Tastes

OLD OVERHOLT ("NEW" 86 PROOF/NON CHILL FILTERED) **Dining out a few weeks ago and wanted an Old Fashioned. Their cocktail menu listed Woodford Bourbon as the whiskey used and I asked if they could make it with Rye. Their House Rye was Old Overholt and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Much less sweet than I was expecting with a drier, dustier character. Decided I'd pick up a bottle and that was when I realized they had revamped and added 6 Proof Points and skipped the Chill Filtering. Let's see how it is. *NOSE: Automotive Grease/Oil, Rye Spice, Pencil Shavings, Barrel Char, Light Vanilla Coke, and a little Ethanol Sting. *NEAT: That Automotive Character from the nose, Pencil Shavings, Rye Spice, Black Pepper, Rye Toast, Slightly Bitter Oak. Not a lot of sweetness, but a Little Bit of Butterscotch. Absolutely no heat on the finish with that Grease/Oil, Dry Oak, and Black Pepper Coating and Layering on the palate. *SPLASH: Doesn't change much. Maybe gets a touch sweeter? *VERDICT: A HUGE improvement over the old 80 Proof. I really liked it. It tastes just like the bottle makes you think it will taste, if that makes sense. Plain, Dry, Dusty. Not a lot of sweetness. The mashbill seems to be a mystery, but I think it's substantially over the required minimum 51%. This made a great Old Fashioned, mixed well with 7-Up or Ginger Ale, but got lost a little in a Manhattan. I was surprised how quickly I went through the bottle. I've gained an appreciation for it and think that it's different enough from Rittenhouse, Sazerac, etc. to warrant a place in your collection, and for less than $20, why wouldn't you want it to?

PUNCHER'S CHANCE KSB *NOSE: Dry, Dry, Dry. Dried Orange and Apple Peel, Dry Weathered Wood, Hay, and Barnyard Funk. Hiding in the background there is a Sticky Toffee Sweetness. *NEAT: Dry & Spicy. Orange Oil, Dry Oak, Cinnamon Stick, Fall Baking Spice, with the slightest hint of Cola Sweetness. Drying Finish with a light glow blooming in the chest. Orange Peel, Cinnamon, Black Pepper Tingle and Drying Tannins coat and layer on the palate. *SPLASH: Nose gained a Floral Quality and it reduced the Tannins on the palate just a bit. Gave it an overall sweeter character. Not a Caramel/Vanilla Sweet, but more of a Spiced Apple Holiday Cake. *VERDICT: The Mashbill of 75/13/12 is only produced by two big boys that I know of, Beam & Wild Turkey. I did get some WT'ish Barnyard Funk, but what this reminded me most of is my lone bottle of Johnny Drum Private Stock. In fact, going back and comparing notes, they are nearly identical. Maybe this is what you get when you combine sourced Turkey and Sourced Beam? I really liked the Drum and I like this one too. Not a traditional profile, but it suits my palate just fine, especially for less than $30.

Southern Star Paragon Cask Strength Single Barrel (Selected by Loco Jo's) Barrel #0090 @ 109.4 Proof "Southport Select" *NOSE: Tobacco, Brown Sugar, Baked Sweet Potato, Vanilla Bean, Clove, Old Oak, Dry Wheat. Kind of a Soapy/Grassy Funk on the empty glass. *NEAT: Thick and Coating. LOTS of Cinnamon, Brown Sugar, that Vegetal Sweet Potato, Cheap Vanilla Fudge Swirl Ice Cream, and Dry Oak on the Back End.Medium Length Finish Coats the palate with Tingly Cinnamon and Dry Oak followed by a growing Warming Glow deep in the chest. *SPLASH: Gets even better. The Clove from the Nose shows up on the Palate. Cinnamon is still present, but less dominant. Even more of that Cheap Vanilla Fudge Swirl Ice Cream and some Medicinal Cherry Coating. *VERDICT: This is really good, especially at Cask Strength. As Wheaters go, this is less Maker's (thin/sweet/grassy) and a little more Larceny (vegetal/cinnamon/spicy). That being said, I find it much better than Larceny. So happy that I can recommend, without reservation, a NC Bourbon that rivals some of KY's Big Boys.

