Hirsch Selection Special Reserve 86 Proof American Whiskey

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Unread postby Mike » Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:27 pm

I have completed the promised 'throwdown' twixt Old Potrero, Lot 40, Hirsch Selection, and Michter's Small Batch Unblended American Whiskey.

The color ranges from a very light gold for the Potrero, to a slightly darker gold for the Hirsch, to a golden amber for the Lot 40, to a considerably darker (almost mahagony) for the Michter's.

I cut the 123 proof OP to about 90 so that it is in line with the proof of the others.

The OP's nose is decidedly partial to it rye malt origins. It also yields some nice citrus and rye/fruity aromas along with green wood (not surprising since it is barreled in new none charred wood). The taste of the OP contains a soft rye sweetness and fruit that quickly gives over to rye spiciness. The finish is long and spicy. A potent sip even at 90 proof, and one whose taste will be appreciated with time and maybe some effort. Its rewards lie in the realm of the unusual.

The Lot 40 nose yields no small amount of smoke (I failed to note this the first time tasting), along with rye, sweet but mild fruit, and a mere hint of vanilla. Its taste is a mild and mellow sweetness that is shy but still there. There is also a light smokey flavor capped off with a moderate rye spicy bite. The finish is moderate and very balanced. I think this is a very, very, good whiskey.

The Hirsch Selection nose very quickly betrays its 20 years in the barrel with its woody aroma. There is a the mild fruity rye, and flecks of char drifting about to tease the nose. The taste reveals a mild rye sweetness, some dry woody flavors, a nice nod to its rye spice which also contirbutes to a bit of light fruit. The finish is pretty long with a serious appeal to the woody dryness. A very nice whiskey a good ways on the dry side, which I usually don't much mind.

The Michter's has a goodly bit of caramel and vanilla with some dark fruit (rainins, cherries), a mild spicey bite, and some barrel overtones that never reach the 'dry' stage. Its taste follows the nose very closely with some soft, but deeper than the other whiskies, sweetness, a very mild spiciness, and a hint of the woodl The finish is moderate and well balanced. A nice soft whiskey well rounded at all edges.

As Gary (and I) expected, these whiskies are not deep in their richness nor in their sweetness.

The OP retains some sharpness due to its rye malt recipe and its being aged for only two years in new, uncharred, barrels. Still it is a unique and interesting whiskey which will rightfully find its wholehearted adherents.

The Lot 40 loved the barrels it spent its time with and took on a few of their characteristics. There is the slight tinge of smoke and a soft almost vanilla sweetness that could have come only from the used barrel or the spirit left behind. To me, one who is not very familiar with the effects of the copper pot, this whiskey seems to have a touch of the matellic to it. It almost passes for dryness. Lot 30 is a marvelous whiskey, that, like OP, marches to its own drum.

Hirsch Selection is 20 Years Old and you know it with a first sip. Nothing like a side by side to reveal the character of whiskey. It has some soft sweetness that is barely abel to compete with the age of this whiskey. Many will find it, if they ever try it, too dry and tannic.........and that is probably an accurate assessment. But I find its other characteristics, its rye bite and subtle sweetness to make it a good, but not great whiskey. That it will find adherents like OP and Lot 40 have is unlikely. It is an experiment in peddling 'old' whiskey that will succeed with only a few. I still rate it as good whiskey.

The Michter's almost certainly spent its time in barrels that contained younger whiskey than the barrels used for Lot 40 and Hirsch. The color of the whiskey and the sweet flavors quickly give this away. It too, is a very good whiskey that is on the mild side..........no great flaws, but no great characteristics to recommend it either.

In summary, all of these whiskies do betray their ancestry in wood that is either new and uncharred or used. They, none of them, have the deep rich, sweet, vanilla flavors that come with properly prepared barrels.

OP aside (it lives on a wind swept coast by itself), these whiskies do share a soft sweetness and subtlety than I have found many times before in old whiskies (and I submit that they are effectively older whiskies). It is my unsubstantiated and only subjective opinion that old age in whiskey can work very well. There are things, so I believe, in the wood, aside from tannins and the dryness that is dangerous, that CAN come out with age that produce a subtle, soft, and delicate whiskey that stands completely on its own merits.

Of these whiskies, Lot 40 is easily the stand out in my opinion. OP is too individualistic for public company, Hirsch is a bit too woody for most tastes, and Michter's has too little individualism (and is not cheap) and is probably inferior to much less costly bourbons.

Whiskies done outside the allowed bourbon parameters can still be both interesting and very, very good.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas
Mike
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