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August 21, 2024 | Issue 3 | | |
We hope you are enjoying the Mississippi oven, we mean summer. This month is a few days late as many of the sippers have been getting in the last bit of summer fun with family before school starts. |
Cocktail Corner
Hosted by Janice Weaver
I know this is a lot of ingredients but each one plays an important role.
For this cocktail I’m using @barrellbourbon but you can use whatever your man is drinking.
This is the Bourbon Crusta and I want to thank my bourbon friend @travscraftycocktails for introducing me to the Brandy Crusta which is the precursor to the Side Car (which I made in a previous reel).
2oz bourbon
1/4oz orange curaçao (or any good orange liqueur)
1t maraschino cherry liqueur
1/2oz lemon juice
1/2oz simple syrup
Dash Angostura bitters
Pour all the ingredients over ice and shake until really cold. Strain into your favorite cocktail glass rimmed with sugar (if you want to fancy, I’m using turbinado sugar). Cheers!
Courtesy of Janice Weaver
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LOVE of the LEAF
Pairing by Bobby McClellan
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Eating and sleeping are the only activities that should be allowed to interrupt a man's enjoyment of his cigar. - Mark Twain
Our pairing this month is a little in left field for our typical southern palates. This is fun pairing and even works well with this crazy Mississippi Summer Heat!
We pair cigars daily its hard pressed to find us with out some type of spirit with our cigars. This month this one stood out. This pairing we have the Viva La Vida Famous Exclusivo Box press paired with a dram of Kilkerran Heavily Peated (Peat in Progress) Batch no.4
Back story on the Cigar it was released early 2020 by Famous Smoke Shop. I know we love brick and mortar but sometimes you have to get something different. It is a 6x52 box press medium-full Nicaragua Habano 2000 wrapper. The Spirit this time is the Kilkerran Campbelton Single Malt Scotch. This is a cask strength 58.6% Heavily peated release.
The cold draw on the cigar is nice tase of black tea. Once lit the up front is hearbal and sweet. reminds me of the craft herbal honey you find at fruit stands. The cigar continues to build in flavor to a more spicy stick the longer you enjoy it. This is where the pairing works. The Kilkerran chosen though it is heavily peated it is more of a soft sweet peat with more of a wood smoker type smoke taste ( think standing beside your smoker out on the patio). When they combine the Honey notes of the cigar broaden and open up to have a dark fruit note undertone to the single malt. The spice of the cigar also is less upfront and blended more into the entire mixed flavors coming from the scotch.
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Celtic Fest Friday October 11, 2024 7:30 PM
1112 North Shore Parkway, Brandon, MS
The Sippers will be Hosting the Scottish Whisky Tasting with Spillway Wine and Spirits.
This is a ticketed event
THIS IS A TICKETED TASTING
Purchase the Tasting tickets HERE
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Celtic Fest Saturrday October 12, 2024 7:30 PM
1112 North Shore Parkway, Brandon, MS
The Sippers will be Hosting the Irish Whisky Tasting with Spillway Wine and Spirits.
This is a ticketed event
THIS IS A TICKETED TASTING
Purchase the Tasting tickets HERE
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Is there something you would like to see in the newsletter? Send us an email and give us your suggestions! | We are working or more if the custom barrel finishes currently and a really pushing to have several really special ones available this fall. stay tuned our social media for updates! |
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If you are interested in some simple merchandise from us we have a small swag shop online.
Sipper Swag available.
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Penelope Valencia
Penelope Distillery
Bourbon
Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished is Naranja Casks / 95 Proof 47.5%ABV / Vino De Naranja Cask
Distillery tasting Notes:
CHARACTER - Penelope Bourbon Cooper Series explores the marriage of different cask finishes with our signature four grain straight bourbon whiskey. Rich and bold on the palate, Valencia brings forward rich citrus flavors from the coasts of Spain. Valencia is finished in Vino de Naranja casks and bottled at 97 proof.
NOSE - Bold spice and iced coffee cake with a blood orange glaze
PALATE - Floral undertones with a citrus zest Baked Pear with subtle black and white pepper
FINISH - Rich and savory finish with hints of mandarin and orange peel
Sippers Take:
The distillery note fits this just about right to us. The citrus notes we get on our bottle are more of the orange fruit with the zest. This may be because out bottle has been open about 6 month and been sampled on several time. we love where the proof is at on this just enough to give you some heat but not so much it covers up all of the flavor you want from the VDN cask finish.
