Tastes
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Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select
Tennessee Whiskey — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed June 29, 2020 (edited September 21, 2020)I was expecting the signature JD banana note in the nose but getting something else entirely; cherry cola, barrel char, pistachio nut, and corn dust. Overall the aroma is very mild. On the palate, take those exact same notes from the nose and add vanilla which actually is not a bad thing because they are all pretty good notes and there is some decent richness here. Rounded flavor with no rough edges. Finish is short, featuring cinnamon and barrel spices with an extra sprinkle of charcoal. Not very original; feels like I’ve tasted this profile or very close to it many times before. Mouthfeel is decently full and not dry at all. I was pleasantly surprised at this JD offering; make no mistake folks, this is VERY different from the “Old No. 7” of so many drunken teenage years and “jack and cokes”. This is actual sipping whiskey. It does suffer from a lack of complexity, simple flavor profile, and short finish, but...it’s alright. Now on the 800lb elephant in the room; the price. This is CRAZY at $43. CRAZY. (Thank god I only paid $5 for an airplane bottle) I hate to harp on price, but I have to because this is $20-25 stuff, tops. So what would normally get a 3.75 if properly priced gets bumped all the way down to a 3.25. Guess we know why this is always available on every shelf in the country.43.0 USD per Bottle -
Woodford Reserve Wheat Whiskey
Wheat Whiskey — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 28, 2020 (edited September 21, 2020)Finally available in my area, I eagerly snatched up a bottle to sample. Nose is very mild; some fruit flavored bubblegum, a light savory note of melted butter, and white pepper are pretty much all I’m getting. Zero and I mean ZERO ethanol fumes, though. On the palate opens with vanilla and shortbread cookie, transitioning into some orange peel, banana, and burnt caramel in the mid-palate. Mouthfeel is soft and silky. Finish takes a downturn with baker’s chocolate (good) and bitter tannic oak (bad) Finishes hotter than it should for low proof. Finish is medium length, but because of the astringency you wish it was actually shorter. So, not the first time I haven’t cared for a younger, lower proof wheater although maybe not 100% fair as this is a “wheat whiskey” not a wheated bourbon. At $36 I don’t feel ripped off, but I also know there’s a hell of lot better offerings out there for the price point. A disappointment.36.0 USD per Bottle -
Woodford Reserve Straight Malt
Other Whiskey — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 23, 2020 (edited October 12, 2021)So I must preface this review by saying that when I opened the bottle and took the first taste, all I could think of was how I was going to slam this in my review. It smelled like tea, and tasted like tea, tobacco, and leather. But a funny thing happened as I tasted it during pours and even more so as the bottle reached the halfway point; it morphed into something else and a host of new flavors came out. I have never had a whiskey change this dramatically after first tasting. That said, on to the review: Nose: Tea, tobacco, and leather (lol) Ok but seriously, in addition to that there's unsweetened chocolate, vinegar, root beer, musty rickhouse, and a savory soy sauce note. Palate is a pretty punchy blast of candied orange, bittersweet chocolate, coffee, and hazelnut. Oh also tea, tobacco, and leather. :) Definitely on the tannic side, but with a surprising amount of complexity which increases with each sip. Finish is pretty short with cinnamon, clove, and menthol. More candied orange when that fades. Mouthfeel is light bodied but fits the profile and proof well. So after thinking I was going to slam the shit out of this, here I am giving it a decent review. I found myself repeatedly coming back to this over and over again to analyze it, and will be sad to see the almost empty bottle go. A weird bird, but at $35 a weird bird worth having around and I will almost certainly buy another bottle.35.0 USD per Bottle -
Scored this for a significantly discounted price at Costco. Medium strength nose of smoky barrel char, cherry, vanilla, Coca Cola, watermelon, and a faint hint of grass. No ethanol to speak of. Complex and appealing. Palate is very “old school”; lots of vanilla, caramel, cherry, and orange peel, developing into a finish of barrel spices, oak, and char. I was searching for how to describe the flavor when it hit me; tastes just like a well made Old Fashioned. Some toffee and mint on the back end when the spices fade. Shorter finish than what I was expecting. Suitably rich. Flavors transition smoothly and as a whole it’s really well balanced. Mouthfeel could best be described as “velvety” and is the high point, lending to an easy drinking experience. Drinks slightly under its 100 proof. I wish I could tell you there’s something truly groundbreaking going on but I can’t. This doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but if aliens landed tomorrow and said “what is this Bourbon you speak of?” this might be one you’d reach for as it’s a great high quality example of what traditional bourbon is supposed to be. At a $68 discount price I don’t regret the purchase. At $90 like I have seen around town? I’m afraid it’s just not unique or special enough to justify that kind of price point.68.0 USD per Bottle
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Early Times Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 10, 2020 (edited June 18, 2020)Nose is very faint; orange peel, brown sugar, leather, and musty rickhouse. The palate matches the nose pretty closely with caramel, vanilla, and candied orange. VERY simple profile but there is some richness present to compensate. Nary a hint of oak, so if your looking for that you have the wrong one here. Very “traditional” finish of cinnamon bears candy and black pepper that’s over in a flash. After the spicy notes vanish there’s a nice lingering note of praline which is a pleasant surprise. Mouthfeel is pretty full and lush for a budget whiskey. Make no mistake with a such a basic flavor profile and short finish you would never confuse this with a top shelf offering, but it’s pretty solid. At 21.99 for a LITER, this is definitely one of the best values around. It would be perfect for cocktails, but not unenjoyable as a neat pour. To be honest, it’s probably not going to replace the always excellent WT 101 as my go-to budget offering of choice, but who’s going to knock a decent bourbon at a great price point?22.0 USD per Bottle -
