SPY VIP Popular Post GolfSpy Dave Posted July 2, 2021 SPY VIP Popular Post Share Posted July 2, 2021 Dave’s Take: The Clover Whiskey Collection Inspired By Bobby Jones https://www.thecloverwhiskey.com/home Bobby Jones Was Amazing Today I am going to give you my take on The Clover Whiskey Collection, a line of spirits “curated to sustain the legacy of golf’s greatest gentleman and champion.” While tasting bourbon on the clock is pretty darn amazing, learning more about Bobby Jones in the process was even more amazing. Obviously, I knew a bit about Bobby Jones before working on this, but I suppose I just lumped him in with others like Hogan, Hagen, Mackenzie, and so on. Not that those guys are slouches, but they all were filed away in my brain in the “historical golfers” folder. After a bit more reading, it became clear to me that Bobby Jones was ridiculously amazing. Obviously, he was a phenomenal golfer, in 1930 winning the original Grand Slam of championships (US Open, British Open, US Amateur, and British Amateur) at the age of 28. After retiring, he co-founded Augusta National, The Masters, and earned degrees from Georgia Tech (Mechanical Engineering) and Harvard (English). Did I mention he was also an infantry captain on the shores of Normandy in WWII? It’s like a time traveler went to the 20th century and decided to live the most amazing life possible, being the consummate man’s man of the time. It’s said that Mr. Jones also enjoyed three fingers of the local whiskey when he traveled, making The Clover bourbon a perfect product to associate with his legacy. Why The Clover? Again, some of you are more versed in this than I am, but the clover is a reference to Bobby Jones being born on St. Patrick’s Day. Bobby’s mother gave him a four-leaf clover medallion for good luck. He actually wore that medallion during every tournament that he competed in. Obviously, the blessings of the four clover leaves, Hope, Faith, Love, and Luck, served him well as he played. That sounds like the makings of a good toast to me... On To The Spirits The Jones family has sourced The Clover Whiskey Collection from “world-class distilleries whose operations and ownership we respect and admire.” I poked around a bit, and it looks like the original spirits are likely sourced in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana, and then sent to Piedmont Distilleries in North Carolina for proofing and bottling. One interesting thing about all of these whiskeys is that they are all single barrels, meaning no blends. This makes each batch of the spirits unique, meeting the taste requirements of those sampling the barrels. Side bourbon story. Did you know that this is how Pappy Van Winkle works too? I had a friend tell me as we were sampling from his ridiculous collection that the Van Winkle family tastes the barrels in the rick house, selecting the ones that will become Pappy. We were tasting Old Van Winkle and Weller Full Proof at the time. What he told me is that they both start with the same clear spirit, are aged the same period of time, proofed the same, and then the Van Winkle selection makes one Old Rip and the other Weller. Why I bring this up is that the Jones Family selecting the barrels for The Clover makes this a unique offering. No, I’m not saying it’s Weller or Van Winkle unique, but The Clover is a real boutique spirit, so much more than a blended stock bourbon put in a fancy bottle. Dave’s Taste Preferences Taste, like beauty, is subjective. As such, I figured that it would be a good idea to give you a little peek into my palate before I talk about these whiskeys. I am a newcomer when it comes to the bourbon arena. For years, I avoided all brown liquors having had the ever too common Jack Daniels “experience” in my 20’s. Thankfully, a buddy turned me on to Basil Hayden in a Monterey cigar bar a couple of years ago. From there, I started exploring and over the past couple of years, I have grown the collection to more bottles than my wife approves of. Not really, she has also started to enjoy bourbon as well. By the way, if you are curious about bourbon as a spirit, I