Tastes
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Jack Daniel's Bonded Tennessee Whiskey
Tennessee Whiskey — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed September 27, 2022 (edited October 1, 2022)Nose opens with…yup there it is; banana Runts candy. Luckily there is a little more here as well as we also get caramel, vanilla, shoepeg corn, black cherry, cola, and a light touch of oak. Total lack of ethanol for a 100 proof is almost wizardry and you can literally almost snort it without catching a nasal burn. Palate opens with the banana from the nose, but then takes a nice turn with candy corn, cola nut, flan, and grape. This is definitely a sweeter whisky, although the notes are light enough to keep it from falling into the “dessert whiskey” category. Flavors come off a little delicate, which I’d say is a feature not a bug, but your mileage may vary. Tasty. Finish is a slow, subtle shift (a plus for me) and is quite good but oh so short. The black cherry from the nose surfaces and mixes with the cola from the palate giving a cherry coke note, along with cinnamon and more soft sweet oak. Mouthfeel is thin bodied, and while I wouldn’t go so far as to call it “watery”, I definitely wanted a more robust body. There are some adjectives to describe this: Crushable (it is very easy to keep sipping and next thing you know you 3/4 of the way through your pour). Unchallenging. Comfortable; the whiskey equivalent of an old tennis shoe. So, I’m not going to lie…I like this. I know it’s not great whiskey, but the mouth likes what the mouth likes. Kind of like Jack In The Box tacos or Pizza Rolls. Why do we like them? I don’t know, we just do. At $30, this holds its own or beats other major players in the price range (Elijah Craig, Buffalo Trace) but falls short of the depth and complexity of say a Wild Turkey 101. That said, would I buy it again when in the mood for something different? I could see that happening.30.0 USD per Bottle -
Rabbit Hole Dareringer Straight Bourbon Finished in PX Sherry Casks
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed September 22, 2022 (edited September 26, 2022)First sampling from Rabbit Hole. Excited to see what we have here: Nose opens with dark fruits, raisins, caramel, vanilla, apple, pistachio, sweet oak, and just a touch too much ethanol for a 90 proof. That said, the nose has a decent pungency and is promising enough. Palate opens with kind of a standard caramel/vanilla note and some generic red fruit (cherry) annnnnnd “that’s all folks!” I mean there is nothing else there; the mid-palate simply does not exist. Are my taste buds broken or is this literally the blandest base bourbon ever? I just can’t state enough how boring and flat this is. Yikes. Finish is where things take a welcome upturn as the PX cask shines through with raisin, date, fig, pistachio, almond, pepper, and oak. But it’s quite short and with a finish this nice and complex, you want it to last. Mouthfeel is full and chewy which is a pleasant surprise and really complements the finish. Overall, this is as if you took a turd and polished it really well so that it’s shiny and sparkly, but can’t change the fact that it is still in fact, a turd. Hard to believe this is sourced from MGP, but then again I can’t remember any other offerings I have had from their wheated mashbill, so there this the possibility that it just sucks mightily. At $80, this is laughably far from a rebuy and honestly I probably rated it too high at a 3.5, but the nose and finish kept this from being a total train wreck. Too bad as I wanted to like it more.79.99 USD per Bottle -
Nose features vanilla cream, butterscotch, sweetbread, nutmeg, white pepper, and hint of generic citrus. There’s an herb in there which is hard to pin down, but at gunpoint I’d say sage. Wood presence is minimal to non-existent. Decent strength and completely ethanol free. Warm and inviting. Palate opens with more heavy vanilla cream, cereal grains, butter, poppyseed muffin, clover honey, chocolate malt, and golden raisin. A welcome mild linseed oil taste keeps things lively. Flavors are more robust than the proof would indicate. Medium length finish finds the butterscotch promised in the nose, along with cake icing, pineapple, and sweet subtle oak. Mouthfeel is slick and creamy. Wow, this stuff is good. One of those whiskies that if people knew how good it was, it would fly off the shelf. At $80 it is priced appropriately for a 12 yr product of this quality. Maybe a shade short of the best of the “Breast” and “Spot” whiskies, but very solid nonetheless. Rebuy status.
