Pinhook “Bourbon Resolve” (orange wax, 2023)

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Maker: CJS Beverage Corp, New York, New York, USA.

A tall, thin bourbon bottle with orange wax on the neck and the neck and head of a racehorse on the label.

Distilled: Castle & Key, Frankfort, Kentucky, USA.

Aged at Kentucky Artisan, Crestwood, Kentucky, USA.

Style: Rye recipe Kentucky Straight bourbon.

Mashbill: 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malt.

Age: 3 y/o

Proof: 101.48 (50.74% ABV)

Purchased on sale for $30 at Vine & Table.

Appearance: Light copper.

Nose: Caramel apple, roasted almonds.

Palate: Sweet, and medium bodied. Fruity with green apple, then some berries, then burn. Water tames the burn.

Finish: Minty with a little blackberry.

Parting words: This is the “flagship” Pinhook release. Like every other Pinhook release, this one is paired with a racehorse. This is for marketing, not culinary, purposes. This 2023 release is paired with Bourbon Resolve, a fairly successful stallion born in 2020. So far his best finish was first at Keeneland in April of 2023. He’s earned around $111,000 so far. Pinhook is hardly the first bourbon brand to use horses in its marketing, and I’m sure it won’t be the last, but it’s currently the most specific.

Anyway, enough about the dang horse. The bourbon is only three years old, but, aside from a dimly remembered Willett release, this is probably the best 3 y/o bourbon I’ve ever had. That’s not the highest of praise, but it’s not nothing. It’s fruity, which isn’t something one encounters much in bourbon anymore. It’s best on the rocks, but does fine in an old fashioned, and with a splash of water.

As corny as the horsey gimmick is, I expected to be annoyed by this, but it was actually pretty good for the price. Pinhook Bourbon Resolve/orange wax/flagship/whatever is recommended.

Ben Holladay Bottled in Bond, 6 y/o

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Maker: McCormick, Weston, Missouri, USA.

Style: Bonded rye-recipe straight Missouri bourbon.

Age: 6 y/o (distilled autumn 2016, bottled January 26, 2023)

Warehouse/Floors: See photo below

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Michigan State Minimum: $60

Appearance: Medium reddish copper.

Nose: Spicy, with roasted corn, and a bit of caramel.

Palate: Caramel and amaretto chews, rock n rye soda, then cayenne. Water tames the spice and brings the sweet candy flavors to the fore.

Finish: Salted caramel, burn.

Parting words: The bourbon boom has seen a lot of new distilleries appear on the scene, and the last few years have seen the rise of a number of distilleries with promising futures, like (the new) Yellowstone, New Riff, Wilderness Trail, Woodinville, and many others. These folks are putting out great whiskeys right now, and are only getting better.

Something that has also happened is that a few old distilleries around the country have jumped back into the bourbon game, by releasing their own, new products. Ross & Squibb (FKA LDI/MGPI) is one example of that, and McCormick is another. When I first became interested in American Whiskey, I got to know McCormick as the making of Platte Valley corn whiskey, which comes in those distinctive stoneware jugs that used to have a cartoon Hillbilly on them. At 80 proof, it’s a bit weak, but a decent sip on a hot summer Saturday evening.

McCormick saw other distillers getting rich and asked themselves, “Why not us?” They already had the still, the corn, and the warehouses after all. They even found a historical mascot, Ben Holladay, a 19th century transportation mogul (hence the stagecoach) with ties to the distillery for the brand, So they distilled and aged some bourbon and released Ben Holladay Missouri Straight Bourbon Whiskey to the world in spring of 2022.

I had always assumed that Weston must be on the west bank of the Mississippi, just a stone’s throw from the Kentucky border. It’s not. It’s in the opposite part of the state on the northern edge of the Kansas City metro area. That makes it about 600 miles from Bardstown, Kentucky, and about 500 from Owensboro. The town’s population is about 1,700 people, which is not too different when the distillery was founded in 1856.

Missouri Straight Bourbon whiskey has more stringent standards than its Kentucky cousin. It must be made of corn grown in Missouri, and aged in a barrel manufactured in the state as well. That’s in addition to the requirements to mash, ferment, and distill instate.

Anyway, I like Ben Holladay 6 y/o. It’s sweet and spicy and mixes well too. My only complaint is the price. A bourbon from a venerable producer like McCormick shouldn’t be as pricy as a micro-distiller’s. That said, there are younger, less sophisticated bourbons being sold at twice the price right now, so I guess $60 isn’t too bad, but it could still be better.

