Tastes

Code LL/GJ. Supposedly more 10 year barrels were in these batch codes. Neat from a Glencairn glass. I know we prob don’t need another review for this, but here we go anyway. Sweet on the nose; honey, brown sugar, raspberry, vanilla and a slight hint of oak. Very good nose. Barrel spice up front on the palate with baked cinnamon apples, creamy vanilla. Hints of oak. Not too thin or thick. Finish is pretty long for a bourbon at this price point. Spicy red hots are the main event with oak and vanilla. I think a lot of people cringe when they see this bottle. Chugging and shooting this stuff was the norm across college campuses. I would encourage everyone with those bad memories to give the bird another shot. This should be the baseline for all more expensive bourbon purchases. Fantastic at this price point, thank you Wild Turkey! This is textbook bourbon in my eyes. Conclusion: I might be found in the clinic one day, getting cured off the Wild Turkey.

Binny’s “BP” Pick 109 proof 3 Baked American Pure 2 3 Seared French Cuvée 1 Maker 46 2 Roasted French Mocha 1 Toasted Oak Spice Neat from a Glencairn glass. Bottle has been open for a few months. Nose is oak, corn, baked bread, maple syrup, vanilla. Something slightly herbal in there Sweet, woodsy scent. Heavy oak, charred spices on the palate with burnt caramel and brown sugar. Something herbal again but can’t quite put my finger on it. Oily but not too thick. Heavy oak and spice on the medium long finish. That oak just lingers on the tongue, reminds me of Woodford Double Oak with a coffee like taste that hangs around. Conclusion: Very oak forward, spicy bourbon with minimal sweetness. Something different for the shelf but slightly overpriced IMO.

Batch 22, 116.3 proof. Neat from a Glencairn glass. Lots of spicy cinnamon on the nose, charred orange peel and vanilla. Very slight hint of mint. Proof doesn’t stand out. Sweet caramel, vanilla, maple and brown sugar galore on the front of the palate with barrel spice, oak and red hots on the back. Really like how it starts sweet then slides to spicy. Oily and full bodied. Nice punch from the Cask Strength. Long lasting spicy finish with more brown sugar. Man that finish hangs around for a while! Almost like pop rocks. Solid MGP stuff that I will always have on hand if can be found. Definitely in my top 5. Cold weather, by the fire sipper for sure.

Neat from a Glencairn glass. Bottle has been open a couple weeks. Nose is sweet with honey, cinnamon and vanilla with a hint of oak. Can tell the 100 proof. Definitely doesn’t have the depth and variation of the single barrel. Oak up front with citrus notes, vanilla and hints of barrel spice. Again not the depth and variation of flavors of the SiB and thinner. 100 proof doesn’t stand out. Finish is dry and short to medium length with vanilla, cinnamon and oak, sweet honey for the finale. That slight dill pickle flavor I found in the SiB as well. Good pour for the price but not as good as the SiB offering. I think I’d choose this though as the SiB price is steep for what it is (hey BT, ditch the tube and lower the price!) It’s different enough to keep on the shelf and easy to drink, leaning towards the sweeter end of the spectrum.

Barrel 15-2312, 113.1 proof, 224 bottles from this barrel. Neat from a Glencairn glass. Nose is ethanol, vanilla, cinnamon, baked apple pie. There’s hints of sweet raspberry in there too. Oak, leather, vanilla, tobacco and honey on the palate. Nice barrel proof kick! Nice spice as well. Oak and cinnamon red hots in the medium length finish with honey at the end. Overall pretty impressed with this 4 year old from New Riff, tastes slightly older. I held off buying this on skepticism but my curiosity got the best of me and glad it did. Will keep this as a regular.

Bottle has been open for a month or so. Neat from a Glencairn glass. Lots of vanilla on the nose with corn and leather. Sight cotton candy. Can’t smell the proof. Bold oak on the palate with vanilla from the nose. Oily with sweet honey, red hots and barrel spice. Maybe a slight hint of raspberry but fruit doesn’t really stand out. Long, lingering finish with oak, cinnamon and vanilla dominate with a tingling burn. Overall rich and bold. Smells sweeter than it is, more on the spicy side. I like WT101 and a definite upgrade from that. I can get this for $35 which is an excellent bourbon deal and will always have a place on my shelf.

Neat from a Glencairn glass. Beautiful amber color reminiscent of the Jurassic Park amber. Oak, vanilla, ethanol, leather and ball park peanuts on the nose. Strong oak up front on the palate with cinnamon, vanilla and salted peanuts. Long finish with palate carrying through and a nice Kentucky hug. Smooth, sweet heat and barrel spice take you home. One of the best bourbon values; an age statement and high proof. And one of the few I like to add a small ice cube.

Neat from a Glencairn glass. Great nose on this one. Honey sweet, ethanol, cinnamon apples, oak and a slight hint of licorice. 100 proof doesn’t stand out. Oaky barrel spice on the palate, vanilla, caramel and a touch of dark berries. Oily and coats your mouth. Moderately long finish while oak lingers on the tongue then melts into sweet honey/maple. Light dill pickle type flavor at the end. Overall, very balanced at a good proof. This would be a very nice sipper around the cold weather holidays. Unique and deserves a spot on the shelf.

Neat from a Glencairn glass Beautiful amber color. Nose it’s actually surprisingly light on this one. Oak, cinnamon, honey and corn. On the palate, there’s the barrel proof! Spicy toasted oak, dark chocolate, cinnamon and a slight herbal note. The proof is not overpowering. Finish is long, ultra smooth and slowly fades. Spice and oak lingers with a touch of honey for the finale. Not very much sweetness. I love barrel proofs and this one is definitely different and leans to the spicier side.

Neat from a Glencairn glass Not a whole lot going on in the nose. Ethanol, vanilla and cinnamon. Slight burn on the palate with more vanilla and a slight fruity hit, maybe strawberry. Finish is quick and to the point, more vanilla and hint of oak. Smooth throughout though. My wife bought this for me and I was very skeptical. Given some more time in the barrel and higher proof, I think this could be a solid pour. But for the price, there’s much better stuff out there.