Tastes

Old Elk has been a bit of a mix for me. I have tried a single barrel straight that was great, but their "special" reserve was not so great. This bottle is the single barrel wheat variety (Harper Liqour Land). Hoping it is more like my first experience and not the disappointing reserve. Keep in mind as always single barrels can vary so your local shop may be a bit different. Nose is a bit sweet on this bottle. I am almost getting hints of Golden Grahams. There is a touch of ethanol that comes through almost in an astringent way (which isn't particularly appealing). First sip follows the nose with cereal and honey notes. The wheat definitely brings a softness to the whiskey overall. There is a mild cinnamon burn that builds from the outside and washes over you before fading out. The finish tails off to a prolonged after burn that fades in a rather unremarkable way. Overall this dram wants to be a ten, but winds up as an overdressed seven. The honey and cereal notes are really quite nice, but the slightly off nose and so so finish just leave you wanting more. I recommend you try a sample from your local if they offer you a single barrel before you dive in. Old Elk definitely has some promise, but execution still is a little ways off for me.

In all the world of Scotch is there a more perfectly marketed brand? The logo is designed to look like it was forged by a Norse god and they drive a big ass monster truck around that billows smoke like an ancient dragon.... Then of course there was the attractive woman that was passing out samples and tshirts that suckered me in on this bottle specially packaged in a perforated tin shaped like a smoker..... And here I am a Islay hater with a new bottle of Ardbeg.... At least my wife enjoys a more peated dram so this won't go to waste. All this being said this is the least smokey of the brand so here are my thoughts. Nose is well smokey, but I will say it isn't offensive. This is much more of a bbq smoker feel than a campfire. Maybe I should pair this with some brisket next time. First sip is pretty damn peaty to me. I know some of the Islay lovers will say this is mild, but it is toeing the line of what I personally can enjoy. The smoke comes on strong at first, but subsides a bit to let some toasted marshmallow notes through (well maybe more like the ones that accidentally get lot on fire before you put them out). There is a mild burn that comes on near the end of the sip that stretches out to a fading smoke finish. Well if you haven't yet figured I am going to say overall this one is smokey. I can't say I love it unfortunately despite all of the branding and marketing telling me I must to maintain my manly stature. I guess this is a good entry dram if you are looking to drift toward the Islay. I think I will stick with the fruit forward Scotches that better fit my palate.

Another Barrell offering and yes I am suckered in. Very few of these have missed the mark for me, but they have gotten a little crazy with the finish mixing. Hoping this one doesn't get to messy with all the flavors, but here goes.... Nose is light, but fruity with peaches and apricots. There might even be hints of brown sugar creeping through in a cobbler combination. Amazingly there is not a hint of ethanol burn on the nose despite the fairly high proof on this bottle. First sip is sweet and hot. There is a lot to unpack here for sure, but I feel this is markedly better than Armida which got muddy with all of the flavors. I am getting hints of the rum on the front rounding into the brandy as the heat comes on. This one falls into the habanero type heat as opposed to a harsh alcohol burn, but I can defintely see a majority of sippers wanting to add some ice. As the heat washes over there is a nice brown sugar finish that lingers beautifully and draws you back for another sip. Overall this one is fantastic. Even if you are not normally a Rye fan you should give this a chance. The fruitiness of the finishes mesh incredibly with the brown sugar backbone. I called to mind a cobbler on the nose and the dram itself stays the course. Dovetail may still be tops in my book, but this is a very close second and on some nights might even nudge ahead. If you see it, buy it. Your welcome!

My first introduction to Sagamore was a store pick that surprised me with the level I enjoyed it. Based on that I decided to pull the trigger on this limited edition annual release. Usually I think Woodford when I hear the phrase double oaked and those bottles never disappoint. I am hoping the tag is just as tasty for Sagamore. Nose is much more bourbon like than any rye I have had. Maybe the fancy toasted waves in the barrels soften the rye notes, but I am getting hints of toasty brown sugar and ginger snaps. First sip is a bit of a ride. There is a bit of the banana bread notes reminiscent of the Jack Daniel's Single Barrels, but this dram brings some hefty brown sugar and cinnamon glaze. The burn that comes on mid sip brings a decent amount of heat that fades nicely on the edges with a light caramel finish. Overall this is a really nice bottle. I am really impressed with what Sagamore is bringing to the table for an upstart. The bottles themselves look great and unlike many of the newbies putting crappy young whiskey in pretty packaging, Sagamore seems to have put together a solid recipe. I will definitely be trying more of their offerings. This is a bottle I will miss when it is gone and definitely be looking for a backup.

