Tastes

First pop is acetone and peaches. Odd. Color is a nice copper with quick legs. Lots of oak char, ethanol and underlying it some rye on the first whiff. The nose hairs feel a bit singed. As that recovers I get dried pineapple, some mint, a little cherry pie and warm spicy notes. So far, many layers that seem to work and evolve as it opens up. I’m even getting some roasted hazelnuts, vanilla cream and leather. Being Woodford, I feel like the nose always outshines the palate... this is warm, viscous, spicy and slow to travel down the throat and back out the nose. The finish is buttery with some toffee, oak and those dried pineapples. It’s a sweet finish but with hints of Second go I get more butterscotch and leather up front. The tannins are starting to show as the mouth tingles and the spice and heat linger in the chest. There’s some mint and oak hanging onto the back of the tongue as well. It leaves me wanting more. Minutes later I’m getting cacao nibs from the rye. Golly. It’s neither an easy sipper, nor is it cheap. For a NAS batch proof expression (as compared to my $50 bottle of 18-25 Noah’s Mill last night) this was a rip-roaring $140. That said, I got to tour the winding and beautiful back roads of Versailles (pronounced VeR-sale-s), KY and pick this up on the grounds of their beautiful distillery, complete with brick/stone rickhouses and a mossy old pond. I’m sold on the palate and finish for the first time with a Woodford product. This one keeps on giving. It makes me think of an OF 1920 turned up to 11. Not sure what that kind of witchcraft is supposed to cost. I would say it rivals Cream of Kentucky with regard to exclusivity, price and complexity but has better mouthfeel, more bite and lingering warmth. Both are $140 and both are fantastic for my empty-wallet self. This is a bit less balanced and more oak forward but has the higher proof and longer finish. A bit of water might bring them closer but I like it just as it is. Cheers!

Batch 18-25. Apparently batch variation is a thing. Apparently sourcing your bourbon and bottling it under a brand is a thing. Some background is required. Willett in Bardstown, KY first put whiskey to barrel in 1937. A few things happened between then and 2012. The stills fired back up, rickhouses are being filled and onward we go. Some terrific rye whiskey and their Family Estate bourbons have since rolled out. Problem is that the offshoot brands (I have a particular love-hate relationship with Johnny Drum Private stock) apparently are largely sourced (Heaven Hill?). Enter Noah’s Mill. At one time this carried a 15y age statement. And the people (who knew about it) rejoiced. Then the NAS fad happened and batch variation snuck in. Reviews go from “creamy” to “thin” and miracle elixir to paint remover. I looked into batches, all labeled year-Xx and found that sometime between 2018 and 2019 the bottle’s language silently changed. There’s no age statement, however, “Distilled in Kentucky, Bottled by Noah’s Mill” became a distilled, bottled, etc... by Willett Distillery statement appeared. If this is true, the juice is no longer sourced and is a max of 8y in age. Mash bill, rickhouse location, etc are not disclosed. I’m comes this dusty bottle of 18-25 sitting in a favorite local shop of mine... First pop of the bottle I get raisin, acetone and oak. Nice golden juice with a thin rim and tiny slow legs. Nose in the glass I get a dusty floral funk. There is some wet oak, stewed apples, black tea, raisin and baking spice. Oddly, there’s little ethanol and no residual acetone notes. Oh my - leather, dark fruit, wet oak, tobacco and all sorts of goodness melt in the mouth. Warmth rises quickly but no bite or sting. The finish is more raisin, apple pie, leather, and that wet oak funk. It’s not viscous but is moderately tannic and oily nonetheless. This is magical. The finish just keeps going... In ways it reminds me of Barrell Bourbon 19 for those who’ve had it. Similar in body but with a dustier, leather cowboy boot quality that makes me think of a hot, dirt floor saloon somewhere, once upon a time, etc, etc. Question: where did this come from? Question: will we ever get this again? Question: can I drink this bottle slowly? The first I do not know. HH is a big possibility as it reminds me of older EC barrel picks (+14y). As far as the last two, I hope the answer to at least one is yes... ———— On time batch 19-22. Still carries the original wording re. being sourced and bottled by Noah’s Mill (not exclusively Willett juice). After resting for a few minutes I get string notes of cinnamon, vanilla, raisins and sun dried tobacco. The nose on a re-pour from the 18-25 is more astringent and dusty. The palate is oily with a slow heat with flavors of green apple pie, raisins and a bit of leather and tobacco on the finish. As compared to the 18-25 there is less cherry and leather. Overall these are both still excellent. Between the two the 18 is a bit fruitier (raisin) with less cinnamon and more oak. The 19 is spicier with more cinnamon, leather and green apple with the raisin on the end. I would take 18-25 over 19-22 (more of a 4.25-4.5) but both are satisfying. Maybe I’ve debunked myself or just gotten lucky as the main theme is similar for both bottles.

