Tastes

This bottle has gotten quite a bit of hype in my area. Let’s see if it lives up to it. On the nose we find walnut, baked apple, orange peel, cereal grains, and a little ethanol. Moderate strength. Decent, but nothing to write home about. The palate is a different story; butterscotch, toffee, the baked apples and walnut from the nose, cherry cola, and a hint of oak. Very bright whiskey, and the flavors center on the very tip of the tongue. Medium length finish features cinnamon, barrel char, and cherry. Nice little blend here. Some prickly heat reminds you that this is a higher proof affair. Mouthfeel lighter than expected but it works even if part of me wanted more heft. This is one of those “the whole is greater than the some of its parts” bourbons. Reading my description above it doesn’t sound like it would knock your socks off, but this is darn good. At 69.99 it’s a little pricey for what you’re getting but not by much and I certainly don’t feel ripped off.

Pretty faint nose with the predominant note being a grassy rye grain; like someone grabbed a fresh stalk and ran it through a grain mill. Digging deeper there is some citrus zest, vanilla, and ginger. This is a decent nose, but quite frankly I want a lot more of it. Palate pops more than the nose, opening with some caramel, vanilla, and lemon peel, transitioning in the mid-palate to candied baking spices in the form of ginger, nutmeg, and a little clove. Not a lot of herbs with this one, just kind of an underlying alfalfa note which brings a welcome earthiness. Just when you’re thinking “is this going to just taste like a high rye bourbon?”, in comes a really long finish of orange peel, oak, and a blast of black peppery rye spice that definitively answers that question. A delicious hint of flan when the pepper fades. The mix between sweet and spice is nearly perfect. Mouthfeel is silky and creamy. I really enjoyed this, primarily for the balanced profile as it is neither a sugary 51% barely rye or a herbaceous mint bomb, but right in between. I picked this up on clearance for $52, and at that price it would literally be a staple in my cabinet. When not on clearance we are looking at $74 and there I feel a strong “meh” on the rebuy prospects. To be fair, my rating will reflect the price I paid. Oh and for those who are wondering how it compares on an A/B test with Rare Breed rye, I got you. As expected, the flavor profiles are very similar. Rare Breed loses the creamy mouthfeel, as it’s much grainier. Russell’s is more balanced and integrated, while RB is spicer and punchier. Which I prefer would probably depend on my mood. Do I want the smooth ride of a Ferris Wheel or the thrill of the Tilt-A-Whirl? I do see myself buying the Rare Breed more often to get this profile as for some reason Rare Breed goes for about $55 in my area, making the price for RR just...dumb.

Nose features Jewish Rye bread, caraway seed, spearmint, spruce, and rose water. Slightly subdued for the proof which is nice because it allows to you really get the aroma without high proof nostril burn. Now for something completely different! I’m going to quote the Distiller reviewers take on this, because quite frankly I might not be able to do a better job at identifying the flavor components. But I definitely have a different take on what those flavors mean: “Missing the expected spice and sweet notes of a quality rye whiskey, this is unpleasantly dominated by herbaceous aromas including lavender and dill and strong fault notes of menthol and camphor. The palate adds sage and basil and a hint of pepper. A touch of traditional rye flavors emerges on the finish with baking spices and leather.” I’m not sure if this person just doesn’t like herbal ryes, but I found the same tasting notes listed above to be delightful. I mean, if you’re expecting some sort of sweet 51% rye that is basically a high rye bourbon then I suppose it could be disappointing, but as an aged 95/5 rye this delivers everything I am looking for and more. Saying this isn’t a “quality rye” is a joke. This little gem does a great job of delivering some unusual herbal flavors in an integrated, cohesive way. Almost like an herbal liqueur minus the syrup. Mouthfeel is full and chewy. Directing the flavors all toward the tip of the tongue. Exceptional. At $90, this is certainly no value pick. I’m reluctantly giving it a 4 because if this were a normally priced rye of the $60 ish range it would be much closer to a 5.

Was given a bottle of this as an X-mas gift from a dear friend and was very eager for the unexpected opportunity to sample and review. Here goes: Nice healthy nose of funnel cake/fry bread, oak, caramel, nutmeg, bakers chocolate, and a clean rubber aroma; not burnt tire or rubber cement but almost like a new rubber toy or something. Palate swings with big flavors opening with toasted marshmallow and vanilla, morphing into caramel covered baked apple in the mid palate, all while riding on an oak blanket. I think it’s fair to compare this to Balcones offerings and this is a softer, more integrated experience. Finish lasts longer than expected and goes from baking spices (clove and nutmeg) and oak to Cinnamon Bears candy, finally fading into a nice chocolate syrup note. Mouthfeel is oily, medium bodied, and nicely suited for the flavor profile. There’s definitely a lot going on here. I did really enjoy this and it was nice to compare and contrast to Balcones which I am very familiar with. But we must address the elephant in the room; EIGHTY FIVE DOLLARS??? No way. It’s nice, but not that nice, and I wouldn’t see myself shelling out for this if it were my own money. At $50 this would be a staple. At $85, a passing curio and a 3.5 rating.

