Wisconsin Whiskey/Bourbon

     When I told our Copy Editor, Burdy, I had one more blog for this year, she exclaimed, "No-o-o! You have to do a blog on Wisconsin Whiskey and Bourbon." 

     "Uh-h-h, Okay?? What do I have to do?" I'm thinking aloud.

     "Don't worry about a thing," she says. "I'll take care of getting the Bourbon and Whiskey that we can try."

     So for this blog, with the help of Burdy, we taste 9 (yes 9) different Wisconsin Whiskeys and Bourbons. Keep in mind, this is over a couple of days, and they are tastings of about an ounce or less. With different schedules that do not always coincide with distillery hours, and oh yeah, a Pandemic, the Wisconsin Whiskeys and Bourbons, we are tasting for this blog, can all be found at our local grocery liquor store.

Here's the Spirit Line Up. 

     The first time the Hubster and I went to a distillery was during a visit to South Carolina. The establishment we visited was a combination winery and distillery. When we asked an employee which should we do first, the winery or distillery, they emphatically said to do the winery first, because we were going to have more fun at the distillery. And Boy, were they right! over the years, there have been other visits to various distilleries, and all were enjoyable.

What is the Difference Between Whiskey and Bourbon?

     The usual explanation is "all Bourbon is Whiskey, but not all Whiskey is Bourbon." This means that Bourbon is a certain type of Whiskey. It is American to be exact, just like there is Irish, Japanese, or Canadian Whiskey.

     Whiskey is called a spirit which is distilled from grains in combination of wheat, corn, barley and/or rye. It is aged in oak barrels that can be used again. However, for a Bourbon to be a Whiskey, there are legal differences. The official guidelines are according to the 1897 Bottled in Bond Act which has specific guidelines. Some of these include:

                                                        1. Bourbon must be made from a fermented mash of a least 51%                                                                    corn. Truth be told, most are closer to 70%.

                                                        2. Bourbon must be aged for at least 2 years in a new charred white                                                              oak barrel.

How to Taste Whiskey and Bourbon

     As with tasting wine or beer, there are guidelines for tasting Bourbon and Whiskey:

     1. Appearance/Color-This means how does the Whiskey/Bourbon look? It usually has a honey or a             finished pine color. Look to see if it is clear or foggy. Usually, the older the Bourbon, the darker it           will be.

     2. Notes/Aroma-This is probably the most important of Whiskey/Bourbon tasting. After pouring                 into a glass, take a small sniff. If you get an alcohol smell, try opening your mouth and put your             nose in and breathe through your mouth. Experts say that you won't singe your nose hairs this                 way. Swirl your glass and take another sniff.

     3. Flavor/Taste-Well, now we're taking! This is the fun part. Take a small sip. Swirl the                               Whiskey/Bourbon in your mouth, making sure it touches every part of your tongue. Think about             what you are tasting. Look beyond the alcohol taste. You will realize that most of your taste will             come from your sense of smell.

     4. Finish-The finish is how the Whiskey/Bourbon leaves your mouth. was it smooth, grainy or                   harsh? Did it linger or dissipate quickly? Did you notice additional flavors?

     Special Note: Tasting alcohol is not drinking to drink. Always be mindful of what is in your glass.                                Respect the alcohol. This is tasting to notice special flavors and/or nuances in the                                    drink. This quote by Dr. Elisha Goldstein (co-founder of Mindful Living in Los                                        Angeles) has stuck with me. While the Quote refers to wine tasting, it can be applied                                to the tasting of spirits as well. "Feel the glass, the weight, the temperature; look at                                  the color, the speed and size of the beads, and the condensation on the glass. Take the                              scent in fully..." Goldstein always instructs tasters to reflect on everything that went                                into the production of the alcohol before taking a sip. 

     To the reader, it may seem that I am concentrating on just Bourbon, but tasting applies to Whiskey as well. When researching for this blog, much concentration is on Bourbon. I think this is because Bourbon is much more fun and interesting to talk about. So, here we go...A Whiskey/Bourbon Tasting!

Casmir 4 Year Reserve Fine Whiskey: 40% Alcohol/Volume, 80 Proof, Pulaski, WI. 

