New vodka brands are released so often that the point of distinguishing the difference would be what?

Broken Shed is a vodka that makes a point.

Broken Shed is made in New Zealand from whey, a natural byproduct of milk.

The result? Smooth, well-balanced and creamy. This vodka is free of aditives, sugars and gluten.

The distinctly pure approach comes through on the flavor.

The taste impresses us neat and also in a cocktail. The brand creators recommend their vodka the Negroski.

We’re not jumping to the “clear side” of the liquor aisle all the time at BourbonBlog.com.

However, when we’re looking for a premium flavor for a value of around $30, this will be an option we’ll remember.

Broken Shed just hit the market in June 2012 can currently be purchased  in New York, Connecticut and from select online retailers.

Broken Shed was created by two Connecticut expats who were spending some time in a real broken shed in New Zealand and had the idea to make the vodka they now distill there.

They tell us they sometimes return that broken shed to have a few drinks. Here’s a photo of it below along with our review…

Broken Shed Vodka Review

Spirit:  Broken Shed Vodka

Distillery: Broken Shed Limited , Wanaka, New Zealand

Alcohol:  80 proof, 40 % ABV

Nose: Bright. somewhat tropical with touch of coconut

Taste: Refined,  silky mouthfeel.

Doesn’t shock with bite and heat, but instead warms with softness.

Finish:  Light, milky, hint of butter.

Wanaka, New Zealand

Barrel House Distilling is a American craft distiller based in Lexington, Kentucky. They are producing the only Rum that BourbonBlog.com knows of in Kentucky.

To make it a truly a “Kentucky Rum,”  they age it in a used bourbon barrel. Of course, other rums have been aged in used Bourbon barrels before, but apparently not in Kentucky.

This Rum is a serious treat for both Rum and Bourbon lovers alike!

Barrel House Distilling tells us , “While Kentucky may not be a seaside state – it has more navigable inland waterways than any other state in the lower 48!:

Not long ago, the Oak Rum won Silver Medal and Best in Class rating at the prestigious American Distilling Institute National Conference, which BourbonBlog.com attended.

If you’re not in Kentucky, but it online at Binny’s or The Party Source. It is around $20 per 375 bottle.

Barrel House Distilling has a Bourbon whiskey which is currently aging and not yet released.

Their other two spirits available now are Pure Blue Vodka and Devil John Moonshine.

Barrel Housing Distilling has a tasting room and tour you can take and are located at 1200 Manchester Street #9 Lexington, KY

Oak Rum Bourbon Barrel Aged Review 

Rum: Oak Rum Bourbon Barrel Aged

Distillery: Barrel House Distilling, Lexington, Kentucky

Color:  Gold

Proof:  103 proof, 51.5 ABV (barrel proof)

Nose:  Allspice, citrus, barrel, nice prevalence of alcohol

Taste: Luscious sugars, yet not too sweet. The mild sweet notes are complimented by serious Bourbon extraction. The proof, sweetness and barrel notes
beckon us back for more.

It has the alluring quality of being difficult to put down due to the well-balanced nature of all the elements.

Finish: Juicy and slightly earthy from the barrel. Tropical

Oak Rum by Barrel House Distillery won a Silver Medal and Best in Class rating at the prestigious American Distilling Institute National Conference

While we don’t recommend pouring flavors into whiskies or Bourbons at BourbonBlog.com, we recognize the flavored whisky category is rapidly growing.

Canada’s national tree is the Maple Tree. Can it get more Canadian than Crown Royal?

Put them together, they couldn’t have done much better with this first flavored expression of Crown Royal available for $24.99 per 750 ml bottle.

It is sweet, no doubt it is supposed to be. However, unlike some flavored Bourbons and whiskies, the maple flavor expression tastes real.

It is a well thought flavor, much like Jack Daniels Honey.

Rather than going into too many details about nose, taste flavor, we’ll break it down real easy, let the maple flow…

Nose: - Maple Syrup

Taste - Real maple flavor against warmth of the Crown Royal signature flavors of vanilla, oak and caramel

Finish – The whiskey comes through more at the end.

If we were designing a maple flavored whisky, we’d tone it down a touch on the sweetness just a touch.

However, as is, it will work wonders in many cocktails. We’ve heard one recipe of adding a touch to the traditional Old Fashioned.

If you’re experimental and not opposed to the idea, gather some friends around the table, fry up some Canadian bacon, and break this out!

Crown Royal tells BourbonBlog.com that fully aged Crown Royal is has a touch of natural maple flavor added achieved through a proprietary maple toasted oak finishing process for added smoothness.

