Tastes

(I originally posted this review on the Piggyback Rye page. Duh! So, here's my review for the correct bottle!) I'm having this tonight at my in-laws'. They know about my bourbon fascination, and always buy a bottle or two when we come visit. I was excited to hear that they bought this for me, as I have been wanting to try it for a while now... Nose: classic bourbon nose of leather, but with butterscotch and a hint of alcohol. Palate: sweet, caramel, more butterscotch carried over from the nose, caramel, creamy with a classic bourbon tingle, slightly spicy. Finish: medium with a slight burn/hug. This is a solid pour. I could easily see myself buying this in the future.

I had some money left on a Wine.com gift card — but not enough for a mid-range priced bottle (shipping and tax wiped out the balance!). So... I searched within a very limited price range, and then came here to read reviews on the handful at my disposal. Ezra Brooks Straight Rye was the winner... As I've become a little more "knowledgeable" about bourbon, rye, etc., I can, at the very least, tell the age of a whiskey. This is a 2-year old rye, and it tastes like it. Very young, and it looks young, too. Light golden color. Not much going on, but by no means awful. It's sweeter than what I would expect from a young rye. Of course, it's spicy as you'd expect. I was out earlier this evening with coworkers, and I had Rabbit Hole Rye — which is one of my favorite ryes that I've had so far. The difference between the two is like night and day. I don't mean to trash this stuff. It's just one of those, "not bad, not great" pours. For the price, I'd say it's "good". You could do worse if you're on a tight budget but need a decent sipper. I will not buy again, but I would drink it again if offered to me.

Nose: peanuts, peanut brittle. Palate: Slightly sweet, slight spice and smoke, peanut brittle returns, leather. Finish: minimal burn, short finish with some spice and a late introduction of tobacco. Not a very complex bourbon. Just misses the "excellent" mark, but is still very good. A decent sipper. It will be interesting to see how subsequent pours pan out. I might buy again, depending.

Had this at The Yard House in DTLA. Good rye! Not a lot of tasting notes to offer, but I can say I would buy a bottle.

This will be my shortest review ever... Not a lot going on with this one. Not bad, not great. Very light. 2.75 because there was nothing horrible about it. But I only give 3 stars and above to bottles I'd consider buying. I won't be buying this one. Added 8/25/23: After reading some reviews, as well as the Expert review here, I feel like I need to give this a second chance. I like "smokey" bourbon, and this sounds like it should (should have) hit that note. My original review above, was from a single pour at a restaurant. Wonder how a full bottle would fare... stay tuned. By the way... Where are the reviewers, who are placing this at a higher price point than 101 and Rare Breed — spending $40 or more — buying their bottles? I can grab this for under $30 where I am.

I originally tasted and reviewed Old Tub here on Distiller back on December 20, 2020. At the time, I was a newbie to the world of bourbon, and enthusiastically gave it a 4.25 rating. Since then, I've had so many different bottles that I've liked and loved, but hardly ever bestow a 4-star or higher rating upon. So... I bought another bottle, and am revisiting Old Tub to see if it stands up to my initial enthusiasm. I am pleased to report that it does, indeed, live up to the hype from the novice bourbon drinker I once was... On the nose, cinnamon, Red Hots candies, leather, and alcohol. The palate is sweet and spicy with the cinnamon carrying over from the nose. It's a little thin on the tongue, but that's not an issue for me. The finish is medium with a slight warm hug in the chest. The only change to my original rating is 0.25 stars... down to 4.0. I purchased Old Tub back in 2020 for around $24.00. I got this bottle for even less. Excellent bourbon for the price. Highly recommend.

Flaviar dram #3: There's not much complexity here. But so what! It has the most pleasing nose of the three in the "Bourbon Trinity" tasting box. I'm getting some nice nuttiness and vanilla on the palate which always makes me happy when tasting a new bourbon. But like the first two, I most likely won't be buying this one as a result of the tasting. But I'm glad I was able to taste it without having to pony up for a whole bottle.

Flaviar Tasting #2... Better than the Redemption Wheated. Still a little thin... not much complexity. Definitely high rye, as I have read it is. Lots of spice, but it's enjoyable. Would definitely be a great mixer, if nothing else. But I doubt I will be purchasing it.

Not bad, not great. Not as sweet as I would have expected from a wheated. Lots of spice and heat on the back end. This was a Flaviar dram. I am glad I didn't commit to an entire bottle, because I will not be buying this as a result of this tasting.

Nose: Vanilla, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Butterscotch candy. Palate: Spicy, cherry, slightly sweet (less than one would expect from Maker's), oak. The spice really lingers on the back of the tongue. Finish is medium with lingering spice. This is a nice pour, and it earns a solid 4-stars. Might have elbowed out the 46 as my favorite Maker's expression. Added 9/22/23: I'm finishing my bottle tonight, and I wanted to mention that I got a serious dose of butterscotch in these final pours. This was an excellent expression from the folks at Maker's Mark. Upping my score from 4.0 to 4.25.