Tastes

Color: Deep Copper-Amber Nose: Sweet! Very little ethanol; Oak; Slightly fruity. Palate: (First pour neat) Syrupy(!). Well-balanced sweetness and spiciness with a slight warming chest hug right off the bat. The hug vanishes rather quickly. More spicy oak emerges upon further sips. The sweetness becomes more smokey, as well. This makes me happy, as I love "smokey" profiles. Lots going on. As always, I hesitate to over-use descriptors like, "caramel" and "vanilla". But I'm going to have to say I'm getting those things — but in a more "burnt" form. That's a good thing. (Second pour with a large ice ball) Interesting! I got "butterscotch" on the nose, just as I was going in for the first sip with ice. Wow! Burnt caramel on the second sip.. some leather, as well. This is smooth stuff, I might add. Finish: The finish is what I'd consider, medium with some unexpected "floral" notes. Spice, of course (I don't think I have ever had any Bourbon that didn't have a spicy finish). I've only had E.H. Taylor Small Batch prior to... and I have wanted to try their others. They've proven elusive over the years, but I got lucky today and was able to score the last available bottle of this SiB at one of my go-to shops. The wait was worth it. This is quintessential Bourbon to me, with a sweetspot proof of 100.

Color: Deep amber. Nose: When I first opened the bottle, I got punched in the face with molasses. But it's odd how that seemed to dissipate with time. This nose is reminiscent of some Booker's batches that I have had. Leather is also present on the nostrils. Palate: Again... very Booker's-esque. Oaky, spicy, slightly sweet. Does not drink per its proof — pretty smooth for 120. As I continue to sip, I'm getting some "graham cracker". But "Spice" is the predominant profile on this one. Spicy, woody, smokey with a nice dose of sweetness to balance things out. Finish: Long with much of the palate carrying over. I seldom give ratings over 4.25. But this for me, personally, is quintessential Bourbon. It checks all the boxes. So I am giving this one a well- deserved 4.5! Excellent pour. Will definitely buy again.

When I first tried this at a bar nearly two years ago (March 26, 2022), I didn't think I liked it much. Since then, I have found that I really need to hunker down with at least two glasses, void of any distractions, in order to really focus on what I am getting. Now that I've finally had that opportunity, I say this is a solid pour. Color: Medium Copper-Amber Nose: Familiar bourbon nose of oak and what I am going to say is "grain". There are four grains going on in this stuff, after all. Leather, as well. Palate: (Drank with a large ice ball) Tart cherry, mint, oak tannins, an even balance of sweet and spicy. Getting a nice dose of "grain" from the final, slightly diluted, sips of the first pour. Second pour... there's the caramel! Nice. Finish: I guess you'd call it a "medium" finish. Spiciness seems to be the predominant element in the finish of most bourbon I have had. This is no exception. Originally, I gave this 3 stars. I'm bumping it up to 3.25 stars.

I've been seeking good lower proof bottles lately. This one grabbed my attention, and so I took a gamble... Color: Medium Copper Nose: Sweet. I heard a review on YouTube that mentioned, "Juicy Fruit gum" — and I totally get where they were coming from. Leather. Oak. Totally recognize this as a "Buffalo Trace" nose. Reminds me of, dare I say, Eagle Rare?!. Now let's see how this stuff tastes... Palate: (First sip neat) Slightly syrupy on the tongue, which surprised me. Was not expecting that at this proof. "Spicy" kicks things off. Gentle chest hug. Somewhat nutty on the second sip. Let's add a large ice ball and see what that does, if anything... Still spicy. I'd say "spicy" is the predominant profile — on this maiden voyage, at least. More sweetness comes out as the ice melts. Again, I am tasting "Eagle Rare" here! Wow. I have some of that left. I think a blind between these two is warranted! Finish: Somewhat short, but nice with caramel. I love when I "discover" a relatively cheap bottle that delivers the goods. I can see this earning a spot on the Bottom Shelf. 3 solid stars. Added 2/19/24: As I mentioned above, I was curious to see how this Benchmark SiB would stand up against its longer-aged Buffalo Trace cousin, Eagle Rare, in a blind. I conducted it last night, and the results were not too surprising. Suffice to say, one can tell the difference pretty easily between a 10 year bottle and what is probably, at most, a 4 year bottle (probably less). Eagle Rare was the clear winner. But that is not necessarily a slam against Benchmark SiB. I still detect a lot of "Buffalo Trace" in it. It's just not as "developed" and "nuanced" as its older cousin. My thoughts on it remain unchanged: It's a good low-price option.

