Johnny Walker was hinting that they had something new and asked for my address. I supplied it, and last night got a notification of a new package. Woohoo! I picked it up after work today (since last night I was in bed when I got the message).

That box is 2.5 Mutineers in size!

Well, I was surprised how big the box was! Clearly I wasn’t just getting a bottle of Double Black and being told “have at it, son.” No, there was something going on here.

And oh look! A letter addressed to me!

That was a lot of bubblewrap.

I fought my way through the bubblewrap. It was a noble effort, as there was a lot of it, and tape too!

People don’t understand how much WORK and EFFORT and BLOOD and TEARS go into opening these boxes. I ALMOST WORKED AND PUT OUT EFFORT. Tape made me ALMOST CRY. I had BLOOD almost spill from stabbing myself with a knife.

I’m just kidding, of course. I’m not allowed to use knives. I used a ballpoint pen, because I was too lazy to find my keys.

But man that’s a shiny case! Let’s open it!

Hey look, a fifth of Johnny Black!

Ooooo, a bottle of Johnny Black!

But that’s odd, because they’re advertising something new. I wonder, just wonder, what might be on the other side of that box. DARE I LIFT THE CARDBOARD AND CHECK?

I dare!

Another fifth! And coasters and a USB key and glasses!

There’s a fifth of the Double Black, and it’s in a dark tinted bottle. There’s also two highball glasses, because lord knows I need more of those, coasters because I care about my table (note: I do not), and a USB key I will probably insert into something that’s not a computer while drunk.

BUT SEANMIKE! WHAT…OF THE WHISKEY?!

Oh yeah that, heh heh.

Well, I can’t taste inside, I need a beer, and I need a cigar, and I need to chat with folks. So I carried everything outside, poured a finger or so of each into a glass – the Black into my UVA glass (on the left) and the Double Black in a work glass (on the right). I sniffed each. The Double Black has a more distinct aroma, but for some reason it smells like someone is dumping out their perfume into the night, so it’s hard to tell.

TASTING AND JUDGMENT

Scotch Scotch Scotch, yum yum yum

I don’t feel like I need to talk too much about the taste of Johnny Walker Black. If you haven’t tried it – well, why not? It’s practically ubiquitous and not that expensive. Seriously. Do I need to hold your hand? Do you need mommy to tell you it’ll be okay? Just give it a shot next time you’re at a bar. Or buy a mini of it. It’s practically un-American if you haven’t had it.

But I sipped it anyways, warm and neat, and enjoyed the kind of spicy honey taste that turned hot right at the end. Yummy. Needs an ice cube.

Now, the Double Black. First taste I slip and gulp – just a wave of peaty and smokey, not bad though. Let’s try again.

There, I get a bit more of the honey taste I pick up from Black, but with more spice and smoke and a hint of peat – mostly getting overwhelmed by the stench of perfume OR WHATEVER THE HECK IT IS (seriously yo this is really making me mad). Therefore, we shall do our next tastings – UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CIGAR! A La Gloria Cubana Serie R #5, to be precise.

(I’m kind of wondering if the smell is my unlit Citronella candle, but man, it ain’t that strong smelling when it IS lit!)

A drink of water later, sipped the Black, and oh yeah – there’s that smoothness. Really, it’s not a bad whiskey! It’s not the most immediately recognizable in flavor, perhaps, but I’m cool with it.

The Double Black is a much more aggressive whiskey in that same taste (though they are both the same proof – 80). To me, it honestly tastes more like what a lot of people would think of single malts.

So – if you had your choice, which should you try?

Honestly, if you’re just getting into scotch, I’d say the Black – but then after trying it, give the Double Black a shot. You might be surprised at what you like!

Always have a palate rinser when tasting - Miller Lite

A while ago, I responded to an offer to try Crown Royal Black. It’s a new variation of Crown Royal, it lists on the back about being aged in charred oak and blended to a higher proof than regular Crown Royal – 90 proof rather than the usual 80.

A lot of cocktail folks, myself included, tend to decry Canadian whisky. (AUGH NO “E” MY SPELLCHECKER WILL HATE ME.) In fact, just today Robert Simonson wrote an article in the New York Times about how the industry is trying to redeem itself of the reputation as “the vodka of whiskey”. (If you’ve used up your free clicks on the Times site, you can read a version of it on his site.)

For me, though, I also have my family, and certain members of my family are big Crown Royal fans. I thought I should give it a shot – after all, I did doctor up a Crown & Coke recipe for my brother’s wedding. (You can find that in my previous MxMo post here.)

My plan was set: I would introduce the Crown Royal Black to my brother and my dad, and then I’d make I’d a drink with it commemorating the Steelers Super Bowl win. That was a plan doomed to failure if I’d remembered how the Steelers would probably play.

Sigh. At least I’m not a Redskins fan.

So I hesitated but I consider this a good thing because of the NYT article – and I did introduce it to them.

My first impression of it compared to “regular” Crown Royal was that, yes, this is more whisk(e)y-ish. It’s hotter, but it’s got more of a depth of flavor to it than regular CR which just comes off as sweet to me. My dad, tasting it straight, responded immediately with “Yum!”

