Style: Wheat beer with grapefruit peel and coriander seed
ABV: 4.5%
Appearance: Cloudy gold with a lasting foamy head.
Nose: Wheat bread dough, citrus peel.
Palate: Citrusy, slightly sour, with a little spice.
Finish: Sour and a little bitter.
Parting words: Griffin Claw is located in Birmingham, Michigan, the affluent suburb just north of Royal Oak, location of Sipology Blog HQ. Birmingham is a women with big hats and little dogs kinda place. Which makes the quote that appears at the top a little #problematic. It’s a quote from Elmore Leonard: “There are cities that get by on their good looks. Detroit has to work for a living.” I’m sure Leonard meant it as a tribute of sorts, but coming from a brewery in one of the wealthiest, whitest cities in the metro area, it sounds more like a dig than a compliment.
That aside, there’s nothing wrong with this beer. It’s something I would order at the brewpub or someone else if I was in the mood for a spiced wheat beer. This is Michigan, though, and the competition here is fierce. If a brewery is going to make a beer in the style of the most popular beer from the most popular brewery in the state, it needs to stand out. Bluesky doesn’t. It’s not worth seeking out if unavailable near you. Mildly recommended.
Palate: Hot, but still drinkable neat. Roast corn on the cob, hard toffee, sage, alcohol.
Finish: Alcohol, oak, black licorice.
Parting words: Our timing was very poor this Spring. For the first time in years, my wife and I weren’t able to go to Kentucky on the last weekend of April. That was because my wife was due to give birth on April 28. I was excited at the prospect of having my son born at the fabled Gazebo in Bardstown but my wife wasn’t so keen on the idea. So we had to skip this year.
As a result of that and of living over 700 miles from Marietta, Georgia, I didn’t get my bottles of the Georgia Bourbon Society Knob Creek until just a week or so ago. My post about how we selected them has been one of the most popular posts on this blog. It’s here.
This bourbon lives up to its promise. The cinnamon notes I got at the barrel selection aren’t nearly as pronounced now as they were then, but they’re still present. This is a great bottle from a great barrel, if I do say so myself, and the fact that my friends and I helped pick it out makes drinking it an even greater experience. Highly recommended.
Purchased for $13 (Michigan By the Bottle Tasting Room, Royal Oak)
Appearance: Bright gold. Very little carbonation noticeable.
Nose: Canned peaches, sweetened apple sauce.
Palate: Fresh white peaches, Golden Delicious apples, minerals, lemon thyme.
Finish: Semi dry with a tart tingle on the tongue.
Parting words: This is the third Chaos cider I’ve reviewed. Like the other fruit flavored ciders in the line, the unfermented apple cider is combined with a fruit wine base and then fermented together. That process makes it less of a flavored cider than a compound fruit wine.
It was not as sweet and sticky as I expected, but it still has enough weight to hold up to club soda and ice. Cherry Blush is more complex and frankly better than this, but Sweet Blush is still worth a try if you’re in the mood for some light patio drinking. Sweet Peach is recommended.
My home state of Michigan, like sixteen other states, is what is called a “control state”. This means that the state government is directly involved with the sale of liquor in some way. Many of those states operate state-owned liquor stores but others, like Michigan, merely act as the wholesaler for the state. As a wholesaler, the state of Michigan maintains a list of all the spirits available for purchase from itself called the price book. The price book is issued by the state a few times each year. Supplemental lists (now called new items lists) are issued periodically listing items to be added to or deleted from the price book. These lists contain a variety of information but the most important to consumers is the minimum price at which the spirit must be sold at retail.
This post is a look at the new items for February 28, 2016. The LARA website with links to lists in the recent past is here. Caps retained out of laziness but with full names given where the state has abbreviated them. Proof (Michigan lists everything in terms of US proof which= 2 x %ABV), bottle size in ml and retail price are given for each one. I have added notes at the end of each if I think it necessary. Some items are not actually new, but fell off the list for some reason and have been added back or are new bottle sizes for items already on the list. Sometimes an item will be added and removed at the same time. I think this is a way to make corrections, but it’s still puzzling. For the sake of brevity, I have excluded apparent corrections from this post. Some new items are also gift pack versions of existing items. These are always the same price as the bottle alone.
Corn Whiskey
HOTEL TANGO MIKE MOONSHINE 90, 750, $23.12 Listed under alcohol for some reason. See Hotel Tango Golf Gin below.
