Tastes

Nose: caramel, toffee, wood, leather, orange Palate: fruit, vanilla, spices, oak Finish: spicy, tannic, long Came in first in a blind test of autumn bourbons with Old Ezra 7yr barrel strength, Dickel BiB 13yr, and Old Forester 1920. Good thing, since it’s by far the most expensive on the list.

Straw, honey, orange and bread dough on the nose. A palate of bread, orange, honey, pecans and dried fruit, rough around the edges. I can see the trail mix reference from the expert review if not the chrysanthemum buds. Short tannic spicy finish with a mild citrus hit. Can’t say I’m a big fan.

Nose: sweet, sharp, bright, lemon, slightly saline, amaretto, shortbread - credit other reviewers on the last two Taste: cherry, cinnamon, apple, honey, clove, toffee, cocoa, brie, pepper, crackers, savory ham - a lot to untangle Finish: long and spicy with more honey, vanilla, herbal notes and bbq char A hybrid beast of a whiskey that is very good for what it is.

This one smells and tastes like an accomplishment. I’m new to american whiskey and feel lucky I came across this early on. Barley, honey, vanilla, cherry, and oak on the nose with a smokiness that makes me think of scotch. Oats and honey lead the way on the tongue with golden raisins, more cherry, apricot preserves, brown sugar, cinnamon, a hint of mesquite and smoked ham. I’d put this side to side with a good scotch and at the same time it tastes American. Sweet, smoky sagebrush finish. More than the sum of its parts, and pairs well with a good cigar.

Nose is floral and vanilla, nuts and apricot, leather and sawdust against a toasty barrel backdrop. You can tell you’re about to taste something quality. Burst of honey on the tongue with summery fruit, golden raisins, dried cherries, peanuts, graham cracker, oak, cedar/sandalwood and cinnamon—all in a very smooth package. Some cocoa shows up too. For some reason, after drinking this multiple times I still can’t find all the “tart” notes from the expert review. Finish is long and toasty with toffee and a hint of spearmint or oregano, a savory note that isn’t front and center during the sip. Stops short of a creme brulee finish for me but i can see why some would say that. Very good and well balanced with plenty going on. Methinks the expert review doth protest too much.

Sour spiciness and caramalized fruit - raisin.

A worthy rival for Buffalo Trace and more widely available.

Nose: barnyard, leather, peanuts, dusted with powdered sugar Taste: vanilla, nuts, honey, caramel, breakfast cereal. Sweet and balanced. Would make a good comp for Buffalo T. Finish: mildly spicy tannic medium length Beat out Baker’s 7yr in a blind test. Finished second to Belle Meade Reserve.