Tastes

Sugary honey bbq nose. “Candycorn” is not far off. Honeyed tangy palate as the proof fights the sugar for supremacy and ends in a fiery maple vanilla cinnamon ginger compromise. Even some honey glazed ham. Long spicy finish as the sip reminds you it’s more than shugga. Whew, good stuff.

Apple butter, hay and vanilla with mild woodsiness on the nose. Smooth cinnamon apple pie palate with some pecan, oak and leather and black tea/clove. Just a hint of the darker bourbon taste spectrum but it stays middle of the road. Tannic medium spicy finish. Very well balanced and enjoyable if not especially complex. I never see these bottles where i live so i picked one up on vacation in CO and certainly don’t regret it.

Woodsy caramel and brown sugar nose with a hint of spiced apple. Apple pie palate with molasses and baking spices and the char notes doing their thing. Reminds me of high class wintry bourbons like Old F 1920 and some Elijah C barrel proof editions. Probably my favorite Penelope to date.

Barnyard sawdust nose with buttery nuts, cherry and a hint of vinegar and something flowery, maybe violets. Palate is sweeter than the nose would suggest - cherry, vanilla, pastry and chocolate move in. Oak and almond in the background. Mild and enjoyable. Maybe a little bacon. Savory pastry finish.

Nose has a clarity that reminds me of brandy sipped in a wood paneled office (with antlers mounted on the wall) - wood, nuts, and cherry with hints of vanilla. Woodsy mahagony malt character comes through on the sip with dark berry flavors and black tea swirling in the background. Reminiscent of some ryes I’ve had. Oak and vanilla and formal medicinal notes linger on the finish. Overpriced maybe but elegant. A nice bottle to have on hand when i want to kick my feet up on my imaginary huge hardwood desk or lean back against my imaginary huge stone fireplace with a drink in hand and pretend i’m Doc Holladay…or just watch Yellowstone.

I don’t get Old Soul where i live so when i saw this on vacation in CO I had to give it a try. Caramel, peanuts, polished wood, yeast, vanilla and mild pepper on the nose. Palate transitions into spicy bread pudding with oak, orange, cola and cinnamon - a drop of water opens things up and manages the heat. Punchy and rich. Medium finish is hot and oaky with baking spices and orange peel. Reminescent of angostura bitters. Reminds me of some Larceny Barrel Proof which i really like. A good first experience with Old Soul. This bottle was a private selection from barrel 16L09-34, bottled at 120.99 proof.

Sophisticated nose suggests something you might bring to a manly book club. Black licorice, dill, vanilla, bread dough, and a hint of dark fruit. Also a savory note, thyme or eucalyptus. Palate comes in hot and i added a couple drops of water. The doughy bread flavors and anise stick around, joined by raisins, cherry, butterscotch, caramel, sagebrush and something like the inside of a weathered tin cup. Herbal umami notes persist on the finish, joined by dough, leather and baking spices. My first experience with Chattaooga = good first impression.

I’d never seen a Barrell single barrel rye until i came across this on vacation in Colorado. Biscuit, grass, honey, green apple and apricot nose. Reminds me of Seagrass but not the same - given that Seagrass is more affordable and readily available I will need to try them side by side. On the tongue, caramel, shortbread, and peach join the flavors from the nose and come in swinging. There’s a savory note too, eucalyptus or sagebrush, possibly a hint of dill, which comes in at the end of the palate and lingers on the finish. Delicious.

Had been hoping to find this bottle for a while. Tracked it down in Colorado and as a fan of BiB bourbons and Redwood Empire, my hopes were high. Savory sawdust vanilla nose, right in my wheelhouse, with summery peach and pear. Summer fruit persists on the tongue with caramel, cherry frosting, oak and a hint of pepper. Savory spearmint finish. Still feel like i’m teasing it out, which is what keeps me coming back to the Redwood bottles.

Sawdust nose with baking spices, pepper, and rye spice. Apple pie on the tongue with cinnamon, caramel, toffee, vanilla, smoky leather, anise and oak. A little spicier than other apple pie bourbons i’ve tried. Peppery apple finish. Delicious. Batch 177 D, April 21, 2023