Castle & Cairn

My personal sweet spot in the proof-flavor continuum is between 100-110 proof (albeit with some notable exceptions). For things that are barreled at 125, I find that this amount of dilution serves only to make the whiskey more drinkable and doesn't unduly harm flavor. Recently, I took a look at some Ezra Brooks Cask Strength , contract distilled by Heaven Hill, and was intrigued. The heaven hill stocks used shared the same mash bill as their hallmark Evan Williams line (heck, they may even have started life intended to be dumped into Evan bottles). This gave me a lovely 120 proof base to dilute down into my preferred ABV range. I toyed with the idea of using some Evan Williams Single Barrel as the complementary bottle, but ultimately decided that it would be too disproportionate (EWSib is only 86.6 proof). The stalwart Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond will stand in as the Ezra Brook's dance partner for this exercise.  Vámonos! 🧪Preparation I blended the two spirits to arrive at ...

I've had a bottle of Knob Creek Smoked Maple on my shelf for around two years. In my review, I found it to be very sweet with plenty of candy-like, artificial maple flavor but lacking any sort of smokiness or char. To put it plainly, I did not care for it. For this ill-advised Whiskey Frankenstein ( home whiskey blending ) experiment we will be combining Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon and Costco's Kirkland Islay Single Malt Scotch  to try and make something that is actually smoke adjacent. Why the Kirkland? It's cheap, it's on my shelf, and I won't be sad to have used it when this turns out terrible.  Vámonos! 🧪Preparation I will make three 60ml samples for a total of just under two shots of each whiskey consumed. We will give the best of the three an appropriately zany name.  Samples & Ratios: A: 50/50 "Half and Half" B: 75/25 Majority Knob Smoked Maple C: 75/25 Majority Kirkland Islay Whiskies are measured using a 100ml lab-quality graduated cylin...

In the continuing war on the bottle of  Knob Creek Smoked Maple  that has been taking up space on my shelf since 2023, this 50/50 blend serves to kill the last bit of Dread River remaining after the creation of a rather excellent 75% Rebel Cask Strength Blend  (the Cask ran out before the Dread). On their own, the Dread River suffers from extreme youth and lack of oak while it is charmingly sweet, and the Knob Creek is artificial candy sugar, a lot of maple and not much smoke. The hope is that the edges on the Dread River help balance out some of the sugar from the Knob Creek, though the result is still going to be very sweet. Not sure how optimistic I am going into this one.  Vámonos! 🧪Preparation I mixed the two half and half until all the Dread was gone. No art or science this time. They mingled for five days and I shook the mix roughly before pouring. Sat out for a few minutes but didn't track the total. Rocks glass on deck tonight because I don't want as much o...

Blending, the art of mixing whiskey to both make new exquisite flavors and mellow out any bad tastes, may be the height of a producer's craft. Those at home chasing a similar feeling of mastery may go deep into cocktails, creating precise recipes and techniques. Many have, upon trying a new bottle and realizing it is not to their liking, buried an offending whiskey in coke or another choice mixer, but what if you're not into sugary drinks? Enter home whiskey blending, quite simply the mixing of bottles of already prepared whiskey to make something new or satisfy inebriation fueled curiosity. We'll discuss the recommended process, considerations, and where to go for next steps. Setting Realistic Goals for Your Home Whiskey Blend Blending whiskey in a production setting is HARD. There is a reason why very few people in the world have the title of "master blender". These days it requires one heck of a nose and tongue in addition to a detailed understanding of product...

Why Blend Whiskey? There are a huge number of factors that can influence a whiskey's flavor before and during the aging process. While process and science can significantly improve the consistency of fermentation and distillation, all bets are off once the white dog hits the barrel. Different parts of a rickhouse will experience different temperatures, causing variation in the amount of extraction of barrel compounds and evaporation. The barrels themselves can have variability in wood grain, density, and chemical composition that further influence that barrel's unique character. Many afficionados take joy in the search for "honey barrels" or specific single barrels that may stand out from the pack, but this can cut both ways with poor picks being a bit of a let down. For established brands with flagship products, ensuring consistency in flavor is critical to maintaining their fanbases and reputations. Enter "Blending", quite simply the process of mixing tog...