Tastes

Color: Medium Copper-Amber Nose: I really can't claim to be one of those people who can pick-out a distillery from the nose (although I can identify an Old Forester nose in my sleep). But I would say this nose is very "Beamy". Lots of cinnamon and oak. Not much alcohol to speak of. I always like that — regardless of proof. Damned if I'm not detecting a hint 'o cherry, as well. Palate: (drank with an ice cube) Slightly light mouth feel. The bottle claims there are notes of vanilla and cinnamon. I think I'm getting the vanilla (I swear, I've never had a pour that made me jump out of my seat and exclaim, "Vanilla!")... but I will say, "vanilla" here. As the ice cube melts, I get something akin to, "fruity". This is not very sweet — which is fine. I'd say "spicy" and "toasty" are the main take-aways from this first pour. Secondary Nose (what is happening on the nose as the ice melts and it opens-up a bit): Baked apples! Finish: Short and lightly bitter — but in a way that somehow works well with — rounds out — this juice's overall profile. This stuff is good. For the price, I'd say it's very good. I will probably grab another bottle, as it will be good to have around during the holidays. Solid 3.75 stars, all things considered.

Color: Medium copper-amber Nose: Nice aromatic nose of maple, molasses, and oak. Holiday spices, as well. Palate: (drank with an ice cube) Medium mouth feel — not syrupy, not watery. Cherries and more cherries on the opening sip....spicy-sweet....nice dose of butter (as in butter pound cake) hits you several sips in. The only time I've ever gotten that was from Russell's Reserve (go figure!). Spicy oakiness follows that up. Finish: Medium finish with the oak and spice elements dominating. BUT... there's also a hint of "orange creamsicle" in there, along with some slight bitterness. This might be my favorite WT I've ever had (I've had the Straight, 101, Rare Breed, and Longbranch). I bought this bottle a couple weeks ago, and backed it up yesterday on a hunch. That was a smart move. It's supposedly going to be a limited release. Never really sure WHAT that means half the time, but I didn't want to take any chances. Solid 4.5 stars!

Lately, I've been setting out to revisit those bottles that I first tried 2-3 years ago — before I really knew anything about bourbon, and before I had figured out what I liked — and posting new reviews for them. 1792 Aged 12 Years is one of those that I reviewed (back in August 2022), but didn't (couldn't) really manage to articulate what I was getting. So... Color: Medium Copper-Amber Nose: I get hints of maple and baking spices, along with leather. Not too strong a nose. I guess that makes sense for a <100 proof expression. Palate: Oh-so-slightly syrupy feel on the tongue. Tart cherry; Spicy, slightly tannic oakiness; Sweetness comes through after a few sips, but the spiciness beats it back down — not a bad thing, just an interesting observation. Subsequent sips reveal a hint of "bubblegum" — think "Topps Baseball cards stick bubblegum", once the sugary sweetness vanishes. But I'd say "oak" is the predominant flavor in this juice's profile. Spicy oak. Added 11/15/24: Tonight, I killed this bottle... and from the final pour, I'm getting a subtle "hot cocoa mix powder" on the palate. Finish: Peppery finish with spice and more subtle "bubblegum" sweetness. Originally, I gave this 3.75 stars. I think that was/is a fair score. It's very good, and the price makes it taste even better. I think it's important — and appropriate — to consider cost when rating a bottle. At the price I paid, it's at least a 3.5... maaaaaybe a 4.0. Any higher a price tag, and the rating would drop a good .25 - .5 stars.

This was a totally unexpected purchase today. I'd never even heard of this bourbon until this afternoon. Usually I get eye rolls from my wife when I tell her I'm going to buy another bottle. But when she saw this, she actually said to me, "Oh, you HAVE TO get this!" So, whenever I encounter genuine enthusiasm and encouragement, I can't possibly squander such an opportunity. LOL! So here goes... Color: Amber with a definite "mahogany" tinge from the coffee element. Nose: Light nose with familiar notes of oak and leather I've gotten from most bottles. Palate: Strange initial flavor. I am definitely getting the "coffee" from this. It's impossible to not detect it. Some sweetness. Slightly bitter on the mid-palate, and slightly harsh on the downward journey. Moderate burn for a lowest-of-the low proof allowed for bourbon. It's an... "interesting" pour — which I wholly attribute to the coffee influence. But, in all honesty... it ain't too bad. I wish I knew the age of this stuff. But I can say it doesn't taste youthful, as I was expecting it to. Finish: Fairly long finish. I just keep coming back to the "coffee", because it truly is the focal point of this stuff. I don't see this as ever becoming a repeat purchase, let alone in my regular rotation. But I'm glad I gave this a try, and will indeed finish the "bottle". 2.75 stars, just falling short of 3.0 stars. Added 10/31/24: I attended a Pumpkin Carving party last night with my neighbors. I brought this over to share. It got a similar, "Not bad!" reaction from those who partook. They actually came back to it for a second pour. So, there you go!

