TJ Provost, Author at Whiskey-Dreams.com

Whiskey Gifts – Glencairn Whisky Glass Set

June 19, 2022June 19, 2022 TJ Provost

When it comes to the Whiskey must haves, a good Glencairn Whisky Glass Set is the very first thing on the list. Having the right glass makes all the difference when it comes to really appreciating the whiskey you’ve spent your hard earned money on.

The shape of a Glencairn Whisky Glass is designed to let the nose of the whiskey aerate and fill the bowl and concentrates it in the tapering mouth of the glass so you can really appreciate everything that went into the whiskey. The more you sample different bottles, the more valuable these Glencairn Whisky Glasses become. The only way to get better at appreciating those differences is to pour drams from different offerings and sniff each of them.

This is where having several Glasses is important. To begin with fill each Glass with a different whiskey and then appreciate each and try to identify the differences. Once you have more experience, have someone else fill the Glasses up to just below the mid point of the bowl and put them on a sheet of paper that labels each with a number. Once you can correctly identify them, you can buy a more expensive bottle.

These Glencairn Whisky Glasses are the perfect gift for every Whiskey Drinker and for every occasion. They are a Must Have For Whiskey Drinkers and are the perfect gift for every Whiskey Lover from the beginner to the most experienced aficionado.

Glencairn Whisky Glasses are the perfect gift for every Whiskey Drinker.

(Gift Box of (6) Glencairn Stolzle Whiskey Glasses.
High quality glassware designed and made in Scotland.
Specifically designed for drinking whiskey.
Tapering mouth of the glass captures and concentrates the nose.
Classic and classy lead free whiskey glasses.
100% Lead free crystal.
Dishwasher Safe.
2.5 inches wide and 4.5 inches tall.
Holds up to 6.5 ounces.

Awesome Whiskey Gifts

Item	Category	Rank	Price
Glencairn Whisky Glass Set	Must Have	100	Under $60
Lowball YETI Rambler	Must have	99	Under $20
Titanium Hip Flask	Must have	98	Under $50
Hubby and Wifey Hand Etched Whiskey Glasses	Must have	90	Under $40

Whiskey Places – Restaurante Montserrat Manor

June 19, 2022June 19, 2022 TJ Provost

We gave out kids a trip to Punta Cana as their holiday gift instead of buying them a bunch of gifts that they may not really want or need. We are getting older and its harder to actually spend quality time with them because they all have their lives. On our last night in the Dominican Republic we went to the Montserrat Manor for a nice dinner. My idea was to cap off the all inclusive fair with a final night Upscale Dinner.

In the end it wasn’t much better than the all inclusive food. The quality and the price of the meal just weren’t in line with each other. When I asked for a whiskey menu they basically told me they had what I would consider local bar quality whiskey, so I went with my standard Manhattan.

How was it?

Honestly, I’ve had better at Applebee’s. What was it made with? The waiter told me the house bourbon, so I have no idea.

Given how expensive the food was, the poor quality whiskey selection, and even worse Manhattan, I’ve got to give Montserrat Manor a 35/100, putting it just barely into the If I Had Limited Choices territory. If I didn’t have anywhere else to go, I’d probably go back. I was really disappointed in the Manhattan, and sure, I should have ordered a Rum drink, but by the last day I’d drank so much Rum I just wanted a sip of whiskey for God’s sake.

