Benachie / Jericho Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

The Scotland version

The Lost Distillery, an independent boutique Scotch whisky company,  has a name that is both intriguing and a touch confusing.

In the past few decades, a number of long-shuttered distilleries have been renovated and put back in service. This is not one of those. The "lost" part of the name refers to historic distillations the company is emulating to create its products. As the company describes it, "We don’t have a warehouse full of old forgotten whisky, we don’t have a secret recipe or DNA analysis, and we don’t have plans to reopen any of these lost distilleries. The answer to what we do lies in the history books."

The Lost Distillery partners distillers with an "archive team," led by Michael Moss of the University of Glasgow, to focus on what the company deems "the 10 key components that influenced the original character of these long lost whiskies" from long-closed distilleries.

Its spirits are divided into classic, archivist and vintage categories. Each marries anywhere from five to 10  single malt whiskies from different distilleries throughout Scotland. One good example of the craftsmanship is the whisky known in the U.S. as Benachie and in Scotland as Jericho. The original distillery was named Jericho when it opened in 1824 -- about two years after founder William Smith began making unlicensed whisky, then in 1884 became known as Benachie.

The Benachie, made from 100% malted barley, is a shimmering amber liquid with big, bold opening malt notes on the nose, and a pleasing sweetness on the palate that brings to mind brown sugar, raisins, and apricots, but a certain oakiness actually takes a bit of the edge off the flavor the nose promises. In the finish, however, it rebounds with a long, soft finale.

The Lost Distillery Company Classic Selection Benachie, bottled at 43% abv (86 proof) carries a suggested retail price of $43 for the 750ml bottle.

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Tequila Herradura Port Cask Finished Reserva

There was a time when tequilas fell pretty much into several well-defined categories. But, about 15 or so years ago, helped along  by an influx of money from major distilling companies in the U.S. that had discovered a growing public taste for agave spirits, change set in at a number of Mexican distillers.

The basic categories stayed the same -- blanco (white) for the just-distilled tequilas, reposado (rested) if aged in white oak barrels at least two months and añejo (old) for at least 12 months. But, curious distillers encouraged by investors pushed for something more, something with a sleeker style and potentially more expensive.

It was back in 2007 that I wrote an article that was widely reprinted in the U.S. and Mexico called "When is a Tequila no longer a Tequila?" In it, I posed the question of whether we were seeing the gradual emergence of a spirit that no longer should be considered tequila.

You can go to that article for details of my in-person conversations with the heads of several prominent tequila houses. Suffice it to say the trend has become only stronger since then, with tequila makers introducing aged agave spirits that have been matured in anything from used bourbon barrels to cognac casks to wine barrels.

One of the latest, if not the latest, iterations is from Casa Herradura, one of four tequila brands owned by Brown-Forman Corp. of Louisville, KY. It creates and bottles estate tequilas in Amatitán, in the Mexican state of Jalisco.

Its new release was created by Maria Teresa Lara, one of the few female master distillers in the tequila industry. It is a 2016 reposada she ages for 11 months in medium-char white oak barrels, far longer than required for the designation, and finishes for two additional months in port casks. It is the fifth in the series known as Tequila Herradura Colleccion De La Casa, and is a reintroduction of the Colección de la Casa, Reserva 2012.

A light copper color in the bottle intriguingly becomes a lighter amber in the tasting glass. The nose is clearly tequila, but initially on the palate the flavor isn't exactly tequila. In fact, it it slightly reminiscent of some whiskies, no doubt a trick performed by the alchemy of agave and port.

Further contemplation extracts notes of spice, star fruit, honey and dark cherry. On the finish it is definitely a fine agave expression with the familiar, pleasing floral notes of a good reposada dominating.

The spirit is in the process of  being rolled out nationwide at a suggested retail price of $89.99. It's worth every penny.

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Stolen Smoked Rum

As a writer and judge of spirits and wines for several decades, it is not unusual to receive  products for review that are being marketed with all sorts of angles -- oddly-shaped bottles, glitzy presentation boxes, etc.

I thought I had seen it all. But, the other day the UPS guy dropped off a package containing a police evidence bag. Well, what looks like an actual evidence bag (see accompanying photo), certainly a first in my experience.

