Tweet
Originally posted by Strychnine
View Post
-
What was the case minimum? I know of at least three other people that I bet would be interested in a group buy. -
If it weren't for the gutter, my mind would be homeless.Comment
-
Lol I met Mike because we worked together at Autozone while I was in college. I am a friend of his but not a teenage brat. I guess the Sign in doesn't help much haha. I made it to give him a hard time when his used to be FoxBodyMike.Originally posted by BradM View Post1993 Vibrant Red Cobra #1741.
If you want more inches - Stroke it!!!Comment
-
Hmm, good to know. I may start reading your posts now.Originally posted by FoxBodyNick View PostComment
-
I have a free bottle of whiskey coming my way but I really don't know what to ask for. I have enjoyed makers mark in the past.
I need a recommendation for a bottle <$200
Has anyone tried Jim Beam Devils Cut?Comment
-
Originally posted by TeeShock View Post
re: Devil's cut.
(not sure of your distilling knowledge so forgive me if you know this already)
When whiskey is aged in barrels in the rickhouse the seasonal temperature changes will draw the whiskey into and out of the barrel staves. Over time a small portion actually makes its way all the way through the staves and evaporates. This is called the Angel's Share. You know why a 30 yr whiskey costs so much more than a 3 yr? Because there's not as much left in the cask to sell after 30 yrs of that aging process. They lose 1.5-2%every year.
Anyway, when the barrel is opened and the holy nectar is poured out there is always some whiskey still left in the staves. That is called the Devil's Cut or Devil's Share.
Barrels can only be used once for aging bourbon so distillers will usually sell those used barrels to rum distillers or even breweries to make things like Bourbon Barrel Stout. In this case though Jim Beam uses a steaming process to get that whiskey back out. Then they mix a portion of that with some of their 6 yr and bottle it at 90 proof.
(For reference, "standard" Beam is a 4 yr and Beam Black is 8 yr)
For a long time I've thought of this as a shitty way to get more product. I get the feeling Beam is playing up the "Devil" part of it making it seem like some new craziness that people who love Kid Rock and IROCs just won't be completely badass without.
But recently I've read some really good reviews on this one. I haven't had it yet and won't buy it unless it's on sale one day, but I've at least opened my mind to giving it a shot.
As for recommendations do you know what whiskey family you prefer? Bourbon, rye, scotch, irish, canadian, etc?Last edited by Strychnine; 10-23-2012, 08:46 AM.Comment
-
Preferences: Makers>Crownblack>Crownroyal>Kentuckydeluxe.
So devils cut is a bastard whiskey made from the angels cut staves?
I don't drive an iroc but I'm not ashamed to drink cheap boozeComment
-
Originally posted by TeeShock View Post
Sounds like you like the slightly sweeter stuff. Have you had Maker's 46?
A new, even smoother version of Maker's Mark? Yes, please. Maker's 46 ($40) begins life as normal Maker's, removed from the barrel when it's fully matured. While it's removed, 10 seared French oak staves are attached to the inside of the barrel, then the Maker's goes back in to begin the months long process of becoming 46, a process which adds natural caramel, vanilla, and spice flavors without adding any bitterness.
Only 25,000 cases will be shipped this year, so if you're wanting to give it a try and see it in the local liquor store, don't hesitate, unless of course someone is robbing said store at that very moment, in which case you should run.
Comment
-
I think its worth a try.Comment
-
Allow me to restate how fantastic the Woodford Double Oak is. It is coming dangerously close to topping regular Woodford as my normal go-to.Comment
-
Not gonna lie, this F&R "TX Blended Whiskey" is my favorite right now. Being local doesn't hurt either.
One step through the doors of Firestone and Robertson Distilling Co., an old cliche immediately comes to mind: They don't make 'em like this anymore.
Yet whether he's talking about the restoration of his company's prohibition-era building or the time-intensive methods of crafting its spirits, it's a line that F&R proprietor and distiller Troy Robertson relies on over and over again while showing visitors around North Texas' first and only whiskey distillery. And it's fitting.
Although the company's first product, a blended whiskey, just launched in June, Robertson and his partner Leonard Firestone spent more than two years prepping for it. There was, after all, lots to do: renovating their 1920s warehouse space on Fort Worth's Vickery Boulevard that used to house an old moving company, filling out the mountains of paperwork the state of Texas requires from distilleries, taking dozens of trips to Kentucky to taste a countless number of whiskies and making over 300 attempts before achieving their signature blend.
