La Bourbonessa, Bourbon and me
I was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island as part of the baby boom. At home, my dad made us perfect egg cream sodas and I was never tempted by alcohol: not the illicit beer at high school frat parties , not the big jugs of Gallo wine at college mixers. Not even the tsunami of Valpolicella and Meteus that flooded my grad school era. When I went out, the only drink for me was Coca-cola, which had been forbidden in my childhood home.
At my first job at an international insurance company, I had to show up at huge broker conventions and talk about my company. The trouble was I was young and looked even younger, and my boss finally got fed up seeing me circulating with my coke on the rocks with a slice of lemon.
“Enough with the coke,” he said. “You’re supposed to be a grown-up here.” He ordered a weak scotch and soda and handed it to me. “You don’t have to drink it, but at least carry this around instead of your bug juice.” Little by little, I found I liked it and eventually scotch neat, in stemware, replaced my coke.
One night, at the original Union Square Café, I was admiring a specific section of bottles. I’ve always been a sucker for beautiful glass. There was a bottle with a little metal horse on top, a couple of flat old-fashioned looking bottles and a standout dipped in red sealing wax. I had to try it!
The bartender offered me a sample and I persuaded him to serve it in a delicate tulip-shaped cordial glass. The drink was warm, soothing, rich--a full symphony of the flavors I craved--vanilla, caramel, spice.
“Hello, beautiful. What is this stuff?”
“ Maker’s Mark. Bourbon.”
That was it. Forget scotch. I was a bourbon girl, and I never looked back.
All Reviews by Barbara, La Bourbonessa
WIDOW JANE Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Uncork the striking minimalist bottle of Widow Jane Straight Bourbon Whiskey and take a whiff of this 91 proof small batch wonder. Banana, cherry, raw sugar and the faintest whisper of mineral barely meander out of the bottle. The Widow is reserved at the outset, but the first sip is frankly soft, luxurious, and fruity. A classic velvety sweetness like this says you can be minimalist and premium at the same time.
Widow Jane is a blend of hand-picked whiskies from Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana, aged 10 years in five barrel batches. It calls itself a New York bourbon, proofed and bottled in Red Hook, Brooklyn. In this case, the proofing is a critical element of Widow Jane’s identity and New York cred.
It's all about the water. Widow Jane has rights to a legendary water source from upstate New York with a quality known to insiders as “ hard and sweet” . Hard because it’s filtered through the famously strong Widow Jane limestone shelf located about 100 miles north of New York City. This same limestone and the high grade cement made from it famously built the Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Station and the foundations of dozens ofarchitectural landmarks. And sweet because the filtered rainwater that now fills the aquifers of this quarry is uniquely sweet, renewable and mineral rich. This water gives Widow Jane her name and her fame.
Here is a bourbon with classic good looks, rich taste and pedigree. Widow Jane deserves a place of honor on your bourbon shelf.
Browse all Widow Jane Bourbons
A Bourbon-Lover’s Perfect Afternoon. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Kentucky Bourbon
A bourbon-lover’s perfect afternoon: a top-down ride along back country roads and a warm welcome by close friends into their bustling kitchen. My eyes slide to the counter where our hosts set out 3 wineglasses for the wine lovers in our foursome and a smaller delicate glass, cozying up to a stylish bottle of dark amber liquid. This is for me: Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Kentucky bourbon, given the “double-barrel” treatment, which means it’s been finished in a second oak barrel which has been “heavily toasted, lightly charred.” More wood, more charring explains the darker, richer color and I can’t wait to see how it looks and tastes in the graceful glass.
What’s with the glass? My hostess gets it: The glass is a big part of the pleasure for me, both the glass from which I sip my bourbon and the design of the bottle itself. Heavy-bottomed he-man tumblers are out. I’ll take a delicate tulip glass, a cordial glass, a sherry glass, flea-market Depression stemware, vintage Nick & Nora glasses—even a small elegant martini glass is grand.
I’m ready to pour and I prefer it neat. The first aroma is cherry, wood and vanilla, and the first sip reveals dulce de leche, chocolate and more wood. This bourbon’s a great companion for the whole afternoon. I put my eye right up to the glass and through the beautiful liquid, I survey the kitchen’s bounty: cheese and smoked fish noshes, T-bones coming to room temperature on the counter, and bags of chocolate-chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Double barreled pleasure all the way.
Penelope Straight Bourbon Whiskey
There’s always a first sip for a new bourbon drinker getting acquainted with Bourbon-land, and Penelope Straight Bourbon Whiskey is an excellent choice for that first step.
