Old Forester 1870 is one of my favorite bourbons. It sips easy and has a wonderful mouth feel that is complex, but extremely friendly. As far as I’m concerned, you can never go wrong with a bottle of Old Forester 1870.
Old Forester 1870 Bourbon
The Nose
After pouring a dram into a Glencairn Whisky Glass I swirled it and let a little of the heat of my hand warm the whiskey just a touch. There is a hint of floral notes that quickly turns to vanilla and caramel. Floating in the mix is a perfect amount of oak.
The Palate
One of the reasons I love Old Forester 1870 Bourbon so much is that the Nose and the Palate match so well. If you like the Nose you are going to love the Palate. The front of my tongue really appreciates those light but crisp floral notes. By the team the sip has hit my mid tongue it is all vanilla and caramel that smoothly transitions to a bit of oak char on the finish.
The Score – Old Forester 1870 Bourbon
Old Forester 1870 is an easy sipper. If you are new to bourbon put it over some ice to open it up. It softens the flavors and can open them up more for new bourbon lovers. Old Forester 1870 is very Sip Worthy and scores 80/100. It is also one of the bottles that started my Whiskey Safe. That means I have a bottle for when the apocalypse hits and I’m holed up in the mountains with nothing to do but drink good whiskey.
Color
Sunlit brown sugar.
Proof
45.0% ABV | 90 Proof
Pros:
Smooth start with floral notes.
Middle tones of caramel and oak.
Clean finish with cinnamon and spice.
Cons:
Isn’t always in stock.
Prices vary from $40 to $65 depending on local demand.
I was a little disappointed in Fistful of Bourbon as a sipper. It scored a 53/100 when ranked against other sipping options. You can read the full review here.
What do I do with bourbon that isn’t sip worthy? I make Manhattans of course.
Fistfull of Bourbon Manhattan
If you can find or buy this online at the $25 price point, this is a great bottle to make mixed drinks. The Vermouth and Orange Bitters takes this rough edged bourbon and turns it into a smooth, tasty, Manhattan. I used my regular two to one mix and used my trusted Lowball YETI Ramblers to keep the cocktail cold while I drank it. These insulated YETI Ramblers also save my tables as they don’t sweat.
I feel like I got ripped off as I payed $40 bucks for my bottle of Fistful of Bourbon. At $25 this would be a great bottle for mixed drinks like a Manhattan.
The Score – Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan
A Fistful of Bourbon Manhattan scored an 80/100, and mixes into Sip Worthy Manhattan.
Pros
Makes a tasty Manhattan.
Benefits from the sweetness of the Vermouth.
Cons:
I would not pick up another bottle of Fistful of Bourbon unless I can find it at the $25 price point.
Jameson 18 is a blended whiskey that is created from two pot-still whiskeys mixed with a portion of single grain whiskey. It’s initially aged in ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks, then moved to first-fill bourbon barrels before bottling.
Let’s start by saying that the last few weeks of my life have been completely nuts. There was a layoff, then a job offer, then a much better job. So a happy ending, but a crazy week.
How did I mourn friends and colleagues I will no longer get to work with and celebrate a new beginning at the same time? I went out and bought a bottle of this Jameson 18 Year.
The Nose
The nose on this Jameson 18 Year is surprising. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. There is a pronounced ethanol/alcohol on the first sniff. It’s not quite a burn, and it doesn’t smack you in the face, but it is there, and it does overpower some of the other more nuanced notes. Those nuanced notes are wood and spice and just a touch of malt and sherry. Overall I was quite surprised with how mellow the nose was. I was expecting more complexity, but it just wasn’t there. After about 15 minutes, the alcohol notes fell off and I did get a mix of honey with the malt.
The Palate
The front of my tongue was honey, but the mid tongue and finish were all wood char and spice. I was honestly expecting a bit more smoothness and some butter cookies, which is what I associate with good Irish Whiskey, but the 18 Years spent in barrels clearly infused this with a lot of oak, char, and sherry. To me that finishes just a little rough.
I enjoyed this Jameson 18, but at the same time I have to take into account the price of this whiskey compared to its overall taste. I will drink this Jameson 18 every time you offer it to me – but it’s not making its way into my Whiskey Safe and I’m honestly not likely to buy another bottle.
Why?
The packaging is really cool. The wooden box and bottle packaging is top notch – but whenever there is this much quality on the packaging side I worry about what I’m really paying for. I’m guessing a decent part of the $140 I paid for this Jameson 18 went into the packaging. That means that this whiskey doesn’t quite stand up against some cheaper offerings.
Jameson Distiller’s Safe scored a 95/100 and is in the $70 range. Redbreast 12 is in a similar price point and scored a 96/100. Both are roughly half the price.
The Score – Jameson 18 Year Irish Whiskey
That price to value makes it hard to score Jameson 18 with a high score. To be honest, regular Jameson is only $25 at the “super store” across state lines and while its not super complex, it is smooth and easy to sip. How do you compare a $25 whiskey and a $140 whiskey? For me, the taste to value has to be a part of that, and that is where Jameson 18 falls apart. Both these whiskeys score an 80/100, and that means that I’m going to choose the cheaper option here every time.
Is Jameson 18 more complex then regular Jameson? Yes, 100 percent. But not $115 worth, and that is the crush of the issue. I enjoyed sipping this Jameson 18, but I can’t see myself buying another bottle at $140. The cost to value just isn’t there.