I'm the furthest thing from a fan of Country music... but I do like Chris Stapleton. So when I first read about this whiskey, I figured I would allow myself to buy into the whole association with him once I found it. Color: Medium Copper Nose: Fairly tame with vanilla. After swirling it around in the glass a little (Not sure why I did that — I never do), I get something like an apple Jolly Rancher candy(!), as well as some alcohol. Palate: Very light with some spice and very little burn. It's "pleasant". Slightly sweet but mostly spicy. I've read other reviews that say it's "unremarkable" or something to that affect. I agree. This is good, but not fantastic. It's better than some bourbons that I have had, so there's that. I'll put it this way — I had Bulleit with dinner a little while ago, and I prefer this. Finish: Short and really not a lot happening. One of those, "I'm glad I bought and tried it, but I most likely won't buy again" bottles.

Color: Medium Copper-Amber Nose: Familiar Booker's High-Proof nose with oak and cinnamon red hots. Palate: First tiny sip (neat) greeted me with a sinus-clearing burn. Ha! Definitely going to tame this beast with a large ice ball. Chest hug ensues. First sip with ice added... sweetness, spiciness (but, of course). Fairly balanced between the two... and here comes the walnuts! Always welcome. I really enjoy "nutty" bourbons. I'm getting a lot more, folks, but I just can't articulate what it is. I'm going to put it away and switch to a lower proof bottle. I'll circle back to it tomorrow. Profiles tend to develop and transform over time for my palate — and this one will require time for me to get a handle on it. Suffice to say, this is a "Good" higher-proof pour. Finish: Long with tongue-tingling spice and more oak. Interesting... I looked back at my review of "Charlie's Batch", and that one really came through loud and clear for me. It knocked my socks off right out of the gate. Perhaps, I might not like this one as much? We'll see....

Color: Light-Medium Copper Nose: Leather, oak, slight alcohol, definitely some rye spice, and maybe even tobacco... Palate: Initially sweet with spice following close behind. Not rich but not light, either. Slight burn going down on the first sip, but nothing crazy. Oak introduces itself on the second sip. I'm tasting a lot of things I have tasted in other Kentucky Bourbon. Caramel? Vanilla? I don't know. Those two are thrown around rather liberally when describing Bourbon. But maybe there's a reason for this. Finish: A little short with lingering spice and, perhaps, what I am going to identify as barrel char. Overall a very good bottle. Before finally getting around to trying this Small Batch, I've had a 1792 Single Barrel store pick, and their Aged 12 Years. I quite enjoyed both of those, and this is no exception. There's nothing really complex about this one but I didn't expect that, considering the price point and relatively low proof. But it is definitely a very good pour.

Warehouse No. M E Barrel No. 39-3 V Color: Medium Amber Nose: Brown sugar, butterscotch, caramel. Palate: (Drank with a large ice ball) Initially spicy and loads of oak. A little sweet, but more spicy than anything else. Slight hint of cherry(?). Gentle chest hug after a few sips. Vanilla and some smoky tobacco start to come through as the ice begins to melt. Finish: Medium finish with more spicy oak, and a butter-flavored pretzel kind'a thing going on. Interesting. Along with Maker's Mark, Old Tub, Michter's and a couple others, Four Roses SB was one of the first bourbons I'd had. So, I didn't have a lot to bounce it off of at the time... I didn't really know yet what I liked and what I didn't like. Following some subsequent pours, I did not think I liked it. I actually slammed it pretty hard here. But I knew I had to give it another try, and I'm glad I did. Very good bourbon. Could end up in my regular rotation. As such, I've removed my original negative review and score, and have replaced it with this updated submission.

Had a great time at Vom Fass this past Wednesday... tasting whiskeys on my birthday. Sampled a few, including this high wheat bourbon — which earned a purchase out of those I tried. This is a very light bourbon, as you might be able to gather from the light golden color. Everything about it screams, "youthful". It reminds me of another young bourbon I had some time ago — Rod and Hammers. I believe this is perhaps a 2-year expression. Light mouth feel and flavor. Slightly sweet. I remember it being a little more "robust" at the tasting, but upon having a full glass, the youthfulness becomes more apparent. Still somewhat enjoyable, and the experience at Vom Fass makes it more so. Added 2/4/24: Knocking my original 2.5 rating down to 2.25. Having some tonight, and I gotta keep it real. Bourbon has got to be aged at least 4 years in my experience. Otherwise, it tastes a bit funky.

Batch #18, Bottle #2631, 2/23 bottled. I had Fox and Oden a few weeks back at a restaurant. I liked it very much, and the manager offered to buy me a bottle and sell it to me at cost (my first purchase from the bar!). Today, I picked up my bottle after having dinner there... Color: Medium copper-amber. Nose: Raisins, prunes, cherries — very fruity nose! Palate: (Drank with an ice cube) Initial sweetness on the tongue, featuring a return of the cherries from the nose. Slight tongue tingle and mild chest hug going down. Subsequent sips reveal some spicy oak. Finish: Pretty lengthy finish with lingering cherry (like cough syrup), and a nice dose of oak tannins. Very good bourbon. For some reason, I was under the impression that this was a Kentucky bourbon. But not so! Distilled in Indiana and bottled in Michigan.