Tastes

So looking at my last couple of reviews I’ve been doling out 4+ ratings like candy, so lest you think I find everything amazing time to review something that is not so much as my exploration of the Oak and Eden line continues… My second review of this offering, this time a Total Wine Store Pick coming in at 116 proof. Nose: ok “charred oak” is right, so much so it’s hard to get other things out it. Luckily for this rye I like smoky/char aromas and flavors; smoke, charcoal, burnt ends barbecue, and a hint of rye spice and pepper. Aroma is definitely powerful and low on ethanol so yay for that. Palate: like the nose, charred flavors rule here. Burnt sugars like you’d find on top of a creme brûlée (minus the custard underneath) ash, smoke, and bitter scorched oak. Nothing smooth or refined about this one; it’s the whiskey equivalent of a donkey kick to the teeth. Finish: Oh man, we’re going downhill fast. Hints of mint and eucalyptus followed by…you guessed it…more char. The mint has a medicinal quality reminiscent of toothpaste. It’s actually pretty long, but you definitely wish it was shorter. Prickly heat. Mouthfeel is grainy like 40 grit sandpaper and is bone-ass dry. This is the kind of whiskey I picture Clint Eastwood pulling out of his pack in an old Spaghetti Western; strong, harsh and biting. I’m almost certainly giving this too high a rating, but as I said I kind of like charred smokey flavors. This is like a Balcones without the brown sugar sweetness and full, oily mouthfeel so therefore nowhere near as good. Worse than the 90 proof non-store pick version, which is a little bizarre. At $55, it’s an epic fail and while I didn’t totally hate it, I bet most people would.

Pretty mild nose for a rye of this proof; spearmint, ginger, strawberry, something grassy, something umami (soy sauce?), leather, and a hint of “Willett funk” which I can best describe as a dusty rickhouse note if that makes sense. After it’s been in the glass a minute the ethanol drops to near zero, a plus for a 109 proof product. A weird and complex nose for sure. Palate: Oh ok, wow. There is a LOT going on here. Chocolate malt, black pepper, date, fig, raisin, plum, raspberry, tobacco, and mint. Flavors are explosive. This tastes like someone mixed a dessert bourbon with an herbaceous rye and honestly I’m all about it. Underneath it all, there is a flavor that is distinctly “Willett” which in my book is a good thing. Finish is spicy and long with white pepper, cinnamon, peppermint, and a nice toasted oak not present in the nose or palate. Finish is loooooong. Mouthfeel is unctuous and suits the flavor profile perfectly. Totally unique and delicious. I’m not sure how much of this is attributable to the Willett profile (probably a lot), the Madeira cask aging (probably a considerable amount) or the “sonic Metallica aging” (probably zero) but whatever it is, they nailed it. But we must address the disgusting $159 price tag. Apparently this is 6-8 year Willett Rye in here and given what THAT goes for these days, one could make a serious argument that is actually a bargain. Do I think so? No, not quite. Will I buy a replacement when this is gone? (Assuming I can find it) I just might. It’s that good.

Nose comes in with big butterscotch aroma, followed by clover honey, sorghum, apricot, and wet hay. A barley note rides consistently underneath. Fairly pungent given the proof. On the palate we find vanilla cake frosting, browned butter, hazelnut, and fruit in the form of peach, banana, and apricot. There’s a bit of tangy tamarind in there as well. Slightest hint of barnyard funk is completely alluring. Nice complexity. Flavors are rich but soft and delicate at the same time. Man, this is tasty. The longer side of medium finish takes quite a left turn and is slightly spicer than expected but I don’t mind the pivot. Notes of white pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cocoa, a subtle kiss of oak and an earthy note that I can’t quite put my finger on (tea leaf?) Mouthfeel is full and greasy, coating the entire mouth, but also has a drying effect which encourages repeated sipping. A nice combo. Let’s get one thing out the way right now; while I love the “Breasts” (lol) and the line has plenty of excellent whiskies, the “Spots” reign supreme in this category. This is absolutely top notch Irish whiskey. Now the bad; I paid a painful $115 for my bottle. The fact that I am considering buying a replacement at that price should speak volumes about exactly how good this stuff is. Winner winner, chicken dinner’