JD Triple Mash *NOSE: Banana, Rye Spice, Barnwood, Vanilla, Maple, Latex Paint, Dry Brown Sugar, Tea. *NEAT: Definitely can tell that JD Rye is the largest component in the blend. A little Bitter and Savory and lacking much in the way of sweet notes. Dark Chocolate, Dark Herbal Notes (Clove, Anise, Cardamom), Mint, Dill, Salted Butter, Light Char, and Prickly Heat. Finishes on the shorter side, but there is a nice building heat (TNHug) in the chest. I definitely wouldn't call this "smooth". Banana, Bitter Tannins, and Very Dark Chocolate coat and linger. *SPLASH: Maple & Banana start to dominate the nose. Oak is turned up a bit. Palate gets a little more Peppery, but gains a little sweetness. I also start to get some Hazelnut Creamer. The Tingle hangs around a bit longer. The coating finish is just a little sweeter. That TNHug keeps growing, eventually becoming a hot coal glowing in the middle of the chest. I like it! *VERDICT: Of the two new line extensions, I prefer the BIB, but both are welcome additions to JD's core lineup. This definitely reminds me of a Woodford special release. I almost think I would've preferred the percentage of rye lowered just a bit? Jack Daniel's reminding us once again that despite their lackluster flagship whiskey, they can hang with the best of them if they choose to.

JD BIB *NOSE: Musty, but not musty oak like I get from some whiskies, more like Musty Old Books or Leather found in a forgotten corner of a dank basement. I don't mind it at all. In fact, it brings back pleasant childhood memories of pulling the baseball glove out of the basement after a long winter, or hunting that favorite book to read for the 10th time. That note is present throughout, but does fade to the background with time. I also get Dry Cornbread, Fresh Latex Paint, Banana Peel, Oak Char, Burnt Sugar, and some Light Vanilla. Solid, and a massive upgrade from Old No. 7. *NEAT: That Odd (but intensely likable) Musty Note is front and center on the Palate as well. Also Cornbread made using a recipe that's More Salty and Less Sweet, Leather, Old Oak, and just a Hint of Doughy Sweetness. Like Raw Sugar Cookie Dough. There is not a ton going on here, but the flavors that are here are Deep and Rich and I'm digging it. Just as I was wondering where the Banana Note that I get from JD was hiding, there it is. After a Medium, Drying, Slightly Warming Finish, it pairs with that Mustiness and clings to the palate and layers sip after sip. That coating aftertaste hangs on long after the glencairn is empty. *SPLASH: Not a lot of change, but I do get some Floral and a little Orange Oil on nose and palate. *VERDICT: I expected to, or hoped to, like this one. I didn't expect to love it. Simple, Earthy Flavors with a building coating characteristic that I find in some of my favorite pours. That Musty Book/Leather note is new for me, but man do I like it. I had planned to use at least part of this section to gripe about the reduced 700ML size, but it so thoroughly won me over, I'll give them a pass. Cascade Hollow, watch out. You've got some competition for space in my cabinet.

HH BIB 7YR *APPEARANCE: Great bottle and label. Probably HH's best look. Most of their packaging just seems stuck in the 90's. This should be their inspiration moving forward with any redesigns. The liquid inside is a great mahogany hue. *NOSE: Fantastic. Sweet Corn with Butter, Vanilla, Praline Pecans, Peach, Freshly Cut Lumber, a Hint of Dry Roasted Peanut, and a Little Bitt of Barnyard. Very Promising. *NEAT: Surprisingly Thin. Oaky and Lightly Sweet. Vanilla, Orange Peel, Some Peanut, Sawdust, and Black Pepper. Medium Length Oaky Finish with a Blooming KYHug deep in the chest. The Palate is coated with Drying Oak Tannins, Black Pepper, and Peanut Shell. *SPLASH: Adds a touch of Fruitiness to the Palate and a little more Peanut on the coating finish. *VERDICT: One of the better Bourbon-y Noses and Finishes I've experienced in a while. Great beginning and great end. The issue is the parts in between. The Mouthfeel was disappointing, and the flavors seemed a bit muted for a BIB. Don't get me wrong, it was good. Reminds me of a more refined EW1783. The problem is, 1783 is sub-$20, Evan Williams Single Barrels similar in age are around $35 (for now), and this one runs half a C-Note. Glad I finally found one, but consider my curiosity satisfied.

