Tastes

The nose is very fruit forward - its like cherry pie filling and grape jelly-esq with some cereal grain, vanilla, and oak underneath. Theres also a little of that old dusty leather bound book note. Thin mouthfeel, but does offer a small burst of concentrated flavor as grape jelly and cinnamon red hots. There’s a little mintyness and herbaceousness in there, too. Finish has some vanilla, cinnamon, some leather, and some oak. The nose might be the strongest aspect of the pour, but for 45% abv, if it can be found around $30-40, it’s worth the shelf space and the price tag.

MGP of Lawrenceburg, IN; barreled in new American white oak in Higbee, MO; and bottled/ crafted by Sweet Rust Distilling, PA. Bottled at 118 proof and aged for 6 years. 78% corn, 21% rye, and 1% malt barley. Lots of brown sugar, oak, chocolate, and vanilla, with some underlying soft skinned fruits, like green apple and pear. Maybe even some white grape and mint. There’s quite a bit going on. Very oaky immediately on the pallet. Gives an impression of a chocolate chip cookie without the chocolate - just with the brown sugar, vanilla, and the rather butteryness of the bourbon. The finish mirrors the pallet. I don’t think it drinks it proof - it’s really smooth. Very chocolate, oak, and vanilla dominant.

The nose is as absolute bomb of chocolate covered cherries, with some spearmint underneath. The cherries take on a bit of a medicinal quality, but it dissipates, leaving behind the trail of milk chocolate and mint. The finish is basically chocolate covered cherries, mint, and shortbread. It’s smooth, but not long lasting.

N: soft, chewy caramels, sweet milk chocolate, mint, oak, citrus (particularly lemon) zest, black tea leaves/ earthiness P: nothing immediately jumps out, other than the rye spice; sort of an amalgamation of the nose; very floral and minty with some of the milk chocolate and chewy caramel sweetness intertwined F: milk chocolate, mint, tea leaf/ oak Definitely one to always have on hand.

I get a lot of vanilla and oak on the nose, sort of like an oaky frosted Christmas cookie - it’s rather light and sweet and smooth on the nose. It’s minty and floral on my tongue, which is surprising given I get none of that on the nose. Well maybe a little mint? The vanilla comes in late. The finish is nice. Good little hug that lasts a little less than 10 seconds or so. It’s sort of one dimensional is my only knock against it. But it’s really smooth overall and an easy sipper. I’d give it like a 5.5 or 5.75 out of 10. So certainly above average I think.

N: once I get past the initial blast of ethanol, I get baked apple and caramel, with some spearmint and pine needles, bubblegum and old leather. After a bit, the ethanol almost becomes like a highland scotch peat. P: light skinned fruit (pear and apple), caramel, baking spice (cinnamon, anise, molasses, brown sugar), oak F: the finish, for me, is the most pleasing aspect of EW black label; it doesn’t offer a strong Kentucky hug by any means, but gives a pleasant bit of baked apple and pear, caramel, toasted oak, and some mint.

N: the nose is grassy, earthy, and dank like damp wood up front with a vanilla and caramel sweetness hiding beneath that. I also get maybe some raisins and prunes P: anise seed/ black licorice up front on the pallet, with some of that earthiness and vanilla coming closely behind F: the finish is faint black licorice, damp wood, and a salty brininess

Tasted neat in a glencairn after resting for about 20 minutes while I read bedtime stories. On the nose I get a combination of orange peel, bubble gum, and brown sugar. The ethanol definitely makes its presence known. The pallet is really where the proof is known; it is hot. I get a good deal of oakiness, some of the bubble gum sweetness, some peppery/ cinnamon-y/ clove-y spice. The finish is nice and long, offers a good hug, and offers a little bit of the sweet bubblegum and brown sugar, spicy cinnamon/ clove/ pepper, and oakiness.

After resting in a glencairn for about 15 minutes, I’m immediately greeted with oak and lots of it. Layered underneath all of the tannins, the aroma is incredibly sweet - butterscotch, caramel, and brown sugar - and there is a little hint of spearmint or something floral in there. The flavor profile is very wood-driven, but there is also some cherry soda. It is very smooth. The finish is again very oaky, but the cherry soda remains, and the the spearmint and the caramel sweetness make their return.

On the nose I get lots of cherry cola, some vanilla and maple, and oak. There’s also a little grassiness in there too. On the pallet, it’s a good deal of that grassiness, and some hot brown sugar. The finish is a long and warm and much of the grassy and hot brown sugar.