Bourbon
EZRA BROOKS BBN 90, 1000, $14.96
REBEL YELL BBN 80, 1000, $21.96 Two of the crummiest bourbons available in the state are now available in liter bottles. What a time to be alive. Both Rebel Yell and Ezra Brooks are from Luxco.
JEFFERSON’S OCEAN AGED CASK STRENGTH 112.0, 750, $99.99 “I’M ON A BOAT”. Jeff’s famous boat bourbon is now available in cask strength, although I would have called it naval strength. Seems like a missed opportunity. From Castle brands (Gosling’s, Knappogue).
1792 SINGLE BARREL 98.6, 750, $41.99 The latest in the flurry of 1792 line extensions spit out since Sazerac bought the brand. Hopefully, I will able to find and buy one of these, since the Sweet Wheat and Port finish seem to have been vacuumed off shelves instantaneously. Distilled in Bardstown at Barton-1792, of course.
Blended American Whiskey (listed under miscellaneous whiskey)
TINCUP 84, 1750, $57.99 The sourced blend of straights from the former Stranahan’s guy is now available in handles in the Mitten State.
Tennesee Whiskey
JACK DANIELS SINGLE BARREL RYE 94, 750, $54.99 At long last, JD has released a mature (on paper anyway) rye whiskey. The unaged and “rested” versions got mixed reviews, but hopefully this is better.
Straight Rye Whiskey
The Stills at Woodford Reserve
WOODFORD RESERVE RYE 90, 750, $42.96 WRR is finally making it to Michigan. The consensus was that Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection ryes were bad, but I liked them, despite the dumb price. Unlike those, WR Rye is made both at the historic Woodford Reserve distillery on the big copper pot stills and at the distillery in Louisville. [corrected]
KNOB CREEK RYE 100, 1750, $74.99 One of my favorite Kentucky style ryes is now available in a family size bottle. Whoot!
Canadian Whisky
CROWN ROYAL W/BEANIE 80, 750, $27.99 Let the world know your questionable taste in whisky all winter with this gift pack that features a one-size-fits-all black CR beanie. Or make your own.
HUNTER RYE PLASTIC 90, 100, $1.89 Imported by Sazerac, this line extension to the old Seagram’s Canadian Hunter brand is now available in small 100 ml bottles. 50 ml bottles are also available hanging off the necks of bottles of Canadian Hunter blended. Canadian Hunter is sometimes called “the poor man’s Crown Royal” which makes me sad.
Scotch
BRUICHLADDICH OCTOMORE EDITION: 07.1 119, 750, $164.99 This is the latest release from Bruichladdich’s super duper peated Octomore series.
BRUICHLADDICH OCTOMORE EDITION: 07.3 126, 750, $174.99 7.3 is the 100% Islay barley version of Octomore 7. Owned by Rémy Cointreau.
KIRKLAND BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY 80, 1750, $25.99 Sourced through Alexander Murray & Co. It’s good the state has finally allowed Kirkland/Costco brands in.
Irish Whiskey (listed under miscellaneous whiskey)
KNAPPOGUE CASTLE-12 YR 92, 750 $47.99 One of my favorite Irish Whiskeys is back, although it never really left the shelves. From Castle brands (Gosling’s, Jefferson’s).
TULLAMORE DEW (IRISH)-15 YR 80, 750, $79.99 The knock on Tullamore has always been that it’s boring. I doubt this 40% ABV expression is going to help that perception. If tiny Castle Brands can release the 12 y/o Knappogue at 46% ABV for $48, then why can’t big boys like Wm. Grant release Tullamore 15 y/o at a higher ABV when asking $80? The mismanagement of this brand continues.
Brandy
ST.GEORGE APPLE BRANDY 86, 750, $50.28 This is the (formerly?) limited release apple
St. George Master distiller Lance relaxing in the warehouse.
brandy from Alameda California’s St. George microdistillery. Their fruit brandies were originally released under the Aqua Perfecta label, but have now thankfully been reissued as St. George fruit brandies. I’m always excited when a new apple brandy comes to Michigan, but a 3-4 y/o apple brandy selling for $50 does give me pause.
Rum
HOTEL TANGO ROMEO RUM 90, 750, $27.72 See Hotel Tango Victor Vodka below.