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Indri
Dru
Single Malt
Indian Single Malt Whisky
Unpeated / 114.4 Proof 57.2%ABV / 100% Natural Colour
Distilled, Matured, and Bottled by Piccadily Argo Industries Limited. Karnal, Haryana India
Distillery tasting Notes:
CHARACTER - Dru is a cask strength expression from Indri, where selected ex-bourbon barrels are handpicked and married together by our master blender to offer you an experience that will awaken your senses. In Sanskrit, ‘Dru’ means wood, tree or a vessel made of wood. In ancient Indian mythology, Dru was a vessel in which ‘soma’ (a drink) was collected and offered to the Gods
NOSE - Whiff of mixed fruit basket, vanilla, subtle citrus hints, gentle spice, chocolate and honey tones expressing robust nose profile.
PALATE - Sweetish fruity forward taste with, soft spice followed immediately with sweet vanilla, hint of chocolate with wood lactones and citrus appearing from the back of the palate.
FINISH - Fuller bodies, complex with mixed fruit finish that is fairly long, chewable and salivating dram.
Sippers Take:
We find this very sweet malt forward o the palate. After the initial sip the malt is still present but softens and ore of the candied green fruit comes out. The finish is not long and overpowering, but soft and tends to drift away leaving a sweet taste in the mouth. We would like to say be careful as the proof / ABV is not present while drinking as this is a nice soft single malt.
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FOURSQUARE Rum Distillery
Altamar Brands
Barbados Rum
Single Blended Rum, Aged for 12 years in a combination of first, second and third fill Ex-Bourbon barrels, bottled at 60% ABV. No Color. No Sugar. No Additives. No Filtration. Distilled, Matured, Blended & Bottled entirely on island in Barbados.
Master of Malt tasting Notes:
NOSE - Zesty lemon and Saville oil top note that runs over rich caramel and gentle notes of white chocolate, fresh ginger and dried coconut.
PALATE - Treacle tart and vanilla ice cream. Juicy sultanas, poached summer fruits and tart Victoria plums at the backend.
FINISH - Blueberry. Gentle notes of fresh ginger, black cherry, with a warming, dry finish and a little peppery spice at the end.
Sippers Take:
We say we are open to all spirits. Because of that we are often asked for recommendations for consumers to try. When it it comes to special rums we are a true believer in Foursquare rum. This release we think is a true bourbon drinkers pour. The barrel finishing really gives you the bourbon cask in the palate without loosing the fact that you are sipping on a well done rum. 12 year age stated at cask strength is a very nice addition. If you can find this expression in particular we say grab it.
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Herradura Legend
Anejo
Barrel Aged Tequila
80 Proof 40 %ABV / 100% Natural Colour
Distilled in Los Altos De Jalisco
Distillery tasting Notes:
CHARACTER - Tequila Herradura Legend is a unique Añejo tequila. Made from the finest 100% blue agave, naturally fermented, distilled and then matured for 12 months in heavily charred, new American White Oak barrels. These special barrels have been deeply grooved, exposing the tequila to more layers of toasted oak, as it patiently ages resulting in a special Añejo tequila with an incredibly rich, deep color and a luxurious and velvety smooth taste.
NOSE - Rich with notes of oak, dried fruit, vanilla, caramel and toasted agave that harmonize with hints of smokiness and spice.
PALATE - Well rounded with intense flavors of toasted oak, dried fruit, citrus, vanilla, and caramel, balanced with notes of spice and sweet roasted agave.
FINISH - Smooth and long-lasting.
Sippers Take:
when we are lucky enough to have a Legend around and open without our tequila lovers killing the bottle we really enjoy this paired with a medium to full bodies cigar. The barrel aging is very reminiscent to what we lover to get out of the flavor profile of the Jack Daniels Sinatra. Lots of the caramel and vanilla in the palate and smoky in the nose. This is great neat but does open up with a little ice or a splash of water.
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Aging Bourbon @ Home
Out of the lab of Chris Sistrunk
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Backstory
In Mississippi, it's not always easy to find allocated bourbon, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, I started aging whiskey at home in a miniature oak barrel with the mantra of “Making affordable whiskey better™”. “Bottom shelf” bourbon is plentiful but is generally “young” and often lacks depth of flavors and richness that we know and love from much older bourbons.
