Orders are available for pick-up at Restaurant Nicholas at 160 Route 35 South Red Bank, NJ 07701 during the following times:
Monday: 9:30-3:30; Tuesday – Friday: 9:15am – 9:00pm; Saturday: 11:00am – 9:00pm; Sunday: Closed
$54.00
Selecting barrels during the pandemic has been about as challenging as you would think. This is where relationships with distillers becomes even more important. Now that the bourbon shortage has reached a fever pitch, they turn away 100 requests for single barrels for every one that they accept. Clearly I’ve been in the “one” category. Well that “one” isn’t good enough. You really want to be the first of all the “ones”. What the hell does that mean?
The master distiller will select his favorite 20 or 30 barrels for all of us “one’s” to select from. Obviously the first “one” to select will get the best of the best. This was the exact situation when I selected our Knob Creek single barrel of bourbon with Master Distiller Fred Noe.
All 20 that I tasted were outstanding, but I really think I grabbed the best of the lot before anyone else got a chance to taste .
The barrel I selected was born on 9/28/11 (yep, this is a 10 year old private barrel). It rested in what I call the “heart of the good stuff” in warehouse Z on floor 3. Bottled at 120 proof.
One other benefit of being first is I was the first to beg for a Single barrel of Knob Rye. Stay tuned next month to see how well I begged 😉
Tasting Note:
Nose: Toasted oak, vanilla, caramel and fresh baked banana bread.
Palate: Hints of leather toasted marshmallow, maple and caramelized banana. The finish is long and lingering with just the right amount of burn.
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The third release of three batches from Booker’s Bourbon 2023 Collection is Booker’s Batch 2023-03 ‘Might Fine Batch.’ These mini-releases have become extremely popular, and for good reason. “The vanilla and brown sugar sweet notes come through very well from the white oak barrels this bourbon aged in for over seven years. The taste is great and full bodied; when I added a splash of water, it opened up some great flavors, with a finish that gives a lovely “Kentucky Hug. My Dad would say that this is a Mighty Fine batch of Booker’s.” -Fred Noe
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90 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Xavier Vignon’s brand spanking new CDR 100% is a thing of beauty. It’s already got a blessing from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate who described this wine as, “Full-bodied, concentrated and supple”. This is a gorgeous and intricate blend that features all of the Southern Rhone appellations. This year, the blend was 40% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah, 7% Cinsault, 7% Marselan, 6% Terret Noir. Nobody can do it like the mad scientist, Xavier Vignon.
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