recommend watching the documentary Neat on Hulu. It’s a great history of bourbon, best watched with a couple of fingers, naturally. Back to my palate. My current favorites Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond 10 year, Blanton’s, Eagle Rare, and Frey Ranch (a small distiller near Fallon NV). I tend to favor more of a sweet profile than a spicy one. Some full proof bourbons, like Booker’s, are great, others, like Old Forrester Prohibition Style, are too hot neat, and require ice. Hopefully that sets a bit of a stage, if not, just ask. Anyway, let’s get on to The Clover whiskeys. For reference, all of these were sampled on two different days, in Glencairn glasses, at room temperature, and neat (of course). I've bulleted the company published tasting notes first, and then followed up with my experiences. The Clover Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey Strength: 90 Proof Aged: 10 Years Aroma: Complex, rich, toasted oak Taste: Rich caramel, forward vanilla, and slight char Finish: Exceptionally smooth, long and soft Of the three whiskeys, this one had the strongest aroma. I found it to be a bit off-putting , but it did have a nice and pronounced oak aroma. The taste/mouthfeel was interesting. Most of the flavors were more front of the tongue compared to the other whiskeys. The char is pronounced. The feel is thinner than the other varieties, and the alcohol burn seems to be higher than the 92 proof. It’s a hot tongue sipper. All in all, it reminded me of higher end varieties of Jack Daniels. I suppose that is to be expected due to the similar production process. It is a very nice version of Tennessee style bourbon and has quite a unique flavor compared to the other two. This is one where your pallet may be drawn to this more than mine is. It was interesting to see that the color is a little lighter than the bourbon. I found this curious as the Tennessee version spent six more years in the barrel. Maybe it's a result of the proofing. The Clover Straight Bourbon Whiskey Strength: 92 Proof Aged: 4 Years Aroma: Blend of vanilla and subtle oak Taste: Deep caramel, soft vanilla, and hint of citrus orange Finish: Soft, lingering caramel, vanilla, and hint of oak The tasting notes are pretty spot on for this one. Oak on the nose, and a silky mouthfeel of caramel and vanilla. The flavors are a bit subtle, perhaps muted. Young might be another way to describe them. I think that this could be an amazing bourbon if it was in the barrel for a few more years. If a ten-year version could just enhance the profile of what is in the 4-year, it would be exceptional. The finish does hold some burn for a bit, but overall, what persists is the caramel sweetness on the edges of the tongue. I think that this is a solid bottle, but it faces stiff competition at the $40 price point. Some of you can find Weller Special Reserve for that price. Given the choices in my area at the price, I’d need to go with Eagle Rare over The Clover, but that’s probably not fair as I would take Eagle Rare over most things, regardless of price. Plus, Eagle Rare is a ten-year bourbon whereas The Clover only spent four years in the barrel. The Clover is a solid spirit, but it just needs a little more hutzpah to battle the big bottles. The Clover Straight Rye Whiskey Strength: 91 Proof Aged: 4 Years Aroma: Subtle oak and spice Taste: High rye, peppery spice, and subtle oak Finish: Warm, lingering caramel, and hint of cherry Rye whiskeys are usually not my go to spirits as I tend to prefer the sweeter taste of bourbon to the spice of rye. The Clover Rye Whiskey is causing me to question that paradigm. This rye is delicious. The aroma has a touch of fruit. My wife said it smelled like peaches. The taste is very smooth and features vanilla sweetness rather than the expected spice. The finish is a lingering sweet heat. Not caramel, but once again more of a fruity sweetness. My wife said that this one had a “yummy taste”. Though not fancy tasting language, I’d have to agree. This one is quite yummy. I love that the rye was the one I expected to like the least and ended up liking