Tastes

Neat. Sample. I have the 2018 Stagg and that’s the only Stagg I have tried. This is a sample of 2019. The nose is interesting. Doesn’t leap from the glass like I recall from the 2018. I get deep in the glass and it starts to pop. It’s a lot of flavors all at once. As if someone is playing a pipe organ and just slammed the notes rather than playing a melody. Picking up a lot of cinnamon apple... like apple pie smothered in caramel sauce and topped with French vanilla ice cream. The crust is charred on the edges. Nice sweet oak and fresh leather. Very nice. Syrupy mouth. Cinnamon, brown sugar, and hint of cherry on the edges of the tongue. Oh, time to happy dance. This makes my soul so happy. Dear god... Rich caramel and honey, followed by a salted chocolate. Finishes with a sour dough pretzel, sweet oak, more salted chocolate, and a hint of cherries on the legs. Cinnamon Apple showing up 30 seconds into the finish. Oh wow that is good. Geez, so many people have told me this is a disappointing batch but it lives up to its name. Each sip makes my insides dance and the finish is so long and delicious. Great pour.

Neat. Sample. Never jumped into this one. Was gifted a sample. Reviews are typically divisive and the low proof at a high price scared me off a bit. The nose is great though. Reminds me of a Rhetoric on the nose. Deep sweet oak, hint of cherry and grape, deep cinnamon and nutmeg, maybe even clove. There is even a pear here. Like this underlying sweet, sourness. There is even a nice smokiness too. Really really good nose. I truly hope this is oily enough to not disappoint. Okay, mouthfeel is nice and velvety. Not watery. That’s a start. So sweet on the tongue. Powdered sugar, hint of lemon, and sweet oak. Oh the finish is too short but the first taste was really good. Sweet oak, light butterscotch, powered sugar and hint of lemon again (think lemon bar but the lemon is very light), and the cinnamon showing up on the finish. Oh and the finish is getting better on subsequent sips as the oils build up. Getting a nice cherry note on the finish now. Ah this is good! No idea why this is so divisive. I love this high age but sweet forward profile. I have had quite a few over aged bourbons that are bitter and tannic and no fun. This is fun! The low proof doesn’t mute these flavors. I will buy a bottle now.

Neat. Neck pour. This bottle was always too much in my area. Solid $30 more than I find it online (which would be negated by shipping). So I was patient and found it on sale today. Quite excited. This nose is addicting in a way that only peat can pull off for whatever reason. I’ve heard this described as meaty, but I am thinking more like grilled pineapple. Lots of charred bits but surrounded by this subtle sweetness. Caramel, sea salt, pretzels. A vanilla creaminess as well. Gosh, there is a lot of vegetation there too. Like beyond the grilled pineapple, there is grilled peppers, tomatoes, etc. on a kabob. What a delicious sounding meal. The creaminess and immediate depth of flavor on the tongue is fantastic. It’s just this delightful sea salt caramel on the tongue, but the sides of the tongue and cheeks just absorb the peat. Peat really dominates the experience as a growing wave. There are other flavors at first but they get drowned out quickly. Yeah the sweetness is initially there on the tongue but turns more towards the vegetable notes mid palate, dominated by peat the rest of the way. There is a metallic note on the finish that lingers. This is delightful, I could sip on this all day. It lacks a stand out feature for me though. I suppose the depth of the peat while not being overly aggressively is a stand out feature. I can see why it’s a classic but it’s not going to be in my top 10 or anything either.