I've completed eight barrel aging experiments with good results, and this is something that you can easily do at home. For these experiments I use 2 liter oak barrel that I'll age bourbon or whiskey for 4-6 weeks. In Mississippi the extreme summer heat helps age whiskey very fast, but the high humidity tends to cause whiskey proof to stay the same or drop. So to monitor temperature and humidity, I use a small Bluetooth hygrometer beside the barrel, and I try to keep the average humidity below 60%.
Experiment No. 8 Details
I've been a fan of Crittenden's whiskey for several years now, especially since the Mississippi Sippers have been involved in creating single barrel and small batch releases.
Matt Crittenden makes amazing whiskey and bourbon, but I hadn't ever tried his Kiln Shine (unaged or aged). The last time I was at his distillery, I picked up several bottles of his Aged Kiln Shine, which is whiskey distilled from his bourbon mash and aged for a minimum of 1 year. It's bottled at 90 proof. I do not consider this a “bottom shelf” whiskey, but it is reasonably price for aged legal moonshine from the "Moonshine Capital of the World" in Kiln, Mississippi.
I bought a new 2 liter oak barrel from Barrelled Chronicles which is a small business run by Josh Panelle, who is a regular in the bourbon communities online. I filled it with hot water and let it soak for 2 days until the leaking stopped. I filled it with the aged shine on June 4, 2024.
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I first started aging it outside when the sun was shining, and the whiskey temperature would easily reach 100°F with the barrel in direct sunlight. The spigot started leaking so I tried sealing it with beeswax, but it didn't work. Josh Panelle sent me a new spigot and it didn't leak near as bad, but still would leak some in high temperatures. To keep the leaking to a minimum, I stored the barrel upright...which worked great. After about a week I moved the barrel to my attic, which really bumped up the heat and helped lower the average humidity a bit.
Cooking in the attic
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Science 🥼🌡️
Here are the data, so you can potentially recreate this experiment or modify some of the parameters to try something new.
Barrel location: Clinton, Mississippi on my back porch in direct sunlight, inside at night for a week, attic for the remainder of the 44 days.
Empty Barrel weight: 2lbs 3.8oz
Barrel entry date: 6/4/24
Barrel entry proof: 90 proof
Barrel entry amount volume: 2000mL
Barrel entry whiskey weight 4lbs 2.6oz
Full Barrel weight: 6lbs 6.4oz
Barrel dump date: 7/18/24
Barrel dump proof: 91 proof measured with hydrometer
Barrel dump amount volume: 1147mL
Barrel dump whiskey weight: 2lbs 6.2oz
Barrel dump total weight: 4lbs 10oz
Loss volume: 853mL due to angel's share and samples
Loss %: 42.6%
Average temperature: 88.4°F
Temperature range: 64.8°F min, 119.8°F max
Average relative humidity: 51.1%
|  |  | When using a hydrometer like this, you must look up the reading against the liquid temperature/proof conversion chart to get the final proof. So the reading above of 98 proof is at 72°F measured liquid temperature, which converted to 91 proof. |  | |
Look: As you can see, 44 days in a hot attic really transferred a lot of color from the charred oak barrel to the whiskey. It looks great!
Smell: The aromas of the final product are much richer than the original with more oak, cinnamon, and brown sugar, but with less alcohol vapor.
Taste: The flavors have indeed become more deep and rich. The barrel and the heat has transformed the young aged shine to a very decent pour. The deepened flavors confirm what the nose detected, more brown sugar, oak spice, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: The alcohol burn is much less and the mouthfeel is much softer, rounded, and more oily than the original. This is a smooth sipper at an approachable proof.
Conclusion
I think this experiment confirms what I already know, that Matt Crittenden makes very delicious bourbon and whiskey…because his mash and white dog is simply delicious. His Aged Kiln Shine shone much brighter by aging it in my mini barrel for a month and a half. This experiment essentially (not legally) turned it into his classic 4+ year bottled-in-bond bourbon, but at a lower 90 proof. A 90 proof Cut Above might be on to something.
Matt if you're reading this, when you build your next rickhouse, it might be good to consider an unbonded one so you could produce a 90 proof bourbon.
Up next is a repeat…Ancient Ancient Age 10 star in the 2L barrel. Stay tuned…
Cheers y'all and happy experimenting!
– Chris
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