Inside was a sample bottle of Stolen Smoked Rum, the latest product from a New Zealand company that was formed in 2010 and has been marketing a limited edition, six-year-old Jamaican pot still product called Stolen Overproof  Rum (123 proof). They like to create labels that appear to have a brand name obscured by a Sharpie pen, plus plays on the "stolen" theme.

The company says this is the first smoked rum in the world. I'll take them at their word, but considering that rum is second only to vodka in how many places around the globe it is made there is a chance someone somewhere has tried the smoking trick before.

Attention-getting marketing ploy

Stolen Smoked Rum is made from rum distilled in Trinidad from both sugar cane and molasses, fermented with a proprietary yeast strain, then aged for up to two years in used American oak whiskey barrels. It is infused with Colombian-grown Arabica coffee from same-day roasted beans, as well as with Madagascan vanilla beans and Moroccan fenugreek, then finished off by being exposed to wood smoke.

On first approach, the smoky notes hit the nose before those of the rum, but on the palate they are more balanced. While the smoke stays evident from nosing through aftertaste, the quality of the rum is not obscured -- all the preferred caramel vanilla notes, plus a touch of the char and the coffee, with the signature warmth of rum on the tongue and back of the throat.

I would not recommend drinking it straight, as I would with many other rums, but it would make a good base for cocktails, particularly those with citrusy elements. There are a number of recipes available on the company website.

Stolen Smoked Rum, bottled at 42% abv (84 proof), carries a suggested retail price of $19.99 for the 750ml bottle. It currently is available in New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee.

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Jim Beam Double Oak

First things first. The new Jim Beam Double Oak does not taste twice as oaky as the Jim Beam white label many of us know and love.

Yes, it has a darker color. Yes, it's a high-corn recipe (77%, with an almost equal balance of rye and malted barley in the mash). Yes, it tastes different. But, it is not as terribly oaky as the name may imply.

The creation process, in this instance, is not double wood, which would be initial aging in one kind of wood then maturation in another. Here, the spirit is aged as usual in new, charred American white oak. Then, it moves into another new, charred white American oak barrel.

The entire process is in the four-year range. The resulting 43% abv (86 proof) bourbon -- a bit higher than the 80 proof white label -- has notes of the char along with licorice and the signature vanilla, dried fruit notes, and leather of Beam whiskies. The finish is quite a bit dryer and a bit longer than the white label.

The suggested retail price is in the $25 range for a 750ml bottle.

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Usquaebach 15 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch

You can't argue with the authenticity of Usquaebach as a product of Scotland. In addition to labeling it as being distilled, aged, blended and bottled there, its very name says it all.

Usquaebach -- pronounced oos-ke-bah -- is the Scots Gaelic word for whisky, meaning "water of life." The company claims the blend, or something very much like it, has been around for more than two centuries, although the brand name has been registered "only" since 1877. Today its marketing refers to its as "The Grand Whisky of the Highlands."

Usquaebach 15 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch is an excellent representative of the portfolio, one I would suggest sampling straight over a single ice cube. As the melt commences, notes of macerated fruit are released from the deep amber liquid, complementing the spiciness of the blend. Very quickly, on the palate notes of caramel, raisins, apricots and nutmeg increase the experience. The finish is both sweet and spicy. An agreeable adventure from start to finish.

This particular blend is aged in used European sherry casks, bottled at 43% abv (86 proof), and carries a suggested retail price of $75.

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Luna Nuda Pinot Grigio 2015

If I were looking for a wine to put training wheels on, it would be Luna Nuda's Pinot Grigio.

That is not a knock on the Northern Italian import. Far from it.

Luna Nuda -- an Italian phrase for "naked moon," referring to a clear, bright moonlit night -- is best known for its Pinot Grigios and Chiantis. I just sampled its 2015 Pinot Grigio, offered at 12.5% abv.

Bottom line, I liked it. But, a few lines before that I came away slightly perplexed.

It looks like most of its ilk, with the signature pale straw color and familiar floral and peach notes. But, it also has a slightly more pronounced acidic edge and a certain yeastiness, both no doubt due to several months of sur lie aging this winemaker likes to employ.

(For those unfamiliar with the process: Lees -- the English pronunciation for the French "lies" -- refers to deposits of dead or residual yeast and other particles that are carried to the bottom of a vat of wine. In sur lie aging, a finished wine is allowed to continue to sit on the lees to extract additional flavors.)

