Tastes

Clove spice and vanilla. Not extraordinarily complex. Ok, but nothing special.

Very shallow young profile. Banana chips mostly. Might improve after a few more years, but definitely a young whiskey.

This is for Voyage 23. Kind of a shallow taste profile. Has some spice that overpowers some sweetness, but hard to identify any of the specifics. Taste is the same from start to finish. Not impressed, especially at $80 a bottle.

Very spicy and hot on the first sip, but mellowed quickly as my ice rock melted. Nice rich vanilla and black cherry with cinnamon and allspice underneath. Long finish. Enjoyable.

Definitely taste some cherry and vanilla. I like it, but don’t love it. My wife, who likes spicier and higher proof whiskeys, really liked it.

Rating Barrel #15617-6... chosen by OHLQ for exclusive Ohio distribution. Definitely part of the Wilderness Trail family. Familiar sweet nose with a balanced palette, slightly spicy, but full of fruit and vanilla. A bit easier to drink than some higher-proof/barrel strength offerings. Opens up as ice block melts. Enjoying it, but not sure it is much better than the standard small batch which is quite a bit cheaper and one of my favorites.

A good rye for non-rye lovers. Might seem closer to a high rye bourbon. Not overly spicy, and the sherry finish really sweetens and smooths our the finish. A good change of pace or “sipping rye.”

Can see why others are comparing it to Knob Creek SB, but I think it tastes like a more potent version of Jim Beam. Missing some of the spice and finish of KCSB, and the mouthfeel isn’t as nice either. Good, but not great. Worth it at $25 (KY), but would suggest regular Knob Creek instead since it’s better and sells for $5 less in many places.

This is the standard Stave & Barrel from Glenns Creek, but it has been “extra aged.” They pump the regular out of the barrels to bottle instead of dumping the entire barrel. The pump won’t work on the last 20%, so they combine the “dregs” of the barrels into one barrel and let it age for a while longer. Result is a richer, more balanced version of Stave & Barrel. Color is darker too. Taste is full of caramel and vanilla with strong cinnamon and clove underneath. For me, a little water really opens up a full flavor. I love this bourbon. Glenns Creek is small, but powerful.

Full disclosure... I prefer Speyside Scotch because Islay offerings seem to be too peat forward for my taste. I did not note that this was a peated Glenfiddich experiment until after I bought it. The label asks if the drinker will note the campfire smoke or the toffee sweetness? For me it was all peated smoke long into the finish. I am a big fan of other Glenfiddich Scotches, especially the 14 year bourbon finished. This one is a miss for me. If you like the peat, then you may like it better.