Neat. Neck pour. Made a trip down to the distillery today to grab this. I was not a big fan of the Boone County Small Batch release (especially compared to the amazing 1833) but MGP finished in Sherry is something I can’t resist. When I opened the bottle it felt like the Sherry couldn’t wait to escape. Filled the room. It’s presence is strong on the nose. There is this dominate layer of figs and caramelized dates. And then right behind it is the expected MGP in every way. There is a graininess to the nose, hinting at the presence of young MGP but it is really muted. I think the finish really overcame that. There is older MGP in the batch too coming through as honey graham cracker, hint of orange zest, cherry bomb, sweet oak. This is a fun one. Sherry and MGP are a good combo on the nose. This is 57% too unlike the Small Batch and I can tell with the mouthfeel. Very velvety and a combination of powdered sugar sweetness and drying Sherry on the tongue. The taste is similar to the Small Batch up front. Mid-palate matches the nose - honey graham cracker, orange zest, cherry but then on the finish the Sherry jumps into high gear. Just a cherry - berry fruit bomb. The finish is the best part of the experience. I was not a big fan of the Boone County Small Batch. When I describe the flavors, it sounds good on paper but it’s just kind of flat too. At the distillery, they once told me they blended 5 year MGP with 10 year MGP to create an 8 year profile. 5 year MGP is just too young and anything you do to it just tries to hide the sharp edges. This Sherry finish improves the experience (and the extra proof helps too). The Sherry goes well with MGP, which can be a cherry bomb already sometimes. I wish I liked the whole tasting experience but it is average MGP at best across the mid-palate. I’ll give it extra points for the finish but this isn’t a pour I will crave often unfortunately.

Neat. Neck pour. B520 is one of my favorite pours of the year, top 3 in my favorite of 2020 based on a recent blind. I heard many people like C920 even more. So highly anticipated here. Sweet oak leads the nose and it is very nice. Drenched in royal icing. Hints of chocolate and peanut butter. Getting this bright, fresh eucalyptus - not a note I associate with ECBP. There is a metallic note too. Neck pour on this is hot. Going to need to wait a week before blinding against B520... Thick and syrupy texture, all brown sugar, cinnamon and royal icing on the tongue. Very sweet. And hot. It’s all chocolate and peanut butter mid palate. Transitions to a peanut brittle and leaves with the oak. Oak turns a bit tannic on the tail end of the finish but just drying and not off putting. Huge Kentucky hug building too. Just oily and slow running all the way down. Delicious but this is no B520 off memory. I think A120 left a stronger impression too. It’s a good pour, but it’s not a hitter that can compete with $150-$200 bottles like B520.

Neat. Neck pour. Party Source single barrel but no store pick sticker was put on it. This is faith. Advertised as a single barrel NCF. Came in this cute basket with some barrel stave art I am hanging in my bar. The big question is: it really a single barrel? Wow, off the nose no doubt this is not standard OWA. This has some really nice oak on it! Not as deep as a ORVW but damn it’s not far off on the nose. There is some cotton candy which is a note I get on OWA all the time. Some nice apricot. Gosh maybe more apple but right in that range with a cinnamon sugar reduction. This is just awesome on the nose. Geez this is a killer pour. Maybe the best OWA pick I have personally had. Syrupy thick on the tongue. Lights the tongue up with cherry sweetness. Transitions into a creamy vanilla ice cream covered in cherries and chocolate sauce. It’s ridiculously smooth. I have to test this against ORVW... So yes, the ORVW is a better pour. The extra age, crisp dark flavors and milk chocolate make it a better pour. This OWA single barrel still rocks. The vanilla ice cream is really good. It really lacks the barrel spice I find in base OWA which really raises it up into its own delicious flavor range. Glad I took the plunge on this one.

Neat. Neck pour. Okay, I love Batch 1 and then came across a DEPs single barrel today. So single barrel, store pick, heavy toasted finished MGP Rye? Steal my heart. On the nose, this single barrel is definitely more stereotypical MGP rye. Decent amount of dill up front that was not present on Batch 1. Lots of cinnamon roll goodness too. Sweet, doughy, covered and smothered in sweet cream icing. Very very peppery. It’s interesting because the sticker says “Heavy Toast” but I remember more of the second barrel influence on Batch 1. This is lightly toasted by comparison with only a hint of the toasted marshmallow. Fantastic mouth feel (it is 121 proof) and it lights up the tongue with flavor. Powdered sugar and maple syrup. Mid palate is stereotypical MGP Rye but then the back of the palate and finish is pure magic. The second barrel finishing comes in with this wave of great flavors. Toasted marshmallow, like the roasted marshmallow on the top of sweet potatoes. Then that cinnamon roll goodness lingers. Ah this is great stuff yet again. I may sway towards liking batch 1 more. I feel like this is more stereotypical MGP. If you like MGP Rye, you should definitely invest these Down Home single barrels.

