TJ Provost, Author at Whiskey-Dreams.com

Saltgrass Steakhouse

March 9, 2023March 9, 2023 TJ Provost

While in Florida we hit up Saltgrass Steakhouse because it reminded us of the Longhorn franchises we have back home. I would rank the food as being about the same, which is decent food at a reasonable price. Nothing amazing, but it is a good meal for a good price. At least that was the way I was thinking until they brought me out their Barrel-Aged Manhattan:

This is a very well made Manhattan. It has just enough sweetness from the Vermouth and the Benedictine D.O.M. to make it sing. Those flavors pair so well with the oak from the Balcones Post Still Bourbon.

Saltgrass Steakhouse Scoring

It is well rounded, delicious, and I am now on a quest to find the required bottles so I can try and reproduce this masterpiece of a Manhattan. I’m giving Saltgrass Steakhouse a 91/100. The Manhattan was top notch, but I took some points away because its basically a chain restaurant that hit it out of the park with its Manhattan.

Sadly, unless I can find a Saltgrass outside of the state of Florida, I won’t be back anytime soon. I’m boycotting the state as long as DeSantis is allowed to support policies that promote hate and result in the suffering in the LGBTQ community.

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

Balcones Lineage Manhattan

March 8, 2023March 8, 2023 TJ Provost

This Balcones Lineage Manhattan was my first Manhattan where I used D.O.M. Benedictine and I will never go back.

I first had a Balcones Manhattan at the Saltgrass Steakhouse while on vacation, and went wild over it. It was just an excellent Manhattan, so I had to find the ingredients, which were surprisingly difficult in my area, so I could reproduce this lovely sipper.

The original recipe on the menu is:

I found a bottle of Balcones Lineage Single Malt Whiskey first, but I’m not sure if it is the actual bottle they use, or if it is one of the other bottles that Balcones makes. I had to special order the Benedictine DOM, but I’m not sure if that’s because I’m in the sticks or its really that hard to find?

The main reason I say that is I’ve got it close, but not quite exact. But maybe things just taste better when your on vacation?

I’ve played with the mix, and the closest I can get is good, but not quite as good as what I had at the restaurant.

My recipe is 2 parts Balcones Lineage Single Malt Whiskey, 1 part Sweet Vermouth, and then, I had to buy a graduated jigger so I could play with how much Benedictine Dom to add in. My final result is 15ml of Dom.

Balcones Lineage Manhattan Scoring

This resulted in a wonderful Manhattan that scored a 92/100, which puts it at the absolute tops of Manhattan as of today (October 29th, 2021).

If you like a good Manhattan, you have to find the bottles and make this happen.

Bottle	Score	Price	Type
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan	95	$30 / 750ml	Manhattan
Balcones Lineage Manhattan	92	$40 / 750ml	Manhattan
Blade And Bow Manhattan	90	$50 / 750ml	Manhattan
On The Rocks Knob Creek Old Fashioned	83	$15 / 350ml	Old Fashioned
Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan	80	$40 / 750ml	Manhattan
Death’s Door Manhattan	74	$40 / 750ml	Manhattan
Wild Turkey Manhattan	73	$30 / 750ml	Manhattan
Knob Creek Small Batch Manhattan	69	$30 / 750ml	Manhattan
Maker’s Mark Manhattan	65	$30 / 750ml	Manhattan
Redemption Bourbon Manhattan	53	$30 / 750ml	Manhattan
Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan	50	$20 / 750ml	Manhattan
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan	49	$35 / 750ml	Manhattan
Breaker Manhattan	35	$55 / 750ml	Manhattan
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey Manhattan	35	$25 / 750ml	Manhattan

Basil Hayden’s Manhattan

March 6, 2023March 6, 2023 TJ Provost

The Basil Hayden’s Manhattan is my go to standard. If you are looking for a great Manhattan recipe you can’t go wrong with any of these.

The base is Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon, mixed with sweet vermouth, Dom Benedictine, and garnished with a Bada Bing Cherry or two.

Manhattan Recipe

This recipe uses the standard two parts bourbon to one part sweet red wine/liquor. I like to split the sweet and use 1/2 ounce of Vermouth and 1/2 ounce of D.O.M. Benedictine. It makes for a Manhattan that has a sweet finish. If you like cherries, put a teaspoon or two of the cherry juice in your shaker before you mix.

