Tastes

Single barrel #23A0001. Kentucky straight rye whiskey with 4 years in oak, bottled at 42.4% ABV. Tasted neat. Nice red copper color in the glass, with light coating legs. Nose is sweet corn, maple, vanilla, peaches. Light and soft, with a little grassy spice hidden in there. In the mouth, soft and white sugar sweet, a little vanilla and oak, but... WOW, the overpowering initial taste is wrapped up in the oily coating mouthfeel (surprised me given the light legs). A little spice appears in that floral fruit sweetness, but mainly holds off to the finish. Finish shows dry oak, tannic leather, and light grassy rye spice. It's not an overpowering rye, but the flavor is there. Just a little sour to help balance the sweet. And then it goes DRY, covering the other notes, and the finish is fairly quick (again, considering the oily mouthfeel). But it's pleasant, leaving no off flavors, and begging for another sip. Forget water or ice--this comes set at the right proof. While this doesn't WOW me, it's a really fine sipping rye. Can definitely tell this is an 85 proof rye, high on the corn content (don't know the mashbill percentages, but low 50s rye is my guess). Would love to see what this is like at 90 or 100 proof, but... What we have here is an easy entry point into rye and whiskey, very approachable, and yet not bottom shelf in taste or price. As usual, im going to keep thinking about this bottle, and will get back to you over time.

Been holding on to this bottle since 2017 when I HIT on the Idaho State Liquor Division lottery for $87. Way past time to enjoy this with friends. Tasted neat. Dark rosie brown color and good coating legs in the glass. Nose is vanilla, floral citrus, and honey, with a light dry grain scent. In the mouth, immediate sweet--brown sugar and maple syrup--then vanilla and tannic oak. There's some spicy grass and ethanol in there too. Mouthfeel is oily and rich, but turns dry in the finish. Finish is spicy and sweet/sour and dry. Leaves your mouth tingling in a long slow sweet fade. Easy to sip, soft but with a good ethanol and spice bite. Sweet...maybe too sweet... but that eases with a second glass. Ice cube rounds out that sweet--tannic--ethanol profile. So there's all the hype about Van Winkle, and the scarcity and secondary market price gouging. Ok. Then there's the wheated bourbon, which is really good, but... it's made difficult to judge and enjoy because of the hype. Tried the Van Winkle 12 year with a friend two weeks ago, but we were outside, talking, not tasting. I do think that one (in memory) was a better collection of its parts, but that doesn't diminish this 10yo. I'll keep trying and thinking about this (like I do every bottle) and get back to you as I change my mind.

From Ross and Squibb (MGP), straight rye whiskey from 82 barrels, aged 7 years, bottled at 117.2 barrel proof (58.6 ABV) in 2022. Tasted neat. Color is a nice deep rosie brown with strong coating legs in the glass. Nose is light cereal and grassy with some vanilla oak. In the mouth, rush of rye grain and spice and syrup sweetness. Then the ethanol rush hits--not unpleasant but there. That brings up a kind of acerbic tannic oak and leather flavor, dry and rather thin-feeling in the mouth. In the finish that tannic oak note mixes with rye spice and a fairly long sweet grassy exit. An ice cube really opens and rounds out this flavor profile, highlighting the sweeter grassier side of the rye. Makes for much easier sipping. And I just mixed this in a Whiskey Smash (mint, lemon, sugar, ice) and it really shines (although $$$ for a mixing rye). It's nice to see MGP as Ross and Squibb putting out and marketing their own product. We know they make great whiskies, so they should showcase the best of what they make in their own brands (Rossville and Remus), right?! But... I'm not sure they are... yet. But I'm ready to follow along and find out.

Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon B523, 124.4 proof. Tasted neat. Color in the glass is rich rosy brown with modest coating legs. The nose is sweet grass, wheat grain cereal, floral vanilla, cherry, and a whiff of spice. In the mouth, light brown sugar and corn sweet, with an ethanol flash. Oak and vanilla, grain, stone fruit--cherry, peach--and some tannins appear to moderate the sweet. Warm, but not hot for 124+ proof, but this definately lets you know it's there. Lots of competing flavors that really work well together. Long long long finish--sweet, spice, and tingling mint finish-- longer than I expected given the legs and modest coating mouthfeel that seems to build in the finish, and finally into a soft exit. No real sour or off flavors even at the end. A really harmonious wheated bourbon straight from the barrel. BreakingBourbon.com rates this one of the best in a line of top notch Larceny barrel proof releases in the last 4 years, scoring it a 4.5/5. High praise given they're able to taste against past releases. They also named it one of their Top 5 Bourbons of 2023. I've tasted a bunch of the top rated Larceny releases (C921, B522, C922) and this one holds up. I'm giving this an initial 4.75, but will keep tasting and thinking about it.

