Tastes

JD BONDED RYE *NOSE: Brown Sugar, Banana, Dry Oak, Juicy Fruit Gum, Dill, Leather, and a Slightly Earthy note. *NEAT: Down the center of the tongue are the Banana and Juicy Fruit. Herbal Notes (Dill, Clove, Star-Anise) on the Sides and Back of the tongue. There is a hint of plastic/chemical on the Finish with a decent TNHug. Medium to Heavy Mouthfeel results in an Oaky and Herbal Coating that layers the palate. *SPLASH: The Sweetness now dominates the palate with even more Banana. It also brings out a Black Pepper tingle. *VERDICT: Definitely the third ranked in the JD Bonded Series. It's been a while since I've had standard issue JD Rye, but if memory serves, I liked it a little better than this. It's definitely a better buy, even with the lower proof thanks to this being in the smaller 700ml bottle. I'll save the $10-$15 and buy it instead

Bardstown Bourbon Co. ORIGIN SERIES BOURBON 6YR (Fall 2017) *NOSE: RYE SPICE! And I do mean lots of it. Dry, Dusty, and Spicy. Just hints at Sweetness with Light Cocoa Powder, Dry Brown Sugar, and some Wood Spice. Simple, but very good. *NEAT: There's more Sweetness here than the nose would lead you to believe, but to get to it, you've got to get through the Spicy Dry Coating that consists of Rye, Oak Spice, Black Pepper, Orange Peel, and Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. Once you do, the Sweetness shows up on the backend with the Holy Bourbon Trinity: Vanilla Bean, Caramel, and Honey. That Dry Spiciness comes back on a Long Peppery Finish with an excellent KYHug. You're left with a Layering Coating of Oak, Cinnamon, and Vanilla that hangs around even after the Glencairn is empty. *SPLASH: Doesn't change the Nose much, but the Palate gets more of the Honey & Vanilla while only losing a smidge of the Spice. *VERDICT: I was underwhelmed by the lone Bardstown bottle in my collection (one of the Fusion Series, not sure which) so I was a little reluctant, but I was persuaded by the $40'ish price tag, the 6YR age statement and the super high Rye Mashbill. Glad I talked myself into it. This is good. I mean surprisingly good. Maybe even (gasp) Special Release good. Not overly complex, but f you like Spicy this should be on your radar. This is what I was hoping for from my other Bardstown bottle (which if memory serves was about $20 more). If this continues to be readily available it will definitely have a spot on the shelf.

CLERMONT STEEP ASM *NOSE: I'm not sure what was intended by naming this whiskey "Steep", but the first note to jump out of the glass is Freshly Brewed Tea. For me, American Single Malts (ASM's) fall into two camps 1) Tea (ex. Rúa) or 2) Coffee (ex. Westland). This goes squarely in the Tea category. There's also Fruit, Leather, Lumber/Fresh Sawdust, and Cream o' Wheat Hot Cereal. There's a Maple & Brown Sugar Sweetness that builds the longer it sits, but this is definitely not an overly sweet nose. *NEAT: This is one of those Whiskies where the nose transfers almost note for note to the palate. Leathery, Malty, and Woody. Unsweetened Tea, Apple and just a smitch of Honey. Slightly Tannic & Drying with a Little Peppery Tingle. Finally shows it age with Oak Coating and Layering the Palate with a Longish, Slightly Spicy Finish. You're left with and aftertaste similar to what you get when you aggressively chew a toothpick. It eventually gets a Light Mustiness. *SPLASH: A Little Water Sweetens both the nose and palate, Upping the Brown Sugar/Maple and also adding Some Bitter Orange Peel. VERDICT: I wasn't sure of this one at first, but a couple pours in and it is really growing on me. That Musty Note that finally kicked in on the aftertaste definitely helped. I tend to get some off notes from certain ASM's (they do tend to be Craft Distillers), but I think the 5 Year Age Statement helps counteract some of those. ASM is its own animal. It's not Bourbon-y, nor is it Scotch-y. It has its own unique profile that is instantly recognizable and, if the TTB would get off their backside and do it, worthy of a category all its own. I can definitely see this being a repeat buy.

