Tastes

Agreeing with The Big Chis. I had just had Knob Creek, a fairly spicy and robust bourbon, so my tastebuds might have been jaded, but I didn't find the spiciness promised in the expert review. I found the nose fruity and not too assertive. On the palate, I thought it was pretty grain forward. Very malty. I kept thinking about the old Sugar Smacks cereal from my childhood but not quite as sugary. Not terrible, but not inspiring, either.

In the glass,the amber color is not as deep as expected , but nonetheless presents a pleasant hue. A swirl reveals legs that languidly morph from thick to thin as the spirit slides down the side to meet its cohort. I nosed the glass numerous times to enjoy the layers of aromatic notes. First, cinnamon and cloves arrive, joined next by other baking spices, which are quickly embraced by rich vanilla milkshake. A hint of fruit dances in the background (strawberry?). Last to the party is sweet creamed corn. On the palate, a little caramel sweetness is joined by the baking spices, which appear throughout. A little leather comes on the scene, along for the ride through the dryer, oaky finish. The dry glass smells like pipe tobacco (Borkum Riff) and dark chocolate. I didn't pick up those notes on the palate, so I will have to look for them next time I drink this pleasant bourbon. All in all, I was quite impressed and will definitely be sipping more of this. 93 points for 5 stars.

I was at a holiday party with limited choices, so I reached for the Chivas 12. The nose was thin and subtle, almost non-existent, with subtle fruit. On the palate, the flavor of apples was immediately predominant, and persisted through mid-palate, soon joined by subtle spice. A little hot on the finish, with a bit of salt and a faint vegetal note like celery seed, which seemed a bit out of place. Slight bitterness on the short finish. In all, not a great sipper.

Okay, so I saw this at a wedding reception this evening where the choices were limited. I thought, "well Don Draper swills this relentlessly on Mad Men" so how bad could it be? I had it on the rocks. On nosing, I couldn't detect a whole lot except alcohol. On the palate, more of the same, to the point where I almost thought I was drinking sweetened vodka. After a while, a little caramel came through, almost making think I was drinking rum. This is not anything I would buy a bottle of, or drink on the rocks again, but I thought I'd try it. I'm sure it would mix well, as it didn't have anything offensive.

Decidedly spicier than regular Maker's. On the nose, I found sweet corn, vanilla, caramel and sliced apples. Palate is a little sweet - not cloying. There is baking spice from beginning to end with a little bitterness and leather mid-palate, and more spice and some barrel on the moderately long finish. A little water brings out some candied pecans. Very nice.

Fruit, honey, smoke, and doctor's office medicinal on the nose. Slightly sweet at beginning of the sip, with sea spray, iodine, and smoke rolling in on the tide thereafter. More brine and iodine on the finish. This dram's most distinguishing characteristic is the growing warmth that fills your mouth, throat, and whole being as you drink it. It is the definitely a comfort spirit. An intense sensory experience.

I am a peated Scotch neophyte. Before Bowmore 12, I had only had Laphroaig 10, which tasted like poison to me, Highland Park 12, which was okay, and Bunnahabhain 12, which was only inconsequentially peated. I can say that Bowmore is the best so far. In the glass, the amber color suggests something perhaps less substantial than what the palate brings. Long legs on the side of the glass hint at its body and full mouth feel. On the nose, apples, oak, vanilla, honey, hay, and peat smoke are present. The palate is very sweet with continued honey, some oak, subtle sea spray, and a bit of a medicinal, Campho-Phenique flavor. The medium finish brings some more sweetness and lingering peat smoke, and very little burn. In short, it is sweet, smooth, and peaty and medicinal enough to keep it interesting. The empty glass smells of bandaids. Looking forward to trying the 18-year, based upon comparative reviews I've read.

Nose is vanilla and candied almonds with a little sweet corn and caramel coming through. Palate is sweet with a little baking spice - clove. Mid-palate brings more spice, some leather and oak. Medium finish is spicy with a bit of alcohol burn. Overall a good, reasonably priced bourbon but not my favorite.

This bourbon seems like a way for Brown Foreman to get a few extra bucks for Old Forrester by repackaging it. It tastes pretty much like it to me (see my review of Old Forrester), cherry cough syrup aftertaste and all. When this bottle is gone, I won't be getting another. Meantime, I will use it for Old Fashioneds or just disguise it with ginger ale. Note that I gave this one less star than Old Forrester because it costs more and tastes like a marketing ploy.

Dark amber color in the glass. Forms long legs on the side. After pouring, the nose is all alcohol, but after a few minutes' rest, the complexity of the dram opens up with notes of spice (allspice and cloves), sweet caramel, fruit, and even a faint hint of cucumber. On the front of the palate, the flavor is sweet, and the mouthfeel is full and creamy. On mid-palate, the spice from the nose continues, along with a slight saltiness, akin to salted butter. On swallowing, vanilla and rye go down, leaving behind a long finish full of more spice. The empty glass smells of caramel, spice, and oak barrel. This is a rye drinkers rye, but approachable for the bourbon enthusiast. I will definitely keep a bottle of this around. It is complex, bold, and worth more than its price. Update: notes are the same. I'm updating my rating: 90 points. Just under the wire at 5 stars.