Tastes

So after lunch today, we stopped at a favorite liquor store out of my regular market. Saw this stuff and it yelled out to me. My wife says Miles (7 yo grandson bourbon lover, at just a taste, but that's another story) will love it by that name. And he did. Pour up an oz and the aroma fills the room. Heavy on butterscotch and there's some bazooka bubble gum deep in the glass. As for the namesake, yeah there's some vanilla cream cake doughnut in there. (I made Miles spell donut in order to secure a drop and he says yes to the donuts too.) This is not terribly complex but based on prior experience with the barrel stave program it's gonna be way better after a couple months if it lasts than long. The ethanol is a tad harsh on the tongue but then it's 109 proof. Putting that aside, caramel apples and butterscotch lead the way and it's big and rich. That vanilla cream donut is lurking in the background and comes on strong at the finish. Since it looks this will be a Super Bowl hit. think I will get another to take home and savor!

Gonna go against the pack here as I did not care for this. First of all there is banana lingering on the nose and than turns me off on bourbon. I do like bananas but not on my bourbon. Ethanol leads on the nose, there's a touch of caramel and baking spices but of course banana. The palate is hot and a touch bitter. The mouth feel is pretty good but there is no balance here. This was an expensive gift to a friend but none of those tasting it cared for it. Sure won't be looking to find any.

Let's start with WOW. The nose is incredible with rich caramel and butterscotch yet not even a hint of alcohol at 93.8 proof. As I nose this, I start to research this. It's 12 year old high rye (21%) MGP bourbon. The companies address is in the same industrial park as Boone County distillery who also has a relationship with MGP. So the pedigree is pretty much the same as Boone County 1833 and even the same age as one I had a couple of years ago. While 1833 was a higher proof, I expect this to be similar and it is. The nose is very complex with butterscotch and caramel, green apples and cinnamon. NICE. Great mouth feel and flavors matching the nose. Long lasting spicy finish. This is a great bourbon but would I give $150-250? 1833 was $70 and a tad better.

When I head to my son's in Florida, there is always a day his neighbor Frank comes over and we share tastes. He has outdone himself today and this is the first offering. Little information other than it spent ten years in KY and then a year in Garyanna oak in Oregon. (It's in the white oak family so this is still bourbon) We have read stories that state it could be MGP but the label say KY and flavor profile leads me to believe it's premium Beam. There's a sweet corn and peanut on the nose and similarity to many of the Knob 120 store picks I've had. So, it has a rich sweet nose, roasted marshmallows and a touch of peanut. Maybe a little cherry in the background. It's ten years in oak has the alcohol way in the background and the primary flavors are cherry pie filling and a touch of caramel lurking in the background. After some open time, there's some cinnamon showing up and there is a nice sweet oakey finish that's just right, It's got a great mouth feel and can't find anything wrong. Whatever they are doing. it works. Availability is an issue as only Oregon and Washington have availability

So my son was only able to find the 91 in Florida after loving the bottle of 111 I took down at Thanksgiving. I'm back in Florida and this bottle has been open a couple months. Gotta try it. Immediately, I recognize the similarity to the 111 albeit more subtle. Same beautiful mahogany color. The nose is less hot but the alcohol is still a tad noticeable. Mama baked some cherry cobbler, WOW. Never got the cherries on the 111 but they're here tonight and very pronounced. Even get the pastry. Early on its tart cherries but it evolves to sweet cherries with cinnamon and caramel. This one evolves through the evening and oddly, the alcohol is more prevalent late as opposed to earlier. The 91 is only $5 less than the 111. Assuming both are available I'll stick with the 111,which has become a permanent fixture at my bar

More musings than review thinking of our very cold weather (9f last night). There is nothing I can add to the 9000+ reviews 0n MM but it's solid and I agree with the general reviews. Took a short walk last night and really enjoyed the very cold air in my nostrills. It reminded me of how cold it was once in Budapest and only MM was available at the bar on our river ship. It was without a doubt the best experience with MM ever. It took my brother in law and me a few days to finish their single bottle and then no more bourbon. The strange thing was how incredible the nose was. Every night the MM smelled better than before. It took lots of discussion and contemplation as to why? Of course, it took another glass as well We decided that it was the very cold air enhancing our sense of smell. And perhaps the lighted Chain Bridge serving as backdrop to the cocktail lounge. So tonight it is MM for an olfactory test. The aroma is WOW and my sinuses love being filled. Always enjoy my bourbon better on a cold night and a fire in the fireplace makes it even better. Yes, atmosphere adds to the experience as do friends who also enjoy. So, take a 10-20 minute stroll in the evening just before cocktail timeand have an MM.

