Tastes

This particular bottle was a Total Wine barrel pick with Eddie Russel himself. Ran about $5 more than the shelf bottles so it was a no brainer. The nose starts out peanut shells at fist but with a minute in the glass molasses, zesty fruitcake with toasted nuts and dried fruit. The nose is rich and warming, like hot maple syrup and pancakes. This is smooth as can be on the front with burn on the back that relaxes to a long, playful finish. There is a lot of sweet vanilla up front and cinnamon and nutmeg in the back with oak and orange peel. Every step is an experience that transports me to a crisp fall day. Somehow I’m warm on the inside with a mouth and nose bursting with excitement that rolls from one flavor to the next and back again. Pricy but 100% worth it. This is a bottle I will miss.

The nose is just great - it’s rich, warm and inviting. There’s a maple syrupy sweetness, charred oak and warming baking spices. It’s like turning the furnace on for the first time in fall... The first sip starts out smooth with strong oak and spice and a bit of leather across the mid palate. The body is excellent and could easily be under appreciated bit is oily and heavy. The sour mash comes out more on the second whiff and second sip is more cinnamon and clove, oak and milk chocolate. The finish medium, warm and spicy with a milk chocolate and cherry sweetness. Just fantastic. The proof seems higher on the palate than the label but isn’t offensive. The flavors are rewarding enough to keep me coming back. Complexity isn’t nuts but it’s no one trick pony. I’ve revisited this and the more I do so the more it’s grown on me. Time will tell how it stands up to barrel strength single barrels but it easily beats any off the shelf FR single barrel I’ve ever tried. Should be on anyone’s radar and we’ll worth the price compared to many others in the $50 range. This next to a bottle of Rare Breed or Russel’s Reserve and possibly a Buffalo Trace for the faint of heart would make for a wonderful starter [bourbon] bar.

I was really hoping for more complexity and more richness with this one... The color is a light amber. The nose is sweet with a whiff of ethanol and dried fruit. Sweetness really predominates here, there doesn’t seem to be much of any space or oak on the nose. The initial sip comes across much the same way. There’s a slight burn from the ethanol and predominant sweet flavors. And the vanilla is strong. The finish is also relatively short and again largely vanilla with just a slight bit of spice and heat. I wouldn’t call this is a bad whiskey, but for $75 I’ll admit I was a little disappointed. The concept of starting the mash from scratch every time is interesting, but I miss a little bit of the sour quality from the carryover mash. Will I enjoy drinking the bottle? I believe the answer is yes but chances are when it’s gone I will be unlikely to purchase another. It’s not that this is bad, there are simply just too many good bourbons a lower price point. ———— 1 year update - I spent some time with this one and it has more layers than initially able to appreciate. Much more wood on the nose and less ethanol. Palate isn’t as sweet as it was at first and now is predominated with spice and maybe nuts, chocolate and apples. Still a stretch to say it’s worth more than $50-60 but to each their own. I appreciate that these guys started from scratch and some of the single barrels have gotten great marks, that might be the one to grab.

Golden color. The pour smells like walking into a bakery - toasted rye and yeast hit the nose. In the glass the aroma is sweeter, more caramel with the rye in the background. The palate is lively and spicy with classic Woodford tannins in play as well. Another nosing with the palate tingling gives more hints of vanilla. The second sip gives rise to more new oak and plum sweetness. The spice is still there but plays out as a constant tingle on the tongue. The third sip is sweater yet with baking spice on the back. Relatively smooth, there’s never much burn or ethanol. In a lot of ways this represents what Woodford should have been all along for me. The copper pot stills and short finish remind me of Irish whiskys in a way. The spice is well balanced, not what I’d expect fro a rye wiskey but also a very easy sipping pour.

Maybe mire if a dark golden than a light amber in color. The nose is very different. There is very very little ethanol and the predominant aroma is that of buttered wheat toast hot out of the toaster. It’s a very grain forward aroma with bits of herbal tea and vanilla underneath. The palate is soft, smooth and again grain forward with subtle leather and white pepper. The finish is short with green apple and cereal notes. Will definitely not be for everyone. In all honestly the first time I drank it I thought it was flat and almost astringent. After a second and third try it has really grown on me.

To be clear, I’m a Weller fanboy and buy a bottle whenever I can find one. For me it is a sign of fall and upcoming time with family and warm memories surrounded by good food and good company. This particular bottle is around a year old and only 1/5th full at this point. Early on I seem to remember the palate being sweeter but that could have been the company. Light amber in glencarin. Nose is light with new oak, warm caramel, ripe banana an subtle tannins. Incredibly smooth and soft - what I would expect from a low proof wheated bourbon. The palate is bright with vanilla, pear and slight ethanol. The finish is warm and a bit acidic but the warmth arises in the chest (not the tongue) calming, like reclining in a easy chair next to a fireplace. Are there more aromatic, flavorful and complex bourbons - absolutely. Will I always go out of my way if necessary to keep a bottle in hand - absolutely. I get that not everyone will love (or even like it) but soft and warming, this is a comfort bourbon.

From an unassuming Kroger barrel pick in lexington KY. Rich amber color. Quick legs for the proof (115 per the label). The nose is warm caramel-vanilla with toasted oak and slight trashed hazelnut. Undoubtedly some ethanol but not overpowering. Spice and maple sweetness hit the tongue and tingle. Definitely warms the chest. Nosing it a second time brings out candies fruit. The second sip is equally spicy and sweet. Being a rye the spice is no surprise but definitely shows up on the palate more than the nose. The lingering finish reminds me of caramel covered apples and puts a smile on my face. For an impulse buy I would say this one was excellent for the price. Not overly complex but very satisfying for my taste. A second bottle may be in my future.

Medium golden in a glencarin. Legs are medium but plentiful. Nose is bright with sweet malt and orange peel. Unbelievably smooth with bits of new oak, ginger and malt sweetness that lend to a lasting, light simple syrup-like finish with subtle warmth. A year later this reminds me of peaches in syrup but with bourbon (corn-forward sweet vanilla notes) in the background. Peaches ‘n cream. With just enough supporting ginger (maybe the French oak coming through) and allspice this is on the sweet side but balanced overall. Body is thin but to be expected at 80 proof. Finish is very desert like. Man I want peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream right now.

Rich golden color, medium legs in a glancarin glass on the porch during an unseasonably warm autumn. Aroma of vanilla, toffee and candied fruits. Oak and malt up front with slight milk chocolate, nutmeg and faint floral tones on the medium finish. Smooth but with a mild chest warming sensation on the end. An enjoyable and easy drinker that is not overly complex and unlikely to drive anyone away. Essentially what I would expect of a sherry cask finish. OK, upgrading to a four. It’s just so dang smooth!! I’m also wondering if there’s not just a puff of smoke and sea spray in the back. This is probably just the alcohol and the imagination talking. —— Revisiting this 1 year later. Milk chocolate, buttery toast, raisins, plenty of sherry and a hint of oak on the nose. Very smooth on entry with muted apricot, grape jam, hint of baking spice and a sweet, soft medium finish.

Medium amber color. Nose is warm and rich with vanilla, ethanol and slight orange and clove. Taste is caramel, heat and toasted oak with transition to subtle tobacco, almond and cherry finish that lasts and dances in the tongue. Proof isn’t apparent on the tongue and rather than a bite there is a nice b warmth from start to finish. Pricy but worth keeping on hand - a rival to Bookers for $15 less and also widely available (high is a plus for me)