Tastes

The nose is fairly wet with some overripe fruit, some wood (or perhaps cardboard), a bit of cinnamon and ginger, and a tad of savory something (but not much richness). The palate is fairly mild, with a delayed spicy kick that brings in wood and some fruit. The richness gradually comes out, building out some robust mix of wood, a little coffee, strawberry, spices, some more toffee notes with savory from nuts. Some minerals doe come out with some sea spray. The floral notes are a bit much. As it goes on, the alcohol starts taking over and the rich flavors fade, leaving mostly a solid whiskey for the age. It disappointingly quickly goes from weak to rich and tasty, back to weak, and then down into generic and underaged. A bigger swig shows off the potential with plenty of sweetness and some richness hanging out with wood, spices, and smoke. The balance needs some work, but it isn't too bad. I could enjoy sipping this, but it wouldn't be delightful.

This has more of a pear nose than regular stranahan's does, but it still has tomato and American cheese. More minerals come through too, but also so does some more caramel. The tartness gradually speaks up more. There are a lot of minerals and there is a drying finish. There's a decent amount of smoke and the flavor is clean though the alcohol does come through. There's a little vanilla, but not much fruit or floral element. There's plenty of spiciness, which creates a bit of burn. It's kind of mild in terms of richness and it tastes young. There is some stuff going on here, with some charred wood and a bit of smoke coming through. There might be a dash of peat, but it isn't too much. Maybe the tomato and cheese are just oiliness? It's decently rich, but not so much as the regular stranahan's is. Honestly, the regular is a little better. I'd still sip this though. It's solid, but kind of uninteresting. If you're looking for some generic richness, this might pass at a fairly young age.

It smells like tomato with American cheese as well as apple and strawberry. It's frankly a gross-smelling combination without a ton of pungeancy. The palate is more typical though. There's a fair deal of spice making it kind of harsh and there's some delightful strawberry backing. There is this weird underlying meaty note that brings back the tomato and cheese though. It's weird, but mostly in the background. The sweet fruitiness is otherwise refreshingly summery. There is a little bit of caramelized sugar present, but there is not that buttery caramel flavor that is usually found. There is some nice woodiness that is a bit bitter, interfering with the summeriness a bit, but adding some depth. There is also some smoke, which kicks the freshness in the face, unfortunately. There's some independent butter going on here, which is a perfect complement. This could use some more age, but there is a fair amount of complexity - not a tone, but enough to let several notes shine through. The one weird failing is the tomato and cheese presence. That does at times give way to some extra alcohol and raisins, both of which are more appropriate for this drink. The burnt caramel and butter do kind of merge into a toffee flavor at points. More and more complexity gradually comes out. The Sherry influence is clearly manifested. The flavors balance well, aside from the tomato and cheese. There is some vanilla, but not much in the way of floral notes. The richness eventually shows its strength, but it is really the sweetness that stands out here. This is a fun drink.

The nose is subdued and balanced with a nice hit of vanilla and a little fruit amidst the richness. It's fairly smooth to drink with a bit of spice coming through. The flavor is nice and balanced with wood and toffee notes. It's definitely packing in the vanilla and some anise. Is on the sweet side and doesn't taste as old as 8 years. It's soft, but enjoyable. I'd have preferred something more robust, but I'll take this. With the softness and sweetness, it's a bit like an American Single Malt. This is sippable but not a stellar expression. It's a good deal for the price though. It has a bitter, herbal smell. It smells rich, but also smooth. There's a dark cherry scent that reminds me of Cognac and there's also some rye with a little bit of spice. At only 42%, it's on the watery side, but there is still some nice flavor. It has a bit of prickly spice throughout that is nice rather than overwhelming. There are rich red fruits that are neither fresh nor dried nor soaked in syrup. Some orange zest comes out and there is a dark chocolate wood backing with some toffee that is subtle and not overwhelming. It would be better if it were a bit stronger and richer and less sweet, but it's quite good. I'd prefer some more complexity as well, but the flavor itself is quite good. There's some rye-like mineral that comes out and detracts from the richness but adds another dimension without dragging the thing down. I like the flavor in general; it's sort of like a more refined Old Forester Signature that is also lighter and smoother with a few extra notes. That said, that doesn't make it excellent. It's solidly drinkable, but it doesn't have the bourbon character I'd really like.

