Tastes

Batch 2017-01E 6 Years 1 Month 62.7% ABV / 125.4° Proof —//— On the nose is intense, dark brown sugar caramel, cinnamon, vanilla, oak, leather and a hint of smoky barrel char. Sweet and spicy root beer with a strong alcoholic tingle. - To the palate it is incredibly dense and powerfully alcoholic. Rich, sweet dark caramel and spicy cinnamon makes for a very intense and warming dram. - In the finish the warmth and oak reside with tingling spices and vanilla. — With water the nose really opens up revealing heightened versions of all the initial aromas with particularly more prominent oak and spice notes, as well as candies orange peel and ginger. - Still powerful on the palate, now tingling across my entire tongue, top and bottom, sweeter and spicier with some candied ginger notes appearing, leading to a more dry oak finish. —//— Bourbon Mark: 94 —//— Water is essential to fully exploring this whisky. Definitely something you need to take your time with. It’s among the very best bourbons I have tasted.

On the nose I find aromas of almonds, marzipan, sweet vanilla, creamed corn, toasted oak, light cinnamon sugar, whipped butter, crusty bread rolls, subtle orange peel and antique furniture polish. - To the palate it is incredibly juicy and warming. Flavours of vanilla, light maple syrup on toast, pecan butter tarts, gentle chai spices, bitter orange peel, dark chocolate, leather and dry oak. - The finish is very dry with long lingering oak, light spices, well oiled wood, and a distinct wheat flour impression. — With water it becomes more lively on the nose and distinctly more sweet and gentle on the palate. Even the finish is more shifted towards the sweet and significantly shorter. —//— Bourbon Mark: 90 —//— I did open this a month ago. It’s better today than it was then. I like it! It smells great, has quite a pleasant flavour that is interesting. The age shows itself well here!

No detailed tasting notes today, I am sorry... we were just enjoying the experiences and sharing our first impressions. I will go back to this and delve deeper once I’ve had more time with it. — Initially, aromas of sherry wine and cognac were dominant, with flavourful corn whisky throughout. - Given time, the corn came more to the nose and rye spice along with the cognac’s French oak spice revealed themselves on the palate. - As more time passed, those rye notes started to present themselves to the nose while the wine notes receded, and the flavour started to become more full bodied. - After more than an hour the whisky really started to reveal itself, presenting a little oak, but not nearly so much as one mag expect for a spirit that has spent so long inside a barrel.

On the nose is very sweet caramel and oak. Rich spices, vanilla, orange peel, ginger, sweet corn, butter, cherry, with hints of floral and herbal notes. - To the palate it is fruity sweet and spicy with rich oak flavours. Softer than you would expect for 107° Proof. Herbal rye notes, black pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, butter, caramel corn, candied orange peel and cherry candy. - The finish is dry with oak, rye notes, lingering spices, and leather. — With water the nose is darker and sweeter with rich brown sugar caramel and vanilla. More sweet on the palate, and less spicy, but the ginger remains. In the finish it is no longer dry, lingering sweet oak and roasted nuts. —//— Bourbon Mark: 90 —//— I think this is a really nice, flavourful bourbon, but it lacks the punch and intensity I get with Knob Creek. Nice complexly, and I believe this is nearly Barrel Proof, but it does seem a little expensive for what it is.

On the nose I get aromas of soft corn, dusty oak, subtle rye, light smoke, thin caramel, floral vanilla, gentle citrus and candied orange. - To the palate it is semi-sweet caramel with oak wood, rye spice, grassy grains, floral vanilla, orange peel and a whisp of tobacco smoke. - In the finish there are some lingering spices and sour oak. — With water it becomes a lot more sweet and herbal on the nose, a little softer to the palate, but more spicy in the finish. —//— Bourbon Mark: 84 —//— So, I think it’s a decent bourbon. Maybe a little over hyped, and over priced, being $10-20 more than most Single Barrel Bourbons I’ve reviewed.

