Tastes

Fruit punch. Pecan pie. Slight peanut. Orange zest. Cherry cough syrup late in the finish. Warm for its proof.

I mostly drink 100+ proof ryes these days. The first time I drank this it tasted a little bit watered down. Having revisited it a couple times it has grown on me significantly. It has the standard Elijah Craig flavor profile. Big bold oak, caramel and sweetness with a touch of rye spice. As a fan of Elijah Craig I've really started to enjoy this. Update: Tasted side by side with Pikesville Rye. The Elijah Craig Rye is a shade lighter. I prefer the concentrated flavors and the thick chewy mouthfeel of the Pikesville Rye.

Oak. Caramel. Cherry. Slight lemon zest. Some clove on the tail end. Oak and ethanol on the nose. First sips were very strong and a bit overwhelming. As it had time to breathe it became smoother and more enjoyable.

Caramel. Oak. Rye spice. Just an incredibly well balanced rye whiskey. Very faint cinnamon towards the end. I am quite impressed with this and am excited to see what Wilderness Trail does in the future.

Rye spice and apricot dominate. Rum and Maderia play a supporting role in the overall balance. I can distinctly taste each of the three finishes but they also blend together nicely. Overall this is a very nice rye whiskey and the finishing was very well done. I'm glad I got to experience this but I won't be seeking out a second bottle.

The nose on this is just incredible. Chocolate cake, figs and leather. Taste is tobacco, pronounced oak and a touch of ethanol. There is some cherry late in the finish. This is may be the best smelling whiskey. Update: Tasted next to FAE-02 and FAE-01 is the clear winner. See my review of FAE-02 for an in depth comparison. Revisited: Floral. Sweetness. Chocolate. A bit astringent.

Compared to the barrel strength toasted rye there is noticeably less oak on the nose. A bit of honey up front. The finish is dominated by rye spice that just lasts and lasts. Smooth and almost no burn. This is a nice whiskey but is a bit one dimensional. I may be in the minority here but this is probably my least favorite rye from Michter's. I really enjoy the campfire notes in the toasted barrel, the complexity of the 10 year and the vanilla notes in the standard rye. This isn't bad but considering the price tag you could do better. Barrel 21B375. Proof 106.8.

Orange citrus. Leather. Oak. Black pepper. Faint grape in the finish. Surprisingly very little burn considering the proof and compared to other batches.

Toasted marshmallow. Faint banana. Cherry and herbal spice in the finish. This unique mash bill is unlike anything I've tried before.

Candy. Coconut. Oak. Overall, this is a very enjoyable flavor profile. Mouthfeel is a bit light but that is expected given the proof. If this had been bottled at 100+ proof it could have easily been a spectacular bourbon.