Robertson and Firestone aren't too worried about time, though. They're much more concerned with quality, and it shows in their TX Blended Whiskey, which has a strong flavor profile, a bold, sweet start and a strong smooth finish, immediately setting it apart from most blended whiskies in the fact that it easily lends itself to be enjoyed neat.
There are signs of this dedication of time and energy in nearly every facet of their next big venture, too. The straight bourbon they've been distilling in-house since February is still two years away from being fully maturated, but there are countless signs that point to a product that will be fully unique and markedly Texan. For this spirit, instead of relying on one of the handful of labs in the U.S. that provide the yeast to nearly every major American whiskey manufacturer, Robertson and Firestone decided to capture themselves a strain from the wild.
Says Robertson about this process: "Nobody we know of has done this since prohibition."
To make this happen, microbiologist and the company's head distiller, Rob Arnold, collected over 100 different samples of yeast from fruits, nuts and soils native to North Texas. Following several lengthy processes, the men eventually isolated a single strain found in a pecan tree nut grown near Glen Rose that was suitable for the fermentation of a bourbon and provided the specific flavor and aroma profiles Firestone and Robertson had in mind. This extra time taken to capture a wild yeast -- and the added involvement of propagating a proprietary yeast strain on-site -- has all been worth the extra effort, says Robertson.
"Yeast provides about 25 percent of the flavor," Robertson says. "And nobody else has this yeast or this flavor."
The fact that their yeast comes from the state tree of Texas is just one characteristic that makes the product so unique to this state, though. The corn, wheat and other ingredients that go into their mash are all grown in Texas as well. In fact, the malted barley, which doesn't grow well in Texas, is one of the only ingredients not native to the area. But these distillers have found a way to localize even this: Once the mash has been used it gets donated to a local dairy farmer who uses it to feed his herd.
The fickle North Texas climate also plays an important role in the bourbon's aging process. Firestone and Robertson are allowing their creation to age in a non-climate controlled environment, allowing Mother Nature to impart her hand in the process. Meaning? The more temperatures fluctuate from hot to cold, the more the whiskey flows in and out of the capillaries of their American-made charred oak barrels, imparting a distinct flavor and character into the final product. Far as Robertson knows, nobody else has ever tried to naturally age a whiskey in this region. And, with Texas' climate being warmer overall than Kentucky's, Firestone and Robertson Distilling Co.'s product is certain to be wholly unique to the area.
Here's the kicker, though: Beyond even all of this, perhaps the most distinctive part of the company's process -- and one of the best examples of their willingness to put in extra time and effort to make their product stand out -- can be seen in the bottle's capping process. Each bottle cap is handmade in part with reclaimed leather, using tools designed by Robertson in his workshop. While most of the leather the company uses comes in the way of leftover scraps from Fort Worth bookmaking legend M.L. Leddy's, they also invite customers to bring in their own boots as well. Already, the company has made such custom caps for some local military servicemen, who donated their military issue boots to be used in the process. Another cap made for the owner of a boxing gym was made out of some of his old boxing gloves.
"We never know when we go to make a pickup what we'll get," Robertson says of this leather process. "We've gotten alligator, ostrich, calf, buffalo, lizard, suede, rhino and elephant [leathers]. Every bottle tells a story."
While many local liquor stores (as well as selected locations in San Antonio, Houston, Austin and parts of West Texas) already carry Firestone and Robertson Distilling Co.'s TX Blended Whiskey, visiting the distillery for a tour and tasting is, perhaps, a truer way to enjoy the company's product. And on Sunday, December 9, the company will host an event onsite featuring food pairings from Lanny Lancarte, specialty cocktails from some of Fort Worth's top mixologists and tastings by fellow local artisans Times Ten Cellars winery and Rahr & Sons brewery.
That event may be more than a month away, but if there's anything that's to be learned from Robertson's experiences, good things are certainly worth the wait.
Comment
-
Originally posted by Strychnine View Post
I'm going to take your word for it and grab a bottle at Total Wine next time I go.Comment
-
I saw a bottle chilling at the liquor store and passed by it. I'm usually not a fan of blended whiskey, but I'll give it a whirl soon.
Reading about the craftsmanship makes me want to mark Dec. 9 on the calendar.Comment
-
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1351902138.978784.jpg
I grabbed the one with a wart on the cap.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1351902177.611619.jpgComment
Comment