Tastes

Nose: cherry coke, pie crust, nutmeg. Taste: hot, cinnamon, cherries, bitters, black pepper (more cherry coke). This is a spicy boy for sure. Hot but rich and full bodied a solid poor if you can take the heat.

Nose: light and delicate cherry, cinnamon, vanilla. Very hard to find specific notes but nothing offensive. Taste: cherry, nutmeg, cinnamon, long full mouth warmth, a hint of maple on the finish. More: this is a great bourbon to poor dor friends, and those looking to get into bourbon, also anyone who likes purity over uniqueness. There is nothing offensive, off or wrong about this pour, but also nothing new, unique or interesting. Its solid and does the whole "bourbon" thing well. Its a straight through down center plate. Personally I prefer more spikey and interesting pours, but Frank is doing what it does well even if its been done before.

Nose: Caramelized bananas, cinnamon rolls, honey rosted almonds, dry dust, cotton candy. Taste: oak, dry orange peel, dry wine, buttery light finish, The nose and pallette do not match, the nose is hyper sweet with char and sugar all day. The taste however is still sweet but also mouth puckeringly dry. The Pinot Noir has had its way with the whiskey and not much is left otger than more dry oak and a long not unwelcome finish that is light and buttery. It is not a "bad" thing that the nose and taste differer so much, but i cant help but be a little disappointed after the promise of rich burt sugars to end up with a dry "winy" taste.

Nose: sea salt, light smoked meat, caramel, pear, aged white cheddar, slight baking spices. Taste: earthy, chalky, salty, sweet. More: I find it pretty hard to nail down the palate on this one, it's good, just hard to define. It's both a lighter and punchier version of the classic 16, the body has less heft to it but the sharper notes stand out more. Highly recommend if you like the classic and want to spin off in some directions.

Nose: Dark chocolate, nutmeg cherry, berries, wet wood, slightly sour yeast. Taste: sweet hot berries, lingering warm cinnamon, orange peel, ending in a lasting and slightly bitter chocolate finish on the sides of the mouth. I wasn't too impressed when I quickly tried this after some other bourbons. However if you sit with it (especially as the only poor of the night on a fresh pallette, maybe the first pour of the week) it grows into a mature and complex dram. The chocolate notes on the nose show up as cocoa but on the palate the flavor hides until the end hitting the sides of the mouth as dark chocolate, and not the 50% stuff but 90% dark, the bitter lingering stuff. I'm really pleased I grabbed a bottle after my unimpressed initial impression because it's a joy to sit with and break apart. Just have it on its own or the subtle flavors might be missed.

Nose: Honey, pear and other light fruits, light baking spices, dusty malt, almost a lemon zest. Taste: light and refreshing, honey wheat, slightly fruity with a warm spice filled finish. A fantastically affordable summer pour. Nothing too unique or mind blowing but what is there is well done and worth the price.

Nose: baking spices, pepper, apple pie. Taste: red apple, cinnamon, baking spices yet again. A very solid pour but not anything I've never seen before.

Nose: toasted oat, dill, cinnamon, marshmallow, caramel apple, pie crust, wet grass, black pepper, and the slight smoke, like a candle jar blown out. Taste: hot cinnamon spice, more baking spices, dark fruits, cherry cola, and red hots. The nose is very good if not too unique for a rye. The mouthfeel is good but with a shockingly hot finish for a sub 50% whiskey. A long lingering heat is felt on the tongue and in the cheeks. I love it. You are paying a premium for the gimmick but rest assured this is tasty stuff.

Nose: spices, cinnamon, banana bread, pie crust, caramel, fruit jam. Taste: sweet with dark fruit, then cola and pepper, leading to a full green apple finishing with spices and mild heat. Solid. Way more than "not bad" but not quite blowing my socks off. The Honda Accord of whiskey.

Nose: cherry, caramel, dusty maple. Taste: A bit watery cherry, slight baking spices (cinnamon/nutmeg), ends with a nice numbing heat and some barrel wood. Solid but not mind blowing.