Tastes

Sweet maple, ethanol, oak char, sour mash and red hots. Palate is smooth at first and slightly viscous, then a sting accompanied by the same elements in the nose with a little leather early finish and a lasting sweet and spicy finish. This is a serious co tender for those who can’t get their hands on the slightly hotter Stagg Jr.

Nose of wet oak, leather, warm brown sugar, hint of red hots. Smooth and thin on the palate, sour mash, vanilla and again slight red hots in the finish that is short to medium lived. Overall just pleasant from start to finish and easy to sip neat. Oldie and often overlooked but should never go unappreciated.

2019, likely batch 12 while out and about. Rich amber color, many slim legs. The nose is like a vanilla caramel Sunday with elements of oak, tobacco and ethanol. The first sip is so deceiving - velvety and smooth. Then like a naturally aspirated flat 6 or v8 it builds, and builds. The burn whales toward the end as you breathe fumes. The palate is hands down amazing though. Rich, complex, etc but for me it was almost like drinking a Mexican fried ice cream. Vanilla, maple, cream/butter with cinnamon and cherry toward the finish. This is my end of times bourbon, one for gunslingers and heroes.

Much longer review I was writing just disappeared so this is the summary - it is a flavor boomerang. You get WRs signature cereal/limestone/sharp earthy aroma with more toasted grain notes and a warm, typical WR palate. The finish seems timid at first and then 4-6 seconds later when you think it’s faded you get a wave of cocoa nibs and faint leather. It’s amazing. It’s all about the finish - and the cocoa lasts for minutes. Christmas dram for me, and an excellent one at that!

Spoiler alert - Weller fanboy here. I just like the Buffalo Trace “funk” about it. It’s like the aroma of wet fall leaves - not for everyone but emotionally does something for me I suppose. Got together with a friend and drank the lineup with the exception of the unicorn CYOB. Started with special reserve - funk + week old banana, corn sweetness and a hint of oak. Delicious but thin and virtually no finish. Next up, pseudo-unicorn Weller 12. Overrated some would say. For $300 you bet your ass. For MSRP still solid. Basically special reserve with a little oak on the nose and more barrel char and a bit of wood spice on the palate. Still thin and a disappointingly short finish. Call me crazy but Antique 107 has been my favorite (is it still???). The nose is profound compared to SR and 12. Tons of vanilla, oak, caramel. The palate rings true and while hot is not sharp. The finish lingers with brown sugar and wood spice. Damn satisfying for the proof. It doesn’t have the mouthfeels of a 125+ proof non-chill filter but... That’s where full proof comes in. This, in my opinion, is it. First the color - unlike the other theee with their amber hue I force myself to wonder if a slight greenish hue is present? Could it be the non-chill filtering (or just being three deep)? The nose is akin to the 107. Warm, rich caramel, oak and faint wood spice. The mouthfeel and smoothness though, that’s where it gets uncanny. This drinks like maple syrup with a dash of cayanne - no up front burn but a slow warmth. All the classic flavors of the Antique are there with the funk still coming up front, fading mid palate and turning deep caramel sweetness with wood spice on the finish. This particular lineup, for me, places Full Proof well at the top. I’d probably give Antique a close second and sadly the 12 falls to third place. If I had a fireplace and a cigar then maybe the 12 would win with its slightly more predominant age/char. How much would I pay for this guy as a non store pick? I’d drop $100 without hesitation. That’s saying a lot given the excellent finds in the $50-60 range (OF 1920, Four Roses Small Batch Select, Bookers if you’re lucky). So, that’s that. If you love the funk then happy hunting. I’d fill a bunker with it if I could find a truck to hijack. ———— Covid test pending - time to drink before the nose is gone... The nose is tobacco forward but vanilla, butterscotch, floral notes and wet oak are all there as well. Medium bodied, full of spicy/earthy goodness with more tobacco, toffee, cherry robitussin and allspice. The finish has a slight bitterness and could be a tad longer. I love the earthiness but might not love this as much if poured blind. Still, worth a pour while I can still taste and smell.

Nice color, slow legs. Characteristic red wheat nose with floral hints, maple syrup, oak char and a whiff of ethanol to remind you this isn’t your typical Makers. Mouthfeel is nice until the proof hits and then bang! Everything gets mixed up until the slightly oily, red wheat finish (which has a spicy bite all its own but different from that of rye). I’m honestly enjoying the finish and don’t feel rushed to go back just set. The corn and maple sweetness also lingers in a pleasant way for minutes at a time. Back at the nose I imagine maple pecan pancakes on a rainy day. Second sip starts like the first - mild, slight viscosity, corn sweetness and again BANG comes the proof. Maybe I should have worked my way up to this one and it wouldn’t but so much but odd how it doesn’t come along until mid palate. It’s overall a pleasant pour and the finish is long lasting and fantastic. They layers of sour mash, maple, spice, nuttiness and oak char are all there. By the fourth sip the burn is more tame but is still felt making me wonder how it could be tamed or if it even should. The sensation is a bit unbalanced vs something like a ECBP or Weller Full Proof. Drinks like a 125+ Bookers with less hints of aged oak. Good? Oh yes. My favorite of the cask strength / barrel proof bourbons out there? Noop. If offered a dram - take it. There might be a reason most of the bottles sold are 375ml. I’m hoping my 750ml takes some with age but it will get finish eventually.