Burdy: Well there's a nice Polish name and place. So, first thing's first, all whiskey is going to have some sort of amber color but it will be lighter or darker based on the length of time spent in the barrel. For this one I would say its a deep amber color and that's because it was in the barrel for four years. 

The Casimir 4 Year Reserve Fine Whiskey (far right).

Minnie: I would agree with that. Now in terms of smell I detect a leather and a tobacco scent. 

Hubster: I smell a hot smell plus the leather Minnie said. 

Burdy: I get the scent of caramel or toffee. 

Minnie: Alright we're going to put in our mouths for a few seconds to see about the taste... Okay that hot that you talked about Hubster, starts at the beginning and...

Burdy: I feel that you get the oak right at the beginning but then I think it's the mash that comes in and I think this one has a red corn in the mash... Nope this isn't the one. 

Minnie: Oh the second sip was a little better. 

Burdy: In the middle, I think there's a little hint of something, but I think that the oak is the star all the way through but there are hints that poke their heads through at different stages when you're trying it. 

Hubster: The oak is there. That hits you right away, but then it goes smooth with the oak not quite as strong as it was at the beginning. However, it picks back up as it goes down your throat with the heat and smoke.

Burdy: Mm hmm, yeah something pokes its head out in the middle but I'm not quite sure what it is...

Hubster: Something that mellows it out.

Burdy: Yeah.

Minnie: Oh the vanilla?

Burdy: That might be it but I was thinking that or it might be like a caramel or toffee like what I smelled.

Hubster: Could be the caramel...

Burdy: It blends well with the whiskey, itself. So on a scale of I will drink this or this should never be in my hand how does it rate? 

Minnie: Oh if someone offered me this I would take it. 

Hubster: I wouldn't do too many shots.

Burdy: I would drink it if I didn't have a choice, but if I had other choices and things that I know I like I would drink those before I would drink this. So I'd take it or leave it. It's a very middle ground whiskey, it's got the whiskey character down pat. There's a little hint of something to make you go 'oh I want to know you a little bit better,' but really it doesn't stand apart from the crowd. 

Hubster: There is a caramel smell that you can detect now that the glass is empty.

Burdy: Oh that's a good point smell your glass when your done. The caramel is stronger now. 

Minnie: I get a tobacco scent. 

Hubster: To go with the heat I talked about before? You get to talking about different things and putting it into my head and now I think I'm getting tobacco too.

Burdy: I didn't get the tobacco but I definitely got the caramel.

Yahara Bay Whiskey: 40% Alcohol/Volume, 80 Proof, Madison,WI.

Yahara Bay Whiskey (middle).

Burdy: Okay, so this is brewed in small copper pot stills.

Hubster: Is it a small batch?

Burdy: It doesn't say. However, it does say it's made from regionally grown grains which corn is predominant. It spent two years in Southern white oak barrels for a medium char. Supposedly there are notes of vanilla, maple syrup, and molasses to make a sweet and smokey finish. That's sounds like a lot of good Maine things. So right of the bat just smelling it you get a maple syrup. The color isn't as deep as the Casimir where as this it's got a little bit more of a golden hue to it.

Hubster: It didn't spend as long in the barrels.

Minnie: There's is a gold color that you can see on top of the drink in the glass.

Burdy: I don't know if maple syrup or molasses was added to the mash but I'm curious to see how this all comes together... Okay the vanilla is right at the beginning and is followed immediately by the maple syrup but I'm not sure I can detect the molasses though. I do think that the oak comes in at the end to give that little 'Hi! I'm a whiskey remember!'  

Minnie: It is hot at the end. On the other hand, it's very smooth at the beginning and you catch the vanilla, molasses, and maple syrup.

Burdy: I couldn't find the molasses, where did you find it?

Minnie: I found the molasses at the end with the oak. Any bite? 

Hubster: There is no bite but is very smooth going across your tongue. Of the two, this is my favorite.

Burdy: Thus far, we still have the Vanguard whiskey to try. 

Hubster: Yes but this outstrips the Casimir quite far.  

Burdy: By the end you know it's a whiskey however, right at the beginning its just good because it starts with vanilla and maple syrup. Its very welcoming like the impression you get of having hot chocolate on a cold winter's day. It's a warm embrace. 

Hubster: I didn't get a warm embrace.

Burdy: Okay a welcoming embrace. 

