Tastes

Nose is certainly enticing. Powerful and rich aromas of red orchard fruits, leather, pipe tobacco, oak, all-spice, pepper, and a ton of char with minimal ethanol. Palate hits big and bold with baking spices (nutmeg, clove), cherry, vanilla, burnt sugars, cocoa powder, and hazelnut, with an undefined citrus note floating underneath (blood orange?) that is just perfect. Flavors exert themselves with authority. Finish is extremely long with charcoal, maple, leather, cinnamon, and smooth and refined oak. Lots of spice but less than many RR single barrels I have sampled. Mouthfeel is medium bodied but the oiliest I have ever sampled, which works wonders to deliver the different elements of the finish to all of your taste buds. What’s really impressive here is the balance; not too sweet, not too tannic, not too fruity, but just right. This is actually the first RR expression I have really liked and boy is it a doozy. Not sure what they did here that’s so different from the 10 year versions other than three more years but whatever it is, it’s magic. At $70 retail it’s not just a buy; it’s a clear the shelf. Just a delight.

Sooo…full disclosure: sherry finishes can be super hit or miss for me, mostly a miss. Many times I get kind of a burnt keratin aroma and taste from them maybe why I’m not a scotch guy. But luckily this isn’t that. Read on… On the nose getting raisin, date, fig, new tire (?), bread pudding, flan, green oak, and clove. I could do without the rubber, but inviting enough. Definitely a strong nose for 94 proof. Palate offers fruitcake (date, plum), mandarin orange, vanilla creme, and hazelnut. Flavors are both rich in depth and punchy on the tongue, and this may be the most flavorful whiskey under 100 proof I have tasted. That said, there’s also a softness about it proving both things can co-exist. Medium length finish brightens things up with baked apple, sweet bread, cane sugar, then a small spice bloom of cinnamon and black pepper, ending in a beautiful milk chocolate note after everything else fades. Mouthfeel is medium bodied but very oily and fits the flavor profile to a tee. This is superb. Everything about it comes together seamlessly and effortlessly and makes for a really enjoyable experience. I avoided this for a long time due to its $85 price tag and when Total Wine inexplicably marked this down to $50 I pulled the trigger and glad I did. At that price it’s a rebuy all day. At $85? Quite possibly which should tell you something…

My barrel clocking in at 61.4% abv. 4 year age statement. I know of the fabled SAOS barrels of old; how will the new, younger product stack up? Nose is punchy and herbaceous with lemongrass, mint, eucalyptus, white pepper, coriander, and rye spice, with an English tea biscuit sweetness underneath. Smells young, but also smells like a good rye should. Palate follows suit with most of the notes described above, but instead of biscuit sweetness it’s more of a honey/graham cracker which helps bring balance. But make no mistake this is no 51% “barely rye”; herbals are center stage. Flavors are large and in charge; smacking you right in the face. Finish is a bit jagged, with the youth showing in the form of camphor, pepper, and prickly heat. Also a citrusy sour note that is close to grapefruit which is odd, but not unpleasant. Mouthfeel is extremely grainy; I mean…did someone just mill rye flour directly into my mouth? It is rare that a mouthfeel will make or break a whiskey for me, but I think this is one of those times. Overall, a pretty standard 4 year MGP sourced rye. Make no mistake, this is in no way bad and in a parallel universe where this is the only 95/5 MGP rye then it would be the bomb. But in this one, it’s 51.99 and I can get superior MGP ryes (like Bonesnapper X-Ray) for roughly the same price point. Falls short of rebuy status for me. Wouldn’t mind seeing what say, a 6 year version is like in a couple of years.