Light golden and medium body. The nose is like apple cider, a pungent floral honey and cereal notes in the back. Warm oak and tannins linger in the background. Palate on the front is pretty typical Glenfiddich - dry, sun-dried oak, slight ethanol burn. The back of the mouth picks up the vanilla and cream brûlée’ from the ex-bourbon barrels. All together still a single malt scotch with a faint amount of bourbon influence for me. Not enough to draw away a bourbon drinker I’m afraid. I’d like to believe the ex-bourbon is more of a four roses like influence with some sour and spice. That said, still not enough comes through to make me think “bourbon!” The finish is floral and relatively short and dry for me. As a Glinfiddich fan I say it’s a keeper but pour this for the single malt crowd. Anyone hoping for a rich, caramel, spicy dram will be left disappointed. ——— Revisit - I’ve had this open around 2 years and only 1/4 down because it’s never won me over. I spent a bit more time with it under the porch on a rainy day and things have changed. The nose was much fruitier with candied pineapple, cherry and banana with buttery toffee and bread pudding. It’s still a splash of pine and pepper spice on entry but the medium body turns many times in its journey to the end. There’s honey-malt lane and then apple cider and pear boulevard and then a short unpaved road before the finish shows another moment of tobacco and leather... then gone. I’m upgrading from 2.25 to a 3.25 because it has certainly become more enjoyable and I’m starting to see the complexity. It’s still not my drink of choice but I appreciate what it lacks - there’s no in your face peat or wine to outshine the malt, just complementary barrel notes.

This was a gift from a friend who knows I like (understatement) bourbon. He himself isn’t a whisk(e)y afficianido. I’m not sure he knew what he was buying for me the it’s the thought that counts. I long opened it and stashed it in the back of the shelf, waiting to revisit it. This tasting was done under the influence of the man flu... mostly for medicinal purposes. Yellow-golden in color with medium-light body. The nose is peat, peat, Oceanside bar-b-q and a bit of pungent sweetness (reminds me of dark agave) with floral and leather notes pulling things oddly together. Makes the sinuses feel better so far. There’s a tingle on the tongue with lots of smoke and charcoal up front - not spice so much, maybe ethanol? The back of the tongue picks up bitter orange, oak and the agave-like sweetness again. The finish is dry and short. Would I buy it myself? No. Will I sleep better tonight? Only time will tell but all signs point toward yes.

Nose is predominant with oak - vanilla, raisins, Christmas fruitcake in the background. The palate is smooth with a powdered sugar sweetness, barrel char and dried fruits. The body is disappointingly light and I can only imagine a barrel proof version. There is still a finish of charred oak and sun dried tobacco. For the price I wish the proof was higher. I miss the thicker body of da Noah’s Mill (now NAS but previously 15y age statement). Loses a half star for value but still a fine bourbon. I suppose the smooth light finish broaden its appeal but if IW Harper is listening I’d gladly give $125 for a barrel strength rendition.

Per the usual Bookers, the color is a nice medium amber. Straight out of the bottle the nose is a little bit astringent. When allowed to rest for a minute notes of oak and toffee come out. There may also be a bit of bitter orange and some leather in there. The palate is rich and warm. It is incredibly smooth on the front end with lots of mid pallet space and some burn going down. Toffee, butter scotch and tobacco predominate with a delicious dose of spice to balance it out. Another sip and the toasted oak becomes very apparent rather than being overpowering in anyway seems to be balanced with the other flavors. The finish is long and sweet with caramel and apple pie flavors coming to mind. The heat sticks around as a mild linger and is enjoyable after the third sip. This is a whiskey that has begs you to drink more of it and see what other flavors come out of it. With the surge of craft distilleries, overpriced allocated bottles and other me-too Bourbon showing up in the market for $70-80 this is still a true standout (and thank God still on most every shelf). Rich, rich, rich. I love this whiskey. ——— Revisit - once the sawdust blows off the nose is spicy and rich. The palate is rich, buttery candied pecans and cinnamon and clove blow back out of the nares with a long toffee finish. This is like a piping hot, nutty bread pudding for desert. Still fantastic being half empty and 1-2 years old. ——— Revisit - half way gone, still a brown sugar and pepper bomb, still hot but oh so creamy in texture. Definitely Beam. Still some bitter orange zest and clove. Underneath the predominantly warm, sweet finish is a bit of earthiness. Still going solid, closing in on 3y mark.