Tastes

A118; 4.5/5.0 Nose: 4 | caramel, vanilla, fruit and wood Palate: 4.5 | really great mouthfeel, sweet, rich caramel, vanilla and oak Finish: 4 | big hug that hangs with you; spice and woodiness on the finish Price: 4 Verdict: Bottle Awesome...

TWCP Store Pick | 7 years, 5 months Color: Honey Nose: 3.5 | floral/fruity Palate: 3.75 | decent mouthfeel; begins fruity (bubble gum?), slightly sweet upfront but wrapped in spice Finish: 3.5 | medium-length, lightly spicy finish Price: 3.75 | good value under $40 Verdict: Bar Though I really enjoyed, I'd prefer a EC Store Pick and could save $10-15

TWCP store pick | 13 years, 8 months Color: Gorgeous deep copper Nose: 3.75 | wet/musty oak, peanuts Palate: 4.25 | there's a lot going on here... rich sweet caramel, vanilla, wet wood, oak, heat and some spice on the finish Finish: 4 | long, dry finish Price: 4.25 | $40 for a nearly 14 year old bourbon is pretty unheard of Verdict: Bottle This tastes its age, lots of barrel influence; definitely a recommend.

TWCP 10 year single barrel, 117.9 proof Color: Deep amber Nose: 4 | sweet, bubble gum, spearmint, vanilla, baking spices Palate: 4.25 | big mouthfeel, lots of spice, mint, licorice Finish: 4 | spicy rye lingers on the back of your tongue, some oak influence on the tail end Price: 3.75 | @$75, it's not a bad price considering it's a 10 year old rye Verdict: Bottle Really enjoyed this, but it took months for it to open up and for me to really begin to appreciate.

Nose: 3 | sweet caramel, fruit, bananas Palate: 3 | thin mouthfeel, sweet, follows the nose Finish: 2.75 | short finish, slight spice Price: 3 | quality for $12-14 Verdict: Bottle For under $15, you get an easy, value drinker, that works really well in cocktails.

Color: Dark honey Nose: 4 | citrus, honey, caramel, vanilla and some floral/perfume notes Palate: 4.25 | very smooth; profile follows the nose Finish: 4 | slight bit of spice on a mid-long finish Price: 3.5 | solid for ~$60, but continues to creep up in price Verdict: Bottle

Color: Medium gold Nose: 2.5 | subtle nose, faint caramel, dried fruit, oak Palate: 3 | butterscotch, dried fruit, banana Finish: 2.5 | short, slightly dusty finish Price: 2.75 | if you can find in the low $20 range, pretty good deal Verdict: Bar Is not a bad bourbon by any stretch, but think I'd rather spend my money elsewhere. Works great in cocktails though.

Color: Light amber Nose: 3.25 | toasted grain, dried fruit, bananas (think bowl of oatmeal) Palate: 3.5 | palate follows the nose - lots of dried fruit, bananas, toasted grain, white pepper, slight mint and oak Finish: 3.5 | fairly long, spicy finish Price: 4 | $25 or less Verdict: Bottle Enjoyed it neat but fantastic in a Manhattan.

The more I drink this, the more I enjoy it. Very solid for the price. Color: Light amber Nose: 3.25 | not a big nose, but enjoyable - fruit zest and spearmint Palate: 3.5 | sweet for a rye - lots of creamy caramel, touch of dried fruit, mint on the finish Finish: 3.5 | lingering minty finish Price: 3.5 | solid for ~$30 Verdict: Bar A sweet, bourbon-esque rye, and while I enjoyed this, I think there are ryes more suited to my palate at a better price point.

Color: Dark gold Nose: 2.5 | very subtle, yet inviting Palate: 3 | caramel, butterscotch, honey, dried fruit Finish: 3 | a bit of spice on the finish Price: 3 | ~$20 if you can find it Verdict: Bottle A very good 'house' bourbon that can be enjoyed neat but also works well in cocktails.