Category: 2025 Advent cocktails

2025 Advent cocktails

Advent Spirits Day 19: Traveller Whiskey

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Earlier this year I was at a fundraising dinner for some worthy cause (although I confess I don’t remember what the cause was). In the back of the room they had a bunch of tables with silent auction items. Most of them were the usual baskets of stuff purchased from Target and arranged around some theme, like a “movie night” basket with popcorn and nuts and coffee table book of Roger Ebert’s top 100 reviews. Or maybe a “margarita basket” with two plastic margarita “glasses” and a bottle of mixer and some rimming salt. But what caught my eye was a glass decanter in the shape of a motorcycle with a bottle of whiskey to fill it with. This was pretty much the only thing on the table that I couldn’t just go out and easily buy on my own at Target. My bid went unchallenged, and I went home with the decanter and a bottle of Traveller Whiskey. (The British spelling is theirs…which is weird, since it comes from Kentucky.)

All fueled up.

I had never heard of Traveller Whiskey before, but I assumed it was decent, given the minimum bid they had set. (Only now does it occur to me that they might have paired the motorcycle with Traveller Whiskey as a nod to the linking theme of transportation.) In any event, Traveller Whiskey is our Advent Spirit, so we’ll be able to determine whether I was ripped off or not!

Now, Traveller is made by Buffalo Trace, which is a respected pedigree. It’s also another one of those collaborations with a musician–this time a country singer-songwriter named Chris Stapleton. I hadn’t heard of him, but apparently he’s popular and accomplished enough that more culturally-aware people–like yourself–have heard his music. (Evidently he’s known for his cover of the classic country song “Tennessee Whiskey” from his debut album Traveller. So that explains the name…but not the spelling.)

Pour y’all a shot?

Anyway, I still don’t put much stock in which musicians are associated with my whiskey. I just want to know how it tastes. The website isn’t of much help. They say “For this first-of-its-kind collaboration from Buffalo Trace Distillery, Traveller brings together the collective artistry of 11-time Grammy Award-Winning musician Chris Stapleton and Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller, Harlen Wheatley.” They also say, somewhat apropos of nothing, “Traveller Whiskey is the first-ever Official Whiskey of Major League Baseball.” OK….

So I see that the only way we’re going to understand what’s going on with this whiskey is by pouring a shot. Here ‘goes.

Appearance: Whether by design or not, it’s the color of the highlights in Chris Stapleton’s beard.

Aroma: It also smells like Chris Stapleton’s beard. Haha! That was a little joke. It actually smells like his feet.

Taste: Can we please get serious? The taste is decent enough. It’s pretty smooth. This is a blend of various straight whiskies (which must each be aged for at least 2 years). Given that it’s from Buffalo Trace, I’d guess the component whiskies are aged longer than that. This doesn’t feel as “hot” as a young whisky can, and you really taste the layers of oak, toasted nuts, vanilla, and unleavened bread. So put that in your motorcycle and drink it!

Finish: It’s a smooth finish with no burn. It seems to resolve into hot buttered vodka. And that’s a good thing.

Bottom Line: I’d consider adopting this as a staple for my bar. But I’d use it as a mixer, not as a sipper. Now, if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go put some Chris Stapleton on the turntable and see what all the fuss is about.

2025 Advent cocktails · Uncategorized

Advent Spirits Day 18: Boone’s Bourbon

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Have you ever heard of Tyler Boone? Neither had I, but he’s a singer-songwriter of roots/Americana music and, more importantly for our purposes, he’s the founder of a company called Boone’s Bourbon. Now, it would be fair to ask what kind of credentials he brings to the distilling business, and it seems like the answer is “not much.” But that really doesn’t matter, because he isn’t responsible for distilling the stuff. He has that done by a place called Striped Pig Distillery in Charleston, SC. And that’s fine. But it does make one wonder what’s the difference between Boone’s Bourbon and Striped Pig Bourbon. With any luck, we’ll sample some Striped Pig before Advent is over.

There’s a couple of other points to note about Boone’s Bourbon. First, it’s quite strong (117 proof). Most of the other boubons we’ve tasted clock in between 80 and 86 proof. Second, it’s only aged for about 6 months. (They don’t highlight this fact; instead, they say it is “aged to perfection.”) The combination of high alcohol and short aging doesn’t strike me as promising. But there’s only one way to find out…

Appearance: It seems light for a bourbon. It’s a pale yellow, like an uncarbonated Corona beer.

