Tastes

LONGBRANCH (REVISITED) *NOSE: Light Barnyard Funk, Cedar & Oak Spice, Orange Peel, Leather. *NEAT: Light. Front of Palate is Vanilla & Cotton Candy. Mid-Palate is Wood Spice. Back of the Tongue is Cinnamon & Black Pepper with a light Tannic Coating. *SPLASH: With a splash the Nose gets a hint of Floral, but it mutes the Palate way too much, and ice just kills it all around. Due to its delicate profile, I recommend Neat only. *VERDICT: Not as good as I remember. Definitely a decent neat sipping Bourbon, but not bold enough to stand up to ice or cocktails. For the same dollars, go with Knob Creek and it’s higher proof. It’s just as good (if not slightly better) and a workhorse you can enjoy multiple ways.

OLD SCOUT SOUTHPORT ABC 6YR Barrel No. 36379 (added a listing as the other store picks all seem to be 5 yr) *NOSE: Unbelievably Hot, so I set my glencairn on a shelf and returned to it in 15 minutes to be greeted with Leather, Cocoa, Black Pepper, Dry Corn Dust, Dry Oak, and Dry Grass. There’s a Savory note that I have trouble placing at first, but it eventually clicks as Salted in the Shell Roasted Peanuts. *NEAT: Those Salted Roast Peanuts lead off , but are replaced mid-palate by Sweeter notes of Toffee, Maple, and Vanilla. The backend features some Drying Oak Tannins and Black Pepper leading into a Rough Hot Finish. Big KYHug deep in the chest as you feel every point of the 120 Proof. There is a Drying Coating of Tannins and Peanut Shell layering after each sip. *SPLASH: A few drops of water makes it sweeter and less dry with Vanilla and Cinnamon Sugar becoming primary. A little more Water and Some Dry Oak shows up as well. Still get that Rough Hot Finish and a Cinnamon Coating. *VERDICT: This seems like an ideal Cigar Pairing with the Heat & Spice to stand up to whatever stick you choose to light up. This gets an extra 1/4 Star for value. 6 Year Single Barrel 120proof MGP for $35? Slap a designer label on a slightly fancier bottle and charge $100 and not a Tater eyelash would bat. The NAS version of this is damn near undrinkable, but I thought for the exact same $35, I’d give the Single Barrel a try and I’m glad I did. At that price, I may bunker a bottle or two.

LAG16 Why am I not drinking this more often? NOSE: Homemade Raspberry Preserves on buttered toast, Campfire, Misty Sea Air, & Iodine. NEAT: Slightly Bitter, Acrid Smoke quickly transitioning to Fresh Berries & Cream, Leather, Burnt Ends, Camphor, and Eucalyptus. Long Finish with Menthol, Charred Oak, and a Fruity Sweetness coating and layering the palate. SPLASH: a few drops of water and the Berry notes take center stage with Cigar Ash, Black Pepper & Tannins now playing supporting roles. Coating aftertaste is now the bittersweet Darkest of Dark Chocolate and more Cigar Ash. VERDICT: the unusual cold snap gave me a craving for Peated Whisky and this and a rocks glass have been my companion the last couple nights. The Raspberry Jam sweetness is new for me (this bottle has been open a good while), but I’m digging it. I know it’s Bourbon Hunting Season, but I’m not sure there’s a special release out there that can top this available 365 days a year $99 bottle. Again, why am I not drinking this more often?