“Hundred North Bar & Kitchen” pick, 131.3 proof. Nose explodes with Maraschino cherry, French vanilla, furniture varnish, cola, flan, banana, barrel char, oak, and if I may be honest a decent amount of ethanol. But it IS 130+ proof so…forgivable. Palate is PUNCHY and features basically everything present in the nose in nice balance; so as not to be redundant with the individual notes I will just say we have rich vanillas and caramels, layered with fruit, spice, and wood. Cohesive. Finish goes on for what seems like days, as the maraschino cherry from the nose and palate morphs into black cherry, along with pink peppercorn, toasted marshmallow, cinnamon, and significant oak presence to add some balancing bitterness. Prickly heat pushes through which has the net effect of adding some effervescence, and the mouthfeel is full bodied and oily. Overall pretty damn stellar and a great example of what I am looking for in a barrel proof bourbon. If you aren’t already a fan of the Old Forester profile this probably will not change your mind; it’s basically 1920 on steroids. But if you dig 1920 as I do, then don’t pass up the rare opportunity to snag a bottle as you won’t be disappointed. At the $85 I paid, it’s worth every penny.

My exploration of the Oak and Eden lineup continues… Nose features burnt firewood, orange peel, vanilla, and a minty note reminiscent of toothpaste. Strong enough given the proof but too odd to be considered “inviting”. Palate contains orange zest, some toasted caramel, butterscotch, and toffee, and is by far the best part of this bourbon. Apparently there is wheat in here to make up the fourth grain but you’d never know it, as the flavors are pretty jagged. Doesn’t contain much of a mid-palate and basically races to the finish. Finish is quite short, with astringent oak, smoke, and the medicinal toothpaste note found in the nose. Not stellar. Mouthfeel is sharp and “sandpapery”. I don’t know if that’s a word, but it is now. Overall, it looks like the “torched oak spiral” just cannot overcome the obvious youth of this whiskey. Man if I had to guess I’d say this is 2 years old. Some of the Oak and Eden line has been a pleasant surprise; not so this one. At $54, it’s so far from a rebuy as to be considered laughable. I’ve had better whiskey in the $20 price range. Hard avoid.

Purchased in 2021, so I’m not sure this is a “2017 edition” but yet the proof matches exactly so I dunno. Nose is not the strongest but very pleasant; MGP all the way with Christmas tree, allspice, ginseng, leather, cinnamon, grass, and pencil eraser. Ethanol presence very low for the proof. Palate: Yeah ok, that’s delicious. Everything in the nose is present in the palate with a bit of vanilla and apple sweetness to bring some balance, but make no mistake; this is not a sweet bourbon but more of a “spicy and woody” offering. Flavors blend pretty seamlessly and with typical MGP brightness. I hate the expression, but probably the “smoothest” bourbon I have had with this particular profile by which I mean no rough edges or alcohol presence. Finish is quite long with cedar, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, and a hint of mint. Very nice. Mouthfeel is medium, but any thicker and wouldn’t match the bright flavor profile, so I’m totally ok with it. This is a tough one to rate. I throughly enjoyed it, but with a price tag of $99.99, it’s hard to call this any kind of value especially given you can get the same MGP profile albeit aged a few less years in Belle Meade Reserve at the exact same proof for $65. (Belle Meade is also slightly sweeter) This will be my first review with a rebuy level rating that probably isn’t an actual rebuy; but it is one tasty mofo.

