Friday, May 31, 2019

Glenmorengie 10



Glenmorengie 10 is the whisky that I am reviewing today. I wanted to try this since a while, as you all are aware there are hundreds of whiskies out there and choosing one can sometimes be confusing.Hence I do the dirty work..lol and do the tastings so you can decide for yourself weather you would like to buy it or not. Here are a few fun facts about the Glenmorengie distillery.
- It has the tallest stills in Scotland 8m high and 5.14m neck. Wow ! that is quite tall.
 The long copper necks allow only the very finest vapors to rise to the top.
- Casks are used only twice in selected ex-bourbon and oak casks. I can see where all that flavor comes from.
- The 16 Men of Tain. For more than 170 years, Glenmorangie has been perfected by their craftsmen, The 16 Men of Tain which as been passed down through the generations. Now that is some legacy!
Now for the part we have all been waiting for- the tastings, lets get right to it.


Vital Stats
Glenmorengie 10 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Price- $32.99 for 750ml( Includes two whisky glasses)
Age- 10 years
ABV- 40%
Region- Highland Whisky
Distillery- The Glenmorengie Distillery,Scotland
Awards won- Gold,Scotch Single Malt Highland 2017(International Wine and Spirit Competition)


Tasting info-
Serving glass- Whisky glass
Serving style- Neat. A few drops of filtered water opened up flavors and made it very aromatic
Appearance- Light golden almost pale

Aroma- Orange, honey, spice, peppermint, marmalade
Flavor- Very smooth, sweet, honey, orange, cinnamon, spice very tasty
Body- Absolutely full bodied. Cant get any fuller than this.
Finish- Very long sweet finish. Very nice. Taste lingers for long long time in mouth

SJ's Rating- Top Shelf
Absolutely loved this scotch.It has a clean, fresh taste that I would enjoy over and over again as a staple whisky  It is slightly sweet, incredibly smooth and highly aromatic. It is also an excellent whisky for the price. 
As a bonus it comes with two high quality Glenmorengie branded whisky glasses. What more would you want?πŸ˜ƒ
I enjoyed this tasting thoroughly. What drinks have you been tasting lately? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers πŸ₯ƒ
I adopt and promote responsible drinking. Leaving you with a fun quote. 
"If you must drink and drive, drink water."

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Early times Kentucky Bourbon



Hello friends, the long Memorial Day Weekend is upon us and all of you must be planning good times with friends and family. On this note, I am reviewing a bourbon which will come in handy for quenching the masses that is wallet friendly. Recently, I was out for some drinks with friends and  decided to try a bourbon that was on "Happy Hour". I asked waitress what they had and she said "Early Times". I had never heard of it before..so a sense of adventure rushed over me to try something new. Getting a change of scenery from the regular scotch reviews and trying something new in a different environment πŸ˜ƒ
I used to judge the drink by its price. While this is true in most cases it is not necessarily always so. After sampling all sorts of liquor from different price points, I realized that if my palate likes the flavor the price tag does not matter. Here are my tasting notes for this Bourbon.

Vital stats
Early Times Kentucky Bourbon
Price- $9.99 for 750ml
Age- No age statement
ABV- 40%
From- Kentucy,USA
Awards won- None

Tasting info-
Serving glass-  Whisky Glass

Serving style- Neat
Appearance- Amber
Aroma- Honey, citrus
Flavor-  Spice with peppermint and honey notes
Body- Medium bodied
Finish- Slight aftertaste of spice and a hint of medicinal alcohol

The grilled salmon cakes paired perfectly with my drink as a fun little appetizer.

SJ's rating- Middle Shelf
It is a value for money bourbon. Not the best of course but it is not that bad either in terms of the taste. I could use this drink for large parties or have few on happy hour since it is so light on the wallet. Don't fall for it's cheap price thinking it is a bad drink. It is full of flavor that I liked but not as smooth. Also, it would be a good one for mixed drinks like an Old Fashioned or Manhattan. 

Would you like any whisky to be reviewed? Let me know by writing below.
Happy long Memorial Day Weekend..Cheers! πŸ₯ƒπŸ₯ƒ..Hope you guys create fun memories with BBQ and drinks.
As always leaving you with a responsible drinking quote.
Drink+Drive= Deadly Cocktail

Friday, May 17, 2019

Grangestone 12 Single Malt Whisky




One World Many Malts..This is how I feel when I am amidst a sea of bottles to choose from. My mission is to unravel one bottle at a time. As you all know I like trying different Scotch whiskies and present the facts so everyone can benefit from it. Today I bring for you GrangeStone 12 , a name unfamiliar to me. I got to unravel this whisky and am proud to present my tasting notes for you.  One of the reasons I bought it is the price as well, it seemed like a good value for money hence  I picked this bad boy up. 
The highland region generally produces more full bodied whiskies with deeper notes of peat and smoke. The scotch spends twelve years in hand-prepared oak casks. A floral aroma in intertwined with hints of spice, fruit and oak. Delicate with subtle spice and oak notes enveloped by a mellow, vanilla sweetness. This was product story in the bottle, now its time to find out its real flavor. 

