Tastes

Barreled 1/6/2015 Barrel #350 Bottled 2/15/2024 First off, I want to say how very stoked I was to learn, a few weeks back, that EW SiB was returning to store shelves and no longer restricted to distillery-only availability. A couple years ago, I was able to grab some final stock of the 2013 bottling. I loved it, and lamented its farewell to my liquor cabinet. Color: Medium Copper-Amber Nose: Molasses, vanilla, oak, slight nostril burn/tingle. Palate: (First pour drank neat) Medium mouthfeel — slightly "syrupy" and very smooth; mild chest hug ensues; has a nice balance of spicy and sweet; slightly understated flavor profile, but plenty enough going on to make it a very enjoyable relatively low proof sipper. Getting some nice oak char on the back end after swooshing it around... (Second pour drank with an ice cube) Similar initial experience as the neat pour. But I like to see what happens as the ice melts. The ice may have brought out some more sweetness — tempered the spiciness a bit... and it also brought out some licorice (anise?) at the back of the tongue. Very nice! Finish: Medium with a slight hint of citrus being revealed at the back of the tongue... and, as I just stated, add licorice to the finish with ice. Final thoughts: As I was saying, the recent availability of this EW offering really made my year — and it was only April! I've had some higher-proof pours this past weekend, and you can really tell the difference in complexity between an 86 proof vs. a 130 proof (!). But so what? This is an absolute fave of mine. Top-notch Kentucky Bourbon... and at under $30, it's that much better.

Nose: Butterscotch. Palate: (Drank with an ice cube) Rye spice; "Old library book" that I get from pretty much every rye I've had (and I love it). Sweet. Butterscotch returns as the ice dissolves. Nice! Finish: Somewhat short, with lingering rye spice. I like Rye. Most of the ones that I have had are very similar to each other. It's not like Bourbon where I get a multitude of different profiles from bottle to bottle. I try to have at least one Rye around at any given time. So, as far as Rye goes, I would definitely buy this.

Color: Medium Copper/Amber Nose: Classic oak nose with a slight "burn-tickle" to the nostrils. Gotta say, the nose is stronger than what I'd think a 90 proof would demonstrate. Further nosing begins to reveal the "nutty" that I would expect from Beam... Palate: (drank the initial pour neat in a snifter glass) My first sip — syrupy and sweet! Subsequent sips are spicier and oaky. Just like the nose, I'm getting more of a hug than I would anticipate from such a relatively low proof. But it is fleeting. Getting towards the bottom of my snifter, spice and what I will call, "burnt oak" seems to overpower everything else. Finish: Kinda short with a lingering chest hug. Pour #2, I will be drinking with an ice cube in a rock glass... "Nutty" is more present right off the bat with ice. Smooths things out a bit... but, other than that, there's not much additional information to relay. Final thoughts: This is a "robust" bourbon for 90 proof. Is that bad? Good? I tend to think it's the latter. It's not complex, but I think it's got some things going on that make it interesting enough. For the price, it's pretty much a no-brainer. However , I really need to put it up against a few other 7-ish year bottles to really get a feel for how I stand on it. But, for now... following its maiden voyage, I give it a solid 3.0 stars.

Color: Nice deep cherry-amber Nose: High proof nose... what I mean by that is I get a very strong sense of the presence of alcohol. That is not to say that it's overwhelming or off-putting. It's simply a potent nose of oak, sweet leather, and what I always get as "molasses" but could very well be more "maple". At any rate, it's one of those noses that bodes well for the palate, and you hope it follows through..... Palate (drank with an ice cube): The palate, indeed, lives up to rhe promise of the nose! Viscous mouth feel. Big spice on the first sip. Cinnamon graham cracker follows. I am in total agreement with others who have said this does not drink per its proof. Smooth! Oh, wow! Got a huge "walnut" blast on the second sip. Love when I get any nuttiness from a pour — but walnut is my favorite and ensures a good 0.5 - 0.75 stars boost when it comes time to rate it. Sweet and spicy as the ice cube melts a little. Oh, yeah... "Walnut" is the predominant flavor I get from this bad boy. Mild chest hug begins to settle in as you make your way to the bottom of the glass. Finish: More nuttiness and some burnt oak. Something akin to "drying"(?), but not really. Final Thoughts: Oh, this is good stuff. These batches become harder to find once the initial run hits your stores. But I would go out of my way to find this again. Solid 4.5 stars.