the most. This bottle will not last long in the liquor cabinet. Obviously, it is likely the low-spice nature that I find so pleasing. If you like your rye to pepper your pants off, this may not be the choice for you. The Clover: Solid Spirits With A Great Story Bottom line, I’m impressed with The Clover whiskeys, and enjoyed drinking them. For me, part of the enjoyment that comes with drinking premium spirits is the ritual, and the story. I’ve shared these whiskeys with a couple of friends now, and every time, we end up talking about golf and Bobby Jones. One can’t drink a whiskey with his name on it and not evoke of his spirit. If you are going to be hardline about it, the branding of a liquor has nothing to do with the taste of said liquor, but the overall experience is affected by branding. Naming plays a huge part in bourbon, seemingly every bottle has someone’s name on it. For us, the Bobby Jones name invariably leads to interesting discussions about golf. Mr. Jones would approve of you enjoying a few fingers of The Clover whiskey with your buddies after a round. The tendency to discuss Mr. Jones accomplishments may fade if drinking The Clover whiskey becomes commonplace with your group. Until that happens though, sipping The Clover will likely fuel conversations about golf and Bobby Jones’ amazing life. If you want to find a bottle for yourself, follow this Find The Clover link to see if a course, or shop has it near you. fozcycle, tommc23, ncwoz and 9 others 9 3 Quote Volvo Intorqueo All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny B Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 Nice writeup Dave! Of course, not in the Pacific Northwest! GolfSpy Dave 1 Quote “We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky CC Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 Great write-up. Making me very thirsty on a Friday afternoon. Not a ton around WI except for private clubs. Hopefully it takes off and some national retailers like Total Wine can start carrying it. tommc23, GolfSpy Dave and ChiefMikeOfficer 2 1 Quote Driver: RADSPEED 10.5°, Project X Even Flow RIPTIDE 60 6.5 Fairway Wood: Rogue ST LS 16.5°, Mitsubishi TENSEI AV White 75 X 3 Hybrid: F9, LA Golf Tour AXS Red 85 X 4 Iron: Ping G410 Crossover 5-PW: JPX 919 Forged, KBS Tour Stiff Wedges: Jet Black 50°08F, 54°12D, 58°08M, True Temper Dynamic Gold Black S200 Putter: StrokeLab White Hot OG #7, 35", Evnroll Tourtac grip Putter2: Array model????? Currently testing the Edel Array putter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPY VIP GolfSpy Dave Posted July 2, 2021 Author SPY VIP Share Posted July 2, 2021 It used to be only private clubs. Distribution is a pretty new thing I believe. Hopefully it will expand quickly. Kenny B, Bucky CC and Nunfa0 3 Quote Volvo Intorqueo All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregGarner Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 Looks like the Tennessee is all around me, but I may have to do some hunting for the Rye. Thanks for this Dave! GolfSpy Dave 1 Quote Driver: ZX5 LS MkII 9.5* (@ 9.0*) with 46.5" Ventus Blue 6X 3-wood: SIM 15* with Diamana Limited 75S 5-wood: RADspeed 18.5* with Motore X F3 60S 2i: ZX with SteelFiber i95 Stiff 4hy: TS3 23* with Tensei AV Blue 70 S 4i-7i ZX7, 8i-PW Z-Forged, Modus3 Tour 120 S 50*, 55* RTX 6 Modus3 Tour 125 60* RTX Full Face ZipCore DG Spinner S400 Putter: Toulon Chicago with a Quad Tour or HB SOFT Milled 10.5S with UST All-in Ball: Chrome Tour (but I might still have some Left Dashes hanging around) Bag: Ltd Edition Tartan, blue/green/yellow Using to keep track of my shots Tested: D7 Forged 3i-PW, KBS Tour-V 110S - Official Review Blind Ball Test (Ball #3 vs Ball #4) - Unofficial Review V3 GPS Watch + Tags - Official Review Vero X2 - Official Review The Stack System - Official Review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny B Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 10 minutes ago, GolfSpy Dave said: It used to be only private clubs. Distribution is a pretty new thing I believe. Hopefully it will expand quickly. Have you traded in microbrews