Tastes

I have had a few Jefferson tastes with mixed reviews. This one has gotten some pretty rave reviews so when I saw one on the shelf I gave it a go. Nose is a very nice fresh baked rye with a sweet edge from the cognac finish. First sip is something different for a rye. Very little bite for a rye. Cinnamon comes through in bunches in this pour with some very sweet edges. There is a soft cinnamon burn that comes on mid sip that never gets very strong, but delivers a slow warming finish. Overall I am really impressed with this glass. I know this will not be everyone's jam and purists will scream blasphemy at a finished whiskey. They can walk on by the shelf with this one, but for the rest of us this is a great pour. Grab one if you get the chance!

I was not overly impressed by the entry level B&T, but i have been told the 10 year is the sweet spot for them. Throw in a tater worthy Liberty Torch bottle topper and I am in. Of course I think anyone calling another person a tater really says more about themselves than their target.... but I digress. Let's see how it goes. Nose is really quite nice on this pour. There is a faint peanut note, but more prevalent are wood and cocoa. No alcohol here to speak of makes this one to enjoy for a bit before you sip. First sip is fairly soft on the front end. I get a touch of cocoa here and maybe some burnt caramel. Mostly this one is just flat. There is a bit of a hot finish with some pepper burn that flares up and then sort of fizzles out. Overall this one like the 6 year just doesn't do it for me. The flavor is soft and a bit flat. It's not a drain pour by any means, but I wouldn't buy it again. At the price it is a disappointment if not for that cool bottle topper. I would advise you look elsewhere at this price.

After a rather lengthy search I finally found this bottle. My wife loves Irish Whiskey and I have been trying to keep up with the best I can find. Generally they are a tad light for me, but these cask strength offerings are becoming more common much to my delight. The nose is quite lovely on this dram. Red berries come through as expected, but there is an overlying candy sweetness. We are off to a nice start. First sip is full of flavor. Floods of cinnamon and berries wash across as a warming heat grows mid sip. This one is straightforward in its simplicity and brilliance. At nearly 120 proof this is as high alcohol an Irish pour as you will find, but as long as you take your time enjoying it you will be lovingly rewarded with an incredible experience. This might be my favorite Irish bottle yet. If you happen to have the luck of the Irish and see a bottle don't sit on it!

This is my first Willett product since Michigan isn't in the distribution network. Interestingly this brand seems to be rather polarizing. Even the Distiller review sitting in the 90s seems above the user sub 4 rating. Let's see where this bottle lands in my palate.... Nose is not exactly up the creek... but it is defintely woodsy. Some very light brown sugar notes and some pretty prominent rye notes. First sip is vanilla and caramel loaded. The oak comes through on the edges, but not over the top to be distracting from the dram. At 100 proof this drinks very easy with almost no burn to speak of. The finish is almost buttery and lingers with a soft caramel fade away. Overall this is a damn fine dram. I suppose I can see where some might call it a little too oaky, but the vanilla and caramel are sp prominent they overshadow the oak backdrop. I am with the Distiller review here and would definitely recommend this one if you see it. Everyone is entitled to their review (which is one of the loveliest parts of the whiskey world) and mine is a definite BUY!

I generally only prefer the single barrels from JD with the gold label BP being a fantastic pour. This one came with much fanfare and even landed on Whiskey Advocates top bottles list so when I managed to find one I figured I'd give it a go. Nose is pretty much a classic profile with some heavy brown sugar notes. The extra few years in the barrel defintely smooth out any alcohol notes that tend to pop out on the younger standard label. First sip is defintely bringing some cocoa notes on the front end. This may sound a bit crazy, but I am getting some subtle banana notes coming through. It's almost a very light chocolate covered banana vibe going on. There is a mild heat the rolls across mid sip and softly fades like a smoldering campfire. Overall this is nice, but honestly for the hype that is all I can say. The private barrels I have had easily top this and bring much more flavor and life to the party. Is it a step up from the standard JD? Sure. Is it worth chasing all over for? Not for me. You are much better off grabbing one of the single barrel blacks or if you are fortunate to find one the gold label instead of running with the herd to find this one.

