I’ve honestly had a lot of Maker’s Mark cross my lips. It is the most common bourbon I find at restaurants and bars when I order a Manhattan. A Manhattan is my go to drink at most establishments that don’t have a great whiskey selection. Of course I had to try it as a sipper to start!
Maker’s Mark Bourbon
So I picked up a bottle and and figured I’d try it out.
The truth is that this is a great mixer. It is subtle, smooth, but not very complex. There is a very soft sweet vanilla note that quickly gets overpowered by wood char. You can sip it, there just isn’t a lot there when it comes to depth or complexity.
Maker’s Mark is a good starter bourbon if you are just starting to sip. It doesn’t have a strong flavor, so it will be good for new drinkers. If you are more experienced, this is a bourbon for mixed drinks only.
The Score – Maker’s Mark Bourbon
Maker’s Mark scores a 60/100, putting it firmly in the Mixed Drinks Only category.
Pros
Can find in pretty much every bar across the land.
Monkey Shoulder is a blended Scotch created by blending three famous Speyside single malts. Monkey Shoulder is made by William Grant & Sons, who also makes Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Sailor Jerry, Tullamore Dew, and Hendrick’s Gin. It is an interesting mix of brands, and that variety of skills really shows through in this Monkey Shoulder.
Monkey Shoulder
Those of you who are regular readers of Whiskey Dreams know that I’m not usually a huge fan of Scotch. I’m not a lover of the smoke as it were, so I tend to steer my selections towards Irish Whiskey and American Bourbon. So how did I get this bottle of Monkey Shoulder? I have to thank Steph!!! She was originally a girlfriend of one of our boys (still is) who became a family friend in the process. My wife and her went out for lunch last weekend and Steph grabbed this bottle of Monkey Shoulder as a present. It’s amazing how life works out. I wouldn’t have picked a Scotch off the shelf in all likelihood, and I would have been missing out if I hadn’t tried this Monkey Shoulder.
The Nose
The nose has a nice wood char mixed with spice that transitions into vanilla and end on orange peels. It has a great nose that I could honestly sniff all day.
The Palate
The palate is smooth and easy to sip. The smoke is there, but its soft and blends well with the vanilla, orange zest, and just kind of trails off on the back of your throat as it finishes.
The Score – Monkey Shoulder
For me, this is the perfect Scotch. There is smoke, but its soft and not overpowering, making this Sip Worthy with a score of 79/100.
Color
Light golden yellow.
Proof
40.0% ABV | 80 Proof
Pros:
Amazingly affordable.
Great introduction to a smooth, mildly smoky Scotch.
Nice mix of wood smoke, spice, and orange zest that gently fades on the back of the tongue.
Accessible in both taste profile as well as in availability. A quick search shows the major liquor stores carry it.
Cons:
If you really don’t like smoke, this does have a nice, mellow smoke that just kind of trails off gradually.
I gave straight Wild Turkey a score of 63/100 so I was curious how it would rank when mixed into a Manhattan. I’m hoping the Vermouth will help tame the burnt marshmallow I didn’t really like in the base bourbon as a sipper.
I used my normal formula to start.
2 Ounces Bourbon
1 Ounce Sweet Vermouth
After I finished my first Manhattan I remade my drink but added in two drops of Orange Bitters. This Wild Turkey really benefited from the Orange Bitters, giving it a little more complexity where it was flat.
Overall this is what I’d call a classic mixer. It’s not out of this world, but its very sippable and its a perfect drink for parties and gatherings when you want to save the “Good Stuff” for those who will appreciate it.
A Wild Turkey Manhattan ranks 73/100.
Wild Turkey Manhattan
Color
Amber and yellow. A little blood in the pee?
Proof
40.0% ABV | 80 Proof
Pros:
Affordable way to make lots of mixed drinks.
Great option for parties and gatherings of people who like Whiskey, but don’t Love Whiskey.
Cons:
If you don’t like toasted marshmallows, this may not be for you.
