Tastes

Nose: toffee, orange (maybe lemon?), caramel, leather Palate: caramel, orange, black pepper, oak We tried this while comparing it to Woodford Reserve (standard) and Glenlivet 12. Compared to the standard Woodford, the nose is significantly stronger, with stronger notes of toffee, caramel, and what I described as orange. The taste is sweeter, with more citrus notes being present than the standard. It finishes with what I’ll call the “class Woodford taste” of spice and oak. Of the two, double oaked is the way to go.

Nose: vanilla, caramel, orange, grape, oak Palette: vanilla, then ethanol, then black pepper, finished by the tannins of the new oak barrel

Nose: rich and creamy (creme brûlée is a great way to describe it), vanilla, maraschino cherry, and oak Palate: vanilla, dark chocolate, cherry, and oak For a relatively non-expensive bourbon, Maker’s Mark is a fantastic pick. It’s not overly sweet, yet retains a level of complexity. Could certainly be a daily drinker. It also has an interesting history to go along with it!

Nose: honey, apple, pear, cereal Palate: vanilla, pear, apple Finish: malt, a flash of black pepper, and sawdust The finish is extraordinarily short and leaves your mouth with the taste of sawdust (in a dry kind of way). You get a burst of flavor from the vanilla, pear, and apple on the palate and then the slight after-notes of malt and pepper….and then it’s gone. Overall, a good scotch for someone’s first time. Not a ton of complexity, but by no means a poor experience.

Nose: vanilla, caramel, molasses, honey, apple Palette: honey, spice, leather, oak, char Finish: leather, oak, and a lingering spice. A little bit of heat. Adding a few drops of water brings out the honey and molasses notes. Overall, not a bad whiskey that doesn’t break the bank. The spice notes help it stand up in cocktails. Daily drinker? Perhaps not. One to keep on hand? Certainly.

I can certainly smell the honey and vanilla on the nose. On the palette, you can taste oak, spice, honey, and gives way to a light burn.

On the nose there is strong honey and vanilla. Very sweet smelling. On the tongue, it feels a little watery and thin. The taste is strong and sweet with honey and corn. The finish does last a rather long time, with a little bit of rye spice coming through.

On the nose, strong vanilla and coffee noted (obviously). The taste is smooth, which is to be expected given that it’s only 60 proof. It has a light finish with some leather and char notes.