Tastes

For frat boy shots and cocktails, this is the cinnamon whiskey to use. Why pay more for a name brand whiskey(Jack, Jim, etc) with flavoring when this will do the trick. Tastes of straight atomic fireball jawbreakers.

I keep trying Brown Foreman stuff and hoping it'll finally click for me. This is definitely an upgrade from the 86proof. The nose hits you with cherry, coconut, oak shellac and Sherwin Williams latex paint. It's an odd note, similar to the smells of a brand new or freshly painted home. The flavor pretty much mimics the nose. Cherry and coconut, vanilla and that latex paint note. Lots of spice and a hot, slightly astringent finish. A splash or a large cube of ice brings some more oak to the mix and adds some leather, but oddly doesn't really tame the heat. In the words of Randy Jackson, "It was just a'right for me, Dog". Possible I'll purchase again, but not likely.

Neat in a Glencairn (86 proof)...NOSE: Bandaids and Iodine, Campfire, Salt Air. Give it a minute in the glass and a quick swirl to bring out light notes of vanilla, pear and apple. NEAT: The first sip is straight char and ash followed by the bandaid and iodine notes. Trust me, stick with it because after a couple sips you begin to detect a hint of sweet apple/honey/vanilla in the background. The more time you spend with this one the more the sweet notes assert themselves. Eventually you pick them up right on the front end. Nice burn all the way down on the finish with char like an extinguished campfire lingering along with just a tinge of the honey sweetness. This is BIG BOY Whisky. There was more hair on my chest when I finished this pour than there was when I started it. If someone would've told me 10 years ago that I'd be sitting and savoring a beverage that I freely describe as tasting of bandaids and soot, I'd have called them crazy. I'm looking forward to spending some time with this one. I've already discovered that pairing it with a cigar really brings the sweetness to the forefront. Bottom line, this is delicious and I'm glad I finally made the jump into the world of Islay.

Picked up a 750 for $17, although NC does run it on sale from time to time for around $15. Nosed in a glencairn you get pleasant oak and caramel. Very light and delicate. It enters with a nice sweetness. Light vanilla with a touch of straw and oak. Little to no burn on the finish with just a very small amount of vanilla and mint lingering. Ice kills what little complexity this one has. I described Four Roses Yellow Label as "light without being weak". Unfortunately the Rebel Yell is both Light AND Weak. With a name like Rebel Yell you would expect some bite or burn. Some harshness and character. I really feel this one is WAAAAAY under proofed. I'd love to see it at 86-90. That would definitely help it. I did like what it offered, however. A good, light simple sipper. Would be a good summertime day drinker. However, if I'm in the mood for a light 80 proof sipper, I feel that the 4Roses is a far superior choice. I can also catch it on sale for around the same price as the RY. 3 stars from me.

*Batch B517 Deep copper color when poured into a glencairn glass. Has a nose of burnt sugar & warm pecan pie. You can almost pick out the individual parts. The crust, the pecans and the Karo syrup. Also has a strong note of polished oak. Neat it comes in maple syrup sweet. Thick and chewy. Coats the entire palate and finishes short & hot with a bitter astringent musty oak lingering. However, this one really comes to life with a splash. The sweetness on the entry gains complexity with marshmallow, caramel and vanilla joining the maple syrup. Smooths out the finish by taming the heat and almost completely eliminating the astringency. The musty oak note (one of my favorite things about Heaven Hill products) still lingers, but now with an added egg noggy sweetness. This one really makes me miss the 12 year age stated Elijah Craig. It also reminds me to be sure and pick up a bottle of Henry McKenna 10year Single Barrel on my next trip to the ABC. When this one is unavailable (which is most of the time), the HMcK10yr is a great substitute.

Went in to this one not expecting to like it. I have refused to buy this one at $45 per 750ml bottle here, especially after they dropped the age statement. I finally relented when my ABC started carrying the 375ml size for $22. I figured for that price I could finally give it a fair shake. The nose is sweet with a hint of menthol and a strong backbone of oak. Neat those notes carry over into the palate with caramel, cinnamon, light leather and a nice rye spice. A little oak and cinnamon candy linger on the finish. I thought it was delicious! A large cube of ice tames the rye kick just a hair and seems to accentuate the leathery note I was picking up just a bit. This bourbon shows how barrel placement and selection can really influence a flavor profile. I know that this and the Old Grand Dad line share a mashbill and are around the same age, but I really feel that Basil Hayden is a superior product. Where it loses a star is value. I can buy two bottles of OGD BIB for about the same price as one Basil Hayden, and for $15 less I can buy a bottle of one of my personal favorites, OGD 114. At 80 proof, I feel that this one should be in the $25-$30 range. At that price, I would always have it on hand.