Tastes

Kentucky Owl St Paddy’s 100 proof The color is like golden hay on a late summer afternoon. The nose is tight, seems a little young. The first sip hits with cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramel. The second sip adds hint of floral flavor, not totally Irish whiskey in nature.

Elijah Craig Single Barrel - Wine Palace Store pick - 135 proof. Cheerywood in color, the nose fruity with hints of dark fruit, cacao, and tobacco. First sip is sugar Bomb, hits with Cinnabon, chocolate, plum. The second sip yields an inky cherries and candied fig. This is high proof, sweet, and delicious.

Shenks 2022 91.2 proof Rich French toast crust color the nose is super fruit with hints of apricot, blueberry, and apple. Boom first sip is a flavor explosion lots of flavors hitting all at once. Falling away to a subtle relaxing finish with notes of dark chocolate and apple. Second sip blueberry bomb pop (think just the base) along with ripe apple (think warm and soft but not rotten or baked). The surprise here is the flavor power at 91 proof and the ability to cover the palate even though it has a super light mouthfeel.

The nose on this is fantastic hints of sweetness combined with the floral grass smell’s of a traditional Irish whiskey. The first sip is completely composed and contains the clear hints of a pot or coffery still (floral, lavender, fresh grass) with a malted barley finish (like a scotch with no peat) married with light caramel and vanilla. Wonderful job, would love to see what a 10 year impression would be like.

Bardstown Bourbon Company - Ferrand - 110 proof My palette is a little tired at the start, but the color on this is a deep saddle bag brown, with nose notes of banana, vanilla, mixed with a touch of alcohol. The first sip hits with a bit of heat but quickly turns into liquid cherries and brown sugar with a nice long lasting finish. The second sip continues the dark fruit and long lasting finish. Again another hitter from Bardstown Bourbon Company

Heavens Door Highway 61 Blend (rye and bourbon) 93.6 proof Light in color simply looks like hay in a glass. The nose is tight, with hints of summer grass and fresh bike tire. The first sip shows up a fair amount of young whiskey. The second sip opens up to a very rye forward whiskey with hints of black pepper and fried rice.

traverse city barrel proof store pick 115.4 proof The color on this is a golden clove honey to liquid brown sugar in color. The nose is cherry forward with hints of baking cacao. The first sip brings a bit of younger bourbon heat that turns into red hots cinnamon with a quick dry finish. The second sip adds a little more depth, with hints of tobacco flipping right into the red hot flavor.

Penelope Barrel Strength Toasted Series - 115 proof Light golden honey color, almost like a Pilsner, but not quite Miller lite. The nose is tight, almost like your skinny jeans after thanksgiving. Aside from the alcohol there is a little subtle hint of char and maybe cured meat. The first sip has a interesting roller coaster of flavor starting off with floral notes (green grass, lavender, honey suckle), rolling into brown sugar cinnamon, with a light smoky tail. Second sip simply amplifies these notes adding depth and character. This really drinks more like an Irish port still / or single malt lowland scotch.

Kentucky Peerless “Alpine Summer” single barrel. 112 proof The color is a deep warm brown with highlights of gold, similar to Alicia Silverstone in an Aerosmith video from the 90s (back when MTB played videos). This one is super fragrant even before attempting to nose the Glen the whiskey is escaping and hinting at what’s to come. The nose hits with hints of dark chocolate, wet earth, and light fur forest. Not piney but more damp/dank. The first sip has hints of meadow grass, pine, with bitter chocolate. The second sip adds additional mid pallet notes of nutmeg, lavender, and cinnamon. This has a range of baking spice that continues into a nice long finish. The finish and mouthfeel are at odds with each other. On one note you have a light mouthfeel that doesn’t match the lasting of the finish (I’d expect a more inky or oily mouthfeel). But as the finish continues you have a mixture of dryness and moisture on the palette (usually I have one or the other). Great example of why I think Kentucky Peerless is a top 5 distillery for me.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Chateau De Laubade The color on this is a wonderful caramel candy simple but delicious just like candy covered apples. The nose is fruity with hints of plums, figs, and cherries, wrapped in a subtle chocolate/coffee wisp. 107 on the first sip greeting you with a complex compliment of cherry, nut meg, maybe even a little flat 7up. At 107 the mouthfeel isn’t as thick as I personally enjoy but after the second sip you still get a LONG delicious finish that carries you forward to the next wonderful sip. Sorry this was just a sample because each time I’ve had this it just hits the sweet spot of my palate preference. Bardstown Bourbon Company is doing some great things for sure.