On the nose I get egg nog, waxy honey, sweet cinnamon, creamy vanilla, dried apricots, golden raisins, maraschino cherries, bran cereal, toasted almonds, oak, floral rye grain, candied orange peel, milk chocolate, hints of herbal mint, and soft black licorice. - To the palate it is very dense and flavour packed. Caramel corn, floral honey, rye spice, cinnamon, clove, toasted oak, vanilla custard, butter, candied orange peel, cherry lozenges, golden raisins, hints of milk chocolate and subtle mint. - In the finish is rich and coating with toasted oak and complex grains lingering on the palate. — With water it is more floral and citrus on the nose, more sweet and savory to the palate, and spicier in the finish. —//— Grain Mark: 91 —//— It’s a very complex whisky. I’m going to need a lot more time to fully explore the range of flavours from this grain blend.

On the nose is rich, dark brown sugar, caramel, toffee with oak, vanilla, cinnamon, cherries and a hint of barrel char. - To the palate it is dry and oak forward. More savory than sweet. Complex spices layered on leather and tobacco with those charred oak notes throughout. - The finish is all oak and cinnamon. Very astringent, leaving an incredibly dry palate. — With water I get a sweet orange note on the nose, the palate presents more of a rye note which brings almost an herbal note to the bone dry finish. —//— Bourbon Mark: 89 —//— This has got the be the driest bourbon I’ve ever had. Not what I was expecting! The nose is classic bourbon, so I’m expecting sweet, then you get bitter, astringent, mouthwatering. Maybe this unique character is what draws so many people to Michter’s? It’s over priced, but I like it.

Barreled on 4-12-10 Barrel No. 548 Bottled on 3-28-18 —//— On the nose I get oak, rye, cinnamon, toffee, and barrel char with hints of roasted peanuts, leather and sawdust. - To the palate it is juicy and spicy with oak, honey, apples, salted caramel, roasted nuts and orange peel. - In the finish lingers black pepper, oak, light cinnamon sugar and smoky barrel char with a slightly sour, wet ash note. — With water everything becomes more subtle. Light citrus oil on the nose with more peanut, gentle sweet and savory spice on the palate, then sour wood in the finish. —//— Bourbon Mark: 85 —//— So, this is a really decent bourbon, and I’m glad I picked it up. Love the look of the wax dipped bottle, and appreciate the transparency on the label.

On the nose I get strong cinnamon, maple syrup, bright flowers, fresh mown grass, green grapes, wet rye, white wine, vanilla, oak, candied orange peel, leather, and black tea with chai spices. - To the palate it is intense with an immediate arrival of strong, spicy rye flavours that give way to sweeter, fruitier notes of white grape juice, maple syrup, floral white wine, candied orange and cinnamon sugar. Oak dryness appears with dark chocolate, leather, then savory butter and black peppercorns on smoked bacon. - In the finish there’s a warm oak flavour with light maple syrup, vanilla and chai spices. — With water, the nose becomes more floral, the palate become far more spicy with brighter citrus notes, and the finish has a more candied oak warmth to it. —//— Rye Mark: 94 —//— Compared side-by-side with the 12-Year Old at 55% ABV, I find that one is richer in flavour with more oak and caramalized sweeteness, while the 11-Year is spicier and more zesty. They’re both great!

Filled: 2-22-17 Barrel No. 17-1007 Rick No. L-27 —//— On the nose I’m already picking up that fresh baked banana bread aroma in the air, in the glass I’m getting a lot of charcoal, smoky caramel, oak wood, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, toasted barley malt and sweet overripe banana. - To the palate it is very sharp, hot alcoholic warmth, then sweet corn, spicy rye, dry oak, savory butter, vanilla caramel, cinnamon, dusty pepper, dried herbs and slight citrus. - In the finish I’m getting lacquer thinner, wet wood, wood glue, rye grass, black pepper, slight maple sap and cigar ash. — With water the nose becomes their classic bananas and glue with a touch of caramel. Less sharp on the palate, but more herbal and complex spice. The finish still feels like thinner and sour wood. — With more water I get sawdust on the nose, cane juice and maple filtered water to the palate and nothing in the finish. —//— Bourbon Mark: 84 —//— Tasting side by side with the 2013 barrel, I feel like that one was more mature and has a more balanced sweetness with more complex spice notes. — They are very similar, but my first impressions of this new bottle were that it was very harsh and needed a lot of water to be palatable. It has been a couple months now... Oxidation helps. — I can’t discount the fact the older bottle has been open for 5 years, which makes a difference. I still would recommend it, but give it time to open up. It’s not my favorite.