Tastes

Quick notes - bar pour, allegedly open 1-2m and 8/10ths empty. I’m skeptical after my 2016 Four Roses Limited taste out of a bottle this empty. On the nose there is bountiful old wood, allspice, over ripe banana, leather, caramel, pound cake and furniture polish. The entry builds heat quickly but plateaus early at a moderate intensity. Thin mouthfeel. Candy cigarette forward sweetness with an interesting spice profile followed by wood, bananas, cherry cough syrup, bubble gum funk and leather. The finish is moderate. They say never meet your heroes. Maybe I just don’t know Turkey. This is nothing, quite literally nothing, like Rare Breed or Russel’s Reserve - both of which I believe are stellar for their body, and fruity/spicy complexity. This tastes older - antique older. Not Old Weller “Antique” but dusty, potpourri, polish older. Mind toothpaste older. Foot in the grave older. And therein lies the appeal I suppose. I’m not a fan of the furniture polish and ripe banana that hit hard with Sam Houston 14 or Calumet 14. I don’t love the candy cigarette, bubblegum and mint toothpaste sweetness but the only thing that comes close is Bardstown Bourbon Co Discovery 3 (which has a >12y Turkey component). This is unique. I’ve never had “dusty Turkey” but this reminds me of being in my grandparents attic. The smell of furniture in the heat, floral notes, bubble gum and candy in my pocket... and lots of actual dust. Maybe that’s what this bottle is actually about - an older and more simple time and place.

The setup: rocks glass. Why? I don’t know. Probably because that’s what I used to pour JW Green, HP 12, Lagavulin 16 and then this. So far it’s been a trip through velvety light smoke to maltier smoke to ash and stone fruit and now... This is lighter than I would expect for the proof and being NCF. The nose is much brighter than I remember but not with malt so much as pineapple and banana bread pudding with pecans. There is also plenty of salty sea spray and more peat than smoke. Oh the flavor bomb and finally a bit of heat. Not pain, not sting. Just heavily bodied warmth. Like the nose this is bright with tropical fruits (pineapple, mango) mixed with bits of ash, old wood, coffee and earthy vanilla bean. The finish is long and filled with honey, vanilla, ash and brine with a splash of blonde espresso. Spectacular. Between this and Lagavulin 16 I appreciate the bright and fruity qualities that don’t skip on the ash and peat. I feel like Lagavulin is deeper and darker if that makes sense, as though it pulls you toward a center. This has more breadth but less depth but nothing about it is shallow. Both are fantastic and leave the sensation in the nostrils of waking up from a campfire. Buy both and savor them.

A blend of Talisker, Linkwood, Cragganmore and Caol Ila that’s at least 15 years old and $65... I would call bullshit but somehow JW makes it happen. Light golden color. Inviting, soft aroma. I feel like I should be under a pale blue sky on a crisp cool day, abundant sunshine sitting on a wooden dock and stroking the beard that I don’t have... pondering. Sweet sherry, honey, malt, roasted apples and just a bit of wood and brine. Deep down there’s something slightly medicinal that’s gone in a flash. It’s gentle, almost calming. Then the smoke! It’s like the above flavors show up and then a smokey fog rolls briskly across the tongue and settles over the orchard fruits atop a floor of wood, leather, peat, caramel and flowers. With subsequent sips the surprise of the smoke is gone and the brighter, honey-malt notes take center stage again with the counterparts plying supporting roles. There is almost a bit of lime, clove, juniper and ash as well. Compared to Talisker 10 there seems to be less sherry influence and more malt. Sort of like a Highland Park 12 but... just more? The body is definitely thicker, heavier than HP12. I feel like this bottle could sit dead center in my experience with Scottish malts. It has a soft, almost plush quality and showcases fruit, malt, peat, smoke, wood and maybe a wee bit of spice but only in the latter department is it lacking much. It’s not king of anything (ie. not single malt style) but does a bit of everything and does it very well. I have one complaint and that is I would like to see this at 100 proof or more... but that’s being greedy. This has no heat, no burn... just comfort. I’m between 4.25 and 4.5 on this one. It’s top notch, but is blending cheating? Is something lost in the ether? I don’t think so but I don’t know that I’ll reach for this over Talisker 10 or Ardbeg Corry if I’m looking for something bigger. Time will tell. For now I stroke my imaginary beard and contemplate.

