Sommelier Tries 10 Whiskeys Under $50

[Andre Hueston Mack] It seems like it should be served

in, like, some Halloween cocktail

now that it's, like, settling in my stomach and very heavy.

You know, it feels like I've just had,

like, a cup of coffee.

You think this is a shot thing?

Jesus.

Hey, I'm Sommelier Andre Hueston Mack

and today I'm gonna be tasting whiskeys

[cash register dings] under $50.

The world of whiskey is pretty large.

The more that you learn about it,

the more likely that you are

[whiskey pouring] to find something

that you enjoy.

[mellow upbeat music]

As a Sommelier,

we're in charge of anything liquid in the restaurant.

Cocktails, spirits, cooking wine for the chef,

non-alcoholic beverage,

that all falls into the realm of a Sommelier.

So, I have tons of whiskey here in front of me

from all over the world.

Whiskey is a category of spirits,

basically distilled grain.

What makes whiskey different within this broad category

is how it's fermented, how it's aged,

what kind of grains you use,

even down to what type of water you use.

All these things are manifested differently

in all these whiskeys as far as flavor, aromas, and taste.

And that's what we're gonna be exploring today.

We'll start with America first.

Jim Beam, [cash register dings]

Straight Kentucky Bourbon.

And I think this is what most Americans know about.

In order for it to have the designation

of Kentucky Straight,

it has to be aged at least two years and be from Kentucky.

In order for it to be Bourbon,

it has to be at least 51% corn.

That's gonna give it its nuance and taste.

And for today, since we're just gonna taste and evaluate,

a rocks glass and neat is the perfect way to execute that.

For wine, you know,

I talk about, Get your nose in there, right?

So, you would sniff here,

but with alcohol,

because of the high alcohol content and the vapors,

that's a little bit too close.

I feel like a lot of times that burns your nose hair.

So, when we're nosing whiskey,

rest the top part of the glass on the bridge of your nose.

And then, also, I like to tell people

that they should crack their mouth a little bit.

You should inhale through your nose

and exhale through your mouth.

That really kind of opens up your olfactory senses

and you can get a better sense of what you're smelling.

There's caramel, a little bit of cucumber,

just a little bit.

Vanilla, rich, cinnamon, baking spices, round, full body.

And so now, we will taste.

[glass clinks on table]

Man, I must be a pro. That went down so easy. [chuckles]

Lots of vanilla, lots of caramel,

and then, like, just a slight bit of citrus

on the finish.

A lot of the vanilla and those components

that you're getting,

the wood spice and all those things,

all the seasoning,

really comes from its time in the barrel.

And so, for bourbon,

it has to be in new, charred oak barrels.

Generally, you know, they make barrels from staves of wood

and then they put the middle rings around it

to kind of hold it in place

and then they turn it upside down

and then they light it on fire

and that's to toast the inside of the barrel

to kind of activate the oils in the barrel

and stuff like that for it to give off aromas.

If I was gonna give somebody a textbook example

of bourbon at a certain price point, this is it.

This is quality and it's kind of stood the test of time.

Next up, [cash register dings]

we have Woodford Reserve Bourbon.

So, this is also straight Kentucky bourbon,

double the price of Jim Beam.

It's probably a smaller batch.

Jim Beam, for lack of a better term, is mass-produced.

And then this, this is actually 90-proof,

whereas Jim Beam was 80.

Generally speaking, on the craft side,

the higher the proof, you pay for it.

Oak barrels are definitely a big expense.

The longer that it's aged, you pay for that.

If it was aged in oak barrels

for three years, four years, five years, six years,

that's six years that you don't get to recoup your money.

So, I'd say, right off the bat,

the color is somewhat darker

and that could be due to the aging process.

By law, they're not allowed to add any type of coloring

or caramel coloring or anything like that.

It's a lot more subtle.

It almost feels a little bit more mellow and chill.

As whiskeys start to age,

they become a little bit more mellow, if you would.

