Tastes

Sweet corn on the nose. Not nearly as sweet on the palate. The corn and maple flavors hit early but quickly fades and you’re left with the some astringency like wine. Also comparable to a dryness after eating a handful of nuts. Very different than most bourbons I’ve tried. It’s unique but young. I would love to know how it tastes with more time in the barrel.

My family came back from Colorado and brought this with them. I get chocolate covered raisins on the nose. There’s some cinnamon/nutmeg in there too. Reminds me of raisin bread. Deep, dark bitter chocolate flavors on palate. I get some some vanilla in there. There’s spiciness to this whiskey throughout. You can feel the spice in this too. Also, I get a nutty sweetness on the finish. This is so interesting and worth exploring more. I’m really curious how the open top fermentation and the direct flame pot distillation affects the taste too. Mad props to Deerhammer for this whiskey. Now if only they could distribute in Texas...

Nose is full of smoke. I agree with many others, it’s akin to charcoal briquettes. The taste had a smoky, savory, salty hit. Then the sweetness of light fruits come halfway. You got more of the smoke and brine on the finish. Not bad

Nose has sugary notes laced with some honey and sour fruits. The taste is honey with more unripe fruits like sour apples and green grapes. Not much of that buttery taste I get from other Irish. Even Jameson has that buttery finish. This though is very light, thin, and with flavors coming and going very quickly. It’d be an ok mixer, but personally I’d take Jameson for a daily sipper over this.

*Accidentally deleted original review. Decided to update* A rye like no other. Great neat or in a classic cocktail! This is a Balcones product through and through: high proof with rich, dense flavors. It does have that typically rye spice, but you also get notes of caramel, citrus on the nose with some dense dark chocolate and coffee. The taste is my favorite part. There's some burn followed by a hit of spice and nuttiness. The dark chocolate finish is what makes this interesting. This rye has a long finish that will carry over into your next drink. I tried this rye in a Manhattan and Old Fashioned and loved it. It adds a unique richness and depth to these drinks that I enjoy, but I also enjoy dark chocolate. I'll definitely be keeping this on my shelf.

I walked into my local Total Wine looking for some bourbon when, lo and behold, I see the Westland Single Malt on CLEARANCE for $49. I didn’t even know Total Wine had clearance whiskey! I should’ve grabbed more than one bottle. The nose is nothing too radical. Some spice with vanilla, maple from the new char oak barrel. The taste was the most interesting part. This has a subtle coffee cream flavor that coats the mouth. It’s silky, and the taste stays with you for some time. The finish changes from coffee to a nutty flavor that I really enjoyed. Honestly this has become one of my favorite American single malts. It sits proudly next to my bottle of Balcones “1” Texas single malt which I love. Is it worth the retail price of $70? Meh... but it was definitely worth the $49 I paid today!

Thank you to the kind Total Wine employee who let me try this in store. It was good. A very well balanced whiskey with sweet vanilla, spice, oak, and earthiness I really enjoyed. Ive heard Garrison Bro’s whiskeys have been hit or miss for some people, but this one was a hit in my book. I would’ve purchased a bottle that day, BUT Garrison Bro’s are waaaaay overpriced. Don’t get me wrong it’s a great whiskey, and one I’d love to explore further. It just not worth the $110 price tag, especially for 94 proof. I’d pay $70 at most AND if it was cask strength. Lose some points for price

I tried this at the distillery (formerly Witherspoon, now called Bendt). This one was my favorite but I tend to lean towards single malts. You get some nice butterscotch notes with some fruit and smoke/wood. This and the cask strength bourbon have been my favorites

Not bad. I like it better than the standard bourbon. The sherry finish tempers the spice and adds some fruitier notes on the finish. It’s very expensive though

Spicy and hot! Lots of cinnamon and an oak finish with this one.