It smells malty, but lightly aged and not all that alcoholic (surprisingly, given the ABV). The palate is a lot more bitter and herbal than expected. There is a nice sweet element holding it up a bit, but it is still a bit too much bitterness, especially since it is herbal rather than age in its nature. The black pepper has a pronounced flavor and is strikingly hot. There is some nasty alcohol in the finish. Unfortunately, I think the alcohol makes up a fair amount of the herbal flavor too. This isn't the worst drink, but it's not very enjoyable. Some more complexity comes out with water, but so does a lot of alcohol bitterness. The alcohol really becomes overwhelming. The flavor has some interesting elements that aren't too bad, but they aren't enough to counterbalance the bad flavors. It's interesting to sip briefly but then it becomes ugly. It's too bad because the complexity is kind of nice, but the flavor needs some help.

For a 2 year old whiskey, this is surprisingly robust, there is some spice that goes along with a rich, sweet apple taste, making this whiskey taste a bit like a tart apple cider. It would be great if it had more variation on the finish, but it is good nonetheless. It's rich and spicy with a full, bitter backing. The flavor is a bit mundane, tending toward the watery side. There is some nuttiness, including a hint of coconut. The depth gradually comes out in the long finish, but I wouldn't choose to sip it given other options. Toffee, apples, and alcohol are the primary flavors here. There is plenty of grain presence too. The drink is slick and the flavor tends toward the sweet side (it's quite sweet for a rye). It's a decent whiskey. The flavor is a bit too mild and full of mineral. I'd rather drink something else. Especially for its price, it tastes too young. Kind of fruity with an unmistakable apple presence and a backing of rye spice that bursts forth near the finish. Despite all of that, it tastes suite weak. I guess that's what you get with this age statement. It's not a terrible rye, but it's not a very good whiskey. There's a fair bit of cereal here, but otherwise it rather lacks presence.

The nose has a definite red wine element to it. It smells kind of sweet and mild with some strawberry notes mixed with malted barley and a little wood. It's a nice refreshing summer dessert nose without being too astringent. The palate is very fruity with the strawberry making a huge statement alongside some balanced cherry and raspberry. It's sweet, but not excessively so. This refreshing, fruity flavor seems like a great way to disguise a young whiskey. It's fun and quite sweet without being oppressively alcoholic. It lacks all of the finesse of the Macallan 15, but it avoids being as jarring as the Macallan 12. It's a bit too much on the sweet side, but it's still pretty tasty. This is fun to drink and the finish is nice and clean too. There are certainly some nutty elements, including marzipan with all of the sweetness. Vanilla cannot be avoided and while it might make the whole thing too sweet, it does help to bring the whole experience together with its floral flavor. There is a lot of subtle complexity here with bitter undertones not coming out excessively and their specific elements coming out appropriately to give suggestions of wood and anise (port). The sweetness is a bit syrupy, but it's still enjoyable. This reminds me a bit of Kavalan Concertmaster. Sure it's super sweet, but it's also balanced and tasty. This is a very unique take on whiskey. Really, it is more of a cocktail with whiskey blended with a liqueur. It certainly does have that jammy surah taste and I appreciate that about it. It's not for everyone, but there is a lot going on here an it is tasty. A bit less sweetness might benefit it, but it's very good. It's probabaly a tad better than Johnnie Walker Gold, with a bit more of Johnnie Walker 18 in its bloodstream. The nose is fruity to the point that it smells like a dash of strawberry gummies was tossed in. It reminds me a bit of Grangestone Sherry in how it smells, though the quality here smells more malty and better executed. There are orange notes on the nose as well with some lightish caramel balancing them. On the palate it's sweet, but also lightly flavored and backed by some smoky malt. The sweet strawberry with a hint of cherry really works and the flavor is lively, but it's also kind of watery. I appreciate the malt flavor from the barley, but it's not terribly strong. This whole thing tastes sippable and is a huge improvement on Grangestone Sherry in that it eliminates a lot of the bad notes, but it's not extremely complex and tastes on the young side. It's not bad, but it could use some work. I enjoy the complexity of Baker's more, even though it has some jagged notes. There's plenty of vanilla and a dose of spice that are nice with the red fruit (despite the gummy candy impression), but at best this is on the watery side of hedonism. There's the faintest hint of almond hidden in the grain and maybe a little touch of honey, but it doesn't go much farther than that. Actually, you know what, it might be a little bit better than Baker's off-notes. It does taste a bit more on the level of Johnnie Walker Gold. Its increased finesse does help a lot, making this a pretty solid choice. Still, maybe it's a little better than Baker's (there were on the same shelf, so I'm comparing them), but it isn't a ton better.