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Been curious about this one and it’s big square bottle for a while now and finally decided to pull the trigger, let’s see how it shapes up… Nose is pungent and complex with gingerbread, pear, cherry, toffee, cedar, leather, walnut, and clove. Some mild ethanol which is a bit of a flaw given the proof. Palate has the sherry cask finishing doing some good things as we get pear, grape syrup, chocolate, molasses, tobacco, dark dried fruits, and almond. You can kind of tell that the base bourbon here is a little young as there are some slightly rough edges and a bit of prickliness, but the overall flavor is pretty well balanced. Long finish for the proof point with date, fig, light caramel, grape, ginger, and cherrywood. There is a note after everything else fades that I swear is reminiscent of fruit punch. Some youth shows here again in the form of alcohol heat. Mouthfeel is oily and medium bodied and suits the flavor profile perfectly. Overall at 89.99, my initial reaction was to say “decent bourbon, but overpriced”, and as much as I have come to like this I’m going to have to stand by the initial impressions. At $90, we shouldn’t be dealing with flaws. A worthy effort and a tasty whiskey, but I’m going to say just falls just short of a rebuy. Gets the non-existent rating of 3.95.
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Total Wine 11 yr store pick, Rickhouse 1G, Floor 7. (Since I have already reviewed this bourbon, this review will focus on the differences between this store pick and the standard release. Review of limited use to anyone outside the Phoenix, AZ area) So truth be told, for the money I love me some higher aged Elijah Craig small batch store picks. How does this one measure up? Nose is a little disappointing as along with some of the bright elements usually found (green apple, new oak, and peanut shell) there is an unusually high amount of ethanol for such a low proof. Palate is very typical for the expression with more brightness in the form of light caramel, vanilla, creamed corn, green oak, and walnut (dammit I wanted peanut) There is a musty note floating around in there which I enjoyed. Finish has cinnamon, copper penny, and sweet oak. An improvement over the standard release, which I find to be pretty tannic. This has a little more balance. Finish remains short, which is to be expected for the proof. While this is not one of the better store picks of this I have had, it is reasonably solid and once we figure in the price of $35, it becomes even more solid if not a bargain in todays market. Considering the price point I would definitely take another stab at a similarly aged pick in the future, as I have found some real gems out there. This just isn’t one of them.35.0 USD per Bottle
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Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed August 11, 2022 (edited October 17, 2022)Fox Cigar Bar pick from Gilbert, Arizona. (As I have already reviewed this whiskey instead of a full review I will just note the differences between this store pick and the standard version. Review probably of limited value to anyone outside the Phoenix AZ area) Ok, just have to start off by saying this is absolutely delicious. Less spice and shorter finish than the standard version (probably since the two are somewhat related) but the depth of flavors are richer and more decadent. Peaches and cream, rich vanilla bean, buttered corn, sweet oak, cinnamon sugar…it’s all there and seamlessly integrated. Note that when I say “shorter finish” that it is still ridiculously long. Not a hint of ethanol anywhere in the nose or palate. Liquid ambrosia. I believe if memory serves I paid $119 for this and would literally line up to pay that again. It’s that good. Obviously with store picks mileage varies, but if given the chance to grab another pick of EHTSB at this price I will certainly not pass on it.119.0 USD per Bottle -
Balcones ZZ Top Tres Hombres
Other Whiskey — Texas, USA
Reviewed August 1, 2022 (edited August 2, 2022)On the nose getting brown sugar, charcoal, maple, raisin, date, fig, and mesquite. It’s nicely pungent but an under current of ethanol mildly distracts. Palate follows the nose but add creme brûlée, birthday cake icing, vanilla, caramel, and cocoa nibs. Some creamed corn in the mid-palate. Rich, decadent, sweet, and dessert-y. Finish carries these notes forward but then morphs into Red Hots candy, chili pepper, mint, and sweet oak. Mouthfeel is full bodied and silky enough to be a perfect match for the flavor profile. So as a reviewer of many a Balcones whiskey, I guess you can call me a fan. And I’ve found that usually the best Balcones is a subdued Balcones (yes they exist) and that’s what we have here. While some of their expressions are like a jackhammer, this one is more of a scalpel. At $53, I feel it it’s priced appropriately. One of the better whiskies in the Balcones lineup.52.99 USD per Bottle -