Hubster: It's a very welcoming embrace.

Burdy: Yeah that's what I meant. I think of warm and welcoming interchangeably. At the end, you know it's a whiskey either because of the molasses as Minnie said or the oak at the end. 

Hubster: It's both of them coming together at the end. 

Burdy: This tries to give itself a character where as the Casimir was a forgettable whiskey. 

Hubster: When you smell it, you don't get that heat but I think its got a little bit of a sweet aroma to it. 

Minnie: I think the reason you don't get that heat is because it's in a barrel that isn't heavily charred. What's surprising is when I think of molasses, maple syrup, and vanilla I think of dark colors and this is very light in color compared to that impression. 

Hubster: That's because there is no color when it's distilled. The whiskey picks up its color in the barrel when its aged which in this case is medium char. 

Minnie: The white oak might be why its light.

Hubster: How long is it aged?

Burdy: Two years. 

Hubster: Just two years is all it's aged? That might be why it's so light. 

Burdy: The Casismir was aged twice as long as the Yahara Bay so there you go. I really enjoyed it.

Hubster: Oh yeah, it's good.

Minnie: It's delicious.    

Vanguard Whiskey: 41% Alcohol/Volume, 82 Proof, Plover, WI

Burdy: So, this is from Great Northern Distilling, also known as the spirit of the North. There's a clue as to the mash they use. Its a corn, wheat, barley, and rye mash. According to the website the wheated mash bill is 55% corn and the barley is malted with the rye and wheat skewing the flavor profile more like a smooth Canadian whiskey. The bottle, itself says the flavor is between Kentucky and Canada. So you know, wide range. 

Vanguard Whiskey (far left). 

Hubster: Is there anything about aging in it:

Burdy: Not on the bottle but the website says its aged for 8 months. Apparently there is supposed to be notes of caramel and vanilla to bring you in but it has mellow to a long finish of rye spice and leather. This kind of sounds like a blend of both the Yahara Bay and the Casimir.

Hubster: Did it say how much rye is in there?

Burdy: No, it did not.

Hubster: Because I'm guessing there is a little bit more rye to account for what the website and bottle said. 

Burdy: Color wise I'd say the Yahara Bay is lighter in color compared to the Vanguard. 

Minnie: Yes, I'd say the Vanguard is the medium with the Casimir the darkest. 

Burdy: Which is surprising because its aged the least amount compared to the other two but still found a darker color compared to the Yahara Bay. This makes me think the barrel is a deep char for it to pick up so much color in such a short amount of time. Now, the smell, right off the bat I can smell the vanilla and the caramel.

Hubster: I get something mixed with caramel but its a very pleasant aroma. 

Minnie: Oh very nice.

Hubster: It might even be the best smelling of the three. 

Minnie: In drinking it... It's so smooth across the tongue but there is a little heat at the back of your throat. The welcoming smell though is what you taste for sure. 

Burdy: It really does say, 'Hey, I want to sit down and talk and embrace you for while.'

Burdy: I'd almost say you get the leather more at the end. I wouldn't say its an oak at the end. 

Hubster: No it is not an oak. I think your right about the leather.

Burdy: It's like a tobacco leather finish

Minnie: You know when I try any of these whiskeys, I get this feeling I'm in this leather room. Like wood paneling with leather furniture. 

Hubster: With a little cigar smoke.

Minnie: With a little cigar smoke, yes that's what it is. 

Hubster: This would be a good one for a tasting room and so would the Yahara Bay. The Casimir for me is number three. But number one and two is really hard to figure between the Yahara Bay and Vanguard. 

Burdy: The Yahara Bay has a stronger, harsher finish.

Hubster: I'll give you that. 

Burdy: But the Vanguard has a stronger leather almost tobacco finish. I'm not completely sold that the tobacco would make it stronger, but I do think that the vanilla and the caramel is just so in your face that the leather and the tobacco that you get at the end is just like, 'Hey just to remind you I am a whiskey. Enjoy me, drink more of me, I'm your friend.'

Minnie: Well I think of the three, the one that would please the bulk of people the Vanguard whiskey would go well to meet that end. 

Burdy: But I think the Yahara Bay whiskey, would be a close second.