Wild Turkey Bourbon is a staple at most bars. I actually challenge you to go into any bar that you can wear jeans into and find one that sells bourbon where this isn’t on the shelf. As a young man, I remember when a single bottle of Wild Turkey was enough to keep four of five of us good for a night. Those were the days.
Wild Turkey Bourbon
Wild Turkey has a long history, and has been in production for over sixty years. The interesting part, is that it was started in New York in 1940 and wasn’t bought by a company in Kentucky until 1972.
The Nose
The nose on this Wild Turkey is flat to me. I can smell the wood char and a hint of sweet, but its very basic.
The Palate
The palate opens with burnt marshmallow that continues through the finish with a mix of char and burnt sugar. The flavor reminds me of Hudson’s Baby Bourbon. Its much milder than Hudson’s Baby Bourbon, but its there, that burn marshmallow that ends in a hint of leather.
The Score – Wild Turkey Bourbon
The good news is that this Wild Turkey is a lot milder than Hudson’s Baby Bourbon. While I can drink Wild Turkey straight if I have to, for me this is really a bottle that should be saved for Mixed Drinks Only, scoring a 63/100.
Color
Amber and yellow. A little blood in the pee?
Proof
40.0% ABV | 80 Proof
Pros:
Cheap.
Easy to find.
Affordable way to make lots of mixed drinks.
If there aren’t other options, this can be sipped, which makes it a good backup that is easy to find.
Cons:
If you don’t like toasted marshmallows, this may not be for you.
Tito’s Vodka blew up a few years ago but I’d never had it. At least until one of my older boys asked me to get Vodka and sugar free Ginger Beer to make some Moscow Mules for a long delayed game night. (Before he moved out we would play board games once or twice a month with him and his girlfriend.)
Tito’s Vodka
So I figured if I was going to make some mixers, I’d try this Titos Vodka and see how it sips.
The Nose
The nose is clean and simple alcohol. Yes, I did put it in a Glencairn Whisky Glass, but there isn’t much to appreciate here. Vodka doesn’t really have a nose.
The Palate
The mouth feel is light and crisp, and benefits from its corn case as the first thing you notice is sweet. The finish is black pepper and alcohol heat. This is a fairly simple flavor profile, but I’d also describe it as clean.
The Score – Tito’s Vodka
Titos Vodka scores a 69/100, making it perfect to drink in Mixers or On Ice. The simple taste profile costs it points, but it is crisp and clean enough to sip if your looking for something without a lot of depth – or if you just like that corn sweetness this Titos opens with.
Color
Clear as water.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
Crisp and clean.
Sweet opening and a nice crisp pepper finish.
Cons:
A little pricey at $30 bucks for what is essentially corn alcohol.
Fairly simple taste profile. There is not a lot of complexity here.
Fighting 69th is a blended Irish Whiskey aged 3 years in bourbon, sherry, rum, and port casks. Apparently the Fighting 69th was named during the Civil war. There was an Irish Brigade, and the Fighting 69th unit was named by Robert E Lee, or at least that is what the history books say. Does that make me feel comfortable – nope, not at all. Racism, and that is what the civil war was about, is a stain on our history. Granted, the Fighting 69th continued to fight for our country long after the civil war.
Now onto the whiskey.
Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey
The Nose
The nose has sweetness, malt, with just a touch of ethanol hiding beneath those notes. It is not overly complex, but it is enjoyable.
The Palate
The mouth feel is clean and the first thing that hits me is the sweet butter cookies that hints at the time spent in the rum barrels. The mid tongue and finish are oak, char that transitions to dry fruity sherry as it finishes. For what I would describe as a budget bottle, this is an Irish Whiskey that punches way above its weight class.
The Score – Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey
Fighting 69th scored an 86/100 and made its way into my Whiskey Safe, as I am going to keep a bottle on hand for “Emergencies”. Fighting 69th is an amazing value when you compare what you get to the price. It has hints at that lovely butter cookies of much more expensive bottles, and while it doesn’t get close to competing with the big boys like Redbreast 12, this is just such an enjoyable, affordable bottle, it should be on every whisky lovers’ shelf.
Color
Light Amber and Straw.
