Tastes

While the standard iconic Jack Daniels is sweet, a little spicy, full of bananas, and thin, this offering is definitely an enhanced version of that. A small batch upgrade, if you will, like going from Heaven Hill 6-year to Elijah Craig—same recipe, same distillery, better barrels. Nose: candy corn, butterscotch, bananas, oak, leather & tobacco Taste: rich and with a little spice, hints of honey and sweet tea, maybe even caramel Finish: medium at most, with a lingering corn syrup sweetness

Even a peat-novice can appreciate this fantastic whisky. Nose: brisket, tobacco, grilled meat, hints of vanilla and cinnamon Taste: like drinking a honey bbq chicken wing...very rich and oily, delicious Finish: medium finish with a citrus kick but very little bite (some might call that smooth). That hint of rich fruit also shows up on the second-nosing.

One of my favorite scotches. Probably because I’m a bourbon man. Nose: vanilla, corn, oak, cherries, freshly opened paint cans Taste: more sweet decadence, baking spices, some dark fruits, vanilla and a hint of honey Finish: more citrus and spice, finished very much like a oaky and spicy bourbon

Nose: grilling out on a mild and sunny afternoon that followed a morning rain. As a scotch novice that’s the first thing that came to mind and I’ll leave it there. It’s nice! Taste: spicy and rubbery orange peels, more peat smoke but not a super oily mouthfeel Finish: medium and smoke lingers but not in an unflattering way This is a great introduction to a peated single malt (as is Craigganmore 12).

If you’re looking for a candied single malt that starts off with a bourbon-like nose and finishes with a flourish of smoke, look no further. Nose: buttery biscuits, hints of brine, corn, almonds and vanilla Taste: citrus zest, honey and vanilla Finish: medium — a quick hit of spice at the end and a nice introduction to a smoky Speyside with that peat smoke at the end

A fantastic and decadent Highland single malt that is a steal at under $40. Nose: rich honey and bready decadence, hints of vanilla and oak Taste: creamy! Also more honey and zest, well balanced malty-ness, and caramel sugars Finish: quite short, but all in all a great 12-year single malt for the price point.

My favorite readily available wheated bourbon on the shelf today. This is regularly on sale for $30 in my area and whips Weller Special Reserve. Nose: breaded vanilla pudding, cherries and oak, butterscotch and corn Taste: quite rich with more cherries, hint of cinnamon spice and caramel Finish: short to medium finish. It doesn’t linger but if you’re looking for more of a kick at the end try the special release RC6 or the Private Selection bottles. Those have higher proofs and are both fantastic.

Nose: everyone says vanilla wafers and it’s hard to argue. Maybe a little hint of rubber Palate: very simple, chalky mouthfeel but mostly pleasant vanilla, light fruit and oak Finish: short with a little spice and some dryness

I always thought Michter’s Small Batch reminded me a lot of Angels Envy, just with less spice. It has an interesting floral characteristics. Soft corn nose with some flower petals and musk, with vanilla spices and spearmint on the taste; finish is medium. Michter’s Small Batch is a nice bourbon. But it’s not better than so many sub-30-dollar bourbons even like Old Forrester 100, Buffalo Trace, Elijah Craig, etc. If you can find it on sale for $35 or so maybe it’s worth it. Otherwise I usually pass on a full bottle of this, opting to order in bars occasionally just to check in on Michter’s.

This is my 200th review. Coming back to this bottle after about a month and man does it deliver. For me it’s hard to find a bourbon under $30 that beats this. The staples are just as good — Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Elijah Craig, Woodford, and Makers Mark — but for my taste this is just as rich and spicy if you like higher rye as Woodford but not as oaky. Nose: dusty corn, earthy vanilla, leather, baking spices, honey Taste: nutmeg, a little more vanilla and honey and some brown sugar — it’s quite rich and spot on as far as the proof goes, any less (OF86) and you lose some complexity and you get a thinner sip. Any higher and you really need to extra oak to round things out as far as the Brown Forman mashbill goes (like Old Forester 1920 and others). Finish: a little eucalyptus hit at the end, medium finish with a little more vanilla at the end. I tasted this up against a Four Roses single barrel pick and the FR won but not by much.