Tastes

This was a 2oz sample in an advent calendar that I received for Christmas 2024. The inital nose on this is pretty soft, but you do get a few hints of runts candy and light banana bread. The first sip is perfect given the proof of ~100. It’s soft, oily and has a nice long tail. The second sip gives you hints of banana, apricot, creme bruele / toffee, and baking spices. The finish is very satisfying as it falls off slowly. This is a great pour, but some will feel for the cost might not hit as hard as $100 should, two-three years ago this would have been a $65 dollar bottle and would have been perfect at that price, but thanks to the bourbon boom / tatercraze we all need to reset our goal posts.

The color is light honey, the nose is boozy but with hints if fresh cut grass, sweet fudge, and toffee. The first sip is warm highlighting the 111 proof but has hints of baking spice, juicy fruit gum or green skittles. The second sip has more banana and nut bread with shelled candy and sunday roast beef. The finish is vibrant and well rounded, however for thr proof the mouthfeel lighter than expected.

J Henrys Wisconsin small batch burbon at 92 proof. The color is a golden brown similar to the brown in my favorite flannel. The nose has deep notes of chocolate and oak. The first sip is light and easy, with the second sip revealing a youthful whiskey with notes oak, all spice, and brown sugar. Not a bad sipper for the age and proof.

RD One Oak and Maple Double Finish light golden color with sweet notes of toffee and maple donut. The first sip has notes of cuban tobacco, maple syrup, and cinnamon. The mouth feel is slightly syrupy like a coke and the finish lingers with a great dose if sweetened tannins.

Part of my 2023 advent calendar, RD One Amburana is a honey like color reminding one about the sweet transition of summer into fall. While a little astringent on the nose there are hints of sweet vanilla and butter cream. The firet sip is a flsvor bomb a little thin in thr mouth but cinnamon toast with a nutmeg baking spice finish. This for those that have had Penelope RIO would find this a lesser sweet version. Delicious and delightful!

Picked up this bottle of Horse and Jockey in St Louis from the ABV bottle shop. The color ok this is a light golden hay, the nose is tight with a slight freshly detailed car smell. The inital sip is very syrupy and sweet with golden rasins, taffy, and maple. The finish is drying (125 proof will do that), and doesnt last forever but its not quick to run away. Overall i look forward to drinking more if this in a month or so after it opens up some.

This store pick was an orphan of a set that was bundled with a Weller Full Proof from Argonaut in Denver Colorado (2023). The color on this is a deep rich walnut. The nose on this has hints of yellow cake and cream cheese frosting. The first sip brings forth a sweet cinnamon aromatic burst. The baking spice lingers with a little bit of florals. The second sip is dryer with deeper tannic oak and leather. This is a well balanced oak bomb, that with a hit of water brings out floral sweetness with rasins, leather, and unsweetened cinnamon gum. Overall not as complex and complementary as one would expect from peerless, but a good pour for sipping on in the fall.

The color on this is a nice copper land rover edition one. The nose is tight and slightly astringent, a clerr note of ethanol. Worh additonal air there are several hints of vanilla and orange zest. The fiert drink is a little hot on the mid palette but you get clear tastes of toffee, citrus, and a nice lasting finish with cinnamon. The mouth feel is excellent given the proof its very buttery and rich.