Castle & Cairn

Suntory has been on a bit of a roll recently with it's Jim Beam family of products. Black Label got a proof bump and its seven year age statement back while they seem to have enough extra juice lying around to put out this limited edition toasted bourbon as well. Jim Beam winter reserve is a sipping quality concept designed to emphasize lovely toasted oak flavors such as vanilla, cinnamon spice, and cloves. It is not a flavored whiskey! Instead it is double aged in toasted barrels following its initial stint in charred oak.  Toasting involves heating the wood at a lower temperature for a longer period without reaching the char point. This process preserves more of the wood's natural flavor compounds, like vanillin and brings out more nuanced flavors from the wood, including spices, nuts, and maybe even a slight smokiness. This is our first low cost, mass market release from Jim Beam since the Repeal Batch in 2018 which gives us a good indication that Beam stocks must be catchi...

Founded by University of Georgia graduates Jim Chasteen and Charlie Thompson, American Spirit Whiskey Distillery ("ASW") is a craft producer out of Atlanta, GA with the plant registry DSP-GA-20014. As Southern Pot-Still Pioneers, they are one of the few producers to distill in the ancient Scottish Tradition of small, grain-in batches (where grain solids are left in for the remainder of the distillation process) though they also partner with Midwest Grain Products to source distillate for further aging, finishing and blending before bottling as is the case here. This bottle is from the June 2023 batch which is a blend of two principal spirits. ASW's master distiller, Justin Maglitz, is accomplished old-time string music fiddler and he often experiments with various factors between batches. As such, the "Fiddler" brand name fits perfectly. No two batches are truly the same, but all of the ones I've had so far have been to my liking. This bottle shares the same...

📚 Background:   Elijah Craig has grown on me over the years. While I've had inconsistent experiences with barrel picks/private barrels, I love their thrice yearly barrel proof selection and have a warm spot in my heart for the original. Somewhat hard to find, I was happy to chance onto another bottle of Toasted Barrel when stopping in to replenish my standard spirits. This bottle is a Reddit favorite and I often see people mention it as their personal highlight.  Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel  starts its life as normal Elijah Craig before getting a second aging in custom toasted new oak barrels to take on more sweet wood. The original aging is in level 3 charred oak containers (these are fairly typical for bourbon), while the second is toasted and then flash charred. Toasting  is the process of exposing the wood to a longer and lower heat that penetrates deeper into the wood, low and slow similar to smoking or barbequing. If all goes well, this produces an expand...

📚 Background : A recurring Reddit favorite, Brown-Forman's  Woodford Double Oaked  (often abbreviated as "WRDO") owes its name to its double barrel aging process. The first barreling is done in standard new charred white oak barrels, while the second barrel has been specially prepared with a deeper toasting and light charring after their first use to help draw out additional flavors. As such it would be fair to call this a "toasted" bourbon, though they stick with the "double oaked" branding. Beyond Reddit, this bottle has been awarded numerous times, including a Double Gold rating at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.  🛒 Sourced:  $47.99 Costco, GA - 750ml 🧪 Proof: 90.4, 45.2% - 90 proof is my mental minimum for bourbon and finished whiskies like this one will have an outsize amount of flavor for the proof. Barrel entry proof is Woodford's Standard 125. 🥔 Mash Bill: 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% barley. No age statement but the ...