Place	Location	Score	Price Scale	Drink
Cinder Bar	Clarksboro, NJ	96	High Cost	Manhattan
Saltgrass Steakhouse	Orlando, FL	91	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Irish Whisper	National Harbor, MD	90	High Cost	Irish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks	National Harbor, MD	80	High Cost	Manhattan
The Dead Rabbit	New York, NY	75	High Cost	Multiple
Iron Hill Brewery	Wilmington, DE	71	High Cost	Kentucky Connection
Cadillac Ranch	National Harbor, MD	70	Moderate Cost	Multiple
Harry’s Savoy Grill	Wilmington, DE	67	High Cost	Manhattan Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana Grill	Newark, DE	66	Moderate Cost	Newly Fashioned
Creekside Inn	Woodstown, NJ	65	Low to Moderate	Manhattan
Alewife	Richmond, VA	63	High Cost	Manhattan
roanoke	Chicago, IL	55	High Cost	Black Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & Bar	Chicago, IL	53	Low Cost	Manhattan
Da Andrea	New York, NY	50	High Cost	Manhattan Negroni
Iguana Cafe	Chicago, IL	45	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Greene Turtle	Newark, DE	40	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Restaurante Montserrat Manor	Punta Cana, DR	35	High Cost	Manhattan
Dave & Buster's	Deptford, NJ	30	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Cock'n Bull	Lahaska, PA	26	High Cost	Manhattan Old Fashioned
The Brass Tap	National Harbor, MD	25	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Carrol's Creek Cafe	Annapolis, MD	21	High Cost	Manhattan
Big Fish Grill	Wilmington, DE	10	High Cost	Manhattan
The Legend	New Castle, DE	5	Low Cost	Manhattan
TGI Fridays	New Castle, DE	1	Moderate Cost	Manhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

WHISKEY DREAMS – Blade and Bow Bourbon

June 19, 2022June 21, 2022 TJ Provost

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.

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.

Bottle	Score	Price	Type
Redbreast Cask Strength	97	$100 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover Single Malt Irish Whiskey	97	$160 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon	96	$65 / 750ml	Bourbon
Redbreast 12 Years	96	$70 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Jameson The Distiller’s Safe	95	$70 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon	94	$45 / 750ml	Bourbon
Redbreast Lustau Edition	92	$65 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Redbreast 15	91	$115 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Dublin Liberties Copper Alley Irish Whiskey	90	$75 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
The Dubliner 10 Year	89	$70 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Tyrconnel Irish Whiskey 16 Year	88	$95 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Powers Three Swallow Irish Whiskey	87	$40 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Tyrconnel Single Malt	87	$50 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Knappognue Castle Irish Whiskey 12 Year	87	$50 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Smooth Ambler Contradiction Whiskey	86	$40 / 700ml	Bourbon
Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey	86	$30 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Jameson Triple Triple Travel Exclusive	85	$35 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Uncle Nearest 1856	84	$60 / 750ml	Whiskey
Smooth Ambler Old Scout American Whiskey	84	$55 / 700ml	Bourbon
Glenmorangie The Original 10 Year	82	$45 / 750ml	Scotch
Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Bourbon	81	$50 / 750ml	Bourbon
Willett Pot Still Reserve Whiskey	81	$65 / 700ml	Bourbon
Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year	81	$65 / 700ml	Irish Whiskey
Old Forester 1870 Bourbon	80	$55 / 750ml	Bourbon
Jameson 18 Year Irish Whiskey	80	$140 / 700ml	Irish Whiskey
Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finished Irish Whiskey	80	$40 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Jameson IPA Edition	80	$30 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Irish Whiskey	80	$125 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Don Julio 1942	80	$190 / 750ml	Tequila
Monkey Shoulder Scotch	79	$30 / 750ml	Scotch
West Cork Irish Whiskey	77	$30 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
ChestNut Farms Bourbon	77	$70 / 750ml	Bourbon
Basil Hayden’s	75	$35 / 750ml	Bourbon
Jameson Irish Whiskey	75	$25 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey	74	$45 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Slane Irish Whiskey	74	$25 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Tullamore D.E.W Irish Whiskey 12 Year	73	$55 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
John L. Sullivan Irish Whiskey	72	$25 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Tullamore Dew Caribbean Rum Cask Finish Irish Whiskey	72	$30 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Bushmills 10 Year Irish Whiskey	72	$50 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Clyde May’s Original Alabama Style Whiskey	71	$35 / 750ml	Bourbon
Appleton Estate Reserve Blend Rum	70	$35 / 750ml	Rum
Mr. Whiskey	70	$20 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey	70	$40 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey	70	$20 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Tito’s Vodka	69	$30 / 750ml	Vodka
The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey	69	$35 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Death’s Door	68	$40 / 750ml	Bourbon
Kavanagh 16 Year Irish Whiskey	66	$50 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
McConnell’s Irish Whisky	66	$25 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Kirkland Irish Whiskey	65	$18 / 1500ml	Irish Whiskey
Wellsley Farms Irish Whiskey	65	$28 / 1500ml	Irish Whiskey
Ha’Penny Irish Whiskey	64	$25 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Wild Turkey Bourbon	63	$30 / 750ml	Bourbon
Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey	62	$65 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Stillhouse Black Bourbon	61	$20 / 750ml	Bourbon
Maker’s Mark Bourbon	60	$30 / 750ml	Bourbon
Fighting Cock Bourbon	58	$20 / 750ml	Bourbon
Jameson Orange	55	$30 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Buffalo Trace	55	$25 / 750ml	Bourbon
Fistful Of Bourbon	53	$40 / 750ml	Bourbon
Kilbrin 10 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey	52	$55 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey	51	$30 / 750ml	Bourbon
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon	50	$35 / 750ml	Bourbon
Howler Head Whiskey	50	$25 / 700ml	Whiskey
Knob Creek Small Batch	49	$35 / 750ml	Bourbon
Blade And Bow	48	$50 / 750ml	Bourbon
Proclamation Irish Whiskey	44	$30 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
The Temple Bar Irish Whiskey	40	$60 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Redemption Bourbon	40	$30 / 750ml	Bourbon
Natterjack Irish Whiskey	35	$35 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Hell-Cat Maggie Irish Whiskey	32	$25 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Grace O’Malley Believe in Grace Irish Whiskey	31	$40 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Baha Founders Reserve	30	$65 / 700ml	Irish Whiskey
Woodford Reserve	29	$35 / 750ml	Bourbon
Breaker	29	$65 / 750ml	Bourbon
Pure Kentucky	28	$35 / 750ml	Bourbon
Stranahan's	27	$60 / 750ml	Whiskey
Egan’s Fortitude Irish Whiskey	26	$45 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon Whiskey	15	$30 / 750ml	Bourbon
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey	10	$20 / 750ml	Bourbon
Hill Billy Bourbon	9	$20 / 750ml	Bourbon
Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey	5	$25 / 750ml	Whiskey
The Busker Irish Whiskey	4	$35 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
Kavanagh Irish Whiskey	3	$25 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey
The Balvenie 14 Years Caribbean Cask	1	$100 / 750ml	Scotch
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey	1	$25 / 750ml	Bourbon
Highland Park Magnus Single Malt Scotch	0	$40 / 750ml	Scotch
Pops McCann	0	$40 / 750ml	Whiskey
Silkie Irish Whiskey	0	$30 / 750ml	Irish Whiskey