2 ounces Basil Hayden’s
1/2 ounce Sweet Vermouth
1/2 ounce Dom Benedictine
2 Bada Bing Cherries

Basil Hayden’s Manhattan Scoring

This combo results in just the perfect level of sweetness that blends and swirls with Basil Hayden’s woody, spicy, and oaky notes. This bourbon has just the right mix of flavors to blend perfectly into a Manhattan. Sure, there are more expensive bottles of bourbon out there, but more expensive doesn’t mean better.

This Manhattan scores a 95/100, putting it at the very top of the Manhattan scale.

Bottle	Score	Price	Type
Basil Hayden’s Manhattan	95	$30 / 750ml	Manhattan
Balcones Lineage Manhattan	92	$40 / 750ml	Manhattan
Blade And Bow Manhattan	90	$50 / 750ml	Manhattan
On The Rocks Knob Creek Old Fashioned	83	$15 / 350ml	Old Fashioned
Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan	80	$40 / 750ml	Manhattan
Death’s Door Manhattan	74	$40 / 750ml	Manhattan
Wild Turkey Manhattan	73	$30 / 750ml	Manhattan
Knob Creek Small Batch Manhattan	69	$30 / 750ml	Manhattan
Maker’s Mark Manhattan	65	$30 / 750ml	Manhattan
Redemption Bourbon Manhattan	53	$30 / 750ml	Manhattan
Stillhouse Black Bourbon Manhattan	50	$20 / 750ml	Manhattan
Agitator Kentucky Bourbon Manhattan	49	$35 / 750ml	Manhattan
Breaker Manhattan	35	$55 / 750ml	Manhattan
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey Manhattan	35	$25 / 750ml	Manhattan

See all Mixed Drinks here!

Whiskey Gifts – Titanium Hip Flask

March 6, 2023March 6, 2023 TJ Provost

This Titanium Hip Flask is the perfect gift for yourself or any whiskey lover. It is incredibly light, durable and will last forever. I like high end whiskeys. I face two problems because of this. The first is that I hate spending $30 bucks for a dram when I can get a bottle for $90 bucks. The second is that a lot of times I can’t actually get the whiskey I want. There are a lot of low end bars out there that just don’t stock anything I’d call sippable.

Thankfully with this Titanium Hip Flask solves all my problems. I can discretely carry the whiskey I want wherever I go. Because it is made from Titanium it won’t leach any flavors into your whiskey. It also won’t pick up any flavors over time. You can wash it, rinse it, and every drop you put in will taste just like it should.

If you are looking for the perfect present for that Whiskey Lover in your life this Hip Flask is just the thing!

It is a Must Have For Whiskey Drinkers and scores a 98/100.

100% Titanium hip flask.
Holds 260 ml or 8.8 fl oz.
The secure cap means you never lose your cap!
Taste the difference with beverage storage in titanium flask.
Ultra lightweight for camping, bush craft, cooking, on the go, hiking, work and travel
Weighs just 144g/3.8oz!
Height: 5.4 inches tall with lid and 3.9 in width.
About 0.65 inches in depth.
Valtcan Eagle on flask.
Please wash thoroughly with soap and warm water before use.

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

See all Whiskey Gifts!

Tortoise Supper Club

March 5, 2023March 5, 2023 TJ Provost

I was lucky enough to be invited to a dinner at the Tortoise Supper Club to celebrate the holidays. On the food side I ordered the Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes and it was absolutely the best meatloaf I’ve ever had. It was freezing cold this week in Chicago, and it was the perfect comfort food to warm me up, and to pair with a a drink.

They have a decent menu of bourbon, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey, so deciding on what I actually wanted to drink was not easy. One of bosses ordered a Manhattan, and that sealed the deal for me.

With my decision made, I ordered a Manhattan, which has become my go to when dining out.

