Hope everyone’s Friday is off to a wonderful start. Today we’re featuring an Old Crow bourbon ad from 1972 that compares what cheese did for Wisconsin, to what Old Crow did for Bourbon. There’s a few ads like this in the series that compare Old Crow to other famous items or places. I work on posting more over the next few weeks. Until then I hope you have a great weekend and find plenty of time to explore the topic of, “What has bourbon done for my life?”. I do expect some answers in the comment section. Cheers!
Before anyone fires an email off to me about the fact I’m featuring an Irish whiskey on a bourbon website, please consider these facts:
I spent 2 long days drinking bourbon at the Century Bar this past weekend in Dayton, OH. If you have no idea what that means, please check out this photo.
St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, part of my family is from Ireland and my name is Patrick.
I think I’ve not only earned the right to taste something a little lighter and different, but I think it’s only fitting, based on my heritage and upcoming holiday, that I check out an Irish whiskey. And besides, I promise to get back to the regular bourbon programming soon enough. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s continue…
Concannon Irish Whiskey was released in early 2012 and won the title of “Best New Irish Whiskey” for 2012 from the International Spirits Competition (NYISC). It was developed as a joint collaboration between Livermore Valley-based Concannon Vineyard and Ireland’s renowned Cooley distillery. A blend of malted barley and corn, it is matured in bourbon barrels for a minimum of four years, then mellowed in Concannon Petite Sirah wine barrels for four months before blending. This final stage of mellowing in Petite Sirah barrels is known as the “Concannon Effect”, and is what is reported to give Concannon Irish Whiskey a uniquely fruity character with a clean and balanced taste.
According to their press release:
Brand Ambassador and 4th Generation Vintner, John Concannon, is continuing his family’s legacy of blending rich tradition with pioneering innovation with the development of Concannon Irish Whiskey. “Our Irish roots run deep, and entering the Irish Whiskey market symbolizes building an eternal bond with the past by creating a bold, new chapter in our Concannon Family History.” Concannon Irish Whiskey, a special tribute to his Great-Grandfather, James Concannon, in admiration for his adventurous spirit, vision and ambitious endeavors. James Concannon also celebrates his birthday on St. Patrick’s Day.
Sounds lovely, right? As a bourbon drinker, I’m a sucker for a great backstory, but at the end of the day the only thing that matters is taste. So let’s put down our papers, stop reminiscing and get to tasting.
Whiskey Name: Concannon Irish Whiskey
Proof: 80
Age: 4 years (minimum of)
Year: 2012
How I Drank It: Neat, in my special bourbon whiskey glass (please don’t be jealous)
My Nose Noticed:* Vanilla | Honey | Apple | Toasted Malt
First Sip: Honey | Spice | Oak
The Burn:** This is a very light whiskey. There was a little bit of bite on the tongue from the spice, but it was mild and pleasant. The burn (finish) is slow building and hits the back of the throat with a full embrace. A very pleasant finish indeed. I just wish it would last a little longer.
Neat, Splash or Rocks: Since this is such a light whiskey I preferred it neat. Adding water increased the apple/fruit flavors which I liked, but it amplified the oak flavor as well which was not as welcomed.
Share With: I think this is a great whiskey to share with someone who is relatively new to Irish whiskey and is looking to learn more about the category. While I didn’t get to try it in cocktails, I’ve read that it mixes well and is a great foundation for Irish coffee. Based on it’s low proof and light flavor, I suspect it’s a truly versatile whiskey.
Worth The Price: Concannon Irish whiskey retails for $24.99 for a 750ml bottle. At that price I think it’s definitely worth the price if you’re a fan of Irish whiskey or looking to try the cateogry on for size.
Bottle, Bar or Bust: If you want to have a bottle of non-bourbon whiskey that is approachable and non-threatening, this is the perfect bottle to add to your home bar. I wouldn’t hesitate either to order this one while out on St. Patrick’s Day at my favorite bar.