HEIGOLD HIGH RYE DOUBLE MALT KSB NOSE: Fruit & Malt forward with Brown Sugar Baked Apples, Pears, and Cooked Grains. They are joined by Rye Funk, Fresh Chewing Tobacco, Buttercream Icing, and Black Pepper. NEAT: SPICY! Lots of Black Pepper with Light Vanilla, Cinnamon, Bitter Dark Chocolate, and Oak Tannins. Spicy Long Finish with Growing KYHug. Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon, and an Effervescent-like minerality (like you just took a drink of Topo Chico) coat and linger on the palate. SPLASH: Dials the Spice back a bit, Sweetens the Chocolate Notes, and Adds Orange Peel. VERDICT: Glad I waited a couple pours to review. The initial pour was nothing like I remember having at the distillery, but it definitely improved with time open. It's still a little too peppery for my liking (and I normally don't mind peppery). I had this rated 3rd behind the Cavehill and Boxergrail Rye, and this bottle pretty much confirmed those rankings. For the same money and age, I'll get the Cavehill over this one every time.

BH SUBTLE SMOKE NOSE: The nose starts Good and with time becomes Great. Vanilla, Butterscotch, Circus Peanuts Candy, Rye Spice, Creme Brûlée, Apple, Pink Bubblegum, and Hickory Smoke that grows in intensity the longer it sits. TWTWIRBM makes a delicious Cast Iron Skillet Apple Pie that ends up all crust, canned apple and burnt brown sugar. That is what this becomes. NEAT: Mouthfeel is Light and Thin, but the flavors are there. Vanilla, Maple, Brown Sugar, Light Peanut Funk, and Cola. The Hickory Smoke is present throughout, but doesn't really assert itself until the backend and slightly drying finish. There is absolutely zero KYHug. This Old Granddad is smooth to a fault. Sweet Hickory Smoke and Mint coat and build on the palate the deeper into the pour you get. SPLASH: The Hickory Smoke is reduced, but the Palate gains a note of Caramel Covered Granny Smith Apple. VERDICT: The more time I spent with this one, the more I liked it. I love the Hickory Smoke influence, but I think that Peg Leg Porker may pull it off just a little better, but it is close. This one gets dinged a quarter point by the thin mouthfeel, but it's overall a solid, enjoyable bourbon.

On a recent trip to Indianapolis, we overnighted in the NULU section of Louisville right across from the Rabbit Hole Distillery. We were able to squeeze into a tour and tasting. This lead to a purchase of Cavehill from the gift shop, as it was my top ranked during our tasting. Review follows: APP: Love the rabbit embossed bottle's shape and labeling. In the Glencairn, great dark color with clingy slow-forming legs. NOSE: Malt and Fruit Forward. Apple, Orange Peel, Lemon Creme, Barrel Spice, Honeycomb, Hot Cereal, and Brown Sugar. NEAT: Great Heavy Coating Mouthfeel. Honey, Cocoa, Malted Grain, Orange Peel, Baking Spice, a Slight Grassy Note, and a Touch of Mint. There is an overall spiciness which is surprising given the lack of Rye. There is Cinnamon on the Finish with a Layering Coating that resembles a Barrel-Aged Milky Way (I know it's not a thing, but it should be). This is fantastic stuff. If pressed for a guess on age, I would guess at least double the 3 year age statement. The Distiller notes are spot on with "both sweet and spicy" and "lush and satisfying". Cannot state it better than that. SPLASH: A little water absolutely killed the nose and the Palate becomes all Cinnamon Spice. Neat is the way to go here. VERDICT: I cannot overstate how impressed I was with the distillery and the quality of the whiskeys they are able to put out in such a short amount of time. They also get bonus points for their transparency and their willingness to think outside the box. The use of unique malted grains and Mashbills (I can't think of anyone else using Malted Wheat or Honey Malted Barley), No Chill Filtering, Toasting as well as Charring their barrels, 110 Entry Proof, and Batch sizes of 13 Barrels all make Rabbit Hole unique. If I had a quibble it would be the $60 price point, but when you factor in all the things I just mentioned, the pricing seems a little more in line. Their facility in Downtown Louisville with the Rooftop bar is a must visit if you are passing through. The fill level on this bottle is rapidly declining and it will definitely be replaced when it's gone.