Tastes

The nose is pretty sweet and desert like. There is a vanilla extract scent, milk chocolate and strawberry shortcake. Flavor is complex but yet very balanced. The whiskey is very well put together. It has an elegant side to it for sure and very intriguing due to all the different time in the 4 different casks. Sweet sugar cookies with vanilla icing is the most common flavor I get. I get an assortment of fruit jams on the palate after the initial sweetness. Finish is medium length only but adds a little baking spices like cinnamon and clove which are pretty subtle. Very friendly whiskey.

Nose is complex. Lemon followed by a rye floral scent start it off. Then Clove takes over followed by allspice, sweet apple pie filling, Black tea and sweet oak. Taste is started by Brown Sugar, honey, rye muffin, cinnamon, allspice, black cherry, and a big wave of black pepper. Finish is sweet oak, dried apple chips, leather, tobacco and then the Clove and Sweet oak that you get in the nose go back and forth which lasts for awhile. It drinks right at 100 proof and the viscosity is medium but I really enjoy the complexity and don’t miss the anise flavor that comes on so strong on so many rye’s. As mentioned so many times on this site, a great value for a reasonably complex and versatile rye.

This is great on the rocks. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to review it. It’s a little too sweet when neat. With a large rock it showcases some good barrel char, vanilla, Carmel, mild smoke and molasses. The nose is light but gives off some excellent fruity notes almost like a Belgian beer. The finish is medium length and favors the oak and a grainy sweetness that is not complex but very friendly.

Nose is very smokey and also has a very strong pine scent. There is a dusty peanut smell and sweet vanilla is in there as well. I get lemon heads candy smell after the bourbon opens up in the glencairn. Palate is very sweet initially with vanilla, carmel and milk chocolate. It has a black pepper and rye spice towards the end of the ride. It drinks a little warmer than 100 proof but the viscosity is really oily and mouth coating. There is some peanut brittle mixed in there as well which adds some complexity. Finish is really nice and clean. It gives a little warm hug and leaves some sweet oak, barrel char and sweet carmel with hints of vanilla. It's exactly the finish you are looking for in a high end bourbon. Very happy to have gotten a bottle as it is really a classic take on a well aged bourbon. It has lots of dense flavor but doesn't get too unbalanced in any way.

Pretty decent mixer. If drinking neat you get a nice sweet corn flavor and a little heat. I mean for an unaged product its decent.

Finally opened this one as I left it at my Dad's. We enjoyed a few pours together! This is very simple but not many flaws. The honeyed malt comes through on the taste and the finish is quick but has a bit of cinnamon. An easy drinker that you can enjoy while doing something else like visiting with family or mowing the lawn. Mouthfeel is thicker than expected for a younger whiskey.

This is a great new bourbon! It didn't make the whiskey advocate top 2 for 2020 for nothing. It's so balanced overall and gives such a nice great hug. Need to sit with this one awhile to tease the flavors out behind the oak and cedar notes. It's pretty awesome. Nose: Vanilla, maple, cocoa powder, burnt marsh mellow, musty oak, peanuts that have been crushed on the floor of a Logans, prunes, cedar Taste: Vanilla, brown sugar, then a bowl of fruit arrives with ripe cherries, orange and apple slices, then oak, cedar, pecan nuttiness and tobacco Finish: Barrel char, rye muffin, orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and then a lingering deep oak. Tons of complexity and character. Great bourbon from Jim Beam here.

A really different whiskey than the normal Makers as I don't get any wheat funk that I normally get from this distillery. Nose : It's a spice cabinet all the way around. I get cinnamon, clove, ginger, cardamom, and even thyme. Palate: This is apple pie in a glass. Get Cinnamon, apple among a scoop of French vanilla ice cream. Finish: There is some heat here as I get a Kentucky hug that hangs around awhile. Oak is made prevalent in the finish in a big way which can be divisive. I feel like it's a better fit when it's cold and snow is on the ground like today. Finish is rough around the edges and not very complex. That's what hurts it's score. Nose and palate are awesome but finish is a hindrance.

This is a Russell's Renegades pick from RareBird101. Warehouse E from Tyrone, 4th floor and is just shy of 9 years old. This barrel was rumored to be a little off balance as a RR pick at 110 proof so Rarebird101 had it diluted down to 101 and brought forward as a Kentucky Spirit pick. It's a pretty good pick that doesn't leave me with much cherry but it's a really good balance of sweet and spicy. Nose: Vanilla frosting is dominant. I get some fall leaves, cloves, and a lemon tea scent. It smells like a sweeter version of a hot toddy. Palate: Vanilla, Carmel and honey steal the show early. Then some nutmeg, apple and oak arrive. Finish: it's a long finish of toffee, vanilla, honey, apple, cinnamon, more carmel and then some nutmeg and more cinnamon. Very balanced pick and I enjoy the sweet and spice transitions on the long finish.