BARRELL SEAGRASS (BATCH 119.3 PROOF) *NOSE: The Grassy Rye notes are there, but mostly in a supporting role. Center stage are Fresh Tropical Fruits (Pineapple, Mango, Melon), Apricots, Plum, Granny Smith Apple, and White Raisins. There is Oak, but not Charred, more Weathered and Dry. There is also some Herbaceous Qualities found in good Canadian Ryes. Licorice, Cardamom, Star Anise, and Spearmint. Unique and Very Good. *NEAT: This is my 3rd go around with Seagrass, but the first sip is still an all out assault on the tastebuds. Your taste receptors have a hard time processing all the things that are thrown at them at one time. You get blasted with that Thick, Clingy Herbaceous Rye, Jammy Fruits, Mulling Spice, and Oak Tannins all at the same time followed by a lingering aftertaste of Black Licorice. Diving back in better prepared, the Brandy is front and center with a sweetness that borders on cloying but never crosses the line. Apricot Jam, Fig Preserves, White Grape Jelly. The Rye brings Grapefruit Peel, Pine Sap, Fennel, and Pepper Spice. Like the nose, the Wood is not Charred, but rather Weathered and Slightly Tannic. Finish is Long with a Glow spreading deep in the chest. That Clingy Mouthfeel leaves a layering coating of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, and Tannins. *SPLASH: A few drops of water and it gains a Floral/Perfumed Quality. On the Nose the Fruits become less intense and more creamy. The Brandy becomes less assertive allowing the Rum Barrel Influence to emerge with Molasses, Maple, and Butterscotch. The coating aftertaste is less complex and more "Minty". A few more drops and the sweetness becomes more Brown Sugar and Less Jam. You get Vanilla and Coffee with Sweet Cream. Verdict: This is a total assault on the senses. I don't know if I've ever had a whiskey with this much going on, but somehow it works. A Little Water doesn't diminish it at all, it merely changes it (if that makes sense). I really like this, but much like a Heavily Peated Scotch, it's so intense and over the top sweet I need to be in the mood for it. There are batches of this, distinguished by varying proofs, number of bottles, and a tiny little number visible with magnification hidden in the "grass" on the right of the label. I can imagine that there would be some differences with all the variables that go into producing this. One of the better whiskies I've tried in a while, but had I not been in the mood for it, I can see it being off-putting. If you see one at retail, It's definitely worth it to see if you like it as much as I did.

PiggyBack 6YR Bourbon: Tasted Neat in Glancairn 12/02/22 (rested 15 minutes) *NOSE: Very Corn Forward. Dry Cornbread, Oak Spice, Raw Almond, Cherry Pit, and perhaps a Hint of Sweet in the form of Cake Donut with Powdered Sugar. A Little Alcohol Sting, but not enough to matter. *NEAT: Decent Coating Mouthfeel. Spicier than I remember from my first tasting. Barrel Spice, Black Pepper, and Eucalyptus. Sweetness in the form of Light Butterscotch and Vanilla. At the Edges, Oak Char and Mild Tannins hang out. Finishes Medium to Long with a nice Blooming Heat in the chest, leaving behind a palate coating mix of Oak, Musty Dried Corn, and Eucalyptus. *Splash: A Little Water bring Cedar to the Nose and Palate. Definitely turn up the sweetness with Cherry Vanilla Syrup sweetness. Easily adds a full quarter point to my rating. *VERDICT: The PiggyBack 6YR Rye is one of my favorites out there so I was anxious to see their take on a Bourbon. So eager, in fact, that instead of waiting for it to hit shelves here in NC I took advantage of the fact that you can buy direct from their website with free shipping. I don't know if the first tasting just hit me on a bad palate night or if time open has really improved it, but either way, this was going to get a bad review. I'm glad I waited, as this has really developed into a tasty whiskey. Where the first taste was all Young Corn, subsequent tries have all been very good. Even better after a few drops of water. It's dinged a little by the $50 price tag (they claim this was blended to be a mixer, but that's too much money to mix very often) but is still a solid 4 Star Pour.

T&S Oak Reserve 7YR (Aged in ex-Woodford Reserve Barrels) *NOSE: There is a dominant Ester-y Plastic/Vinyl Note. Underneath is Butterscotch, Karo Syrup, Vanilla, Cornmeal. These combine with that Rubbery note and come across as almost "Rum-like". *NEAT: At first it's promising that the Plastic Note (think new shower curtain) is not prominent. It's there, but mild. This reminds you it's Corn Whiskey, but a DRY Corn Whiskey. Dry Cornbread, Creamed Corn, and Dry Bitter Tannins. Some Vanilla gives it a Light Sweetness. Then it goes sideways. It finishes with a Sharp Bite and (there it is) an Unpleasant Coating of that Chemical Plastic/Vinyl note. BLECH. *SPLASH: A Little Water or a Large Cube of Ice helps the palate some. Less Dry with a Peppery Tingle and some Oak finally shows up. The Plastic note transitions to Leather. and you get a Little More Vanilla. *VERDICT: I so wanted to like this as it's a NC Product and waited for a while to review hoping against hope that it would improve. I remember liking the NAS version years ago (and even stated in my review that I thought it could use some more barrel time), so I figured extra age had to be better. Boy was I wrong. It was somewhat saved by water/ice, but as much as I want to, I can't recommend this. At all.