I've already reviewed this one... But I'm here today just to proclaim how stoked I am to have heard that, after a long period of only being available at the Distillery, EW SiB Vintage is soon to be widely available sgain!

I was traveling recently... and when I am out of state, I like to see what the shops outside of California have on their shelves. I'd always been intrigued by Blue Note Juke Joint, but it's nowhere to be found here. So when I saw it on the shelf in a Connecticut Spirit Shop, I grabbed that thing! Color: Medium golden amber Nose: Familiar Bourbon nose of oak, slight nasal passage alcohol burn (but nothing crazy). Hard to pin-point but, as I said, it's a familiar nose, not unlike many bottles I've had in the past. Palate: (Drank with an ice cube) Initially spicy-sweet. Again, this is a very familiar profile to me. The palate follows the nose to a "T". Going down, there's a bit more of a hug than I'd expect from a 93 proofer. But it fades quickly with subsequent sips. As the ice melts a bit, some bitter (tart?) cherry comes through. There's a nondescript sweetness gmto this juice. I got a huge corn hit as I reached the bottom of the second pour — like a "Fritos corn chips" corn. Interesting... Finish: I guess you'd consider it short. The spiciness is probably the most predominant characteristic. Oaky, spicy, corn. Slightly drying. My review may not sound all that glowing. But it's not for lack of enjoyment. It's a decent pour for the price point. One of those, "I'd definitely drink it again, but probably would not buy again" bottles. It's simply too basic to vie for a spot on my shelf when there are so many other "good" bottles out there that are easier for me to find, and perhaps even cheaper. "Good" at best; "Unremarkable" at worst. Added 5/17/24: Having some of this tonight, following a pour of E.H. Taylor Single Barrel... the differences are like night and day. This Blue Note can't really hold a candle to the E.H. Taylor. Two completely different animals. I'm noticing a specific funky "medicinal" flavor that I also got from the Heavens Door Ascension bourbon... and I panned that one here at Distiller! You don't really learn what it is you like and what it is you can live without until you try them side by side... and I'm getting to the point where I'm tired of trying different bottles only to realize that there's really no need for me to stray from the ones that I know are excellent.

My friend's brother recently hosted a night of bourbon tastings, while I was in town visiting my family on the east coast. We tried a bunch of bottles — all of which I either loved or liked. He had this Barrell Armida on-hand and, although it was not part of the tasting, he wanted to get our thoughts on it. Well... We all agreed that it was not very good. It's got a weird off-putting taste that none of us could explain or get past. He was hoping I would like it so he could pawn it off to me. LOL! I have always avoided Barrell. It's typically priced too high, and always seemsd to be too focused on "experimentation. As such, I just could never trust my money with it. Perhaps there are better expressions by Barrell, but I'm not taking my chances. Not after this.

Barrel # JB000763932 Color: Medium Copper-Amber (First pour in a Glencarin, neat) Nose: Spicy, slight alcohol whiff that tickles my nasal passages. Definitely getting some Barrel char and oak, followed by doughiness — like Play-Doh (Weird, I know). Since this is Beam, I'm supposed to be getting "nutty". Not sure about that — at least not on this initial neat pour. Maybe on the next one....? Palate: The palate follows the nose's lead, almost to a "T". "Spicy" is the first thing to make it's presence known, followed by some heat — but nothing overwhelming. Chest hug comes in at you sloooowly. Moderately creamy mouthfeel that coats the tongue nicely. As I was saying, since this is a Beam, I was expecting the roasted nut profile. I'm not sure if that's what I'm getting. But it's a "roasted something". Smoky, roasted something! I grew up in the North East, not far from New York City, and spent quite a bit of time there, visiting museums, Rockefeller Center, etc. In the Winter time, the street vendors' carts emitted all kinds of smells — one being roasted chestnuts. That aroma is fairly etched in my brain, and I am pretty sure that's what I'm getting — what I am recalling mentally... if a smell can be "tasted". I think that's one of the most abstract things I've ever said here since joining Distiller. LOL! Finish: Ever-so-slightly bitter finish with lots of oak and spice, and more of that roasted something. Funny, I've not once mentioned "sweet". It hasn't been a prominent feature. But I can say there's some "sweetness" on the finish. Just a bit around the sides of the tongue. Final thoughts: This is good. Not exactly, "Oh my God"-good... but good. Solid sipper that doesn't really drink per its proof. This Beam SiB was fairly hard to track down. No stores around here ever have it in-stock, which seems odd to me. I'd think a Beam bottle would be more widely available. But I had to buy this online from a liquor app — which I never have done until now (shipping is ridiculous, and makes affordable bottles unaffordable). But I had a free shipping promo, and so it was now or never. So, what am I getting at?: Would I buy this again? Maybe. If I could find it in a store for around the same price or less, sure. But I won't go out of my way again for it. Just as I was finishing up this review, I took a sip and BAM! There's the Beam "nuttiness" at the back of my tongue. Added 7/13/24: Getting some "oatmeal raisin" on the palate tonight... as the large ice ball melts. As a result, I am upping my rating from 3.0 to 3.5.

