Tastes

I recently tasted Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon while hanging out with a group of folks and was unable to jot down notes while tasting. What I recall is caramel on the nose and a huge burst of caramel and some vanilla on the palate. This had a lengthy and pleasant finish. I'll have to have ECSB again in a setting when and where I'm able to take notes to jot down more specifics. While I wouldn't group this with my favorite whiskeys, I'd certainly say that ECSB is very good.

Oooh, I like this one! I read in a few places about the banana bread notes some folks have gotten in EW BiB, and I knew that I had to try this as banana bread is my favorite whisk(e)y note. I poured this into a shot glass neat and let it sit for 10 minutes. My olfactory senses were more than satisfied with Evan Williams White Label BiB. I got caramel, nuts, and banana bread on the nose. The banana bread shines on the palate. There is minimal burn. The finish is quite lengthy, and it's nice and warm with some vanilla coming through and the banana bread note sticking around as well. And what a great value too!

David Nicholson 1843 was another bourbon I had been wanting to try from the selection wheated bourbons that were formerly produced by Stitzel-Weller during the 20th century. I let this sit for about 10 minutes. When I dove my nose around this, I smelled ethanol and a faint scent of maple syrup. I picked up caramel, butter, maple syrup, and some wood on the palate. The finish was medium-length, and it's a little bit hot and oaky as well. This isn't bad, but I wouldn't pay $35 for this again. I really like Larceny, and I'm also a fan of Rebel 100. If I were to buy this on a regular basis: 1) I'd have to be able to find it near me as opposed to ordering it online from a liquor store in California, and 2) I wouldn't be willing to pay more than I pay for a bottle of Larceny Small Batch ($26.99) or Rebel 100 ($21.99). Without taking price and availability into account, I'd say this is a respectable 3.75/5. However, as I feel this is a little bit overpriced and isn't available nearby me, I'm bumping my rating down to a 3.25.

I came into this one with low expectations. Putting my olfactory senses to the test, I got caramel and vanilla on the nose. This was a little sour on the palate--perhaps yeast-like, young, and watered down. The finish was very quick. I've been buying a handful of products that can trace their roots back to the Stitzel-Weller distillery during its glory days of producing several wheated bourbons. While Cabin Still fits the bill on that account, it's my understanding that this is no longer a wheater. As other reviewers have pointed out, it's also no longer a straight bourbon. Cabin Still does not rank amongst my favorite whiskeys, but it's not bad. This is certainly good enough for me to use as a weekday pour. There's nothing wrong with it per se. It's just not very exciting.

The nose consisted of zesty orange and caramel, a little bit of vanilla, and definitely some ethanol. The dominant note on my palate was pancake batter, and there was caramel as well. The finish was short-lived and evoked tones of caramel and wood. However, after drinking this, I got a slightly unpleasant aftertaste which lasted for several minutes. This was good, and while the aftertaste was a little annoying, I felt that this was right about on par with the basic Maker's Mark offering.

I've been chasing after bourbons that can trace their roots to the products produced at the Stitzel-Weller distillery during the 20th century. I haven't heard great things about the 80-proof Rebel Bourbon. So, I decided to skip over that and try Lux Row's 100-proof selection. I poured approximately 0.5 fl.oz. into a shot glass and let it sit for about 15 minutes. I picked up fresh bread and caramel on the nose right away. Oak and ethanol followed with a hint of vanilla as well. This was my first foray into the world of triple digit proof whisk(e)y. On the palate, the additional proof, which I'm definitely not used to, hit me as I sipped this neat. Right away, I detected cinnamon, and there's some peanut hovering around there too that I occasionally tasted. The cinnamon didn't last long, and it gave way to caramel and a good amount of heat in a medium-length finish. I am biased towards Larceny Small Batch, but this is a very good #2 option of a wheater for me. Also, I like this a lot more than the main Maker's Mark offering.

My curiosity got the best of me. I had been wanting to try this, and I way overpaid. Cherry and wheat on the nose. Definitely some heat there on the palate with caramel and slightly bitter oak. The cherry note comes through on the finish for me as well. The finish is long and dry. Is this good? Yes. Is it worth what I paid? Absolutely not. While I liked this, in comparison to my opinion of other wheaters, it doesn't hold a candle to Larceny Small Batch. I also slightly prefer the regular Maker's Mark over this. Therefore, I would only buy this again if it was less expensive than both Larceny and Maker's. No more allocated bottles for me. From now on, I will stick to my usual guidelines of not paying more than $40 for a 750 mL bottle of whisk(e)y.

I tend to steer clear of scotch these days, as my body can't handle peat anymore. However, this is one I would consider revisiting. I recall a doughy note on the palate, similar to what I get with some wheated bourbons. I remember this having a very light scotch profile with minimal (if any) peat detectable.

In small quantities, this is tolerable. Anything over one fl.oz., and I'll say it's too peppery. Can I drink this if I take my time? Yes. Would I drink this if it were the only option at a bar? Yes.