Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey

Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey
Aged 2 years
Rocky Mountain straight whiskey
47% alc/vol
$60

Stranahan's is one of a very few single malt American whiskeys. Unlike bourbon, Stranahan's is made solely from malted barley, just like Scotch is. Only this stuff is 100% American -- the barley and water come straight from the Rockies. It's only aged for two years, which makes me wonder how it can be so dark. This stuff almost looks like a Macallan or an Aberlour. Caramel coloring, maybe?

The first thing I notice is solvent on the nose. Like nail polish remover. It's hard to dig past it to get to the malt. It tastes sweet and a bit sharp, and finishes with...with what? More sweetness, maybe a little vanilla...

Adding water helps. Now I can elbow my way past the nail polish remover to get to the banana and vanilla that were ducking down behind it. Still sweet, all the way through.

It's not my favorite, but it is nice. Eccentric, too: the label tells you in handwriting not only when it was distilled and what batch it's from (#7!), but also who did the distilling (all I can make out are the guy's initials, J. N.) and what he was listening to at the time (Bob Wills). And if that weren't enough, the cork-sealed bottle is actually capped with a tall metal shotglass. I'm not sure who's hauling around an entire bottle of whiskey without proper glassware, but if you should find yourself in such a position, you'll be good to go if that bottle is Stranahan's!

Jim Beam White Label

Jim Beam
Aged 4 years
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
40% alc/vol
$15


I'm really not as big into bourbon as I am into Scotch. It's a very different flavor, though it's not a bad one. It's also tricky for me to taste, since it's the main ingredient of my favorite cocktail back when I was in college, the Manhattan; I have to work to keep myself from writing simply, "This tastes like a Manhattan."

Some interesting facts about bourbon, from Wikipedia:

• It must be made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn, and is typically closer to 70% corn.
  
• It must be 100% natural; no caramel coloring allowed!
  
• The barrels in which it is aged must be new, American charred oak barrels.
  
• Bourbon aged for two years or longer may be labeled as "straight" bourbon.
  
• Bourbon younger than four years old must be labeled with its age.

So, you see, it's not just Scotch made in America!

Anyway, courtesy of my very silly sister, I bring you that perennial classic -- and the first American whiskey on this blog -- Jim Beam, a.k.a. Jim Beam White Label.

Notes:

The usual russet color of whiskey. It's sweet on the nose, with vanilla and caramel, and a hint of freshly-ground black pepper. Much softer than Scotch. Do I smell cherries, or is that the Manhattan rearing its lovely head once again?

It's thin and watery on the palate, which feels odd to a mouth accustomed to usually creamier Scotch. I'm getting a lot of nutmeg in the flavor here.

The finish is long, much longer than I expect, with a lot of butterscotch and a tiny bit of peppermint.

Overall, not bad. I probably won't buy another bottle, though; for $15 per 750 mL, I can get whisky much more suitable for my palate. (Grant's tasting notes coming soon!)