Tastes

Probably very young MGP. Medicinal and bland if that’s your thing.

Like a lot of craft distilleries, the higher proof masks several imperfections. It’s a lot of bite and a little bit of citrus, baking spices and youth. I bet this would be a pretty nice bourbon if they let it sit a few more years.

Single barrel store picks of this can be pretty good and well above average but standard BT is outshined by Elijah Craig, Woodford Reserve and Four Roses small batch.

Recently compared a 2022 bottle of 1910 to 2019 and this has lost some of its luster for me. Woodford Double Oaked has a similar flavor profile but is a few rungs better.

Nose: One of the better bourbon noses I’ve tried in awhile. Cherries, dusty coffee beans, barnyard hay, dried corn, maple syrup. There’s a lot going on here. Taste: very dense and rich, but surprisingly not as hot as it noses or as the 125 proof suggests. The nose is so complex the taste is pretty underwhelming. Water opens it up a bit but it’s not a great palate to be honest. Finish: weirdly enough, while it lingers on the way down it’s not a super hot or long finish for a full proof bourbon. This is a weird one. Will have to come back to it.

Nose: typical Heaven Hill dusty candied corn nose Taste: lots of cinnamon and peppercorn Finish: medium At $130 in the Louisville Evan Williams Experience tour gift shop, this isn’t any better than most Knob Creek store picks or their 12-year, and those are quite a bit cheaper and easier to find. I wouldn’t seek this out unless you’re a diehard HH/Evan Williams fan. To me, the EW Single Barrel is a tremendously better value.

There is no better all-around bourbon that can be enjoyed neat, rocks, or cocktail, and go head-to-head with just about any bourbon out there than Wild Turkey 101. I keep coming back to this one over the years because it’s so consistent. While everyone is scouring shelves and secondary markets and arguing online, I’ll be over here sipping a classic. Nose: candy corn and vanilla frosting, just the right amount of barrel oak Taste: citrus and baking spices Finish: Medium, just enough proof to show off what this mash from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky can do. Cheers.

This is my 250th review. I was always a fan of the low-priced black label and small batch bottles from Evan Williams. Great classic bourbon sipper. This new small batch is even better and it’s quickly becoming my favorite Evan Williams. Nose: candy corn, vanilla, rye mint Taste: vanilla baking spices and brown sugar Finish: short, with more corn Simple and smooth. Just easy to enjoy.

Maybe because I come from a bourbon world where anything with a little age on it shoots up in price and you can’t find it anywhere but this little 1/2 of a fifth Dewar’s 21-year-old is a steal at $50. And while many just see Dewar’s as the bottom-shelf scotch, I was pleasantly surprised at this dram. Nose: dessert scents like cinnamon, toffee and cherries, also hints of citrus and wood Taste: more dessert (bourbon lovers would appreciate this) including caramel, nutmeg, vanilla, dusty corn and musty barley at the end Finish: medium but one-dimensional Approachable way to explore an older scotch. Interested to try their 27-year of this same line.