Minnie: I agree with you there. Though I think for what I enjoyed number one was handedly the Vanguard whiskey. Number two was the Yahara Bay and number three was the Casimir. 

Burdy: I really think that in putting these three head to head, it really comes down to people's preferences. Some people like a little more smokey and some prefer more leather. I think for us we all kind of prefer a leather as apposed to a smokey. 

Minnie: And the other thing that's neat to point out is that what is tasted at one time the next time you may come up with something else completely different based on experience with other products that you've tried. 

Burdy: All the whiskeys we've tried and are going to try have been open for a week and a half, so the aeration of the whiskeys has certainly brought out different things now compared to when they were first opened. 

Hubster: They've had a chance to breathe. 

Minnie: So I've never really thought about it, but is it recommended to let the whiskey breathe?

Burdy: Well if you think about it, people put whiskeys into decanters and then have the whiskeys for years at a time.it still remains in a decanter. So yeah I think for fine whiskey you should let it breathe,

Hubster: I think for me, my favorite and it would be really close I would take the Vanguard over the Yahara Bay and that really is because at the end it is personal choice I don't like the smokey burn that the Yahara Bay has a little bit of, it's not heavy, and I don't get that much of it in the Vanguard.

Burdy: The Casimir like I said is eh, middle of the road. It doesn't put itself out there it's just exists. Where as the Yahara Bay and the Vanguard welcome you but in different ways for you to enjoy. My personal preference is the Vanguard followed closely by the Yahara Bay with the Casimir not even making it to the parking lot of the playing field.   

Bourbon Whiskey: 48% Alcohol/Volume, 96 Proof, Baraboo, Wisconsin. 

Burdy: Alright this bourbon is from Driftless Glen from Barabooze, 'scuze me Baraboo, Wisconsin. According to the bottle, it's made in the Driftless Glen region next to the Baraboo River. It is distilled and aged for a minimum of two years in new oak barrels. So it doesn't really say what grains are used to make the mash. Now, in looking at the color, I'd call that a nice medium amber.

Bourbon Whiskey (right).

Minnie: If you tilt it you get a little better look at the color.

Burdy: Oh, so there is a little bit of a gold color to it too. It smells like leather and tobacco.

Minnie: I get leather and tobacco and...

Burdy: I don't smell anything sweet at all.

Minnie: No, I don't think its in your face type of bourbon. That's just the smell.

Burdy: Well lets just try it and see... Okay, not as smooth as the whiskeys we tried.

Minnie: There is nothing to entice you, well at least for me. It tastes like medicine. 

Burdy: Like black cherry medicine? It's suppose to entice you but it just doesn't. 

Minnie: I don't care for it.

Burdy: That's fair.

Minnie: But I'll take another sip just to make sure that first comment is true.

Burdy: Okay, second sip I thought I got a little of molasses, but molasses by itself is not very enticing. You need a little bit of sweet to balance it and molasses does not do it.

Minnie: I'll give you that at the beginning...

Burdy: Yeah that's what I was talking about.

Minnie: But after that there's really nothing that brings you in.

Burdy: I think the oak comes in at the middle and then just stays there with the tobacco coming in to accompany it. I don't think we're smoky people, and I do think there is a smoky finish on it.

Hubster: Oh yeah, there really is. 

Burdy: This is just the straight bourbon whiskey though from Baraboo. I didn't taste any leather but there might have been a little bit of tobacco at the end. 

Minnie: I get the smoke. However, I think that's about it. There aren't any little nuances to pick up on.

Burdy: Yeah, it's just very straight forward.

Minnie: I didn't find it enticing. 

Burdy: Between the Casimir and this, I would probably prefer the Casimir to this.

Minnie: Oh gosh, yes. Definitely. 

Hubster: It's a little higher octane.

Burdy: Yes, this has a little higher alcohol content.

Minnie: Maybe that has something to do with it. 

Burdy: Well that will be interesting because the Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel that we're going to try next has the same alcohol content. But I also think the reason that none of us like it is because none of us are smoky people. 

Hubster: This is either number three or four on my tasting list. 

Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel: 48% Alcohol/Volume, 96 Proof, Baraboo, Wisconsin. 

