Tastes

I’ve tasted this before but it’s been a while so when I got the piglet trio Christmas thing ($20) I figured I would try it again Nose: very sweet nose. Not usually common but I like it. Maybe a bit of chocolate. Palate: very very minty up front. Not much sweetness coming through. But also very spicy. Unique and not what I remember it tasting like a couple years ago. Very solid Finish: still so much mint coming through. I wanna say I get some chocolate but I just can’t say for sure. Very lengthy finish for 10 years though. Overall: $90 in NC. It’s solid, truly. But idk if I wanna pay $90 for this one. I’d rather find a store pick for the same price that might be 15-16 years old.

Nose: chocolate and caramel. Side note: very dark color for a 4 year Palate: soo smooth and oily. Very chocolatey too. Finish: caramel and medium length. Overall: a sample from a buddy and I didn’t take this as serious as usual. Very solid rye though. Especially for a 4 year

“Judys Juice” Nose: dark fruits immediately. Tons of vanilla too. Definitely the fruitiest nose on a makers PS I’ve tried. Palate: super thick mouthfeel. Lots of dark fruit on the palate too but a ton of cinnamon comes through with a bit of spice. Actually has some wonderful flavor. Classy Finish: all vanilla and cinnamon decently long finish Overall: a very solid Makers PS and the best one I’ve tasted probably. 111 proof and drinks about at its proof.

Nose: mucho cherries. Lots of vanilla and caramel too. Maybe some cinnamon Palate: so oily and bready and cinnamon. The heat is very subtle for 129.4 proof. Cherries come through on the second sip. Finish: lots of oak but so smooth. Long long finish Overall: very much equal to a good Stagg jr batch with a bit of a smoother palate and more vanilla, less cherries. Amazing for $70

Nose: whoa...what an odd nose. Like it almost smells spoiled. I really can’t get past this. Like spoiled milk. I’m weirdly shocked. I mean if they were going for a unique profile on the nose they definitely got one. Palate: holy rye. This thing is so potent and grassy. It’s basically like the double IPA of rye whiskeys I feel like. At least it’s not as bad as the nose. This is truly insane. Finish: some metal-type flavor. Overall: idk whether to give this a positive review or really negative. I’m not a huge rye fan but I’ve tasted ones that I thought were great (M10, THH, even the Crown 16 year Rye). This one is like in its own category of rye I feel like. For the price I definitely don’t love it. Gonna have to try this after it stays open for a while. Would love to know if anyone else gets a weird nose on this though so please inform me?

Nose: sweet and caramel. Not a lot of spice on the nose. But definitely much potential I think. I can see why the older bottles of 7 year and above were so good. Palate: immediate heat. So much heat instantly. Definitely drinks it’s proof maybe more. Candy corn there and a lot of the rye shines through after a few sips. Also a very unique flavor comes through, almost like burnt chocolate or something. Finish: a lot of that burnt flavor lingers for a while. Medium long finish which is expected for its proof. Overall: so I bought this at a website where it randomly popped up. I knew these used to be rare and amazing and I didn’t know the retail of the new bottlings so I pulled the trigger at $150. I definitely regret it because I know it’s $50 now. For $50 I think this is a pretty good rye. For anything above, it’s a no.

*Barrel #2078 Nose: lots of cherry at first. Delightful and rich. Just has those wonderful bourbon notes. Very much like Stagg jr. Palate: immediate oak but in a good way. Sweet and incredibly tame. 93 proof on this barrel but it’s so so smooth. Not really oily like some at this proof but there is a ton of flavor. I like it a lot, but not in love yet. Finish: short finish full of oak and vanilla. Overall: honestly I think the finish on this bourbon is what makes it go from incredible to just very solid. It’s perfect on the nose to me and almost as good on the palate but the finish is so short it’s almost shocking.

Nose: apples and spice. Reminds me of their 10 year rye. Palate: lots of rye on the front and a dull sweetness. Honestly that’s pretty much it. Similar to Sazerac 6 year too on the palate. Finish: a little banana and pepper on the finish. Short finish. Overall: not bad for a sample a friend gave me. I tried the 10 year and wasn’t happy for the price and I think this one is around $40 which is still a little high for the quality in my opinion.

Nose: spicy nose. Not a lot of depth. Maybe some twizzlers in there. Palate: lots of rye immediately. Honestly very viscous/oily which is shocking. More of that licorice on that palate as well. Finish: medium and spicy. Overall: “Knobbing On Heavens Door” Private pick, 6 years old. Honestly not terrible but it lacks depth. I wouldn’t pay $50 for a knob creek rye store pick again though most likely.

Nose: coffee. Heavy coffee with some caramel. That’s it. Palate: tastes like a flavored whiskey. Just straight coffee. Pretty much a mixed drink I think. Finish: cold brew. Literally lol. Overall: interesting. That’s all I got