Tastes

Very oily, tobacco on the nose so when those sweet (black)berry notes hit the palate it’s a real treat and definitely a surprise. The maple nuttiness lingers with a slight, almost rye-like finish. That tobacco nose from thr start kind of comes full circle and wraps the whole sip up in the end, but without that initially oilyness.

I just ate an entire tomahawk steak by myself so my nose and palate and finish are in absolutely no condition to comment on anything. Maybe next time?

Hot, hot, hot on the nose and immediate palate. Gives way to robust licoricey nutty flavor that mellows quickly but somehow also lingers long and low.

I’ve had this bottle open for a couple of years, but I remember it as better than at this time of writing. Hot on the nose, then smoothes out with buttery caramel for just a moment. Then, as quickly turns into a briny aftertaste that is not totally unpleasant but that shifts yet again into a typical leathery bourbon profile.

A fantastic rye. All the spice with nine of the burn. The sip seems to coat my mouth like liquid silk. Flavor rolls onto the palate and stays steady the whole way down, leaving a slightly sweet bite in its wake. All in a good way. Tasting this at a friend’s house but have definitely added to my shopping list.

Holy moly flavors! Will be back after second taste to add more detail, but this is good and different!

The mouth feel was almost creamy, milky feeling which was definitely unusual, but, not gonna lie, pretty nice. I had heard great things about this bottle and in that initial moment I was in full agreement. However, as the palate develops I am just walloped by the spiciness typical of rye but to the max, like Red Hots on rye toast. And, I never chose rye toast. So, in the end, I’m not a huge fan.

Sometimes I read “well balanced” and I interpret that as “boring” or “predictable.” This is not that. While being well balanced, it’s also really dynamic, running the sip through a burn as well a soothing smoothness, from just almost too sweet to lingering caramel and vanilla.

This is my second taste. I opened the bottle 10 months ago, a Christmas present, and remember it having a very unique flavor, dissimilar to most typical bourbon profiles. But this time around I was completely underwhelmed and found it rather unexceptional. That being said, it was still a good sip, just nothing to write home about. Edit: 3rd taste. Flip-flop exhibit here… definitely a unique flavor. Damp morning campfire is the image the flavor is evoking. Still not feeling great about this one, though.