On the nose, we start fruit forward with red delicious apple, some pear, honey, graham cracker, tobacco, and the slightest hint of wet, green oak. Aroma is decently strong for the proof and contains next to no ethanol. Pleasant to huff. Palate opens with the honey and apple from the nose along with shortbread, toffee, and butterscotch. Flavors are well integrated and rounded. While it doesn’t scream “bold”, it is far from wimpy. Flavors sit very much on the front of the tongue. Medium length finish is where things get truly interesting. Featuring date, fig, plum, nutmeg, peppermint, and a light kind of generic spice underneath. Oak appears as a balancing factor for the sweetness rather than a prominent trait of its own. Mouthfeel is smooth and velvety. Overall a pretty delightful and complex Irish whiskey that comes together really well and there’s much to like here. At $85 it’s a bit pricy but you ARE getting a 15 year age statement, and the age shows in the lack of rough edges or flaws so I’d consider it a “fair” value. Rebuy? I tend to prefer the cask strength version, so maybe not if that is available, but that’s really the only thing preventing a rebuy and my rating reflects that.

On the nose…ok wait, that’s how I start many reviews, but that isn’t going to be sufficient for this one. The nose here is absolutely exquisite. Apricot, Mandarin orange marmalade, spearmint, honey, and a savory leaf character (oregano? thyme?) with zero, and I mean absolutely zero ethanol. I don’t know whether to huff this or drink it. (Ok, yes I do lol) Palate brings forth all the elements promised in the nose with the addition of pear, stewed peach, and just enough rye spice and herbal notes to prevent it from being too sweet. The tropical vibe makes this a whiskey that would be right at home being served on a beach in a coconut with a little paper umbrella. Flavors best described as “lush”. There is some heat that builds after repeated sips, but it in no way distracts or detracts from the experience. Finish where things get weird in the best possible way; milk chocolate, mint, rye, cinnamon, and black pepper, but the fruity tropical notes found in the nose and palate carry all the way through providing a wild ride as opposed to a sharp turn if you know what I mean. With a finish this good, you want it to last and it does. Mouthfeel is full and unctuous. Delicious and 100% unique, this gem is worth every penny of the $80 I paid for it. I regret nothing. In fact, probably going to have to procure a backup before this one is finished.

Nose is very sweet with maple, cocoa, banana, cola, lime, walnuts, and oak. A little more ethanol than you would expect for a sub 100 proof. Palate matches the nose pretty well with more maple, caramel, light banana, vanilla, cola, and lime/citrus. Oak is present in the palate which shows the 10 year age in a positive way. Finish is rye spice, saddle leather, and oak tannins, fading to a nice flan like character. I do love a finish that morphs, however it is ridiculously short and bone dry. Mouthfeel is prickly. While the above may not sound like a home run, the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts and it comes together nicely with a decent level of uniqueness. I grossly over paid for this at $99.99 so I can’t judge it on that. Is it worth the retail of $70? Probably not. Don’t get me wrong this is actually a fine whiskey, but more of a $40-50 bottle for me and thus, not a rebuy.

My exploration of the Oak & Eden line and “is the spire a gimmick?” continues… Nose has a light herbal/mint with additional notes of lemongrass and ginger snap cookie. I’d be remiss in not mentioning the color, which is very dark for such a young rye (about two years from what I understand) Palate opens with more caramel and vanilla than expected. Maybe a hint of oak right before the finish but honestly I struggle to get much more out of the palate as a whole. Bizarre. Finish is pretty delightful with fruit cake, chocolate mint, light rye spice, oak, and char but it’s more like the char you’d find on grilled piece of meat than the inside of a barrel. I’ve honestly never had a whiskey with such a boring palate but such an interesting finish. One drawback is it’s shortness. Mouthfeel has a little bit of silk to it which is very welcoming. Body on the lighter side of medium. Overall I kind of enjoyed this but it’s a bit of an outlier; this is in no way a traditional Kentucky rye or 95/5 Indiana rye. At $50 for 90 proof I’d have to say it’s value is no more than “ok”. Don’t see myself buying another, but again starting to believe the whole spire thing might be more science than fiction, as it definitely imparts something unique.