Words don’t do this one justice. Single barrel purchased 2019, 104 proof and dark amber in the bottle but more of a burnt orange in the glass. Opened this many moons ago and is to this day a bottle I would take anywhere. A burst of pine forest on a hot, cloudless day. Clover honey, cedar, Earl Grey tea and tobacco. The nose just doesn’t stop evolving. It’s like breakfast and hot baked cinnamon rolls are calling... The entry is spicy and full of citrus, tobacco, clove and pecans. No bite per se but a building warmth with the long finish that returns to the Earl Grey and clover honey with pine spice and maybe a puff of char. Compared to a Willett 4y rye this has more clover honey sweetness and the pine spice. Both are fantastic and while I’d gladly sip either this one creates an odd, almost emotional attachment. I think it’s due to the finish (powerful, lasting, damn-near inspiring). This is truly something special. Could it be better? I’d like a little more viscosity, maybe some leather layered in there. With those additions I might hide a body for this whiskey... Some things are better left the way they are. @WhiskeyLonghorn it may be the one - by which I mean don’t buy it or sell me yours.

Revisiting this on a summer night. Astringent at first but then spearmint, herbal tea, dried oak, brown sugar and ethanol. Medium body and full of pipe tobacco, spearmint, pepper, vanilla and oak char. The finish is lengthy and brings back the tobacco and herbal tea with a bittersweet note. Need to drink this head to head with RR green label single barre rye which I recall having more brown sugar sweetness and less of the oak and earthy notes... to be continued.

Back to back with Stagg Jr 14. This is equally robust on the nose and maybe a hair darker in color. The nose, however, is more musty with a hint of wet wood and roasted peanuts. The strong caramel/vanilla notes are there with allspice and a bit of leather and cherry. This has more ethanol burn, which surprise me. Mouthfeel is about the same, slightly viscous and a smooth heat. This has more up-front vanilla and wet wood. The vanilla and cherries carry over to the finish and the oak jumps in and out. I feel like this is a bit more nutty and fruity and less earthy and buttery. Spice and heat are about equal with this being more allspice and Stagg Jr being more clove and pepper. Make no mistake, both are hot and full of flavor. I think that to pick between the two would be like choosing which child I love more. I’d probably take ECBP A119 over either but would be happy to go down fighting with either of these.

I pop the cork and from the neck I get a whiff of caramel and milk chocolate. It reminds me of a Milky Way bar on a hot summer day. I’m admittedly a big Stag Jr fan. It’s honestly what turned me on to the Buffalo Trace distillery and BTAC. Sort of like a gateway drug. So here we are - batch 14. An unassuming amber color with whispy legs. Humid summer KY evening on the porch. Glencarin. The nose is big oak and big caramel. Marzipan, cherries, cloves and pepper. The heat is tame... oddly tame. Pepper, oak, leather and steady heat with more cherries, some milk chocolate and maybe a bit of sun dried tobacco and black licorice on a long finish. It reminds me a lot of batch 12. Maybe more oak and less buttery vanilla? It’s recognizable by its heat but the bite doesn’t come unless you sip and sip again too fast. I’d say they’re equal. Still in love. It’s not it’s more tannic, stone fruit big brother but it wins me over for sure. This was a $65 find but I’d easily give up to $80. Honestly, I’d go to $125-150 where some of the craft bottles check in for sale of balance and big flavor with a long finish. It’s hotter than some but rewarding I’d you sip slowly.

Revisiting this one. Nose is classic and sends waves of oak, cotton candy, cherries and stone fruit. The palate is more of the same but is waaaaaaay underwhelming. Still pleasant, much like EH Taylor in that the palate is classic but thin with a short and sweet/sour and oak finish. Frankly I’d take EHT BiB if I could find it. I can see it’s broad appeal...

