Tastes

Rich and full, but tastes a bit like... beets? The bitter beet flavor is unsettling, overwhelming, and unwelcome. There is definitely some caramel and a little cinnamon, and it is pretty rich, but the beets are just out of control. Would not recommend. The beet flavor could be some amalgamation of chocolate, cloves, and some other spices, but it still tastes like beets. This is quite spicy and harsh with some deep bitter notes that give it an earthy presence with some herbal beet character and some cocoa. There is some light caramel syrup sweetness that is not terribly pronounced that fits along with some minor cherry and orange flavor. It has a bitter, woody, beet finish that I'm not a fan of. There's plenty of rye spice and some substantial clove that numbs and gives the woody earthy flavor and herbal tinge. There's some definite smoke, but it isn't overwhelming. This is a hard drink to like. The complexity is there a little bit but not a ton and the overall flavor is lackluster and harsh until the woody, beety finish comes in.

This is rich and has a lot going on, but doesn't have off notes. Spice, caramel, and apricot balance out with a lot of richness. Perhaps a bit on the harsh side, but not at all bad. It tastes like an evolved Swift Single Malt. A bit of honey is here, but it doesn't overwhelm in any way. The richness and balance are really impressive. This is a successful American single malt. There is so much interesting flavor and balance going on here without polluting the sweet, smooth finish. I spend a lot of time wondering whether I like whiskeys, but this one I know I love. Sweet, tart, and bitter balance quite well here. Might be a bit sweet for many, but I love it. Bourbon meets Irish Whiskey and the result is terrific.

The nose is peaty yet fruity in an interesting and enticing combo. The flavor is not too strong, in the American Single Malt fashion, but there is a rich, peaty flavor. Dark chocolate is very present and there is definitely tobacco too, but it isn't one of those nose-burning peat spikes. There is plenty of toffee too and the sweetness is really enjoyable. It doesn't have a ton of malty, cereal flavor, but there is some there. There isn't a ton of complexity for a drink of this variety, but there is plenty and the flavors are all really good. It's a bit weak for a Peated whiskey, but what do you expect from an American Single Malt? The trade-off may be that it's super smooth. It's quite sweet, but the peat balances out and gives depth to the weak flavor. It's a very successful balance for an American Single Malt. It does a great job of compensating for the usual American Single Malt weakness shortcoming. It might be a bit sweet for some but I like it. The finish is really nice too. It could use a little more richness and complexity, but its balance is really good as is. The flavor here is pretty mild with plenty of chocolate mixed with a mild dose of tobacco and some fruit. I prefer the punchier and fruitier Westland Peat Week 2017. This is a solid Peated American Single Malt, but the end result is too mild. The balance is very good, but more richness is really crucial here. It's too bad that that is a flaw since the flavor is otherwise very good with a nice marriage showing off the balance yet not hiding the elements that make this a nice drink. I'm happy to have it, but I could use some more oomph. I would definitely sip this, but I would really like to try a more aged version. The clean flavor is very nice though. With a big sip, the spice does come out in a way that asserts the character of this drink, and so do (to a lesser extent) the cherry, almond, and chocolate.

This smells like tart peat. Tasting it, it is surprisingly mild. It compares well to the Amrut Fusion, but has less fruitiness and less balance. I'd say that the flavors here for together less well, bit they are individually quite good. The peat and smoke are quite nice and the spiciness and bit of rye tartness that come in are fitting. There's some caramel and cotton candy sweetness here, the latter of which alludes to fruit and floral elements, as well as a lot of that classic vanilla. It's definitely kind of spicy but some maple sweetness does come through too. It's kind of punchy but in a mostly nice way. The marriage is fine but could use some improvement. This is extremely sippable but could be a little better. This is above average all around with a few notes that stand out, making it a nice success. I would happily sip this on most occasions. The mic of sweet and peat works surprisingly well. The regular Peated is milder but also less fruity. I guess the regular is just kind of more generic and young. I like the added smoke in the regular Westland Peated but it could use some more complexity and oomph. This has more punch from its peat and cherry than the regular Westland Peated does. The balance here could use some work, but it's sweet and tasty. This is quite solid, but the lack of coherence really holds it back. Sadly, I think that even with its added complexity it fails to surpass the regular Westland Peated. The spice, sweet, cherry, and peat are nice, but they sort of have that Laphroaig 10 character of being aggressive but not coming together terribly well. This is still a very good drink, but it isn't a tremendous success.

