Tastes

Perfectly balanced as all things should be... Seriously, I've never had a whiskey balance sweet/salty/smoke/fruity/dry/floral like Nikka from the Barrel. I haven't had the honor of tasting much Japanese whiskey, but compared to what I've had, Nikka FTB is a delight. Backstory: I was looking for an "end of school" celebration bottle. I arrived at Total Wine and found Nikka from the Barrel and Hibiki Harmony sitting on the shelf next to each other. Two rare blended whiskies from two of the most prestigious Japanese distilleries on the same shelf at the same time.... Lucky me right? I heard great things about both, but I only had enough in my budget for one of them. With much deliberation, I walked away with the Nikka. Why? I was attracted to the simplicity of the bottle, the higher ABV, and I felt that the extra $5 for Hibiki was more of an upcharge for hype and the fancy bottle design. The nose is varied with caramel sweetness, vanilla, some floral notes, and leather. The taste was even better! Rich honey, black cherries, some lighter fruits, oakiness, and a tinge of peat and brine. Every subsequent taste brought forth something new as each flavor took a turn on the palate. Now I just want to try everything from Nikka! For those who love Hibiki Harmony, no worries! I still want to try it too. Buuuut if I'm being honest, I feel no FOMO for not grabbing the Hibiki because I'm really REALLY enjoying Nikka from the Barrel right now. *Side note: I don't like the short neck of the bottle. If I don't pour it fast into my glass, it always seems to spill. *Sigh* I just hate wasting good whiskey...

Alright! Got me a sample of JW Black! Nose is nice. Some sour fruits and a bit of peat. The peat shows itself more with each taste. About the same on the taste but the peat is a bit more prominent on the backend. There’s a bit of honeyed sweetness there. This has some heat on the finish with a lingering medicinal taste. It was ok. I hear great things about JW Green, so I gotta try that next

Creamy, subtle, soft. Coffee analogy: If bourbon is like fresh black coffee, Michter's American is like a latte. It's a bourbon mashbilll aged in USED oak which is unique amongst large distilleries. The nose is similar to a bourbon: vanilla, cherry, honey... nothing too exciting. The taste is different. First thing I noticed is the mouthfeel. Its like drinking cream. It coats the mouth like velvet while leaving hints of vanilla, spice, sweet corn, and finishes with some wood notes. It's bourbon but with softer edges. Its a very pleasant whiskey and one I think I'd be likely to share with those who are new to bourbon. Also, I would love to see more distilleries experiment with used oak.

Deep, spicy, earthy. I bought this to make Manhattans and other whiskey cocktails. Previously, I used Bulleit Rye. I didn't care for it neat, but it was a solid mixer. Then, my family gifted me a bottle of Axe and the Oak Colorado Incline Rye. It was very floral when drank neat, but disappeared in a Manhattan. This, though, holds up neat and in a cocktail. The Rittenhouse is spicier and hotter like cinnamon. There's some good heat on the tongue and back of the throat. I like it alot. In a Manhattan, it holds its own with my preferred vermouth Carpano Antica. The higher ABV (50%) keeps it from disappearing when mixed. I really enjoy that bit of earthiness it adds to my drink on the finish. Overall, it's a solid rye for your cocktail bar.

I like Balcones. I like Shiner Bock. I drink plenty of both... With that out of the way, I was very excited by this collaboration. Balcones took the Shiner mashbill (minus the hops), fermented it with Shiner’s proprietary yeast, distilled it, and aged it in new oak for at least 2 years. It’s a straight malt whiskey. Aside from the roasted barley malt, I don’t know what else is in the mashbill. On the nose, there’s a deep, earthiness to this whiskey. It’s smells similar to their single malt Mirador with some extra heartiness like their Pot Still Bourbon. You definitely get that roasted barely note on the nose. I get some dark dried fruits like raisins and a bit of spice. Reminds me of toasted raisin bread. I love it. The taste has all-spice, some maple syrup sweetness, and more of that roasted barley. There’s some barrel char on the finish along with some heat. 30 minutes later... ok I’m still getting some maple syrup on the taste. How interesting... Overall: Although it’s the Shiner Bock mashbill, you can definitely tell that it’s a Balcones product. Give it a shot and grab yourself a bottle soon before it’s all gone.... Cheers!

Too be honest, I couldn't vibe with this whiskey. There are some nice flavors here. The nose has some maple and spice. The taste has dusty corn, pepper, mint, and oakiness from the barrel. But there's an artificial taste to this too. The fruit on the nose and taste feels like artificial flavoring like those fruit-shaped hard candies I use to get at elementary school. It leaves a dry, chalky feeling in my mouth, and an after taste I can't get over. It's unique, but its not for me. I think I'll make this a mixer and revisit it when it has a chance to open up from oxidation.

It's been a few years since I had Maker's Mark. The last time I tried it was 6 years ago, so I thought I'd revisit it. On the nose, I get vanilla and rich fruits. Almost like peaches and cream. Maybe some berries in there too. Its a sweet, rich smelling whiskey with some strong ethanol burn. On the taste, its sweet with some vanilla and cherry. There's some burn there. It has an decently long oaky finish too. Next, I poured myself another wheater, Weller SR, for a comparison. Weller has brighter, sour fruit notes on the nose. Makers seems richer and more dense. The taste of the Weller is lighter and has a thinner mouthfeel while the Makers has a caramel, burnt marshmellow hint that comes and goes. The finish for the Weller is less oaky/tannic than Makers, but its much more dry. I'm having a hard time deciding which one I like more. Still this is a solid value for ~$20 in my area and happy that its easy to find. Cheers!

Got a sample bottle. Tried this neat and in my morning coffee. Neat: You get a bit of coffee and a bit of whiskey, and they both feel watered down. Its not sweet like Kahlua which is too sweet for my taste. This is a bit thin, but it seems this was meant to be a mixer. In my coffee: You definitely taste more of the Irish whiskey when mixed with coffee. It adds a slight dark, bitter chocolate taste to my brew too.