Sandalwood, it's definitely something that I get.

There's vanilla, but not like, over the top vanilla.

Citrus, but, like, more of an orange peel.

That feels like an adult beverage,

like, compared to Jim Beam.

Like, you know,

two different things at two different price points,

[cash register dings]

but to me, right off the bat, just smelling it,

it just smells entirely different.

It just feels like it's grown up, it's mature.

The wood and the smoke all seem

to be pretty well integrated and, like, and refined.

I like this whiskey.

I think it's decent and I think it's readily available

for the people out here who want to recreate this tasting.

So, next up [cash register dings]

is Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey.

And there are rules to Tennessee whiskey.

It has to be at least 51% corn.

So, it's very much like bourbon,

but it has to be made in Tennessee.

Also, they run it through coal.

You're pulling out some impurities,

but also you're imparting some flavor through charcoal.

That process actually has a name,

it's called Lincoln County Process.

And that filtration really, kind of,

gives Tennessee Whiskey its style.

A kind of brighter, more fruitier taste than, say, bourbon.

You know, it does feel like there's some fruit,

like stone fruit, apricots, grilled, like, nectarine.

Definitely a wood smoke there that you also get.

That's like a old hug right there.

It's just, like, just memories.

I think this is great.

It's not overly alcoholic, it's not big around.

So, the more alcohol that something has,

the more weight that it sits on your pallet,

which means that you get this perception

of a big mouth feel.

This is really approachable, right?

In a way where it's like, not over the top.

There's not like a whole bunch of alcohol,

there's not a whole bunch of wood and smoke.

And with that,

you get to pick up these nuances of fruit.

Part of the Lincoln County Process,

the filtration that they use

is something special to Tennessee Whiskey.

I think it really gives it its style.

Next up, we have [cash register dings]

Knob Creek Straight Kentucky Rye.

So, rye is a grain and in order for it

to have Rye on the label,

it has to be at least 51% of the mash bill.

Mash bill is like a recipe, you know,

it's the composition of the grains.

So, it only has to have 51%,

but this could actually be 90% rye and 5% corn.

Rye tends to have a medium body,

more approachable, more complex.

I'm a huge fan of rye.

I think, within the industry,

that's what bartenders are drinking.

To me, it's kind of the unsung hero.

And by the way, wax dipping is expensive.

On the wine side, we pay somebody $50 an hour to do this,

to hand dip.

[whiskey pouring] [glass clinks]

It smells salty... like sea wind.

Caramel, like a caramel chew.

And then there's a little bit of back end on citrus,

lemon peel.

[coughs] [sniffs]

That's 100 proof.

So that's, that's a big boy.

That packs a wallop.

But you only get it on the back end.

It's like, on the entry

and on the front palate,

pick out a lot of caramel

and then I get like a tad bit of fruit.

There's a little bit of smoke,

but the heat only comes at the end.

And rye notoriously has a spiciness to it

and this bite that people talk about.

But then there's layers and complexities.

So, I feel like bourbon,

it kind of hits you all at once.

Bourbon starts to get, to me,

really gets interesting as it gets older,

where I think, two-year-old rye is way more expressive

and drinks way better than young bourbon.

You should be drinking rye as you wait

or like save your money to buy aged bourbon.

This is a good textbook rye.

Next up,

we have Seagram's Seven Crown Blended American Whiskey.

Obviously, it's American, so it has to be American.

It's blended, so there's other things blended into it,

which probably make it a lot more affordable.

The rules are pretty loose here.

Only 20% of it has to be straight whiskey.

You can add colorings, you can add neutral green spirits.

It's not as a pure product as say something like bourbon is.

This looks entirely different [chuckles]

than anything that we've opened today.

And to be honest with you,

it doesn't look like a natural color.

It looks somewhat fake.

It has more of a brown tinge to it

and it seems off a little bit and slightly cloudy.

And I don't get much on the nose.

A little ethanol.