This is following George T. Stagg 2018, so it's at a disadvantage and also coming in with some clove on the nose. The nose is comparatively sweet and sherried. Of course, malt whiskey is usually sherried in comparison to bourbon. The nose has some additional malt whiskey funk that is a bit on the rummy side. It smells like cheap scotch, but surely that can't be the palate/reality? The palate is immediately much more bitter and complex than the nose is. Nikka From The Barrel bitterness jumps out along with a bit of licorice. It's sweet with malt whiskey roundness but balanced so that the malt doesn't take over. The Sherry flavor sure does come out with vibrant and sweet red fruit playing a key role. This has a few elements going on and it's easy to drink. There's some nuttiness in the richness that adds some oiliness, though it isn't exclusively almond. There's some dryness that keeps things under control, though the sweetness is still quite present. It's quite drinkable and good if you like malt whiskey. The complexity seems a bit improved over Nikka From The Barrel with the various notes coming out more. The smoke is still very present and it tastes much older than it likely is. The smoke is balanced in with the flavor and the profile has a nice complexity. It's definitely on the rich and savory side for a malt whiskey, but it's still sweet and fruity compared to bourbon. There's a nice amount going on that leaves me pondering and aside from the strong Sherry flavor (which I'm pretty sure is due to just tasting George T. Stagg 2018), there's nothing off-putting. Even the off-putting Sherry is a huge improvement upon cheaper malt whiskeys' Sherry flavors that putt off. It has a little bit of that Balcones Single Malt malty harshness, but not so much. The bitter herbal flavors come in, giving it some more robustness, but not overwhelming it. There's a fair bit going on here, but it is often subtle. If this is in the price range of Nikka From The Barrel, get it instead. Some interesting salt and briny flavors that I enjoy come through. It has some oddly tequila notes, but they are far from overwhelming. There's some vanilla that gives the flavor a bit of cheapness, but also fits in nicely. This is the robust, complex, and tasty single malt whiskey. It's a bit brash (like Nikka From The Barrel), but it has some stuff going on. The balance can be a bit off-kilter, but there are some nice core flavors that make it worth drinking. Really, the comparison with Nikka From The Barrel is unavoidable. There are some hints of leather that remind me of Glendronach 15, but that's a more subtle relationship. Distiller is right about the savory notes for a single malt, but there's a lot of stuff going on and while brine and mint do play roles, they are far from dominating. The Sherry is pervasive and keeps the sweetness aloft. There's something a bit more like caramel too that doesn't overwhelm. It's rich and ha some nice balance, but it's also subtle and has some jagged edges. It's an exemplar among American Single Malts, but among whiskeys it is far from perfect. It's interesting and fairly well balanced. Upon tasting Nikka From The Barrel 20 minutes later, this has a lot more Sherry and less smoke. The Nikka has more of an Islay flavor, though it isn't exactly more complex. It also has more sherry and less oak than Johnnie Walker Green, but the result isn't as good. The Sherry is comparable with that of Glendronach 15, but it lacks the leather to balance it out (and perhaps it isn't as strong). This ultimately isn't as good as any of those (though it is decent). The Sherry ultimately does taste a tad cheap thought the balance exceeds that of Westward Single Malt and this has more complexity. This is quite good, but not excellent. To be clear though, this is so so much better than the likes of Shieldaig The Classic. Generic sherried scotch doesn't come near this.

It smells like dirty socks, but the flavor is not bad. Wood and a bit of citrus come through after a sharp beginning. The taste is predominantly sweet and tart, making it a bit reminiscent of a rye, but with more sweet richness and fewer floral notes. So, a rye mixed with an ale, perhaps. This is a refreshing flavor with some baking spices jumping in to add to the interest. I wouldn't call it exceptionally deep but it is interesting and lively. Perhaps it is not the greatest single malt whiskey out there, but it is a nice change of pace with a rich backing and a fair amount of depth.

The flavor is stronger and harsher than the Weller Special Reserve, the the ABV suggests. Wood and fruit are clearly present. This tastes like pretty standard bourbon, but the wood does not overwhelm. Some vanilla and a bit too much cinnamon are present. I wish it were sweeter and enjoy the more mellow taste of the Special Reserve. This isn't really even deeper; it's just stronger and less tasty. This has some more richness than the Weller Special Reserve does. It's spicy but also kind of sweet and fruity. The richness has chocolate and plenty of coffee. The fruit includes some nice orange and apple before highlighting raisin and dark cherry on the finish. There is some honey and a tad more vanilla is present than in the Special Reserve. It's a very enjoyable drink, but I wouldn't consider it to be terrific. Essentially, it's nice that it's a high ABV release and it has some deep flavors, but there's nothing here that amazes me. With water, more mineral shows up and the spice is more pronounced. The flavor doesn't develop more depth and it mostly just tastes like any other bourbon.