Burdy: This is Driftless Glen's Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel. It's  been aged 50 months so 4 years and a couple months. I think the interesting thing to include for  both of these, is that they tell who it's been bottled by.  For instance the Bourbon Whiskey was bottled by Max, where as the Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel was bottled by Nate. Written on the bottle, it says it was barrel number 1381. It really showcases what a small close knit distillery Driftless Glen is because they're able to track that.  So color wise I feel  it is similar to the Bourbon Whiskey.  

Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel (left)

Hubster: It's a little deeper in color though.

Minnie: Yeah I'd agree.

Burdy: It is a little bit. This is a little deeper amber color where as the Bourbon Whiskey was a little bit more gold in color. Now the smell, mmm I get a hint of vanilla. Which entices me to try and figure out if that is really what I'm getting. The leather scent though is pretty strong. 

Hubster: It's got a smoother smell than the other.

Minnie: Yeah the other one compared to this one just burns from the get go. 

Burdy: I really think this is a vanilla and leather which I think is a little more welcoming. 

Minnie: Well I didn't get any welcome smell on the other one, but we've talked that one to deat

Hubster: It's smoother, not quite as strong of a bite by a long shot. It's not the burn all the way across the palate. 

Burdy: It does build though.

Minnie: It's at the end and even when you first take the sip you don't have that burn on the tip of your tongue but it goes to the back of your mouth. Then it slowly permeates back up to the tip of your tongue. 

Burdy: It's kind of like the Habanero cheese.

Minnie: YES! Don't put those two together. 

Burdy: Well now we have to.

Hubster: Between the Driftless Glen Bourbon Whiskey and the Driftless Glen Single Barrel, the Single Barrel is much better.

Burdy: I do think that there is a little bit of vanilla at the beginning but it quickly morphs into the leather.

Minnie: Whatever enticements it has, they are brief. 

Burdy: It's not smoky though compared to the other one. I feel this one, there is almost no smoky or tobacco flavor to it. 

Hubster: Oh, I just had that habanero cheese with it and thought it wasn't as good as before.

Our Delicious Charcuterie Board.  

 

Burdy: Vanilla, leather right at the beginning, I want to say that the leather might continue into the middle. However, then you start to get that heat and I think it might be the oak right in the middle. The end it's almost like a tobacco but it's not a smoky tobacco, just kind of tobacco... I don't know if that makes sense. But it's not smoky.

Hubster: No it's not but I think it is tobacco because tobacco has a burn to it. It depends on if you go over your tongue or around the sides of your tongue when you sip. I've got to go over the tongue to see if it's different... Definitely different. If you go around the sides of your tongue its much smoother. Over the tongue is harsh. But it's not that oak burn you taste at the end like we have in other whiskeys. The burn isn't as intense but it is from something else. Like a tobacco... hmm I am trying. 

Burdy: Now I just tried this whiskey with some Dill Havarti cheese and I find that the leather lasts longer. It's interesting. I wouldn't say I would want to have it like this constantly but it is interesting. The burn also isn't as strong. 

Here's the Single Barrel with the charcuterie board. 

Minnie: No when I have a sip of water and then this it just mellows it right out.   

Burdy: Alright this is the one I'm curious about... the Habanero cheese with it... Actually the burn isn't that bad. The burn from the cheese overpowers the Single Barrel's burn. Yeah, um that's not bad. I definitely think if you have a cheese or something it mellows it. The leather and the oak seem to stick around longer. That being said though, mha. Now with the garlic spread... No that is not good! Too many competing flavors.   

Hubster: When I had it with the aged cheddar it was too much to even consider enjoying any of it. 

Burdy: Now this is the smoke Gouda. Be interesting to see what it brings out of the tobacco. 

Hubster: Oh because of the smoke flavor in the cheddar? 

Burdy: Oh, the burn is a little bit more intense but you don't mind it just because the smokiness just fills you up. It's kind of like a campfire. You know how you get drawn to a campfire on a cold day? It feels like that. It's not a sweet smoke but it is a welcoming smokiness. 

Minnie: Well it does help that this particular Bourbon doesn't have a smoky flavor so it can be taken over by the cheese. 

Burdy: Yeah but the tobacco... no, I wouldn't even say that the tobacco survives the cheese. It just comes like a warm welcoming campfire. 

Minnie: Well that's kind of nice.