Oh, the training wheels observation? My tasting companion sparked that thought when she said, "This is a nice introduction to Pinot Grigio for people experiencing it for the first time."

Agreed. It's an inexpensive starting point, priced in the $12-$15 range compared to the $21-27 typical of category sales leader Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, produced in the same Alto Adige area of Italy as Luna Nuda. Santa Margherita, by the way, quickly became the gold standard import since it was introduced here by Anthony Terlato in 1979.

Back to that bottom line: Luna Nuda is clean, crisp and immediately drinkable, and at an affordable price. Pop on the wheels, pop the cork, and enjoy.

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Sauternes wines

There are no wrong Thanksgiving wines."

That's the headline on an offering from esteemed wine writer Eric Asimov in this week's New York Times food section. As he says of the upcoming holiday ritual, "People will stuff their faces, just as they always do. Family and friends will abound, and though we may occasionally complain about grudges and petty differences, the gathering will be pretty fine in the end."

In my own "always," Thanksgiving was a very big deal in the household of my childhood. My stepfather, an otherwise unsentimental man, regarded it as the perfect holiday, his favorite holiday.

Although I didn't learn much else from him, I did absorb a thing or two about wines and spirits and the proper appreciation of both.

He left the creation of the turkey and assorted treats to my mother and me -- or whichever grandmother happened to be visiting -- but reserved to himself the selection of the accompanying wines for all holiday repasts.

His go-to for Thanksgiving usually was a Sauternes, that ethereal French wine produced in the maritime climate of the Sauternes region of Bordeaux, that nowadays can be a rarity to find. As the aforementioned Mr. Asimov wrote in a commentary two Thanksgivings ago, "Nobody drinks Sauternes anymore, it seems. That is a shame, because this revered sweet wine of Bordeaux can so often be sublime."

I concur. Should you be interested in trying a Thanksgiving wine you may not have experienced before, I suggest you try this blend of Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as "the noble rot." That is a fungus that, despite its rather disgusting appearance, is welcomed by many grape growers because it imparts a special delicacy to the grapes it infects by causing them to become partially raisined, thus concentrating the flavors.

The best sauternes balance common flavor notes of honey, apricots and peaches, sometimes even a mild nutty note, with a dose of acidity. They are a yellow-gold in color if young, and grow darker as they get older. If you find one that tends toward the color of a copper coin, you're on the path to big taste -- and big money. Sauternes typically are best served at temperatures in the mid-50s, although older versions can be a touch warmer.

I must caution, though, that a good Sauternes -- most often sold in 375ml bottles -- is not an inexpensive wine. Chateau d'Yquem, the most popular and well-known label, runs in the $200 range for the 2011 vintage. But, the 2009 Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey Sauternes is a bargain at $33.

Obviously, you'll need to consult with a trusted wine merchant who has access to top-notch suppliers so you can select from a range of possibilities. You won't be sorry you did.

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Corsair Grainiac

The ongoing expansion of distilleries across the country has become a catalyst for some imaginative products. From aging in different types of wood to flavoring additives, the variables are extensive. But, when it comes right down to it, perhaps the most telling part of the creation process is what goes into the grain mash from which all else emerges.

The Corsair distillery in Nashville, TN, has an eye-catcher, and one with a pleasing flavor. Founders/owners Darek Bell and Andrew Webber, who have grown from homemade brewers and distillers and also operate a fulltime brewery, have created a very wide range of products, some of them in regular production, others seasonally or on an experimental basis. One of particular interest is a pot still-distilled bourbon they call Corsair Grainiac.

The product, bottled at 47% abv (94 proof), carries no age statement. Instead of the somewhat standard mash bill composed of corn, rye, wheat and barley, they have added five other grains -- oats, quinoa, spelt, triticale, and buckwheat.

Corn still dominates because, by federal law, bourbon must be made from a mash containing at least 51% corn, but the additional unusual grains were specifically chosen to differentiate this spirit from competitors' products. The partners say they added the grains to achieve more flavor complexity. It works.

Besides the complex range of layered flavors one would expect from such a concoction, there is a certain nutty flavor from the quinoa and spelt -- maybe even from the triticale, but I can't vouch for that since I couldn't recognize triticale if it were labeled and the chef told me what it was.