Pleasantly sweet with caramel, nuts, and spice. The oil adds some creaminess but is a bit strong. Slightly tart and a bit bitter. A bit of apple is present. It's good, but not excellent. It needs more depth. On the mild side for a bourbon, but not shallow. Thanks to not including rye, there is no mineral element. It's a bit like a brandy in its fruitiness, but it isn't bad. Despite the subdued flavor, there is some nice wood, sweet apple flavor, cinnamon undertone, smokey backing. There is something kind of generically sweet here, which might be caramel (not toffee) or honey. It's good and I'd be fine with drinking it, but it isn't excellent. Kind of a bland nose with rye. The palate tastes fairly wheated, reminiscent of Maker's but mellower. There's spice and a kind of dry flavor. Sweetness and richness come out with a bit of fruit and a mix of mineral and apple. There's surprisingly little vanilla, which I find to be disappointing. It's sippable, but kind of underflavored with no stand-out qualities or terrific complexity. The nose isn't terribly strong and some alcohol comes through. There's some muddled wood smell mixed with something a tad rancid, and maybe a hint of vanilla and the tiniest note of orange. The palate is fairly mild with some alcohol burn up front that gives way to a bit of sweetness with a watery element. It certainly has that mild wheated taste, but unfortunately there isn't much complexity. There's quite a bit of mild bitter backing with soft tannins that don't overwhelming and some tartness that helps to bring in a hint of fruit. There isn't much caramel here, though there is some vanilla. It reminds me of Chopin Wheat mixed with some bourbon. Some complexity eventually comes out, but the flavors are rather obscured. The finish is light and clean, but the wheat leaves too much vodka flavor in here. It's not that it isn't sweet so much as it is that the sweetness tastes like Chopin Wheat. The various other flavors are fine, but there isn't anything exceptional in here. Some apple and barrel flavors do come out, but the alcohol is pervasive and the other flavors are light. This is a contentious opinion to have, but Evan Williams Black might be slightly better.

The nose is strong with alcohol, bit it isn't completely piercing. There's some sort of sweet citrus smell with a tad of sawdust - like a little grapefruit juice with some mild butterscotch, a hint of chamomile, vanilla. There's obviously some barrel and spice, but it doesn't have the same rich was and fullness on the nose that Old Fitz 2019 Fall does. It smells complex and balanced and interesting though. The palate packs a punch and it's quite dry. There's a lot of tannin and some substantial harshness (at least compared with the smoothness of Old Fitz 2019 Fall). There's some nutmeg in here with the cinnamon and it's quite nice. There are some tart and dry notes that do suggest grapefruit juice, though nothing as strong as the peel. The mouthfeel has a nice viscosity. There are some nice complexities here, but I suspect it's like Knob Creek where there are some bold flavors and subtle subtleties so in most situations is tastes bland and flat. Still, I'm quite enjoying it now. It's definitely no Old Fitzgerald, but it steps the normal Weller formula up. The brown sugar, cocoa, citrus, cinnamon, pepper, mint. Surprisingly balanced and quite nice! There are definitely the medicinal notes, tannins, and mint that Distiller identifies, but the chocolate is darker than they suggest and although the vanilla is present, it isn't nearly as strong as they say. Fiery cinnamon for sure, baking spices yeah, baked apples yeah, sour cherries - I get the sour, but not really the cherry. Mostly, I agree with Distiller though. And this is a great bourbon. I'd be quite happy to open a Booker's of this quality. It's right up there with Booker's Shiny Barrel. Is it better? Eh, not really better or worse. I was thinking 19, but I was concerned that that might be higher than Booker's Shiny Barrel, but it turns out that it's the same! Maybe they should both go up to 20 though or maybe Maker's RC6 2019 should drop to 16? I think 19 is appropriate here, so maybe Maker's is too high. Or maybe it isn't. Always tough to say. This is far, far from being worth the price it actually goes for though, sadly. I dropped the Maker's RC6 2019 to 16.

Remarkably smooth. Red apples, raspberries, and wood. Wanilla and honey nectar come through as bit, giving it a sweetness and fullness. I wish there were less char there. Oily and nutty, but mostly only in a good way. Only a little rancid. Not as good as Blanton's, but really good. Maybe there's a little maple too. It smells high proof - much higher than it is, actually - with some apple notes and wood. It's smooth with some balanced spice, some smoke, delightful apple, just the right amount of tartness (not much), and some subdued caramel in the background. The tartness plays well with the orange peel flavor. There's something a bit nutty here but it is hard to place - pecan and almond perhaps? It doesn't have tremendous complexity, but it is a delightful sipper. It's on the sweet side and that is just right. I do wish that it was richer and more complex, but as it is it is still very good. Just, not a great buy at this price.