Tastes

Weller Special Reserve Nose: Dry Oak and Cedar, Walnut Shells, Vanilla, Straw, Hints of Leather. Gets Savory and a little Richer with time. BBQ Sauce? Neat: Thinnish Mouthfeel, Light Vanilla Sweetness, Walnut, Leather, Drying Oak. Pencil Shavings? Easy smooth finish with mild KYHug. There’s Pencil Shaving and Light Leather that lingers and coats the palate. Splash: Water brings out some extra Sweetness up front, but adds Bitterness to the backend. Better neat. Verdict: Very good budget bourbon if you can find it at MSRP. Definitely a slight step up from Heaven Hill and Beam’s entry level Wheated bourbons. You can taste the higher end Weller roots, just muted. Recently available in NC, but I’ve yet to actually see a bottle, so decided I’d try a pour while enjoying the best Fish Tacos on the planet @ Loco Jo’s. Will definitely buy again (both Bourbon and Tacos). 3.75

Bowmore 12 year COLOR: At 1.6 Mahogany, this has to have some artificial color added. NOSE: First nosing yields Mild Ash and Peat. Subsequent sniffs yield not much else. Maybe some honeycomb? A little Tart Fruit? There’s also a Barnyard Funk. NEAT: Much sweeter than the nose would suggest. Honey, Vanilla, and Apple. Peat and Campfire Smoke on the backend and finish. An Ashy coating lingers and coats the palate. Fairly Simple, but good. SPLASH: Adds an unpleasant bitterness. Neat is the way to go here. VERDICT: What a huge disappointment. Maybe my expectations for an Islay Whisky were too high? Maybe my palate just wasn’t in a Peaty mood? I’m really hoping this gets better with some time open. If it does, I’ll update. For now, 3.25 stars.

EVAN WILLIAMS SINGLE BARREL 2016 BARREL #217 Barreled on 5/2/16 Bottled on 8/20/24 Age: 8yrs 3mos 18days Color: Auburn 1.5 NOSE: Savory Smoke. Oak, Vanilla Coke, Powdered Sugar, Bubble Gum, Mint, Hickory Smoke. NEAT: Overall Dry Character. Medium Mouthfeel. Lots of Oak up front. That savory Hickory Smoke too. There’s the Mint, Vanilla Coke, and Bubblegum in the Mid-Palate. There’s some Black Pepper on the Finish with a Mild, but building KYHug. Mildly Tannic Oak and Bubblegum layer the palate and build with each sip. SPLASH: Nose gets a slight plastic note. Vanilla and Tannins become more dominant. The coating finish gets Sweeter and Minty. A little less Dry. VERDICT: Totally surprised to see this locally since last I heard, this was going to Kentucky only distribution. This is an excellent Barrel. Unique flavor profile and a GREAT value at $40. I’m going back tomorrow for a backup bottle. Welcome back Evan Williams Single Barrel!

ANGEL’S ENVY SINGLE BARREL-SOUTHPORT NC PICK PROOF: 110 GLASS: Glencairn COLOR: 1.6 Mahogany NOSE: Of course the Port is front and center, but there is a lot more here. Floral and Fruity (Green Apple, Grape, Pear), Dry Sandalwood, Dry Brown Sugar, Graham Cracker, and Fresh Orange Peel. Very good. NEAT: Bold, Spicy, and Oaky. Like the Nose, the Port is front and center with Heavy Cherry. Great Coating Mouthfeel yields Dark Chocolate Coated Raisins, Vanilla Bean, and Oak Tannins. Medium to Longish Finish with Musty Oak and Chocolate coating and layering the palate. Very good. SPLASH: A little water and this is a Fudge Brownie up front with Peppery Spice on the backend. It’s like a Moist Fudge Brownie dusted with Cayenne. Very good. VERDICT: Not sure I’ve officially reviewed the standard issue Angel’s Envy, but I don’t remember being that impressed. This is a totally different story. From the Bold Nose to the amazing mouthfeel to the chocolate finish, this was a unique pour. 4.5 STARS

GREEN RIVER FULL PROOF GLASS: Glencairn NOSE: Lots of spice. Dry Corn and Oak with Orange Oil, Brown Sugar, Hay and Black Pepper. NEAT: The Spiciness transfers. I’m getting Wild Turkey vibes here. Nutmeg, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Bitter Orange Peel, and Oak Spice. Big KYHug with Cinnamon and Spicy Oak Tannins on the finish. You also get some Pepper (not black, but hot pepper) Burn on the lingering aftertaste. SPLASH: A little water and the bitterness becomes a little too prominent. Brave the spice and drink this neat. VERDICT: Went into this one completely blind, and was a bit surprised by how much I liked it. Under $50 for a Barrel Proof alleged to be 7’ish years old from a smaller distillery is a welcome development. Not something I’ll drink often, but a good bottle to have on hand.