I get alcohol, a little bit of like sarsaparilla,

like a little bit of like, kind of root beer on it,

but it doesn't give much.

To me,

this is something that belongs in a cocktail

that needs to be dressed up a little bit

and that's really what it's known for.

So, now we're headed to Scotland.

[whoosh] [cash register dings]

This is Johnnie Walker Red Label Blended Scotch Whiskey.

When you say blended,

that means that you're using multiple grain

and it can be from any distillery

and you're blending from different distilleries.

Scotch Whiskey, it has to be from Scotland.

You're using Scottish water from a stream.

It has to be distilled twice.

The more that you distill it,

the more refined it becomes,

more smoother that it becomes,

takes on a little bit more characteristics.

The biggest distinction when we go from American whiskey

to to Scottish whiskey is how they dry the grain.

In Scotland,

they dry the barley with peat

and that imparts a lot of flavor.

And the smokiness and the peatiness,

it's its true calling card.

Once you taste it, you can identify it just right away.

It is so distinct

and I think it's what makes scotch whiskey

one of the most famous in the world.

You can smell the peat

and when I say that, it,

to me it just smells like a bandaid.

It's like iodine kind of.

That's what I smell.

It's herbaceous, it smells kind of spicy.

So I'm inhaling through my nose

and exhaling through my mouth.

It smells like a medicine cabinet at a hospital.

That signature calling card of peat is there.

It is desirable,

especially if you are a scotch person and drink scotch

that is the defining character in it.

I think this is a great scotch,

especially when you're thinking about blended scotch.

This was my introduction,

along with, I think, many people in the world.

We're still in Scotland. [cash register dings]

This is The Glenlivet 12-year-old.

In order for it to be labeled Single Malt,

it has to be 100% malted barley

and from one distillery.

That distillery here is The Glenlivet

and it's a hundred percent barley.

Aged in barrels.

This whiskey has been aged for 12 years.

Definitely reflected in the price.

Looks like whiskey. [whiskey pouring]

Actually, it seems to be a little lighter

if we're thinking about some of the American whiskeys

that we've tasted.

The most identifying thing that's coming out of the glass

is it's scotch whiskey, it's peat, apricots,

stone fruit, peach.

Definitely getting vanilla, oak.

It tastes salty, not in a bad way.

There's a brightness and a kind of a salty quality to it.

And then there's the smoke,

there's the peat, that comes in waves.

Now, I'm tasting more caramel.

Caramel that's like,

like you're making it in the pots.

This is a single malt.

When we talk about blending,

it could be multiple grain and from different distilleries

and then blended together.

Here, this is, you know,

a single expression from one distillery.

If we were, you know, taking this, borrowing from the French

and talking about terroir, a sense of place,

Johnnie Walker Red Label is a blend.

It's a style.

It's gonna taste the same way every single year.

The Glenlivet and what they produce there

is driven by the local water source.

So, it is a more singular expression of scotch whiskey

and something different than blended.

Does this single malt for under 50 bucks,

like, does this slap, does this hit?

Yes.

The Glenlivet is a great example of a single malt.

Now, we're gonna head to Ireland.

[cash register dings]

So, this is Jameson Irish Whiskey.

They're using barley.

But mainly what makes the difference is

when you think about Scotland,

it's dried using peat fires.

In Ireland, they actually use ovens,

so it doesn't give off that effect.

So, think scotch, but a little bit more palatable

and a little bit more in control

without the signature peat.

[whiskey pouring]

And it's a totally different drinking experience

and it's style of its own.

So, it's kind of got

like this kind of nutty component to it,

but also, it smells fresh and bright, somewhat floral.

Might I say, Irish Spring?

You know, you do get alcohol so it has body,

but it's pretty seamless in like an interesting way.

I feel like, at least in my lifetime,

this brand was built in America by taking shots.

To me, like this, you know, deserves

to be in every single lineup of whiskeys

that you can enjoy neat.

And they call it Jamo.

Yeah, let me get a shot of Jamo! [laughs]

We're off to our neighbors up North, Canada.

