"World of Whisky" tasting results

As mentioned in the previous post, I tried 14 different whiskeys at Binny's 'World of Whiskey' event. Below is a list of the ones I tried, along with a brief description of my impression of each pour. In some of the entries, I will write 'no impression'. Sometimes when I try a whiskey, the first taste is not representative of how it tastes on the second or third pour. However, when you are trying many different whiskeys in one night, if you don't get a good handle on one, you can't really afford to take another taste, so you just move on.

Ri (Jim Beam) - This is Beam's new rye whiskey with the hip packaging. It's pretty good. I am just starting to appreciate rye's, so I am no expert. It's expensive, so it might not do well on the value/taste scale.

Sazarac Rye 6 year - This is often called 'baby Saz' because it's a younger version of the 20 year old 'Saz' rye. This was also tasty, but 'sharper' than the Ri. I prefer to drink rye with ice, so maybe I would like it better that way.

Elijah Craig 18 (Heaven Hill) - This is one bourbon that I was really excited to try. The reason is that I have tried Elijah Craig 12 and hated it. A lot of people really love it. I thought that maybe I got a bad bottle, so this was my opportunity to try it's big brother. I didn't like the 18 either. Not at all. So then I tasted the 12 year and didn't like that. It's just not for me. That happens, and it's actually good news. If I liked everything, there wouldn't be much point to trying as many as possible.

Canadian Club Special 12 year old - I'm not a big fan of the Canadian blended products. Usually they are too sweet for me. They are good in cocktails. However, the 12 year old is a good whiskey for the money. It's a blend of whiskey aged in used and new barrels. It's less than $20 at Binny's, and thats cheap for that age. I think it would be a good addition to any bar.

Candadian Club 'Sherry Cask' - This is their special product aged in used 'Sherry' casks. It's really a woman's whiskey. It's sweet and has a fruity flavor, to no surprise. I would never buy this, but I enjoyed my taste. It was kinda fun.

Parkers Heritage 12 year - No impression.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed - No impression.

Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey-Boy, I really wanted to like this whiskey. I love the story, George Stranahan seems like a really good guy. The whiskey is just okay. I think it's too young. I am used to more aged products. Hopefully he is keeping some in barrels to produce an older version.

Russell's Reserve (Wild Turkey) - This was my favorite whiskey that I tried that night. It's the namesake of longtime master distiller Jimmy Russell. It's a lower proof, 86 I think, and it's very smooth. It's mid-priced, so a very good bourbon on the value/taste scale.

Wild Turkey Honey - I can only assume it's called Honey because it is infused with, well, honey. Again, I am not into infused anything. I prefer primary, not compound flavors. However, it was delicious. Again, I would not buy this product for myself, but I bet a lot of people who won't drink whiskey would be less offended by this. The Wild Turkey rep said it is very popular with the ladies.

Binny's 'World of Whiskey'

I recently spent the evening at Binnys south loop (Chicago) store for their 'World of Whiskey' event. This was the day before "Whiskyfest", which takes place in the Hyatt Regency in downtown Chicago, and is an annual gathering of the whiskey industry hosted by Malt Advocate magazine. Basically, since everyone in the industry is already in town, Binnys conducts a mini version of "Whiskyfest" in their store. First of all, the Binnys south loop store is a ridiculous liquor store. It has bar in the store! A really nice bar, with large windows in the background to view the Chicago skyline. Anyway, it was a really fun evening. I got to try about 14 different whiskeys that I had never tried before. Also, I got to meet some whiskey industry celebrities. Below is a picture of me and John Hansell, Editor of Malt Advocate Magazine, and founder of 'Whiskyfest'.

I also had the privilege of meeting Jimmy Russell, Master Distiller for Wild Turkey. Jimmy is a legend in the industry, and the namesake for Russell's Reserve bourbon, a very fine whiskey.

Additionally, I spent some quality time with Dan Tullio and Tish Harcus of Canadian Club. They were both featured prominently in the television show "Modern Marvels" on the History Channel. It's always odd to meet someone after you have seen them on TV, but they were very fun, and Tish was kind enough to take a picture of me and John Hansell when I shoved my camera at her.
I also spent some time with George Stranahan, founder of Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey. I got to ask some questions about barrel aging with a guy who actually makes and ages whiskey. That was very cool.

I have told my story about 'World of Whiskey' to several people, and the accounting is similar to how I have told it in this blog entry. Usually by this point someone says:

"Wait a minute, you drank 14 whiskeys?"

Yes, and I drove home. But it's not like it sounds. First, these were small portions, half-shots in most cases. For the ones I didn't like, I didn't even finish the half-shot. Also, I used the full three hours of the event and spaced my tasting as far apart a possible, just visiting with people and walking around between drinks. Additionally, I had plenty of water, crackers and cheese between pours. I promise that I was not a menace to myself or anyone else.

In my next post, I will provide my notes for the whiskeys I tasted that night. See you then!