Tastes

I picked up a 50ml of this to try after liking my bottle of Famous Grouse. Definitely more peat and smoke than the regular "Famous" expression. Did not enjoy it as much as the "Famous" at first, but after 10-15 minutes in the glass, it really opened up. Gained a definite chocolate malt note to compliment the peat giving it an edge over the "Famous". Worth the couple extra bucks it'll cost you to move up. I can see a full size bottle of this in my near future.

This is good! I'd give it 4.5 if we could give 1/2's. Nice light copper color. Dried bananas and burnt popcorn on the unique nose, with a hint of cinnamon and brown sugar. Neat it starts out with char and banana cream (I pick up the banana cream on all Dickels), followed by buttered popcorn and hazelnut. Just a hint of warmth going down, but this one is overly smooth. Hazelnut lingers on the palate. This one would probably get 5 stars if it were about $10 cheaper and they replaced the rubber stopper with real cork. This one is headed to the back of the cabinet for special occasions.

I had a rave review ready to go on this bourbon. Simply debating if it was really worth the 4 stars I was about to give it and then the more of the pour I drank, the less I liked it. I have a theory that this juice may be super sensitive to the effects of oxygen. I opened the bottle for my first pour and the nose was great. Bananas Foster, brown sugar baking spices. Neat, despite a relatively thin mouthfeel, I got a wonderful sweet entry with coconut & marzipan and some baked confection that I can almost, but not quite, place. A mild finish with a touch of bitterness. Very enjoyable. However....After a few minutes the nose picked up the odd trademark Brown Forman latex paint note. The finish became even more bitter overriding all the great sweetness that was there at first. I've never had a whiskey change in the glass like this. We're not talking about an hour or hours, we're talking about minutes. Ice doesn't help and the bitter note completely ruins an Old Fashioned. This being the same or similar juice as the Woodford may explain why I find such wild discrepancy from bottle to bottle with it, leading me to purchase it only in 50 mls. If I get a bad one of those I'm only out $2.50 instead of $40. I was really hoping to like this, but in this price range the Evan Williams White and the OGD BIB are far superior in my book. Heck, I might even prefer Beam White Label to this (although it's been so long since I've had that I may be wrong).

If your dear old Grand-Dad drank whiskey, it tasted like this. A new addition to my state's ABC shelves, I picked up a bottle last week. The nose on this one is great. One of my favorites to date. I was expecting high alcohol, but I actually found it tamer than the OGD BIB. Traditional notes of vanilla with peanut brittle followed by a great combination of hay/straw/leather/old wood. All the GOOD smells from an old barn. Tried neat you get dry roast peanuts, heavy vanilla and cinnamon. A pleasant burn on the finish without being too hot and a lingering taste of cinnamon redhots. Everything good about the OGD BIB is there, just dialed up to 11. A large ice cube brings out more of the peanut note, and while it doesn't kill the sweet, it puts a major hurt on it (which is opposite of my notes on the OGD BIB). I see myself sipping this one neat on occasion, and using it for spirit forward cocktails such as an Old Fashioned. This and Wild Turkey Rare Breed are the only two overproofed bourbons I've had. Both are solidly in my top five and definitely earn 5 stars. For $25-$30, you can't go wrong with this one.

A definite step up from the T & S Reserve. The heirloom wheat gives it a more consistent sweetness throughout and a thicker mouthfeel. Just a hint of smoke and old leather with a mild finish. Their website seems to target this one to women looking to get into the whiskey world with the tag line "a kinder spirit". I can definitely see this one being a good change of pace in traditional whiskey cocktails. As a note to the original review, I've purchased 2 bottles and have had no issues with sediment.

Straw to light caramel color in the glass. Love the nose on this one. Leather, light smoke and honeyed grain. Neat it enters with a light sweetness reminiscent of biscotti. The leather note from the nose is also there, ending in a light and citrusy finish. I enjoyed this one. A definite step up from my regulars, Dewar's White Label and Famous Grouse, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the Dewar's Scratched Cask. A definite keeper for the bar and a solid 4 stars.

A new one at my local store. Bought it purely out of curiosity. Light straw color in the glass. The nose was a puzzler for me. There was a note there that I kept trying over and over to place. It was almost a wood polish or shellac note. Then...light bulb! Dill Pickle! I've finally found the pickle note that other reviewers keep mentioning in their rye reviews. LDI was the supposed source of most of those, but this one lists Corsair as the producer? Neat it has a very light sweetness, more dill and a short sharp, hot and peppery finish. Made a very good Old-Fashioned. At $35 I probably won't buy again (too many other good ryes now in the mid 20's) but might pick it up again if I see it on sale.

Barrel 2039/Barreled 08-25-2005. Dark robust amber color thanks to its 10 year age. The nose is vanilla with leather and musty oak. Neat it enters with a mild dusty sweetness. Notes of dry roast peanuts and a heavy barrel influence that leads to a tingly finish that coats with a lingering oaky mustiness. A lot of Heaven Hills bourbons have an earthy dusty quality that I'm a fan of, and this one turns that up to a 10. If you like a lot of barrel influence, and apparently I do, this is a good choice. I don't see this one becoming an every day pour for me, but it is a definite winner as a change of pace. This is a great buy for around $27 in my area. My only quibble is the screw off cap seems a little cheap for a 10 year old single barrel.