Tastes

Another belated mess of thoughts. This was pleasant, rich and checked many of the boxes for a good rye (brown sugar, vanilla, rye-raisin toast, chocolate). Nose and palate came together with few surprises and the finish was medium long, warm and packed with brown sugar sweetness and a hint of spice. I would drink this any day but don’t know that I’d pay MSRP, let alone secondary, to have another go at it. Definitely appreciate the chance to try it though and anyone who scored a bottle is unlikely to have regrets. It’s all together a great rye but not one that stands apart for me.

Belated review but in short this is brilliant. This bottle belonged to a friend and was half empty and well over a year old. I didn’t get the mint notes that others have mentioned and wonder if 1) these fade with time or 2) this was toward the end of a decent night of sampling. The nose is balanced with vanilla and orange zest. I can’t peg any baking spice but the zest had a mild character of its own. There’s little to no ethanol. A bit of the wood comes through after swirling for a minute. When it hits the tongue it’s impressively smooth. Initial flavors are classic vanilla with mild nutmeg, oak and floral notes. Then the magic happens. As it makes its way down the pipe the oily nature comes out and brings with it milk chocolate and orange zest again. It’s like a boomerang between a classic 8-9y bourbon and a chocolate orange from childhood. Maybe it’s because I’m on a kick with cask finished bourbons, maybe it’s the orange mingling with a hot summer night. This is different, no doubt, but expectations were pleasantly met this evening.

Warm amber color, legs turn into sheets. Nose is warm, rich vanilla, apricot, dates... a puff of pipe smoke, maybe a hint of peanut. Thick and smooth, virtually no burn. The mouthfeel alone is enough to leave me wanting more. The palate follows the nose and is bourbon forward with a warm wood and faintly spiced sensation transitioning into an oily Sherry finish that lasts several minutes. As I look beyond classic bourbon I would say this is a new favorite. It hits all the right notes from the nose, to the smooth and viscous palate to the oily Sherry finish... At $80 it’s no bargain and could have even more of a salty sherry kick but I’m a fan. The cask strength is gonna be on my hunting list...

Yellow like the first wizz of the morn. Legs bead quickly. Ethanol and sawdust but no other flaws. Lemon, honey and anise on the nose translate into a warm, viscous palate that offers some toasted sesame, over-baked cornbread and long lasting clover honey to the finish. What an oddball. Tastes young but malty and spicy in interesting ways... I wouldn’t immediately peg it as a bourbon (which it’s technically isn’t). Quirky, and not immediately likable but still interesting and has a lasting sweet, floral, malty finish. Scotch crowd should weigh in on this one.

Nose of apples, honey, cinnamon and oak. There’s a walnut and molasses undertone. The ethanol can be felt in the back of the nose but not smelled. Viscous with a pop of flavors. Smoother than the proof suggests and spice, oak, raisin and chocolate cherries dance on the tongue. No peanut funk as with Beam. Does have a dash of BT tobacco in there though. The finish is oak, spice and warmth and goes in forever, bringing back baked apple pie for minutes. Came back 5min later and bumped to 4.5 because the finish just does not stop. The way it coats the mouth and just keeps on giving... just fantastic.

This is immediately recognizable as something different. The nose just after popping the cork makes me think of some sort of Macallan 12, brown sugar and vanilla love child. No ethanol and no detectable flaws, just infatuation. I get port wine, fruitcake and Madagascar vanilla with a honey cheerio malt... and yet a waft of oak and tobacco come through making me still believe this could be bourbon. After a few minutes sniffing and wondering about it’s orange-ness I start getting more brine and honey. When I finally go in my first impression is “this is smooth, warm and odd... “ like something Prince would wear in concert. Mouthfeel is viscous, warm... damn. There’s a lot going on here, and frankly between the sherry/brine, Orange, oak, brown sugar dance I have to say that I’m a fan. It occupies a new space for me between bourbon and scotch. This is what I wish glenfiddich 14 in bourbon barrels would have been but I was all wrong. Put the bourbon in the sherry/port/wtf-ever barrel all day and I’ll leave the barley malt in bourbon barrels alone. This is a win for scotch-curious bourbon fans and I can honestly see it going both ways and seems malty enough to please the bourbon-curious sherry scotch drinker. What a wonderful bastard of a whisk(e)y! Also, knocking 20-30 off the price would be great, thanks Barrell.

