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Woodford Reserve had its Master's Collection Seasoned Oak Finish. Then Maker's Mark came out with Maker's 46, a finish supplied by seared French oak panels. Later this year, Woodford Reserve will debut a maple wood finish.

Now come the two new Buffalo Trace experimentals, two 15-year-old whiskeys; one aged in new toasted French oak, the other aged in used charred American oak "seasoned with toasted oak chips."

Since I mentioned the three finishes above, I should make clear that the two Buffalo Trace experimentals are not finishes. Both whiskeys were fully aged -- for 15 years -- with the wood components as described.

The two labels are reproduced above and below. One interesting point is the difference in evaporation. Since they were stored in essentially the same warehouse location, the difference has to be the wood. The used American oak barrel lost 54.2 percent of its contents but the new, toasted French oak barrel lost 69.7 percent. A new barrel will absorb and hold more spirit than a used barrel, but differences between the two oak species may also be responsible.

Both whiskeys started out back in 1995 as Buffalo Trace Rye Bourbon Mash Bill #2, but since neither one was aged in new charred oak they aren't bourbon. I haven't tasted them so I can't say how good they are, but that's quite a pedigree. I can also say that an earlier experiment with French oak was terrific.

This experimental program began, well, more than 15 years ago and there have been several previous releases. They have about 1,500 barrels in the warehouses now that represent experiments of various kinds.

As with previous releases in the Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection, they are packaged in half-bottles (375 ml) with a suggested retail of $46.35. They are being released now and will be hard to get. For more information contact Kris Comstock.

The Ichiro of the title is Ichiro Akuto, scion of the family which owned the now demolished Hanyu distillery, and proprietor of the brand new and incredibly cute (yes…distilleries can be cute) Chichibu distillery — even the name’s cute. This release is a vatting of different (un-named) single malts from more than one distillery which have been aged in Japanese oak (mizunara, or Q. Mongolica). Mizunara has a highly distinctive aromatic spectrum — the Japanese say that it smells of temples, specifically the incense which scents Zen temples, but while totally accurate, that’s not much help if you haven’t been to one. Think of a heavy, exotic aroma of allspice, sandalwood, even redwood, and you’re almost there. In fact, if you think of the perfumed aspects of rye, but turned up a notch, then you’re in the right ballpark. In this one there’s even a hint of trail bar — maybe it’s a hike in a California old-growth forest. The palate is soft and slow to start, then picks up mouthwatering acidity — there’s that rye parallel. Green plum and peach, balanced with spiciness on the end. Once encountered, never forgotten.– Dave Broom

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 89

Gorgeous NYtimes slideshow of bespoke cocktails from Ward III: Libation Improvisation in TriBeCa.

Refreshing Cucumber-Rosemary Gin & Tonic from the Kitchn

The Strawberry Blonde. Fresh muddled strawberries paired with a naturally sweet OYO (Ohio) wheat vodka... two mid-western favorites in one cold glass.

This past April at the WSWA convention in Las Vegas, I noticed a naming trend of putting the word "blue" in beverage titles. This has been an ongoing naming convention. One brand owner told me this was due in part to Johnny Walker Blue. Tequila brands in particular love to use the word "blue" or "azul," but this is also due to the blue Weber agave from which tequila is made. A quick web search reveals the following blue tequila...

[Visit Alcademics.com for the full post.]

The Johnny Boy, one of the custom cocktails created from Ward III's Bespoke Cocktail Menu

Scottish scientists have discovered a biofuel to help power cars that is produced as a by-product from the distillery process used to create whisky.

The Eigashima distillery, on the Akashi Strait near Kobe, may be the least well known of Japan’s single malt plants, but has a sound claim to be the country’s oldest, as its license tomake whisky was granted in 1919 — four years before Yamazaki was built. It has, however, specialized in shochu, and even now only turns its hand to whisky making for two months every year. This 5 year old — bottled for independent Japanese specialist Number One Drinks — represents a tentative move into the single malt market once more. Pale in color, it shows a typically Japanese cleanliness on the nose that’s cut with a touch of waxiness. It opens with a scented angelica-like lift, there’s even a whiff of something like gooseberry jam. As it opens, the aroma darkens slightly, showing a touch of roasted tea. Water brings out a little yeastiness (typical for some younger whiskies), alongside cucumber, borage, and lime. The palate is sweet with vanilla custard and a sweet, ginger-accented note leading to ripe pear. A charming malt, and already well-balanced for its age. Here’s Japan at its lightest. – Dave Broom

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 80

On Tuesday I expressed some opinions about the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival (KBF) in Bardstown, Kentucky. This year's event is September 14-19. (I'll be there.)

Here are a few specific suggestions for improving the KBF. Feel free to add your own via comments. (I will be enforcing a constructive-suggestions-only policy.)

