Tastes

Part of a 3 pack sampler. The 15 is the middle aged entry. The 12 year was a nice pour, but didn't knock my socks off. Nose on this is very light smoke, but there is definitely fruitiness shining through. First sip is a little bit of peat, but also brings some cherry and chocolate. The finish is mild and warm. Overall I want to love this. There is just a litte too much peat for me, but it is significantly better than the 12 year. Would not turn down a pour of this one.

Picked this up as a three pack sampler. This is the base offering. Nose is a bit smokey here with some candy almonds. First sip is nice almond and marzipan. Not sure where the smoke went, but not really a peaty dram. Finish is warm and soft. Overall this is a nice dram. I don't think this one would swing someone to single malt, but it is a good pour.

So can we start by talking about this bottle? I mean can you honestly say you don't want to try the juice inside this gem? It looks like what you would expect to be sitting on some baller's bar top in the 60's! Ok enough about the bottle, let's try what's inside. Nose is all vanilla and toffee. This one I think I could just nose the glass for awhile and enjoy the evening without a sip. Who are we kidding here, of course I am going to drink it! First sip is initially soft on the palate with more of that vanilla, but a nice brown sugar and cinnamon burn warms you up quickly before settling into a long caramel finish. At $150 this is pricey, but damn it is fantastic. Vanilla and caramel rolling throughout. I rarely give really high ratings to pricey drams because they don't live to the hype. This will be an exception and I would pay $150 any day for another bottle.

Barrell has quickly climbed up my favorite brand list. It seems everything they put on the shelf lately is fantastic. This one takes the higher price point of their bottles up a bit to the $200 mark and it still is one of the most flipped bottles according to recent articles. In any case I am one for sippin not flippin so let's dive in. Nose is all vanilla and caramel. No ethanol or funky notes on this one. First sip is full of flavor. Caramel, brown sugar, maybe a hint of peanut brittle. This leads to some peppery heat on the edges that builds to a mild burn before trailing off to a light creme brulee finish. Let me start by saying $200 is a bit much for any bottle so I expect some magic. This one is really an excellent dram. It is one of the best 15 year bottles I have had across the board and might be darn close to a 5 if not so pricey. In any case one to grab if you can find it and pull the trigger.

After being surprised by the quality of their 4 year Rye I was excited to try the Bourbon Barrel pick from my local shop. Hopefully it is just as surprising, although this time my expectations are definitely higher. Nose is really sweet here. I would say caramel, but it's almost cola like to me. A little ethanol due to the young age, but not overpowering. First sip is caramel forward for sure. At 60% i expected this to be really hot, but it is surprisingly not. There is gentle cinnamon burn that starts mid sip, but never reaches the peak any barrel proof offerings do. The finish is quite warming as opposed to burning and fades of to a soft butter toffee close. Overall this isn't quite as surprising as the Rye. Lots of traditional bourbon flavors here done really well for a 5 year. They may not be the prettiest bottles in the world, but the juice inside is pretty damn good. Definitely recommend giving this brand a try if you see it on the shelf.

1792 makes an amazing Full Proof, but the rest of the line has not really impressed me. My wife likes drams a little more on the sweet side so despite the lower ratings here I decided to bring home a bottle. Nose is ... well it's sweet. Nothing overpowering here. Basic vanilla and brown sugar scents. First sip is very light on the front end. The opening is flat to be honest. Then the caramel notes come through followed by peanut brittle. The finish is very mild and short. Ok. This is an interesting one. The overall dram is just a bit thin. There are actually some nice things going on with the soft peanut brittle notes, but they just don't do enough to push this into a really good score for me. I think this is an excellent bottle to enter the whiskey world. It is mild and still brings some classic flavors. I don't love this one, but no regrets on buying it. If you can get it at $35 it is definitively better than many others at the price point and I would say grab one. Unfortunately it has become a bit scarce and at $50 your other options start to outweigh this one.

This was an interesting bottle on the shelf and I might have passed it by if there was anything more interesting. On this particular day there wasn't so the bottle followed me home. Nose is definitely rye and smells like a pine forest. Not the most appetizing here, but maybe the taste will make up for it. First sip definitely packs some flavor. There is quite a bit of caramel for a rye. It is a bit surprising. Then the backbone rye starts to come through with some spice. I definitely get that woody pine note that young ryes tend to have. The finish brings a light black pepper heat, but never gets too terribly strong. This slowly fades to some lingering sweetness. Overall I am a little floored on this one. For a 4 year rye this is remarkably easy to drink. I would definitely pick up another of these when this bottle runs dry. Don't be fooled by the somewhat cheesy looking label on this one and give it a try.

Yellowstone is one of those labels that I never was drawn to, but a recent barrel pick from one of my favorite shops made them more interesting for me. For 2020 they spruced up the bottle and finished it in Armagnac barrels (which is a French brandy if you are like me and have no idea what the heck Armagnac is). In any case let's give this one a go. Nose is heavy on the vanilla and caramel notes with little ethanol. Not sure if the sweetness is the underlying whiskey or the brandy finish, but either way it is quite nice. First sip is very underwhelming at this price point to be honest. Soft vanilla and brown sugar are present. There is also some fresh baked bread coming through. I wouldn't say a heavy rye, more of a bran muffin. The gentle warming finish comes on as the sweeter notes subside. If this were a $50 bottle it would be higher for me, but at $100 it is just a bit too much of a stretch. Overall a nice pour that I wouldn't turn down, but I don't know that it's hooked me to this annual release.

Barrell has quickly found its way into my favorites category as every dram I sample seems to be very good at worst and exceptional at best. The infinity project ups the multi point sourcing game with barrels from all over the world. Excited to try this one. Nose is strong on the alcohol vapors so be gentle when inhaling this one. Around that is a mess of scents... rye, maybe some light mint, a little oak... First sip is definitely a blend. The heat from the proof is there and the rye from the nose plays front and center. There is also some bright sweet corn on the edges. An almost syrup like texture flows across the mouth with this one as it goes from a sweet rye opening to a hot pepper finish. Overall this is another strong Barrell offering. Like Compass Box they have found a talent for blending multi sourced barrels into a sweet symphony.

Blended Scotch tends to be hit or miss with me. The Lost Distillery story is intriguing though and with a Madeira finish I figured I'd give this one a try. Nose is subtle peat and strong dried fruit. Definitely something a little different going on here. First sip brings some light peat, but also some strong almond and hints of vanilla. Also tasting a little fruitiness from the Madeira. Some gentle heat follows and the finish leaves a slighty medicinal close. This one won't be a go to for me. There is definitely some nice flavors shining through, but the close isn't quite to my liking. At this price though I definitely recommend it if you are into smoky blends.