Whiskey Games: Whiskey Explorers Club

This is the first of a new type of post I am calling Whiskey Games, where basically I find games that involve whiskey and do a synopsis and review.  For this post, I will be reviewing the Whiskey Explorer's Club, follow the link for more info and pricing.  Basically once a quarter, they will ship you a box that contains four unmarked mini bottles that each contain a mystery whiskey.  
  

Now your only job is to open one, pour it out into a tasting glass of some kind.  Then log in on their website and enter the code on the bottle, and you are ready to play. 

That picture has no filter people, my whiskey just sparkles.  

Once on the website you have to go through ten pages which asks you about the whiskey you are having including: color, nose (smell), mouth feel, taste, taste after adding water, finish, just any random info you want to provide, rate it, guess its price, and finally guess the whiskey.  

So for today, the whiskey I had was very unfamiliar to me, so I knew I was in trouble already.  I really labored through picking 15 smells, 20 tastes, and 27 tastes after water!  I really couldn't place this extra unfamiliar flavor that was throwing me off, but I got totally lucky because once I got to the pick the whiskey page I saw this...

Why is this good for me?  Well I know my bourbons and I know this was NOT a bourbon.  I am however, very unfamiliar with Rye whiskey, so I chose Copper Fox.  Next page, and BAM, I was right. 

TO BE FAIR, I have played a couple times now, and I do rarely get it right, and I did not cheat this time.  Totally honest.  

Here is a summary of my scores, this is the highest I have ever scored to be totally truthful.  As you can see, I am not very good at tasting.  

Overall the game is not too pricey, and it can be a good way to learn how to taste, as well as step out of your comfort zone to try things you might not have thought of.  All in all, I have a good time every time I play, although the over achieving side of me gets frustrated by my terrible scores.  I am thinking of turning this into a competitive multi-player whiskey tasting battle, so stay tuned. 

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Whiskey Review: Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select

My relationship with Woodford Reserve is somewhat complicated and almost never got off the ground. Although not quite as good of a story as Inception, there is still an important lesson to be learned so stay tuned...

Yes, the bottle is mostly empty when I took the picture, so you know I enjoyed it.  However, that is surprise, considering how I first met this bourbon.  This was years ago, probably around 2012, I was on a Vegas trip with my brother.  The usual activities, drinking, eating and gambling.  We were wandering around MGM Grand and decided to stop at a bar for a whiskey.  The bar we sat down at was across the "world famous" ice bar, at the end of the casino floor.  I completely missed a red flag, which was the totally uninspiring whiskey menu.  Having not found anything that called out to me, I wanted to order something not named Jack or Jim that was cost effective and settled on Woodford Reserve.  The whiskey I had that night was rough to say the least.  It had no distinct flavor and burned.  I swore that was the last time.  Fast forward to 2015, I am standing in a wine store in Vancouver the day we were to board the Disney Wonder for a cruise, and I have no whiskey.  In the shop, there was a very thin selection of whiskey, most of them priced at nearly three times what we'd pay in the USA!!! With one exception...Woodford Reserve.  Being the cheap bastard that I am, I walked out of the wine shop with a bottle of Woodford Reserve, much to my chagrin. 

Once we settled in our room, I opened the bottle for the celebratory drink to the start of our first family cruise.  I held my breath and took a drink and was surprised.  This was nothing like what I had at Vegas.   The whiskey is fairly fragrant to start, smooth to finish with a little biting and warm finish.  An all around solid bourbon.  I have no doubts in my mind that what I got at Vegas that day was not Woodford Reserve, because this was much, much better.  Lesson?  If you have to finish a story with...

Then it was probably illegal or morally reprehensible.  So yeah...keep it in Vegas where it belongs.  I'll be bringing my own whiskey selection to Vegas from now on.  

The numbers:  The bottle you see above was purchased at Ralphs with the buy 6 bottles and get 30% off deal, and ended up being only about $24 dollars!  That is a good deal. I probably wouldn't pay more than $35 though, because at that price range there is probably a more interesting whiskey out there.  

It reminds me of...hanging out with that friend who is always broke but knows all the good deals around town and still manages enjoys the finer things in life on a budget. 

The verdict:  This is really a daily sipping kind of whiskey, certainly not an occasion type pour.  At the price, it can be a mainstay if you aren't too picky.  It will likely enter the daily whiskey rotation in my bar.  

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Professional tasting notes:
thewhiskeyjug.com
whiskymag.com