Tastes

Aroma: Light all around. Faint cherries and cream. Oak. Touch of cinnamon. And maple. Flavor: Tastes of pure maple syrup, but without being notably sweet. A pleasant oaky dryness keeps the sweetness in check. A bit of butterscotch and toffee finds its way from the background over time. Spicy rye keeps the mid-tongue tingling, and the long finish interesting. Mouthfeel: Quite dry. Light body. Not too much heat. Drinks very smoothly really for 45%. Overall: I’ll admit, I bought this one for the sweet-looking label. That, and the Sonoma designation (was really curious what wine country is doing with whisky). And, of course, the $29 price point pushed me over the edge of any hesitation. Really, for the price, it’s a lovely little rye. What it lacks in character it makes up for in easy drinking (yet still interesting) accessibility. There were a couple other labels from Redwood Empire on the shelf too and I look forward to trying them.

Barrel 3496, “hand selected by Binny’s” in Chicago. Aroma: caramel, vanilla, toffee, cinnamon, light nutmeg, faint alcohol, whips of apricot Flavor: First sip, dried apricots, raw oak. Pie crust. Second sip: cinnamon apples, lemon drops, pumpernickel bread. Mouthfeel: Pretty darn smooth, just a little rough around the edges. Medium body. Low burn. Overall: Quite nice! Especially for the price. A drier bourbon with a fair amount of complexity, albeit subtle. A touch more sweetness could help tie it all together. The initial smoothness gets quite rough by the end of a neat glass.

Nose: Rum raisin spice. Pecans. Bread pudding. All faint. After a couple sips, more notes of caramelized bread...monkey bread. Flavor: First sip: heat hides subtle flavors. Second: Dried apricots, marmalade on toast. A bit of spiciness in finish. A touch of licorice/anise, too. Mouthfeel: A bit hot on first sip. Mellows as you go, but ever-present heat. Overall: really lovely flavors, just don’t forget to “blow out” the heat!

Enjoyed neat. Aroma: Caramel, English toffee, butterscotch chips and sweetened coconut. Honey-soaked baklava. Flavor: Warm peaches, vanilla and wood...a lingering maraschino cherry finish. Fried ice cream. Crushed walnuts. Mouthfeel: Very smooth and well rounded. Washes over all parts of tongue evenly before concentrating dryly on the sides. Very slight burn at back of throat. Overall: A very well balanced bourbon, full of enticing dessert-like flavors and aromas but not excessively sweet.

Aroma: Brown sugar, salted caramel. Subtle plum. Flavor: Leather, tobacco and caramel. Slight licorice on finish. Slow reveal of roasted apricots and underripe peach. Body/mouthfeel: Solid, medium-full body. Hits the front-center of tongue first, slowly spreading wider with astringent, oaky dryness. Does a nice job of limiting “Kentucky hug” to just the tongue, but there is an unmistakeable burn. Overall: A pleasant balance of flavors, both sweet and bitter—with even a touch of salt. Slightly harsh neat, but overwhelmingly pleasant.

Aroma: fresh linens, daffodils, honeysuckle, caramel, vanilla—all very subtle. Apricots become prominent after a few sips. Flavor: Bitter marmalade, roasted peaches, brown sugar, vanilla and a touch of butter. Like aroma, apricots present after several sips, becoming quite strong. Body: mouthwatering from the moment it touches the tongue. Average fullness, slight burn but still easy to drink neat. Overall: Here is one that takes a bit of concentration to get to know. The unique stone-fruit aromas and flavors are quite subtle, but grow more delicious as one sips.

Aroma: Deep, rich rum-like molasses and butter. Brown sugar. Cinnamon and clove. After tasting, a touch of ripe banana and lemon is evident. Taste/mouthfeel: Exceedingly smooth. And sweet. Slow to develop heat but builds in upper back of throat. Sweetness floods the palate. Medium-dark caramel, like a candy square. Sides of tongue water, persistantly, inviting another sip. Overall: Not the most complex bourbon, but among the smoothest and most easily enjoyed.

Aroma: Faint pomegranate, lemon juice, honey, black pepper Flavor: Honeysuckle, lemon drops Body/mouthfeel: Fairly light bodied, tongue-tingling, burns from middle of tongue out to cheeks, then sticks to upper back of throat Overall: Not the smoothest when enjoyed neat, but a surprisingly delicate and pleasant herbal honey profile that lingers long after the burn subsided. Reminiscent of St. Germaine (honey& elderflower liqueur), albeit with quite a kick.

Aroma: Strong alcohol burns nostrils initially. Nutty, dark caramel and molasses. Subtle peaches/apricot. Light butter. Light cherry/cranberry/pomegranate. Alcohol burn persists. After first sip/acclamation, gingerbread becomes quite apparent. Warm gingerbread cake, raisins, butter and powdered sugar. Flavor: Rather neutral at first. Vanilla and light caramel. Macadamia nuts, toasted oats, white chocolate. Roasted/carmelized pear. Becomes more elegant and complex as it lingers. Mouthfeel: Med-light body. Smooth and unabbrassive at first, then “Kentucky hug” sticks to back of cheeks and mid-throat. Definitely warms you up.

Nose: Strong brown sugar, butter, caramel corn. Boozy undercurrent. Faint cherry. Mouthwatering aroma. Flavor: Vanilla and butter. Smooth caramel and butterscotch. Some cinnamon and baked apple pie. Mouthfeel: Smooth and luscious full body with no initial bite. Gradually warms in bottom of throat and lingers pleasantly as the mouth begins to water a second time. On the third sip, more peppery spices emerge with some tingling on the cheeks and back of the tongue. Buttery richness persists, sip after sip.