This is Crown Royal

[cash register dings] Canadian Blended Whiskey.

Canadian whiskey could be a blend of many different grains.

So, Crown Royal is a blend of rye, corn, and barley.

There's no specific requirements

or anything like that regarding the mash bill

and what grains could be used,

which seems interesting in some ways

because you are allowed to add, you know,

coloring, caramel and other things

to enhance your whiskey.

You know, so if you want to make it lighter,

more approachable, or any of those things,

the whiskey can be manipulated by Canadian law.

That doesn't really kind of look

like a color that's found in nature.

There's a glow to it.

And so, that just leads me to believe

that there's been additives added to this.

There is this kind of ginger background, root beer,

but there's sandalwood, there's peaches,

there's stone fruit, there's no smoke,

or it doesn't have a long finish, you know,

it kind of stops mid-palate.

Although I feel like this is more of a spirit

that's much more enjoyed in a cocktail.

Seagram's Seven versus Crown Royal,

the Canadian version of blended whiskey.

It's a step up in quality for sure.

I don't see the value in it

but it is a brand and I think you pay for that.

Other spirits are compared to Crown

and I think that's a lofty position to be in.

So, now we're off to Japan.

This is [cash register dings] Suntory Distillery,

Toki.

Japanese whiskey takes its inspiration from scotch whiskey.

Generally speaking,

there's a hundred percent barley.

They're definitely Japanese houses

that are using peated fuel fires,

taking that inspiration from Scotland

and there's some that are not.

[whiskey pouring] The rules are pretty loose

but we're gonna dive into this one

and give you some thoughts.

So, color, definitely reminds me of scotch,

pretty light and kind of nutty.

Almond, marzipan.

It has the remnants of scotch and that peatiness,

but it definitely has its own thing.

And somehow, it reminds me of Japan.

I'm enjoying this. [laughs]

You know, I'm a geek, I'm a nerd, right?

To be able to taste all of these different whiskeys

side by side and kind of be able to like,

walk through the nuances

and how they're different

and how they can transport you to a place

and an ideology and culture.

It's fun to think about.

You know, in my head, I'm like, going crazy.

Is this representative of all Japanese whiskey?

No, but it is representative in the way of like the style

and its place and where it fits in the world of whiskey.

And there's lots of influences from Scotland

but it's a different version of it

and it's more mellow and laid back.

I think this whiskey's a great representation

of what's being made in Japan.

This is [cash register dings]

Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey.

[laughing] Only in America.

You don't have to guess where it's from.

You know that this is an American product.

Peanut butter whiskey.

I think we just have to jump right into this one.

[whiskey pouring] I can smell it.

I just poured it.

All of this here.

Peanut butter.

Just a, a force field, right here.

Peanut butter.

It doesn't look natural, but not in a bad way.

It does contain peanuts.

It does say it big on the front.

I can smell it right now.

This is the weird thing.

What it really smells like is jelly beans,

but like the buttered popcorn one that they have,

the Jelly Belly,

that's exactly what it smells like.

They all taste artificial, right?

That, that's kind of what this is.

And then, I can smell peanut butter.

It seems like it should be served

in like some Halloween cocktail,

now that it's like settling

in my stomach and very heavy, you know?

It feels like I've just had, like, a cup of coffee.

I don't want to take it out of context.

I don't think that most people are enjoying it this way.

But the taste in evaluating it

on its own to me is quite much.

You think this is a shot thing?

Jesus.

The whiskey world is large

and I think you have to start someplace.

Pick a country, pick a style, put a dart in it,

and start there.

This is not about the finish line

and picking the perfect whiskey

that you would drink every single day.

It's about exploring

and tasting many different whiskeys and enriching your life.

[mellow upbeat music]

[Attendee] Do you spit out whiskey when you're tasting?

Yeah, you're supposed to, but I'm not.

[person laughing]

Not for the first few. - [Attendee] Cool. Good for you.