SMOKE WAGON DESERT COLT GLASS: Glencairn COLOR: 1.6 Mahogany NOSE: Wasn’t getting anything at first, but after about 15 minutes it opened up nicely with Rich Vanilla, Hay, Dry Oak, Clove, and Cinnamon. NEAT: Rich and Clingy. Spicy notes of Clove, White Pepper, Orange Oil, and Cinnamon Stick. Some Vanilla shows up on the finish along with some Drying Bitter Tannins. Nice Hug blooms while a Peppery coating aftertaste lingers. Just a bit Youthful and Unrefined, but thankfully missing the overwhelming Corniness that I’ve been getting from MGP lately. SPLASH: A Little Water actually ups the spice with the Clove becoming dominant on Nose and Palate. It’s kind of giving me underaged Wild Turkey vibes. A little more water and the Cinnamon becomes dominant. VERDICT: I haven’t been the biggest fan of Smoke Wagon, but when I saw this No Water Added, High Proof, Non Chill Filtered release for a very reasonable $36 I thought I’d give it a go. Glad I did! If you like some spice in your dram, you could definitely do worse than this $36 bottle.

A OVERHOLT GLASS: Standard Glencairn NOSE: The nose is Great. The Malt shows first with Cocoa, Tea, and Cherry. The Rye brings Biscuit Dough, Mint, Ginger, and Cinnamon. I’m also getting a nice undercurrent of Confectioners Sugar. With some time, it’s a shapeshifter, as just when you think the herbal rye notes have finally taken over, a light swirl of the liquid brings back the Cocoa and Cherry. Well done! NEAT: Lives up to the nose. Sweet Tea and Cocoa on the initial sip. Sort of Oily on the palate with Cherry, Vanilla, Ginger, and Drying Oak as you continue. I also get hints of the “Old Garage” note (think of an old Full Service Gas Station with old motor oil and tires) that I get more prominently from other Old Overholt expressions. There’s a good bit of Peppery Spice on the Finish, leaving behind a Tingly coating aftertaste of Tea Leaves, Ginger, and Dry Dusty Oak. As it builds it becomes Cinnamon. Similar to the aftertaste of an Atomic Fireball. Nice Glow in the chest as well. Maybe a little hotter than its Proof, but in GOOD way. If there’s a flaw, it’s maybe I get a slight tannic note on the finish the further I get into the pour, but it’s not enough to cost it any points. SPLASH: A few drops of water brings some Brown Sugar to both nose and palate. VERDICT: Color me impressed. This is on par with the 10 year Cask Strength in my rankings. I love what Beam has been doing with this line (and others), and a new mashbill is a very welcome surprise. This is very well put together and I can see it being a keep on hand Item. Priced in line with Sazerac and Bulleit, and just above Rittenhouse seems about right to me. I also love the old style bottle and old fashioned cork. A solid 4 Stars.

OLD BARDSTOWN WHITE LABEL NC has just recently started carrying Willett products after about an 8 year absence. GLASS: Glencairn NOSE: Burnt Caramel, Vanilla, and Butterscotch. On the non-traditional side, I’m getting Dr. Pepper Jelly Bellys. There’s also the Musty Orange Note I get from Johnny Drum Private Stock, just lighter in character. NEAT: Salty and only slightly sweet. Honey Roasted Peanut, Orange Peel, and Vanilla. Mouthfeel is a little on the thin side with some peppery spice. Some Oak on the Finish paired with a Peppery Spice lingering and coating. SPLASH: A little water brings out Maple and Hazelnut. The Dr. Pepper from the nose shows up. Improves the mouthfeel and the flavors become a little clingier. VERDICT: Solid and Slightly Different, but maybe a bit overpriced at $27.

JIM BEAM BLACK (7YR) 90 Proof *GLASS: Neat Glass *COLOR: Auburn 1.5 bordering on Mahogany 1.6 *NOSE: Sweet. Maple, Vanilla, Peanut Brittle, Old Oak. Simple and Straightforward. *NEAT: The sweet notes transfer from the nose, but with a healthy dose of Cinnamon, Black Pepper, and a hint of Cocoa. A tempered Beam Peanut Funk dominates the Backend and Finish. Clingy Cinnamon, Oak, and Vanilla coat and layer the palate. *SPLASH: Vanilla gets more prominent and Cinnamon becomes milder. *VERDICT: The return of an age statement (and a bump in proof!) to Black Label is a surprising and welcome development. At $26, it slots in nicely between the standard White Label ($16)and the 9YR Knob Creek ($39).