Bought this to mix, but tasting it neat. Golden brown in the glass with good coating legs. Nose is sweet caramel, vanilla, and floral. First sensation in the mouth was thin and white sugar sweet. Expected a better mouthfeel from the glass legs. From there it turns to dry tannic oak, leather, and vanilla. In the finish a little grassy rye spice comes on, then into a mineral, saline, and mint aftertaste. No real depth in any of these three tasting stages, or maybe only in the finish. Thin tasting until the end. Since I bought this for under $20 to mix into Whiskey Smashes, I'm not really disappointed--it will mix well. Better than JB White. But there are better choices (Evan Williams) in the same price range.

This has been sitting in the back of my cabinet for some time (years!) without review. Now. Tasted neat. Big tannic oak bare knuckle brawny, spicy five alarm fire, and an ethanol punch. That's the summation. But it has a caramel butterscotch nose and mouth taste under all that cask strenth rye spice essence. It's sweet (even floral vanilla) under all the char oak. It has a long tingling mouthfeel finish. It's a challange, and I say that as someone who loves spicy ryes. I've been drinking this with ice to temper it (before putting it away for a while), and that (ice or cold water) is my recommendation.

Bardstown BIB Bourbon, 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley, distilled Fall 2016 and aged 6 years, 50% ABV. Tasted neat. Golden brown color in the glass, with good coating legs. Nose is sweet caramel corn, light vanilla, and warm dry grass. In the mouth, explosion of burnt sugar, ethanol, vanilla, tannic charred oak, and leather. Rich and coating. Finish is maple sweet and tannic oak, with grassy spicy taste and a tingling feeling that lasts a looong time. Sweet and savory and earthy. Complex and balanced bourbon, rich and with heaft at 50% ABV. Ice softens the tannic oak and makes this an elegant sipper. Really well done, from mashbill to bottle.

Triple distilled, blended whiskey aged average 12 years in old oak bourbon and sherry casks, 40% abv. Tasting neat. Light golden color in the glass with thin coating legs. Nose is light sweet grain, and a floral vanilla. First sip, musty grain and sweet mush cereal, then oak, vanilla, and a some ethanol. A little saline and dry, with a thin mouthfeel. Some spice and grass shows up in the finish, which is pleasant but short with a hint of sour (sherry?) that lingers. Really, a classic Irish profile. It's not too sweet, has that saline quality, and light sherry/bourbon oak flavors. It rates fairly close behind the Green Spot and Redbreast 12 in my book. Less intense flavors, a calmer Irish blend. Easy to sip. Ice stretches it out pretty quickly. Would love to see what this looks like at 45 or 50 ABV, but then that would be a different whiskey.

Colorado blended bourbons (4-10 yrs) finished in rum casks at 9600 ft above sea level. 2023(?) Batch #12, 45% ABV. Mash bill of 56% corn, 38% rye, and 6% malted barley. Tasted neat. Copper gold in the glass with average coating legs. Nose is caramel corn and floral vanilla, light and tight. In the mouth, sugar sweetness, vanilla oak, light tannic bite, and then a light grassy spice comes on as it heads toward the finish. Sweet and average mouthfeel. The finish is cane sugar sweet, with some tannins, then a mint and rye lip tingle rising and falling in a longish finish. Clean, easy, ahhhh. I wasn't overly impressed with the Breckenridge Port Cask Finished bourbon, but had much higher hopes for this. Afterall, Breaking Bourbon (a web review page I value and trust) rated this its #1 Whiskey of 2020. Really! Ok, this is a sweet bourbon whose flaws in the port finish are hidden in this rum finish. But I'm not sure it's the best of 2020. Sweetness and no ethanol heat, light oak, tannins, and light spice leave this with a narrow flavor profile. But then, 2020 was RonaTime, and this is an ultimately comforting drink, just what the doctor ordered. Add ice and--careful!--it drinks too easy for those who are driving. Ok, so this is a really wonderful bourbon to sip, and those who prefer that sweet and floral profile will love this. I like it. It's good, even as a one-profile bourbon, and even at the price. Will keep tinkering with this tasting tonight.

Tasting neat. On the nose, sweet corn, light floral vanilla, and a whiff of ethanol. Light overall, including the color, orange brown. Good coating legs in the glass. Ethanol and sweet corn syrup show up first. Light vanilla oak and tart apple, and then a good dose of sweet grass and baking spice. Thin mouthfeel. Finish is spicy and sour/tart, then distinct mint tingle in an average length finish. It's a step up from the regular E.B. due to the higher proof, and I'm guessing it will mix well, and an ice cube will mellow the ethanol and highlight the sweet--yes, it does. It's a good everyday/working bourbon at this price point. Above average, but barely, and that's ok.