In a Crown & Coke – well, you can’t tell the different, I’m afraid.

I poked around with some ideas for a drink. None of them really gelled, I’m afraid – perhaps mostly because I was trying to think of something with Strega or yellow Chartreuse to be “black and gold”. You can use the CR Black much more like you could American whiskeys because unlike the basic Crown Royal, it doesn’t immediately disappear in a cocktail, it can actually stand out.

It’s not the most subtle of spirits, but to be honest, it’s a step in the right direction for Canadian whiskys. (Whiskies? Gah. That looks worse.) At $2 a bottle more, I think it’s definitely worth the extra couple of bucks (come on, in Virginia if I remember correctly you’re talking about $24.95 or $26.95 – get the extra taste and proof), but what I’d be most curious about is how Diageo and Crown Royal push this. Can they make a Canadian whisky that balances sweet and spicy, and make it at a good price point?

Hmmm. I have a sudden urge to make an orange juice drink with this. (Runs into kitchen). Want an experiment?

Experimental Crown Royal Black Cocktail:
2 oz Crown Royal Black
2 oz orange juice
3-4 dashes orange bitters
Shake, pour straight into a high ball glass.

Thoughts? Does it deserve a name? Will Gabe make fun of me for using OJ?

Me after the Super Bowl

You see, I figured that no matter who won the NFC, it wouldn’t matter – the AFC team was going to win the Super Bowl. And, of course, I thought that even more when my favorite team (the Pittsburgh Steelers) looked like they were going to make it. In fact, I was so confident I said I’d post about vodka – the oft-derided liquor of many cocktailians – if the NFC games that weekend mattered.

Well…damn.

I also received two bottles of Tito’s Vodka in the mail. I’d never had it before though I’d seen good things about it. A lot of people will argue that all vodkas taste the same, or that they should all be “flavorless”, but that’s really just not the case. I’d argue that some of that might have come from the Smirnoff and other advertising campaigns of the ’40s and on, where vodka was claimed to avoid leaving the smell of alcohol on your breath.

In fact, it’s the argument about the taste and texture of vodka that led to an article in The Atlantic about how the terroir of a vodka – in this case, Karlsson’s – gives it a unique taste. I haven’t had Karlsson’s yet, but at the time I would’ve bet that it wasn’t the only one.

There was a DVD about it, but I forgot to watch it.

I took the Tito’s liter down to my parents’ house with me as my mom is a big fan of vodka. She had usually drank Grey Goose, but lately was drinking Stoli in her Cosmos. We both tried the Tito’s and enjoyed it a lot – in fact, she liked it a lot more than what she had been using and, as of last time I checked she had stocked up on the Tito’s.

Woohoo for them! (As a matter of full disclosure, Tito’s sent me 1.75 liters without any asking from me, and the 750ml that I kept was even signed to me by Tito! Which was really cool.)

As I mention in the picture caption I didn’t watch the DVD that came with it because I am very lazy. Unlike some vodkas, they claim to microdistill their own liquor, and say that they get all their corn from the United States.

If that’s all I had, it’d be “Oh. Okay.” Most people wouldn’t be convinced, perhaps, that there are vodkas you should really get out and try. Heck, while I liked Tito’s, I’d probably be about the same way.

Then one night I was out at PS7, talking to some folks I know, or had just met, when I met some of the individuals involved with Blackleaf Vodka, a new vodka from the Cognac region of France that is just starting to reach into the American market. The distillers were there and brought a sample to some skeptical folks, mostly bartenders and one blogger (me).

Wow.

It was pretty darn good! In fact, one of the bartenders said he’d always been a whiskey guy, but this was a vodka that could change his mind.

I reached out to them for a quick interview on Blackleaf. Christian Hayford was good enough to give me a few answers on it.

Scofflaw’s Den: The bottle advertised as being from the heart of Cognac. Are the distillers from that area or did they choose it? If so, why did they choose Cognac, which is more known for its brandy?

Christian Hayford: The master distiller in charge of crafting Blackleaf is from Cognac, France. Their 120 yr old Cognac House, as time has passed, has become a Cognacs and Spirits House and in turn they now also apply their centuries old distillation techniques to vodka.

SD: Is the vodka distilled in a similar manner as to cognac, using pot stills?

CH: Yes. Unlike some of the more common column stills capable of multiple distillations in a single pass, we felt that a copper pot still would allow us more control over the final taste of the vodka.

SD: How did they get into the vodka business? What do they hope to bring to the table in an industry with so many labels already out there? Obviously, I’ve tasted it, so I know they have a good product, but what gave them the confidence that “hey, we can make a better vodka?”

CH: Similar to you, we also have an affinity towards spirits; chiefly vodka. Noticing the subtle differences between various vodkas on the market led us to question everything. In doing so we decided to start the journey of creating a less fluff, better tasting, higher quality vodka. We wanted to take it past distillation and filtration and thats how we ended up going down the path of creating an ultra premium vodka organically.

SD: What’s their favorite way of enjoying it?

