Tastes

Nose: Apple pie, with cinnamon, pastry, mouth watering apples, and even ice cream. Rye is there but as an understatement or base for everything else. Taste: Sweet and hot, pie crust, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, apple skins, chili oil. Experience: Sitting on the back porch with Dave on a summer evening eating hot Apple Pie and ice cream. Perhaps Mauve is sniffing around chomping on the discarded apple cores. Epilogue: This whiskey was morbidly perfect. It is big and bold but equally friendly and complex, just like Dave. It was his favorite yet and comes in a coffin reminding us that while life is sweet it is also fleeting and best when shared with friends and loved ones. Final thoughts: look, no whiskey is "Worth" $400-$500. I bought this for sentimental reasons, I got into whiskey and rye in particular through Whistlepig, I talked with Dave Pickerell and he is a huge inspiration for me. This is a personal whiskey that I bought as a memory and a thank you to the boss hog. Dave's reason for the cost was to keep it from being flipped as anyone with a brain knows it's not worth $500 (his words). "this is something special for the fans" he'd say. unfortunately with his passing the hype has lead to hoarding and flipping, if this is you please open your bottles and share them with friends otherwise you're spitting on what Dave stood for. Buy this or any costly item for the experience, not for the "value".

Nose: Dusty oats, cherry, wood, old books. Taste: Sweet cherry, bitter nutmeg, cereal, stale brown sugar. Experience: this is walking into a feed store or mill with a cherry pie in the window. Dusty but sweet. Not something I'd be reaching for regularly but a fun look into what other grains we might be overlooking.

*disclaimer: this was part of a flight and in a shot glass not a nosing glass. Nose: cream, honey, maple, buttered toast. Taste: Fruit, honey, slight pepper, apricot spread on toast. Experience: need to sit with this more.

Nose: Damp peat smoke, bacon, and if you wait for it, fruit. Taste: The taste flips the smell, starting with sweet fruit, then turning into meat and smoke, then back slightly to earthy peat. Experience: lighting a fire shortly after a brisque rain. It's damp and smokey but the rain has brought out all the sweet smells from the earth and trees. it really does live up to the reputation.

Nose: Green apple and other sweet fruits, some citrus zest but not too much, cream, a touch of cinnamon. Taste: Sweet hay, green apple, slight molasses or toffee. Experience: Spring... or early summer. You take a deep breath and can smell blooming flowers, and fruit trees. You feel the warmth of the sun and a cool breeze, today will be a good day.

Nose: Creamy vanilla, orange zest, nutmeg, and so much more. Taste: Sweet dark fruits, hot spicy cinnamon sticks, wet wood, Christmas spices, and again even more. Experience: it's like stepping into a warm pastry shop on cold morning, so many smells and options it's hard to pinpoint or choose one. The warmth and spices surrounds you and warms you all the way through. This is becoming one of my all time favorite whiskeys.

Nose: cherry, leather, dust, burt brown sugar, Taste: chocolate covered cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg,. Experience: Hot and sweet. GTS is a party on a hot summer night. Warm and welcoming but you'll want some water nearby.

Nose: Honestly it smells like a rye, sharp spice baking soda and cinnamon, with wood, Taste: Cinnamon, classic jack, to be honest some cherry Coke. Experience: This really is Jack all grown up. The classic taste is still there but now it has complexity and nuance, too bad I've never liked the original Jack.

Nose: Cherry Coke, pepper, barrel char. Taste: dusty wood, juicy fruit, long peanut oil and nutmeg finish. Experience: This is a "safe" bourbon. Low burn and a long finish it's being wrapped up in a blanket on the couch on a cool but not cold night.

Nose: Burnt marshmallow, vanilla, creme brulee crust. Taste: Sweet syrup, wood char, pecan pie. Experience: Fall. wet leaves, and sweet syrups. All it needs is the warm sweaters to go with it. 3 stars only because I like other options more. it's still a fine option for the price.