Tastes

I have heard high praise on Garrison bottles so when a friend was heading to Florida on vacation I asked him to check out the local Total Wine. He returned with a store pick BP for me which wasn't ideal since it was pricey without much info, but I'm glad to have one to taste and share. Nose is... well first let's talk about this color... this dram just looks sexy with its dark amber tone. Not sure if it is the mash, the barrel, or some black magic, but it's damn pretty. Now back to the nose... vanilla and caramel tend to pop out here for me. Honestly it's almost like a vanilla Coke. Surprisingly there is not a heavy ethanol presence despite the 120 proof point. First sip is pretty hot from the start and that corn comes through off the bat. There is a sudden rush of flavor after that initial habanero heat that floods you with caramel, brown sugar, and cinnamon warmth. As the sun sets the barrel char starts to take the stage and you get some real toasting (maybe this should be a breakfast pour with it's maple syrup French toast notes). The closing just lingers a bit with that soft cinnamon heat before finally fading away. So I have heard the debates out of Kentucky and Tennessee that no one else can make great whiskey. It's too hot in Texas, there's not enough fluctuations in climate and temp, etc. Fortunately I don't buy it after trying whiskeys from a number of places that have been excellent. This is a really good bottle. At $150 it needs to be better for me though. The burn on the front end might send many drinkers to find some ice (which is great if that's how you like to sip). The middle and finish save this dram for me. I definitely want to grab the double barrel version and maybe a bottle of Cowboy, but at this price the value isn't there for me to be seeking out another of the single barrels.

Had this bottle brought back to my state by a friend since many of the Dickel bottles don't make it to Michigan. Have heard good things on this one and eager to try so let's go... Nose is quite sweet on this. Caramel and brown sugar with a hint of roasted peanuts. It's really quite a nice start. First sip sweet from the start with a brown sugar intro. This morphs quickly to a toasted caramel with some gentle cinnamon heat. As this fades those roasted peanuts make their entrance. Then things get interesting as a second wave of cinnamon heat comes on and carrys you to the finish line. I was hoping for a nice pour and this didn't disappoint, but the complexity was unexpected. Maybe it was all that barrel time, but this one breaks away from your standard whiskey with that wonderful cinnamon peanut finish. Very glad to add this to my collection and an excellent bottle at its price point. I probably give this an extra quarter point for value. Grab one if you see it.

Redbreast and the Spots generally set the standard in the Irish category for me personally. I had to make a tough call here as I was offered Blue Spot or this bottle. Based on the rarity factor I rolled the dice on this one so let's see if I picked right... Nose is sweet. Honey and maybe a touch of clover. For a cask strength offering there is surprisingly little alcohol on the nose. First sip is fairly complex. Honey, golden raisins, and a touch of cinnamon come to mind immediately. There is a very nice soft burn that develops midway, but for a cask strength it is quite mild. The finish is where the Sherry comes on strong with hints of sweet wine and red berries drift away. While I am sure the Blue Spot is lovely I am quite happy I picked this bottle. Overall the flavors are excellent and each sip seems to unlock more flavor. This is definitely not a dram to rush through. I would not hesitate to grab one if I see it again and I highly suggest you do the same!

Another day another Barrell... every time a new Barrell label hits the shelf in my local shop I say I am not going to get sucked in, but who am I kidding? Barrell has become a favorite of mine and I have yet to be disappointed despite the somewhat high standard price point. Nose on this is truly a treat. Some nice base vanilla, but swirls of the rum and port casks create an enticing preface to the dram. First sip is so damn good! This is like drinking Halloween... starts with those little cinnamon red hots, some lovely caramel comes rolling in, followed by some red berry gummies. The pour closes with a soft cinnamon caramel apple sweet burn that slowly fades. There is quite a bit going on here and it is pretty special. This will not be everyone's idea of whiskey perfection, but it comes pretty close for me. This may be the best Barrell I have had so far and that says a lot. Don't let this one sit on the shelf if you see it. You will thank me later.

This is sample number three from the Teeling Trinity Pack. The single malt was a bit messy and the small batch was a sweet recovery, but still not one I would seek out. Let's see how the third lands. Nose is faintly sweet. The corn is obvious, but there is also a lingering maple syrup quality. First sip definitely brings more to the table than the lithe Trinity Pack offerings. There is predominantly sweet corn and honey in this one. A gentle warming cinnamon burn fades to a sweet marzipan finish. Overall this is a really nice dram. Unlike the rest of the Trinity sampler I would grab a bottle of this one to keep around. A little different than your general Irish Whiskey, but I like the variety.

Taste number two in my Teeling sampler pack. The single malt was underwhelming, but I am keeping an open mind on the next two pours. Nose on this is very sweet. Can definitely sense the Rum barrel finish on this one. It's actually so dominant you don't get much else on the nose. First sip is very light. Light sugar (the Rum finish is very prominent) and honey notes across the tongue with almost no burn. This one is pretty straight forward with not a ton of complexity, but sometimes that isn't a bad thing. Overall this is a very pleasant dram. Not a ton going on, but mellow and sweet focused. This is an excellent choice for your friends that are new to Whiskeys and prefer a sweeter edge.

This is my first round with Teeling. Sample one of a three pack. Not sure what to expect out of these so let's go for a ride down the Irish whiskey rabbit hole... Nose is a little off for an Irish entry. Almost comes off as scotch like. I guess this one is just a bit funky for me. Might be the mix of the different barrels muddying the water. First sip is mellow with strong citrus notes. They might have over done it here with all these different finishes. There are lots of little things going on with marshmallow, citrus, maybe marzipan. Nothing offensive here, but nothing spectacular either. Overall this is decent. Wouldn't regret it at a bar or turn down a pour from a host at a party, but I don't see this one finding a place on my bar.

Well here we have an interesting find. Marketing did its job on this one for sure with a great minimalist bottle. The price is a bit steep here though so the contents have a high bar to contend with. Let's see how it goes..... Nose is damn fine to be honest. Vanilla in droves, a bit of caramel thrown in, and a hint of brown sugar to round it off. So we are off to a good start here, but again at this price it should be damn fine! First sip is full on flavor. The caramel and vanilla notes are strong here followed immediately by a cinnamon burn. There is almost a pecan or peanut sticky bun thing going on here with a toasted nuttiness laced with sugared icing. The interesting thing I am finding is the burn is mostly on the front end with an almost soft butter toffee finish. Overall this is pretty spectacular. At $100 a bottle I might even hit 5 stars, but as we get close to the $200 mark you have to blow me away to get a full rating. Still I would love to have this one on the shelf to share with friends on special occasions. If you can afford it don't pass one up.

I have begun to enjoy the New Riff offerings quite a bit with the base and single barrel varieties. This special release brings chocolate malt to the table. I was a bit disappointed in the Woodford Master Chocolate Malt so let's see of the team at NR does any better with this one in the mash. Nose is definitely heavy malt and vanilla. I am even getting some interesting shortbread cookie notes on this. First sip is really different on this pour. The oats come rolling in heavy like a breakfast cereal. A soft burn comes in the middle rounded by some caramel and cocoa on the edges. I am just going to tell it how this one tastes and call it a granola bar. You know the ones with some granola, dark chocolate, and a caramel drizzle. That is basically what I am getting out of this dram. Overall this one is a mix for me. It gets points for being different and brings some nice dark cocoa notes to the game. Something just isn't quite right bringing it all together for me personally, but I am definitely glad to have scored a bottle and recommend it if you can find one.