Another bottle that wasn’t mine. I love when that happens. A friend I work with wanted to put this against Sam Houston 14. While my notes are belated I will say this - they are the same damn thing. I have no doubt. They were both put into the barrel March 2006. This was a blend of 19 barrels at a lower proof than SH blend of 3 barrels and an additional 5-6 proof. At the same price I would buy the Sam Houston every time. Or neither. I would honestly buy neither l owing what I know now. This was a thin, old and in-your-face oak, rotting banana ester and imitation vanilla drink. If you want hyper-aged Barton and IW Harper is your jam but you want more wood and funk then splurge on this. I’ve never met this person, but you could be out there somewhere.

MGP is like syphillis - a great mimicker and too easy to pick up. This is 3y and up, “river aged” in a floating rickhouse. Barge IN068518. Definitely syphillis material. Oh, young MGP, how many names do you have? And why do you smell like Buffalo Trace namesake (or maybe Elmer T Lee). And why does one particular friend always leave leave bottles of cheap whiskey at my house? Oak, stone fruit (apricots, oranges), vanilla, maybe a bit of dill or clove. Oh, but so wood and vanilla. Much spicy fruit. Yum. This has a decently thick mouthfeel and better finish than most BT products. While I hate on Sazerac/BT out of envy this is actually worth the comparison. It’s sweet and yet full of oak character, perfectly balanced with pepper, clove, dill and allspice. The finish lasts longer than I would expect for 96 proof but the heat is right. Wait, holy shit he paid $80 for this?? Why? How can sourced MGP at 3y and 96 proof go for $80?!? Well, at least it’s good. And if ETL is going for $300-400 then maybe this is a bargain?

If you'd like to avoid my random musings on the bourbon world please skip to then end and tasting notes are listed. If you'd like to hear about a day trip to Bardstown, KY complete with distillery gift shops, secondary retailers and the broken three tier system then pour yourself a drink and sit down. Kentucky in the spring is magnificent. The splashes of purple, white and pink along the Bluegrass Parkway along with the blue sky and open road just beg you to visit Bardstown, KY. It is a good sized town (not a city) that makes me wonder why my father didn't go into the business of building rickhouses. The smell of beer blows in the air, but it's fate is not to be canned. No. Those sweet and sour, grain and yeast aromas will be thrown into the furnace and boiled down. A quarter lifetime later (for some) it will become Kentucky bourbon. Heaven Hill, Willett and Barton 1792 are within stumbling distance of one another. Not far off are the new kids - Bardstown Bourbon Co. (complete with Michigan Ave. cosmopolitan flair and lovely dining spaces) and Lux Row (which sits atop a hill next to an old stone house, relatively quite compared to the others). After proceeding down the parkway at an undisclosed speed we arrived at Heaven Hill. We stood around with a crowd of 30 that grew to over 100 for an hour or so. Being number 30 in line I purchased the second to last bottle of ECBP A121 for $85. There were very few Parker's Heritage, Heaven Hill Select and some grenades but only for the first 10-15 people. I assume the short supply has to do with the fact that gift shops may not even be supplied directly by their namesake distilleries, but rather by an agreement with the distributors they are legally bound to sell to (ie. three tier system). Not a complete loss but a bit of a let down. We next visited Toddy's liquors, a stone's throw away from the Bardstown Cathedral. The small shack is 1) a fire hazard and 2) a bourbon holy land of sorts. The selection was outstanding but prices were, well, not good. A bottle of EC Rye was $130. A pint of Weller SR was $35 (not as bad). Weller Full Proof was on the shelf for $450... and so on. Old Fitz topped out at over $500. There were many, many others but none we could afford. A quick trip to Bardstown Distilling revealed a crowded, white washed, steel and airy space that was too crowded to accommodate us for lunch. Their gift shop had around 100 bottles of their Fusion Series, maybe 20 bottles of "The Prisoner" and not a single bottle of their Discovery series or other special releases. Onward we went. Lux Row had a small parking lot, but we nabbed the first spot. Just inside the door is a small bar where a wonderful young woman poured us very generous 2+oz drinks of Old Ezra 7 year and their 12 year Double Barrel. We proceeded to sit outside where it was quiet. Very quiet actually. We soaked up the sun, talked about life, dopamine, the pursuit of happiness, etc. Then there was a peacock. No joke. A giant, vibrant green and purple feathered peacock just strolling around. What did I just drink?? Old Ezra 7yr, "barrel strength" but suspiciously bottled at the exact same strength every time. Close enough. It was just fantastic. From a highball glass there were plenty of cherry candy, cola and pine aromas. Overall very sweet and fruity with a bit of ethanol singe. The mouthfeel was thick and prickly and much like the nose there was abundant barrel spice, cheery candy, maple syrup, wood notes and bits of milk chocolate and cedar there as well. This was a fantastic pour on a fantastic day. Bourbon hunting got me nowhere and not until away from the crowd with a good friend with a hearty pour was I able to truly appreciate Bardstown. Don't come to hunt. You will be disappointed. Come to find a place to relax and enjoy a pour of Kentucky bourbon and let your troubles go.