Anyway, Ben Holladay 6 y/o BiB is recommended!

Kirkland Signature Cognac XO

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Produced for Costco by Peyrat (negociant), Cognac, Charente, France.

Distiller(s): Undisclosed.

Region: Cognac.

Age category: XO (at least 10 y/o). Label says spirit is at least 12 y/o.

ABV: 40%

Michigan State Minimum: $75

Appearance: Shiny auburn.

Nose: Toasted oak, anise.

Palate: Full bodied and silky. Toasted almond, dried apricot, date, white pepper.

Finish: Nutty and oaky, with smoldering embers in the back.

Parting words: When I first tried Kirkland’s XO Cognac years ago, I didn’t care for it. I thought it tasted too woody. As the years passed, I drank more brandy and got a better idea of what to expect, so I decided to give it another shot, as it were.

Maybe my palate has changed, or the Cognac has changed, but I like it a lot more now. It’s nothing earth-shattering, but it’s a pretty good brandy at a pretty good price (for an XO). I like it by the fireplace on a cold day or the firepit on a summer evening. Given its affinity for smoke it would probably be good with a cigar, if that’s your thing.

Kirkland Cognac XO is recommended.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series, Bottled-in-Bond

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Maker: Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBC), Bardstown, Kentucky, USA

Distiller: Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBC), Bardstown, Kentucky, USA (100%)

Style: Bonded wheat bourbon

Age: 6 y/o (distilled fall of 2016)

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Michigan state minimum: $50

Appearance: Medium copper.

Nose: Toasted almonds, smoked chilis, leather, paperwhite narcissus.

Palate: Full bodied and sweet. Caramel, chocolate covered cherries, heat. Water takes away the heat, but leaves the candy behind.

Finish: Dry and tingly. Oak, hot chilis. Much the same with water, but a little nutty too.

Mixed: At $50 a bottle, I’m hesitant to mix this, but it did well in an old fashioned.

Parting words: This is the first Bardstown Bourbon Company product I’ve reviewed. I almost took a tour there once with my Georgia Bourbon Society comrades (I was named president of the Mitten Chapter), but I had a conflict, so I missed out.

That was before BBC had released any of its own product. I heard the tour was great, but, frankly, I wasn’t too interested in them back then. The point at which I begin taking micro distillers seriously is usually at the point when they release a bonded whiskey (or brandy or whatever). Bottled-in-Bond (from the company’s own distillery) is the test to make it into a regular spot in my liquor cabinet. If you can do that well then you’ve proven that you are worth my time.

BBC has done it well. They’ve actually done it better than they needed to. This six year old tastes like an eight year old from a large distillery. The depth of flavor and complexity was a big, welcome surprise. You can mix it or drink it on the rocks and it will be just fine, but it’s best neat or with a little water.

The entirety of BBC’s line is currently in the Michigan price book. That includes the Origin (100% BBC distilled), Discovery (BBC + sourced whiskey), Collaborative (finished), Distillery (collaborations?), and Fusion (marriage of different mashbills) series. Origin is the most affordable, which is convenient because it’s the series I’m most interested in. The Collaborative series interested me before I saw the prices. Paying well over $100 for finished, sourced whiskey doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

At any rate, THIS bourbon is reasonably priced for its quality and proof. Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series, Bottled-in-Bond is recommended!

Rockway Gamay Noir, 2019

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Maker: Rockway Vineyards, St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada.

Grape: Gamay.

Place of origin: Niagara Peninsula VQA, Ontario, Canada.

Vintage: 2019

ABV: 12%

Purchased for CA $19 ($14 US)

Appearance: Dark ruby.

Nose: Fruit punch, allspice, a little toasted oak.

Palate: Medium bodied. Black raspberry, blueberry, cherry juice, leather.

Finish: Tart and a little tannic.

Parting words: This the third of the Rockway label wines I’ve reviewed, and the last one left in my cellar (not including my bottle of When Pigs Fly Pinot Noir from friend of the blog André Proulx & friends). For my review of Rockway’s 2017 Alter Ego Syrah and a brief account of our visit to the winery, click here. For my review of their 2018 Small Lot Riesling, click here, and click here for my review of the 2021 When Pigs Fly rosé of Pinot Noir.

