Tastes

Really good rye, but it falls short at it's price point and availability. HW Double Rye, OF Rye, KC Si Bar Select, are all very good and in good supply.

Full disclosure: I am kind of a proof hound. I also really like the Belle Meade bourbon I have had. Given that, I really expected to love this pour. However, I found I really liked the basic BM sour mash better. It seems that the added proof hides flavors rather than contributing to them. I kept looking for the extra notes and tones but they never materialized. At $63 and up, I suggest the lower proof version if you want more flavor. Not at all bad, but I just expected a bit more.

This is not for me. It's somewhat spicy and firey but not in a good way. There is an off-note acetone flavor with sour to unripe fruit flavor that dominates. It doesn't seem like this is possibly an 8 year port finished product. I just don't get this pour. I do not recommend.

This is very good for what it is. Toasted almonds, cereal, and a medicinal overtone in the nose. Sweet warm marshmallows and nuts at the front. Very smooth transition. It has an American malt flavor but it's very high in corn per centage. I hit it with a bit of chilled distilled water and the fruit notes exploded. I don't know where they were hiding but they should be unleashed. Short sweet very smooth finish. I definitely suggest with a splash.

This is a fantastic scotch. I have difficulty finding enough ways to express its goodness. On the nose, just a bare hint of char with slight vanilla and citrus. On the palate, the only thing to say is unbelievable balance. The sweetness is balanced with tartness, Char is balanced with richness, spice is balanced with smoothness. And there is just enough vanilla to go with the fruit aftertaste in the finish. The finish lingers long and fades away with definite peach cobbler and apricot. Since I am not a sweet drink fan, pulling off this peach cobbler trick without it tasting too sweet is miraculous. If you constructed the perfect peach cobbler, with 80% peaches and 20% apricot, with no sugar added, and made a sophisticated adult drink with it...that would be Allta. The sad part about this bottle is its limited release in this particular expression. It would be easy to crawl into this bottle at a cookout in late July during the dessert course, and not come out! Thanks to JWSparta in the Greensboro Buyers Club for sharing. $100 in NC, but for a limited time only $70 at Blackwell's!

Full disclosure, I like Maker's. However, this special release is a puzzle. It is very ethonol and vanilla forward on the nose. It is even heavier on the palate with vanilla and a strong ethonol aftertaste. There are some lightly smoky notes but not what I was expecting given the idea and science behind the release. The flavor is just not balanced in my opinion. There are good notes in the pour, I just don't think they are working harmoniously together. This is another great Greensboro Buyers Club selection. I knew what I was tasting, but I am certain if this were a blind taste, I would not have guessed Maker's. After a splash, it had some of the trademark wheater' aftertaste. With the heavy ethenol and the wheat finish, I would have guessed Rebel Yell 100. My favorite of the Maker's is definitely the 46. At $36-39 it's a great value with few flaws. RC6 has more going on than basic Maker's, but at $60 to $65 in NC...??? I can't suggest it. IMO, it lacks the premium extras one might expect for $60-70.

What it is: Very warm with a smoky nose. Very spicy and smoky on the pallet with dried savory fruits ( figs, currants). Creamy with a thick mouth feel. Ethonol heavy finish with a lingering smoke after taste. Very smooth and easy, with interesting flavors all the way. What it isn't: Sweet. Floral Like any Old Forester I have ever had.(I generally love OF bottles) Easy to find. Worthy of all the hype and demand (IMO). My favorite of the Whiskey Row series. This pour is good, but leaves me wondering why the much better OF 1920 is on shelves and readily available, and this is almost at unicorn status??? It's worth trying, buying, savoring, and sharing...but not chasing. There are many $55 bottles that I prefer.

This is a straight forward, spicy, but easy ride. I highly recommend for a warm-up drink or a first of the night pour. It has just enough fruity and floral notes to keep it interesting, but not enough to make it a completely balanced and boring drink. Like a few other bourbons I have run across, it is different enough from my go-to drinks to make it appealing. After a bit of analysis, it has a similar flavor profile to the Willett bottles I have tried??? Unfortunately, while available in VA and SC, it is still a no-go in NC. This would be a STEAL at ~$30-35. Unfortunately, it is $45 plus the obligatory confiscatory kick to the "man". This makes it a $50 bottle which I think is a bit of a stretch. However, I plan to keep a bottle around to prevent taste bud attrition.

Great fruity Scotch. It is best described as a fisherman's breakfast Scotch. Really a $40 gem.