• Put up some signs. BIG signs. As it is you can drive through the center of little Bardstown in the middle of the festival and not know anything special is going on. Welcome signs but also directional signs.
• Promote bourbon. The producers are there to promote their brands but the festival needs to promote the enjoyment, understanding, and appreciation of bourbon generally, to both beginners and veteran enthusiasts. Where are the seminars, the guided tastings, the master classes, the presentations on history and craft? How about a whiskey-themed film and video festival?
• Attract collectors. Get a law passed allowing whiskey collectors (legal age only, of course) to have a legal and above board swap meet. It would be a natural extension of the existing Master Distiller's Auction.
• Discourage driving. Make it easy and convenient for people to get around without using their cars. Eliminate the parking immediately adjacent to the festival grounds and use those lots for more festival acreage. Have remote parking and connect the parking, festival sites, and area hotels using buses.
• Think 'big tent.' In the spirit of American whiskey solidarity invite Tennessee distilleries Jack Daniel's and George Dickel to participate in events such as the Spalding Hall lawn booths and the World Championship Bourbon Barrel Relay. Both companies (Brown-Forman and Diageo) are major players in Kentucky too.
• Think even bigger. Find a role for the new craft distillers that are springing up all over the country and encourage all producers to feature all of their U.S.-made whiskey products, such as straight rye whiskey. There is a lot to be gained by being less literal and more inclusive.
• Work your brand. Pay for the improvements by working your valuable Kentucky Bourbon Festival brand a lot harder and all year round.

Yes, you can still call it the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. Absolutely. That's the brand. But when you say "Kentucky" think "center of but not sum of" the universe, and when you say "bourbon" think "American whiskey" in all its styles and forms.

To quote architect Daniel Burnham, as I did last year during the KBF when I was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, "Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood."

FUJIYAMA GLASS is a beer glass looks like Mt.Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan.

I finally got the press release for Remy V, the new product debuting in September in two trial markets- the San Francisco Bay Area and Atlanta. I'd heard the word on the street about this and posted a couple hints to my Twitter feed and Facebook page last and this week, but this was the first I got an actual press release on it. Remy V is not a cognac because it is unaged- just double-distilled on the lees like...

[Visit Alcademics.com for the full post.]

Blueberries Gone Wild: gin, agave nectar, and, of course, fresh blueberries.

Remy Martin V - the first clear spirit from The House of Rémy Martin.

Regular readers of this space may have noticed that while I will review specific whiskeys from time to time I don't score them. I last wrote about this here.

One of the main reasons I hate ratings is because they are a crutch for lazy people looking for a short cut. They are looking for a short cut because they have no base of knowledge and no interest in obtaining one. People who buy-by-the-numbers are people who do everything by the short cut route and who are looking for social validation more than they are a great bottle of whiskey.

As a writer, I hate the idea that these people don't even read the reviews, they just look at the numbers. Ideally, a critic will give you enough information to make up your own mind but you as the reader have to work too. You have to think. You don't need to be a writer to pull a two-digit number out of the air and you don't need to think to turn those numbers into a shopping list.

People who buy-by-the-numbers wouldn't recognize "brine and spice, apple pip, and traces of aniseed"* if it bit them.

I don't blame or condemn the writers, publications, and entities like the Beverage Testing Institute (BTI) that give ratings. They are forced to do it because they depend on advertising revenue or (in the case of BTI) fees to stay in business. The producers would scream bloody murder if any of those entities switched to the type of "good-better-best" ranking system I advocate.

Ridgemont Reserve 1792 is a very good bourbon made by Sazerac at its Tom Moore Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. Accordiing to BTI, 1792 is a 93, ranking above the brands 1792 considers its competitors: Knob Creek, Woodford Reserve (both 90), and Gentleman Jack (82).

The sad reality is that their 93 will sell more bottles of 1792 than positive reviews by me and every other writer combined. And selling more bottles is what the producers are in business to do.

For the people who give ratings the pointlessness of it doesn't harm their credibility as long as they're running an honest game and so far as I know everyone is. That it is a silly and meaningless game is beside the point as long as people buy-by-the-numbers. The only harm it does is put great bottles of whiskey into the cabinets of people who manifestly do not deserve them.

As long as there are people with money to spend who believe the ratings mean something there will be ratings.


* From Dominic Roskrow's Guest Review of Caol Ila, 25 Year Old on "What Does John Know." He gave it an 88.

The Pegu Blog reviews the NewAir Portable Ice Maker.

The (sadly mothballed) Karuizawa distillery is at the opposite extreme to Eigashima. Peated malt, small stills, and sherry casks give a single malt of uncompromising weight and solidity. Those of you who thought Japan was all about the ethereal and limpid, think again. In musical terms, if Eigashima is the Modern Jazz Quartet, then Karuizawa is late period Coltrane, or if you prefer, it’s Black Flag to Eigashima’s Carole King. Anyhoo, did I mention this bottling (like all of this quartet from Number One Drinks) is green? Or at least has a color akin to tarnished silver? The note is all chicory and coffee, earthiness and cardamom — whisky reduced to some weird essence by long maturation. The effect is one of an old-fashioned cough medicine(with less laudanum). The palate is explosive with masses of camphor, tar, licorice, and squid ink. This is Japanese whisky at its most extreme, and fainthearts should not venture here. Those with a taste for the big and the bold will love it, however. – Dave Broom

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 89

The magic of fake ice for the cocktail photoshoot going on at my house... from powder, just add water to instant slushy idea - fake rounded ice cubes - rubbery cubes - glycerin mist and more!

A recipe for the Saigon Mule and a new method for infusing spirits and syrups in mere minutes!