Our Christmas family get together is to be on New Years Day. We are a family of bourbon lovers and all like to try the hard to find and different bottlings. This is to be one our selections and I am airing it out. The Old 6 year white label was a favorite of ours and we were quite disappointed when it disappeared. We were anxious to taste the soon to be 7 years bib but it was not to be released in Kentucky. Took me a couple years but I found one in travels through Georgia. From a pricing stand point, this has been placed above Henry McKenna 10 yr bib so the bar has been set pretty high. For the record the one year of extra age quadrupled the price , from $13 to $55. I tried it a couple of years ago and though it good but took no notes, just enjoyed. I no longer have any 6year white but I am tasting it against the 6 year 90 proof and I do love it. Let's dig in. Boy is it tight. A half hour an hour in, I slip a small cube in since I usually drink this one this way. The nose pops. Vanilla and corn sweetener lead the way. Let it melt and there is that brown sugar caramel I love. Dark fruit and baking spices are a layer down. It's a tad more intense than the green and aromas pretty much identical. The ethanol comes forward on the tongue and the body is thick and chewy, way different from green. The flavors are true to the nose but the 7 has a vegetal note creeping in. I find better balance in the green. Green has a short oakey finish. 7 is hot and lasts, there's the oak! I'm thinking Henry McKenna now. Verdict. This one's tough. I like them both but lean to the subtleness of the green. I love the mouth feel of the 7. McKenna kinda gives both. At $55 I'm disappointed but it's very good. Based on the green at 13, this one should be $20-25 but those days are gone and I am glad to live in KY where green is still available on occasion.

Several years ago, we took a trip through Ireland and visited the Bushmills distillery. It was a fun tour especially seeing the Wild Turkey barrels in the warehouse. I quipped that the reason that Bushmills was so good was because it was aged in WT barrels. The guide got me back later saying bourbon wasn't particularly good to consume but the old barrels were great to age Irish whiskey. We tried several Irishes on that trip with Redbreast 12 being my favorite. I searched in vain for Bushmills 21 the rest of the trip. A year later I found one in an ABC store in Florida. Dusted of the box today and decided to air it out for the family for Christmas. This is a 2016 vintage bottle and if you can believe it, I got it for $109. The nose is absolutely decadent, tropical fruits and honey lead the way. Mango, guava and citrus are all there, Just a touch of coconut and a lemon honey note. It evolves nicely and there is allways something new. I know to search for the WT spice notes and think they might be there. Taste elements are true but honey is in the lead. It's subtle on the tongue and no heat The body is disappointing, quite thin and it's difficult to get a tongue coat. 90-100 proof would have made this a far better experience. Nosing a spirit is my favorite part and this one excels in that department. The palate is quite good but the body and finish a bit short for me. Last night, I had Redbreast 12 and it had a much better mouth feel and finish. But Bushmills 21 surely has the nose.

Just got my bottles and couldn't wait to taste it. Due to a pick up snafu, my bottles were delivered by no less than Bill himself. Had a nice visit and learned that the bourbon came from orphan barrels produced at Bardstown Bourbon. It's bib with a 72c 18r 10mb mashbill put up just over 4 years ago. 850 bottles produced. Light honey in color. Tears form and drop quickly in a glencairn. Off the neck, the nose is very shy. Given half an hour, it starts to open. Traditional bourbon notes on the nose with little complexity. Sweet corn leads the way and after a while there is some nice caramel. Once it's as open as it's going to get the nose is rich yet simple. The last .25 ounce is most enjoyable on the nose. The palate again is rather simple. The sweet corn is there and a touch of fruitiness in a caramel apple way. It's thin in the mouth and finish is short with a bitter end that says it needed more time in the barrel. I am very happy to have gotten a couple of bottles but this is only slightly above average overall. I do believe that it is telling us that Bardstown Bourbon is continuing to improve as it ages.

So I took a trip to Newport today and among others things stopped at New Riff hoping to fin some winter whiskey. No luck but the lady in the gift shop suggested I try the Balboa Rye. It's 95%Balboa rye and 5% malted rye. Distilled, aged and bottled in Newport. At least 4 years old This one has a deep amber color. A swirl leaves a thick coat on the glass and legs are slow to form. Oh what a nose! It's lemon dill forward and a light caramel background. I sniffed it for nearly an hour before I tasted it. It does not evolve much but the dill becomes more pronounced and the lemon fades a bit. It's a touch hot as you roll it on the palate and it numbs the roof of my mouth. No doubt it's great for a sore throat. First taste, dill leads the way and there's a nice black pepper finish and boy does it last. A couple sips later and I get caramel and citrus.The peppery back end persists. (Did I mention that fabulous nose). There's a chewy mouth feel and the finish really goes. Love that black pepper. This is a neck pour so it may be different in a couple weeks. When at my son's for Thanksgiving, I found the last two ounces of The Winter Whiskey from last year's bottle. Wow that was fabulous and I expect this one to get better too.