WHISKEY PLACES – The Greene Turtle

June 18, 2022June 19, 2022 TJ Provost

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.

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

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.

Place	Location	Score	Price Scale	Drink
Cinder Bar	Clarksboro, NJ	96	High Cost	Manhattan
Saltgrass Steakhouse	Orlando, FL	91	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Irish Whisper	National Harbor, MD	90	High Cost	Irish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks	National Harbor, MD	80	High Cost	Manhattan
The Dead Rabbit	New York, NY	75	High Cost	Multiple
Iron Hill Brewery	Wilmington, DE	71	High Cost	Kentucky Connection
Cadillac Ranch	National Harbor, MD	70	Moderate Cost	Multiple
Harry’s Savoy Grill	Wilmington, DE	67	High Cost	Manhattan Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana Grill	Newark, DE	66	Moderate Cost	Newly Fashioned
Creekside Inn	Woodstown, NJ	65	Low to Moderate	Manhattan
Alewife	Richmond, VA	63	High Cost	Manhattan
roanoke	Chicago, IL	55	High Cost	Black Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & Bar	Chicago, IL	53	Low Cost	Manhattan
Da Andrea	New York, NY	50	High Cost	Manhattan Negroni
Iguana Cafe	Chicago, IL	45	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Greene Turtle	Newark, DE	40	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Restaurante Montserrat Manor	Punta Cana, DR	35	High Cost	Manhattan
Dave & Buster's	Deptford, NJ	30	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Cock'n Bull	Lahaska, PA	26	High Cost	Manhattan Old Fashioned
The Brass Tap	National Harbor, MD	25	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Carrol's Creek Cafe	Annapolis, MD	21	High Cost	Manhattan
Big Fish Grill	Wilmington, DE	10	High Cost	Manhattan
The Legend	New Castle, DE	5	Low Cost	Manhattan
TGI Fridays	New Castle, DE	1	Moderate Cost	Manhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost

