Tastes

Gem of a rye! Super complex and drinks way lower than its ABV.

I just did a blind side by side comparison of this batch with batch 12 and 13. I live in the state of Maine and for some reason we never received batch 14 but were first on the list for 15 so that’s all I can offer. I will say that visually all were stunning, nice and dark! Batch 12 - 132.3 proof Batch 13 - 128.4 proof Batch 15 - 131.1 proof I first sipped all neat out of a glencairn and then added a few drops of water. While the water did open them up a bit, ultimately it didn’t change my opinions on any of the pours. Nose: Batches 12 and 15 were very similar. The noses were creamy with a hint of cherry although batch 12 was a little more alcohol forward. As much as I hate to say it, they reminded me of cream soda. Batch 13 was drastically different and I got some caramel with more of a musty oak reminiscent to a wild turkey product but still amazing in its own way. Palate: Again, 12 and 15 were similar but this time 15 seemed much more well balanced despite it being more dry/tannic. The nose of batch 13 carried into the palate but was downright delicious! Finish: I can’t honestly say anything out performed another at this point, they were all of equal length and just an extension of the nose and palates. Overall I will say anyone who is a fan of Batch 12 will thoroughly enjoy this new batch, it is the same profile but worlds better in my opinion. That being said, I can see my preference between batch 13 and 15 going back and forth depending on how I feel on that particular day but both have the upper hand on 12. If I had to rank them today I would go: 1: Batch 15 2: Batch 13 3: Batch 12

Comparing a single barrel pick from “Bowstreet Beverage” at 50.8 ABV to the traditional 10 year batch A/354 at 50 ABV. Tasted both neat back and forth with two separate glencairns. The traditional blend was better on all accounts, the nose was much more pronounced and more inviting despite very similar notes. The palate had a lot more to offer on the blend as well and the finish was much longer. Does make me question this particular store’s picks. Overall it was very good and I give it a 4 but the blend was worlds better at a 4.5.

The nose is heavy on cherries and is very inviting. The palate is slightly spicy with a fair amount of sweetness and again the cherries follow through. The finish does not disappoint either. Though it has a high ABV, it does not drink like one. Overall an absolute great pour and I wish I had picked up another bottle. I would love to see how this one would do blind with some of the “heavy hitters” of the bourbon world.

This is an absolutely stellar bourbon, I can see why Dave named it as he did. The chocolate malt brings out so much coffee it’s unbelievable! I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Glenn’s creek on my last two visits to Kentucky and feel extremely fortunate to have stumbled across this gem! David is doing some unbelievable things in my opinion and it is truly a craft bourbon, I can not recommend them more! This particular bottle I’m sampling is from batch 5 and weighs in at a big 118 proof though you’d never know it while sipping. The rye spice is evident on the nose along with some dark chocolate and the obvious coffee. The palate just blows me away, sips incredibly easy and again, loads of espresso. The finish is long and drawn out, really an incredible pour! I can see where this may not be for everyone but I challenge you to find a better late night after dinner pour!!

Let me start off by saying I am a huge Heavenhill fan and I was super excited to be able to add this bottle to my collection. Unfortunately this one just does not live up to my expectations at all. This is my fourth or fifth pour out of the bottle and every time I don’t review it thinking I must have missed something and I will give it another shot. It is just overwhelmingly flat to me in all aspects, nothing stands out to me at all other than maybe a touch of peanut on the very back end of the finish. There isn’t anything bad about it per say but it doesn’t hold a candle to any Old Fitz or even the Elijah Craig Barrel Proofs to be honest. I don’t regret my purchase but I wouldn’t pay top dollar at a bar to have a pour either!

Was lucky enough to do a side by side comparison of the 2019 and 2020 releases, both tasted neat in a glencairn. The nose of the 2019 was fairly flat especially in comparison to the 2020. The darker fruits were there but I really had to search for them, I kept coming back to the glass thinking I was missing something but to be honest I think it was just lacking. I did however at one point get a creme brûlée note. The 2020 however was a very fruit forward nose, the wine finish really showed itself and it was very inviting, no contest between the two. The palates were surprisingly different for me compared to what I was expecting, I thought they would be more similar than they were. Despite the obvious heat due to the ABV, the 2019 was quite a bit spicier than the 2020. The 2020 just seemed more complex. It started out dry and tannic but then the citrus fruit notes started taking over and balanced it out very nicely. When it came the finish, I got the slightest touch of smoke on the 2019 but for the most part it was a continuation of the palate. I didn’t get any noticeable different notes on the finish of the 2020. Both were mostly just a fairly long extension of the palates. Overall I think the the 2019 is a great pour by itself but my rating may have been brought down a bit because of the side by side with the 2020. Everyone has their own tastes and opinions but to me, the 2020 was the better pour here! I would give the 2019 a rating of 4 and the 2020 a 4.5.