Tastes

Nose has dark fruit, toffee, caramel, vanilla, oak, char, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and allspice. There is some ethanol, but less than what you would expect. On the palate two words; smoked. fruits. If that sounds delicious, it is. Plum, cherry, and grape run through a smoker. But don’t think that’s all that’s here; we also have salted caramel, vanilla ice cream, and peanut brittle. Richness and complexity abound. Finish comes gently with all the flavors of the palate still kicking, but add oak, maple, pink peppercorn, and more smokey goodness almost reminiscent of backyard barbecue. Don’t let that description scare you; it’s very subtle and well integrated. Definitely falls into the “long” category but not amazingly so. Mouthfeel is a little unique as well; syrupy and coating upfront, but ends with a drying effect as it finishes. Full disclosure: all tasting notes with a splash of water added as otherwise it’s just too aggressive to get all the nuances. That said you don’t need to be a chemist to enjoy; just add a splash as seemingly any amount of water opens it up to large degree. One of the best ECBP I’ve had (out of five) and easily ranks up there with Stagg Jr. At $70 ECBP is consistently one of the best values around, a secret I hope doesn’t get out because I’d hate to see this become an allocated product. Looking forward to A121.

Pretty powerful aroma of cinnamon bears, stewed apples, caramel, pistachio nut, and hint of ethanol which comes across as an almost varnish-y note. Decent enough beginning. Palate begins with over-ripe apples, pear, and clove, transitioning to a nice toasted marshmallow and leather in the mid-palate. Transitions pretty smoothly to the finish. Flavors neither muted nor rich; kind of right in the middle. Short drying finish with cinnamon and lots of bitter oak. You can definitely tell this picked up some additional woodiness from the secondary barreling, so much so that it throws things out of balance. Mouthfeel is thin. Quite frankly, could use some more heft. Overall this is decent, but has some flaws and has suffered a little from overhyping I’m afraid. I paid $70 for it and there’s no way it’s worth that especially considering that EC Barrel Proof goes for the same price. Falls short of a rebuy.

“You got bourbon in my rye!” “No, you got rye in my bourbon!” After finding this slightly discounted at a local shop, I decided to dive in the realm of bourbon/rye blends: Nose features honey, wintergreen, vanilla, clove, white pepper, and cinnamon. Overall aroma is soft. Palate opens with nutmeg, clove, pear, and a light biscuity sweetness not unlike like a scone. Mid-palate has tea leaf, cocoa, and cinnamon. Eases nicely into the finish. Very well balanced. Finish is lengthy for a sub 100 proof, with lingering mint, pepper, and vanilla (interesting combo) Mouthfeel is light and airy. Delicate and complex, I found this one to be pretty satisfying and I would say it did succeed in bringing in the best elements of both whiskey styles. At the $75 I paid for it, (it’s usually $85/$90 in my area) it’s a little pricey to be a rebuy for a 94 proof in my opinion, but I’m going to keep the 4.0 rating anyway due to how much I did enjoy what was in the bottle.

Surprise find at Total Wine. Let’s see what we have here; says “Indiana” so like most Redemption products it’s MGP, it’s a 105 proof barrel pick, NAS but it’s “straight” so we have at least 4 years old, and non-chill filtered (yay!) Nose is straight up peanut butter. So much so that it makes any other review where I have detected heavy peanut on the nose pale by comparison. There’s some vanilla, honeysuckle, pomegranate, and ethanol in there as well, but peanut butter leads the way. On the palate, tastes just like it smells. Hate to be repetitive, but big peanut butter and vanilla flavors. Not complex at all, but what’s here is tasty. Finish and mouthfeel is where is where we have some youth showing through; finish is hot with considerable bite, and is pretty short. And it’s not really cinnamon or “baking spices”; just heat. While a flaw, it does help offset the sweetness a little. Some tea leaf after everything else fades. Mouthfeel is grainy AF. Is “sandpapery” a word? Well it is now. I liked this probably more than most will because I LOVE peanuty whiskeys. But like loving an ugly child, I see it’s flaws too. At $45, it’s not a rebuy because I can get this same profile at a higher proof for less money in the recent 5 yr Smooth Ambler Old Scout Total Wine pick. (Also MGP) If you don’t have access to one and enjoy peanuts in your whiskey, this might be worth a go.

Decently strong aroma of toffee, vanilla, black cherry, and ripe plum. Not terribly complex, but inviting and completely absent of ethanol. Palate opens with Charleston Chew candy, maple, ice cream sundae, and the black cherry from the nose. Not much going on in the mid-palate; rushes right to the finish. (something I have noticed in other Makers expressions) The flavors are all on the sweet side, but the richness is there. Finish is very dry and brings cashew nut, sharp oak bite, and a warm heat that comes from alcohol more than anything else. It’s a little harsh, but actually welcoming as it keeps everything on the palate from becoming cloying. On the short side, though. Mouthfeel is full. My favorite Makers product to date. Tastes like a completely different whiskey from the standard expression. So I initially paid $48 at Total Wine and still didn’t hate it, but on a subsequent visit saw it now priced at $30. I was ripped off! So I’m going to go with $30, and at that price it’s a delight and a rebuy.

