Tastes

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Nose is quite good featuring buttered popcorn, vanilla, fresh cut wood, and golden raisin. Ethanol is nice and low. Palate opens with standard vanilla/caramel (in no way a bad thing) and creamed corn, along with bright oak tannins and pecan. Flavors aren’t the richest, but have a certain punch nonetheless. Well balanced. Finish turns into a nice spice bloom of cinnamon, clove, and prickly pepper heat, and is of medium length. Mouthfeel is effervescent and silky and elevates the experience. I found this to be super solid and pleasantly traditional. The obvious comparison is to Henry McKenna 10 yr, and this is just a shade hotter and less refined but otherwise ranks right up there. Completely unavailable in my area, I paid an up charge of $65 for mail order, but I will rate this on its MSRP of $40 and quite frankly it’s a total win and could easily be my daily drinker at that price. Insta-buy at $50 or under.

What may be my final sampling of the Oak and Eden line. It’s been a fun journey, and let’s see what this brings to the table. On the nose, we get barrel char that seems to be synonymous with the line, followed by young whiskey notes of varnish and corn, some oak, but wait…what’s this? A vinous aroma of Concord grape and wine tannins. Ok, Oak and Eden, I see you. But not going to lie; some bothersome ethanol pokes through as well especially considering this is 90 proof. Just sayin’. Palate opens with standard vanilla/caramel but with an interesting berry compote note underneath. But man, there is NO mid-palate here at all; races to the finish. Finish is short with more char involved, but the best part carries the longest in the form of some nice fruity/jammy notes. Specifically grape. I mean duh, it’s got a “wine soaked spiral” but the flavor is way more grape jelly than Cabernet Sauvignon. Mouthfeel is pretty harsh and grainy, with the young age being front and center. The Cab soaked spiral is almost (but not quite) able to cover what is most likely 2 year old whiskey contained in the bottle. Pleasant surprise, but more of a novelty than a great whiskey. At $55, this does not in any way qualify as a value, in fact one could argue that it is grossly overpriced. In my book, not terrible but not a rebuy either.

Nose opens with lots of fruits and as I was trying to discern them, it hit me…this smells a lot like a fruit cocktail. Which (and I had to look this up) apparently contains peaches, pears, pineapple, grapes and cherries. So yeah, all of that. Add dates, plum, a hint of licorice and soft, fresh cut oak tree. Smells really inviting. The palate does not disappoint. I will say that from that fruit cocktail nose only pear and grape make it through to the palate, along with date, fig, toffee, golden raisin, milk chocolate, pomegranate, and nutmeg, Flavors are richer than the ABV would indicate. Mouthfeel is light and airy; a perfect match for the flavor profile and proof. It’s hard to call this fruity and sweet of a whiskey “balanced” but maybe…harmonious (?) as everything comes together rather perfectly. Finish transitions from the palate in a slow, measured fashion. Oak and spices come in bringing with it a slight bitterness that really helps this from becoming cloying from the sweetness. The bulk of the finish is relatively short but lingering notes of allspice and cinnamon last way longer than expected. Darker and sweeter than the Lusteau edition, this is by all means a delight. Now, I must get something off my chest: damn you Redbreast. Damn you straight to hell for making a delicious 92 proof whiskey that retails for $119.00! Grrr. Literally the price point is the only thing keeping this from being a straight up 5.0. And yet…I still might buy another. I clearly have a problem with delectable, high priced Irish Whiskeys. Someone stop me.