*I like to let my whiskey sit in the glass for at least 5 minutes before I start to smell it or have a drink. I personally find that it’s better to let some of the alcohol waft off before diving in. If I’m drinking whiskey on the rocks I skip the waiting and dive in both feet first. **Some of you refer to this as the “finish” but let’s be honest. Don’t we all just want to know if it burns good?
Here’s a brief video that provides a little more background about this new Irish whiskey.
I’m currently recovering from a fantastic weekend visiting the fine folks at the Century Bar in Dayton, Ohio. Once I get back into the swing of things I’ll post a detailed recap of my weekend along with some video and additional photos. Until then, I hope you enjoy this shot of Joe Head, the Century’s General Manager and bourbon guru.
Welcome to another installment of “Thank god it’s Friday!”.
We’re taking a break today from our regular posting of a vintage bourbon ad since I’m hitting the road for the inaugural Bourbon Across American Road Trip.
I’m heading to Dayton, OH to visit the fine folks at the Century Bar, where I’ll be spending my weekend doing a blind bourbon tasting, attending a bourbon & BBQ dinner and enjoying some fantastic banter with everyone at the bar, as well as some B&B readers who are making the trek into Dayton to hang out. It’s going to be a fantastic weekend and I hope to have lots of stories to share with everyone next week.
I’ll do my best over the next few days to tweet some updates about what’s going on so make sure you’re following us on Twitter (@BourbonBanter) and Instagram. But if you’re close to Dayton, why don’t you come out and join us tonight or tomorrow night. Plenty of bourbon and banter for everyone.
I hope everyone has a great weekend regardless of where you’re at and that the bourbon never ceases to flow.
RELEASE UPDATE: Spoke with Trey Zoeller to get a little more information on the release and here’s what he had to say:
There’s no wheat in the mash bill
Bourbon was not distilled at Stitzel Weller
Aged in barrels with a No. 3 charr
Release yield is 1,800 6-bottle cases
Big flavors with an outstanding finish
Trey’s expediting a sample to me for tasting so I hope to confirm his thoughts on the taste and finish soon.
Hey folks, I just got this new product release announcement from Jefferson’s Bourbon and thought you’d be interested in hearing about it right away. I should have a sample in the next few weeks as well so I’ll let you know more about it as I find out myself.
Until then, here are the details from the official press release:
Castle Brands is proud to introduce Jefferson’s Presidential Select 21 Year Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the latest addition to its line of “Ridiculously Small Batch” whiskies and the Presidential Suite (Jefferson’s Bourbon, Jefferson’s Reserve, Jefferson’s Presidential Select and Jefferson’s Rye). Jefferson’s Presidential Select 21-Year-Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey is aged in new oak barrels for 21 to 24 years and bottled at 94 proof (47% ABV). Inspired by its namesake Founding Father, this mature, complex and exceptionally full-bodied aged Bourbon will be released nationally on April 1, 2013.
“This is precious bourbon since there are very few bottles of this age with this complexity,” says Jefferson’s founder and master blender Trey Zoeller. “This limited release whiskey aged beautifully. Because of the nuanced flavor profile, this Jefferson’s Presidential Select Straight Bourbon Whiskey is sure to become one of our most coveted bottlings.”
Jefferson’s Presidential Select 21-Year-Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey consists of 15 lots of bourbon aged from 21 to 24 years. Bourbon of this age is extremely fragile; Zoeller discovered that these stocks had aged undisturbed for many years in a cooler area of the warehouse, which added further nuance to the spirit’s flavor profile and engendered a later peak. The resulting blend is a uniquely robust and extremely flavorful bourbon with deep, concentrated notes of vanilla, toffee and leather that finishes extraordinarily smoothly. Because of the evaporation that occurred over the aging period, Jefferson’s will have just 2,000 cases to release of this rare, complex spirit that embodies a presidential combination of age, purity and strength.
To learn more about the Jefferson’s line of spirits, please visit www.jeffersonsbourbon.com. Jefferson’s Presidential Select 21 Year Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey is priced at $119.99 for a 750ml bottle and is available for purchase at fine spirits retailers across the country.
Price is high on this one but do you think you’ll try and get your hands on a bottle?
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