WHISKEY DREAMS – Blade and Bow Bourbon

According to their website, Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey uses a unique Solera System aging process to make their whiskey. What is the Solera Aging Process?

It kinds looks like a pyramid. If you watch the little video they provide you can see they basically created a named process for blending younger and older casks before they draw off the final product to be bottled.

Solera Process

So what does the end product of this pyramid process smell and taste like?

The nose is light charred oak, sweet vanilla and alcohol. None of the notes are particularly strong, they all just kind of sit there.

Blade And Bow Bourbon

The first impression on the sip is vanilla and sweet until the swallow, which is dry oak and char as it goes down your throat. That char may be a shock for some. The front of your tongue picks up the sweet vanilla and when it hits the back of the throat it is raw and oaky and very strong compared to the opening.

There is an interesting duality on the swallow of this whiskey. It is a little dry from the time in the oak barrels but it is also very, and I’m struggling for the right word here, watery? There isn’t any real mouth feel to this whisky, it is just watery with no substance. I feel like something with this much oak should have more oil, something more substantial?

The stark difference between the soft sweet opening and the hardness on the swallow really cost this blended whiskey points. Blade and Bow scored a 48/100, meaning this whiskey is destined for Mixed Drinks Only.

Color

Light to medium copper.

Proof

45.5% ABV

Pros

  • Gold Medal winner at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
  • The bottle is very cool. It feels like something the Great Gatsby would have poured alcohol from.

Cons

  • For me, the $50 price point (where I am locally) leaves me with better options.
  • Watery mouth feel.
  • Punch of char and roughness on the swallow that is out of sync with the sweet, soft, vanilla opening notes.
  • Too expensive to be in the Mixed Drinks Only range.
BottleScorePriceType
Redbreast Cask Strength97$100 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover Single Malt Irish Whiskey97$160 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon96$65 / 750mlBourbon
Redbreast 12 Years96$70 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Jameson The Distiller’s Safe95$70 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon94$45 / 750mlBourbon
Redbreast Lustau Edition92$65 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Redbreast 1591$115 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Dublin Liberties Copper Alley Irish Whiskey90$75 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
The Dubliner 10 Year89$70 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tyrconnel Irish Whiskey 16 Year88$95 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Powers Three Swallow Irish Whiskey87$40 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tyrconnel Single Malt87$50 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Knappognue Castle Irish Whiskey 12 Year87$50 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Smooth Ambler Contradiction Whiskey86$40 / 700mlBourbon
Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey86$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Jameson Triple Triple Travel Exclusive85$35 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Uncle Nearest 185684$60 / 750mlWhiskey
Smooth Ambler Old Scout American Whiskey84$55 / 700mlBourbon
Glenmorangie The Original 10 Year82$45 / 750mlScotch
Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Bourbon81$50 / 750mlBourbon
Willett Pot Still Reserve Whiskey81$65 / 700mlBourbon
Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year81$65 / 700mlIrish Whiskey
Old Forester 1870 Bourbon80$55 / 750mlBourbon
Jameson 18 Year Irish Whiskey80$140 / 700mlIrish Whiskey
Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finished Irish Whiskey80$40 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Jameson IPA Edition80$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Irish Whiskey80$125 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Don Julio 194280$190 / 750mlTequila
Monkey Shoulder Scotch79$30 / 750mlScotch
West Cork Irish Whiskey77$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
ChestNut Farms Bourbon77$70 / 750mlBourbon
Basil Hayden’s75$35 / 750mlBourbon
Jameson Irish Whiskey75$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey74$45 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Slane Irish Whiskey74$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tullamore D.E.W Irish Whiskey 12 Year73$55 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
John L. Sullivan Irish Whiskey72$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tullamore Dew Caribbean Rum Cask Finish Irish Whiskey72$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Bushmills 10 Year Irish Whiskey72$50 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Clyde May’s Original Alabama Style Whiskey71$35 / 750mlBourbon
Appleton Estate Reserve Blend Rum70$35 / 750mlRum
Mr. Whiskey70$20 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey70$40 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey70$20 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tito’s Vodka69$30 / 750mlVodka
The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey69$35 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Death’s Door68$40 / 750mlBourbon
Kavanagh 16 Year Irish Whiskey66$50 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
McConnell’s Irish Whisky66$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Kirkland Irish Whiskey65$18 / 1500mlIrish Whiskey
Wellsley Farms Irish Whiskey65$28 / 1500mlIrish Whiskey
Ha’Penny Irish Whiskey64$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Wild Turkey Bourbon63$30 / 750mlBourbon
Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey62$65 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Stillhouse Black Bourbon61$20 / 750mlBourbon
Maker’s Mark Bourbon60$30 / 750mlBourbon
Fighting Cock Bourbon58$20 / 750mlBourbon
Jameson Orange55$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Buffalo Trace55$25 / 750mlBourbon
Fistful Of Bourbon53$40 / 750mlBourbon
Kilbrin 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey52$55 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey51$30 / 750mlBourbon
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon50$35 / 750mlBourbon
Howler Head Whiskey50$25 / 700mlWhiskey
Knob Creek Small Batch49$35 / 750mlBourbon
Blade And Bow48$50 / 750mlBourbon
Proclamation Irish Whiskey44$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
The Temple Bar Irish Whiskey40$60 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Redemption Bourbon 40$30 / 750mlBourbon
Natterjack Irish Whiskey35$35 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Hell-Cat Maggie Irish Whiskey32$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Grace O’Malley Believe in Grace Irish Whiskey31$40 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Baha Founders Reserve30$65 / 700mlIrish Whiskey
Woodford Reserve29$35 / 750mlBourbon
Breaker29$65 / 750mlBourbon
Pure Kentucky28$35 / 750mlBourbon
Stranahan's27$60 / 750mlWhiskey
Egan’s Fortitude Irish Whiskey26$45 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon Whiskey15$30 / 750mlBourbon
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey10$20 / 750mlBourbon
Hill Billy Bourbon9$20 / 750mlBourbon
Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey5$25 / 750mlWhiskey
The Busker Irish Whiskey4$35 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Kavanagh Irish Whiskey3$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
The Balvenie 14 Years Caribbean Cask1$100 / 750mlScotch
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey1$25 / 750mlBourbon
Highland Park Magnus Single Malt Scotch0$40 / 750mlScotch
Pops McCann0$40 / 750mlWhiskey
Silkie Irish Whiskey0$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey

WHISKEY PLACES – The Greene Turtle

The main reason I wanted to hit The Greene Turtle was I love a good fish taco and they have Spicy Baja Fish Tacos on the menu. My wife had the Spicey Chicken Sandwich.

On the food side we both found the food to be over spiced. The siracha in the fish tacos was so strong it just over powered all the other flavors. My wife ended up scraping some of the sauce off her chicken because it was the same. Maybe we were just there on a bad day for the kitchen staff?

By the way, our waitress was really nice, and all the staff were very friendly.

So on to the Whiskey front. They have what I would consider standard “Bar” level whiskeys. Nothing special and not a huge selection.

Greene Turtle Whiskey Menu

I went with the Bulleit Bourbon Manhattan as my drink of choice.

Bulleit Bourbon Manhattan

The Bulleit makes a nice dryish Manhattan that really lets the bourbon shine through. There are times I want a sweeter, richer Manhattan, and other times a nice dry finish is just perfect. This was one of those times. I will definitely bet getting a bottle of Bulleit to satisfy those dry Manhattan cravings.

When it comes to The Greene Turtle however I think I”ll give it a pass unless I don’t have any other options. There is not a huge selection of Whiskey, and the food was way overpriced for the quality. If I go there again I think I’d stick to just an appetizer and a drink, as we found the food not to our liking, which is why The Greene Turtle is scoring a 40/100, putting it in “If I Had Limited Choices” territory.

PlaceLocationScorePrice ScaleDrink
Cinder BarClarksboro, NJ96High CostManhattan
Saltgrass SteakhouseOrlando, FL91Moderate CostManhattan
The Irish WhisperNational Harbor, MD90High CostIrish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & SteaksNational Harbor, MD80High CostManhattan
The Dead RabbitNew York, NY75High CostMultiple
Iron Hill BreweryWilmington, DE71High CostKentucky Connection
Cadillac RanchNational Harbor, MD70Moderate CostMultiple
Harry’s Savoy GrillWilmington, DE67High CostManhattan
Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana GrillNewark, DE66Moderate CostNewly Fashioned
Creekside InnWoodstown, NJ65Low to ModerateManhattan
AlewifeRichmond, VA63High CostManhattan
roanokeChicago, IL55High CostBlack Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & BarChicago, IL53Low CostManhattan
Da AndreaNew York, NY50High CostManhattan
Negroni
Iguana CafeChicago, IL45Moderate CostManhattan
The Greene TurtleNewark, DE40Moderate CostManhattan
Restaurante Montserrat ManorPunta Cana, DR35High CostManhattan
Dave & Buster'sDeptford, NJ30Moderate CostManhattan
Cock'n BullLahaska, PA26High CostManhattan
Old Fashioned
The Brass TapNational Harbor, MD25Moderate CostManhattan
Carrol's Creek CafeAnnapolis, MD21High CostManhattan
Big Fish GrillWilmington, DE10High CostManhattan
The LegendNew Castle, DE5Low CostManhattan
TGI FridaysNew Castle, DE1Moderate CostManhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

Silkie Irish Whiskey

Legendary Silkie Irish Whiskey

If you like Scotch you may like this Silkie blended Irish Whiskey.

If I’d known it was peated when I saw I would have have bought it. Scotch and anything that is peated just reminds my of licking ash trays, so it is really not for me.

Silkie Irish Whiskey

The nose is all smoke and I can’t taste anything but ash tray, so for me, this is sadly I Had To Pour It Out.

Silkie Irish Whiskey earns a 0/100 from me as I literally cannot drink it. Just keep in mind I don’t like smoke, so you might like it if you like Scotch.

