon does not flow as freely as in Kentucky, this can mean a connoisseur (or at least a well read poseur) has a possibility of trying a spirit that would otherwise remain unavailable to them.
Last week, my fellow musician/bourbon-loving friend Jeremy Porter mentioned a bar that had opened in my neck of the woods and had a particularly noteworthy collection of whiskeys: The Butter Run Saloon is St. Clair Shores, Michigan. A quick look at the website caught me off guard – 84 different bourbons. An amazing selection, even more surprising that it happened to be in the relatively sleepy burb I grew up in.
Partially, my surprise was in my notion of what kind of bar would host such an elaborate selection – at least here in Detroit. I shuddered while images of skinny-jeaned, ironic t-shirted hipsters gleefully threw down this week’s leftover vintage bicycle money on glasses of Pappy Van Winkle while discussing the day’s English Premier League scores and the latest London Grammar release. This was not the case, in fact, it was almost the polar opposite.
The bar is a quiet, working class pub style restaurant/bar, that just also happens to have an amazing selection of bourbons (as well as over 100 scotches). It serves good burgers, good onion rings, and Angels Envy Cask Strength (?!?).
Since there were a good number of drinks on this list I have not had the ability to hunt down for myself, I decided to try one that has been on my list for some time. A big fan of the Eagle Rare 10 year, it seemed a good idea to try the Eagle Rare 17 Year-Old. I was not disappointed.
I love Eagle Rare – partially because I love the variations that I have gotten from this straight bourbon, but have not been able to get my hands on a bottle of the 17 Year, hard as I have tried (and I have tried, believe me). With a glass in my hand, it was everything I love about the 10 year, but even more.
My take: The nose of this glass was deep, and incredibly complex and varied. At first, I could make out fruits and a bit of spiciness. Baking apples and cinnamon, raisins and orange peel. A charming array that slowly, as the glass opened, turned into warm leather and oak.
The first sip surprised me – it had a silkiness to it, and the smoky oak taste, but it wasn’t harsh at all. Rather, it was gentle despite the tannin, and not bitter at all. Raisins and almond were there before a soft leather presented itself upon the long finish.
To me. this was a magnificent drink. Full of character and flavor, but not too harsh or biting. Smooth, but not weak. A top five, to be sure!
Dan’s Rating: 9.3
Baseball and Bourbon 