Quoted from jwilson:
Not sure I ever shared this particular bottle here.
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At first glance of the bottle, it looks like something you'd find in a diorama from a far future museum that re-creates an average American's basement rumpus room from the mid 1970's. Having never seen an intact bottle of Jack Daniels or Jim Beam, these future historians can only guess what a whiskey bottle looked like, based on blurry polaroids and a faded Universal Studio movie prop.
The black label with its multiple, mis-matched old timey typefaces, the stock photo of someone who might be Buffalo Bill and the odd, vaguely flag-ish crest surrounding the "3" in the age designation might fool the casual observer from a distance, but up close the spell is broken by the measurement in centilitres versus millilitres, the broken english on the side label and the final tell that this isn't your Ole Grand Dad - the french language description on the back.
Originally I thought this was just some Cuban knock-off whiskey they called "Bourbon", even though there's strict laws about what you can call that, because FUCK AMERICA, but on closer inspection it is actually the genuine article. The french label on the back shows the original importer as Slaur International, a French company that private labels a number of different distilled spirits, but extensive googling couldn't turn up any useful information on this fine bottle, other than it's something that exists and can be potentially purchased outside of Cuba. The original distillery also eludes me, given that the traditional source of private label bourbon is actually located in Indiana, and this one clearly states "produce of US" and "Imported from Kentucky". Perhaps it's Heaven Hill, or Wild Turkey.
Either way, this bottle has made quite a journey from the rolling hills of Kentucky, to Le Havre, France, then to a little shop in Varadero, Cuba in order to avoid the US embargo. Now it sits in my collection in Toronto, Canada. All told this 700ml bottle has travelled approximately 16,362.03km (10,166.89mi) from its humble home to mine.
Retail price was 15.30 CUC, the local tourist-only currency. That's roughly $20.67CAD. For comparison, I don't believe there's a single bottle of bourbon cheaper than $40 at the LCBO, so it was quite the value based on price.
So, that's the backstory. Perhaps you'd like to know how it rates?
ABV: 40% Colour: Amber
Nose: Strong alcohol smell, much stronger than you'd expect from the ABV. More medicinal than fragrant. Hints of wood, but mostly cough syrup.
Taste: Harsh on the tongue - I suspect the ABV is more of a understatement than a reality. Spicy in a bad way, all heat and no flavour like a hot sauce from a capsaicin competition. I had instant regrets.
Finish: If only it worked like it smelled, and prevented coughing. The aftertaste was metallic, like sucking a penny. My left eye was involuntarily closed for a full 30 seconds. Excessive blinking required for a further minute after.
Conclusion: If this is three years old, I'll eat my hat. I would guess it's barely two years old and they accidentally let some methanol slip into the mix to add some flavour to what is clearly the cheapest rot gut since Prohibition. I can only imagine how bad the original barrels were if the end result of the blending tastes like this. Truly the worst bourbon I've ever had, and I've had Wild Turkey Honey. Even throwing it in some Coke didn't save it.
But, it's a hell of a conversation piece!
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