*This is my third crack at reviewing this one.. As is tradition with me an OGD Bonded, it's an up and down relationship. *NOSE: At first, some sting from the proof and pretty one dimensional (think Cinnamon Toothpick). Let it breathe for a few and come back and you get Leather, Dusty Oak, Peanut Shells, Clove, Cinnamon, Burnt Sugar, and Tobacco. With time it develops a Fruit Tartness. *NEAT: Decent Coating Mouthfeel. As expected Rye Spice with Vanilla, Clove, Cinnamon, Oak Tannins, a Hint of Barnyard with the Clove, Cinnamon, and Oak Coating an Layering after a Medium Length Finish. Nice Blooming KYHug. *SPLASH: Dials up the Sweetness a bit and brings a Stone Fruit Tartness (Peach, Nectarine). *VERDICT: Solid Bourbon and the highest score I've given it yet. I've yo-yo'ed from 3.75 to 2.75 to 4. Don't know if the profile fluctuates or if I just have to be in the mood. Mixes great in Old-Fashioneds and High Balls, passable Neat, and good with a large rock. I found myself asking, "Why don't I buy this more?"... Then reading my previous reviews of this, I got my answer. OGD Bonded is only a couple bucks less than OGD114, and around the same price as Wild Turkey 101. And that's the answer. WT101 has a lot of the same profile, and an extra few years of barrel time for the same price. Gimme' the Turkey or the 114 every time.

Breaking this one back out tonight and it is a musty, oaky, cinnamon bomb. Outstanding.

Davidson Tennessee Whiskey NOSE: Much better than the Bourbon. Traditional Tennessee Notes of Bananas Foster, Maple, Hazelnut, and some Char. A little of that youthful Corn I found in the 4 Grain is present, but not enough to spoil the overall experience. NEAT: Nice Coating Mouthfeel. Brown Sugar, Maple, Hazelnut, Light Oak Tannins, and a building TNHug. Banana and Oak Char coat and layer the palate. SPLASH: Turns the nose to all Maple & Brown Sugar. Palate gets a little Grainier with a Dry Cornbread note. The Char is amped up on the finish. VERDICT: So much better than the 4 Grain Bourbon, it's hard to believe they came from the same distillery. I really wanted to trash this one too because of the lack of response after contacting them months ago regarding the broken corks and getting zero response, but I can't in good conscience do that. But...just like the Bourbon, judges give an automatic quarter point deduction for broken corks and crappy customer service.

Davidson 4 Grain NOSE: Uh oh...Young, Crafty, and Corny but it does fade some revealing a nice underpinning of Melted Butter, Rye Spice, Hay, Brown Sugar, Citrus, and Oak. NEAT: The youth is back. It's a flavor that's hard to describe, but we all know it. Canned Cream Corn and Wet Cardboard? Bitter Oak Tannins and a Light Vanilla Sweetness. Rye Spice and Raw Grain are left to coat the palate. SPLASH: A little water helps the nose by accentuating the Brown Sugar note. Doesn't help the palate much, but it does mute the Bitterness somewhat. However, that is offset by the fact that the lingering finish has picked up a saccharin sweetness. VERDICT: I do not recommend this AT ALL. Not only is this some of the worst Whiskey I've had in a while, the top broke off the cork on BOTH bottles (I unfortunately got this and the Tennessee Whiskey) and despite two attempts to contact them through their website to see if I can get a replacement cork, I have gotten zero reply. Judges say, that is an automatic quarter point deduction.

STILLHOUSE BLACK NOSE: Young, but nice. Young Oak, Straw, Orange Peel, Peanut, and maybe the slightest hint of Coffee in the background. NEAT: Young, Thin, and Fruity. Light Vanilla, Bitter Oak, Orange with a slightly harsh finish. Again, maybe just a hint of Coffee on the aftertaste. SPLASH: A little water takes away some of the burn and bitterness but doesn't really improve it in any way and makes what little coffee influence there was disappear. VERDICT: Two of my favorite things on the planet are whiskey and coffee, so of course I was curious about this one. I was expecting more Coffee Influence? Something I could experiment and cocktail with. Without the Coffee influence, all you've got here is bottom shelf whiskey in a tin can. Something I'll dump into Bourbon & Cokes at my next cookout. This has inspired me to experiment with my own coffee bean infusion. If it's a success, I'll report back.

BERNHEIM BP(A223) 118.8 NOSE: Dark & Rich. Brown Sugar, Barrelwood, Cedar, Puffed Wheat or Honey Smacks Cereal, and Honeysuckle. NEAT: Rather easy drinking for the 118 proof. Like the Nose, Dark & Rich. Front Palate gets Sweet Oak, Caramel, Chocolate, Brown Sugar, Honey, and Berries. The Back Palate gets Barnyard, Wheat, and Cinnamon Discs. Decent Buttery Mouthfeel with a growing KYHug and a layering coating of Sweet & Slightly Musty Oak for the cheeks and gums. SPLASH: A little water adds some Leather to the Nose and Palate. Adds some Tingly Pepper Spice to the Finish. VERDICT: I was expecting sweet, but this is a Dark, Decadent Dessert in a Glass. In the HH BP Hierarchy, I’d put this solidly in second behind ECBP and well ahead of both Larceny BP’s I’ve had. Decent VFM at $65 as well. This will definitely be a repeat buy. Heaven Hill, good job outta’ you.