I admittedly have a strange relationship with Balcones. On one hand, I really like that they are innovative and unique. On the other, what’s in the bottle doesn’t always match up to the vision. A Balcones Single Malt...so intrigued. Ok...I will go into all the tasting notes in a moment. But I’m going to give the summary first; this expression is everything that is great about Balcones whiskeys with none of the flaws. On the nose, a pungent but well blended mix of brown sugar, vanilla bean, black tea, campfire smoke, mesquite, nutmeg, and a hint of pencil eraser. Palate hits hard with creme brûlée, molasses, and all sorts of burnt sugars, transitioning into some fig and date in the mid-palate, and the ride is a smooth one. Flavors are rich and decadent. On the finish there is some prickly peppery heat, almost like that of an actual chili pepper, along with some woody mesquite. (I know it’s really oak but Balcones “scrub oak” always seems to have a mesquite note for me) A really divine dark chocolate note comes out when everything else has faded, and I love a finish that evolves. Mouthfeel is oily, but could stand to be a little thicker to match these big flavors. Where as other Balcones expressions (even the pretty excellent Brimstone) beat you up and take your wallet, this one whispers Sweet Nothings in your ear. Everything is just more layered, better balanced, and dare I say it, a little softer. I really enjoyed this one. At $70 it’s hard to call it a bargain, but I’m very glad I bought it and will probably be the primary Balcones product to grace my cabinet from now on.

Makers seems to be quite the “hit or miss” for me, so curious as to how this one fares... Nose features caramel-dipped green apple, gingerbread, green cedar, and a hint of autumn potpourri. Great start. Palate hits you with a big caramel and nougat blast, followed by some vanilla, transitioning to baking spices (clove, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon) in the mid palate. Flavors are pretty rich. Not the most complex profile, but what’s here is tasty. Finish is smokey and oaky with some burnt coconut as well. What came off as cedar/piney on the nose presents as mature aged oak in the finish. It’s decently long, but I got to keep it real; there’s some distracting heat in the finish that comes off as unattenuated alcohol and it’s that burn that lingers. It’s seriously prickly. A real bummer for what might otherwise be a superior bourbon. Mouthfeel is very middle of the road, being neither thin nor chewy. I don’t know why Maker’s products often come of as unnecessarily hot/harsh to me, but they do (both private select and cask strength have fallen into this category) and this one is in line with those expressions. There’s some good stuff here, but at a $72 price tag I shouldn’t have major flaws to overlook. Nowhere in the vicinity of a re-buy. Geez, I may have to give up on Makers expressions as there just something here that doesn’t jive with my palate...

Part of a “piglets” variety pack for $20 and with a full bottle retailing for well more than I am comfortable with, I’m eager for the opportunity to sample this. The nose is really, really faint. I’m talking like almost non-existent. I’m getting some grass, lemon pepper, and a floral sweet note (magnolia?) Kind of an inauspicious start. Of course with a nose this mild there isn’t even a trace of ethanol. On the sip, not sure if I have had a whiskey THIS well rounded. Picking out individual flavors is a bit of a struggle, but getting butterscotch, honeysuckle, lemongrass, caramel, and gentile rye. Definitely tasty, but very mild. Finish is short and dry with grains of paradise and fresh oak. Mouthfeel is soft, delicate and silky. Overall? Oh boy. Let me start by saying it’s clear this is a finely crafted product, but it just didn’t deliver for me. Flavors too soft and WAY to rounded for my palate. Honestly, I enjoyed the standard 10yr much more. And I’d be remiss not to tackle the elephant in the room; at $159 (in my area) for a 750ml, the pricing on this is in my opinion, insane. With its mild softness this is bound to be somebody’s cup of tea, but it’s just not mine.

Since I have reviewed other Stagg Jr batches in full detail going to just hit the highlights on this one. So much brown sugar on the nose. Cherries for days as well. Hotter than batch 12 or 13, but once you add the right amount of water it comes alive. Caramel, fruit, and oak in nearly perfect harmony. Finish and mouthfeel as expected, and by that I mean “super long” and “thick and sticky” Is this batch as good as 12? Nooo. No. 13? Also no. Still an exceptional product? Hell yes. A steal at the $52 I paid for it. Would do all day, every day.

I like what Wilderness Trail has brought to the table so far with their expressions; let’s see how this new one measures up. Nose is loaded with caramel, with some “new car seat” leather, pepper, clove, and a hint of char. Lack of ethanol a nice bonus. On the palate we get caramel, nougat, cashew nut, and nutmeg, with just enough oak note underneath to keep it from being cloying. Flavors are rounded rather than punchy. Finish finds the clove from the nose along with a spice bloom of cinnamon and allspice. The transition is smooth, but the finish is shorter than I would have liked. Mouthfeel is great; chewy and coating. Quite possibly the best part about this bourbon. So here’s the rub: while this is less sweet and less spikey than the four year version, I’m not 100% sold that this is an improvement for this flavor profile. I just found it to be a little flat. There’s nothing here that sucks mind you; but when you consider the upcharge of about $20 over the 4 yr expression, I just don’t see myself buying this again.

On the nose...whoa. This is a different and unique aroma. Getting tobacco, wet earth, anise, leather, pepper, smoke, and wood that smells closer to pine than oak. Strong nose for the relatively low proof, and I found myself getting lost in it. Great start. Palate matches the nose fairly well. Lots of pipe tobacco, fig, and tea leaf. Very earthy, and totally unlike a typical rye. Almost in a category of its own. Finish is on the short side, with overripe grape, rye spice, and tamarind (almost like an Indian chutney) Mouthfeel is light and buttery, maybe a little too light for the flavor profile. Well, that was a journey! Definitely unique, but not sure if uniqueness equals greatness in this case. I got this as part of a “Piglet” variety pack featuring three 50ml bottles of different Whistlepigs for $20, so I paid roughly $7 and I am glad I did for the opportunity to sample it. Full bottle pricing goes for about $129 in my neck of the woods and that is just...no. Ultimately, a little too “out there” for me to ever consider buying a full bottle at that price point. Hard to rate. Earns points for originality but loses a few more to excessive pricing. 3.5