Tortoise Supper Club Scoring

My Manhattan was made with Bulleit Rye and a decent shake of bitters. It was wonderfully dry, woody, and the swallow ended with a nice dry bitter finish. There was sweet vermouth in it, but it was very mellow and really let the Bulleit Rye shine through. I’m not a huge fan of Rye, and this still scored an 85/100, so if you are a Rye lover, this will likely score even higher for you. If your in Chicago, and have deep pockets, I highly recommend the Tortoise Supper Club. It is all dark wood, class, and live music, at least while I was there. They had two lovely young woman walking around and singing Christmas carols and it was wonderful.

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

Jameson Orange

February 27, 2023February 27, 2023 TJ Provost

I was super excited to find a bottle of Jameson Orange. It just came out and I live in the boonies, so I had to drive across the river and hit the “big city” to find it.

I was even more excited when the cashier told me its really good. He described it as not too sweet, and subtle – which sounded awesome because I’m a Whiskey Snob and I like whiskey that tastes like whiskey.

The Nose

The nose on this Jameson Orange is just amazing. All orange and cream and just so very aromatic. It is a very pleasant nose.

The Palate

The initial sip is smooth, and is reminiscent of Jameson with hints of orange. The mid tongue is zest, and the finish is all orange, zest, and just a hint of Jameson butter cookies.

That first sip is tasty, but the more you drink, the more the aftertaste turns to cold medicine. It is a slow gradual degradation of flavors that ends up being a final sip of cold medicine.

The Score – Jameson Orange

Still, I drank the bottle, but if I buy another I’ll be saving it for Mixed Drinks Only. I’m giving this Jameson Orange a 55/100.

Color

Light golden brown.

Proof

30.0% ABV

Pros:

Great starter whiskey for someone who doesn’t really appreciate whiskey yet.
The nose is all orange creamcycle.
It’s only 30% ABV, so it really doesn’t have any alcohol edge.

Cons:

I don’t like flavored whiskey, and this is like a candy whiskey to me.
After a few sips the orange aftertaste starts to finish like cold medicine.
It’s only 30% ABV, so it goes down easy, but also leads to a hangover. What is strange is that I don’t usually get hangovers from higher proofs so I tend to blame the flavoring for some reason. I have no idea what the real cause is.
Is it really even whiskey at a 30% ABV?

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

Kirkland Irish Whiskey

February 25, 2023February 25, 2023 TJ Provost

We were driving by a CostCo and decided to hit their liquor store. Which you don’t need a membership to shop at! It is apparently illegal to have private alcohol stores? We don’t have a CostCo nearby so I had to grab this huge bottle of Kirkland Irish Whiskey to try out.

The Nose

The nose on this Kirkland offering is subtle. It hints at butter cookies but it is really hard to appreciate through the alcohol. Not super impressive so far.

The Palate

The mouth feel is clean, but has lots of sharp edges. Those sharp edges continue all the way to the finish with a stab of alcohol.

Of course I couldn’t try this without comparing it to Jameson right?

It is really hard to see in the pictures, but the Kirkland offering is just a tiny bit darker than the Jameson. Picking the Jameson by nose was very easy, it all comes down to the alcohol burn. Neither has a strong nose, but the Kirkland Irish Whisky really hits in with the alcohol in comparison. Even my wife, who does not like whiskey, could pick out the Kirkland Irish Whiskey. It is the one that smelled “stronger” of alcohol.

The mouth feels are very similar. The very first note on the tip of my tongue makes me wonder if the Kirkland Irish Whiskey might be sourced from Irish Distillers Ltd. Yes, the same company that owns Jameson. From what I can find on the public forums, it does appear these two are coming from the same source. For obvious reasons, CostCo wants to keep this a mystery.

A lot of other reviews comment on the sweet creaminess of the the Kirkland Branded Whiskey. I was really looking forward to enjoying that! Sadly, the only thing I could really appreciate was a bit of sweetness mixed in with those sharp edges.

For me, the flavor comparison is close. Kirkland Irish Whiskey has an age statement and is an excellent budget offering. I just think the Jameson is smoother and easier to sip. If you are going for volume per dollar though, the Kirkland option is the clear winner.

The Score – Kirkland Irish Whiskey

Jameson scored an 75/100, and while this Kirkland Irish Whiskey is a huge value, it is not as good. I’m scoring it a 65/100 putting it at the uppermost range of Mixed Drinks Only.