Aroma: There’s not much nose on this at all. I detect a slight whiff of a spent match, backed by a hint of Windex.

Taste: Whoa. That’s definitely high-alcohol. And the alcohol is actually a bit overpowering. But there is some oak on the palate, despite the short time in the barrel. There’s also some toffee and grape seed. But I’d be lying if I didn’t emphasize that the predominant taste is the high-VOC blast of alcohol.

Finish: There’s a lingering burn on the front of the tongue. There’s also a darkening at the edges of your field of vision, but I’m hoping that’s a temporary side effect.

Bottom Line: If you want to get wasted, this is the bourbon for you. But if you are looking for any something that’s actually pleasant to sip, I’d point you towards bourbons that have been aged for at least a few years.

2025 Advent cocktails

Advent Spirits Day 16: El Dorado Rum

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Editor’s Note: I neglected to post this review on Tuesday. You may or may not have missed it. But in the spirit of what The Tubes called The Completion Backwards Principle, I post it now.

You may recall that the first spirit of this Advent calendar was Novo Fogo barrel-aged cachaça. As we discussed way back then, cachaça is essentially a form of rum. Much of it is not aged at all, but the stuff we tried had been aged in oak barrels for two years.

Today we’re going to try honest-to-goodness rum. And it’s not any old rum; what we have here is El Dorado Rum that’s been aged for 12 years. El Dorado is an auspicious name, for at least two reasons. First, as I sit writing this, I am ensconced in El Dorado County (pop: 193,000). Second, it’s the name of a poem that Edgar Allan Poe wrote in his last months among the living.

But as regards the rum, let’s turn to their website:

“The county of Demerara in Guyana has been steeped in the history of sugar and rum production since the 17th century. Today, Demerara Distillers Limited operates the last remaining distillery in Guyana at Plantation Diamond on the East Bank of the Demerara River, after having consolidated all the old original stills and marques which make Demerara Rum so distinctive.

The El Dorado 12 Year Old possesses a rich fruity bouquet of explosive flavours, owing largely to the estery richness acquired from the EHP Wooden Coffey and Metal Coffey Stills.”

OK, so they are touting centuries of history, special stills, and lots of time in the barrel. Let’s splice the mainbrace!

Appearance: A very rich copper color, like a red oak hardwood floor that’s been freshly stained and sealed, before the kids and the dogs and grandma’s walker scratch it up.

Aroma: It’s a delicious aroma, like molasses cookie dough with a little added brandy, per the old Boilard family recipe. I guess a more precise comparison would be to rum balls, but that’s a little too on-the-nose. In any event, it’s sugary and rich, with notes of vanilla and Christmas spices. This seems quite promising indeed.

Taste: It’s as delicious as it smells! It’s got the full, round flavor of the aforementioned molasses cookies, with secondary tastes of orange peel and clove. The sweetness is balanced by the taste of salted nuts (the cheap, indistinguishable mix that my mom bought for my birthday parties) and a strong (but not harsh) alcohol astringency. It’s nothing fancy, but it has some complexity and it’s enjoyable to sip.

Finish: As opposed to the orange peel on the palate, the finish has a little bitterness like orange pith. It also has a bit of an alcohol burn, but what do you expect from straight rum?

Bottom Line: Yo-ho-ho! I would drink this Nelson’s Blood on a chilly night. It’s 80 proof, which is the same as most bourbons or Scotches. I may work it into my regular rotation.

2025 Advent cocktails · Uncategorized

Advent Spirits Day 17: Big Horn Bourbon Whiskey

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It’s an odd-numbered day, so it must be time for another bourbon…

Today we have something called Big Horn Bourbon Whiskey. The last two words seem a little redundant; they remind me of the irritating phrase “cash money.” Or “50 percent off discount.” Or “a Cadillac car.” You get my point.