Corsair Grainiac, bottled at 47% abv (94 proof), carries a suggested retail price of $49.99. 

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This site going on hiatus

"Dowd's Tasting Notes" will temporarily be on hiatus to allow me sufficient time in 2015 to work on a variety of research and writing projects that are demanding attention.

However, from time to time I will be posting tasting notes on some of my other blogs, primarily on "Dowd On Drinks."

Until then, my thanks to all my readers. Please accept my best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2015, and look for this site to be back in the second half of 2016.

-- Bill Dowd

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Standing Stone Saperavi 2013

• The Saperavi grape is a dark red, acidic, teinturier-type variety native to the former Soviet republic of Georgia, where since 1886 it has been used to make many of the region's distinctive wines. However, in the U.S. it now has a special new status.

Saperavi grapes are a bit of a mixed bag in the Finger Lakes. Although the varietal received official status 11 months ago from the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, McGregor Vineyard has grown them since the early 1980s and uses them in its Black Russian Red blend. For the past two years, Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars has produced a Saperavi, but under the name Cuvée Rouge.

However, it has always received special attention at Standing Stone Vineyards to the point that the Lodi winery held a Saperavi vertical tasting last month: the just-released 2013 vintage, plus four previous vintages including their first, the 2005, finishing with barrel tastings of the 2014 and the 2013 reserve.

Owners Marti and Tom Macinski have been growing the hardy, cool-climate grape since 1994, three years after they purchased the vineyards. They did not market anything under the Saperavi name because of the lack of government recognition. However, in December 2013 Standing Stone petitioned for it which resulted in a blindingly rapid -- for government -- thumbs up just one month later.

Thus, its champions are hoping, a star has been born.

I had the opportunity to sample the 2013 vintage just hitting markets in time for the holidays. The intensely dark red wine ("saperavi" means ink in the Georgian dialect) has a smoky, plummy initial taste, leveling out with hints of cedar and stone fruits, all of which give promise of a wine that will be eminently drinkable even some years from now. It has been aged a year in used oak, which seems to be enough to sand off any rough edges, and is bottled at 13.2% abv.

With its name now solidly recognized, Saperavi wines should be popping up in more places. However, the Macinskis' early recognition of its possibilities has led to their five-acre plot of it, believed to be the largest such planting outside of Georgia. Catching up to them will be the order of the day.

Suggested retail price: $29.99.

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Castel Grisch Johannisberg Riesling

• The Watkins Glen winery and restaurant Castel Grisch has a penchant for Swiss- and German-style foods and German-style wines, made in its facility overlooking Seneca Lake. Here is an anecdote about one of its older wines. 

A few days before Thanksgiving, I was rooting around in my wine collection for a white wine Herself could use to make her very special cranberry sauce.

I came across a long-forgotten bottle of Castel Grisch Finger Lakes Johannisberg Riesling. Normally, I'd have picked it up without a second thought. This time, however, I had second, third and even fourth thoughts.

Why? It was a 1996 vintage. Since Castel Grisch is not known for wines of longevity, I assumed this one probably had turned to vinegar by now. So, I dusted off the bottle and uncorked it with some degree of trepidation.

Surprise. Not only was it not vinegar, it still was a pretty decent Riesling -- golden color, full bouquet, slightly tangy-sweet on the tongue, and pretty darned good as a cranberry sauce component, as it turned out.

I don't recall what I paid for this wine all those years ago, but current vintages go for an average retail price of $12.99.

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Glenmorangie Companta

• Dr. Bill Lumsden, the energetic and engaging head of distilling and whiskey creation at the Glenmorangie distillery, is known for his experimentations with many varieties of woods for his Highland single malt Scotch whiskies. This is the fifth release in the company's "hugely successful, award-winning Private Edition series," he said in a handwritten note to me that arrived with a laboratory sample of the new creation. 

 When Bill Lumsden comes up with another in a series of Glenmorangie's Private Edition single malts, the whisky world pays attention. He is sort of the benevolent mad scientist of the Scotch world, working away in his lab at the Highlands distillery in Tain, Ross-shire, Scotland, on a picturesque former piece of farmland.

