Tastes

Malted barley, sawdust, honey, caramel, and pear on the nose. A drop of water brought out haybales, corn, grass and a subtle peachiness. It’s a very American aroma. Palate is brown raisin bread, summer fruit, tangy salted nuts, molasses, leather, and oak. There’s a shifting baseline of sweet and savory that’s fun, but not easy, to pin down. Oregano and caramel, cinnamon and cocoa, rosemary and brown sugar, they all come into the mix. Long spicy savory finish. A great entry in the evolving USA whiskey category that deserves to be compared with stand-outs from St George and Redwood Empire and Ransom and High West and Barrell and Cedar Ridge.

Pumpernickle with salt, spearmint, dill and sugar on the nose. Took a sip and…wow, the taste stopped me in my tracks for a minute. I try a lot of whiskeys and not many can do that. This is really good. Back to the palate which is a bready, yeasty cinnamon bun with caramel, toffee, and savory elements punching through—dill and maybe rosemary. Finish is long, spicy and savory with dill getting the final word. This is the kind of bottle that pulls me away from bourbon, my first love, and toward rye.

Honey and rye bread on the nose, not much else. Tongue is smooth and forgiving, the age doing its thing. I get mellow apple and…and…i feel like there’s gotta be more going on. Maybe some hay? I’ll return to it later but this one seems to be a letdown.

Found this in a small liquor store in Idaho Springs. I didn’t take it seriously until i saw the price. At that point, my enduring interest in Doc Holliday took over. Nose is a highly polished old piano with traces of leather, a hint of cherry and maybe some peanuts. Smells like some old school ryes i have known. The aroma does not mess around and implies this whiskey is looking for someone to punch. The palate follows through with caramel and oak and pepper and leather and the hot zing of a bullet, ahem, cinnamon and clove. Contemplation and a drop of water reveals dark fruit and possibly cocoa. An impression of apple pie with lemon slices. This is an aggressive, sophisicated sip and no mistake. The finish does not go quiet into that good night. I’m happy to have encountered this bellicose but well mannered whiskey. Especially when I later discovered it at home at a considerable markup.

Held off on this for years because i’ve seen it as high as $100 and had the impression it was overpriced. Finally tasting it…i can readily think of cheaper bottles i’d much rather drink. Knob Creek, Wheel Horse, Wild Turkey 101, 1792, Maker’s Cask Strength to name a few.

Doughy caramel and peanut nose. Hay, honey, caramel, orange blossom on the tongue with the cocoa and clive from the expert review. Mild apple pie finish. Tied for second with Larceny in a blind with Wilderness Trail BiB and 1792 Small Batch. An affordable sipper that has a lot in common with Blanton’s.

Light bodied mellow and sweet. Honey and wood.

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.