February 13, 2020

Maker’s Mark Private Select 2019 RC6 54.1% ABV Review - Plenty of Cinnamon

February 13, 2020/ Mark Bylok

A while ago Maker’s Mark had a problem. They made the perfect clean smooth wheated bourbon. Meanwhile, a modern palate wanted more ‘rye’ spice, and more ‘oaky’ notes, and other elements that Maker’s Mark’s perfect formula was lacking. Their ingenious answer was to use oak staves in a brief extra-maturation process to add additional flavours to the whisky. Maker’s Mark 46 was born, and the results were terrific.

November 29, 2017

Gooderham & Worts Little Trinity 3 Grain Blend Review - Not So Little on Flavour

November 29, 2017/ Mark Bylok

When speaking with Dr. Don Livermore, Master Blender for Hiram-Walker, you can tell his next obsession is going to be wheat. It’s right there, aging in barrels. I’ve had a few samples, and believe me, you’ve not tasted wheat like this before. Dr. Don is going to perfect the grain. While I’m not predicting an all-wheat whisky, I do expect wheat to be a more predominant grain used in future releases. Gooderham & Worts Little Trinity 3 Grain Blend is a hint of this future.

June 23, 2016

Larceny 1870 92 Proof - The Affordable Wheater with Character

June 23, 2016/ Mark Bylok

Larceny is in the category of a wheated Bourbon, a sub-brand of the Bourbon category that's glorified by big hitters like Maker's Mark, W.L. Weller, and of course Pappy Van Winkle. Most bourbons use a combination of corn, rye, and malted barley in their starting recipe. Wheaters use wheat instead of rye. It's still a bourbon, but a different take on bourbon.

October 05, 2015

Maker's Mark 46 Cask Strength - High-Proof Thrill Seekers, Move On.

October 05, 2015/ Mark Bylok

Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength bourbon comes in a charming miniature bottle that has that “I snuck it out of the test lab” feeling to it. At the time of this writing, though, it’s only available at the Maker’s Mark Distillery gift store. There’s a good degree of bottle variation between releases. Proof levels will vary. The one reviewed here is bottled at 54.45% ABV.

July 22, 2015

Van Winkle 12 Year Old (2014 Release) - Frustratingly Almost There, But Not

July 22, 2015/ Mark Bylok

The Van Winkle 12 Year Old is an utterly frustrating drink. Firstly, let’s get one thing out of the way—unless you really want a “Pappy” related product, this isn’t the one to get. At the retail price ($55 US), this is a pretty good purchase (★★☆☆). At the $200 to $300 retail range you’re likely to find this (and far more), it’s not worth considering. This is an example where the prestige of the whisky hurts its Whisky Cabinet Rating despite a high taste score. The rating is, after-all, the “Is this worth buying!?” rating.

July 13, 2015

W.L. Weller 12 - The Darling Sipping Whisky

July 13, 2015/ Mark Bylok

This whisky was once the secret darling of the whisky connoisseur, easily available and wonderfully enjoyed. It still is the latter, but with Weller 12’s association with Pappy Van Winkle, it’s no longer a secret. Like Pappy, Weller is a wheated bourbon that uses wheat as the second ingredient in place of rye (both whiskies are made at Buffalo Trace Distillery). Wheat offers a slightly thicker mouth feel, and without rye, those harsher spicy notes associated with rye are lacking. However, because this bourbon is aged for 12 years, you do get these softer peppery spice notes from the oak throughout the flavour profile that's quite wonderful.

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