Burdy: If I had that cheese with it, I'd enjoy it any old time. Alright I'm trying the 8 year Cheddar with it... That's just good cheese in general. 

Hubster: Too many competing flavors right?

Burdy: No, that's just good. That is hmm, what do I detect? It mellows it out. The leather sticks around and the oak and tobacco finish that makes you go, 'hmm, I don't want to appreciate that as much,' the cheese does make you go, 'Oh, this is a nice finish to round out the flavors you already have.' 

Hubster: So the Single Barrel is definitely better than the Bourbon Whiskey but both aren't our favorites unless the Single Barrel is with something else. 

These bourbon whiskeys were tasted on a different day.

Bourbon Whiskey: 40% Alcohol/Volume, 80 Proof, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

Burdy: Alright, first up is the Bourbon Whiskey from Door County Distillery. Looking at it...

Bourbon Whiskey (left).

Minnie: It's a medium to light because we've had darker in color.

Hubster: It's light in color. It's like a golden straw color. I thought of something else but I'm not going to say it.

Burdy: Urine?

Hubster: Yes!

Burdy: Yeah that's what I was thinking to but I wasn't going to say it.

Minnie: You guys have that color, you better drink more water!

Burdy: So let's take a drink. 

Hubster: Nice pleasant aroma. It's got something sweet to it.

Minnie: It comes onto your tongue smooth. Then the bite is at the back of your throat. There's a sweet to it like Hubster said... Is that a vanilla?

Burdy: No, it's sweet corn. 

Minnie: Oh, this is the sweet corn one?

Burdy: This is the one I think you just need to add in a little dash of salt and it really changes the flavor profile into something you really enjoy. This is a dinner whiskey, this is one you have in the summer when you have corn on the cob. 

Hubster: I thought it's smooth in your mouth. The bite comes after, you don't get hit with it so you go, 'Oh my god! Why!' There's no burning but I got almost a little anise taste or a little bit of a licorice. I don't know where it came from, it was just on the side of my mouth. I'm sure it was anise. 

Burdy: In smelling it though, it really just smells like corn or corn on the cob.

Minnie: Well I've never had corn on the cob that smelled like that, but okay! But you know I do detect a sweet smell and you wonder, 'what is that,' then when you say that, you go, 'Whoa!'

Hubster: It's just very smooth though. There's no real bite at all it's just smooth and warm. 

Burdy: This is a whiskey that really wants to showcase, 'We're from Wisconsin! You going to enjoy this or you are not a true Wisconsinite!' It's yummy, but if you have to add salt to it then it's just one that needs to be wussed out a bit. 

Minnie: I wouldn't do something like that so...

Burdy: I know, but Hubster and I did it earlier and we thought it was very good like that. 

Wisconsin Straight Bourbon Whiskey: 46% Alcohol/Volume, 92 Proof, Dane, Wisconsin

Burdy: This one is from J. Henry & Sons. It's been aged 5 years and is a small batch. The 5 years accounts for the deep amber color. This is probably the darkest whiskey we have/are going to drink. 

J. Henry (right).

Hubster: I wouldn't call it amber but I would call it umber. 

Burdy: The scent has a bit of vanilla but...

Minnie: Yeah I was just going to say compared to the two, this one has a more oaky smell than the Door County. 

Burdy: Well let's see about taste. 

Hubster: Hmm, wasn't what I was expecting. 

Burdy: I think that's what Minnie is thinking as well (She was coughing). 

Hubster: No it's just a straight shot all the way over. 

Burdy: Oh, this is the one that uses the heirloom red corn that was developed in the 1930s at the University of Wisconsin. According to the bottle, they selected this corn for the robust flavor and the tradition it represents. The bourbon is slowed aged in large barrels in a barn which allows for the wild Wisconsin wide temperature ranges to work some magic between the bourbon and the barrel. So both of these really do try to showcase that they are from Wisconsin. The Door County in its flavor profile in and of itself with the sweet corn, the J. Henry with the mash that they use. 

Minnie: Of the two...

Burdy: You like the Door County?

Minnie: Yes!

Burdy: I mean, this one is what I would think of as the more traditional bourbon whiskey between the two. However, they both have their distinct flavor profiles. 

Hubster: My first sip, I thought it was smooth all the way, but the second one changed. At first, I thought I preferred the J. Henry which is surprising because I really like the Door County. Now I did get a bite this second sip which I hadn't gotten before. 

