Tastes

I keep trying to love Knob Creek as much as many others do, but as of yet I have not found the sweet spot. The 12 year offering is nice, but not something I would search out for a second bottle. Hoping this 15 year converts me. Nose is vanilla and peanuts here. Not getting any ethanol on this so the age has done a great job of filtering that away. First sip is loads of caramel and vanilla. Getting some charring and ash as it swirls a bit on my taste buds. The heat comes across in the peppery range for me as opposed to alchol heavy. The pepper burn lingers nicely as the dram comes to a close. Ok. So this is the nicest KC I have tried for sure. The burn is a bit strong for 100 proof, but the overall flavor is pretty nice. This is a good bottle to have, but not sure I'd drop $100 on it again.

Generally I find standard MM to be blah, but I really enjoy 46 and the stave specials. 101 if legend holds is the specific proof deemed perfect by the creator himself (or herself depending on the legend). Let's see how she drinks.... Nose is traditonal MM sweet wheat with a little peanut thrown in. Also a bit more ethanol than the stave finishes. First sip hits the vanilla and brown sugar notes. A nice round of sweetness on the front end. Next comes the heat with a definite alchol burn that I don't prefer and takes away from the overall dram. At the end I am pretty much just tasting the alcohol, but I do get a little touch of sweetness at the very end as the finish burns off. Overall this is better than standard MM, but only slightly. I feel this one still tastes like base MM which isn't a winner for me, but if you like the standard this may be a nice extra kick for you.

I don't find the base Maker's to be anything more than average, but last year's RC6 was fantastic so I was eager to grab a bottle of SE4 for the shelf. Nose is really interesting here. There is almost a roasted nuts vibe with a fresh sawn oak backbone. I realize that sounds a bit odd, but not sure how else to put it. Honestly it is a really nice combo. First sip is a wash of peanut and caramel. Feeling like someone found a way to bottle a Payday candy bar and threw some proof at it. There is a little bite on the edges, but overall very drinkable neat. The finish is a slow fade in the back of your throat and the edges of your tongue, but not the slightest bit harsh. MM did another great job with the 2020 edition here. One more dram to pull me deeper into the MM family. With 46, Private Selects, and now these annual releases they are firmly in the BIN category for me.

After trying the WBS I was a bit disappointed, but a friend gifted me a bottle of B&L to try. Hoping it is better than the other offering. These come in half bottles that look nice on the shelf, but when you double the price to get a similar comparison to other bottles you should take into account that this is actually a pricier pour. Nose is really quite nice here. Brown sugar with a hint of roasted peanuts. Not a hint of ethanol to be found. First sip is a bit sharp on the palate. Get some vanilla, almond, and corn. There is a bit of heat in there that the nose hid. I get a bit of burnt sugar on the edges that takes a little bit away from an otherwise pleasant dram. The finish has a fading peppery burn. Overall this is definitely better than Saffel, but not worth the price of entry in my book.

As a fan of Angels Envy and other finished barrels I was intrigued by this one. My local shopkeep thought I'd really enjoy it so let's give it a try. Nose is light with a bit of honey and ethanol. On the tongue this definitely reminds me of Japanese drams. Honey almonds come to mind here with a bit of sherry rounding the edges. This burns off though with a bit of an alcohol burn finish that mirrors the nose. Overall this one is just ok for me. I would suggest Angels Envy or one of the spectacular High West finished bottles.

Having enjoyed the Old Ezra quite a bit I took a chance on the barrel pick from A&B. Wasn't sure what to expect so this one is a gamble. Let's roll the dice.... Nose is brown sugar and vanilla like a proper bourbon, but this one has some ethanol lingering so don't breathe too deep. First sip brings some sweetness to the tip of your tongue, but it is quickly engulfed with some significant heat. I am getting some burnt caramel notes, but not in the creme brulee vein. This is unfortunately a little off for my palate. A couple sips in and I just get more burned aftertaste instead of a nice slow burn. Verdict here is that I really wanted to enjoy this pour, but it was subpar in my humble opinion.

A&B store pick. Old Elk has gotten some press for its wheated profile being a poor man's Pappy. I would say that is probably some over praise, but was interested to give this one a try in any case. Nose is definitely a sweet wheat presence. It may sound odd, but it's almost sweet Sunday morning bakery stuff here. First sip has a really nice full presence. Corn mash, vanilla, and maybe a touch of honey on the edges. Parts of this dram almost conjure up sweet honey glazed corn muffins. The finish brings a little heat that catches you a bit off guard given the general smooth profile on the front end. Overall I find this to be a really nice pour. Not sure it is banging down the next great pappy door, but still very nice.

Well this isn't THE toasted barrel that everyone chases, but it is one of the rising copycats. Reviews I have seen have been a bit mixed, but I think they may be tainted by people expecting it to be just like Michter's. Let's see how it goes. Nose is well... toasty (wish I had a better word for you). Very much like taking a sniff of a bag of roasted nuts. First sip really is a mouthful. The vanila and brown sugar are there, but it also has a bit of that burnt sugar that glazes the top of creme brulee. The finish is a little off for me though as there is almost too much charring coming off the barrel. Overall I don't hate this one by any means. The front end is actualy quite nice and if EC could have stuck the finish this would probably be getting significantly better reviews. I would definitely suggest giving it a try and seeing for yourself instead of following the negative reviews.

I know it's not a southern U.S. bourbon, but I really enjoy the standard Mayor from Valentine in Michigan. I usually have a bottle open for an occasional pour. This bottle was a special relase as single barrels to high volume stores. Seeing a barrel strength offering was right up my alley and took some searching since they didn't last long on the shelves. Nose on this is a bit deceiving because there isn't a heavy ethanol presence despite the high proof. Definitely sense some vanilla and maybe a hint of cinnamon. First sip comes like a crescendo of flavor and heat. An intial hint of vanilla gives way to a bit of burnt caramel. There is almost a smokiness in this that you wouldn't expect from an American whiskey. Overall I didn't like this nearly as much as I hoped and it was not nearly as good as the 5 yr Rye released at the same time. I wanted to love this, but only found it to be pretty good.

I was always a fan of Valentine Vodka, but was a little skeptical on the whiskey and rye. Turns out that the Mayor is a pretty nice dram. This one is a 5 yr barrel proof offering and I jumped at the chance to grab a bottle. These were single barrels so each will be a bit different. The nose on this is really nice. It leans much more towards the sweetness you expect from a bourbon than a traditonal rye. The first sip of this is hot. The proof definitely comes through, but it is a great wash of flavors. Heavy caramel mixed with the spice of rye are abundant. The finish is brings a rush of heat that definitely lingers. Overall this little distillery in Michigan keeps putting some really nice bottles out there. Don't be scared off by a Michigan bottle, these definitely hold their own.