Old Gristmill Authentic American Corn Whiskey by Tuthilltown Spirits

By Mike Feldman

I was recently on duty to buy wine for a dinner with some friends. Most of the guys coming to this shindig were whiskey drinkers, so I was also looking for something a little stronger than wine that might work out as a nice after-dinner drink. Sitting on the whiskey shelf at the liquor store was a slender clear bottle joy that I knew I had to have.

Labeled as a non-aged corn whiskey, the Old Gristmill Authentic American Corn Whiskey by Tuthilltown Spirits is essential a highly refined take on ‘shine. Don’t go digging for rich complexity here. Nose=refined sugar. Palate=refined sugar. This baby is sugary-sweet by whiskey standards, which is exactly what it should be. This is moonshine alright, white-lightnin’, clearer than my tap water, and packaged in a tall, slender, wax capped 375mL bottle that just says “look at me, I’m different,” and it is. What really surprised me here was just how smooth a drink this is. At 40% by volume, you’d expect at least a little burn…nope.

Would this be my go-to everyday whiskey? No. For the bourbon drinker, or for someone looking to learn more about whiskey in general, this is a great bottle to learn about what whiskey is before it goes in a barrel. Short of knowing a good friend with a pot-still and a great old family recipe, this may be the closest you can get to a high quality ‘shine. It just may leave you wondering how any sour-mash whiskey ever makes it in to a barrel to begin with.

Courvoisier Exclusif: big and bold

By Mike Feldman, Spirits Correspondant

One day, Rob and I were sitting around sampling through a bottle of wine. Rob started to relate to me the terrible problem he was having of all these people wanting him to review spirits. “Michael” he said, “I just don’t know what to do with all these bottles of booze building up on kitchen table. If only I had someone to give all this alcohol too so they could review it.” How could I not help my buddy out. As it turns out, my new wife-to-be is a lover of spirits as well; I guarantee she’ll be in on reviews as well.

This week, I’ll be reviewing Courvoisier Exclusif, a new VSOP from one of the most widely recognized names in Cognac. This spirit represents a nice extension to Courvoisier line.

The nose was dominated by mild smokiness. The taste is a rich with burnt caramel and smoke. A note of hickory sites nicely on top of a sustained sweetness. While the bottle shape is a clever departure from the Courvoisier standard, the labeling quality makes it hard to love the overall presentation.

Perhaps the most interesting quality of this spirit is it’s big, bold flavors. There is an almost unrefined quality to body of this spirit that is a real departure from other Cognacs. This is Cognac for the whiskey drinker. The seasoned lover of Courvoisier may find this a bit to much, but this may be just the ticket to draw drinkers of other spirits into the realm of Cognacs.

Announcement: Wine Post Now Reviewing Spirits

For over a year I have been writing about wines and my own impressions of the wine world from the vantage point of working on the marketing side of wine. I have gotten to travel to places around the world and around the US, tasting wines, talking with other people in the industry and finding out for myself what makes the wine world tick. I make no apology when I say that in the greater scheme of the wine world I am but a novice learning how to learn.

Recently another aspect of the beverage world has impeded upon my psyche: spirits and mixed drinks. I know nothing about this area, besides the drinks I think taste good and the drinks I find barely palatable. There has been a great deal of pressure put on my to begin reviewing spirits, but I could not in good faith say that my opinion would be worthwhile.

Therefore, I have recruited Michael Feldmen, a longtime enthusiast of brown spirits, and Anna Haykin, a gastronomic expert who loves food, drink, and all combination thereof. Neither Anna nor Mike work in the food or beverage industries and it will be up to them how often they write. I will let each of them introduce themselves in their own time, but do not be surprised if you see their by lines on future posts.

For those PR people chomping at the bit to have their products placed in front of either Mike or Anna, feel free to email rbwinepost@gmail.com.