So first a disclaimer: after having reviewed multiple Balcones expressions, I feel there is a sameness between them that is higher than other distilleries. So I apologize in advance if this has similarities with some of my other Balcones reviews. Strong nose nose of burnt caramel, molasses, vanilla bean, charred mesquite, and smoked applesauce. Some pesky ethanol requires one to back off the glass a bit. I have to admit it is inviting, with more sweetness and less savory notes than found in other Balcones expressions. On the palate we have BROWN SUGAR. I mean loads of it. Some maple and cake icing as well. In the mid palate, the smokey fruit from the nose presents as more of a smoked peach, but it is hard to get past the brown sugar wallop. Finish is where the wood presence is felt (always coming off to me as more mesquite than oak), along with burnt toast, cinnamon, camphor, and liquid hot fudge. Mouthfeel is slick and oily. As you read the above you may think “sounds pretty delicious!” but this just doesn’t come together all that well; it’s like the whole is weaker than the sum of its parts. Don’t get me wrong, it’s far from terrible, and if you are a Balcones fan there is no reason not to give it a whirl. At a bargain price of $30, it’s hard to feel ripped off, but ultimately not something I’m going to seek out again.

Supposedly distilled by Four Roses; perhaps a way to get a cheaper, more available 4R Barrel Strength? Let’s give it a go... Nose definitely shows the 4R roots as fruit is front and center with candied orange, clove, ginger, vanilla, poppyseed muffin, oak, and a hint of what of some whiffs is lemon and on others, lime. Low to no ethanol. Off to a decent start. Palate hits very differently from the nose and screams “Bulliet”; baking spices large and in charge in nicely equal amounts so you aren’t blasted like you just did the cinnamon challenge or something. Some of the candied orange from the nose present in the mid palate, and an undercurrent of vanilla holds the whole thing together. Medium length finish features more of the same with cinnamon and clove taking the lead in the baking spice olympics. A little charcoal sneaks in at the end along with some dusty old oak sticks. Finishes BONE dry. Mouthfeel is surprisingly light and airy, but it works. Well, definitely not 4RBS, (lol) but pretty decent in its own right. If you really dig the Bulliet profile this is definitely worth a look. At $55 for 116 proof, it is neither a value bourbon nor overpriced. Solid, but just not unique or interesting enough to warrant a spot in my regular rotation. Juuuust misses a 4.0. Call it “3.95”

Moderate strength nose of cherry cola, tangerine, cedar, toffee and sticky bun. More surprising for what I’m NOT getting a lot of (vanilla/caramel). Pretty low on ethanol as expected given the low-ish proof. The vanilla/caramel I didn’t detect in the nose is present here in the form of Creme Brûlée (complete with the burnt sugar topping) along with apple, and nutmeg. Flavors are DAMN punchy for the proof. Nicely balanced. Finish brings cashew nut, cinnamon, heavy allspice, and a dry bitter oak bite. Some of the palate carries into the finish as well and when it all blends together you wind up with a bit of “ice cream sundae” vibe. Little on the short side, but with building spruce/mint after repeated tastings. Mouthfeel surprisingly chewy. Easily the richest and most flavorful 90 proof bourbon I’ve had. This stuff is legit great. Had always avoided giving it a try because I thought it a little pricey but I’m very glad I did. At $48, it’s surely more than I usually like to pay for this type of ABV but the quality is definitely there so I will consider this a rebuy.

As a barrel proof MGP rye, I already have a good idea of what I am getting into with this one...let’s see if it lives up. Herbal nose with wintergreen, lemongrass, dill, ginger snaps, clove, and biscuit. Nose is powerful with zero (and I mean zero) ethanol which amazes at 112 proof. Outstanding. Palate opens with shortbread cookie, clover honey, butter, hops, and apricot. Flavors are punchy as hell and nicely balanced. Abrupt transition to the finish (normally a sin for me) but somehow works here; Finish is heavy on mint, anise, white pepper, and coriander. Lasts a good long time. Mouthfeel is resinous. The tasting notes above don’t do this justice, because damn this is some delicious stuff. This is no Pikesville or Rare Breed rye; you aren’t going to get warm snickerdoodle cookie here. This is an botanical rye and near the pinnacle of the style for me. I can’t remember if I paid $55 or $65 for this but it doesn’t matter because it’s a hella rebuy either way. Looks like MGP saved some of their good stuff for themselves. Winner.

On the nose getting brown sugar, pear, cinnamon, nutmeg, and char. Nose is decently potent for the proof with low ethanol but lacks complexity. Palate features cherry cola, vanilla creme, orange zest, and oak chips. Flavors don’t suck, but kind of muted. Finish is very short and peppery, with black pepper and baking spices dominating. Mouthfeel is pretty grainy. What do I have to say about this one overall? “Yup, it’s Bourbon.” Nothing wrong here, but nothing to write home about either. And I got to say it, it’s horribly overpriced. How OF could think each of the Whiskey Row series should be roughly the same price is beyond me. I’ll gladly pay the upgrade for the 1910 or 1920 (depending on mood) over ever buying this one again.