At any rate, this wine is a good example of an Ontario-style Gamay. It’s got dark berries, spice, and a little oak. It’s closer to Juliénas or Régnié than the lighter, more acidic style of Gamay produced by makers in Northwestern Michigan. Some Ontarian Gamays can lean too far into oak and spice, but this one preserves that character while maintaining a healthy balance.

At any rate $19/$14 is a very good price for this wine. If you find yourself in St. Catherines, pick up a bottle. 2019 Rockway Gamay Noir is recommended.

Samuel Gelston’s Blended Irish Whiskey

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Maker: Samuel Gelston’s, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK (Johnny Neil)

Distillery: Undisclosed. West Cork? Bushmills?

Age: NAS

ABV: 40%

Michigan State Minimum: $25

Appearance: Golden straw.

Nose: Malt, butterscotch, sea spray, touch of leather.

Palate: Medium bodied and semi-sweet. Butterscotch and toffee, with a little bite in the end.

Finish: Like eating toffee, but without having to pick it out of your teeth when you’re done.

Mixed: Does ok in a Blackthorn #3. The sweetness balances out the bitterness of the vermouth, absinthe, and bitters. Did better in an Irish Cocktail (whiskey plus dashes of maraschino, curaçao, absinthe, and bitters) with more complementary flavors. I didn’t try it with ginger ale, but it seems like it would get lost in it.

Parting words: I bought this whiskey because I was in a hurry. I was looking for an affordable Irish to review for St. Patrick’s day weekend, saw it on the shelf at Holiday Market, grabbed it, and ran to the check out because I had places to be. I don’t regret my choice.

Gelston’s is a bottler headquartered in Belfast, but owned by Johnny Neil, a New Zealander who is a descendent of Harry Neil who bought the brand from Sam Gelston in the nineteenth century. Johnny is also cousin to Big Time Movie Actor Sam Neil. Sam has collaborated with Johnny, and supplies Gelston’s with used Pinot Noir barrels from his winery in New Zealand.

There are six Gelston’s expressions currently available in the state of Michigan: Blended, Single Malt ($35), Bourbon cask ($40), Pinot Noir cask ($45), 25 y/o ($420), and Irish Cream ($25). I’ve only ever seen this Blended expression, but I’ll keep an eye out for the others.

While Gelston’s Blended isn’t a world-beater, it meets expectations for its price range. I like it best as a sipper, but it’s fine in strong, classic cocktails too. Samuel Gelston’s Blended Irish Whiskey is recommended.

Nathaniel Rose Marsanne, 2013

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Maker: Nathaniel Rose, Suttons Bay, Michigan, USA

Grape: Marsanne (100%)

Place of origin: Center West Vineyard, Domaine Berrien Estate, Lake Michigan Shore AVA, Berrien Springs, Michigan, USA.

Style: Orange wine.

Vintage: 2013

ABV: 13%

Bottle provided by Nathaniel, via Marshall Wehr. 2016 Marsanne/Rousanne from the same vineyard in the same style currently on the NR menu for $32.

Notes: 18 mos in French Oak, 147 cases produced.

Appearance: Medium amber.

Nose: apple juice, tangerine, sherry, bubblegum.

Palate: Medium bodied and dry. Not nearly as much oxidation as I expected, given the nose. Old cider, apple cores.

Finish: Dry and slightly tannic.

Parting words: I hate to say it but Marsanne is one of my least favorite grapes. Maybe a part of that has been how it has historically treated, resulting in oxidized, nutty, sherry-like flavors and aromas, things I don’t normally enjoy in white wines. I have had Marsanne or Marsanne blends that I have enjoyed, though. For one of those, read my review of Cody Kresta’s Marsanne-Roussanne here.

When I first opened this bottle, and gave the wine a sniff, my heart sank. There it was: sherry. But when the liquid touched my tongue, I was pleasantly surprised. It was all fruit on the palate, apple in particular. Its advanced age was showing a bit as well, but it was still very easy drinking. The sherry in the nose and grip in the finish served as bookends to the still vibrant fruit in the middle! Nathaniel’s choice to produce his this wine in an orange style has added depth and complexity to this wine without making it too weird. That’s a neat trick, and he has me excited to try more Michigan Marsanne in the future!

Parting words: This wine is another in our ongoing 2012 Project, and one of the few white wines participating. Nathaniel Rose isn’t very widely distributed, but bottles do crop up in finer Metro Detroit wine shops. The best way to purchase NR wines is the website or the winery itself. 2013 Nathaniel Rose Marsanne is recommended!

For more information on Nathaniel Rose, check out my 2018 post about my visit to his winery here.

