Tastes
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Barterhouse 20 Year Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed October 29, 2021 (edited November 11, 2021)Nose - rich caramel, brown sugar, anise, clove, dill, cedar, cardamom, cherry, herbal notes, dark chocolate, raisin toast, tangerine, tobacco, leather, polished oak, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - tannic oak, black tea, black pepper, rich caramel, brown sugar, burnt toast, clove, spearmint, anise, cherry, bitter chocolate, herbal notes, toasted walnut, leather, tobacco, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with burnt burnt sugar, tannic oak, and bitter baking spice flavors. The fifth of nine blind tastings opens with a deep, rich nose of dark caramel, rye spice, and raisin toast aromas. Its subtle sweetness is balanced beautifully by strong herbal, oaky, leathery aromas. Unfortunately, things take a turn on the palate. Overwhelming tannic oak, burnt toast, and black tea flavors dominate the more nuanced complexity that’s probably hiding in the background. I should have learned my lesson yesterday about guessing the relative age of a whiskey, but I’m going out on a limb and declaring that this is very old bourbon. This tastes like it’s spent far too long in a barrel. With such a magnificent nose, it’s disappointing that the palate doesn’t uphold the same level of quality. Well what are we drinking tonight? Barterhouse 20 Year. I was right! This is very old whiskey. Actually I think this is the oldest bourbon I’ve ever tasted. Major kudos to @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for providing this experience! It may be a long time before I taste another American whiskey this old. -
Booker's Bourbon Batch 2021-02 "Tagalong Batch"
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed October 28, 2021 (edited November 4, 2021)Nose - toffee, brown sugar, vanilla, sawdust, pine, spearmint, black tea, strong oak, nutmeg, clove, leather, juniper, black pepper, walnut, grape, coffee, herbal notes, plum, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - rich caramel, vanilla, black cherry, chili pepper, lemon oil, allspice, nutmeg, spearmint, brown sugar, spicy oak, leather, black tea, plum, orange, coffee, apple, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with caramel, baking spice, bitter citrus, and strong oak flavors. The fourth of nine blind samples starts with woodsy, herbal aromas. There is a really nice mix of notes I don’t usually find in a single dram of whiskey. Dark fruits, caramel, earthy mint, pine, some juniper. Actually, there are some definite gin qualities here. The palate carries some of those same notes. Strong oak and deep citrus are also present in spades. This is really good, complex whiskey. I don’t think I’m wrong in assuming it has some good age on it, maybe even too much given the black tea and overabundance of wood on the nose and palate. I wouldn’t say this is my favorite whiskey profile, but it’s unique and worthy of a high rating from me. So what’s in my glass tonight? Booker’s Tagalong Batch. Wow, it’s a Booker’s?! This tastes much older than six years, and I’ve certainly never tried a batch that was so herbaceous. This is great stuff and drinks significantly under its proof. Many thanks to @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for the generous sample! -
O.H. Ingram River-Aged Straight Whiskey
Blended American Whiskey — (aged in) Kentucky, USA
Reviewed October 27, 2021 (edited November 1, 2021)Nose - caramel, sweet floral notes, grass, vanilla, apple, honey, peach, anise, black pepper, old wood, cinnamon, marshmallow, coconut, cocoa, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - salted caramel, sour apple, lemon, milk chocolate, vanilla, grass, anise, powdered sugar, cinnamon, black pepper, grapefruit, honey, clove, mint, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with caramel, sour apple, and baking spice flavors. The third of nine blind tastings opens with a rather floral, grassy, salty nose. Apples, honey, and caramel aromas are present as well. It’s definitely on the lighter side, although it smells fairly mature. The palate is similarly light, grassy, and fruity. Unfortunately, it veers into sour territory, which leads me to believe it’s much younger than I thought from the nose. It’s light and fresh with some decent aromas and flavors, but I don’t have too much more to say about this one. In the end, it’s better than average for me, but the unpleasant sourness will keep me from going very high on the rating. Well what are we drinking tonight? OH Ingram River-Aged Whiskey. So these were matured on floating rickhouses. That’s pretty cool. Unfortunately, they probably should have left them out there a bit longer. Another big thank you to @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for the sample! -
