Castle & Cairn

Located at the site of the historic Old Taylor distillery, Castle and Key is known for being one of the most lovely production facilities in the industry. The distillery gets its modern name from its distinctive castellated look, the outcome of the style and marketing savvy of one Col. E.H. Taylor Jr. (yes that one of yellow tube Buffalo Trace fame) and key shaped springhouse water source. In coming up for a name for my blog, I did not realize that there was already a notable "Castle &" in whiskey. Unfortunately, the property went through a period of long decline after prohibition, becoming overgrown and neglected. Reopening the distillery in 2018 required a $30+ million, four-year, restoration project to reclaim the site from the Kentucky forest, but the results are incredible. Their Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey  joins a lineup which features a wheat bourbon, rye whiskey, gin, vodka, and numerous limited releases.  Credit: castleandkey.com  🛒 Sourced:  $33....

In what is in my mind one of the great collaborations in the history of whiskey, Atlanta's ASW distillery has teamed up the legendary Big Green Egg to put out a series of individual barrels, riffs on ASW's Georgia Heartwood bourbon plus hand harvested staves toasted or charred on a BGE ceramic cooker. Master Distiller Justin Manglitz selected these staves from timber in Habersham County, GA before toasting (indirect heat) or charring (direct heat) on the egg using hickory charcoal. So far, they have done a number of single barrels and eggspanded to the current small batch product, each varying slightly in design, intent, and taste. This is bottle #743 from the "Short Toast Release" (barrel picks with ASW usually yield around 190 bottles). To my knowledge, there have been at least three single barrels and the same number of batched editions, so I imagine they'll keep the series going. 🛒 Sourced:  $79.99 Tower Beer, Wine & Spirits, GA 750ml - a third Atlanta ...

This French-Roast style pod from Peet's is one of the more intense flavors available. Nerissimo is designed to remind you of the full-throated punch of a French-Roast or traditional Italian. It produces a relatively thick creme or a Nespresso pod and is supposed to be indulgent.  🌍 Origin:  Latin America, 100% Arabica 🔥 Roast Level: 11 out of 12 on the Nespresso Scale 🧪 Brew Method:  Nespresso Original Line Espresso 40ml 👃 Nose:  Not much on the nose, a small bit of smoke or vegetable char.  👅 Palate:  Bittersweet with a semi-viscous mouthfeel, not overly potent. I would say it is certainly over-roasted and was surprised by the flavor intensity which was not particularly strong. Profile is largely one-dimensional and exclusively roast. 💦 Finish : There is a nice bitter melon in a brief flash as you swallow, the best part of this experience in my opinion. 🏆  Score:  2.25/10 - Fine - As an economy buy on deep discount, these are probabl...

This Nespresso Original Line pod  is an at-home attempt to copy the success of Starbuck's Blonde Espresso, developed over five decades of sourcing and blending to create a "boldly mellow" second option for those who find the standard Starbucks Espresso too roasty or "burnt".  🌍 Origin:  Blend of Latin America and East Africa, primarily the former. 100% Arabica. 🔥 Roast Level:  Light - 6/12 intensity on the Nespresso Scale. 🧪 Brew Method:  Nespresso Original Line Espresso 40ml. Does not hold up well as a Lungo. 👃 Nose:  Slightly bitter with notes of biscuit, underripe berry. 👅 Tasting Notes:  Smooth with some sweetness, crisp tea cookie, minimal berry fruit but some citrus.  🏆  Score:  3/5- Good, Serviceable -  It's not particularly remarkable and does fall short of the in-store Starbucks Blonde experience but not unreasonably so. You do get some solid fruit flavors without the overly roasty, malty, or cereal bit...