Anyway, this Big Horn Bourbon (Whiskey) comes from a place called Willie’s Distillery, in Ennis, Montana. None of that sounds reassuring. The bourbon has claimed a few awards, which are featured prominently on the website. But they were received a decade ago; what have you done for me lately? Here’s their sales pitch:

“Bighorn Bourbon is a superior blend of fine bourbons of varying ages. [Editor’s note: I take this to mean most of the component spirits are younger than my unborn grandson.] Named for the majestic Rocky Mountain Bighorn Ram, this smooth spirit is unbeatable on the rocks but also mixes perfectly in your favorite whiskey cocktail or in one of our signature drinks below.”

And so, with trepidation, let’s do our tasting.

Appearance: It’s lighter than most bourbons we’ve tasted so far, perhaps owing to the (presumably) short time in the barrel. I’d say it’s the color of your standard commercial jet fuel.

Aroma: Inoffensive, even pleasant. It’s the smell of unseasoned microwave popcorn doused with lots of olive oil.

Taste: All together now: “Steve was right.” This stuff is way too young to be a proper bourbon. It tastes like moonshine. There’s no depth, no character. Just a lot of corn flavor, with an alcohol burn.

Finish: Your esophagus will be. Finished, that is.

Bottom Line: Some of you may assume I’m making this sound worse than it is for dramatic effect. And you would be wrong.

2025 Advent cocktails

Advent Spirits Day 15: Broken Boundaries Bourbon

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Over the past couple of weeks I have wondered how spirits are selected for this Advent calendar. Do distillers pay to get their spirits included? Does The Mixologer (the company that makes the calendar) actually have a particular standard they are applying when the select the spirits? And why are approximately half of them bourbon?

That last question is explained on The Mixologer’s website, where they explain “Our team of mixologists have [sic] hand selected 24 uniquely delicious spirits for your enjoyment. We know many of you are bourbon aficionados so 50% of the selections are premium bourbons.” Now, how they know how many of their potential customers will be bourbon aficionados is unexplained, but it’s probably circular reasoning. It seems that bourbon aficionados would be drawn to an advent calendar that is heavily tilted in the bourbon direction.

Anyway, I do think I’ve discovered why one particular spirit was included. And it’s today’s spirit: Broken Boundaries Bourbon.

For as I was looking up info on this spirit, I learned that it’s sold by The Mixologer–i.e., it’s sold by the same company that makes the Advent calendar. Of course, that’s not necessarily a problem. In fact, if they didn’t include their own bourbon, I would question why. So, let’s see what they have to say about it on their website:

“We didn’t start The Mixologer to be defined by boundaries. With great customers as our guide, we’ve always been determined to build world-class spirit products, fighting through the barriers. We aim to be bold and fearless in all our adventures. And we hope to invite you along for our fun ride into the unknown. [It has] notes of vanilla, brown sugar, caramel, tobacco, and good times. [It is] aged 5 years. Mash Bill: 66% corn, 20% malted barley, and 14% rye.” I would add that this is 90 proof, which is on the high side for a bourbon.

OK, as usual the first three sentences tell us nothing. “We aim to be bold and fearless in all our adventures.” Whatever, dude. But again, let us not be distracted from the litmus test, which is: What’s the stuff actually like? Here we go:

Appearance: It’s the color of organic apple cider vinegar that some kid dropped a Runt apple candy into, thus giving it a very slight red cast.

Aroma: Unlike some other bourbons from past weeks, this one has a pronounced aroma. (And aroma is pronounced əˈroʊmə). I smell toasted marshmallow-flavored Jelly Belly, vanilla, and a fresh-baked bialy. It’s actually quite appealing.

Taste: Yuck! This tastes nothing like what I expected. It’s very vegetal, like maybe asparagus or Brussels sprouts or something else I hated as a kid. Could this bourbon have possibly gone bad? Seriously, this is not how a bourbon should taste. It’s like eating a salad that has some mystery ingredient that you can’t quite place, but that you know doesn’t belong there, and it therefore ruins the whole meal. It’s like when you store leftover banana cream pie in a Tupperware container, but the container has been forever imprinted with the sardines that you accidentally left in it at the back of the fridge for a year, and thus your lasagna acquires that disgusting, overpowering flavor note. In a word, this is foul.

Finish: The finish is mainly just a sense of relief that the offending spirit has exited your mouth and is being converted to harmless urine.

Bottom Line: I think we’ve seen how “boundaries” sometimes are a good thing, and shouldn’t be broken.