"Whittler's Bench Pick" Barrel No. 757157412 *NOSE: Pours into the Glencairn a great Rich Mahogany Color. The Nose yields notes of Dense Dry Brown Sugar, Molasses, Bit O' Honey, Dry Oak, Dried Peach, Baby Aspirin, and Leather. Dry Empty Glass is Fudge Brownie. *NEAT: Fairly Thick & Clingy. Fruit Forward. Orange, Lemon, Artificial Cherry (Almost Froot Loop Cereal), Dry Oak Tannins, Brown Sugar, Black Pepper, Cardamom, and Cinnamon. Medium to Longish Drying Finish with a Nice KYHug from the 115 Proof. Oak, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, and Bitter Fruit Coat and Linger on the palate. Very Complex! *SPLASH: Becomes a Little Sweeter with some Maple and Hazlenut. Just a tick more Tannins. Holds up to a Large Cube of Ice very nicely as well and makes a kick-ass Old Fashioned. *VERDICT: While Yellowstone blends Heaven Hill with their own distillate for their flagship bottling, the Single Barrels are sourced from Barton. The Barton Profile and I don't normally get along, but this barrel is, put simply, by far the best Barton I've had. A nice surprise and I'm kicking myself for not picking up a second.

MOORE STREET OYSTER BAR SOUTHPORT PICK Barrel No. 20-250... Barreled 7/31/15... Bottled 6/12/20 *NOSE: Pours into the Glencairn a great Mahogany color and features notes of Brown Sugar, Citrus, Dry Oak, Cinnamon, Savory Spices, and Cocoa Powder. *NEAT: Syrupy, Clingy Mouthfeel yields Slightly Bitter Citrus, Oak Tannins, Dry Weathered Oak, Brown Sugar, Medicinal Cherry, Cinnamon, Hay, and Black Pepper. Warm Building Finish reminds you it's 105 Proof leaving behind a nice layering coating of Cherry, Cocoa Powder, and Tannins. *SPLASH: Gives the Palate a "Buttery" quality and reduces the Medicinal Quality of the Cherry note. Be careful, though. Too much water and it picks up a youthful "corny" note. *VERDICT: Very Fairly Priced, Overproofed, Non-Chill Filtered Single Barrel. Young, but Tasty. It's rare that you find decently priced high proof MGP that is worth the money. This is one of those rare instances. Keep in mind, it's a Single Barrel so YMMV, but based on this barrel, I can recommend this one without hesitation.

JEFFERSON'S RESERVE SINGLE BARREL (BARREL 18/BOTTLE 168) (Working my way through a backlog of notes, so you may get sick of me for a few days.) *NOSE: Oak Spice, Cedar, Leather, Unlit Cigar, Carmelized Sugar, and a Dollop of Heat. With time in the glass a Fresh Cut Grass note emerges. *NEAT: Nice Coating Mouthfeel. Lots (and I do mean LOTS) of Oak Spice without being overly tannic. Vanilla Creme, Hazelnut, Cinnamon, Yellow #2 Pencil. The Tingly Cinnamon/Oak Spice really ramps up and coats the palate on the Long Finish with a nice blooming KYHug deep in the chest. *SPLASH: Nose loses some of the Heat and gets some Tartness. Rhubarb? On the palate the Oak gets a little Less Spice. The Tartness makes its way here as well, with Tart Cherry over Vanilla Ice Cream. Still a good bit of Spice on the Finish. I'm thinking this will stand up to a Large Cube of Ice very well. *VERDICT: Curiosity got the best of me. Can a company known for blending barrels from various sources put out a decent single barrel? In short, YES. I really like this. Spicy Oak and Cinnamon Heavy but with just enough Sweetness to keep the Tannins in check. I love a Bourbon that can pull that off and this one fits that description to a tee. Keep in mind that as a Single Barrel, YMMV.