Color: Nice deep Copper-Amber Nose: Great nose! Maple, leather and, if you can believe it, sweet tarts candies(!). A bit "musty" (in a good way); apple, and finally... although it's over-used, caramel. Added 5/10/24: Big whiff of banana on the nose, that I didn't get on the maiden voyage. Palate: (First pour drank neat) Syrupy mouthfeel, which took me slightly by surprise, with some nice cherry — and not the "cough syrup" kind that I've gotten from other bottles (not that I disliked that). Nice balance of spicy and sweet. Mild chest hug that lingers a while. Pretty darn smooth. (Second pour drank with a large ice ball) I've heard that Old Forester/Brown Forman is known for a "banana" profile. I'm not sure I've ever gotten that from the other OFs I've had (1897, 1910, 1920, 86 Proof), but I just got it on the first sip with ice. Getting some other things that I just can't pinpoint. Finish: Hmmm! Something akin to "campfire smoke" develops at the back of the throat on the finish. Nice! I love smokiness of any sort, at any point in the tasting Final Thoughts: There has been a lot of hype surrounding this OF release. As such, it's been one of those bottles that has proven elusive at SRP, with the scalpers snatching them up and charging double if not triple. I finally had the opportunity to grab a bottle today at SRP. Now, the SRP on this bottle is more than I typically like to spend. But I knew that I wouldn't find it for cheaper anywhere else, and that if I wanted it, I would have to pony up. I can't tell you that it's worth what I paid for it monetarily speaking. Only you can determine that. However, I CAN say that it was worth it to get to try it. Would I buy it again? Maybe... maybe not. Don't get me wrong. This is very good. But there are just a lot of very good bourbons out there for $30-$50 less.

Color: Deep cherry amber. Nose: Hot! I don't typically give the nose a, "hot" classification, but this one deserves it. At 131 proof, it's no surprise... Plus, what I'm going to designate as "charred oak". Palate: First pour (drank with large ice ball)... Viscous mouthfeel; spicy(!). Comes in hot, but in a somewhat controlled manner, if that at all makes any sense. The chest hug is there, but not overpoweringly so. Burnt cherries and more oak. As the large ice ball begins to dilute it a bit, the sweeter notes start to come through. Second pour (also drank with large ice ball)... Definitely cherries plus vanilla — which I did not get on the first pour. Think "cherry vanilla ice cream". Nice! Finish: Long spicy finish with lots of the palate carrying over. Something like Werther's butterscotch candies make a surprise appearance in this juice's most diluted state... and, as with most Bourbon I've had, I get some "holiday baking spices" on the absolute tail-end of the glass. I've not been able to locate any Stagg bottles of any sort over the past few years. I assumed Stagg would prove one of those bottles I would never see. So when I quite unexpectedly found this bottle — which turned out to be Batch 15 from late 2020 — at SRP(!)? Well, I felt pretty lucky, indeed. This is superlative Bourbon. It's always tricky for me, giving star ratings... what, exactly, deserves more than 4.5 stars? What is the benchmark? Well... after over three years, and over 150 different bottles/expressions, I know what I like. I know what I look for in a Bourbon. This pretty much is the definition of, "Bourbon" to me. And so... I'm bestowing upon Stagg Jr. Batch 15, one of my highest ratings yet. I'm going to try to grab another bottle before it's gone, because I don't know when I will be met with such good fortune again.