Back in 2018, Penelope Straight Bourbon Whiskey was named after a founder’s young daughter. Though we haven’t met the child, it turns out that her bourbon namesake is on the sweet side, with brown sugar and cherry notes and a decidedly youthful, light and mild presentation. At 80 proof, Penelope Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a blend of 3 whiskies with a wheat-heavy 4-grain mash bill of 75% corn, 15% wheat, 7 % rye and 3% malted barley. This gives the bourbon a soft and pleasant roundness. In other words, it’s easy to drink.
Young Penelope has grown up a bit since 2018 and the brand kept pace, expanding to currently offer bourbon fans three additions: Barrel Strength, Rose Cask and Architect. So, you beginners can start with the Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and when you’re ready to venture deeper into Bourbon-land, know you have a smooth path to follow Penelope’s subsequent offerings, one sip at a home [time].
Penelope Straight Bourbon Whiskey also lends itself handily to cocktails, so check out the gingery lime slushy recipe below:
Icy Hot Penelope Slushy (2 servings–can be doubled) You’ll need:
- 1⁄2 c fresh lime juice
- 2 oz bottle of ginger juice*
- 1⁄4 c coconut water
- Small pinch cayenne (optional)
- 2 oz Penelope Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- 1 c ice
- A powerful blender
Place ingredients in blender (with pureed ginger on top, if using) and puree until smooth. Pour into beautiful glasses and garnish with thin slice of lemon or slice of fresh ginger
*Available at many supermarkets including Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s You may subsitute a heaping TB pureed fresh young ginger root pureed on finest blade of a rasp grater
Bourbon Butterscotch with Pecans
For a recent rainy Sunday lunch, I thought a decadent sauce would be just the thing to pull together the week’s assortment of dessert left-overs.I decided on a bourbon sauce, but not one that had just a whiff of bourbon: I wanted to really taste the bourbon, so I found a basic Food Network recipe: Southern Bourbon Sauce by Barbara Garrett. It called for 1/3 cup of bourbon and three other ingredients I also had on hand:
There was one cup of sugar in the mix, so I chose Bulleit for my sauce because it’s a high-rye mash bill--68% corn, 28% rye, and 4% malted barley-- and I felt the spiciness of the rye would balance the sugar. Bulleit’s known as a good value bourbon, and though it’s smooth and delicious to drink neat, it seemed like a fine choice for this recipe. Also, at 90 proof, it’s on the light side, so even if we got chubby on this sauce, we didn’t have to worry about getting tipsy.
This sauce was a hit, whether eaten still warm from the bowl or at room temperature if you have a bit of self-control. The bourbon taste came through perfectly without being overpowering. This sauce disappeared quickly, so I made more, and over the week I found many uses for this delectable sauce (often enhanced with chopped toasted pecans on the side). We had it on a scrumptious pound cake, on French toast, on waffles, on top of store bought ice cream and drizzled into homemade vanilla ice cream. Soon I’ll fill crepes with it, spoon it on top of a bowl of berries, drizzle it on dessert pizzas, or—let’s be honest, kids—eat it, with a clean spoon, straight from the jar.
FOOD NETWORK’S SOUTHERN BOURBON SAUCE
By Barbara Garrett
Ingredients:
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 stick of butter (I used salted)
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1/3 cup of bourbon whiskey, to taste. (I used Bulleit Frontier Whiskey.)
Directions:
1. With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks until thick and pale.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter and sugar. (I suggest adding a pinch of salt if your butter is unsalted.)
3. Pour the butter and sugar mixture over the egg yolks, beating constantly with the mixer until well thickened.*
4. Stir in bourbon by hand
BRECKENRIDGE PORT CASK FINISH
Here in the Northeast, with the cold weather looming, it seemed like a wonderful idea to attend an outdoor yoga class on one of the season’s last mild days. A half dozen of us unfurled our mats on a patch of flat grassland near the Sound one late afternoon and practiced gentle stretches and poses for an hour or so. Our lovely teacher provided post-practice snacks--a home-baked mushroom tart and warm mulled apple cider--but the hit of our snack-time was the bottle of Breckenridge Port Cask whiskey she placed alongside the cider.
The idea of spiked mulled cider sounded good, but I wanted to start my Breckenridge Port Cask experience with a generous dram of the whiskey neat, straight into the mug. The red-amber whiskey went down smoothly, releasing a rich autumnal mix of rye-heavy spice, sweetness and dried fruits. I would have happily enjoyed more of this sublime whiskey straight, if not for my fellow yogis crowding the snack table. But, I can report that the peppery Port Cask Finish also blends beautifully as a subtle counterpoint to the warm mulled cider
Breckenridge, based nearly 10,000 feet up in the Colorado Rockies, is proud to call itself the world’s highest distillery, and it’s said they even use mountain snowmelt water to bring the whiskey to 45 percent ABV before bottling. Their Port Cask Finish starts as Breckenridge’s best-selling blended bourbon ( with a mash bill of 56 percent yellow corn, 38 percent green rye, 6 percent barley), which is then aged from 3-6 months in used Portuguese tawny port casks. This finishing gives the whiskey a lush mouth feel in addition to the notes of port and raisin, but because of the additional aging, it can no longer be labeled bourbon (which may only be aged in charred new American oak casks).