for bourbon? Still play at Haggin Oaks? GolfSpy Dave 1 Quote “We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiefMikeOfficer Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 1 hour ago, Bucky CC said: Great write-up. Making me very thirsty on a Friday afternoon. Not a ton around WI except for private clubs. Hopefully it takes off and some national retailers like Total Wine can start carrying it. Looks like a few liquor stores around Madison are turning up in the search - I might swing by and check on the way home tonight. Bucky CC and GolfSpy Dave 2 Quote Driver: Stealth Plus 8* (adjusted to 8.75*), Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 70 X Flex (New toy incoming!) Fairway: Stealth2 Plus, 15* (adjusted to 14.25*) w/ Graphite Design Tour AD-IZ 7X Irons: U505 1 Iron (16*), T200 "Utility Build" 3 and 4 irons, all with Graphite Design Tour AD-IZ 95 X Flex, T100S 5-9 with Nippon Pro Modus 120 X Flex (2021 MGS Test). These things are monsters. Wedges: SM9 46.10, 54.12, and 58.08, all with custom etchings & KBS Tour Masters-themed shafts, X-flex (CHA Post) Putter: Total headcase and Putter Ho. Down to two main options in the rotation (one mallet, one blade), but have 4-5 by the basement putting green that might make it in the bag at some point this year... Mallet: Mezz XL 36" Orange; Blade: Link.1 w/Accra White shaft & grip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPY VIP GolfSpy Dave Posted July 2, 2021 Author SPY VIP Share Posted July 2, 2021 1 hour ago, Kenny B said: Have you traded in microbrews for bourbon? Still play at Haggin Oaks? A little bit. Finally found Heady Topper this week. That may have closed out the beer obsession. Bourbon has such diversity that it is fun to learn about and hunt. Allocated stuff is so expensive though. Kenny B and tommc23 2 Quote Volvo Intorqueo All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiefMikeOfficer Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 1 hour ago, ChiefMikeOfficer said: Looks like a few liquor stores around Madison are turning up in the search - I might swing by and check on the way home tonight. Nope. Struck out at spot #1. Quote Driver: Stealth Plus 8* (adjusted to 8.75*), Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 70 X Flex (New toy incoming!) Fairway: Stealth2 Plus, 15* (adjusted to 14.25*) w/ Graphite Design Tour AD-IZ 7X Irons: U505 1 Iron (16*), T200 "Utility Build" 3 and 4 irons, all with Graphite Design Tour AD-IZ 95 X Flex, T100S 5-9 with Nippon Pro Modus 120 X Flex (2021 MGS Test). These things are monsters. Wedges: SM9 46.10, 54.12, and 58.08, all with custom etchings & KBS Tour Masters-themed shafts, X-flex (CHA Post) Putter: Total headcase and Putter Ho. Down to two main options in the rotation (one mallet, one blade), but have 4-5 by the basement putting green that might make it in the bag at some point this year... Mallet: Mezz XL 36" Orange; Blade: Link.1 w/Accra White shaft & grip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny B Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 2 hours ago, GolfSpy Dave said: A little bit. Finally found Heady Topper this week. That may have closed out the beer obsession. Bourbon has such diversity that it is fun to learn about and hunt. Allocated stuff is so expensive though. So many micros around and I'm one that when I find a beer I like, I tend to stick with it... mostly stouts and porters. Not big on IPAs. Spirits are a lot cheaper in Cali than it is here in WA!! I started trying bourbons about 3 years ago; some are fine, others are so-so in my mind. I also prefer bourbons with a lot of oak. Current fav is Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. I thought about you guys at Haggin Oaks in March as I was driving through from SoCal. Would have stopped, but we wanted to get home; drove from Visalia to Richland WA. GolfSpy Dave and tommc23 2 Quote “We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommc23 Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 I’m assuming the Rye is the MGP 95% that they sell to everyone. If it is that is a good rye recipe and I’ve had