The secret is out! Westside Market in Merrill has a fantastic liquor department!
If you’re a bourbon lover like I am, it’s worth the trip to Westside Market in Merrill!
They have one of the BEST bourbon selections in Central Wisconsin! This month, I had the opportunity to sample the following:
CALUMET 15, OLD FORESTER 1910, FOUR ROSES Single Barrel & DRIFTLESS GLEN
Here’s my thoughts on each bottle:
CALUMET 15: Did you know, the horse that won the Kentucky Derby “Rich Strike” was purchased from Calumet Farms for ONLY $30,000!?
I think that horse made a little bit of $$$! This bottle is ONE of my favorites.
Color | Deep amber throughout with shimmering highlights of copper and sun-yellow
Nose | Upon Uncorking: notes of oak and wood char are notable
Nose | After Breathing: complex scents of dark fruit and sweet corn
Taste | Bold flavors of oak, aged spice and toasted grains are present while toffee and a subtle smoky-sweetness roll across the palate
Finish | A lingering finish mellows, leaving sweet tobacco and rye flavors with a slightly dry mouth feel
OLD FORESTER 1910: This bottle is a FLAVOR BOMB & a MUST have in my collection at all times! It’s a double oaked bourbon! Meaning they put it into a second barrel after it’s aged in the first.
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AROMA
Interlaced layers of buttercream, sticky toffee, cedar, and apricot.
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TASTE
Smooth, well rounded mingling of sweet oatmeal raisin cookie and milk chocolate leading into caramel corn and evolving spice.
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FINISH
Charred oak leads with a clean peripheral spice.
***And, if you’re curious why the bottle says 1915, I bought a bottle of Old Forester 1910 & 1920 and mixed them together! It’s FANTASTIC!
FOUR ROSES Single Barrel: For the $$$ on this bottle, it’s worth every cent! Remember, every single barrel is different! That’s why this bottle is so unique!
NOSEDried spice, pear, cocoa, vanilla and maple syrup.
PALATEHints of ripe plum and cherries, robust, full body, mellow.
FINISHSmooth and delicately long.
DRIFTLESS GLENN: And last, I had to do a Wisconsin bourbon! Did you know Driftless Glenn has their distillery in Baraboo!? I had to opportunity to visit last Fall & it was AMAZING! They have an entire lineup of spirits. And, their Vodka is ONE of my FAVORITES as well! I highly encourage you to take a tour!
Driftless Glenn Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey is their flagship spirit. These small batches consist of about twenty barrels, hand-selected by their distillers, and combined together. This is bottled at 96 proof.
Balanced and full-bodied, this small batch of carefully selected barrels is non-chill filtered to preserve its subtle spice and notes of caramel and vanilla.
The next time you make the trip to Merril, WI make sure to stop by Westside Market in Merrill and ask for Mark! He will point you in the right direction!
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