Tastes

1.5 stars - Flawed; 3 glasses I will not be finishing the bottle. Great concept, flawed execution. This tastes like someone decided to ruin Cardhu 12 yr. Grainy in a bad way when taken neat. Thought it might be better on the rocks - that was all wooden astringency. Yikes. Something went awry here.

4.0 stars - Excellent, 750 ml bottle Under gold screw top One hundred thirty dollars A lightly smoked pear

3.5 stars - Very good; 750 ml bottle Yummy and crushable. While I love Heaven Hill, I was not planning to purchase this one. When several of my favorite reviewers gave it high marks, it seemed worth the gamble. Flavor is simple, straight forward, and has no noticeable flaws. Taste is classic bourbon: sweet corn, vanilla, and oak. Very little rye influence; any spice seems to originate with the oak. It lacks depth and complexity. Normally, I prefer bourbon with one ice cube, however, this one is better neat. Any ice or water rapidly dilute the flavors. For $20, this is perfect for a party, sharing with friends, or drinking while watching the game. At this price, you won’t cringe if some one drowns it in ice or mixes with Coke. Ultimately, I will probably keep purchasing its bigger brother Elijah Craig for a couple bucks more. I prefer the bolder flavor. But this is an incredible showing for the price.

3.5 stars - Very good; 750 ml bottle This is a much more polished version of the 10 yr. Despite being 10% ABV higher, it is easier to drink neat. All the same flavors are there, but more refined and a bit muted. Given how it is finished, I thought there would be more oak and bourbon like flavors. All things considered, I prefer the raw power of Arran 10 yr. Easy to drink neat, but one ice cube unlocks a lot of flavor.

2.0 stars, Nice, but…. 750 ml bottle. I waited to write this review, for several months, because this hurts too bad. I love Heaven Hill. I love Elijah Craig. Henry McKenna always felt like EC’s older brother. Fantastic, well priced. I bought it twice before it won that big award. I loved it both times. This one was a dud. Mellow and uninteresting. I guess that is the risk of a single barrel. Not better than EW BIB. Boring. This was a big let down. I won the monthly lottery at my local store and got to buy this one for $36. I was so excited. Well, not anymore.

3.5 stars - Very good. 750 ml bottle. Not your classic Booker’s. This tastes like Baker’s or what I would imagine a cask strength Evan Williams to taste like. Lots of sweet corn, peanut and oak. The normal Booker’s flavors of hay barn, dusty oak, and leather are turned down to a whisper. Surprisingly easy to drink neat. Yeah, this definitely tastes just like Baker’s.

4.0 stars - Excellent; 750 ml bottle This one lands on the good side of surprising and strange. My motto for Compass Box is: Always good, never boring, and completely honest. This whisky is the embodiment of that concept. I will leave it as an exercise to the reader to debate the price. The flavor is all cinnamon and vanilla whip cream. This is not at all what I expected. Yet, I kept coming back to this whiskey, night after night for a couple months. Often, the novelty was refreshing after familiar pours. With time, the cinnamon note calms down and there is the slightest kiss of smoke and oak.

3.5 stars - Very good; 750 ml bottle Naughty. That is the overriding emotion I get while drinking this whisky. Dirty smoke, soy sauce, loamy soil, Welches grape juice, syrup - it is an almost inappropriate range of flavors. Neck pour was unbelievably enjoyable, middle of the bottle was discordant, and the end was good fun. I am on the fence if I will repurchase. Talisker Distillers Edition and Glendronach 15 yr play in this same space. I give a slight edge to those whiskies.

4.0 stars - Excellent; 750 ml This is exactly what it should be. The classic Talisker profile is perfectly balanced with the sherry. Unlike most Talisker, this one becomes better with air and time. The Sherry note becomes louder and more refined. 2021 edition.

3.5 stars - Very good; 375 ml This was part of a two pack of 375 ml bottles for $32. One was MM46 CS, one was MM Private Select. This is very good. Soft wheat and French spice in a successful marriage. I might give a slight edge the regular MM46.