Tastes

Neat. 50ml bottle. Found a three pack sample (only $15 in Ohio) that contained the 12 year, Lustau, and 15 year. While I have had the 12 Cask Strength, I have never had any of these. What a fun flight to explore on a Friday. The nose is what I expected. Lovely short bread cookie, hint of vanilla, and some nice berries. Hint leather. Even getting some grilled pineapple. Subtle but so inviting. Nice oily mouthfeel. Light on the tongue. Initial blast of sweetness and the citrus. On the taste it is all shortbread cookie with the hint of pineapple returning on the finish. Perfectly delightful and pleasant. Nothing stands out, nothing offends.

Neat. Neck pour. Expectations are low on this. I didn’t hear many good things. But I got it at MSRP and it finally hit Ohio. Hard to resist something new to explore at $30. The nose is very minty! Geez. One of the mintiest ryes I can recall. Lots of pine too. I’m not saying this as a turn off, but it almost smells like cleaning supplies. The longer I sit with it a darker side emerges. My wife has these natural grain crackers, it’s reminding me of that. Earthy, natural grains toasted in a cracker. Getting a nice sweetness too, butterscotch. Vanilla frosting. This has morphed a bit. Honestly, quite surprised by this nose. There is depth here that I was not expecting at the proof and prior word of mouth. Mouth feel is surprising too. It has a nice oily thickness. Really nice texture. Hint of mint and vanilla but not much flavor on first impression on the tongue. Little brown sugar there too. This is a weird pour. It’s like there is a flavorless blind spot right in the middle of the experience, so odd. So the initial faint sweetness carries on for an odd amount of time but when the flavor does hit it is nice. Simple but nice. Reminds me of a tiramisu. Cake, coffee, icing, chocolate. Rye spice finally shows up on the finish, which lasts longer than expected too. It is quite oily. Perfectly pleasant sipper. I could drink this as an everyday and be completely satisfied. The lack of flavor mid experience takes it down a tad further but it’s also $30. I need to go back to other reviews now and see why these disliked it. I’d recommend it if you see it and haven’t tried it.

Neat. Neck pour. Been awhile since I opened up a new New Riff Single Barrel. Was just in the mood to open up something new and watch the sunset. This seemed low key enough for a Tuesday. The maple on this nose is so warm and inviting. So much spice. Cinnamon, clove, hint of smoke. Crescent rolls slightly burnt but dosed in butter. There is this freshness too, like thyme. The potpourri bowl in my Aunt Elaine’s bathroom. Just refreshing. Loving the oily mouthfeel. Very rich and viscous. Geez this one is very very floral. Initially it’s quite sweet on the tongue, more honey than maple. Darkens up with a bit of cinnamon. But then mid palate the sweetness escalates and literally blossoms. Hint of smoke appears on the finish, which is interesting. The finish is mostly a rich caramel, even a hint of flan. The rye spice is there like a backdrop. I had to look for it but when I found it, it is a consistent beat throughout out the tasting. Getting this lovely Kentucky hug as it rolls down, leaving more honey and floral in its wake and on my breadth. New Riff makes such a lovely rye. I am just not sure what others are drinking. These single barrels have been consistently fabulous, varied adventures that delight me every time. Perfect way to enjoy this sunset and multi colored Ohio sky.

Neat. Neck pour. The price on this is probably too high, but I tried a sample and was very impressed. I find it odd the best Barton products I have had are typically never under Barton labels. On the nose, this single barrel comes across with lots of stereotypical Barton qualities. Banana nut bread is the main foundation but there is this really nice light layer. Getting a pear note, which is interesting. Leather and tobacco. Clove. Vanilla bean. Powdered sugar. Custard. Quite delicious. Mouth feel is perfectly oily. Banana nut bread strikes immediately but it’s covered in a rich vanilla icing. Mid palate swings hard into the tobacco. Custard shows up mid palate too. Finish is a bit bitter. Leather comes on a bit too strong. Banana comes back on the finish as well. Unfortunately for me, the sample I had came off stronger than the single barrel I purchased. This bitterness on the finish is a turn off that should not be present in a product this expensive. Hopefully it opens up but certainly not worth the money at this point.

Neat. Neck pour. Had my eye on this for awhile. A cask strength, 12 year double barrel. Also it was in the second barrel for two years! That’s intense on paper. Barrel finish dominates the nose. This is dark. Getting a dark chocolate like 85% cocoa. A lot of cherry. You know it’s lightening up as I adjust to it. Powdered sugar. Getting elephant ears too. I love when I get this note. Always takes me back to King’s Island and funnel cakes. Inevitably sneezing and covering myself in powdered sugar. The amount of fruit coming off this is surprising. Cherries and blue berries. Maybe even a mango. Nice clove. So this is a double barrel, but it doesn’t have that toasted or double barrel notes on the nose. Getting some almond paste now. Definitely a nice adventure on the nose. The mouthfeel is very milky and thick. Flavorful immediately. Almond paste, powdered sugar and fried batter. Bit of apple. Mid palate that second barrel takes charge. Dark chocolate on a red velvet cake. Lots of fruit again as it rounds into the finish. Cherry and blueberries. Nice butterscotch. Finish is long too. And it is so thick it rolls down for this nice Kentucky hug. It’s a strong pour. Runs the gauntlet of these extreme dark to light flavors. Nice finish too. Nothing about it is lights out amazing, but it has no flaws either. Just an enjoyable sipper.