Whether it’s called bourbon or whiskey doesn’t seem like such a big deal. All La Bourbonessa has to say to Breckenridge Port Cask Finish is "Namaste", which means, "I bow to you".
Recipe for mulled cider:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm a half gallon container of apple cider adding several of the following to taste:
Cinnamon stick, 2-3 cloves, allspice, slices of fresh ginger, orange peel
Pour into mugs and enjoy!
Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Uncork the wood top of the unpretentious bottle of 94-proof Elijah Craig Small Batch 1789 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and get ready for a surprise. When that first assertive gust of vanilla assails your nose, you’ll know you’ve found your way to bourbon Nirvana.
The first sip delivers an exceptionally balanced vanilla, nuanced and seamlessly blended with velvety caramel notes. The bourbon is gently rounded and backed by the hazy spice of fallen leaves and a faint touch of charred foliage.
The addition of wheat in the mash bill likely gives this bourbon its soft and rich feel on the palate. Elijah Craig’s Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey’s four-grain mash bill includes corn, wheat, rye and malted barley. It’s aged 8 to 12 years in new white American Oak and distilled in Bardstown, Kentucky
The softness, the balance of caramel, vanilla and spicy heat, the roundness: all are flawlessly present. Yet a great part of this bourbon’s undeniable appeal is its sincere presentation. It’s refreshing when a bourbon’s authority is understated. The whiskey’s a gorgeous dark topaz color, yet its bottle is modest, without sharp angles, flashy labels or an extra-heavy glass bottom. What’s more, Elijah Craig is gently priced.
Who needs to show-off when the bourbon in the bottle offers such an unusual balance of flavor and warmth? Elijah Craig aficionados are a discerning bunch. Once you find a superlative Kentucky sipping whiskey like Elijah Craig, there’s no need to shout about it. You may keep it on the down low, or just share it with your besties.
BROWSE ELIJAH CRAIG'S BOURBONS
JIM BEAM KENTUCKY Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the best selling bourbon in the world and it’s also very affordable. What’s more, it’s 80 proof, and it’s been around since 1795. The mash bill may be a family secret but the brand is not shy about touting their line-up of flavored bourbons, including Jim Beam Apple, Vanilla, Maple, Peach, Kentucky Fire, Honey and Red Stag.
So, if you’re looking for an inexpensive bourbon with the distinction of being the best selling bourbon in the world, this is the one for you.
Popularity has its own appeal for some, and others may want a bourbon they can guiltlessly use for mixed drinks or recipes. When it comes to Jim Beam’s taste, La Bourbonessa finds it on the light side, and that includes appearing lighter in color next to its friends on the bourbon shelf. It may lack richness, complexity and character, but, sometimes you might just feel like a little straight, inexpensive bourbon—just like you feel like a plain slice of pizza. This bourbon certainly has its place.
Since it’s so attractively priced, Jim Beam Kentucky straight Bourbon would also be an excellent choice, if you, like many budding bakers during Covid times, are filling your hours trying out new recipes for cookies and cakes.
Recently, I had the chance to make my own vanilla extract and I was surprised how well it turned out.
It’s easy to make, though it takes a few weeks for the vanilla to infuse into the bourbon.
You’ll need a small bottle with a tight lid, a couple of fresh vanilla pods, and bourbon.
HOMEMADE BOURBON VANILLA EXTRACT
1. Pour the bourbon into a small bottle.
2. Slit the vanilla pods lengthwise to expose the seeds (I use several pods to a bottle. The more pods, the stronger the extract will become) and add to the bottle, trimming them to fit if necessary.
3. Close the bottle and give it a shake.
4. Keep the bottle in a dark cabinet and shake it occasionally. Open it up to taste and smell the extract from time to time. When you’ve got the right amount of vanilla flavor in the bourbon base, you can start to use your extract. You’ll be pleased with the results.
Wild Turkey Longbranch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
What if Wild Turkey’s master distiller, Eddie Russell, enlisted the taste-making cred of a Texan as genuine as all git-out--Matthew McConaughey--to ‘still up a small batch Kentucky bourbon with a little bit of Texas in the mix? Sip Wild Turkey Longbranch and you’ll find out. At 86 proof, with a mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% barley, it sneaks in with notes of vanilla and nutmeg and goes down easy.