Color
Sweet golden amber.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
Does Jameson put out any bad products?
If this is a gift or someone else is buying your drams, who’s going to turn this down?
I had this whiskey on my bucket list, and now I can check it off.
Cons:
At $140 this is just too much as there are offerings at half the price that beat this hands down.
I recently found Redbreast 12 at $70 and at half the price I’d take that every time.
I had this whiskey on my bucket list, and now I can check it off – does that mean I’m one step closer to dying?
This Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finished Irish Whiskey is a blend of single malt and grain whiskies. It then spends three years in bourbon casks.
Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finished Irish Whiskey
The Nose
The nose on this whiskey is a wonderful blend of malt and honey that ends with a pleasant apple and floral note. I sat and sniffed at this whiskey in my Glencairn Whiskey Glass between each sip, trying to decide which I liked more.
The Palate
The mouth feel is clean and the front of my tongue is hit by malt that transitions to sweet honey and just a touch of butter cookies. The finish has a pleasant sweetness mixed with the charred oak from the bourbon barrels which imparts a bit of spice, and just a little bit of roughness.
The Score – Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finished Irish Whiskey
This Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finish is a wonderful blended whiskey that really captures the best of a single malt pot still while optimized for this specific price point, which it does really well. Dubliner Bourbon Cask Finish scored a well deserved 80/100, making it Sip Worthy.
Color
Light Straw.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
At around $40 a bottle, this is a great buy.
A wonderful blended whiskey. The distiller struck gold with this recipe.
I’ve eaten in McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks in Philadelphia (PA), Atlanta(GA), and now in National Harbor(MD). I can honestly say I’ve never had a bad meal or drink at a McCormick & Schmick’s. Of course, you do pay for it.
On this occasion I stuck with a tried and true Basil Hayden’s Manhattan.
When it comes to something that pairs with everything from tuna steak to filet mignon, you can’t go wrong with a Basil Hayden’s Manhattan. It is a well rounded bourbon to begin with. When made into a Manhattan, it is just smooth and mellow. Which is one of the reasons it goes so well with food. It isn’t an in your face, take over your palate kind of bourbon. It is just smooth and an easy sipper.
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks Scoring
Overall I’m giving McCormick & Schmick’s a 80/100. It is a good restaurant with a good selection of bourbon, beer and wine, but it can be a bit overpriced compared to there options.
As a Manhattan, I’m giving the Basil Hayden’s Manhattan a 88/100.
I actually picked up this bottle of Jameson IPA Edition the first time I went to find Jameson Orange. The Jameson Orange was already gone, so I picked up this IPA Edition as a consolation prize.
The IPA Edition is finished in IPA beer barrels for a crisp, hoppy finish that puts a nice citrus twist on the classic Jameson offering.
IPA Edition
The Nose
I poured a nice dram into a Glencairn Glass and let the aroma fill the bowl. The nose has a very distinct citrus and hoppy scent that fades into classic Jameson at the end.
The Palate
Those hoppy, citrus notes continue right on into the tasting. The front of my tongue gets all classic Jameson, but as soon as the sip reaches mid tongue I pick up citrus that turns to a very pronounced hops on the finish.
The Score – Jameson IPA Edition
For me it is a nice change up over classic Jameson, which is my go to Irish Whiskey for budget sipping, but I’d say its not better or worse. It is just as good, just different, which means this IPA Edition is scoring an 80/100.
If you like IPAs, you will love this rendition of Jameson.
Color
Golden brown.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
Nice twist on classic Jameson.
Great training for new drinkers as the nose isn’t too subtle. If you compare this to standard Jameson it is easy to pick out the differences, even for new drinkers.
Cons:
If you are not a fan of IPAs, you might not like the citrus, hoppy finish on this sipper.
When I was much younger I used to enjoy drinking Tequila. I had a friend from Mexico and when his family would come up to visit they would bring local tequila in milk jugs. The distillery (I wish I could remember which one) would let them fill a jug for just a few pesos if you brought your own container.
It was the best tequila I’ve ever had.
Don Julio 1942
Don Julio 1942 was very close to that.
This is a sipping Tequila. I almost had to slap my son because he wanted to shoot it. Once he sipped a little he understood why I was telling him to just take little sips and to enjoy it. Don Julio 1942 is smooth and finishes with hints of vanilla and agave.
Why did I have a bottle of Don Julio 1942? One of my son’s desperately needed a haircut, so he came over so I could cut his hair – which then turned into a board game night, which turned into us all getting drunk. It was one of those beautiful spur of the movement things that I’ll remember forever.
While there is some liquid left in this picture, it was gone shortly after. Now I just have to find another special occasion or the right moment to get another bottle of Don Julio 1942 and enjoy it with my family.
I’ve become a bourbon and Irish Whiskey aficionado, but this tequila was delightful and well worth a sip, especially if someone else is paying for it, which earned it 80 out of 100 points. That makes Don Julio 1942 a Sip Worthy bottle. Let me know if you agree in the comments.
Color
Very light copper.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros
Amazingly smooth and rich.
Vanilla and agave in perfect unison.
Very sip worthy tequila.
Cons
At $190, that is a very expensive bottle of tequila.