Vital Stats
Grangestone 12 year old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Price- $28.99
Age- 12 years
ABV-40%
Region- Highland
Awards Won- Gold Medal in International Wine & Spirits Competition

Tasting info-

Serving glass-Glencairn Glass
Serving Style- Neat(with few drops of water to open flavors)
Appearance-  Dark Amber

Aroma- Orange zest, peppermint, lemon, oak, peat
Flavor- Smokey flavor, peaty, sharp and sweet in the palette
Body- Medium bodied
Finish- Short finish. Does not linger in mouth for too long

SJ's Rating- Middle shelf 
This whisky did not satisfy my palette as it is not so flavorful. It does have a faint touch of peaty,smokey flavor for people who enjoy this profile. For me it is just an easy to drink whisky , not much complex flavors. I could use it for cocktails and as as summer drink in a highball glass with club soda and ice.

I am sure you all have different tastes. Let me know your opinion about this whisky or anything in general.
CheersπŸ₯ƒπŸ₯ƒπŸ₯ƒ
If partying is a must, designate a driver that you trust.

Friday, May 10, 2019

George Washington Distillery Tour - Mount Vernon


Today I am excited to present my second distillery visit-George Washington's Distillery. It is a part of a larger tour of Mount Vernon which is George Washington's house. Not the fanciest of distilleries but worth it to experience the man's legacy and to learn how whisky was made in the old days. A proud heritage stands with it of being the first distillery in the United States, the largest at its time. It was established in 1797 and produces a limited 700 gallons a year.
There are no whisky tastings available so am not able to review their products. However you can   buy a bottle available exclusively at the Distillery and Mount Vernon gift shop only. I will definitely do a review in my upcoming blogs whenever I get a chance. 
The following are their offerings which ranges from $98 to $225(Ouch..yep it is pricey). 
-Rye whisky
-Straight rye 
-Apple Brandy 
-Peach Brandy  
Without further ado I will get right to it. Enjoy! 

Tour info-
Distillery- George Washington Distillery 
Ticket price-  $18(Included with Mount Vernon entrance fee)
Location- Mount Vernon, Virginia
Getting there- 16 miles south of Washington DC. About 30 minutes drive. Check their website for details.( A shuttle runs every half an hour from the visitor's center to the Distillery )


Time to start the tour..Yay

Entrance to the distillery

The tour starts here



Different products on display and purchase at the gift shop

Whiskies with price range  


Gift ideas for whisky lovers..

This is the beautiful Gristmill ( where corn is grinned down for making whisky)

Our very entertaining and informative guide Cori explaining us the nitty gritties

The muscle that grids it together ..water generated

Grinding in action. The waterwheel behind it powers the operation

Fine powdered corn fresh out of the mill

Heading towards the distillery itself

Yep this is how old the distillery is ..1797 ..wow πŸ˜ƒ

Inside the distillery with vintage barrels and accessories needed to distill whisky

Not quite sure but I believe this is where they bathe the grinned corn before distilling 

The ingredients malted barley,yeast and of course corn

The good stuff is pouring down this pipe into the barrel and ready for maturation


Rye whisky sits comfortably in its barrel 

 Happy and satisfied me(right).Thanks Cori for the awesome tour

As you guys can see I thoroughly enjoyed the awesome tour and feel lucky to experience such a historic site. I highly encourage anyone visiting Mount Vernon to take a tour of the distillery as well because you are already there so why not? Lol..

Have you been to this or any historic distillery? Share your experience in the comments below.
Cheers and Enjoy Responsibly. 
"Drive Hammered, get Slammered"

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Glenlivet Founders Reserve Single Malt Scotch Whisky


Fellow Single Malters..hope you are getting ready to start your weekend. Today I present The Glenlivet Founders Reserve whisky for my review. Glenlivet is one my favorite whisky and I have tried its 12, 15 year old and First fill versions. Founder's Reserve is a skillful collection of casks that enhances the signature fruity flavor of Glenlivet. The whisky is matured in traditional oak casks and also with first fill casks which gives a hint of creamy sweetness. 
I have added a new term in my tasting info which is "body". It is a little complicated to learn but once you get a hang of it you will get better with experience. "Body" in tasting terms means how the whisky feels in your mouth. Generally it would be light,medium or full bodied. It is like the texture of the liquid. A good full bodied whisky will burst in your mouth with flavors and also will be very aromatic. 

Vital Stats
Glenlivet Founders Reserve Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Price-  $27.49 for 750ml( Pictured $65 for 1.75ml )
Age- No age statement
ABV- 40%
Region- Speyside
Awards won- Gold, No age statement 2015(The Spirits Business)

Tasting info-
Serving glass- Whisky glass

Serving style- On the rocks
Appearance- Pale gold
Aroma- Citrus, fruits, clean and fresh aroma
Flavor- Fruity, toffee, zesty orange, pear
Body- Very light bodied
Finish- Short aftertaste( No lingering in mouth at all )

SJ's Rating- Third Shelf
Disappointed with this expression of so called special reserve. There is nothing special about this one. I would choose the regular 12 year old Glenlivet over this every time. This could however be used as a mixer in whisky based cocktails or with lots of ice on a summer day maybe. I would skip this when drinking neat.
Any experience with this whisky? Let me know below in the comments.

As always, Enjoy responsibly. "If not sober, get Uber".  CheersπŸ₯ƒπŸ₯ƒ