BAYOU RUM SILVER 80, 750, $19.99
BAYOU RUM SPICED 80, 750, $19.99 Bayou rum is a product of Louisiana Spirits, located about twenty miles east of Lake Charles. According to their website, they use all Louisiana sugar cane and a proprietary cane yeast strain for their line of rums. In addition to the silver, spiced (see above) and the Satsuma orange liqueur(see below), they also make Bayou Select, an aged, pot still rum. How long is it aged? They don’t say. Anyway, I’m glad to see a microdistiller focus on rum instead of hopping on the bourbon bandwagon. We need more rum.
PELICAN HARBOR RUM 80, 750, $18.99 See XIII Kings below.
Tequila/Mezcal
ESPOLON EXTRA ANEJO 82, 750, $99.99 Elderly line extension for Campari’s Espolon comes in a little on the rich side.
HERRADURA ULTRA ANEJO 80, 750, $54.99 Brown-Forman jumps into the weird trend of crystal clear añejo tequilas with this item. At least it’s not $100.
PURA VIDA ANEJO 80, 750, $43.46
PURA VIDA REPOSADO 80, 750, $38.94
PURA VIDA SILVER 80, 750, $33.66 The line of tequilas jointed owned by Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and a man named Stewart Skloss has come to Michigan with the three standard variations. Distilled by Feliciano Vivanco & Associates who also make the Siembra Azul tequila line and the ArteNOM 1414 selection, among others.
Gin
ANDREW JOHN’S 80, 750, $19.99 There’s no information about this product online at all. It’s distributed by General Wine & Liquor. I’m guessing it’s either a gin named for the rugby player Andrew Johns or it’s something the BuzzBallz people are responsible for. Either way, the total lack of information doesn’t bode well.
SIPSMITH LONDON DRY GIN 83.2, 750, $39.99
SIPSMITH V.J.O.P. 115.4, 750, $59.99 Sipsmith is a gin microdistillery in Chiswick in western Greater London. Three new products from them are on the list, two gins and a sloe gin. The London Dry is their entry level offering. This is their higher end, higher proof gin, which the website describes as a “symphony in J major” (oof). V.J.O.P.= Very Junipery Over Proof Gin. The sloe gin (see below) is made by infusing their London Dry with sloe (blackthorn) berries. Most commercial sloe gin is made with GNS, so good on them for using the traditional method. The website is cheesy but the products sound intriguing.
GRAY SKIES BARREL FINISHED GIN 80, 750, $29.99 Hopped and barrel-finished gin from the Grand Rapids microdistiller of the same chipper name. They also make Gray Skies Utility Vodka below. Coming soon: Rum. Not coming soon (they want to age it): Bourbon & Rye.
HOTEL TANGO GOLF GIN 90, 750, $27.72
Vodka, etc
The Hotel Tango tasting room & bar
HOTEL TANGO VICTOR VODKA 90, 750, $23.12 Hotel Tango is a newish microdistillery in Indianapolis in the historic Fletcher Place neighborhood. Their whiskey is aging (of what type the website doesn’t say), but they also offer gin, rum (above) and limoncello (below). Their focus seems to be cocktails. I’ve never been there or tried any of their stuff but it’s nice to have more craft spirits (especially rum) available in Michigan, assuming they’re not awful of course.
XIII KINGS VODKA 80, 750, $19.99 The BuzzBallz (actual name) unspillable/unbreakable premade cocktail people are releasing their own vodka and rum (see Pelican Bay rum above). I imagine that it’s the same liquor they use in their cocktails so it’s bound to be top quality stuff.
Liqueurs
HOTEL TANGO LIMA CHARLIE LIMONCELLO 70, 750, $27.72 See Hotel Tango Victor Vodka above.
BAYOU SATSUMA ORANGE RUM LIQUEUR 60, 750, $19.99 Erroneously listed under rum. See Bayou Spiced rum above.
SIPSMITH SPECIAL EDITION 2013 SLOE GIN 58, 750, $49.96 See Sipsmith VJOP above.
Palate: Soft and mild on the palate. Shifts to hot on the back end. Caramel, a little oak.
Finish: Warming, caramel candies, butterscotch.
Mixed: Subtle, but excellent in a Manhattan, Boulevardier, sour, Old Fashioned and with Coke and Ginger Ale. OK on the rocks.