Light amber in the glass with sparse, slow legs. Aroma of caramel, raisins, oak and tobacco after 10m in the glass. Initially was more peanuts and red hots with corn sweetness... this from a freshly opened bottle mind you. Palate starts soft and smooth with a creamy mouthfeel and gradually warms like a naturally aspirated engine revving to around 8,000. A tingling spice comes along for the ride - something like allspice and dare I say mint. The finish is medium-long and resembles sour mash, tobacco and allspice. For a $25-30 lower shelf bottle in most stores I’ll agree that this beats many $44-50 bottles found higher on the shelf and offers a similar complexity and finish. The main difference is the way the allspice notes tingle the throat and nasopharynx. Might turn some off but for fans of BiB and higher proofs you should grab and share this one. I don’t do many cocktails but I suspect this would also make a wonderful Kentucky Mule, Old fashion or Manhattan. Would definitely buy again and put up against Old Forster for fans of that distillery.

Full disclosure - this is a review of wild turkey but not off the shelf. The juice was obtained by a friend and I have nowhere else to review it so here are my thoughts. I’m short it’s like I had spearmint and bubble gum next to each other in my poker and now I’m chewing bubblegum and wondering why it tastes so funky... —————- Color is just damn yellow. Legs are plentiful, super skinny and fast. Nose in the glass is alcohol, alcohol, alcohol and corn >>> rye. Vanilla as I pull my nose away. Palate is isn’t as hot as expected and is sweet-corn with a bit of butter and heap of granulated sugar in the back end. There’s some minty spice buried in there but it’s fleeting. There’s little complexity and for being allegedly barrel proof the finish is short, a bit acidic and forgettable. My guess is this is young juice, 3y or less. Likely 85% or more corn but this could be b.s. I want to love this due to the backstory (all a bit shady I’ll admit) but I don’t know that I can. I’m not well versed in WT but I am a Russel’s fan and I can’t believe how far apart these really are. It was a great gift but not one I’ll be asking for a repeat of.

This was a Liquor Barn 11 year store pick, aged in a Bardstown rick house. Amber-orange in color. Many closely grouped, thin, quick legs that just keep coming. Nose deep in the glass I get quite a bit of rye at first pour. Pulling back a bit I get more corn and honey sweetness, oak and floral notes with a hint of mint. Oak starts to predominate the longer it sits in the glass. Initial taste is something between dark honey and caramel with candied apples, nutmeg and oak. Finish is medium to long, mildly warm and a balanced mixture if baking spice and candies fruit. This could be a house bourbon....

Liquor Barn - Lexington KY fall 2019 pick. Nose of maple, candied cherries and tobacco. Cherry cola, spearmint, red hots and oak all dance on the tongue. Finish is fruity and vanilla oak, medium to long. Solid pick and would become a staple if it could be reproduced. ——- Revisit - fresh in the glass it lets off oak, marzipan and notes of sweet, ripe bananas. Entry starts subtle then a bang of spice (still reminiscent of red hot candies) but quickly followed and dominated by pralines, bananas foster and further hints of oak and honey on the finish. Drinks like a bourbon drenched, pecan covered cinnamon roll. Love it for its sweet banana and nutty notes. ——— Revisit, open over a year. Ripe banana, peanuts, oak and hint of spice in the nose but no ethanol. Medium mouthfeel, rush of tobacco, nuts, vanilla and allspice. Following Weller full proof this is a bit nuttier and less spicy, a tad less earthy but not by much. Hard to find but nowhere near as bad as Weller full proof and somewhat comparable (with additional nuttiness).