Tastes

So this one will be interesting. There are some rough reviews on Distiller, but some "experts" have called this out as one of the best wheaters available. If nothing else it has a kickass name on the bottle. Let's see how she sips.... Nose is a classic wheat profile. Some caramel on the edges maybe, but overall a bit malty. First sip drops that toasted wheat. The overall palate is almost malted caramel as that wheat just floats above the juice. I definitely see where some people get chewy on this one. It does have some strong cereal notes. Despite the solid proof here it never seems to overpower. The finish is quite nice as the soft burn lingers on the edges of your tongue. So what to make of this. First, it's no Pappy (but who really expected it to). It is however a farily nice pour if you can handle the malty profile. I can definitely see why the reviews are all over the place as it has very distinct notes. The interesting thing is that the longer I take with this glass the more I am enjoying it, especially the backend. I'm not going to gush on this one, but it is better than the reviews and is definitely worth a try.

So there must be something about horses and bourbon chasing that go together. Blanton's and Rock Hill both seem to command premiums at local shops. I have managed to grab a few of Blanton's at decent prices though compared to this squarish little bottle. In any case this little bottle found its way home with me at a little higher price than I would like so it may be a one and done, but let's see if the juice lives up to the hype.... Nose is pretty sweet on this pour. Definitely getting an almost butterscotch note and maybe even a touch of pineapple (yeah I realize that sounds odd). Nothing to write home about here so hopefully the taste makes up for it. First sip is brown sugar front loaded with some cinnamon heat in the middle. I am getting some burnt sugar hints on the edges that I don't exactly love. It's not terrible, more like that marshmallow that got a little to close the campfire. The sweetness is there, but it is wrapped in what I am guessing is the influence of a well charred barrell. The finish is a mild burn, but not much after it burns off. So where does this leave us? I am going to honestly say I don't love this. In a blind tasting I could see this falling behind some pretty average bottles. I guess I am not going to follow the crowd here and call this one just OK. Anything above state min is a pass for me moving forward.

Chasing the elusive staggs.... I have yet to secure a bottle of George T so let's settle down with Jr batch 14. It seems they should have just called this Stagg and left off the Jr as it makes the bottle seem the lesser or a copy of Sr. In any case this one is quite hard to find in my area and I was happy to score one. Nose is quite nice here. Some vanilla and brown sugar notes. Maybe a hint of nuttiness in the background. There is a bit of alchol as well given the sky high proof of this dram. First sip is a bomb of caramel and heat. This one lives up to it's 65% without question. It comes on pretty quick and heavy, but overall stays in the manageable range. I don't see myself rushing for an ice cube here. Interestingly as the heat rolls off I get some cocoa and almost toasted marshmallow on the backend. Almost an adult smores going on with this pour. The finish is a mild cinnamon tail that fades nicely away. Well I have to say I am enjoying this one. It is a bit hot and I might yet give it a few drops of water in future pours. Overall at the regular price this is a great bottle. Unfortunately like many great bottles it is harder and harder to find at suggested retail. I am not dropping $150 on this, but would definitely pay up into the $80s. Hopefully I can get lucky again and score some future batches.

I admit 1792 has been a bit of a roller coaster for me. Full Proof is fantastic and one of my faves. Single Barrel was blah. Sweet Wheat somewhere in between. I considered skipping the rest of the line, but then I saw this bottle and got pulled back in. Let's see where the journey goes... Nose is mellow here at first with light vanilla and caramel. But then I get root beer vibes which is a bit unusual, but hey that's what I'm calling it. First sip brings that vanilla and caramel with some mild heat. Maybe it's molasses notes that lead me down that root beer path, but here they are again. This all gives way to a lovely cinnamon burn that has a nice linger to it. Let me just admit right here I misjudged. 2 winners, 1 good, 1 blah make this a label I need to explore more. This is really one of the top 12 yrs I have had. Some may prefer more oak, but I prefer the lighter hints that this dram displays. Do not pass this bottle up if you are lucky enough to find it.

The EHT lineup is one that is almost impossible to find in my area. Perhaps it is Michigan's screwed up allocation system or the many flippers that seem to be around, but even the base small batch is elusive. Managed to get this one through a regular shop before Christmas, but still had to pay up a bit. I do enjoy the standard dram so hopefully this one is a nice. Nose is definitely rye with a nice fresh baked banana nut bread base. First sip is mellow rye. Upfront are honey and a little brown sugar with a light rye base. After that initial sweetness the rye spice pours in with a simmering cinnamon burn that never gets overwhelming, but brings a nice long gang finish. Overall this is a really nice dram. However, the price of entry is just too high. At $70 I'd feel better, but given the fact you can't find it there I'd rather grab a Barrell Rye at the $100 mark. Loses half a point for cost on this one, but still a really nice pour.

Tasting an A&B store pic tonight. This one looks great on the shelf with great color in a nice bottle. Hoping the juice inside lives up, but the reviews have been a little mixed so here goes. Nose on this one is almost sweet bourbon at first, but then the rye notes come in just as you are about to give up on them. Mostly brown sugar here with a just a hint of baked bread. First sip brings some lovely toasted caramel on the front end. Then a soft burn starts to come on in the middle, but it is more cinnamon than traditional rye pepperness. The dram closes to more traditional fresh baked bread notes and a soft finish. Not going to lie here, this one surprised me a bit. I know barrel picks can vary so you have to keep that in mind, but I am really impressed with this bottle. I will need to try some others from the line, but this is an excellent bridge for bourbon drinkers that haven't been able to find a rye they can drink. Definitely recommend this bottle at the price.

This one was a small sample so take that into account with this review. Nose is light with this one. Small amount of peat and almond. First sip is quite nice. A little bite, honey, and almonds. This is a really pleasant dram. Overall this one is a little puzzling to me. There is nothing about this that I can live without or that I think is amazing. At the same time there is not a single thing I don't like about this dram. I can say that trying this makes me want to try some of the higher rated Macallan products. This one isn't on my search list, but it intrigues me enough to want to look deeper into the range.

Third bottle from a Christmas 3 pack. This is the oldest so hopefully the best is last. Nose is really soft with very little jumping out. Slight touch of peat and a little honey. First sip is soft honey and almond. More cherry and light chocolate as well. Slight peat on the front end. The big change here seems to be a longer and warmer finish. Overall this one definitely is the winner for me. Flavor profiles between 15 and 18 are close, but the 18 has a much more robust finish to my palate. Not sure I'd pay up for a bottle at this age, but I can ses why it has better overall reviews.