CH: We can really appreciate the notes discovered when sipping Blackleaf ‘neat’ but ultimately we’re constantly trying to push the limits of vodka. As you’ll see with our upcoming signature drinks we enjoy putting opposing elements together to create beautiful results.

SD: It’s certified organic. Do they visit the farms that grow the wheat for it? How close are the farms to the distillery?

CH: The wheat that is used to create Blackleaf is grown on the same property as the distillery. Ensuring quality control and organic integrity from start to finish.

Well, folks, that’s enough for this post. Last I heard, Blackleaf wasn’t yet in the States, but if we get another chance to try it, we’ll let you know our thoughts on it, even if I have to twist Marshall’s arm to make him try it!

Bulleit Rye

I was expecting a different bottle but I have to admit, it was pretty cool to get a sample bottle like this (and I’m sure to reuse it later). The Bulleit rye is 45% ABV, so 90 proof, with a 95% rye mash bill.

I’m not the best taster in the world. I tried it first straight then with a bit of water.

I found it rather spicy, with a hint of floral and sweetness to it. It had a lot of rye flavor to it which is one of the things I liked about the Bulleit bourbon. Adding water to it I thought it tasted sweeter.

Since I’ve got a few different ryes, I decided to try it against some other ones. I have a bottle of Redemption rye, at nearly the same proof (92 proof for it) and the same mash bill in terms of rye content (95%). The Bulleit I found was more aggressive and spicy than the Redemption, which I found rather sweet.

I also compared it to Templeton rye, a bottle of which I have from 2008 and runs 80 proof. According to what I’ve read online here, the Templeton goes about 90% rye in the mash bill. It’s similarly spicy, though I preferred the Bulleit overall.

I’d like to do more tests to compare them, but I made a small miscalculation. I sort of drank all the Bulleit rye so far.

Oops!

So I’ll have to wait until I can buy a bottle of it and compare it in some cocktails!

The first thing that surprised me was its size.  I could tell you in inches, or centimeters, or whatever, but y’all are reading this blog due to booze, so here it is in booze bottles.

By the way, I hate the wax seal on Ransom Old Tom Gin

It is as wide as a bottle of Ransom Old Tom Gin.

It is as tall as a liter bottle of Pimm’s #1.

It is as deep as a bottle of Voyant chai creme liqueur.

It’s a bit heavy, but I didn’t have anything to compare that too.  Sorry!  (Not really actually sorry.)  A lot of the stainless steel was covered in blue plastic wrap that was a pain in the butt to take off.  Maybe I was just missing something.  That happens a lot.

Now I want a Pimm's Cup

“Geez SeanMike, that’s great and all,” you say, “but how does it work?”

Well, I’ll tell you.  Also, I imagine you having a nasally nerd voice.  Ha ha!

Basically, on the inside there are rows of little metal prongs.  You fill up the water to a certain level, select the thickness of ice that you’d like, and 6 or so minutes later (depending on the thickness you selected) you’d have your first batch.

I wouldn’t suggest really using the first batch, however.  Even at maximum thickness it tended to be melt quickly, but that might be because the inside of the icemaker isn’t very cold at first.  It takes it quite a while to cool off enough to keep ice solid, and during that time if you’re not careful the ice will melt and refreeze into a larger mass.

I need more room in my fridge so I can open this

The ice that is formed looks like a thimble.  That surprised the heck out of me when I first saw it but as I thought about it I realized it’s how the ice forms.  Even at the thickest they are not much bigger than the end of my thumb.  Given that the current movement in icing straight liquor such as whiskeys is using one large block of ice (I have a very nice ice cube tray I now use for that courtesy of Cocktail Kingdom, because Greg Boehm graciously gave it to me) I wouldn’t suggest using it for that.

EXCEPT…well, sometimes you just want to add a bit of water to your whiskey.  Like, sometimes for scotch, I guess.  I never know when it’s proper or not.  In that case, using one or two of these would be okay.  Just know it’s going to melt in no time flat.

Okay, okay, how about making cocktails?

Stirring – I got a lot more dilution in my cocktail stirring, and it seemed to get cold pretty quickly.  It’s not a bad thing, but you’ve got to mind your timing – it is NOT the same as using harder ice.  It’s more like using the bagged ice you get in a grocery store.  Your mileage may vary, of course.  I don’t stir my drinks that often (I don’t care what you think, shuddup) but it was feasible to use it for that.

Shaking - I cannot recommend that unless you’re going for a blender-less version of a slushy.  The ice broke down and disintegrated in no time.

A friend of mine was much more excited about the icemaker than I was.  She lives in the same building as me, just ten stories higher, and can’t stand the ice her fridge makes.  This lets her make ice with filtered water, which she likes a lot.  I’d thought about using it to try to make tonic ice or something but I was worried about messing it up.

I found the icemaker useful for non-alcoholic drinks as well.  Never did get a chance to take it tailgating but I think my next opportunity to tailgate will be in December in Pittsburgh so I probably won’t need a lot of ice there…

If you’ve used it, feel free to give your thoughts on it!