There, using a variety of woods from all over and local water from the Tarlogie Springs, he continually comes up with excellent single malts known for their sophistication, deep flavors and wonderfully lingering finishes.

The first four creations in the Private Edition, most of which are very difficult to find now because they were limited releases, were Finealta (aged in used American white oak and Spanish Oloroso sherry casks); Sonnalta (matured 10 years in used American white oak casks then two years in used Pedro Ximenez PX sherry casks); Artein (aged in "super Tuscan" used casks), and Ealanta (aged 19 years in heavily toasted virgin American Oak casks)

This is the latest, Companta -- Scots Gaelic for "friendship." It is an extra-matured spirit that has been aged in vintage French wine casks -- Grand Cru casks from Clos de Tart and fortified wine casks from the Cótes du Rhòne.

Says Lumsden about the selection of woods for this creation, "As a true wine aficionado, some of my most memorable visits have been to the vineyards of Burgundy, where the dedication and attention to detail that goes into their craft never ceases to amaze me.. The smaller vineyards of the region don't seem to worry about yields, costs or timings. They work tirelessly simply to produce the very best wine. ... This shared philosophy inspired me to create Companta, the ultimate tribute to my longstanding love for French vineyards and the friends that I've had the pleasure to make throughout my travels."

Companta is a total pleasure, from the first glance at its slightly ruby color to its welcoming nose of red berries, oak and even woodsmoke. On the palate, it is like slipping into a comfortable cashmere jacket, enveloping you with its warmth and a spicy palate that offers hints of cherries, oranges, brown sugar and plums.

Companta is scheduled to go on the market in the U.S. this month. A suggested retail price has not been announced, but it no doubt will be in the same $100+ range as its Private Edition companions.

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Tikveš Rkaciteli 2012

• The history of Macedonian wine has been erratic over the decades. In ancient Macedonia, this region north of Greece was a major supplier of wine to surrounding regions. When it was part of Yugoslavia, it produced in the 1980s two-thirds of that nation's wine. After the federation broke up, wine production fell off dramatically, but has been making a nice rebound in recent years.

This light, refreshing pale yellow wine from the Republic of Macedonia shares a number of characteristics of its region: pale in color, attractive on the nose, clean on the palate.

It's a bargain-basement buy that went well with my New Year's Eve tapas that included sauteed Maryland crab cakes with a light remoulade sauce, Moroccan spiced chicken skewers with a variety of dipping sauces -- salsa, Thai spicy peanut and portobello tapanade -- and an avocado-lemon-tomato salad, thus showing its versatility.

Notes of pear and peach were evident in the first sip, although it is far from a sweet wine, clearly shown by the presence of   thyme and melon elements. Floral and fennel notes add to its clean mouth feel.

This particular wine stands out as part of a minority of production in Macedonia, where 80% of the wine is red. Tikveš is the largest winery in the country. Its Rkaciteli — pronounced "rkah-tzeetely,"meaning “red stem” —  originated in the nation of Georgia, where it is spelled "Rkatsiteli" as it is in the U.S. It is one of the world's oldest grape varieties, with a genealogy stretching back at least to 3000 B.C.

Suggested retail price: $9 for the 750ml bottle.

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Jack Daniel's Winter Jack Hard Cider

• A sudden boomlet in the hard cider and flavored whiskies product niches has come together in a new Brown-Forman seasonal release.

The aroma of a spirit can be a real fooler. Take the new Jack Daniel’s Winter Jack Tennessee Cider, for example.

Nosing a just-poured sample, I could have sworn it was simply a delicate apple cider that would quietly touch my palate and quickly dissipate.

Wrong.

While the liqueur’s fragrance was light and sweet, the taste was full-bodied, robust and spicy with nuances of apple, orange peel, cinnamon and clove along with the signature Tennessee whiskey.

It’s a delightful cold weather liqueur, made even better when briefly heated in a microwave as the distiller suggests to turn it into a version of a mulled hot apple cider, something long popular for the winter holidays.

The cider liqueur, bottled at 30 proof (15% abv), retails at a suggested retail price of $16.99 for the 750ml bottle.

Angel's Envy Cask Strength Bourbon

•This limited edition bourbon release from Louisville Distilling Company was sold last year in Kentucky and in Nashville, YN, on a test basis. It sold out on two weeks.

