Tastes

Floral nose almost, you get the dill and fresh cut vegis. Palate is sweet and spicy then mellows, well rounded, more dill, mint, sugar, it’s just nice. Tastes like Willett 4yr rye but 90 proof. Easy going, not challenging, just really nice.

Find a hand picked barrel from a local store. Add a splash of water and holy crap this stuff is top notch. Honestly it’s pretty close to the 15 year stuff they put out with a splash of water. You get tons of peanuts, classic brown sugar notes. Balanced grit. It’s rough but smooth all together, supper nutty which is what I like. Thick oily mouthfeel. Don’t sleep on these barrel picks.

Fragrant nose, I get some honey, oak and some burn from the alcohol. Palate is where this shines. Its like candy honestly, very sweet stuff, you get caramel, molasses, very nice oak undertones. Healthy balance of heat here too, you get like hot tamales candy. Little hug in the chest.

Such a vibrant nose on this one, oak, smoke and burnt sugar. Palate is full, you get some chocolate, some malty notes, great oak, some of the usual brown sugar too, nuts in the finish with rye spice. Long finish. Often overlooked on the shelves but one of the best values out there.

Nose is nice, you get some oak and fruit, tiny whiffs of alcohol, honey. Palate flavorful considering the proof. Really nice oak notes on this, vanilla, caramel, hint of cherry, cocoa, rye spice, “salt” but not in the way you’d think, it’s subtle as if there was a drop of saline solution in my pour, it rounds everything out nicely. Finish comes back through my nose a bit, you get a little Kentucky hug too. No water needed on this one IMO. Overall it’s really good, worth the money though? Questionable.

No water: intense nose, some tough alcohol whiffs, underneath is that oak char and some brown sugar. Palate is thick and oily, big flavors here of molasses, cinnamon sticks, hint of nuts on the finish. Classic bourbon stuff minus cherry or anything. A couple drops of water: nose looses its power a tad, but caramel is uncovered with butter and subtle oak. Looses its harshness for the most part too. Palate loosens and you get the brown sugar, honey, much more nuttiness on the finish with tamed cinnamon now, sweet oak finish as supposed to being dry. You do maybe get a little of fruit now as well. It’s a little rough around the edges, can tell it’s young and a little hot but it drinks nice with or without water.

Total wine fall 2021 select. Hear me out. A couple drops, JUST a few drops of water and this is fantastic. On its own it’s a tad hot and tight on the palate. A tiny bit water uncovers fresh honey on the nose some cooked brown sugar, oak char and a touch of smoke. Palate is sweet but balanced with caramel, charred oak, some red hot candy, peanut and surprising dark chocolate and coffee bean on the way end of the finish. It’s really nice.

Butter and brown sugar nose. Palate is edgy, you get the brown sugar, cinnamon and oak. Nice mouthfeel, but not really rounded