Tastes

Not as complex as scotches but a good bridge between Irish and peated whiskeys. It’s a good balance of sweet and peat. Reminds me of a peatier Classic Laddie. But you do get more of that Irish whiskey honey note that I often associate with Irish whiskey.

Just a really pleasant bourbon. This took me by surprise. Tasted this after the bartender recommended it. It’s sweet cherry pie in a glass. Some subtle oak, cinnamon, rye spice, caramel. Overall it’s just a nice bourbon and the perfect proof. A bit expensive though but I’d drink it again.

Sweeter than Blanton's. Better than Buffalo Trace. This was one of my go-to bourbons several years ago. First time tasting this again in years! On a road-trip, I stopped at a random liquor store in a small town to grab a bourbon for camping. On this sidequest, the whiskey gods blessed me with an Eagle Rare 10 Year Single Barrel and a 375 mL of Blanton's. So, I thought I'd do a quick comparison between these two BT single barrel bourbons. The nose on Eagle Rare jumps out of the glass. It has your typical bourbon notes i.e. cherry, vanilla, and oak. Compared to the Blanton's, the cherry is more up front on the Eagle Rare. It's nice but I dare say Blanton's smelled a bit more complex with its spicier, leathery notes. The taste of Eagle Rare is sweet. Brown sugar on candied oranges. Some oak and a bit of spice on the finish. Its very inoffensive and nice. The Blanton's has stronger flavors of oak, leather, and tannins with an undertone of sweetness. The higher rye mashbill of Blanton's is apparent in this comparison. Honestly, I'm hardpressed to choose which one I like more. The Eagle Rare is $20-$30 cheaper than Blanton's but a tad bit less complex. My first taste of Blanton's from two years ago wasn't very positive, but I find myself liking the more leathery, oaky bourbons as my palate becomes more experienced. I will say that the upfront sweetness of Eagle Rare won over my friends while camping. Perhaps Eagle Rare is a better introductory bourbon? All in all, Eagle Rare is a solid choice at retail! Happy hunting!

On par with Redbreast 12. I did a comparison between this, Redbreast 12, and Teeling Pot Still. I'm not gonna mention Teeling in this as that whiskey is nowhere near the same class as the others (despite being similar in price). The color is a beautiful gold. The nose reminds me of strawberry shortcake. You'd expect the taste to be just as sweet as the nose, but it was more like honey, jam, on lightly toasted high grain bread. The moutfeel is oily and has a long finish. Its a bit drier than Redbreast 12 and has less fruity, sherry characterisitics. But I love the mouthfeel and nose a bit better with the John's Lane. Oof this is tough. I like them both for different reasons. Grab a bottle of both if you can't decide (and stay away from Teeling Single Pot).

This is way too young to be nearly the same cost as Redbreast 12, Green Spot, and Powers John's Lane. I did a comparison between this, Redbreast 12, and Powers John's Lane. This was nowhere near the quality compared to the other two, which have specific age statements. The color is a pale straw yellow. The nose is earthy, and it tasted more of grain and vanilla. No joke, this reminded me of a tehona-style blanco tequila on the nose. I get some lighter sweeter notes like white grapes and vanilla here and there. The mouthfeel is thin but there is a lingering spiciness. It's definitely one of the most earthy Irish I've tried, so I'll give it some points for uniqueness. It's definitely different than most Irish whiskey's for sure, but the price does not match the quality. I'm disappointed that I paid $60 for this. If this was closer to $45, I'd consider it, but I'd still take the $35 Teeling Small Batch over this. If you're considering buying this, spend a few extra dollars and get the Powers John's Lane or Redbreast 12 instead.

My single barrel was aged 4-5 years and comes in at 125.2 proof. For Texas whiskey, that’s pretty old. It’s a flavor bomb of cherries, cocoa, leather, vanilla, and oak. The nose reminds me of cherry jam, chocolate, and Raisin Bran cereal. The taste is ripe black cherries, vanilla extract, wheat bread, and oak with some black tea tannins. I don’t get that meaty, Texas “funk” in this like I do from Balcones and Garrison. The finish is actually sweet with more cherries. Next, I proofed this down with 10 drops of water and it got REALLY interesting. It toned down the cherries and astringent oak qualities while adding some lighter, maltier notes like honey, orange zest, and stone fruits. TBH I liked this whiskey best with some water. Edit: This makes one helluva old fashioned. I used maple syrup as my sweetener and it was delicious. Honestly, some of the best Texas whiskeys I’ve tried hasn’t been bourbons. Balcones does amazing things with malt (Lineage, Mirador), Ironroot’s best offerings are their corn whiskeys (Icarus, Hubris), and Herman Marshall’s best whiskey is their Saint Arnold Divine, a beer-based single malt. These whiskeys, and now Lone Elm, are what I would offer to someone who is looking to try some interesting Texas whiskeys.

Full-bodied, rich single malt. It has that similar Balcones profile found in a lot of their stuff. It’s thick and meaty but with fruit flavors. Like a bbq grilled pineapple. Awesome malt to share if your friends are more into scotch than bourbon.

JD levels up! This packs a punch. Lots of caramelized sugars, barrel notes, spice, and that signature banana note with a long tannic finish. My favorite way to drink this is over a big rock. Let the ice melt and enjoy each sip as the flavors evolve with dilution.

Holy moly this is sublime. It’s everything I love about the 10 but with the seaside flavors toned down for more berries and marmalade. It’s a well balanced dram on the nose and palate with beautiful interactions of smokey, salty, and sweet flavors. This is my favorite whiskey to offer to people simply for the reactions. If they like it, great! If not, more for me...