Ok. I will admit that as a Whistle Pig fan and a car guy I was suckered into this one as soon as I heard the story. Gimmicky? Sure. Do I care? Nope! Was glad to find a bottle in time for the annual Dream Cruise to share with family. Let's start the engines.... Nose is definitely unusual for a WP dram. Very little Rye notes and lots of fruit forward hints. This defintely has the nose of a sherry finished Irish Whiskey instead of an American Rye thanks to those Bordeaux blend barrels. First sip is unlike any WP I have had. The Bordeaux finish is all over this one. I am going to be honest and say this doesn't even taste like a Rye. There are some really tasty red fruit notes on the front end that open into a peppery burn in the middle. The heat stays fairly soft before fading to a boozy raisin finish. This one is pretty crazy. The notes are almost like a blended Scotch, but without those almond notes. The pepper in the middle reminds you this is an American dram. Overall this is nowhere near the best WP I have ever had, but it gets marks for creativity and novelty. I will probably try to find a backup on this one just because it's damn cool. I can't give it a stellar score as it just isn't that fantastic, but I know you want one of these bottles complete with a tire shaped stopper so grab one if you see it! You may not thank me for the flavor, but you will when your car buddies see this bad boy on the mantle!

This brand was introduced to me by my local shopkeeper. Wax seals and western style labels look fancy on the shelf, but it's the elixir inside is what matters. I bought this and the toasted Rye which was not stellar. The sample my guy poured me was nice of this though so let's give it a proper review. Again this one is an A&B barrel. Nose is much nicer than it's wicked sister rye. Brown sugar sweetness is prominent with just a hint of ethanol. We are off to a much better start than the rye. First sip is full of caramel and pecans. A soft cinnamon burn builds mid sip that gives way to a caramel apple finish. For this proof point this bottle drinks much lower with the cinnamon burn never overpowering the flavors. Honestly this one surprised me with how prominent the caramel apple is and it is really quite nice. Overall this is a really good bottle. The biggest issue here is the pricing on these. At 5 years you are paying more for a fancy seal than the brown water inside. I would feel much better about this bottle at $60 than $80.

Seems like everyone wants in on the toasted barrels these days. Nulu took a slightly different approach by toasting a Rye. I am not sure where I stand on this concept, but it is something a little unusual and I am always game for that. This one is an A&B store pick. Nose is typical Rye on this pour. I guess I was expecting a little something more, but unfortunately it is pretty standard. First sip brings a soft Rye backbone, but there are hints of sweetness maybe even cheeries on the edges. Just as these notes start to get interesting you are with a strong pepper burn that washes over everything and leaves you with a pronounced heavy burn finish that isn't all that great. By the time the burn fades you are left without anything special on the tail. Overall I am disappointed in this bottle. I also grabbed a Nulu straight bourbon that I will review later that was significantly better. This could have been something to sip on and enjoy the complexity, but the harsh burn just does it in. I would just skip the Ryes from Nulu entirely and stick with the Bourbons. At the price point this is a wall on by bottle.

I have tried a few Old Elk offerings in the past and been mildly impressed. This reserve bottle is their self proclaimed best barrels of their high malt mash. This particular bottle is batch 3 so perhaps the third time is the charm for some whiskey magic. Nose definitely gives away the high malt and corn mash. You can really get the maltiness, but there is also a bit more ethanol here than I would prefer. Don't breathe too deeply on this one without letting it sit in the glass for a significant time. First sip is pretty damn hot for a 52٪. I have had much higher proofs sip much better. There is a really nice Golden Graham vibe here. Usually a few sips in the burn mellows, but this one is still really packing on a mix of pepper and alcohol burn. Just as you start to get some cinnamon and honey hints the alcohol comes rushing in to overpower it. The finish brings a little char to the party as the alcohol finally starts to fade. Some reviews placed this as the best sour mash ever and said it beat Michter's and Elmer T Lee. I have to say I would overpay on an ETL bottle anyday vs this fireball. I am going to call this a let down at the price point. I was really expecting this higher proof reserve to be something special given my experience with the lower proof offerings. It's not a drain pour by any means, but you won't be missing anything by letting it sit on the shelf and using me as your $100 guinea pig....

This is my first Stranahan foray. I have heard some mixed reviews, but decided to give it a try since the solera process is intriguing. Let's see how it drinks. Nose is definitely not traditional American whiskey. You can pick up the heavy malt and there is no ethanol to speak of. Maybe a hint of the fruitiness of a Speyside Scotch. First sip is quite interesting. I'm just going to say this at the risk of sounding off, but this is like tiramisu in a glass. There are some light almond notes on the front followed by a rather pronounced mocha coffee finish. It took me a few sips to come to this conclusion, but honestly this is where I am at with this one. There is relatively little burn and the mocha finish fades nicely if just a touch to soon. Overall this one is surprising. Maybe it's the American malt or the specialized aging process, but it definitely brings something different to the party. At $45 I highly recommend this one as a pick up if for no other reason than to expand your palate to something off the beaten path. Not sure I will grab another when this is gone, but glad I took the chance. For the price I am giving this an extra quarter point bump up.