I missed out on one of these recently but thankfully a friend nabbed one. I wasn’t disappointed until we poured this. It was just below the neck but so much better developed than my bottle that’s been open 2 years. The aroma of brown, dried tobacco and vanilla come readily to the nose. Some peaches in syrup are there as well as freshly sawed oak. It’s a nice mix of bright and earthy. Thin body but no heat for 100 proof. The oak and vanilla hit the front, tobacco, allspice and possibly cacao nibs on the sides and back and then light butterscotch and peach cobbler before a medium salted caramel and fruity finish balanced with wood notes. What I don’t get are the cola notes from EHT barrel proof or the strong cherry and cinnamon notes from Stagg Jr. Finish is understandably much shorter given the proof difference. It’s mashbill #1 all right but not a big boy. I would take this over Elmer T Lee or Blanton’s any day (just not as much of a mashbill #2 fan). I’ve heard of some single barrels being less than stellar but this outshines the small batches I’ve tried - more wood notes and richer vanilla. Honestly a notch above Eagle Rare and clearly share the same DNA. Would gladly pay $50-60 but flippers gonna flip. Don’t be fooled - if Eagle Rare or EHT small batch ever show up at MSRP grab one and know that you’re not missing that much.

This was brought over by a friend who has been collecting the Pinhook series. Bottle 24/206 clocking in at 114 proof. Second in their series of what I believe are all MGP sourced barrels on their way from 4 to 9 years. This was the 5 year stop. Nose of play dough? Corn sweetness. Faint spice. Rye bread. Altogether a soft nose, nothing that screams out. Medium body with a slow building warmth, dill spice and a medium finish. Meh. I’d drink this over Buffalo Trace. Both are round and soft, grain forward. Compared to my 5y smooth ambler pick that prickles the mouth this was a but muted. He prefers the Pinhook, I’ll still take the SAOS as I love the kick and more robust spice. Different strokes for different folks.

There’s not much to say that hasn’t been said. Not my first rodeo but somehow never actually left a review. It’s good enough for Ron Swanson, well, anyway... Between Laphroig 10 and Talisker 10... less burned down hospital than Laphroig and less fruity than Talisker on the nose. It still showcases the dark, smoked honey (almost anejo agave) malt itself with campfire, saline, iodine, golden raisins, green pepper and polished furniture. Cigar ash, burnt ends (barbecue), agave, raisin, marzipan earth, sea in the wake of fire. Medium body, moderately oily and coating with a long medicinal, smoky and yet slightly floral finish. Yup, it’s good. For me it’s in between Talisker (which I prefer for it’s more balanced stance between fruity and smoky) and the old bandaid that is Laphroig. If I could only have one I’d take the Talisker 10 unless I felt like peering into an open flame and letting my mind wonder, possibly in a sinister direction.

So I was browsing at TW, as I do, and this caught my eye after reading about @dubz480 charity bottle. I asked the manager what she thought of it. After several minutes of discussion a puzzled look came across her face, and then a smile. Before I knew it I was sitting in the back with another employee and whiskey appreciator cutting the seal from a bottle from the shelf... I either need to shop at TW way more or way less at this point. This is Barrell’s BA1C bottle, blended with 45% 5 year 25% 10 year 25% 14 year and 5% 16 year bourbons. I felt like Bardstown Bourbon Co tries this with their Fusion series - the young and old blends - but the flavors never quite meet in the middle. Tasting notes on this read a “fresh corn-forward sweetness.” It is that and then some... This, even from a small plastic thimble of a cup, had loads of orchard fruit and corn-sweetness coming from it. Hot and vibrant on the first sip the front palate got all of the orange, cherry and vanilla notes and the sides the wood spices. The finish really brought out the aged barre notes. The mouthfeel is oily and the heat is present, but adds to the experience. The balance between the young, sweet notes and aged wood notes leans toward the sweet (think Makers FAE-01 if you’ve tried it, or a good Russel’s Reserve) but the wood and spice are dialed in exquisitely. I was hesitant to pay $99 for this but I was sold at first sip. My bottle is bunkered for now while I go through a few other Barrell offerings but these folks could give the blenders at Johnny Walker an (expensive and varied) run for their money IMO.