Whiskey Places – Peddler’s Village Cock N’ Bull

January 2, 2022June 21, 2022 TJ Provost

We made our annual trip to Peddler’s Village and had dinner at the Cock’n Bull Restaurant. My wife and I always enjoy heading out to Lahaska, but this was our first visit since Covid-19.

Our server was amazing, and she was running like mad to deal with a lot of tables, so keep in mind that the Cock’n Bull seemed short staffed and they were really busy.

I had two drinks with dinner. The first was a Manhattan, which is my usual go to drink.

Based on the menu, the Cock’n Bull Manhattan is Rittenhouse Rye, Carpano Antica, and an amorosa cherry.

Sadly, this Manhattan tasted like bourbon with ice. There was no real flavor, which is actually the reason I moved on to order an Old Fashioned as drink two.

Do you notice anything about this Old Fashioned? It is almost clear. How did it taste? Well, like sugar water with a twist of orange in it. If there was bourbon in this Old Fashioned it was just a tiny splash.

I’m giving the Cock’n Bull a 26/100, and that is mostly a courtesy as I have had a few good meals here, and they are getting bonus points for being open during Covid-19. Being as expensive as it is, I expect high quality meals and drinks from a restaurant like this. As it stands currently though, the Cock’n Bull is in the “Will Never Go Back” if I’m looking for good Whiskey.

Place	Location	Score	Price Scale	Drink
Cinder Bar	Clarksboro, NJ	96	High Cost	Manhattan
Saltgrass Steakhouse	Orlando, FL	91	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Irish Whisper	National Harbor, MD	90	High Cost	Irish Whiskey
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks	National Harbor, MD	80	High Cost	Manhattan
The Dead Rabbit	New York, NY	75	High Cost	Multiple
Iron Hill Brewery	Wilmington, DE	71	High Cost	Kentucky Connection
Cadillac Ranch	National Harbor, MD	70	Moderate Cost	Multiple
Harry’s Savoy Grill	Wilmington, DE	67	High Cost	Manhattan Boulevardier
Ted’s Montana Grill	Newark, DE	66	Moderate Cost	Newly Fashioned
Creekside Inn	Woodstown, NJ	65	Low to Moderate	Manhattan
Alewife	Richmond, VA	63	High Cost	Manhattan
roanoke	Chicago, IL	55	High Cost	Black Manhattan
Blue Line Lounge & Bar	Chicago, IL	53	Low Cost	Manhattan
Da Andrea	New York, NY	50	High Cost	Manhattan Negroni
Iguana Cafe	Chicago, IL	45	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
The Greene Turtle	Newark, DE	40	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Restaurante Montserrat Manor	Punta Cana, DR	35	High Cost	Manhattan
Dave & Buster's	Deptford, NJ	30	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Cock'n Bull	Lahaska, PA	26	High Cost	Manhattan Old Fashioned
The Brass Tap	National Harbor, MD	25	Moderate Cost	Manhattan
Carrol's Creek Cafe	Annapolis, MD	21	High Cost	Manhattan
Big Fish Grill	Wilmington, DE	10	High Cost	Manhattan
The Legend	New Castle, DE	5	Low Cost	Manhattan
TGI Fridays	New Castle, DE	1	Moderate Cost	Manhattan

Cost Scale

Up to $30 per person – Low Cost

$31 to $50 per person – Moderate Cost

$51 and above per person – High Cost