Proof
40.0% ABV
Pros:
At the $30 price point this is quality and value combined in a really nice package.
This is the first bottle of whiskey that any of my sons enjoyed enough to go buy a bottle.
Great nose and mouth feel that turns into a very nice sipper.
Cons:
It’s named after a unit that was named fighting for slavery. It it just me or does that not bother anyone else? Granted, they continued to fight for our country long after that, but it does nag at me.
Tullamore Dew is always a safe bet. If I’m not sure what I want, Tullamore Dew is always a good choice. It is a solid dram which is affordable, and good straight up or over the rocks. Because I’m on a journey to try every whiskey that Tullamore offers, I picked up this Tullamore Dew Caribbean Rum Cask Finish when I saw it.
My Tullamore Collection to date:
Tullamore Collection
The color of this Tullamore Dew Rum Cask Finish is a deep straw color.
The Nose
Per my usual, I poured a dram into a Glencairn Whiskey Glass and swirled it gently to bring the nose up. It is sweet with a bit of ethanol. It is nice, but not overly complex. I searched for something on the nose that called out the time spent in the rum casks
The Palate
The mouth feel is fresh and clean and the flavor really changes as it moves over the tongue. The front of the tongue is all sweet vanilla that transitions into very soft butter cookies on the mid tongue and then fishes with oak and rum. The finish is really where the time in the rum casks really shines.
Tullamore Dew Caribbean Rum Cask Finish
The Score – Tullamore Dew Caribbean Rum Cask Finish
This Tullamore Dew Rum Cask Finish really shines as a smooth, affordable sipper. This is a very Sip Worthy offering and scored a 72/100. It is not overly complex, but it is very tasty, and worth the $30 to $35 that I’ve found it at.
Color
Deep straw.
Proof
43.0% ABV
Pros:
Affordable when found near the $33 mark.
Lovely sweet vanilla on the opening and finishes with oaky rum.
You can’t go wrong with Tullamore.
Cons:
The first sip has a little roughness that rapidly goes away.
If you are a purest and don’t like ice or a touch of water you won’t be able to appreciate this whiskey as much.
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.
Jameson Orange
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.
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.
Proclamation Irish Whiskey has some big statements to live up to. Just look at how Historian, author and publisher Mícheál Ó Doibhilín is trying to set my expectations:
“We wanted to celebrate Ireland’s independent spirit through a quality Irish whiskey, one that also tells the story of some of the unsung heroes of this time. Proclamation Blended Irish Whiskey pays tribute to the three printers of the Proclamation, William O’Brien, Michael Molloy and Christopher Joseph Brady and acknowledges the important role they played during a hugely significant time in Irish history.”
Proclamation is quite pleasant on the nose. There are sweet notes that hint at butter cookies that turns ever so subtlety to leather.
The Palate
The mouth feel is clean. The first thing I appreciate is that sweetness but it quickly turns to leather and just a hint of tannins from the time spent in the barrel. The distiller says they blend a “touch of sherry-finished malt” to the whiskey and I do appreciate it at the finish. There is just a touch of dryness.
Overall Proclamation Irish Whiskey is smooth and has a nice mouth feel. I enjoyed the touch of dryness from the sherry, but the finish trails off into leather that just kind of hangs out. It’s not bad, it just seems to have a single note that it keeps playing.
Overall I’m giving Proclamation Irish Whiskey a 44/100. There are two primary reasons. The first is that the whiskey doesn’t have a lot of complexity. Its nice, and its smooth, but it just doesn’t offer a lot of body. The second is that I can get a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey for a few dollars cheaper, and it scored a 75/100.
The leather on the finish of Proclamation really made me want to add ice to it, and not to open it up. Given the price, I’d just buy a bottle of Jameson next time.
Color
Amber and iced tea.
Proof
40.7% ABV
Pros
Very smooth.
Perfect for new Whiskey Drinkers.
The touch of sherry adds a nice bit of dryness to the finish.
Cons
No real depth to the flavors.
Really has one note. Its a nice note, but it doesn’t hold my interest for long.