Quite bitter, but rich. Woody and smoky to an extreme. There are the usual generic spice and vanilla with some red fruit. It's like Wild Turkey Master's Keep Reserve, but with more of a gut punch. At least there is some sugar in this to balance it and the tartness is minimal. It smells like alcohol and wood. The palate is woody with alcohol, but some vanilla and toffee creep in. It's very rich and good with a nice balance to it. I wish some more complexity leapt out, but it's still enjoyable. This is a very good drink, though perhaps not a magnificent one. It's super smooth with nicely balanced spice, wood, toffee, ample, vanilla, and apple. I wish that the flavors were a bit punchier, but I appreciate the apparent age here. There's some mineral and alcohol, but neither is too bad. There is surely plenty of smoke, which really build the rich backing character. There is a hint of deep mocha, but mostly this tastes like wood and smoke without tasting like sour, putrid ash. With some water, some sharper spice and more astringent wood come out, but so does some more caramel sweetness. It's quite good. This reminds me a lot of Delord 1981 in terms of quality though it doesn't have much similarity in terms of specific flavors. More astringency and alcohol come out with the reduced ABV, making it taste more like Knob Creek Single Barrel. As more water is added, the wood's bitterness comes out more and some cherry flavor comes out too (though it is mostly in the back because of the strong wood flavor). This is a great whiskey, but at the price it is not a stellar buy. This is richer with a more purely bourbon flavor of cinnamon, wood, vanilla, and a hint of red fruit than Wild Turkey Jewbillee is, but it's also a bit less complex. There are some hints of milk chocolate and some dark coffee, but they are minor. It's quite tasty, despite a bit too much alcohol, but it lacks an absolute killer flavor and the needed complexity. It's almost as good as Wild Turkey Jewbillee. This is a bit more like Booker's than Wild Turkey Jewbillee. Booker's Kitchen Table in particular is kind of right between the two and arguably has the best of both worlds? This has more vanilla and chocolate but less cherry and complexity.

Note: I unfortunately didn't record which St. George Single Malt batch I tasted, so I toot my best guess and I'm leaving this tasting for batch 17. This has a more robust flavor than St. George Breaking & Entering bourbon. It is sweet with rich chocolate and cherries coming out immediately, along with a smokey backing. There is some yeasty barley in here, as is typical of American single malts. It is rich for its category, but compared with other whiskeys it tends toward the weak side (not terribly so though). It's sort of like generic American single malt meets Symbole National. It's very rich and tasty with a good amount of complexity. It doesn't knock my socks off, but it's a great example of a rich, fruity whiskey. It's comparable to Glengoyne 15. The balance is great with only hints of alcohol or minerals.