Color

Straw gold with hints of amber.

Proof

46% ABV

Pros

  • If you like smoke, this may be right up your alley.

Cons

  • I’m not a fan of smoke or peated whiskeys so this was akin to licking an ash tray for me.
BottleScorePriceType
Redbreast Cask Strength97$100 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover Single Malt Irish Whiskey97$160 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon96$65 / 750mlBourbon
Redbreast 12 Years96$70 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Jameson The Distiller’s Safe95$70 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon94$45 / 750mlBourbon
Redbreast Lustau Edition92$65 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Redbreast 1591$115 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Dublin Liberties Copper Alley Irish Whiskey90$75 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
The Dubliner 10 Year89$70 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tyrconnel Irish Whiskey 16 Year88$95 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Powers Three Swallow Irish Whiskey87$40 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tyrconnel Single Malt87$50 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Knappognue Castle Irish Whiskey 12 Year87$50 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Smooth Ambler Contradiction Whiskey86$40 / 700mlBourbon
Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey86$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Jameson Triple Triple Travel Exclusive85$35 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Uncle Nearest 185684$60 / 750mlWhiskey
Smooth Ambler Old Scout American Whiskey84$55 / 700mlBourbon
Glenmorangie The Original 10 Year82$45 / 750mlScotch
Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Bourbon81$50 / 750mlBourbon
Willett Pot Still Reserve Whiskey81$65 / 700mlBourbon
Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year81$65 / 700mlIrish Whiskey
Old Forester 1870 Bourbon80$55 / 750mlBourbon
Jameson 18 Year Irish Whiskey80$140 / 700mlIrish Whiskey
Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finished Irish Whiskey80$40 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Jameson IPA Edition80$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Irish Whiskey80$125 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Don Julio 194280$190 / 750mlTequila
Monkey Shoulder Scotch79$30 / 750mlScotch
West Cork Irish Whiskey77$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
ChestNut Farms Bourbon77$70 / 750mlBourbon
Basil Hayden’s75$35 / 750mlBourbon
Jameson Irish Whiskey75$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey74$45 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Slane Irish Whiskey74$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tullamore D.E.W Irish Whiskey 12 Year73$55 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
John L. Sullivan Irish Whiskey72$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tullamore Dew Caribbean Rum Cask Finish Irish Whiskey72$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Bushmills 10 Year Irish Whiskey72$50 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Clyde May’s Original Alabama Style Whiskey71$35 / 750mlBourbon
Appleton Estate Reserve Blend Rum70$35 / 750mlRum
Mr. Whiskey70$20 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey70$40 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey70$20 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Tito’s Vodka69$30 / 750mlVodka
The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey69$35 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Death’s Door68$40 / 750mlBourbon
Kavanagh 16 Year Irish Whiskey66$50 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
McConnell’s Irish Whisky66$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Kirkland Irish Whiskey65$18 / 1500mlIrish Whiskey
Wellsley Farms Irish Whiskey65$28 / 1500mlIrish Whiskey
Ha’Penny Irish Whiskey64$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Wild Turkey Bourbon63$30 / 750mlBourbon
Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey62$65 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Stillhouse Black Bourbon61$20 / 750mlBourbon
Maker’s Mark Bourbon60$30 / 750mlBourbon
Fighting Cock Bourbon58$20 / 750mlBourbon
Jameson Orange55$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Buffalo Trace55$25 / 750mlBourbon
Fistful Of Bourbon53$40 / 750mlBourbon
Kilbrin 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey52$55 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey51$30 / 750mlBourbon
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon50$35 / 750mlBourbon
Howler Head Whiskey50$25 / 700mlWhiskey
Knob Creek Small Batch49$35 / 750mlBourbon
Blade And Bow48$50 / 750mlBourbon
Proclamation Irish Whiskey44$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
The Temple Bar Irish Whiskey40$60 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Redemption Bourbon 40$30 / 750mlBourbon
Natterjack Irish Whiskey35$35 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Hell-Cat Maggie Irish Whiskey32$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Grace O’Malley Believe in Grace Irish Whiskey31$40 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Baha Founders Reserve30$65 / 700mlIrish Whiskey
Woodford Reserve29$35 / 750mlBourbon
Breaker29$65 / 750mlBourbon
Pure Kentucky28$35 / 750mlBourbon
Stranahan's27$60 / 750mlWhiskey
Egan’s Fortitude Irish Whiskey26$45 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon Whiskey15$30 / 750mlBourbon
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey10$20 / 750mlBourbon
Hill Billy Bourbon9$20 / 750mlBourbon
Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey5$25 / 750mlWhiskey
The Busker Irish Whiskey4$35 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
Kavanagh Irish Whiskey3$25 / 750mlIrish Whiskey
The Balvenie 14 Years Caribbean Cask1$100 / 750mlScotch
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey1$25 / 750mlBourbon
Highland Park Magnus Single Malt Scotch0$40 / 750mlScotch
Pops McCann0$40 / 750mlWhiskey
Silkie Irish Whiskey0$30 / 750mlIrish Whiskey