Neat. Neck pour. This came out at the distillery today! Quite intrigued by this crazy mash bill. Also, this was distilled in 2015 making this another 5 year New Riff. Okay, this is going to take a bit to break down. There is a meatiness to the front of this nose. Then comes brown sugar, cinnamon, caramel. Almost like a sweet BBQ rub. Very savory. There is a lot of sweetness coming through. Vanilla, hint of milk chocolate. Lots of spices. Pepper, nutmeg. Savory delicious. This is quite unique for New Riff on the nose. The other New Riff special releases, you can find the base New Riff profile. This is its own thing. Super thick and viscous. Very sweet up front. Sweet Christmas. Powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, hint of pepper. Transitions into a crazy chocolate caramel truffle. This chocolate is so rich. Like Godiva chocolate coating caramel cream goodness inside. And then all of those spices. These is even this hint of peppermint on the very back of the finish. This is Christmas in a glass more so than anything else I have ever had. This is unique and delicious. The chocolate note is crazy good. Well done New Riff.

Neat. Neck pour. Okay, the color on this startlingly dark. May be the darkest bourbon I have seen next to one of the Orphan Barrels. Love the nose. So rich and thick. Like thick, as if the fragrance coming off it was like this thick fog. Has a density to it. So there is an oak presence but the char really shows itself as a burnt caramel. Getting a hint of banana, which may be my first on a Heaven Hill. Nice cherry cheesecake with a graham cracker crust. Oh and graham crackers are covered in honey. A rich vanilla ice cream too. This thing is overloaded with deliciousness. Mouthfeel is silky smooth awesomeness. Wow this is great great stuff. Cinnamon and brown sugar with a hint of cherry up front. Transitions into the charred caramel mid palate and my god the cherry cheesecake and graham cracker crust comes through on the finish and lingers. And the legs just go and go. The flavors from mid palate to finish are so rich and deep and impactful. This makes my soul smile. Ah yeah, this is going in my favorite bourbons of the year blind flight. This is awesome. No more words for it.

Neat. Neck pour. Party Source pick. 5 year and Toasted Barrel finish! Okay, I don’t need any more 5 year MGP. Aside from OKI and Old Scout, 5 year MGP in 2020 kinda sticks. Just too young and not ready. But this one is toasted barrel MGP and I am a sucker, so here we are... Oh yeah, nice toasted marshmallow. Wow, flashback memory. When I was a kid, my grandma bought these Pinwheel cookies and dipped them into her coffee. They were a marshmallow wheel with a chocolate cookie base covered in a chocolate shell. This smells like those cookies. The marshmallow is there, the dark chocolate cookie is there and the lighter milk chocolate sweet shell surrounds it. Still a young MGP note but it’s really beaten down by the finishing. Little butterscotch but it lacks a typical MGP signature. Nice thick, syrupy mouth feel. Very dark on the tongue, dark chocolate. Little cinnamon. Toasted marshmallow and even toasted coconut for days. Transitions to a nice caramel and then into the chocolate cookie. The legs go back to the toasted marshmallow and that hangs for quite a while. This is yummy. Nice butterscotch and leather coming through on subsequent sips. It’s more identifiable as MGP on the taste, very very slight hint of youngness but the toasted marshmallow and rich chocolate from the finishing is new for a MGP. Well done, worth the $65. Better than Down Home Toasted Batch 1. This finishing not only makes a young MGP more drinkable by sawing off the rough edges, the toasted marshmallow and chocolate add something new to the MGP. That is all I hoped for. I really wish someone would toast a 7 year MGP. I’d pay 80 for the two extra years!