Rebel Yell 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 9, 2020 (edited July 19, 2022)For my 100th review, a bottle I’ve been wanting to get my hands on but never had the opportunity to until now. Rebel Yell 10 Year. Actually this bottle is more of a 14 yr. (Barrel # 4765301. Barreling date 02/06) On to the review! Nose is very soft. Mostly fruity with apple, peach, and fig along with some floral notes of honeysuckle. If that sounds appealing, well it is. Palate opens with honey, vanilla, apple, and baked sugared peaches before transitioning into a mid-palate of cinnamon, clove, and pepper, and those flavors also carry into the medium length finish. Earthy undertone (mushroom?) as well in the finish. After everything else fades you’re left with a lovely lingering aftertaste of caramel flan. Pretty complex. I do love a whiskey that can go from sweet to spicy to sweet again and this delivers with a smooth, cohesive ride. Mouthfeel is creamy and on the delicate side. So yeah, as my first wheater of this age I do get the phenomenon; the softness is real, but yet the flavors are fully actualized and not lacking in depth at all; no easy feat. Reminds me a little of EH Taylor Single Barrel with regards to the flavor integration and earthiness. At $70, it’s a little pricey but I feel the quality to cost ratio is about right. I’d buy it again for that price if the opportunity presented itself. Anything less than that and it’s a steal.70.0 USD per Bottle -
Russell's Reserve Private Barrel Selection
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 7, 2020 (edited June 17, 2020)Century Grand store pick, Phoenix Arizona. (This review mostly for my own notes and probably useless to those outside the AZ area and will focus on the difference between this store pick and the standard) Nose has cinnamon, vanilla, egg cream, and overripe date. Barely a trace of ethanol, so points for that. Initially a fairly standard vanilla/caramel and cherry with some nice richness. Nothing in the mid-palate. Blasts from the opening sweet notes to the spicy finish in record time. Big cinnamon, mint, and oak bloom on a long finish that hits on the back of the throat. Flavors are sharp. Not much change from on the standard offering. Still very oaky and very hot on the finish. Managed to score this at Costco for $48 but even at a $15 discount, still not a rebuy. This is my 3rd try of a RR product and it seems like this line just isn’t for me. I give up.48.0 USD per Bottle -
Bulleit Bourbon Single Barrel
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 2, 2020 (edited January 9, 2021)Costco Store Pick, Gilbert AZ. Nose: orchard fruits, nutmeg, candy corn, and a wood note that ain’t oak; it’s more like tree sap. Can get all up in there and whiff without singeing the nostrils, so points for that. On the palate big, juicy, fruit flavors. They are so well blended that when I try to pick the individual fruits out it becomes difficult but getting white grape, apple, pear, and strawberry. You know what this is? Fruit punch in bourbon form. Oak and some caramel brittle come in at the mid-palate, bringing balance. Finish is hard to describe; the flavor doesn’t change much, it just gets hotter. Not a bad thing by any means. Mouthfeel is oily and medium thickness. This is by far the fruitiest bourbon I have ever had, and it’s a delight. Very different from everything else in my cabinet. At the $54 I paid and clocking in at a solid 104 proof, it’s a winner for sure. If you like fruity bourbons or just want something off the beaten path, this could be your jam.54.0 USD per Bottle -
Total Wine Store Pick (Gilbert AZ) 8yr, Rickhouse G, Floor 7 (This review mostly for my own notes and probably useless to those outside the AZ area and will focus on the difference between this store pick and the standard) I actually bought this thinking it was a restock of a recent-ish 9 yr pick, and didn’t realize it was a different pick until I got it home. (Oops) Main difference here is less caramel and more fruit forward; specifically baked apple skin. Surprisingly large oak presence on the back end for the age but not as astringent with it as the regular offering. Not many other differences, possibly due to the relatively low age for a EC pick. All in all a very small improvement with this pick which makes it a decidedly ho-hum affair but on the other hand, TW didn’t do the standard up charge for it so there’s that.27.0 USD per Bottle
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Wilderness Trail Bottled in Bond Small Batch Bourbon (High Rye Bourbon)
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed May 29, 2020 (edited April 24, 2021)The nose on this is absolutely killer; vanilla custard, torched caramel, graham cracker, pumpernickel bread, bananas foster, creamed corn, and almond. On the palate rich, decadent flavors of creme brulee, praline, marzipan, and sweet corn. Pretty evenly split between initial taste and mid-palate; glides between flavor notes smoothly. Finish has some prickly heat, barrel char, and a kiss of oak and is of a solid high-medium length. The finish is not really cinnamon or pepper as much as it is more of an young spirit bite which shouldn't work but somehow it is a feature not a bug as it provides the right balance and keeps this very sweet bourbon from rolling over into "dessert bourbon" territory. Mouthfeel is chewy and viscous. This one struck the right chord with me; sweet without being cloying with a delicious depth of flavor. At $53 and 100 proof, very much a rebuy for me. Really enjoying Wilderness Trail distillery so far and it really seems like they are on the right track.53.0 USD per Bottle
Results 201-210 of 304 Reviews