If you liked Angel's Envy, you'll probably love Angel's Envy Cask Strength Bourbon. The only problem is that the national release consists of a mere 350 total 9-liter cases.

It was released this month, a followup to a test release last year restricted to Nashville, TN, and Kentucky that sold out in two weeks. This time, in addition to Tennessee and Kentucky, it is for sale in limited venues in New York, California, Florida and Texas. 

Cask Strength -- which in this case is 61.5% abv (123 proof) -- is the last product from Lincoln Henderson, the master distiller who died earlier this month after coming out of retirement to create the original Angel's Envy. The noted spirits expert Paul Pacult rates the new product as tied for No. 1 "Best Spirit in the World" in his Spirits Journal. (The other No. 1 is Highland Park 25 Year Old Orkney Islands Single Malt Whisky, at 48.1% ABV and $250 a bottle).

This iteration of the super-premium Angel's Envy bourbon used Kentucky limestone-filtered water and locally-sourced grains. Henderson let it mature up to eight years in the usual American white oak charred barrels. He then blended those barrels into a single batch in port casks up to three years.

The port wood is a genius touch, adding a silkiness to the finish -- especially after a few drops of water are added to coax the spirit into opening up. There is a butterscotch and vanilla quality, abetted by the boldness of the ABV, as well as a savoriness that suggests sipping the spirit with a hearty, crusty roast or fudgey chocolate dessert. 

Suggested retail price is $149 for a 750ml bottle.

Oh, the name? In the whiskey industry, the part of the alcohol that evaporates during aging is known as "the Angel's share." This is a takeoff on that, referring to what's left behind.

Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.

Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry

• The industry push to crank out more and more flavored whiskies -- aimed primarily at the female and young adult market niches --  is embracing numerous brands. Here, an iconic old label has joined the rush once more.

Southern Comfort missed the mark in its try for something different in the form of Southern Comfort Fiery Pepper, which debuted last fall. Now, it's back for another go-round, this time with Bold Black Cherry. They may have tried too hard.

As I have found with several other cherry-flavored spirits, the cherry is rather treacly and overpowering.

The sample I received came packaged with a Coke Zero, and the urging to try the two beverages as a cocktail. Even though Coke Zero has no calories, it does have its own sweet taste, and the cocktail ingredients did not enhance either of them. In fact, the various flavors clashed on all levels.

The original Southern Comfort is itself a flavored whiskey -- notes of peach, oak, honey and a tiny touch of spice -- but the distiller doesn't seem to be breaking any real ground with its latest attempts to broaden the product line.

It would, however, be a shame to think that it won't somewhere along the line find a fitting portfolio-mate to the original Southern Comfort created by a bartender in the New Orleans French Quarter way back in 1874.

Bold Black Cherry is bottled at 35% abv (70 proof).

Suggested retail price: $16.99 for the 750ml bottle.

Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.

Grand Marnier Raspberry Peach

• The House of Marnier LaPostolle released this limited-time Cognac this month, the second in an annual series of Signature Collection blends that began last year with a cherry-infused Grand Marnier.

Grand Marnier is the signature orange-tinted Cognac liqueur against which all others (Grand Gala, for example) are measured. So, when it releases a variation on its theme it should be judged against its own standards.

Up front, it must be said that the new Grand Marnier Signature Collection No. 1 Raspberry Peach, just released on a limited basis, isn't in the same league as its core blend.

On the nose, very little raspberry is evident, with the basic Grand Marnier orange and the addition of aromas of the red peaches from Ardéche in the south of France clearly coming through. On the palate, the same tends to hold true although after several sips the raspberry makes a more pronounced appearance.

This is less of a smooth product than its forebear, or even last year's limited-release Grand Marnier Signature Collection No. 1 Cherry. There is a sharpness to the taste and aftertaste that made me lean toward using it in a cocktail rather than as a standalone sip.

The Cognac is packaged in the bottle shape and style familiar from the producer's Cordon Rouge, although with a clear glass to showcase the rose color of the liquid.

Grand Marnier Raspberry Peach is bottled at 40% abv (80 proof).

Suggested retail price: $39.99 for the 750ml bottle.

Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.

Knob Creek Rye Whiskey

• Knob Creek is among bourbon royalty, running up more sales than any other in the super premium category. Now, it is about to release a new whiskey to get into the competition in a resurgent category -- rye.

