Tastes

Color: Honey Nose: 4 | toasted marshmallows Palate: 3.75 | medium/thin mouthfeel, floral, sherry, toasted malt, baked goods, slight spice in the finish Finish: 3.75 | it's not a big finish, but I still get this great campfire quality minutes later Price: 3.75 | given the high price of most good Japanese whiskies, this is a pretty good deal, especially with it being at a higher proof Verdict: Bottle This is a really fun pour that reminds me of sitting around the bonfire, making s'mores at the lake. It's not a daily drinker for me, but definitely a great change of pace whisky.

Black Sheep Social Club, Cedar Rapids, IA $11/1.5 oz Nose: 4.25 | big, sweet, rich nose (caramel, vanilla, creme brulee) with a bit of heat Palate: 4.25 | again, loads of sweetness, great forward-palate mouthfeel Finish: 4.25 | long finish, bit of oak on the tail end Price: 4.25 | right where it should be at $55-60 Verdict: Bottle This is a bigger, amped-up version of the 1897; very nice pour.

Black Sheep Social Club, Cedar Rapids, IA $9/1.5 oz Nose: 3.75 | sweetness and ethanol, enjoyable but not a ton of depth Palate: 3.75 | follows the nose; lots of sweetness (caramel, butterscotch) Finish: 3.75 | medium-length finish; get a bit of oak and barrel influence on the finish Price: 3.5 | there are a lot of options at around $50 Verdict: Bar Really enjoyed this, but at $50 you can find better

Black Sheep Social Club, Cedar Rapids, IA; $20/1.5 oz Nose: 4 | in a rocks glass, so hard to pull too much (giving it the benefit of the doubt) Palate: 4.25 | rich and sweet (caramel, butterscotch, vanilla) with definite barrel influence (dense wood and oak); mouthfeel is a bit thinner than I'd expected Finish: 3.75 | medium-length oaky finish that lingers, but not forever Price: 4 | come on, it's a 24 year old bourbon Verdict: Bar This was a tough call because while it is a really interesting bourbon, I don't think the taste and profile command a $130+ price tag. However, if you factor in that this is a 24 year old bourbon distilled by Ed Foote in '93 at the Bernheim Distillery and aged in Stitzel-Weller warehouses, you may be more inclined to snag a bottle, if you can find one.

Nose: 4 | a bit muted, but from a freshly cracked bottle; need to revisit Palate: 4.25 | rich, dense, powerful; some sweetness upfront followed by mint and spice on the tail end Finish: 4 | decently long spice on the finish Price: 4 | definitely worth the $60 Verdict: Bottle A very flavorful, limited-release, barrel proof 9 year rye for $60? Yes please.

TWCP store pick - 110.7 proof Nose: 3.5 | not a big nose; slight sweetness (maple syrup and vanilla) followed up with toasted wood Palate: 3.5 | sweet, more toasted wood, spice and mocha on finish Finish: 3.5 | the spice, mocha and woodiness hang on for a while Price: 3.25 Verdict: Bar It's a decent pour, but for ~$70 there are better options. I really wanted to like this but there's just something about it that won't let me...

@ Sky Canyon, Love Field Airport

@ Sky Canyon, Love Field Airport Surprisingly drinkable for such a big proof... Nose: 3.5 | very muted, but the bottle was virtually empty Palate: 4 | sweet, viscous, caramel, butterscotch Finish: 4 | big sweet finish, slight spicy Price: 3.75