Garrison has finally made its way to Michigan. I tried a store pick that was ok, but didn't sell me on the brand. However, some stellar reviews on the flagship Cowboy and this one made me take another draw from the barrel. I embark on this dram confident that my fellow bourbon lovers have not led me astray. Ok. I usualy start with the nose, but damn the color on this pour is a fabulous dark amber. I only hope it tastes as good as it looks. Nose is spectacular. I am not overselling here. Rich caramels mixed with a little butterscotch all tied up with an oak bow. First sip is strong as the proof would tell. I definitely get brown sugar and molasses notes. This one tells you on the front that it has been doubled with hints of char on the edges. The more I sip this one the more I get maple and walnut flavors blending in. The heat comes on as heavy cinnamon laced mid sip and drifts off leaving a rounded sweetness. Well I am glad I heeded good advice and took the chance on this rather pricey dram. I can see why this may not be everyone's favorite, but it is an incredible flavor bomb. There is nothing subtle about this bottle or the elixir inside. I definitely recommend it, but the $170 price is probably going to make most people look a little lower on the shelf. If you can afford it you should defintely pick one up if you find it.

Last year's version of this bottle was nice, but I am not sure it lived up to the price point. The ages and finishing on the 2021 was more intriguing so I decided to take a chance on it. I can say that if it falls flat it will likely be the last of the yearly offerings I pick ip from them. Nose is a nice start. Lovely hints of brown sugar mingling with red berries. Here's hoping the sip is as nice... First sip is interesting in a word. There are some light caramel and honey notes on the front end followed what to me comes off as a dried apricot finish. Some wine finishes leave a raisiny taste, this is definitely not that, but the dried fruit is definitely prominent and apricot is what I am getting. There is also a bit of an alcohol burn that joins the party on the back end, but nothing particularly harsh or memorable to it. I am going to say I like this. It is different and purists should just walk on by. I will need to try this later against the 2020 bottle as I think this one has a little more going on. However, like the 2020 bottle I would be much happier at atound $70 for this one. If you like different finishes and how they can morp whiskey this is a nice departure. If you are on a tight budget this one probably isn't worth the splurge.

This is my first Orphan Barrel product as I have not been willing to drop the money on random single barrels. At a lower entry price I decided to take a chance on this one. Dickel can bring mixed reviews, but I generally like the older bottles so let's give this one a try. Nose is a little oaky and maybe some apple pie. Nothing off putting and actually quite nice so we are off to a decent start. First sip is not quite so nice. This one defintely lingered in the barrel for some time. I am getting some funky burnt caramel on the edges. I almost get a medicinal quality on this pour. There is a nice charred warming burn finish here that gives some redemption to the dram, but it ends far too soon. Overall this is a great looking bottle for the shelf and at this price I would suggest you leave it there and grab something else. I am not going to be lining up for other higher price Orphans anytime soon.

Going to be honest here and say I have turned my nose up on most Jameson products. Not really sure why except maybe they seemed to mainstream for me, but this one caught my eye. The wife really enjoys Irish drams so I thought I'd go ahead and splurge on the fancy package and liquid inside. Nose is fairly sweet with some red berry notes. For a cask strength there is no real ethanol or heat on the nose. First sip brings an interesting twist. There is definitely some fruitiness, but it is accompanied by a mild cinnamon burn that comes on fairly quick and lasts the duration of the sip. As you dive in for another sip you start to sense the emergence of some really nice honey notes on the edges. The finish is soft with some light brown sugar notes as it fades away. Overall I am really enjoying the number of cask strength Irish offerings that are starting to pop up. In general I find around 110 to be a sweet spot so the low proofs of most Irish are just a little short for me. This one brings that wonderful fruit that many of my favorite Irish drams feature with a nice warming burn of a heavier proof. I am not sure I am ready to fill my shelf with Jameson, but this particular bottle definitely can fight with the Redbreasts and Spots. A little pricey, but a great bottle to have on your shelf if you see it.

My lovely wife adores Irish Whiskey almost as much as I adore her. I actually think she might trade me in for a bottle of Redbreast 27 if someone offered. In an effort to stay married I try to bring home a nice bottle for her often. I had heard about this release, but hadn't found a bottle until today. Since whiskey is meant to be enjoyed this one is a fresh crack for the evening. Nose is light, but sweet with hints of raisin and a bit of a mustiness. I am not saying that in a particularly harsh way, just not sure of a better way to put it. There isn't a particular age statement on this bottle, but it seems to carry some decent time in barrels. First sip is fruit forward. The barrels have really left a light raisin edge to this dram. There is a little heat that spikes to a soft burn mid sip before leaving an almost port like finish. The interesting thing here is that as the port fades there is a light bourbon edge with a caramel sweetness (almost like the finish on a toasted barrel). Each sip gets a little more complex as all of these flavors emerge. Redbreast continues to be my personal gold standard for Irish Whiskey. I have yet to find a bottle that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. This ine is no different. The fact that the aging and finishing have been so masterfully done so that you don't lose the individual characters of the barrels is really a treat. If you see a bottle of this I highly suggest you try it.