Premix Party – Barchef & Founder’s Original

This one’s going to be a little messy. Steph, Dan & I reviewed the Founder’s Original – Dan discovered he does not like Old Fashioneds and bowed out of the Barchef review – fair dinkum. Steph suggested we have some people by – these things are made for parties.

So we invited some interesting Ottawa people and had a little all-Toronto beverage tasting. The notes for the first reviews are in the standard format, but from the party we got more of a freestyle group effort. Thanks to @ALL_CAPS, @psyoureanidiot, @hipfleminski, @CNDavies & @TheSPearson! Here’s what we thought:

Founder’s Original Old Fashioned

nose
Dan – eggnog & old person aftershave, cinnamon hearts
Simon – smells like citrus beard oil/balm
Steph – caramel, apple pie, oak, varnish, man-crush fresh
Party notes – definitely old fashioned, vanilla, smells woody

neat/ice
Dan – sweet, caramel, full on. cinnamon hearts
Simon – very strong, well put together, burning brush, leather, orange
Steph – orange, flavour is very strong on tongue
Party notes – sweeter, whisky for sure, very whisky, cinnamon, weird nuttiness, syrupy thick

finish
Dan – very syrupy
Simon – kind of fresh
Steph – would work with a burnt orange peel
Party notes – long, bitter

overall – flavour evolves as you drink it – needs ice and time. for a premix not bad, at least as good as a regular bar. good for camping. but versus straight whisky 4/10.
Dan – 4/10 – Dan doesn’t like Old Fashioneds.
Simon – 7/10
Steph – 8/10
Party notes – 7.5/10

Founder’s Original Barrel Aged Old Fashioned – 40% 200ml – $14.95 – Toronto

Try it? Yes. Buy it? Yes.

Next up we have Barchef’s Toasted Old Fashioned, a collaboration between a Toronto cocktail bar and Stalk & Barrel whisky.  In general this came across as more floral than Founder’s Original, with a bit of a wider response as well. Here’s what we thought:

nose – citrus, essential oils, orangey, bubblegum, sweet, less, cinnamon, all of grandma’s apartment, marshmallow

neat/ice – mace, very light, potpourri, good mouth feel, caramel, pineapple, sweet assault on my mouth, pannacotta

finish – short, sweet, light

overall – 5/10 – 8/10, kind of like thrills gum, good for a house party

Barchef Toasted Old Fashioned – 38.9% 375ml – $24.90 – Toronto

Try it? Yes. Buy it? Well…

We closed off the night with Founder’s Original Seville Orange Bourbon Sour and while I don’t have structured notes I can say we liked these a lot. A lot. At 5% they’re easy drinking, no gut rot. Good for a fall barbeque.

Founder’s Reserve Seville Orange Bourbon Sour – 5% 473ml – $3.25 – Toronto

Try it? Yes. Buy it? Definitely.

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