Since my only review of this thus far has been a “store pick”, I thought it only fair that I review the “standard” product, and finding 2 minis in a local sketchy liquor store gave me the excuse. A lot of caramel on the nose with a hint of chocolate. “Candy bar” esque. Some berry of unspecified origin underneath. Had some ethanol when first poured but dropped to “zero” with five minutes so that’s interesting. For the palate, it pretty much matches the nose precisely. Is it odd that I’m getting more milk chocolate than vanilla along with the caramel? It is here where I remember this is still a single barrel product. Not as much fruit as the nose would indicate which is unfortunate because it could use something else. Flavors are flat, lacking richness and depth. Really short finish is mild cinnamon rock candy and not much else. There’s some oak in there, but it’s way in the background. Mouthfeel is thin, so I guess you can say it matches? Well, this non-store pick has done nothing to enamor me with this whiskey. It’s just kind of flat and bland. My two minis cost me $10 each, which is basically the going rate. Overpriced even at standard retail, and definitely not worth secondary prices. The EH Taylor line is a far superior BT product, with the Small Batch retailing for less.

Whoa. Never been the first taster of an expression on this site before. Guess I’d better take the responsibility seriously. :) Nose has some standard caramel+stone fruit+oak notes typical to BT products, but also some unique ones as well: getting pretzel bread, ginger, and some musty rye grains which lend a little “barnyard” element. I don’t know how much rye is in their “rye recipe” but it smells higher than mashbill #1 that’s for sure. Healthy nose for a 94 proof’er. Palate is also surprisingly rich and deep with cherry, vanilla, over ripe peach, light caramel, and peppery rye spice in the mid-palate. Finish is pretty short featuring cinnamon gummy bears candy, and bitter oak which turns a little astringent after everything else fades. Some of the palate flavors bleed into the beginning of the finish, making it a slow morph rather than a sharp turn. Mouthfeel is slick and oily. A solid and enjoyable offering from BT and if you like their profile (as most do) you should enjoy as this doesn’t stray far from the path. As flavor profiles go, this one is probably closest to EHT Small Batch which makes me a fan. At the slightly over retail that I paid ($43) it’s a rebuy on sight. But I’ve seen it going to $70-$100 as well, and please don’t pay that. It’s solid and tasty but it’s not reinventing the wheel here. Scores an extra .25 rating points for affordability at retail.

Nose is somewhat subdued for ECBP, but still very potent. French vanilla, green apple, browned butter, brown sugar, marzipan, and sweet wet oak. Lots going on here, and it comes together nicely. Some ethanol, but it’s not terribly prevalent. Palate: wow this is a lot brighter and nuttier than most ECBP releases. Toffee, leather, and lots of apple upfront. Peanut shell, almond, and caramel in the mid-palate. There’s vanilla underneath but you almost have to hunt for it. Also some generic citrus (lime if I was forced to identity it at gun point) which is a little odd for what I’m used to from this series. Finish gets more toasted notes; roasted nuts, toasted bread, pink peppercorn, and a heavy charred oak presence. Finish is appropriately long, which is as to be expected from this series. Mouthfeel is medium boded, and definitely less chewy than previous releases. Ethanol tingle on the tongue remains once the flavors fade. Usually I consider ECBP to be a completely different animal from the standard 94 proof offering, but this batch is closest to “a higher proof small batch”. Not my favorite batch but still a fine whiskey and at $70, a great value. Not every batch has to be the “best batch”. I will always buy ECBP releases even if they occasionally slightly miss the mark.

Barrel # 16-11542. 104.6 proof. As this is a single barrel, your mileage may vary. Here is mine: Nose is pungent and herbaceous with hay, spearmint, lemongrass, anise, pepper, and a bit of troublesome ethanol. While it’s not a bad nose, what is missing here is any kind of sweet note to give it balance; instead you are blasted with herbs. Palate is a vast improvement as it opens with a deep, rich amber/dark amber honey nowhere to be found in the aroma. (If you have never had a darker honey, some of the individual components present here are butterscotch, peach, cocoa, plum, and hazelnut) All the herbal notes in the nose are then present in the mid-palate but that honey carries all the way through to the finish and is very welcoming. Finish is nice and long with white pepper, clove, wintergreen, and light oak. Mouthfeel is a little on the grainy side; maybe a little harsher than it should be. A real mixed bag here; nice palate and finish, lacking in nose and mouthfeel. Maybe it’s just a little young and a few of these flaws can be fixed with a little more aging. I did enjoy the interplay of the honey with the herbals; they might have something here. Would love to try a 6-8 year version of this. As it stands, for $63 I feel that it’s a little pricey compared to say a Knob Creek 115 proof pick or Rare Breed rye. Just falls short of a rebuy, but I will be watching…