Milam & Greene Port Finished Rye
Rye — Indiana , USA
Reviewed July 19, 2022 (edited December 16, 2022)Giving to me by a friend who is giving up whisky for a little while. Not something that I probably would have pulled the trigger on myself, so let’s see what we’ve got here: Nose opens with spearmint/wintergreen, black tea, and rye spice, but there is a hint of fruit which I’m guessing is imparted by the port finish. Orange zest and berry. But the nose as a whole is a little muted, unfortunately. Honestly, this palate opens like any other young MGP rye; herbal tea, honey, lemongrass, white pepper, and mint. The low proof isn’t really letting the flavors shine, and everything comes off a little flat. The finish is where things get interesting and by far the best part of this. In addition to the flavors from the palate carrying through we add cinnamon, caramel, clove, fig, hazelnut, and blackberry. The length is pretty short. Mouthfeel is on the thicker side of medium bodied and is a nice fit for the profile. Well, this isn’t a home run, nor is it an epic fail. More like “lost in the shuffle”. I expected more from the port finish than what presented here. While it’s hard to find major flaws (yay MGP), it’s also hard to find anything remarkable that would make me want to buy it. At $43 it is in no way overpriced, but I’d probably rather pay an up charge and go with something richer and punchier. Meh?43.0 USD per Bottle -
Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed July 1, 2022 (edited August 20, 2022)Ok time for something I’ve never done before: a second review of a bourbon I’ve already reviewed! And why would I do this you ask? I don’t know if my palate has changed or this bourbon has changed or both, but this is tasting very very different from my initial review from years ago. (I’ve heard WT often blends older whiskies into their batch products as needed to use up aging stock so maybe that’s what’s going on here) Keeping the things from my initial review which still apply and altering what no longer applies. On the nose, I am getting vanilla bean, nutmeg, buttered toast, barrel char, and a hint of pine. Light ethanol riding underneath. Palate opens with caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, and cinnamon bun but it quickly morphs into a leather/tobacco flavor in the mid-palate with the caramel turning into flan. Some oak makes itself known as well. Finishes with some rich sweet oak, a bloom of baking spices, white pepper, a hint of mint, and a sour note (Green apple? Kiwi?) which brings complexity and mellows out what might otherwise be spice overkill. After the initial tastes fade, you are left with a cake batter note which is nice. There's heat there, but it's all barrel spices so it is in no way a mouth scorcher. Finish is nice and long with noticeable warming. Mouthfeel is thick and syrupy. So in my initial review I couldn’t get over the mintyness of this whiskey (again, could be me) but that is long gone in this version which lets the more desirable elements really shine. NOW I see what everyone raves about, and I am so glad I gave this one another shot. At $60 this now falls into “steal” territory. No wonder it’s now vanishing from store shelves as quickly as it lands in my area. What once was a 3.5 is now a 4.25. Highly recommend.59.99 USD per Bottle -
Woodinville Straight Bourbon
Bourbon — Washington, USA
Reviewed June 23, 2022 (edited October 20, 2022)Given to me as a gift from a good friend, let’s see what this has to offer: Bright aroma features black cherry, cedar, Red Hots candy, vanilla custard, orange zest, and a hint of ethanol. Robust nose given the proof, I’ll say that. Palate opens with standard vanilla/caramel notes, baking spices (nutmeg and cinnamon), and generic stone fruit. Not very complex and suffers from a lack of any sort of a mid-palate, but the flavors that are there are pleasantly rich and I’d say this punches above its weight class flavor wise. Short finish brings in the black cherry from the nose followed by a significant amount of oak. There’s a leafy herb note (thyme?) in there as well. Mouthfeel is full and slick, and probably the best part of this bourbon. This one surprised me a bit; for only a 5 year product, it has smoothed over any rough edges and comes together nicely. And therein lies the rub; this bourbon is…nice. But with nothing truly unique or memorable about it, at $40 it kind of gets lost in the shuffle. Neither cheap enough to replace my bargain daily drinkers nor special enough to compete with other available options at or just above the price point. Would I buy it? Uhhh…maybe? Definitely dependent on lack of other options available.40.0 USD per Bottle
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