Originally intended to document my experience of DeLorean ownership, focus is often radical and strange, boring and obtuse.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Jim Beam Red Stag Black Cherry Bourbon

PhotobucketI don't really live a life full of vice, but one of my kryptonites is cherry-flavoured beverages. Cherry Coke, Wild Cherry Pepsi and for the love of God, the best of the best, Cherry Dr Pepper.

Unfortunately I live in Canada, whose importing authorities see cherry-flavoured drinks as a sort of deadly violation of the Canada Food Guide and avoid it.

When a friend told me the LCBO was carrying Jim Beam Red Stag, I jumped on it. Why? Red Stag is Jim Beam's Black Cherry flavoured Kentucky bourbon, aged four years. Not only did I get one, but I got it on sale: $25. (It was a limited offering in 2011 and is currently not available at the LCBO.)

I like bourbon and adding cherry flavour to it would only deepen our bond, I was sure. Did my fingers tremble as I cracked it open? Maybe a little.

The nose was strong. Alcohol, medicinal cherry and bourbony. Not so promising.

There's a tired line I've avoided all my life. It's so effortless to say something "tastes like cherry cough syrup!" I tend to really like cherry cough syrup, so this descriptor doesn't work for me. But the taste was so medicinal that I couldn't help but think, "Now I know what people are talking about when they say cherry cough syrup!"

My wife gave it a try and to my surprise thoroughly enjoyed it. Based on this I gave it a second chance. And a third. Fourth. Fifth. Nope. It was awful. It tasted like two separate drinks in my mouth, one being some sort of Robitussin product which came close to overwhelming the second, bourbon.

Did I get a bad bottle? I'll never know.

I would liken Red Stag to a DeLorean barn-find. It's exciting to discover it, but there are just no redeeming qualities about a DeLorean with a rusted frame, dented stainless panels and gummed up fuel injectors.

LCBO sale: $25
750 ml
40% (80 proof)

www.JimBeam.com
www.JimBeam.com/Red-Stag

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6 Comments:

Blogger Martini said...

Seriously though, Canada's great. I'm not really 'unfortunate' to live here.

11:24:00 PM

 
Blogger Lorbo said...

maybe Tif can add that to his pepsi next time we are over??

2:55:00 PM

 
Blogger Martini said...

It's all gone. We've been mixing it in drinks for a year. Suzanne seemed to really like it. I still have American Honey though.

9:25:00 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You bought a bag of charcoal at a place that sells tires?
Ooook....
I haven't grilled with charcoal in ages! And I used to be anti-gas grill! My husband talked me into our gas grill about 30 years ago. But I still wouldn't mind doing a charcoal grill.
Hmmm, I'm calling shenanigans. If it's from Mexico but made in Colorado.....and it was selling for $5.99.....how can you even prove it's natual?
But for $5.99.....buy three bags!

11:38:00 AM

 
Blogger Martini said...

Hahaha! Canadian Tire is like Walmart. They sell everything, with a bigger focus on car stuff and a smaller focus on low prices.

7:17:00 AM

 
Anonymous Dan said...

Just picked up a small (200ml) bottle of this...and it is just as awful as you say it is...I can sort of smell the bourbon on the nose, all that harsh woody oak, and then it is very, very cough syrup-like everywhere else...

Good thing it is only 200ml. I'm wondering, though, whether the remaining 175ml will mix nicely with the remainder of my bottle of 'Old Wild Turkey', which is itself a 50/50 blend of Old Forester Signature 100 and Wild Turkey 81...

2:29:00 PM

 

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