Tastes

The tasting notes are spot on. One thing to add, a couple of months in an open bottle gave mine a maturity that only made it better. It would have been a three star otherwise.

Ralfy was right - its just a good, simple malt. Modest honeybread flavor with a bit of light fruit. No peat element. Nothing it shouldn't have. Closer to a 4 than a 3. More than worth the $24 I paid for the bottle, and I'm now looking to pick up a bottle of Arranta.

This is waaaaaaay better than I expected. Plum/prune and toffee on the nose. Almond paste too, plus this may be the first time in my life I have picked up stewed apples, but its there. It's is clean, fresh and fruity (ripening nectarines or peach, with some citrus edge to it) on the pallet. It has soft black pepper on the short finish, but less so than many. About 2/3 the pepper of Toki for example. It's hard to describe since it also has a "new" flavor to it, but its also clearly of good quality. I'm truly enjoying it neat. 4 stars for wowing me with a white dog that is a treat to drink and educate myself with. I got a great deal on my bottle when a local store closed it out so keep your eyes open wherever you are. It was a steal.

Maybe I give stars too easily, but I just had a glass of this neat, almost as a dare to myself. I expected horrible, grainy hi-test corn fuel, instead I had a pretty normal if hum-drum bourbon. A little corn sweet, a little vanilla, a touch of barrel spice and that was about it. Boring? Yup. But nothing else to criticize either. Three stars based on price (it was a $2 pour at the bar I was at, I basically said "screw it" while I was waiting for my takeout order). Now I'm actually curious about Old Crow Reserve.

I think of it as a very smooth American rye even though its from a truly classic Canadian producer. Clean and rich with a sweet undertone and a bit of light fruit. What stands out to me is the barely rough rye spice that gives this whiskey real character. Think "leather smooth" not "silky smooth". An enjoyable drink neat especially as a change of pace from bourbon. Can be had for $35 these days where I am and its well worth that price. Your cost may vary - MSRP was originally much higher.

The review and flavor chart are pretty accurate. BUT, my bottle didn't come to life until after it had been open for a month or so. What I had originally found to be dull and unremarkable has become a fresh tasting treat to drink. Honey, apple, peach and pear team up with with citrus elements of pineapple/tart mango mixed in. It is modestly spicy on the finish but the spice is pleasant and complimentary. In fact, I find that nothing is out of harmony in this whisky making it greater than the sum of its parts. I'll be buying this again.

Tried 2 different recent production bottles. The first was a showcase of young and old ryes. The second was simply nothing like the first. The description that came to mind was celery root and witch hazel.. If High West can't control their blends better than that, then in my opinion they don't have a product. 1 angry star. And the first one I tried was at LEAST a 4 star whisky.

Caramel and vanilla backbone with a little rye and barrel spice to set it off. Some bottles mix in cherry fruit, baking spices, and sweeter orange, like orange marmalade. I consider those bottles to be terrific. Not a particularly rich nose or finish, but an excellent bourbon all the same.