2013 Cadia: Gill’s Pier

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Maker: Left Foot Charley, Traverse City, Michigan, USA.

Grower: Gill’s Pier, Northport, Michigan, USA

Grapes: 53% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc. Field blend.

Place of origin: Gill’s Pier estate, Leelanau Peninsula AVA, Northport, Michigan, USA.

Vintage: 2013 (final year for Gill’s Pier)

ABV: 12.5%

Purchased for $33 (Holiday Market)

Appearance: Dark purple.

Nose: Blackberry, blueberry, amaretto, tiny bit of oak.

Palate: Medium bodied. Dry with fruit jam. with some tannic grip on the back end.

Finish: Light, drying. Acid and oak.

Parting words: My first review of 2013 Gill’s Pier Cadia was a video review back in April of 2020. I liked it then and I like it now even more! Bottle aging has mellowed the tannins even further, allowing the fruit to become even more prominent, and the wine even more balanced. There were clear changes to the wine over three years, despite it being under a screw cap. This puts to rest any doubt in my mind as to whether screw top wine ages in the bottle or not. It clearly does.

Sadly, Gill’s Pier is now an alpaca and yak (!) farm, but I do still have a couple more bottles from them to taste as a part of the 2012 Project. I had planned for the project to wrap up around now, but 2023 was a very busy year for a variety of reasons, so I’m behind. Never fear, though, we will finish the project in 2024!

Left Foot Charley’s 2013 Gill’s Pier Cadia is recommended.

Dablon Estate Red, 2017

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Dablon Estate Red Blend 2017

Maker: Dablon Winery & Vineyards, Baroda, Michigan, USA.

Grapes: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot (per winemaker Rudy Shafer).

Place of origin: Dablon estate, Lake Michigan Shore AVA, Michigan, USA.

Vinatge: 2017

ABV: 13.1%

Price: $50 (2018 vintage website price)

Appearance: Dark ruby.

Nose: Cherry Jam, blueberry, sweet roasted red pepper.

Palate: Dry, reticent. White mulberry, mace, leather.

Finish: Jammy, but with grip.

Parting words: I have a good number of wines in my cellar currently, and I don’t always remember where or when I got them. Cellar tracker is helpful in this regard, but I don’t always check it before I pop a cork. I remember seeing it on a rack in one of the long term areas of my cellar and thinking, “This blend looks like it would hit the spot! I wonder why it was here?” As soon as I took a sip of it, I realized why it was there.

Although this wine is perfectly suitable for drinking any day of the week, Estate Red is not your average weeknight blend. It’s a fine, age-worthy Bordeaux style blend. It was very good at six years old, but I found myself wishing it had stayed in that place in my cellar a little longer to develop even more complexity and depth. Oh well, live and learn!

Even at a mere (!) six years old, this is a very good wine that is worth seeking out. 2017 was an excellent vintage, but so was 2020. When that one comes out, or if you manage to fine a 2017 on the shelf, I recommend that you buy it!

Featherstone Black Sheep Riesling, 2020

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Maker: Featherstone, Vineland, Ontario, Canada.

Grape: Riesling (100%)

Place of origin: Niagara Peninsula VQA, Ontario, Canada.

Style: Whole cluster pressed Riesling. On lees for six weeks.

Vintage: 2020

ABV: 10.5%

Price: $20 Canadian (current vintage)/$15 US.

Appearance: Light straw.

Nose: Light acetone, mineral water, peach.

Palate: Medium bodied, medium fry and balanced. Medium acid but with green apple, citron, and stone fruit.

Finish: Clingy and a little chewy.

Parting words: This wine is another bottle we picked up on our trip to Ontario last summer. For more information on that, click here and here. This summer was a little crazy with Liz’s new job, her mother’s passing, and all the normal summertime kid stuff, so we weren’t able to embark on any wine trips together. That’s ok, since we’re still drinking through the bottles we purchased on our last three!

Featherstone was another winery that friend-of-the-blog André Proulx recommended for Riesling, but since we were short on time, I couldn’t stay and taste. I think I made a good choice regardless. I’m not a fan of heavy lees-related flavors in Riesling, but they’re good when balanced with acid and sweetness like they are here.

I didn’t spend much time there, but Featherstone has a nice tasting room. If you’re ever in the area, stop by and sample of the the delicious Riesling and other wines the fine people have for sale.

2020 Featherstone Black Sheep Riesling is recommended!