Old Ezra 7 Year Barrel Strength Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed October 26, 2021 (edited November 19, 2021)Nose - salted caramel, brown sugar, chocolate malt, vanilla, orange zest, leather, dry oak, cinnamon, allspice, oat, black pepper, black cherry, plum, walnut, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - toffee, vanilla, cherry, lemon pith, dark chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, leather, walnut, grape, sour apple, strong oak, tobacco, chili pepper, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with toffee, tannic oak, and baking spice flavors. The second of nine blind tastings starts with a rather dark, rich nose. The oak and leather are strong, which leads me to believe there is some decent age on this one. Otherwise, there are fairly standard bourbon aromas of dark fruit, chocolate, and baking spices. The palate arrives hot with toffee, bitter citrus, more leather, and some sour apple with a tannic, oaky backbone. At the risk of being completely wrong, I’m thinking there’s a bit of age on this one, but not quite enough to completely remove the sourness on the palate. I’m thinking this also has a rather high alcohol content. Either that, or the slightly overoaked, sour profile is playing tricks on me. Overall, I think it’s very good but not quite great. So what do we have here? My wife, owner of the key to this cipher, tells me this is Old Ezra 7 Year Barrel Strength. This is really good stuff. It would probably be great stuff with a few more years to dampen the brightness. But at $60 a bottle, you could certainly do much worse. Another big thank you to @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for the generous sample! -
Nose - spiced apple, clove, mint, caramel, decomposing grass, apricot, black pepper, lemon zest, pineapple peel, mentholated cherry, anise, peanut shell, musty grape, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, allspice, clove, menthol, anise, lemon pith, peanut, white pepper, cherry, baked apple, mild alcohol bite, finishing medium short with cherry menthol, caramel, and rye spice flavors. This is the first in a nine-part blind tasting series of reviews. @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington was kind enough to provide these samples and a key to decode them once I’m finished with each review. So here we go. The nose on this one is sweet and minty. There are apple, anise, peanut shells, and caramel with some cherry menthol cough syrup qualities. The palate is similarly mentholated with more cherry, peanuts, baking spices, and bitter citrus flavors. However, the finish is disappointingly thin and sour. I can’t quite tell whether this is a high-rye bourbon or a low-rye rye. Either way, it’s underproofed and the flavors seem muddled and dissonant. The peanuty, cherry cough syrupy combination just isn’t working for me. So what are we drinking here? Basil Hayden Toast. I’ve been wanting to try this, but can’t say I’m surprised that don’t like it all that much. Many thanks to @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for the sample!
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Nose - bittersweet molasses, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, buttercream frosting, black cherry, orange zest, dark chocolate, herbal notes, lemon, powdered sugar, straw, nutmeg, allspice, caramelized banana, pineapple rind, anise, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - bittersweet molasses, cardamom, cherry, brown sugar, dark chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, overripe banana, allspice, bitter herbal notes, lemon pith, sour apple, earthy mint, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with molasses, earthy herbal, and bitter citrus flavors. I’m finishing off my rum series with the oldest of the Foursquare expressions at 16 years. The nose shares many of the same qualities with the other ex-bourbon aged releases, but this one is interestingly more herbal than the others. It’s notably less sweet and actually borders on slightly sour. This is great rum, but it tastes surprisingly younger than Nobiliary even though it’s two years older. I’m guessing it’s either the greener palate or the lower proof compared to the others that creates this youthful impression. While this is still top notch rum, the herbal notes aren’t a particularly welcome addition to the profile for me. Well this concludes my rum tasting series for now, as I’ve exhausted all my samples and bottles. After 28 reviews, Nobiliary reigns supreme but there were many solid offerings along the way, including this one. Next up, I’ll be shifting my focus back to whiskey and doing a set of blind reviews, which should put my tasting chops to the test.
