Tastes

I'm having some fun with a handful of 50ml samplers I purchased at Total Wine. This sample is tasted near from a glencairn. Ample time was allowed for the whisky to rest after the pour before tasting. The nose on this is ethanol and what I perceive as "cheap whisky smell". Its kind of a musty, grainy, stale smell that's not very appealing. After a series of vigorous swirls, If I really dig into it, I get green apple, slight sultanas and a wisp of non-distinct floral notes. On the palate this is only slightly better than the nose. The entry is sweet (surprisingly so) and somewhat thin. It quickly fades right as you're beginning to think "well, this isn't so bad - in fact its kinda surprising - oh, wait..." From that point on it starts falling apart. The mid palate turns quickly bitter, then sour. There's maybe a blush of something like smoke over the top of this sweet chewing gum note and right after the bitter-thing-that-could-be-wood hits the taste buds. The finish is watery with slight black pepper and a sour tale that reminds me slightly of Buffalo Trace (there's a lemon sourness to the finish in BT that makes it work really well in a whiskey sour but makes it quite unpalatable for me as a neat sipper, though admittedly not this bad). Anyway, at no point does this really get any better than the first sip. I rate on a simple scale where a 1 = drain pour and 5 = a perfect example of the expression. Most competently produced whisky (or whiskey) should land right about 2.5 with a majority favoring the bell curve between 2.0 and 3.0. This blended scotch belongs at the bottom of that range. This doesn't hold a candle to JW Black, Monkey Shoulder, or even Dewar's White Label, which I drink quite often when I'm travelling or otherwise in a situation where a better dram isn't an option. I might put this on the same plane as a Famous Grouse, or maybe even a step lower. I'm not a fan and I don't recommend this whisky, although it certainly could be worse. If I'm lucky I won't have to taste any that are less appealing, but I know that's an inevitable outcome for a cocktail warrior hell-bent on trying just about everything. Cheers and good luck!

I'm having a little bit of fun with 50ml samplers that I purchased from Total Wine. I am completely unfamiliar with Grangestone and I have never had any of this brand of whisky before. I sampled this neat from a Glencairn and gave the whiskey ample opportunity to rest before tasting. The nose is pretty nondescript. I get a little honey, some ethanol, a bit of a light grain note, perhaps a bit flowery. Certainly nothing special about it. There is also nothing off-putting. It has a surprisingly good mouth feel, with a soft entry and a wave of sweetness. The finish goes a bit bitter after the swallow. A bit of wood is what's left as an aftertaste. There's really not much to it and there's nothing to get excited about. 2.5 stars for being wholly average and, I'm assuming, pretty inexpensive.

I'm back for a serious look at this rye. I was gobsmacked by my first taste at a casual restaurant and I knew immediately that JDSBR was a near future purchase. This bottle has been open for about 4 days and I've had maybe 4 oz from the bottle, so this is as good a look at a bottle as I can manage. I tasted this neat from a shot glass. I also enjoyed a similar taste of my current favorite in the rye category, Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye. Looking at them side by side in the glasses they are indistinguishable. Both are old copper penny colored. I've had enough of both to know they have a similar viscosity. On the nose the JDSBR is fruitcake covered in warm caramel. It's just beautifully sweet and fruity. By comparison the rich nose of the WTRBR is more akin to warm cinnamon banana bread with more of a baking spice note. They are nearly equally rich, one leaning towards the yin and the other the yang of the smell spectrum. I mean seriously, I could go on but would you want me to? On the palate the JDSBR is Christmas candy and sweet bran muffins with butter. I get a bit of clove, ginger, dark rye bread, cream cheese frosting. It's just a dessert in a shot glass with a great, oily mouthfeel. This is a very good, reasonably complex rye whiskey with absolutely no sharp edges. This is too easy to drink. In comparison the WTRBR is all about cinnamon red hots and Jamaican jerk spice. There's rye bread, darker pumpernickel notes, a bit of smoky char, barrel oak, black pepper, plums, apricots and maybe a bit of banana and cherry. This is rich and demands a bit of attention be paid. No Willy Loman in a bottle, this rye wants you to pay attention "right now". On the finish the JDSBR is modest with a touch of heat and a nice slow, sweet fade to a fruity exhale. The balance here is just perfect - this is a light, fruity, complex rye and the finish is moderately long with a variable flavor profile that never strays from a pleasing sweetness coupled with a touch of heat. The WTRBR is a brute. It leaves with stone fruit sweetness in an envelope of chile pepper fire. Complex, brash, maybe even loud and unapologetic - I'll restate my previous admonishment that this might not be a good choice for a beginner. Bring your grown-up palate to this party. Pick your mood. If you find yourself feeling lyrical, euphoric and in need of a whiskey version of Don Giovanni then I'd say it's Jack Daniels all the way. If you're feeling a bit more "Ride Of The Valkyries" then maybe you should consider the bird for the win. Either way, you can't lose! I'm increasing my previous rating on this, it's a solid 4.

Barreled in 2009, 119.6 proof. Tasted neat from a shot glass with a Kulture Ting's ( Green Bench Brewing) Pilsner handling the supporting role. Hey, we all have our weaknesses... "Wow, this is big" were my first thoughts when my wife brought this out for me. She'll do this to me from time to time; just grab a shot from a bottle in the cabinet and bring it out to me and ask me to guess what the hell I'm drinking. She's absolutely a keeper... This is a candy bar on the nose. Sweet with not as much fruit as I expected from a rye. This is all nougat and caramel and milk chocolate. There's a hint of cherries. The nose is absolutely spectacular. On the palate this is definitely serious business. It's 120 proof and drinks like it is. Cinnamon red hots, ginger, allspice, apples, maple, it's all there. This is a barely legal rye? That's just a guess, I haven't looked up the mash bill. It tastes more bourbon than rye to me. Regardless this is a powerhouse. Super tasty if just a bit over the top. Recommended for the adventurous at heart.

I'm at a restaurant and don't have time for a full review, but suffice it to say that this one will get my undivided attention in the very near future. Fabulous nose!