Tastes

Had a pour of this the other night, and while all the tasting notes in my original review hold up, the heavy syrupy fruit I got from my first sampling have been replaced by Kellogg's Corn Pops Cereal (a staple of my childhood). Gets high marks from me either way, but it was interesting to experience the change from first sampling to second.

Bulleit Rye 95 Picked up my first bottle of this in ages on a whim recently and just realized I've never officially reviewed it. NOSE: Pours into the Glencairn a Light Auburn Color and yields notes of Rye Bread, Dill, Mint, Fresh Varnish, Mustard Seed, and a Hoppy IPA. Savory and Slightly Hot. NEAT : Black Pepper, Rye, Dill, Light Vanilla, Young Oak, Grapefruit Peel, and Bitter Hops. Leaves a tingly coating of Bitter Hops and Mild Vanilla. SPLASH: Takes the heat off the nose and adds a little sweetness. Adds sweetness to the palate as well, but it is at the expense of some of more complex notes I was getting Neat. VERDICT: Despite it's $35 price tag, to me this is not designed to be a Sippin' Rye. That mantle is best reserved for Ryes such as Rittenhouse, Pikesville, or one of High West's offerings. The reason this one earns a spot on the bar is it's prowess in Cocktails. Makes great Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, and Highballs. That spicy rye really punches through. 3.5

RARE BREED @ 116.8 Proof NOSE: This pours into my Glencairn a beautiful shade of burnt orange. Very Oily and Coating with slow moving fat legs. The first thing you notice on the nose is the Heat. Allow the alcohol to evaporate some and go back in to get Dry and Dusty Oak, Hay, and Brown Sugar. You can nail this one as a WT product from across the room. More time in the glass yields notes of Dried Orange Peel, Baking Spices such as Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Clove. A hint of Dried flowers also evolves after some time. NEAT: Enters Sweet with Brown Sugar and Vanilla Buttercream Icing. Thick and Chewy. Cinnamon and Oak dominate the middle and back of the palate. Slightly Astringent, but less than I expected. A Long Finish with one of the bigger Kentucky Hugs I've experienced. An Oaky Sweetness coats the palate and builds with each successive sip making this one better the deeper you delve into the glass. There is not a ton of complexity, but Big Bold Oak, Vanilla, and Cinnamon are sometimes enough. I expect to get some varied flavors after a splash or two. SPLASH: Really opens this one up. A few drops of water brings that Dried Orange Peel note to the front of the class on both the nose and palate. Vanilla Coke, Vanilla Custard dusted with Nutmeg, and Toasted Marshmallow separate themselves from the single sweetness you experience undiluted. It become Tingly and Effervescent on the tongue. The hint of astringency that was present is now gone leaving just the Sweeter Oak notes. That nice warming Kentucky Hug still hangs in there, even after multiple dilutions. It can take a lot of water without losing any of the complexity. VERDICT: My memory of the 108 version is long faded, but if it was better than this one, it was only slightly. This is probably the closest I will ever come to the experience of walking into a Rickhouse and putting a whiskey thief in a barrel. Absolutely one of the best readily available bourbons on the shelf. I also have a few 375's of the previous 112 version that I picked up on sale for about $13ea. as the new higher proof was coming out. I found those in the back of my bunker with a light coating of dust. How could I have forgotten those?!? I will open and review one soon. Well done, Jimmy and Eddie Russell. Well done.

Kentucky Spirit (in the old tail feather "fan" bottle)-Barrel #18-0007/ Warehouse K/ Rick #3 (Single Barrel, your mileage may vary) $60 NOSE: Pours into the Glencairn a light amber color. Coats the glass and forms slow moving fat legs. On first try, the nose is slightly hot and dominated by Dry Dusty Hay, Oak, and Orange Peel. I was unimpressed at first, but give it some time to develop a complex bouquet of Dried Spices. Black Pepper, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Cinnamon Stick, and Clove. It's like opening the spice cabinet in your kitchen after a few months and being hit with the scent of nearly all of the spices at one time. NEAT: Thick, Clingy and Oaky on the palate to start with. Vanilla, Caramel and some of those Dried Spices pick up mid palate. Clove, Cinnamon, and Black Pepper. A drying finish with Oak, Black Pepper, Cinnamon and Orange Peel coating. A nice warming Kentucky Hug on the way down. SPLASH: A few drops of water brings the Cinnamon note to the fore on the nose. A Burnt Brown Sugar Sweetness is added to both nose and palate. Clingy Black Licorice on the finish. VERDICT: I have really struggled with the decision whether to purchase this one or not. It is basically a Single Barrel version of their standard 101. NAS (but my guess, based on the oak influence, is 8-9 years) and a whopping $35 more than the standard 101. With all that working against it, I was surprised by how much I liked it. Is it $35 better? No, but it is a unique take on the WT profile. In fact, this is a store pick for my local ABC and I'm tempted to save up for another bottle from this barrel. On a side note..Whoever decided to change the bottle shape and labeling should be fired IMMEDIATELY! By far the biggest downgrade in packaging I've ever seen.

This is the re-labeled “Old Nick” Bourbon (due to a lawsuit from the vultures who poached the Old St Nick trademark from the dustbin and then got caught in the college admittance scandal). My original “Old Nick” review follows... Made in NC from a wheated mash bill. You get typical corn sweetness, butterscotch, caramel, lots of oak. Thick and clingy mouthfeel. This is surprisingly good considering the age. You can tell that this is young, but every batch gets better. The quality is definitely there.

Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Pours in to my Glencairn the color of very light tan suede. Takes while to form small slow moving droplets. NOSE: Thin (I know thin isn't a smell, but more of an impression) and Stinging Hot. Not very complex. Corn Dust and Oak. Maybe a little Banana? There was a floral note initially but it faded rather quickly. NEAT: Enters the palate very sweet with Caramel and Light Banana. On the Mid-palate this is Hot & Young and it moves right to a Hot Bitter Medium Length Finish. Mouthfeel is relatively thin. If this is Seven Years Old, I'll eat mine and your hat. SPLASH: Improves the palate a good deal just by reducing the heat, but doesn't really add any flavors or depth. Does make the mouthfeel a little creamier. If this is going to be finished anytime soon, it will be with a splash or a large cube. VERDICT: I'd been tempted by the UN1856 on shelves here locally, but hadn't bitten. When this one popped into my Facebook feed for $50 with a flat rate shipping rate of $5, I bit on impulse. Something I probably wouldn't have done in a brick and mortar store. I figured I was pretty safe. Sourced Tennessee? Has to be Dickel, and I love Cascade Hollow (sorry, can't make myself type the words "I love Dickel"). A claim of 7yrs? That is a decent age. Those factors all played a part in my decision. After sampling I researched and read that this was supposedly sourced from two different TN companies. Leaving out Jack (who claims to not source) who else has 7 year old stocks in TN? The fact that the word Straight can not be found on the bottle anywhere should also have been a red flag. If this is truly 7 Years Old, what prevents them from calling it straight? Aged in used barrels perhaps? A mix of Bourbon and Rye mash bills? I'm hoping that this is one of those bottles that get better after it's opened. If so I'll report back and let you know, but for now I'm giving this one a too kind 2.75.

FC103 NOSE: Traditional Bourbon notes of Vanilla and Oak with Dry Roasted Peanuts. It is a tick hot. NEAT: SWEET! Coke and Peanuts. This reminds me so much of what we call here in the south a "Chain Gang Coke". Simply a glass bottle of Coke with a pack of peanuts poured into it. If you haven't tried it, it is delicious. There is a fair amount of Oak as well. Finishes with a decent Kentucky Hug (though quite smooth for 103 proof) leaving a coating of Coke and Oak. A lingering cinnamon note as well. SPLASH: Turns one note Vanilla Coke. VERDICT: This one is like EW BIB if EW BIB had a teaspoon of sugar dumped in it. Better than I remembered, but I still find it a tick too sweet. When I say Coke, I don't mean it has a Coca Cola note...I mean it tastes like Coke. It is not as peanut-y as Beam, but is damn close. Picked this up on impulse on sale for $14.95, and for that price it is a steal when you factor in the 103 proof. This could definitely find a spot in my bottom shelf rotation.

Woodford Reserve Wheat Whiskey Pours into my Glencairn a slight reddish hue (or is it just subliminal from the red label?). A quick swirl yields fast moving skinny legs. NOSE: A definite floral note. Buttered Toast. Sugary Sweet Pink Bubblegum. Tropical Fruits mainly Banana and Coconut, Hay and Oak. There are light Rye Notes in the background as well. NEAT: Crosses the front of the palate with Cherry Vanilla Coke sweetness. There is a vague fruitiness throughout. Banana? Cherry? Pear? All seem to be there, but none dominate. A touch of Black Pepper Spice and a healthy shot of Oak. The Malt notes show up on the warming finish with a taste reminiscent of Burnt Brownie Edges and Oak Tannins coating the palate. A Sweet Brown Sugary note really clings and lasts adding some more depth to the next sip. SPLASH: Gives the nose a spicy character, and I swear the little bit of rye in the mash bill comes through in a light dill note. Accents the Spicy Oak and Vanilla on the palate. The nose on the empty glass is a dead ringer for Brown Sugar. Verdict: Very good. A great example of a 4 grain whiskey where each grain contributes their own unique character. Different than Bernheim Wheat, but equally good. 4 Stars.

TURNING POINT STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY Mashbill of 60% Corn, 20% Rye and 20% Barley: NOSE: After a quick swirl yielding skinny fast moving legs, this dark amber bourbon yields notes of Dry Dusty Corn, Candle Wax, Fresh Cut Grass, and Fresh Cut Lumber. There is a Vegetal Note as well. After some time in the glass Tea begins to dominate along with some Citrus Oil and a floral note. NEAT: The Vegetal Note from the nose is quite strong at first, but it changes rather quickly to Tea. Also notes of Honey, Dark Chocolate, and Tannic Oak. A warming finish with Tea and Oak lingering on the palate. SPLASH: A little water really improves what is already a decent whiskey. Both nose and palate take on a Maple Fudge Note. Reduces the Tannins and Turns the Tea to Cola. VERDICT: I usually pass on craft bourbons, but there were a few things that made me give this one a shot. Southern Artisan Spirits was one of the first distillers to open in NC after they were allowed in 2005 and their Cardinal Gin is one of my first (and most loved) craft spirits. This is a Straight Bourbon (meaning at least 2 years old), distilled and bottled by SAS in Kings Mountain, NC (no sourced whiskey here). This is also reasonably priced in the mid-$30's. There is some real potential here and I look forward to enjoying it as older barrels become available. This was a 3.5 neat and a 4 after a splash. I'll average them for a 3.75.