Tastes

Nose is complex with dried Fuji apple, spearmint, prune, pine, chocolate, and blueberry. On the palate opens with caramel, cinnamon, clove, anise, and a general yet subtle kind of nuttiness like what you’d find in pine nuts as opposed to the “peanut funk” like some JB products. Finish: Oh the finish! Prune, barrel char, pepper, more anise, and oak. Medium length but the blend is divine. Mouthfeel is full and oily. 100 proof makes itself known with a pleasant mouth tingle. Overall I really enjoyed this. The extra 3 yrs definitely makes itself known in all sorts of ways. Even my bourbon hating wife loves this. At $57, a definite rebuy.

2019 release 64.65% (129.3 proof) Powerful and ultra complex nose of Charleston Chew candy, golden raisin, date, fig, plum, tobacco, leather, sea salt, pepper, cedar, alfalfa, and bubblegum (but not just any bubblegum Bazooka Joe specifically) Yes all those are actually detectable; the aromas are distinct and easy to pick out. Probably one of the most complex noses I have ever huffed. What’s almost hilariously absent in the nose is “cinnamon”, “barrel spices”, and “char” standard aromas found in a million other bourbons. RICH flavor. The bourbon equivalent of eating an entire chocolate cake. So. Much. Caramel. Underneath that, you have all the flavors in the nose above with the fruits (date, fig, plum) and tobacco standing out. Praline, cumin, tamarind and a bit of umami taste in the mid-palate which is just crazy. “Decadent” comes to mind. Finish is super long; everything in the front palate just sort of carries on along with some heat without changing much which is a feature not a bug when you have something this intricate. Maybe a wisp of dark chocolate once all the other flavors and heat have faded. Delicious. Full, viscous, creamy mouthfeel. I paid 129.99 retail on this because it may be my only chance to ever score a bottle. Was it worth it? While I have had other 5 star bourbons for less, I still can’t help but feel I got my money’s worth. It’s that good. Not sure I’d drop that much change again, but if I walked away from another chance to buy a bottle I’d definitely be sad.

Yet another store pick from Elijah Craig, mostly going to focus on the difference between this pick and the standard offering. (Standard disclaimer that this review is primarily for my own records and most likely completely useless to those outside the Phoenix, AZ area) Total Wine and More pick Barrel 5589802 Rickhouse T, Floor 6, 9 yr age Nose on this one is killer; Lemonhead’s candy, and a big spice bouquet (allspice, ginger, and clove) that makes you want to dive right in. Some sweetness underneath but spices steal the show. On the palate this one is a like hot caramel bomb. Initial taste of Rollo’s candy followed by barrel spices and char, and ending with an oaky finish. Flavors richer, more integrated, and flow more smoothly from one flavor to next over the standard fare which I feel is too astringent on the finish. One of the better EC picks I have had. Been slurping this down like water since I bought it. A rebuy at the standard TW pricing of $32.

Medium strength aroma featuring a berry and apple fruitiness that is close to the smell of Fruity Pebbles cereal, honey, orange, pine, cedar, and green tea. Ethanol does singe the nostrils if you get too close. Full flavored on the palate. Honey, vanilla, and white grape upfront followed by basil, mint, and herbal tea in the mid, leading to a long peppery finish. Make no mistake; that 100% rye makes it's presence known; this sucker is hot. After the pepper and heat fade, when you think there's nothing else to be had, there's a whisper of the berry fruitiness found in the nose which I really loved. Especially viscous mouthfeel for 100 proof. Overall, unique and quite delicious. Haven't tasted this profile in any of the other rye's I have sampled. At $70 hard to call this a great value, but it sure doesn't suck.

127 proof release. A primarily fruit forward nose with orange zest, peach, and apple along with some nutmeg, graham cracker and savory buttered corn. A faint hint of ethanol underneath, but hey it’s 127 proof, what do you want? Strangely absent are the candied sugar and herbal notes found in many other ryes. On the palate things get much more interesting; opens with the orange zest from the nose which becomes more of an orange peel, some charred meat, pecans, and barely sweet British scone, leading to hot cinnamon bears candy in the mid-palate. Finishes with cracked black peppercorn and mature oak tannin before re-finishing again with sort of a sweet cream note. The whole experience has a rich, savory quality and the flavors blend from one another seamlessly. A great ride. Mouthfeel is of medium density and a little on the grainy side. Overall very enjoyable expression of a high proof “Kentucky Rye”. Definitely closer to a high rye bourbon. Those looking for a more herbal profile should look elsewhere. At $64, it’s hard to call this a “great value” but certainly you get what you pay for here.