Parting words: Kentucky Tavern is a pretty old brand, dating back to 1903. Its original parent company folded shortly thereafter and the brand was sold to brothers James and Francis P. Thompson. Their company was called Glenmore and it owned the brand for most of its history. It was made at the Glenmore distillery in Owensboro, Kentucky but may have also been made at Glenmore’s Louisville distillery which was best known as the home of Yellowstone bourbon. Kentucky Tavern was a rye-recipe bourbon then and served as Glenmore’s flagship brand. In 1991, Glenmore was purchased by Guinness and became a part of United Distillers. KT was actually a wheat bourbon during this brief period. The Louisville distillery was closed at that time and four years later Kentucky Tavern and the Owensboro distillery were sold to Barton Brands (later Constellation). The Glenmore facility was then used only as a bottling and warehousing center, as it still is today. Sazerac, owners of Buffalo Trace distillery, purchased the Barton distillery in Bardstown, the old Glenmore facility and Kentucky Tavern (among other things) in 2009. Kentucky Gentleman bourbon was begun as something of a knockoff of Kentucky Tavern, but ironically is now also owned by Sazerac and produced at Barton.
The word on the street is that Kentucky Tavern is the same mashbill as 1792 Ridgemont Reserve bourbon, which has been described as either high rye or high malt bourbon. It could actually be both, as long as it’s still 51% corn. Notoriously tight-lipped Sazerac has never released any information on the mashbill for KT or any other products produced at Barton, though.
The 80 proof Kentucky Tavern is available here and there, popping up at The Party Source, Binny’s and a few other large retailers in the Midwest and Kentucky. The bonded is much harder to find, and may actually have been discontinued, judging by how none of the retailers I consulted have it in stock. I bought this bottle at Liquor World in Bardstown, Kentucky the last time I was there. I called them earlier today and they said they did not have any in stock. Online reports of recent finds are non-existent too.
If it has been discontinued, it’s a shame because this is a very good bourbon for the money and a very good mixer. If you can find it, Kentucky Tavern Bottled in Bond is recommended.
Maker: Le Brun, Plovan, Finistère, Brittany, France
ABV: 4%
Purchased for $9/750 ml
Appearance: Dark gold with a foamy head.
Nose: Yeast, tannin, mineral water, apple juice.
Palate: Medium bodied and tannic. Semi-dry. Overaged white wine, tart apple, wood, gravel dust.
Finish: Semi-sweet with a subdued tang on the back end.
Parting words: The family owned Le Brun cidery has been in business since 1955 in a tiny costal commune in the department of Finistère at the western tip of Brittany. I wasn’t able to find any more information on this maker. They do have a website and, although it is enjoyable for its charming unidiomatic English, it is hard to maneuver.
I’ve reviewed Breton ciders before and I’ve like them all. This will not change the pattern. I love this cider. It has depth and complexity (and tannins) but is still refreshing and very food friendly. I had in one night with poached salmon and the next night with fried chicken. It did well both times. At $8 you’d be stupid NOT to buy it. The fact that it’s organic is a nice bonus too. Le Brun Organic Cider is highly recommended.
Maker: Alberta Distillers, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Beam Suntory)
Age: 10 y/o
Style: Double casked blended Canadian Rye
ABV: 40%
Michigan State minimum: $18
Appearance: Soft copper.
Nose: Grassy and pungent in a good way. Rye, black pepper, green cardamom, alcohol, cumin, ginger.
Palate: Characteristically mild, but with enough flavor to carry it. Tarragon, jalapeno, white pepper, roasted ginger.
Finish: Cola, alcohol, woodruff. Lasts for longer than expected.
Mixed: OK in an Old Fashioned, but I think I added too much sugar and bitters. Great in a Manhattan. Does very well on the rocks too.
Parting words: The last time I bought Tangle Ridge has to have been over five years ago. I didn’t really care for it then, because I got really big maple syrup notes out of it. Nauseatingly big. I don’t get that out of this at all. Either I misremembered, my palate was out of whack, or they changed their formula since then. They have changed the bottle since then, though. For the worse, I think. The old one was squat but with a long neck and ridges along the side. The current one is just a tall, dull, rectangular bottle.
So, what exactly is Tangle Ridge? The Beam Suntory website says it’s “made from 100% of the finest Canadian rye”, but the label just calls it a blended Canadian whisky, no mention of rye. Is this because the double casking process means they can’t call it rye? Or because “100% Canadian rye” refers to the flavoring whisky only, not the base whisky? Or is it of no significance?