Minnie: It's got a leather. 

Hubster: I don't get a smoky taste. 

Burdy: It's just leather and oak all the way through. I mean, it definitely is a strong flavor but there's not much else to it. It doesn't draw you in with all the other things you can taste like the other whiskeys we've tried. It doesn't encourage you to be friends with it, what you see is what you get.

Minnie: Yeah, I could be friends with the Door County.

Hubster: I'm also going to go with the Door County after having a few more sips of the J. Henry. 

Burdy: I'm going to finish up mine... You smell the vanilla but you definitely don't taste it. It doesn't change throughout the tasting. Not the beginning, middle, or end it just remains constant. So while it's good that it uses actual Wisconsin corn, doesn't really do anything to differentiate itself and make it really stand apart from the crowd. 

Straight Bourbon Whiskey: 43% Alcohol/Volume, 86 Proof, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Burdy: Alright, next up is the Great Lakes Distillery Still & Oak Straight Bourbon Whiskey. It looks like burnt gold in color.

Still & Oak Straight Bourbon Whiskey (right)

Minnie: Oh, right away I get a caramel aroma, but yeah it's light but golden. 

Burdy: Mmm, yeah caramel, toffee all those scents are there. And the taste... Oh come and get to know me. 

Minnie: It's got a little bit of pepper, I don't know, but yeah caramel is prominent. 

Hubster: That would have been good but the pepper... It's like the J. Henry, that's what I was trying to determine was my second sip for it. I think I was tasting pepper in the J. Henry. It wasn't really anis, it was pepper. 

Burdy: So I think it's caramel and toffee, right at the beginning. I think the oak comes in during the middle but the ending... The ending I want to say... a little bit of the caramel seems to come back but not quite. 

Minnie: And there's a little bit of smoke, ever so slightly. 

Burdy: Little bit, but maybe also tobacco?

Minnie: I'd go with that. 

Burdy: But it mixes well with the caramel and doesn't overwhelm it. The whiskey still welcomes you in. 

Hubster: Can't put my finger on that taste, but there is something. 

Minnie: It comes in at caramel, then the vanilla lingers to the back of your tongue and then you have the tobacco at the end. 

Burdy: I don't get any vanilla in it. I get toffee and caramel right at the beginning, the oak in the middle and then I think the tobacco and caramel right at the end. So differences in what people taste.

Hubster: I thought it was smooth but had a little burn at the end. I thought I had a toffee/caramel type taste in there when it was on my tongue but when it went to the back of my mouth, I lost that taste. Then, I got a little burn, but not much. I wouldn't call it a leathery taste, I'd call it a caramel or tobacco taste.

Burdy: According to the back of the bottle, it uses a malt recipe using grain from local Wisconsin farms that then gets milled at a local artisan grain mill. Starts with corn, rye, and malt to make the whiskey. They distill it in copper pot stills in small batches. The charred white oak that's used is 53 gallons and is aged no less that two years. 

Minnie: That's why its a little smoother then. 

Hubster: Did it say charred white oak?

Burdy: Charred new white oak, it has to be a new white oak barrel to be considered a bourbon whiskey rather than just a whiskey. 

Hubster: I didn't pick up much of the char flavor off of it. 

Burdy: I thought the oak came in at the middle. 

(Everyone takes another sip)

Minnie: I'll give you that. That was yummy. 

Bourbon Whiskey: 45% Alcohol/Volume, 90 Proof, Madison, Wisconsin

Burdy: So next up is the Yahara Bay Bourbon Whiskey. It's a small batch and is an artisan blended bourbon whiskey.  It's amber in color. 

Yahara Bay Bourbon Whiskey (left).

Hubster: It's got an aroma on it when you smell it but I can't put my finger on it. It doesn't just smell like alcohol which makes a hot smell. 

Burdy: This scent is what I would associate with a traditional whiskey. I think it just smells like the oak. 

Hubster: That could be. 

Minnie: Kind of woodsy. 

Burdy: So you smell the oak too then. Alright, let's drink... 

Minnie: Well...

Hubster: Now this is Yahara Bay bourbon?

Burdy: Yup.

Hubster: I like their whiskey better. This is not as smooth.