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Nose - bittersweet molasses, dark chocolate, strong oak, clove, allspice, vanilla, grass, anise, toffee, violet, coconut, nutmeg, orange pith, leather, tobacco, caramelized banana, black cherry, grape, pineapple rind, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - bittersweet molasses, leather, tobacco, pineapple, orange zest, clove, allspice, dark chocolate, salted caramel, coconut, cherry, mint, grape, vanilla, nutmeg, sweet floral notes, tannic oak, overripe banana, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium long with molasses, dark fruits, chocolate, and strong, tannic oak flavors. The nose is similar to the 2007 Exceptional Cask release I tasted yesterday, but the Nobiliary is deeper, richer, and less confectionery. The leather, tobacco, and oak notes are also cranked to eleven. The palate follows suit with explosively rich molasses, chocolate, and dark fruits. Pineapple, banana, and brandied cherries are also in the mix. What a fantastic rum! In my mind, Foursquare is the Texas whiskey of rum. And I love Texas whiskey. Big, bold, tannic, and jam-packed full of amazing aromas and flavors. As a 14 Year product, the two extra years absolutely refine the experience. It’s still hot, but not nearly as youthful and bright as the 2007. This is getting a very high score. In fact, it’s going to be the first non-whiskey spirit to crack my elusive 4.5 ranking. And I’m tempted to give this a perfect 5.0, but will try it a few more times before making the final decision. Regardless, Nobiliary certainly lives up to its name. I can’t imagine rum getting much better than this. I wonder if an extra two years of aging could possibly improve it? We’ll find out tomorrow.
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Nose - bittersweet molasses, cocoa, toffee, baked apple, vanilla, orange zest, caramelized banana, marshmallow, tobacco, cherry, dense oak, lemon, powdered sugar, grass, mint, allspice, clove, pineapple rind, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - bittersweet molasses, dark chocolate, salted caramel, overripe banana, pineapple, white pepper, brown sugar, cherry, leather, vanilla, orange pith, lemon, grass, clove, allspice, tannic oak, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium length with molasses, dark chocolate, tropical fruit, and baking spice flavors. Now this is the Foursquare profile I want! Dark and brooding with a natural sweetness and a thick, chewy mouthfeel. The nose is oaky, chocolatey, and darkly fruity with some confectionary effervescence. The palate blasts onto the scene with that strong, bittersweet molasses, deep citrus, and more dark tropical fruits. This is excellent rum, albeit slightly brighter than I’d prefer, even with its 12 Year age statement. The bourbon cask maturation beautifully complements the Foursquare base spirit. While it creeps slightly into sour, youthful territory, this is the style of rum I want to drink when I want to drink rum. I wonder whether a bit more age would make a positive difference? Well we’re going to find out tomorrow.
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Nose - citrusy molasses, strawberry, grass, salted caramel, pineapple, grape, cherry, floral notes, raspberry, pink lemonade, allspice, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - grassy molasses, strawberry, raspberry, pineapple, white pepper, lemon pith, orange zest, clove, allspice, mint, caramel, cola, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with sweet molasses, jammy red fruit, and citrus flavors. Here we have the port-finished counterpart to the sherried Premise release. Both are 10 Year products, with Detente being bottled at a slightly higher 51% ABV. The port influence is front and center. The standard bittersweet Foursquare molasses note is present, but jammy red fruits dominate the nose and palate on this one. Strawberry, raspberry, cherry, even some pink lemonade are easily identifiable. Overall this is delicious rum, but as with Premise, it’s not my favorite Foursquare profile. It’s sweeter than their more traditional offerings, but certainly not cloying like the additive-laced rums can be. At $75 a bottle, I think this is a solid value. However, I’ll continue to reserve my money for the older, strictly ex-bourbon releases, as they’re generally more my speed. Another big thank you to @ContemplativeFox for the generous sample!
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Nose - molasses, honey, overripe banana, hay, herbal notes, vanilla, toffee, walnut, grape, mint, brown sugar, pineapple rind, chocolate chip cookie, nutmeg, allspice, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - molasses, grape, honey, white pepper, brown sugar, vanilla, grass, cherry menthol, clove, allspice, pecan, dark chocolate, pineapple, burnt toast, overripe banana, orange zest, lemon, ginger, moderate alcohol bite finishing medium length with rich molasses, chocolate, baking spice, and dark fruit flavors. The first bonafide Foursquare on my list, and it’s a 10 Year with bourbon and sherry finishing components. The sherry brings additional layers of sweet fruitiness and nuttiness. Aside from the standard molasses, baking spice, and banana, there are aromas of walnut, chocolate chip cookie, and dry pineapple. The palate cuts the same path. Some mentholated cherry sneaks in along with citrus, more nuts, and even some brandied grapes. Overall this is great rum, but it’s not my favorite Foursquare profile. It’s sweeter and lighter than some of the others, verging on sour. Nonetheless, I would very happily sip this any day. A big thank you to @ContemplativeFox for the sample!
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