other ryes with that recipe but I don’t know if i had one 10 years old. I’m always up to try new stuff I’ll have to see what they have near me GolfSpy Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozcycle Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 Nice review Dave…….I may have to try the Ky Straight bourbon if I can find it. Right now I cannot get Buffalo Trace, Weller or Blanton in my neck of the woods(central FL). I’ll keep looking and plan on stacking up when I go home to Frankfort KY. GolfSpy Dave 1 Quote Driver: 0311 XF 10.5* w/Project X Cypher 40 gram Senior shaft or 0811 XF 12* w/Evenflo Riptide CB Senior shaft Fairways: 0211 5W & 7W w/ Evenflo Riptide CB regular shaft and Tour Edge E521 9W w/Fubuki HD50 regular shaft Hybrid: None in bag at the moment Irons: Titleist T300 5-PW w/Fubuki MV Senior graphite shafts w/Golf Pride Tour Wedges: Edison forged 49*, 53* and 57* wedges with KB PGI Senior shafts(80 grm). Putter: 33” Evnroll ER6R or ER2 or Bellum Winmore Model 707, or Nike Method Core Drone w/Evnroll Gravity Grip Bag: Vice cart bag(Black/Lime). Ball: Snell MTB Prime X, Maxfli Tour/S/X CG, Titleist Pro V1x or Titleist TruFeel Using Shot Scope X5 and Pinned Rangefinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPY VIP GolfSpy Dave Posted July 8, 2021 Author SPY VIP Share Posted July 8, 2021 On 7/7/2021 at 12:20 PM, fozcycle said: Nice review Dave…….I may have to try the Ky Straight bourbon if I can find it. Right now I cannot get Buffalo Trace, Weller or Blanton in my neck of the woods(central FL). I’ll keep looking and plan on stacking up when I go home to Frankfort KY. It's so crazy how the different bourbons show up at different levels in the states. Nearly every grocery store out here has 10+ bottles of Buffalo Trace on the shelves. No Weller at all, and Eagle Rare is rare. I would think FL would be closer to KY and have a better shot. Quote Volvo Intorqueo All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozcycle Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 14 hours ago, GolfSpy Dave said: It's so crazy how the different bourbons show up at different levels in the states. Nearly every grocery store out here has 10+ bottles of Buffalo Trace on the shelves. No Weller at all, and Eagle Rare is rare. I would think FL would be closer to KY and have a better shot. Don’t know how it works, but all the stores around Wesley Chapel have none. I stop by every other week to check. Guess I’ll have to make a visit home to Frankfort and just go to the Distillery store. The largest store around, Total Wine & Spirits does not carry Blanton products….WTH? Quote Driver: 0311 XF 10.5* w/Project X Cypher 40 gram Senior shaft or 0811 XF 12* w/Evenflo Riptide CB Senior shaft Fairways: 0211 5W & 7W w/ Evenflo Riptide CB regular shaft and Tour Edge E521 9W w/Fubuki HD50 regular shaft Hybrid: None in bag at the moment Irons: Titleist T300 5-PW w/Fubuki MV Senior graphite shafts w/Golf Pride Tour Wedges: Edison forged 49*, 53* and 57* wedges with KB PGI Senior shafts(80 grm). Putter: 33” Evnroll ER6R or ER2 or Bellum Winmore Model 707, or Nike Method Core Drone w/Evnroll Gravity Grip Bag: Vice cart bag(Black/Lime). Ball: Snell MTB Prime X, Maxfli Tour/S/X CG, Titleist Pro V1x or Titleist TruFeel Using Shot Scope X5 and Pinned Rangefinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobert Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 (edited) There are three ABC stores within 30 minutes of me that stock The Clover, but they are the only two in the area that make an effort to have a good bourbon collection. Not surprisingly, an ABC store I stopped by in Pinehurst also stocked it. Edited October 13, 2021 by Hobert Quote 849D with Evenflow Riptide (stiff) V Steel 3 & 5 woods 699U 3 (19.5*) 939X 4H 699 (4-6) / 699 Pro (7-PW) with KBS Tour 120 shafts (stiff) 286 Wedge (50 degrees) 588 RTX 2.0 (56 degrees) ER8v with Fujikura MC shaft (firm) Tour 2023 2.5+ / University of Miami Stand Bag Nitron - Forum Test Review Pro L2 Garmin S10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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