Minnie took another sip.

Minnie: Nope that didn't help. This is kind of coarse.

Hubster: There you go that's a good description.

Minnie: And it's that way throughout. 

Burdy: Yeah. It's more of a 'Hey look at me, look at me.' But it doesn't really do anything spectacular, after that. 

Minnie: No there's no little nuances to pick out of it. 

Burdy: The Great Lakes probably had more to find.  

Burdy: However, in the Great Lakes, the nuances weren't extreme but it definitely had more nuance than the Yahara Bay bourbon whiskey. 

Hubster: I really like your description of coarse because that really hits it. It just starts that way and stays that way. It doesn't have that real burn like some of whiskeys did from before.

Burdy: It's just kind of there. 

Minnie: Yeah. It doesn't wow me. Would I want to get it again? No! 

Burdy: There were other bourbon whiskeys that you liked better?

Minnie: Yup! 

Burdy: Well this I think is a blend.

Minnie: Well sometimes you know a blend... Don't knock a blend because it can be good. However, this one doesn't work.

Burdy: This one is just, eh. It doesn't really try to set itself apart. It just exists. 

Hubster: You do a blend sometime and a the batch can be delicious and the next it terrible. It just depends on what you blend it with. You don't always get the same, and it doesn't tell you.

Burdy: Well, they blend it with Kentucky bourbon or something. 

Minnie: Well, you know some of the blends is what they do is they keep some of them in the barrel, and they add the new to it. 

Burdy: Alright, so of the bourbons we've tried which was your favorite?

Minnie: For me it was the Door County and then number two would be the Still & Oak.

Burdy: So then which did you like better the J. Henry or the Yahara Bay?

Minnie: Neither. 

Hubster: I thought the Door County was the best of today's samplings. 

Burdy: It was definitely the most unique of the four. 

Minnie: But this one, the Still & Oak, had a really nice flavor with delectable nuances  that could truly be a great sipping bourbon. So to change my mind the Still & Oak and the Door County are kind of neck and neck. 

Burdy: Okay, and the Yahara Bay and J. Henry aren't even in the running are they? 

Minnie: Not really.

Hubster: The J. Henry was definitely much better than the Yahara Bay Bourbon. 

Burdy: So then of all nine whiskeys that we've tried, which one is your favorite? 

Hubster: It was the Yahara Bay Whiskey and the Vanguard. 

Minnie: Okay, as of yesterday I liked the Vanguard Whiskey, from Plover and today it was the Still & Oak and  Door County. 

Burdy: Okay, and the two from the end of yesterday were the two Driftless Glen Bourbon Whiskeys. 

Hubster: My least favorite was probably still the Casimir out of all of them 

Burdy: I think for me I liked the Yahara Bay Whiskey best, followed by the Vanguard Whiskey, then probably the Still & Oak, and followed by the Door County Bourbon Whiskey. The Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel from Driftless Glen I probably liked, next best and then the Yahara Bay Bourbon Whiskey, next the J. Henry and Sons, and then the Bourbon Whiskey from Driftless Glen I liked the least. Oh I forgot about the Casimir, but like I said before it's forgettable. 

Hubster: I liked the Yahara Bay, then I think the Vanguard and they were pretty close. Then, my next two favorites would be either the Door County and Still & Oak though I can't put them in order. Then, I think the two... I liked the J. Henry better than the Yahara Bay Bourbon Whiskey but my least favorite of all of them was the Casimir. 

Minnie: I would give you that. That was a disappointment. 

Burdy: Well I mean the Casimir wasn't bad, it just existed. 

Hubster: It bit and we talked about the coarse, but I think the Casimir was even more coarse than the Yahara Bay Bourbon Whiskey. 

Burdy: Well you got to remember that the Casimir is just straight whiskey this is Bourbon Whiskey (Yahara Bay). 

      There  you have it, a typical at home tasting at the Burd's Nest. Thank you to Burdy for leading this Spirit Tasting. Your enthusiasm and knowledge made for an enjoyable experience. Of course, when we go to a distillery, it is a similar conversation. As Winston Churchill said, "The water was not fit to drink. To make it palatable, we had to add whiskey. By diligent effort, I learned to like it."

Until Next Time,

Minnie and the Hubster, and Burdy