Tastes

Nose has blackberry, vanilla, caramel, leather and flowers on top of the rye. Count me in. The palate is round and smooth—apple, cinnamon and raisin bread join the flavors from the nose. Black pepper and clove make an appearance. A savory herbal note hovers in the background over plenty of charred wood. Long herbal spicy finish. Sophisticated. Excellent.

The hefty mahogany oak nose I’ve come to expect from Rieger, with some cherry vanilla powdered sugar sweetness. Jelly doughnut may be a bridge too far but it’s close. I immediately hope this somewhat pricey whiskey won’t be overly sweet. Palate is almond, cherry, vanilla with plenty of oak and sugar. The sugar wavers on the line between confectioner’s and brown. I am now leaning confectioner’s sugar…which causes me to revise the almond to almond bark. Alas, this is another sweet whiskey. I am not a sweet whiskey fan but maybe you are. Finish is tannic and a bit abrupt, as if apologizing for the whiskey pastry i have been subjected to. Disclaimer: sweetness slightly exaggerated as I finished my pour without complant. This is good stuff. But i’m ok not having bought a bottle.

Raisin and cherry are clear on the nose. I’d guess i was drinking brandy if i didn’t know better, although there is that telltale rye tickle. Palate is rich, dark and fruity like a Manhattan cocktail. Cherry, plum, cocoa, vanilla and oak. Angostura and orange may be imagined…spicy tannic finish. Who needs a cocktail when you’ve got this.

Oak, vanilla and stone fruit fruit on the nose with some barnyard hay. Tannic on the tongue, reminiscent of Woodford Double Oaked with syrupy cherry cola, orange, vanilla, leather, black pepper, cinnamon. Makes me think of a Manhattan cocktail. Not subtle but the flavors punching my palate are hard to dislike.

This bourbon is an elusive beast. Price fluctuates widely and it’s hard to know whether you’re buying a pretender or a contender. I just had to know so i finally pulled the trigger. Highly polished woodsy vanilla caramel nose. Palate adds cherry and orange to a stiff oaky background with swirling toffee, cocoa, cinnamon and brown sugar. Syrupy and smooth. The proof and sweetness are nicely balanced. Lots of char, fruit and spices on the finish. The proverbial hint of mint. Pairs well with a cigar. A very good bourbon of the dark wintry variety. Is it worth the $? It’s sophisticated…but I’ll need to line up a few bottles including Knob C 120 and Old F 1920 to find out.

Cherry sweetness joins rye on the nose with some vanilla cola and elusive banana. Oaky cherry, brown sugar and molasses on the tongue. A hint of herbal sagebrush. Tannic cola finish.

Honey, sawdust and vanilla nose with rye, leather and green apple. Palate is creamy and I see the lemon/lime meringue from the e review. Caramel apple and oak move in from the sides. Very rich, hot and creamy. More peppery old time cinnamon candy on the finish.

Honeysuckle, orange, confectioner’s sugar and a hint of rye on the nose. Rye bread, dried fruit, more honey on the tongue. A splash of caramel and toffee before a smooth, oaky clove finish. Not my fav Barrell but very enjoyable.