On the nose lemongrass, pepper, and ginger. It’s not the strongest aroma but a complete lack of ethanol on the nose allows you to get your nose deep in there. Palate opens with Graham cracker and shortbread sweetness, transitioning to ginger in the mid-palate before finishing with white pepper and a good amount of rye spice. Flavors have decent depth and richness. Finish is a shade over medium length, and it has a nice oily mouthfeel. Overall a solid rye with no major flaws. Proof point matches the flavors well. Bonus points for value as ryes of this quality are pretty hard to find at a $40 price point.

On the nose is a pleasing array of toffee, leather, orange peel, date, and fig. Palate: WOW. Liquid cake batter/frosting up front. Cinnamon sugar peanuts and orange zest in the mid-palate. Prickly heat on the backend but it’s a feature not a bug and in no way overwhelms the flavor. The difference between what I got in the aroma and on the palate is very striking although not bad in any way. Finish is primarily oak and candied nut, which comes in nicely as the other flavors are fading and is of satisfying length. On the whole a nicely integrated and balanced experience. Mouthfeel is viscous. Overall fantastic and much better than the last ECBP batch I had. I think the lower proof actually worked to good advantage here, giving the flavor a chance to shine. Considering I got this for just a shade over $50 makes this just a fantastic value.

So I must say I had zero intentions on doing a separate review of Batch 13 when I had already reviewed the now infamous Batch 12. (See that review for full tasting notes) “Pffft. The difference between the two is probably imperceptible!” I said. After tasting them on back to back nights, well, what can I say...I was wrong. Bourbon community, you really know your stuff on this one; Batch 12 is the bomb. But what of Batch 13? Batch 13, while still very much Stagg Jr, is fruiter, spicer, and with WAY more barrel char and way less brown sugar/molasses. Is it still delicious? You bet. Still worth the money? Most definitely. Am I buying Batch 14? The moment I can get my hands on it.

Disclosure: normally I would have passed on an NAS, sourced bourbon with a cheesy media tie-in, but when my local grocery store knocked this down to $14 and everywhere else in my area had it at $35, I decided to take the inexpensive plunge on this 94 proofer. Bright nose with standard vanilla/caramel, peach, and new leather. The palate brings the vanilla, caramel, and peach from the nose with minor notes of Spanish peanut skin, and maple. Very sharp bordering on "harsh" mint and oak bite in the mid-palate. Short finish ends with some cinnamon and that newly tanned leather previously noted in the aroma. Watery mouth feel for 94 proof. This bourbon doesn't have any deal breaking flaws, but nothing about it excels either; basically it's a fast train to Boringville. Hard to rate; do I give it a rating based on it's normal price of nearly $40 or my bargain basement price of $14? Let's start by saying it is nowhere NEAR worth $40 or even $30; if I paid that for it I'd be pissed so if anywhere near that I would avoid. At $14? Quite possibly a re-buy when funds are light. I'll kind of split the difference with the rating.

(Primarily for my own records. Probably a useless review outside of the Phoenix AZ area) Barrel #6658 “Selected by Will Simpson for Sonata’s restaurant”. Confirmed with KC that was barreled in 2004, making this a 14 yr old pick. Review will focus on the differences between this pick and the standard “single barrel” release. Age difference immediately noticeable with BIG barrel char notes not as prevalent in the standard. More oak forward as well. Spicy finish but not as prickly as the norm, with the extra age taking off any lingering rough edges. Standard KC peanut and cherry flavors still dominate, but larger caramel presence as well. Finish is super long ending in peanut shell, cinnamon, and a hint of peppermint. Overall, a stunner. Too bad I am unlikely to ever find it again but if I did it would be an automatic buy at the $53 I paid.