Yes, it comes with that iconic bag (in brown this time). You could always keep your pancake mix in it, right?

We’d love to hear what YOU think of this whisky, tell us below under comments!

The cherry flavor has made it’s way traveling through the veins of many whiskeys and bourbons where it didn’t always belong.

More often that not flavored whiskeys don’t typically appeal to us at BourbonBlog.com .

We review them for what they are as they stand alone AND what they can bring to cocktails.

Now, here enters a good one which is done right:  The new Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry.

It brings just nough cherry to give a rounded and “cherriful” flavor without killing it the flavor that SoCo lovers across the globe have come to love.

At 70 proof, the finish has a nice bang of heat which drinks closer to 82 proof and we recommend it to Southern Comfort fans!

SoCo Bold Black Cherry follows the recent release of the new SoCo Fiery Pepper which we enjoyed reviewing here.

So how do we recommend SoCo Bold Black Cherry? It makes one mean Manhattan Cocktail (see recipe below).

Here’s a group photo of the complete collection dressed in their new bottles for a new generation of SoCo sippers!
 

The Southern Comfort Collection including Southern Comfort 100 Proof, Southern Comfort Fiery Pepper, Original Southern Comfort, Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry, and Southern Comfort Lime

SoCo Bold Black Cherry Manhattan Revised

1 1/4 oz. Old Forester Signature 100 Proof Bourbon
1 oz. Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry
3/4 oz. Sweet vermouth
Dash of bitters

Glass: Martini

Method: Shake with ice

Garnish: Cherry

While there has been an expression of The Glenrothes 1988 previously released in markets outside of the U.S.A., our review on BourbonBlog.com will be mark first American review of The Glenrothes 1988 as it is presented here.

The 1988 is set to be available with the United States very soon.

Tom Fisccher brings his taking notes of The Glenrothes 1988 to life in the video above with more details in the review below.

The Glenrothes 1988 Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

Whisky: The Glenrothes 1988 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Limited Release

Distillery:The Glenrothes Distillery, Rothes, Banffshire, By the Burn of Rothes, Scotland

Age: 20 years, into barrel on December 16, 1988 and approved and bottled on November 4, 2008

Proof: 86 proof, 43% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)

Color: Medium copper

Nose:Deep candied orange peel, the blend of American and Spanish oak is evident on the nose.

Taste:  Beautiful balance between sweet and smoke with a Single Malt river flowing of creamy and boozey Christmas fruitcake undertow.

Reminiscent of a combinations of several holiday/winter desserts together with sugariness of rich rum ball and other treats cooking in the kitchen. Notes of Sherry, apple along with mild hints of lemon zest, deliver a smooth texture to the mouthfeel.

Compared to other Limited releases we’ve reviewed on BourbonBlog.com including The Glenrothes 1994 and 1995, flavors on the 1988 take The Glenrothes DNA in a bold, new direction considering the age.

Finish: Lusciously transcends from delicate tartness to mild cocoa notes and ends with damp wood and warning orange marmalade lingering in the mouthfeel.

The Glenrothes Distillery, Rothes, Banffshire, By the Burn of Rothes, Scotland

The Stills at The Glenrothes Distillery, Scotland

Special thanks to Danielle Katz.

Thanks to Annabelle for filming.

BourbonBlog.com reviews Crown Royal’s second release in the brand’s Extra Rare Whisky Series. This Crown Royal XR blend includes select remaining whiskies from the renowned LaSalle Distillery in Quebec, Canada.

Overall, this release tastes slightly closer to a smooth, young Kentucky Bourbon than it does to a Canadian Whiskey on the pendulum that swings between Canadian Whisky and Kentucky Bourbon whiskey characteristics (being suggested only to demonstrate in this particular review).

The Crown Royal XR LaSalle Whisky is light, distinguished and elegant release.

At $129.99 for a 750 ml, it is out now for whisk(e)y lovers who enjoy a limited edition experience.

Crown Royal XR LaSalle Whisky Review

Whisky: Crown Royal XR LaSalle Distillery Release

Distillery:LaSalle Distillery, Quebec, Canada

Proof: 80 proof, 40% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)

Color: Medium amber

Nose: Slightly sweet char with light honey and banana with a fair amount of heat for 80 proof.

Taste:  Light notes of chocolate fudge blended with toffee and fresh baked bread.

“Bourbon” like in the flavor of the mashbill and barrel notes.

Finish: Elegant, dry crispness displaying some pleasant muskiness against coffee notes.

