BOTM, 8/06: A.H. Hirsch 16yo

Nice to hear from you Ed.

I accept that you can't do "taste notes" but can you say why you like the whiskey, just in your own words?

Gary

Gary, it's hard to say. It's like saying I like an orchestral piece, without knowing the various instruments and their relative contributions to the whole piece. To me, Hirsch 16 hits all the right notes, but I just cannot name them! Presumably, it has vanilla , but it really doesn't smell like the whole bottle of vanillin crystals I have in lab (which, BTW, smells fabulous). The rye is there, but I just don't equate rye with spice. In fact, I am having Old Overholt as I type this and the nose is massively cherries: this is probably the strongest and clearest connection I have ever made. (Not to threadjack, but I think you are right on the money about Old Overholt: the current product is much better than that of several years ago (which was OK: my first rye). Thanks for that tip off!)

Thanks Ed, that does help. I always like to hear what people think of whiskey in their own words. Vanilla and fruit (albeit "modified" as you said) are certainly characteristics of many whiskeys. There are so many ways to look at whiskey and ultimately, as chemistry. Doug showed me an older distiller's text at Jim's at his party. I was dumbfounded at the complexity and sophistication of the chemical analyses shown of whiskey-making at every stage. There are many ways to look at it even in the conventional verbal ways.

Gary

I have had a few pours of this fine bourbon this month and like the full maturity of the flavor. I hate that I really like this because it will not be available in the future.

bj

Fortunately, we should have a good supply of this bourbon down in the south into the near future. Tonight I am enjoying a pour after dinner. The mint quality is very present, so I got the idea of having a bite of chocolate with a sip. WOW! It's wonderful. So much so that my non bourbon drinking wife LOVED the combination. I'm trying to work up some sort of desert that will pair very well with this bottle. I'm thinking something including fresh mint and dark chocolate to serve with an after dinner pour of Hirsch. Mmmmm....

Ah, genius ...

Just bought a bottle of Hirsch 16 today on recommendation of manager at Sam's. Will be trying it soon. Glad to read the comments.

I'm a big fan of the Hirsch 16yo, and that's my problem. Because some day it'll all be gone. What do I do? I'm starting to look for something else.

So what is comparable? So far, I've heard that PVW 15/20, ER101, or ERSB are good contenders. What I'm seeking is that cognac-like taste with complexity and the feeling that the whiskey makes my whole mouth come alive with delight, yet doesn't corrode my esophagus afterwards.

Comments would be very welcome.

Any of the above would be good, also ER17 and Van Winkle Lot B.

Is OCPR comparable? Understand, I don't just mean really good, but comparable to the Hirsch 16 in flavor and mouth experience?