Per the man himself: “I like something with a mellow mouth feel and a long and very smooth finish. The bourbon we eventually found for Cream of Kentucky met our goals, and also had a nice creamy mouthfeel with gentle fruitiness a hit caramel and vanilla, plus some soft woody characters.” The color is a darker orange-amber. Unlike some bottles, when I pop the cork on this when there are no sawdust or funky aromas. The nose is immediately rich with fruity flavors of orange zest, cherry and clove. The oak is there too, but it’s a little deeper in the glass. It sounds cliché, but the oak aroma just resembles something a bit older and more mature. There’s also an unmistakable whiff of vanilla. I can convince myself there’s some crisp, sun-dried tobacco as well but nothing that comes across as leather or bitter. Another odd thing, my dog wants a piece of this. She’s a 10 year old lab and could care less about bourbon but there’s something she’s apparently picking up as well. Mellow, sweet in entry with a kick of wood and smoke by mid palate and then a building but gentle heat with lingering vanilla, brown sugar sun-dried tobacco and baking spices. It’s not as viscous or oily as I’d like but certainly not thin. This is approachable, mature, balanced and hits all the right notes. The age shows mid-palate through the finish. In ways it reminds me of GTS dialed down to a 7-8 but without the leathery and mineral notes. It’s just so well balanced... and the finish for me is remarkable without being an overzealous gobstopper like ECBP. I’m out $140 and am going back to buy another one if I can find it. Here’s to you Mr. Rutledge. The lesson seems to be never retire if you’re good at what you do.

Light amber and heat. Sawdust and peanuts right out of the neck but that seems expected for most newly opened bottles - then milk chocolate, toffee, allspice and oak char. And more heat. Medium body on the palate, no bite but instead a building heat and exploration of flavors that comes and goes quickly. A second whiff and more floral notes shine through. Another sip sends in layers of aged oak, allspice, cloves and cherry-orange bitters. The finish is medium long and strikes a balance between oak and spice, clove and a bit of chocolate. What it isn’t: - for the faint of palate - vegetal or chemical - nutty or tannic - especially balanced What it is: - robust with a building heat - well layered with spice and wood - balanced and evolving - readily available This could be a good sub for the evermore mythological Stagg Jr, but toned down from 11 to more of an 8. It’s not quite as sweet or fruity as a Russel reserve but shows a bit more oak and clove. in ways it really reminds me of Remus Reserve III for the clove and almost cedar notes. It lacks the back and forth finish of an ECBP but does bounce around on the tongue and palate. So, so good. ———— About 1/3 of the way down this is just fantastic. Remus III again comes to mind but this may be a tad more enjoyable. It’s complex, it’s satisfying, it’s available... it’s just amazing. To drink this against Bardstown Discovery 3... the Turkey DNA is so prominent. The Bardstown has a bit more powdered sugar sweetness. Honestly I prefer the rare breed and at almost $100 difference I would take 3 rare breed and be incredibly happy. I just can’t get over how good this is (and how mad I am for overpaying for sourced whiskey).

A friend left this bottle at my house and I couldn’t understand why... then I poured a glass. Very light amber with a somewhat vegetal nose, sort of a wet cardboard with hint of cherry candy and marzipan. The mouthfeel is slightly thick and very smooth but flat. There’s some Faint vanilla, almond and still a cardboard funk. Both the nose and palate remind me of Woodford’s (young and unapologetic) wheat whiskey. Finish is short, sort of an overly ripe banana with a bit of pecan and hint if tannin. What it’s not: - harsh - caramel - spicy - leathery - pipe tobacco - oaked - fruit forward What it is: - simple and soft - approachable neat - wheated... if you’re into that sort of thing Just goes to show how tasted change. I don’t know about other folks but this just doesn’t do it for me. I’d lump this with woodford wheated whiskey or bernheim wheat. I think I prefer the faint green cigar wrapper spice of Weller Special Reserve or even the sweeter, spice but still banana-funky larceny over this bottle. At $50 this is a hard pass marketing gimmick for me (full disclosure i would take WT 101 or most rye-heavy bourbon over almost any wheated bourbon at this point).