I first had Elmer T. Lee at a bar back on March 24th. I was so impressed that I left a quick review as I sat there sipping it. Since then, I've been looking for it, and my patience finally paid off. My trusty grocery store guys came through for me, and I was able to get it at SRP (Other shops nearby are charging nearly 4X SRP! I really hate that). Anyway, here is my new and more "detailed" review... Color: Medium/Light Copper-Amber Nose: Fairly "mild" nose — not surprising considering the relatively low proof. Slightly leathery, oaky. Palate: (Drank with an ice cube) Oaky, slightly sweet with equal parts spicy. This stuff has a very unique flavor profile, while presenting some very familiar flavors I get from the likes of Blanton's. I know that doesn't really make sense, but at the same time, it kind'a does (if you know the history of Elmer T. Lee). The more I sip, the more I get a certain "apple crisp" dessert from one of my favorite local eateries: Apple, vanilla ice cream, and oats. A very subtle, smooth, and easy sipper. Finish: Medium, I guess... with a "warm buttery toasted bread" kind'a quality — graham cracker, as well. My original star rating was 4.5. That rating stands! This is a bottle I would take with me into exile.

I wouldn't have given this a second look at a shop. But I was out bar-hopping with a friend last Friday, and figured I'd give this a try. Nice. Surprisingly good. Spicy on the front end. Slightly sweet. Caramel (I could actually taste it). Butterscotch. I believe this is fairly young — aged less than four years. But it doesn't taste youthful. I'm not going to buy it, but I would definitely drink it again. It ain't half bad... not bad at all.

I had Pure Kentucky for the first time at a bar yesterday. It had a great nose, and from the very first sip, I was impressed. So I ran out today and grabbed what turned out to be the last bottle on the shelf of one of my go-to shops... Color: medium amber. Nose: A sweet nose with leather and molasses. Palate: (drank with an ice cube) Slight burn on the first couple sips, but it fades quickly. Sweet corn and chocolate — as in "hot cocoa mix powder". I don't think I have ever gotten THAT from any of the many, many bottles that have come before. I like it! Holiday spices come to the fore as the ice cube melts. Added 11/16/24: Crisp apples on the palate tonight. Nice! Finish: I never really know what to say about the finish, to be honest. I guess you'd consider it a medium finish with the holiday spices being the predominant thing. I do agree with the reviewer who stated that there's not much complexity going on here for a 12-year expression (I initially thought it was a 10-year). But make no mistake — a 12-year at this price point? It's a no-brainer. This has proven to be perhaps the best surprise bottle of 2024. As I said, I scored the last bottle remaining on the shelf. Apparently, this is not too readily-available. So if you see it, grab it. Of the Willett offerings I have had (Noah's Mill, Rowan's Creek, Pot Still, and now this), I'd put Pure Kentucky at a clear-cut #2, second only to Noah's Mill. Solid 4-stars. I will-ett definitely buy again.

Albertsons-Vons-Pavilions Barrel Pick: Warehouse K Floor 5 128.7 Proof Color: Medium Copper-Amber Nose: Leather, brown sugar. Palate: (Drank with a large ice ball) From the very first sip, I could totally tell this is Old Forester. Not sure how to explain it, but..... I'm getting a lot of oak and tannins from this initial pour. Before the ice began to melt into it, I would say it definitely drinks per the high proof. Chest hug is there, but it dissipates after a few sips. This is not very sweet, nor is it very spicy. Damned if I can figure this one out from get-go. I feel like this one is going to take time to get a handle on. It's got potential, but I was hoping it would impress me — that it would present more defined and nuanced flavors out of the starting gate. Let's see how the second pour fares... First sip of pour #2 presents the same high proof spicy blast as the first. Not much difference from the first. I'd say, "spicy" has made a comeback on this second spin. Other than that, I think this bottle is what it is: Not bad, but not great. No Old Forester offering has really been able to match the 1879 and 1920 for me. All OFs have been "good" at the very least. But this one failed to push the envelope. A respectable 3.5 stars. Finish: Fairly short with lingering tongue tingle and some baking spice. Something akin to "apple" makes an appearance on the tail-end... which is nice.

This will be a very brief review, as I only had just a small sample at a tasting at my grocery store this afternoon... This is some darn good Rye! Very sweet and syrupy. Lots of maple syrup and even some licorice on the palate. I will definitely be buying a bottle of this once my bottle of Pikesville Rye is killed.

Color: Nice medium amber (like most EC batches) Nose: Wow! Cinnamon, maple brown sugar, and Holiday spices. A phenomenal nose. Palate: (Drank with an ice cube) This stuff is not shy! Came on strong and hot on the first sip — hotter than I had anticipated! Spicy, sweet and slightly syrupy on the tongue. I really can't call up memories of past EC batches... but this one serms reminiscent of others I have had. However, wheress some batches have not made an immediate impression on me, this one has. It's potent and robust and rather enjoyable. After that initial heat assault on the first sip, it calmed down (the ice cube might have something to do with that). Finish: Lots of lingering spice and the tongue tingle I have become well-aquiainted with from high-proof pours. This is a great batch from Elijah Craig. If I can grab another after this bottle is killed, I definitely will. I want to mention one last thing... I could have scored this bottle for around $70.00. But I opted to wait for my trusty grocery store — that I walk to — to get it in. As a result, I paid $20 more for it than I really had to. But I can honestly say that this was worth paying the extra $$$ in order to not have to drive somewhere in order to buy it.