You’ll taste traces of spice and citrus and perhaps you’ll hanker for the richness and body of the higher proof Wild Turkey you’re used to, bless your heart. You may even start to wonder about those charred mesquite whispers of the Lone Star State they promised.
Now, La Bourbonessa would swear on a stack of cocktail napkins that she wondered, too. In fact, at the outset, she thoroughly expected to be smacked in the kisser by a charcoal smoke bomb. But as she sipped her Longbranch and sipped again and rolled it around her dainty mouth—Lo! There was just a subtle hint of smokiness at the finish, and La Bourbonessa had to squint to find it. This Longbranch small batch is a downright appealing lower proof bourbon. It does Wild Turkey proud.
Speaking of appealing: The handsome Longbranch bottle looks an awful lot like a tapered torso, and with a touch of imagination, it even has shoulders. So, thank you Eddie Russell for doing a first rate job of incorporating a subtle Texas touch to this bourbon, and thank you Mr. McConaughey for giving a long established brand a little something special-- and inspiring a bottle with a standout physique.
Rough Rider Cask Strength Bourbon, “The Happy Warrior” 114 proof
Speak Softly, and carry an ice cube.
Theodore Roosevelt--TR--and his posse colloquially known as the Rough Riders-- appear to be the inspiration for the very fine bourbons Long Island Spirits produce at their distillery on the North Fork of Long Island in Suffolk County. Rough Riders aside, their small batch, limited release Cask Strength “The Happy Warrior” bourbon is anything but rough. A little bit spicy, perhaps: The high rye mash bill—60 percent corn, 35 percent rye, and 5 percent barley, gives the bourbon a lovely piquant note, but the overall experience is splendidly delicious, smooth and warm. This is a rare, layered beauty, delivering notes of vanilla, dulce de leche and complexity.
Each year, the distillery releases a very limited quantity--fewer than a couple of hundred cases—of The Happy Warrior. After initially aging its straight bourbon in new oak barrels, Long Island Spirits hand picks five barrels to age for another 4 to 7 years in French oak casks from local wineries that they’ve rinsed with high proof brandy. When the angels are smiling, Long Island Spirits bottles The Happy Warrior straight from the cask (which means that no water is added) at 114 proof.
TR is known for the expression, “Speak softly, but carry a big stick.” When it comes to The Happy Warrior, you can whisper, “Hello, gorgeous” and carry a glass and an ice cube. That’s all you’ll need.
Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select
Whisky?
Bourbon?
Tennessee whiskey?
It doesn’t matter what you call it, but if it’s Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Tennessee Whiskey, chances are, you’ll call it delicious. This is a connoisseur's bottle, first introduced in 1997 by the distillery that produces the top-selling whiskey in the world. According to the label, Single Barrel Select is,” the signature offering in our single barrel collection". Though it technically qualifies as bourbon, the Jack Daniel’s brand prefers to keep its Lynchburg, Tennessee origins front and center, hence Tennessee whiskey. But—Tennessee Shmennessee--let's agree that what's important is that Single Barrel Select ismellow, smooth and smells like heaven.
The Single Barrel Select is 94 proof and perfectly expresses the particular softness of its high-corn mash bill-- 80% corn, 12 % malted barley and 8 % rye—coupled with JD’s renowned “Lincoln County Process”. This process entails dripping distilled Jack Daniel’s through charcoal made from sugar maple that’s been soaked with 140 proof Jack Daniel’s whiskey. The result is then aged for around 4 to 7 years in new charred oak barrels. For their single barrel bottlings, Jack Daniel’s selects barrels from the top tier of the rickhouse.
What impressed me most about the Single Barrel Select is the luscious nose. Once I poured some Single Barrel Select into my favorite wide-mouthed shot glass and held it under my nose, I felt I could go on smelling it forever. Cherry was evident, and banana, too, gently prevailing over the caramel, and toasty vanilla notes you might expect. When I finally broke the spell and sipped, the flavors blended subtly with a definite sweetness, and a smooth mouth-feel that made this whiskey very easy to drink.
So, pour it, smell it, sip it and don’t forget to look at it. This version of Jack Daniel’s comes in a beautiful Victorian-style bottle with a square bottom and a fluted neck.
The only thing left is to find yourself a wide-mouthed shot glass and enjoy some of Tennessee’s finest.
By Barbara Chapman, La Bourbonessa
SHOP NOW:
Jack Daniel's Single Barrel 67 Wine 75th Anniversary Bottling 94 Proof
0 products