Nose brings walnut, pine, rye, apple cider tang, ginger, and musty hay. Some ethanol notes underneath but it’s not a big deal. I will say that the aroma while far from being offensive, doesn’t scream “inviting” either. Palate opens with baked apple, light vanilla, walnut from the nose, and dried apricot. Flavors are bright and brassy. Not getting much oak or wood influence. Finish is on the short side but is definitely the best part of this bourbon with clove, honey, more pine/spruce, white pepper, and finally some bitter oak. A common trait I have found in MGP bourbons, the finish goes slightly sweet after everything else has faded, this time presenting itself as a hint of molasses. Mouthfeel is thin and quite frankly could use a little more heft. Everyone in my neck of the woods seem to go gaga over Smoke Wagon and it’s sort of become the latest tater bottle and I’m not 100% sure I get it. (Although maybe I’m the tater since I bought it as well, lol) Don’t get me wrong; this is perfectly serviceable whiskey. But at $50 I can get a far superior MGP profile in Belle Meade Reserve, and that is ultimately what is the nail in the coffin for this one. A big “meh” for me.

Nose is strong and complex featuring some really unique aromas; salted caramel, musty peanut shell like you’d find in a Texas restaurant where they throw the peanuts on the floor, freshly cut/sanded wood like 8th grade shop class, fresh cut Bermuda grass, and a hint of candied orange. Ethanol is there but presents as a soft background prickle. Not your typical rye nose (That’s foreshadowing, y’all) Palate is…different. Vanilla, pecan, nutmeg, light cherry, orange zest, and delightful heavy, smoky char. That secondary barrel is doing good things here. A kiss of anise and mint underneath is really the only hint that this is rye; blindfold me and I probably wouldn’t be able to tell. Flavors have richness, complexity, and depth. Finish is short side of medium, with old leather, tobacco, oak and pepper. An enjoyable finish for sure. Mouthfeel is buttery, which fits the flavor and finish perfectly. A really hard one to rate. As a rye? So non-traditional to the level that I’d have to say it loses a point. As a whiskey? It’s unique and tasty enough with enough enjoyable components to gain the point right back. I enjoyed it, I really did. I’m going to have to say at the admittedly overly high price I paid of $75 (only one shop near me carries it) it doesn’t scream “must rebuy” but on the other hand, I could see myself buying it again…someday. Especially if cheaper. If you can find it at let’s say $60, it would be well worth the purchase. I’d give it a 3.9 if I could but since I can’t, I will round up to a 4.0.

Nose is stronger that expected for a 91 proof bourbon featuring ripe peach, barrel char, brown sugar, vanilla, and candy corn. On some sniffs I get no ethanol and on others a little hint. Palate delivers the peach notes promised in the nose along with some apple as well, developing into a traditional vanilla/caramel and toasted coconut in the mid-palate. Flavors are nicely balanced with no one flavor dominating. Nothing reinvents the wheel here, but I am seriously surprised at the depth and richness. Finish features just a hint of black pepper spice to tingle the tongue, oak, and lots of smoky char which I enjoyed. It is pretty darn short though, (womp womp) but that’s probably to be expected. Mouthfeel is light and airy and matches the flavor profile perfectly. Ok, this seriously impressed me. A low proof easy sipper as soft as Charmin but still packing some real flavor. Normally I don’t really go crazy for much under 100 proof but found this to be a delight and couldn’t stop drinking it. At $53, I would always have this on hand if it were available in my state. Hell, I might always have it on hand even if I have to mail order it.