Tastes

Straight off, it’s like taking a sniff of freshly baked banana bread, with caramel, cinnamon, baked apples, and bits of burnt sugar, walnuts, and whipped topping. The palate brings in more banana bread, vanilla, golden raisins, butterscotch, mild cinnamon, and milk chocolate, as well as some bright sugary tones and freshly cut lumber. The finish eases in with more pastries and just a hint of barrel bitterness.

If you are lucky enough to try this whisky, make sure you’re able to spend some good quality time with it. This is a whisky that demands your attention and the longer you sit with it, the more you can pick out from it. That being said, its also a whisky that you can sit down with and enjoy without getting overly analytical. Now onto the review: This a nose that just keeps evolving and unfolding. Initial nosing reveals notes of cherries, prunes, honey, walnuts, musty oak, dark preserved oranges, dried apricots, raisins, molasses, a bit of a maritime quality of sand and sea breeze, and the barest hint of smoke. As you continue to spend time with it, you can begin to pickup overripe pears, peppery notes, maybe hints of vermouth, chocolate, and caramel. Going in for the taste, you get all of the notes from the nose before it continues to unfold into dark sugars, dark fruits, fortified wines like port and sherry, hints of red wine, a bit of a French oak-type spiciness and nuttiness, deep rich notes of oak mixed with spices like ginger and nutmeg. This is an unbelievably complex, interesting, and downright amazing whisky. It’s expensive, but if you’re able, it’s worth every penny. Goddamned spectacular! Got this for 50 USD for a pour.

The aroma, while not super complex, is extremely interesting. Initial nosing gives strong notes of overripe bananas, rose petals, cinnamon, musty oak, apple skins, and slight acetone. On the palate it’s an explosion of bananas, cinnamon candies, and brown sugar, with the floral elements easing in on the finish, along with a not unpleasant note of barrel bitterness. Further tasting brings out notes of buttery cookies, toffee, and an undertone of deep earthiness. A typically delicious example of a Four Roses barrel pick. Total Wine barrel pick: 55.2% ABV; aged 10 years

Revised: When I first opened this bottle, I was smacked in the face with ethanol, acetone, eucalyptus, mint, a whiff of honey and light malty notes. A very harsh medicinal nose. The palate was similarly harsh, reminding me of the old, original flavor of Listerine. Very heavily herbaceous, with notes of black pepper, and menthol. After a couple of months, the whiskey has opened up quite a bit, with the solvent notes fading a bit to be replaced by stronger notes of freshly cut grass, alfalfa, mint tea, eucalyptus, vanilla, and corn syrup. I don’t love this whiskey, but it is a nice example of a well crafted rye erring more towards the side of grassy, herbal flavors. This is a 102.2 proof version of this expression, purchased in Missoula MT.

Batch No. 5, 56.8% ABV On the nose, you’re abruptly hit with overripe apples, banana peel, gingerbread, toasted walnuts, graham crackers, and intense vanilla; very little subtlety here. The palate is quite a bit more complex than the nose, with stewed apples and cherries, honey, ginger, cloves, cardamom, peanut brittle, musty corn, vanilla, and a bit of dried, dead grass. The finish is straight vanilla extract, honey, and dried apples, with a bit of a waxy walnut note. Expect a nice warming Kentucky hug on this one. A bit heavy on the vanilla and overcooked fruit notes for my preference, but overall an interesting and tasty bourbon.

This single malt was distilled at the New Zealand based Willowbrook Distillery at Dunedin. It was then aged for 6 years in ex-bourbon casks and 10 years in ex-wine French oak casks. The nose is full of raisins, strawberry preserves, honey, and a brown sugar note almost leaning towards root beer. On the palate, the influence of the French oak wine casks is immediately apparent, with dark stewed fruits complementing mild hints of cloves, gingersnaps, vanilla, and a non-specific nuttiness. Further sips reveal watermelon rinds, fig jam, light honey and herbal notes. Unfortunately overshadowing many of the delicate flavors of this single malt is a robust barrel bitterness. My guess is this contributed to the rationale for bottling this whisky at 40% ABV. Sadly this leads to slightly diluted flavors overall. This is an overall pleasant and complex whisky that just doesn’t reach its full potential. In many ways it reminds me of a lighter, lower proof, and less well rounded Balcones Single Malt, despite its higher age statement and price tag.

The nose is rich and complex, with dusty caramel, crunchy peanut butter, strong vanilla, toffee, allspice, and oddly hints of KitKat bar and nougat. The palate is immediately sweet and nutty, with notes of milk chocolate, raisins, English toffee, molasses, and honeyed peanut butter. The mid palate introduces caramelized sugars, toasted marshmallow, slightly burnt buttered popcorn, hints of chocolate-orange, and a mildly bitter and spicy caramel that really engulfs the tongue. On the finish, you get caramel, roasted nuts, tobacco leaf, and light barrel char. A beautifully sweet, complex, and modestly spicy bourbon. This bottle is from the Whiskey & Barrel Nite - Chicago. It is an unfinished, 8-9 year old straight bourbon (Dickel juice), bottled at a toasty 60.7% ABV.

Light caramel, cloves, honey, butterscotch, golden delicious apples, and shortbread on the nose. The palate adds an element of light barrel char, candied ginger, corn custard, and a slight herbal background. The proof is not overbearing, with the sweetness of the palate making this a pleasant, almost easy sipper. Where bourbons like Elijah Craig Barrel Proof and Stagg Jr. are dark, rich, and complex, this bourbon, while similarly complex, is lighter and brighter, leaning more towards fresh fruit, light spice, and cream. A delicious, and surprisingly unique bourbon.

Honeyed pecans, caramel, vanilla, and fresh apples. Everything that’s good about Evan Williams Single Barrel dialed to 11. The added ABV makes a wonderful difference. A fantastic dram.