Tastes

Light, surprisingly floral nose. Almost more akin to a scotch than a bourbon. That doesn’t prepare you at all for the palate, which is far darker and kind of reminds me of a campfire. The finish might be the smokiest I’ve experienced in a bourbon. This thing is a wild ride.

Bright nose with some honey, lemon, and white pepper notes. Palate is similarly sweet, with corn being the predominant flavor (big surprise, I know). The finish kicks the spice up a notch and also brings some more familiar Woodford notes of caramel and oak. Overall, a unique whiskey, but nothing that screams top shelf to me.

Smells like those caramel green apple candies you get in the fall. The palate is much darker, with a hint of smokiness that lingers into the finish, which turns brighter again and a little bit sour.

Classic Wild Turkey notes of dark brown sugar and roasted apples on the nose. As you get into the palate, the extra age comes into play, with smokier, woodier notes that get stronger in the finish, which goes just a little too soon.

Sweet apple notes on the nose, with some cinnamon and a twinge of mint too. Those sweet notes continue into the bright palate before a very smooth, rather short finish. For me, it’s a bit of a letdown given the price and prestige, but by no means bad.

Lots of blackberry and brown sugar on the nose. More berries and some cinnamon and baking spices on the palate. Very grape-heavy finish, followed by some light charcoal and a hefty punch of oak. Very tannic. I initially gave this a pretty high rating, but the more I go back to this bottle, the more I think it’s a little too dominated by the red wine notes.

Clover, wildflowers and just a hint of peat on the nose. Very mild palate with notes of cereal and a hint of charcoal. Easy, relatively short finish. A very well-balanced, easy drinker. A nice spring time drink.

Bold roasted fruit notes on the nose. Like baked apples and cinnamon. A more mature and interesting palate than other Maker’s Mark expressions, starting off sweet and fruity before turning buttery and aromatic. Medium-short finish of nutmeg and molasses.

Vegetal, savory nose. Cant put my finger on any specifics, but it’s nice. Buttery palate, and a ton of honey and a hint of butterscotch on the finish. A comforting drink of there ever was one.

Nose of honey and pear. Palate is smokey and slightly sweet, with a nice, long finish, full of charcoal, coffee, and campfire smoke. For me, this whiskey has the perfect balance of peat. Enough to pack a punch with the smokiness, but not so much that it drowns out the other flavors.