Tastes
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Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed August 20, 2020 (edited August 28, 2020)The last time I reviewed this, all I could think about was pound cake with butter cream frosting. The recent bottling I tasted is less vanilla pound cake, but it is still present. There is more vanilla in the recent batch/bottling. Slightly spicier, still sweet, still amazingly smooth. The flavor notes are darker and deeper - less bright and less confectionary. Still one of the best bourbons around. -
A quintessential bourbon with classic dark, caramelized sugar flavors and slight peanut notes. Most people have had this and most people forget how good this is, because it is so common. Throw that all out the window and taste this without thinking about how readily available it is. It's a fantastic, baseline bourbon that should set the bar for everything else you might drink. Bourbons costing 3x as much wish they were this good.
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Wild Turkey Master's Keep Cornerstone Rye
Rye — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed August 20, 2020 (edited March 6, 2021)A bit disappointed - not because this isn't good, but because Russel's Reserve Single Barrel Rye might be 95% as good at less than 1/3rd the price. That being said, yes, this is pretty tasty, and if I were to rate this regardless of price, this is fantastic. Smooth sweet cream flavor with a smokey, herbal undercurrent. A beautiful bottle and box, and something I'm proud to have on display170.0 USD per Bottle -
Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Rye
Rye — Kentucky , USA
Reviewed August 20, 2020 (edited March 27, 2021)Wow. Don't sleep on this bottle. The nose is a cross between Pennsylvania rye and Kentucky rye, but muted - spice, black pepper, dark sugar Flavor is all sweet cream but with a caramelized edge - like cream and sugar reduced on a stove to intensify the flavor and add a maillard effect. There is clear corn flavor that undercuts the harshness of the rye here (low rye, high corn mashbill), with muted rye in the nose and a smokey rye undercurrent throughout. Some associate the flavor undercurrent with tobacco, like a fine smooth cigar with a marshmallow fluff like quality underneath. This is a WINNER. -
An absolutely stunning, glowing red pour. I was literally taken aback by the color. On the nose, rich bananas foster and flan. This sat in my glass for about 2 minutes before I finally tried it. NEAT: The flavor reflects every bit of the nose. Rich beyond belief, syrupy with floral notes, cinnamon raisin bread, brown sugar, and deep molasses. The "Demerara" is unmistakable. Of course, the heat and burn is there, noticeably tongue numbing, and tingling as it goes down, but anyone who enjoys high proof sprits will probably savor this experience. WITH WATER: tasting again with about 25% water added. Nose is sweeter, btw, almost like pancakes with pancake syrup (not maple syrup) and butter. Flavor is also more buttery now, but actually drier, with a more noticeable barrel influence. Some faint hints of cocoa and char.24.0 USD per Bottle
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I'll do this review as a comparison between 2007 and 2008, which I think some people will appreciate. To be clear, both are excellent, and you can't go wrong with either. 2007 is a deeper, darker tasting, more charred drinking experience. There is a good kind of bitterness to this, in the same way that good coffee is bitter but smooth. I get burnt toffee notes with hints of dark cocoa and coffee, and a a medicinal quality throughout. Finally, I get highly caramelized sweetness on the back end that reminds me of burnt (practically blackened) sugar. By comparison, 2008 is brighter and fruitier. It is dessert in the form of berry compote over medium toasted creme brulee. A perception of sweetness exists throughout, but it never strikes a bass note in the same way as the 2007. As I return to it, I find hints of licorice, candied orange, cardamom, and cognac. If I did not know that this was only aged in ex bourbon casks, I would swear to a brandy influence of some type. Neither is better than the other. Each brings something unique to the table. At the same time, the shared pedigree of excellence is undeniable.85.0 USD per Bottle
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I'll do this review as a comparison between 2007 and 2008, which I think some people will appreciate. To be clear, both are excellent, and you can't go wrong with either. 2007 is a deeper, darker tasting, more charred drinking experience. There is a good kind of bitterness to this, in the same way that good coffee is bitter but smooth. I get burnt toffee notes with hints of dark cocoa and coffee, and a a medicinal quality throughout. Finally, I get highly caramelized sweetness on the back end that reminds me of burnt (practically blackened) sugar. By comparison, 2008 is brighter and fruitier. It is dessert in the form of berry compote over medium toasted creme brulee. A perception of sweetness exists throughout, but it never strikes a bass note in the same way as the 2007. As I return to it, I find hints of licorice, candied orange, cardamom, and cognac. If I did not know that this was only aged in ex bourbon casks, I would swear to a brandy influence of some type. Neither is better than the other. Each brings something unique to the table. At the same time, the shared pedigree of excellence is undeniable.70.0 USD per Bottle
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Smells like burnt apple cider, or apples that have been baked until charred before being juiced. Golden raisins and licorice follow in the nose. Flavorwise, there's complexity here, but there's a note I don't like. Almost like it's just too charred. Too much burnt oak? Drinks more like medicinal whiskey - with a whisper of apple brandy in the back of your throat if you really look for it. The wood dominates the flavor, with a somewhat bitter unpleasant herbal quality. It's a touch hot, but it's not the heat that bothers me. My problem is with what this is missing: a bright note, or more sweetness or richness. Anything to round out oak and char.32.0 USD per Bottle
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Fighting Cock Kentucky Straight Bourbon (NAS)
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed August 9, 2020 (edited October 14, 2024)Tasting this after letting it sit in the glass for about 10 minutes. My favorite thing about this is the mouth feel, which is surprisingly viscous. Almost like a liqueur rather than a whiskey. Flavorwise, this reminds me of a less complex Elijah Craig barrel proof watered down with a little bit of honey milk tea. I'm getting hints of orange peel, clove, and cinnamon. There is a peanut profile I usually associate with Jim Beam products, but also a lesser extent with Elijah Craig. There's almost no burn whatsoever, which is surprising. What this lacks in complexity, it makes up in drinkability and value. I'm not sure there's a better $20 bottle. Glad I bought this on a whim20.0 USD per Bottle -
Light. Lively. Delicious. Drinks like a high-quality cognac with the slightest breeze of apple. Almost more like applewood was used in the process or it was passed through apple rather than being distilled from apple. Also notes of walnut skin, peach, smoke, oak and char. Very flavorful with a pleasant burn at the end that I appreciate.60.0 USD per Bottle
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