Tastes

Nose: spicy, apple pie, vanilla. Palate: somewhat full body, spicy, vanilla, but finish is tannic. Not terribly balanced on the flavors. After being in a glencairn for awhile the finish mellows to almost nothing. Overall- it is not a bad rye, I like the age, nose and initial mouthfeel. It is not one of my favorites and I would not spend $120 retail on this. 3 - 3.5 / 5

Nose: somewhat sweet but strong ethanol, smoke, leather, dried fruit and vanilla. Palate: very full body and syrupy. Oak, sweet, spicy, but very hot! Flavors linger for quite awhile. This stuff is pretty good overall. For me it comes down to value as well, and this bottle runs $80. I would go with Elijah Craig Barrel proof for being a bit better overall and lower priced.

Great nose, some vanilla and oak. You can definitely tell there is some extra age on this. Very smooth vanilla and rye on palate. Does not have a very long finish, which is one of the reasons I really prefer the barrel strength at the price point. This is a 3.5 for me.

114 proof bottle. Wow, this stuff is really good. Nose is vanilla and spicy, which follows through to the palate. For being 114 proof this is smooth and syrupy. Tasted this side-by-side Michter's 10 year rye and I think this is a better value than the 10 year. The barrel strength makes a huge difference.

Tried this at Central Bistro & Bar in Denver. Amazing pour. Well balanced with the heat and oak; probably the perfect age. Tons of flavor as this rolls around the tongue.

I enjoy this one a bit more than the Weller 12 as a standalone. The heat is noticeably higher, but the flavor is also a bit more complex and exciting. Hoping to get my hands on one of the single barrel / store picks at some point soon! Great bourbon for the value.

Smooth, wheated bourbon. The flip side of the smoothness is that it lacks complexity. Honestly, I am not sure why there is so much hype around this stuff. It is good, but not amazing, and especially not worth the secondary prices that are paid. I have actually enjoyed this W12 mixed with OWA the most.

One of the best ryes for the price point ($35). The rye is sweet with some citrus and spice. Great for sipping or in a traditional cocktail.

Good stuff, love the medium/full-body and the complexity of flavors (vanilla, fruit, oak).

This one lacks the complexity / depth that I was looking for at the price point. Overall, I will say it is pretty smooth, but mostly oaky in flavor.