Neat. Sample. Just went through the Cab version and that didn’t impress me. I’m going to approach this Pinot with a fresh mind. I want this to stand alone as a view on this pour, but the first impression is much much stronger than the Cab already. Plums and grapes are just leaping from this. Maple syrup. The banana nut bread is there but less pronounced. Now getting cherry. Honey. Cinnamon and vanilla frosting. Graham crackers. Geez now getting apple. Just these great fruits from all angles. Mouth feel is weak. This was the most appointing aspect of the Cab too. It has a lot of good flavors though. Finish is a tad weak though. Starting from the top. It’s all vanilla and banana pudding on the tongue. Mid palate it darkens up into a banana nut bread. Getting some apple above that too. The finish brings in the plums and grapes but it’s dominated by the banana nut bread. Finish on the Cab was stronger despite everything else being better here. Overall, this is not something I will be buying after this sample. It’s too expensive for what it is.

Neat. Sample. I have a sample of the Pinot that I will be doing after this one. Undeniably Barton immediately. Banana nut bread with a bit of vanilla icing on top. That’s a pretty complete picture right there. I can’t find any other angles. Watery on the tongue. Banana nut bread is still the main flavor(s) throughout. The cab finally comes into play on the finish. The cab finish is pretty pronounced even though I couldn’t find it on the nose. The vanilla icing appears on the finish as well. Geez, this is a bit weak. Maybe I would be more generous if it was $40ish but $70 is too much. I’ve had 1792 BiB single barrels that were stronger Barton products than this. The finishing does come across well and I have little doubt it improved the base product, but it’s the bourbon side of this falling flat with me. I’ll reset my palate and try the Pinot next but overall I am glad this is a sample and not a bottle I bought.

Neat. Neck pour. I don’t know much about Frey Ranch other than the fact that they farm and distill. I believe organic grain too. This is a single barrel pick from Blackwell’s. I believe the Mashbill is four grain too. Digging the nose on first impression. I don’t know the age but it doesn’t come off as young. It’s very bright and fruity. Apple and peaches. Nice layer of caramel and a hint of chocolate. Flaky pie crust browned and buttered. There is definitely a lot of grain to this, I don’t mean that as being young but as just being surrounded by different grains at the distillery. There is something relaxing and comforting about this smell. Like a lilac or lavender even. Like it would make a really good candle. I’m impressed so far. Hoping the taste matches this. Super oily, rich mouthfeel. Definitely brings a lot of nice flavor! Nice finish too. Very light and bright on the tongue on first approach. Sweet, apple. Hint of caramel. Mid palate is a bit darker. Hits with baking spices that escalates into these rich caramels, vanilla, and chocolate. Starting to get more apple towards the finish, even the peaches. The floral is really coming out too. Blind this could get confused with a barrel strength Four Roses, but I like this better. Maybe way better. This is dangerously easy to drink at 122 proof. There is nothing stereotypically crafty about this. This is a secret hitter. As I sit with it, the floral aspects are escalating. I just finished a 2 ounce pour and want to explore it more. The glass still smells amazing!

Neat. Neck pour. In Chicago for vacation again. Binny’s always has Kentucky Owl Rye. Almost bought one last year and decided to buy 4 bottles of other random things instead at the same price... huge mistake as all the bottles I got were just so-so. I would have rather had the quality over the quantity. Not making the same mistake this trip! Also tried Old Carter Rye sample a few days ago to make a nice comparison. This nose is much better immediately compared to that Old Carter. A layer of smoke on top of a Bear Claw. Reminds me of this casserole my friends mom used to make us during sleepovers growing up. I think she called it Monkey Finger? Similar to cinnamon rolls covered in a sweet cream icing. Starting to get lots of orange and vanilla as well, nice Dreamcicle. Nice layer of oak. Lots of clove coming out. The more I sit with it, it’s getting darker and darker. In love with this nose. Rich and creamy texture. Not as immediately flavorful as the Old Carter. It’s a more subtle experience. Orange zest and vanilla on the tongue with hints of cinnamon and clove. Oak has this deep presence. Mid palate things brighten up more than expected. The orange and vanilla really take off. Then the oak leaves this nice velvety layer of chocolate from mid palate through the finish. Then it’s all orange, citrus, rye spice, pepper, and vanilla on the finish. Lingers for a long time. It’s an amazing pour. I am going to grade it below the Old Carter Rye I had recently. The flavors are this more subtle, soft experience by comparison. The nose is what stands out over the taste. It’s a near perfect nose that hints at more flavors than the soft experience it delivers. Still quite enjoyable and a top tier rye in my collection now (implying it survives the rest of the vacation).

Neat. Sample. The last of the Old Carter samples. All have been great but the price point has been a hurdle for me. This $200 price point is becoming more common but it really needs to be BTAC level for me to agree to that price. Excited to try this Rye and see if this would be the pour that would inspire me to take the plunge. Very citrus forward on the nose - orange and lemon zest. A dark honey and molasses. Hint of black licorice. There is quite a bit of heat on this nose, I have to be careful with my approach and that is rare these days. There is an interesting layer of smoke and brine on it. It’s a great nose, but not blown away at this stage. Wow. Wow. So much flavor, I was caught off guard. Mouthfeel is oily and it spreads across the entire mouth and leaves flavors everywhere instantaneously. I am a bit overwhelmed by the amount of flavor that takes over the mouth as soon as it hits and rolls across the tongue. Vanilla, orange, cinnamon, clove, and lemon zest roll immediately across the tongue. Transitions to a sweet cream frosting with more cinnamon, cinnamon roll even. Brings another wave of the orange on the finish along with black pepper and a hint of that brine. It slowly rolls down the throat. Cinnamon and clove hang for a long long time. The nose did not warn me in advance. That was an incredible rye. One of the best ryes I have had. Every second of the taste to finish was top notch. If I see a Batch 5, I may grab it.