LaSalle Distillery in Quebec, Canada

A warehouse at the old LaSalle Distillery in Canada Photo courtesy of Davin de Kergommeaux

Captain Morgan’s new Black Spiced Rum brings sexy marketing complete with mysterious new bottle,  label and commercial which we’ve included below.

All that fun aside, what does it taste like once you ”Step into the black?”  BourbonBlog.com brings you our review of the new Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum.

This is a Caribbean Blackstrap rum with select ingredients, including rich clove spice and premium cassia bark, then finished with double charred blackened oak barrel.

Blackstrp rums are are produced from the darkest molasses produced by the third boiling while refining sugar and the resulting rum is equally as dark, rich, and thick.

Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum Review

Rum: Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum

Proof:  94.6 proof, 47.3% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)

Nose: Pleasant heat, butter and spice.

Taste: Enters with milk chocolate notes against cola flavor. Notieable cocoa with light burn. Toward the end of mind-palette and before the finish, hits buttery and slightly nutty luscious flavor.

It doesn’t drink on the mouthfeel nor proof as heavy as the deep, rick as the nearly black color it appears. There is enough heat at nearly 100 proof to hold up well in cocktails

The complexity isn’t hugely pronounced, yet very satisfying flavors for the price point of around $20-25.

Finish: Rum warms the mouth against light minty notes with touch of a cooling after-effect.

BourbonBlog.com brings you the first review of the new Wild Turkey 81 Rye in this video segment above with Tom Fischer and in the tasting notes below. This is a unique gem for rye lovers offering a contrast between spicy and light.

Wild Turkey 81 Rye will be released in Spring 2012 available in the US for around $22.99 per 750ml. bottle. This 81 proof rye whiskey  was created  by a mingling of 4 and 5-year old Rye whiskies naturally aged in warehouses without computer temperature controls available.

Like the 2011 release of Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon, this whiskey was crafted by Wild Turkey’s Associate Master Distiller, Eddie Russell.

Wild Turkey 81 Rye Review

Whiskey: Wild Turkey 81 Rye

Distillery: Wild Turkey, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky

Proof:  81 Proof, 40.5% ABV

Color: Light amber

Nose: Mild fruit, slightly herbal with hints of spice

Taste:  For 81 proof, the burn and spice are solid and bold as can be delivered in a lower proof Wild Turkey whiskey. However, within the boldness, there is some restraint shown in an elegant contrast. The rye speaks of youth with a well-balanced “heartiness.”

The spicy rye flavor stays on the tongue for a brief taste and then fades into a pool of light notes including chocolate, baking spices and mild cinnamon with a smooth, gentle texture.

Finish:  Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Additionally, savory characteristics much different from other ryes on the market. In the video, I mention notes reminiscent of  ”Indian” or “Mexican” food, perhaps a hint of cumin.

Review by BourbonBlog.com

Special thanks Annabelle for filming video.

Can the Irish nail the flavors true to Bushmills and deliver the true honey without going too sweet? In short, yes and we recommend the new Bushmills Irish Honey as a fine example of a flavored whiskey.

Are we saying we go for flavored whiskeys often? No. However, this one is worth the try even to skeptics.

In a flavored whiskey, the distiller has the challenge of making the whiskey and the honey distinct, yet a happy marriage.

Otherwise, why use aged whiskey and combine it with honey? Often with the strength of some honey whiskeys, you might wonder, “Why not just make a honey vodka or liqueur?”

Not the case here, a job well-done by Bushmills Master Distiller Colum Egan!

If you like Bushmills Irish whiskey, you’ll find familiar notes along with new ones here. It shows slight nuances rather than pouring a nest of bees and buckets of honey in a bottle.

Suggested Retail Price: $24.99

Bushmills Irish Honey Review

Whiskey: Bushmills Irish Honey

Distillery: Old Bushmills Distillery, Co. AntrimNorthern Ireland

Proof: 70 Proof, 35% ABV

Color: Golden

Nose: Gentle, herbal with ripe apples and malt

Taste: Fresh grain, cereal notes, alive with vanilla and pear ice cream. The flavor that is true to the Bushmills Original walks hand in hand with a real honey mid-palette and provides a floral, juicy support through the end.

Mouthfeel is light as you’d expect from an Irish whiskey.

While the taste becomes slightly “liqueur” like in nature, there is no cloying or annoying grasps on the tongue.

Finish:  Clean, slightly creamy with the Bushmills notes backed by pear, and honey

Review by BourbonBlog.com

Colum Egan Master Distiller at Bushillmills Distillery, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland