Jim Beam Honey Whiskey

Hello Single Malters, Today I am reviewing Jim Beam Honey Whiskey. In today's blog, I will share the following info- 

• Sharing a link to my previous blog with distillery info
• Vital Stats
• Tasting notes
• SJ's Rating
• SJ's Pro tip

I have already covered the history behind this distillery in my previous blog- Jim Beam. Today, I am focusing on Jim Beam Honey.

Sweet as honey, bold as bourbon reads the description on the website. "Sweet but not too sweet, Jim Beam Honey has the perfect touch of honey to allow its warming sweetness to shine without losing the mellow smoothness of our original bourbon. So, whenever you are craving a cocktail with a sweeter side or as an easy sipper, this is the bee's knees.  I do not agree with anything that is stated. It is way TOO SWEET. 

Now, the fun part- my tasting notes. Enjoy!

Vital Stats- Jim Beam Honey Whiskey 

Price- $14.49 for 750 ml($0.99 for 50ml pictured sampler)

Age- NAS(No Age Statement)

ABV-  35%

Country of Origin- USA

Distillery- James B.Beam Distilling company, Clermont, Frankfort, Kentucky

Awards Won- None

Tasting info-

Appearance- Light golden

Aroma- Vanilla, honey, citrus, light chocolate, marmalade

Flavor- Too sweet just like medicinal honey, sugary syrup taste

Body- Light

Finish- Short, nonexistent, watery 

SJ's Rating- BOTTOM SHELF

It is terrible just like a sugary syrup, medicinal kind of taste. I do not recommend anyone to buy this one. 

Occasions- None, Unless you want to ruin the party

SJ's Pro tip- The regular Jim Beam is way better than this. 

Well, this was quite a terrible whisky to try but am glad anyone reading this will steer clear of it after reading this. Enjoy some other bourbons like my go-to Makers Mark, won't go wrong. Cheers! Enjoy responsibly. 

Not in the mood to read? Listen to my Single Malt Lives Podcast

Athletic Brewing Hazy IPA- (Non-Alcoholic beer)

I am reviewing another Non-Alcoholic(NA) of Athletic Brewing- Free Wave Hazy IPA & it's on my TOP Shelf. Again! It is simply a product that hits the spot. In today's post I am covering the following:

- Brief history behind this NA beer

- SJ's Rating (explanation on why this Rating)

- Occasions best enjoyed

- SJ's Pro tip

For brewery history, check out my previous post on information about The Athletic Brewing Company. Today I will focus on Free Wave only.  Reads the product story "Our free wave hazy IPA is meant for the open road. Whether you are cruising the Pacific Coast Highway in a convertible or tracing your way up the coast on your bike, our Free Wave doesn't cut corners. This mouth-watering IPA is loaded with Amarillo, Citra and Mosiac hop. You will want to grab a few for the road!" 

The product story smartly positions this as a drink for the road. Love the story, now let me do my tasting to find out if it is true or not! :-) Enjoy my tasting notes. 

Vital Stats-Athletic Brewing-Hazy IPA(Non-Alcoholic beer) 

Price- $10.52 for 6 pack

Age- N/A

ABV- Non-Alcoholic (Less than 0.5%)

Region- Stratford,CT & San Diego,CA

Brewery- Athletic Brewing Company

Beer style- Non-Alcoholic Golden

Awards won- 2020 Brewer of the Year, International Beer Challenge. 

Tasting info-

Serving glass- Large beer glass

Serving style- Chilled

Appearance- Hazy, light amber

Aroma- Toffee, citrus, honey, lemon, hops

Flavor- Just like real beer, bittersweet hops, lemon, nutty, hoppy.

Body- Full

Finish- Hoppy, creamy, smooth

SJ's Rating- Top Shelf 

I liked it better than Upside Down from the came company. it is really like an IPA, Gets better every time. Hops are omnipresent in this NA beer and it tastes damn good!

Occasions best enjoyed- To drink after a day's work but still need to be sober. 

Food- Chicken Pasta. Light pasta complements the heavy IPA

SJ's pro tip- Don't freeze it too long in the freezer. It almost turned into ice in 30 minutes, not like the alcoholic version. 

I enjoyed it on a weekday dinner not having to worry about any sort of hangover. I love it. Enjoy it any time, Cheers! to good health.  

Not in the mood to read? Listen to my SingleMaltLives Podcast instead. 

Glenmorangie The Lasanta 12 Sherry Cask Finish

Glenmorangie The Lasanta 12 is on my Middle Shelf. Almost put it on my bottom shelf because of the disappointing finish. The irony is that it claims to be a sherry cask finish, there is no finish let alone a smooth sherry finish. In today's blog, I will share the following information-

1. Brief history behind this whisky

2. Tasting notes

3. SJ's Rating & pro tip

4. Occasions of use

5. FAQ- Comparing the age of the whiskies(Can lesser age whiskies have more flavor than older ones?)

Established in 1843, The Glenmorangie Distillery is known for the "16 men of Tain". These men have a legacy of generations that have spent by contributing their whisky-making skills. It is what makes the distillery unique. I have covered more interesting facts about the distillery in my previous blog Glenmorangie-10. 

Now about Glenmorangie Lasanta 12.  It is very interesting the way they make it! For the first ten years, it is matured in bourbon casks and for the rest 2 years, it is finished in Sherry cask. Reads the product label " Our signature spirit, distilled in Scotland's talents stills, is aged first in bourbon casks for smooth, fruity notes. We then finish this single malt in had selected oloroso and Pedro sherry casks to create full-bodied richness and complex spice." 

The finish of is sherry cask is not convincing because there is no finish at all, not smooth no hints of sherry. Now enough talk, enjoy tasting notes! :-)

Vital Stats- Glenmorangie The Lasanta 12 years old Sherry Cask Finish

Price- $44.99 for 750ml

Age- 12 years 

ABV- 43%

Region- Highland, Scotland

Distillery- The Glenmorangie Distillery, Coy Tain, Ross-Shire

Awards won- 2017 World Whisky Awards, Best Highland Single Malt (I highly doubt this award👎) 

Tasting info-

Serving glass- Glencarin glass

Serving style- 1st drink: Neat. 2nd drink: on the rocks

Appearance- Dark amber

Aroma- Very aromatic vanilla, spices, caramel, oak, strawberry, citrus. A very little hint of sherry.

Flavor- Some Sherry hints of oak, nutty & vanilla. Not as flavorful as it looks. 

Body- Medium

Finish- Highly disappointing. Flat, short non-existent, not smooth

SJ's Rating-  Middle Shelf (Almost bottom Shelf)

Because of the terrible finish, it gives no character to this whisky. The appearance and the aroma are quite robust just like its high ABV. But the flavor and finish fall flat on its knees to be on the top spot. Nor is it that bad to be on the bottom spot. 

Occasions- Casual drinking not an enjoyable sipping whisky

Food Pairing- Fried red snapper with wild dirty rice.

SJ's Pro tip- The regular Glenmorangie 10 is much more flavorful and smoother than this. 

FAQ- Comparing the age of the whiskies(Can lesser age whiskies have more flavor than older ones?)

The short answer is YES.

The reason is that that age necessarily does not mean you will enjoy it more or will have more flavor. With over hundreds of whisky reviews, I have found many examples including this one where Glenmorangie 10 more flavorful than Glenmorangie 12. The magic of wood, alcohol, and time is a mystery and where it settles for a sweet spot is more of a mystery as well. 

I loved comparing this with the regular 10-year-old and enjoy reviewing it!. Check it out for yourselves and find out! Cheers! Enjoy Responsibly. 

Not in the mood to read? Listen to my SingleMaltLives Podcast instead. 

Busker Irish Whiskey-Triple Cask

Busker Triple cask Irish Whiskey is on my TOP Shelf. It is one of the smoothest Irish whiskies I have ever had apart from Jameson Caskmates. 

In today's post, I will cover the following information-

-Brief history behind this whiskey

-Difference between Irish and Scotch whiskey

-SJ's Tasting notes

-SJ's Pro tip

Produced in the Royal Oak Distillery, the website states, the major point of differentiation for Busker Irish Whiskey takes place during the aging process where the blend, Tripple cask triple smooth and single grain expressions mature in rare selected Cantine Florio(1833) Sicilian Marsala(This is a wine cellar in Marsala, Italy) wine casks. 

What is the difference between Irish & Scotch whiskey?

Distillation- Irish is distilled thrice while Scotch is distilled twice.

Ingredients- Scotch is made of water & barley. Irish from corn, wheat & barley. 

While the fancy Scotch gets all the attention, humble Irish whisky stands tall with its own niche market.  As compared to Scotch there are only a handful of popular ones like Jameson & Tullamore Dew. I seek to find out the hidden gems :-) like this one. 

Vital Stats-Busker Irish Whiskey

Price- $23.49 for 750ml($2.99 for 50ml pictured sampler)

Age- NAS(No Age Statement)

ABV- 40%

Region- Ireland

Distillery- Royal Oak Distillery, Carlow, Ireland

Awards won- Gold Medal 2020, LA Spirits Award

Tasting info-

Appearance- Golden

Aroma- Nice vanilla, cinnamon, spices

Flavor- Vanilla, oak, spices

Body- Medium

Finish- Exceptionally smooth, medium linger

SJ's Rating- Top Shelf

Smoothest Irish I have ever had. 

Occasions- For parties due to its cheaper price but high quality

Food Pairings- Chicken momo, the light flavor of this whisky complements momos. Match made in heaven.

SJ's Pro tip- Great alternate to Jameson

It was so much fun exploring this new whiskey, Check it out for yourselves. Cheers! Enjoy Responsibly. Not in the mood to read? Listen to my SingleMaltLives Podast instead.