Whatever it is, it’s good, especially for the price. At under $20, it’s a steal. Recommended.
Nose: Sweet and malty. Tomato, tabasco sauce, celery salt.
Palate: Full bodied and mildly effervescent. Spicy, sweet, tomato juice, pickle juice, pickled jalapenos, salt.
Finish: Sweet, then briny.
Parting words: A Michelada is a beer cocktail. It’s served all over Mexico in different local styles, but it usually includes tomato juice, lime juice and often Worcestershire Sauce, hot sauce and/or soy sauce. In the US it often takes the form of a Bloody Mary made with beer, which isn’t really too far off after all.
This is a joint project from Atwater Brewery and McClure’s pickle factory. After consolidating their operations in Detroit, they branched out to other non-pickle products. They have three varieties of pickle-flavored potato chips, they sell jars of their brine and they also have a Bloody Mary mix. The Bloody Mary mix has lots of fans, but I am not really one of them. There is way too much pickle juice in the mix, rendering it undrinkable (to me anyway) except when cut with V8.
The can describes this products as “the world’s first craft Michelada”. It also recommends that it be served in a salt-rimmed glass or sipped right out of the can. I drank three out of the four cans in a standard 12 oz glass. It did just fine that way. I tried the fourth one in a salt-rimmed glass. It tasted ok, but I’m not sure if the salt added anything.
I usually don’t purchase premade cocktails, but this one intrigued me and got a recommendation from a friend so I picked it up. I was not disappointed. The beer cuts the briny mix perfectly. It pairs nicely with greasy brunch food and Mexican food. The price is fair, and the cans are really cool looking. Atwater’s Michelada is recommended.
Maker: Wm. Grant & Sons, Dufftown, Moray, Scotland
Style: Blended Scotch whisky
Age: NAS
ABV: 40%
Michigan State Minimum: $20
Appearance: Pale gold.
Nose: Sweet malt, plum, apricot, custard, touch oak oak and alcohol.
Palate: Full bodied and creamy. Custard, cinnamon, allspice, butterscotch candy.
Finish: Malt, oak and good vanilla ice cream with a little heat. Hangs around for a long time.
Parting words: Reviews of NAS Scotch blends have not gone well on this blog, generally so I was reluctant to review this. I bought it because I was looking for a blend to carry me through the summer and have around for the occasional high-ball or Scotch cocktail. I was very pleasantly surprised when I took my first sip.
This is a great whisky. It’s fruity and flavorful but not clunky and even at 40% ABV, it doesn’t taste weak. The malt elements add elegance and interest but it all rests on the firm, luscious bed of top notch grain whisky. Grant’s works well in cocktails, but I think I prefer to sip. It’s impossible to beat for the price. Grant’s The Family Reserve is highly recommended.
Palate: Full-bodied and hot. Burn, wood, corn syrup.
Finish: Sweet and tannic, heavy alcohol lingers for a long time.
Parting words: I’m not sure exactly what this whiskey is. The distillers have wisely decided to just call it whiskey this time, without a category stated. This gives them a lot more leeway than if they went with a specific type. I’m pretty sure doing that means that flavorings and colors can be added as well. If so, they were used judiciously. I’m guessing that smoke was infused into the whiskey by some undisclosed means as well. It’s composed of a 70% corn, 30% rye mashbill, so the website says, but one source I found described it as a blended whiskey, so it make be a blend of rye & corn whiskeys.
The closest thing I’ve has to this was Corsair’s Triple Smoke, which was a pretty good product for what it was. The concept behind this whiskey is that of a table whiskey, intended to pair with umami-strong Japanese cuisine. It is the only alcoholic beverage sold at the new Johnny Noodle King ramen restaurant in Detroit. I had it there and it went well with my lunch. Frankly, I like it better on its own. It does well as an after-dinner whiskey as a change of pace. I didn’t do too much mixing with it, but it was ok with club soda too.
Craft whiskey inflation is in full effect here, but it has a lot of things that set it apart from the usual craft fare to justify a slightly higher price. That said, this is a whiskey on the edge. It is well balanced and integrated but any more smoke or wood or new-makey flavors would wreck it. Let’s hope they can maintain that balance going forward. Johnny Smoking Gun is recommended.
Sipology 