Fred Noe is in the direct line of distillers from the Beam family that has give us some of the best American whiskeys for generations. This new product, which will go on the market in July, comes two decades after his father, Booker Noe, created Knob Creek Bourbon.

This is Fred's second Knob Creek expression, the first one released last year under the Single Barrel Reserve name. It was a hit, and there is no reason his rye whiskey shouldn't follow suit.

I tried it both straight -- with an ice cube to help open it up -- as well as in a Manhattan, and give it an eager thumbs-up both ways.  

The light amber color and the spiciness of the rye mash on the nose are immediately appealing. The bold flavor, with notes of herbs, oak and vanilla usually found in good bourbons, is pleasing, but the kick of the rye adds another layer of pleasure. In combination with sweet vermouth, it is powerful enough to maintain its own character while easily blending with the other spirit for an excellent drink.

The whiskey is bottled at 100 proof (50% abv) in the same-shaped bottle as Knob Creek bourbon.

Suggested retail price: $40.99 for the 750ml bottle.

Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.

White Pike Whiskey

• The popularity of the market niche for unaged whiskey among American craft distillers shows no signs of slowing. In fact just the opposite. One of the latest players is a New York State white spirit its makers boast is "aged 18 minutes in reused cooperage." 

"Crafted by a man trained in the Alabama school of fast whiskey, White Pike is a refined spirit made to be shot, sipped, or mixed."

I presume that quote from Finger Lakes Distilling refers to Thomas Earl McKenzie, one of the two unrelated McKenzies who make this burgeoning Upstate New York company one of the hottest craft distillers around.

White Pike is made from a mash of 59% corn, 28% organic spelt and 13% malted wheat. Despite its lack of aging, the malted wheat provides a bit of a woody taste that smooths the edges of what usually is a sharp product. It is warm and slightly syrupy on the tongue, surprisingly light on the palate and provides a clean finish that pure-corn unaged spirits often miss.

It is bottled at 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof) and packaged in a bottle that is half black and half clear, making it stand out on the shelf.

White Pike is sort of a co-op project with Mother New York, a decidedly offbeat company that lists its services as "Creating White Pike Advertising, Design, Misc. festivities, Short films, Longer films, Puppetry, Fine spirits, Internet things, Video games, High quality still photography, Business cards, Sausage making, etc."

The corn and wheat come from the Burdett, Seneca County, area, where the distillery is located. The spelt is imported from nearby Canadian growers.

Retail price: $39.99 for the 750ml bottle.

Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.

Conjure Cognac

• I've always wondered why rapper Chris Bridges uses the stage name "Ludacris." Sure, it's a play on his first name, but the correct spelling -- ludicrous -- certainly isn't something most people would want to be called. Nevertheless, the name hasn't hurt his career as Grammy winner and businessman. He's the spokesman for Birkedal Hartmann, the French maker of cognac for the past century and seems to be doing just fine. The company, incidentally, guarantees that Brown had a major role in developing the product.

It's statistically shown in the spirits industry that African Americans constitute the largest U.S. consumer group for cognac, closely followed by Asian Americans.

So, if you like the same musical genre enjoyed by many blacks, enjoy, because it permeates Conjure's video and print advertising. Even if you don't, persevere. Once you wade through all that you'll find a pretty good cognac awaiting you.

Fourth-generation wine and spirits producer Kim Birkedal Hartmann, who makes no bones about liking new products, got together with Bridges and master blender Philippe B. Tiffon to come up with Conjure.

It is made from the ugni blanc grape and aged in 50-year-old French Limousin oak barrels.

It's a lighter cognac, less viscous than most, with a sweet/floral nose, and distinct notes of roses, almonds and cardamom along with vanilla and caramel, the latter two not unexpected given the French oak in which it is matured. The finish is pleasingly long, allowing for contemplation and enjoyment of the warmth and flavor.

The house of Birkedal Hartmann suggests using Conjure in cocktails (one example, the Sunset Boulevard -- 2 ounces Conjure, one ounce orange liqueur, splashes of lime and orange juices and a few drops of grenadine). I suggest merely allowing it to open in a tasting glass, then sipping your way into a very good mood.

Retail price: $29.99 for the 750ml bottle.

Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.