Tastes

Brown sugar, nuttiness, ethanol, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, cherry, orange, oak and barrel char notes make this an enjoyable pour.

It’s lightly viscous with vanilla, caramel, orange, cedar, barrel spices and ethanol notes. This one is more complicated than I have ambition right now. I like it a lot.

There’s barrel char, brown sugar and barrel spice notes, but it’s all very muted for a high proof whiskey. Liked it better with a large ice cube which brought out some cherry notes.

Tasty pour with fruit, malt, biscuit and spice notes.

Distiller reviewNo. 500 Had the fortune of winning a bottle drawing for the right purchase this at or near MSRP earlier this year. At first I thought “I don’t get what all the fuss is about. It’s a fine wheater no doubt, but it’s not gonna rock your world.” However it has slowly grown on me. Nose: Semisweet, with barrel char, citrus, caramel, vanilla, orange peel and crème brûlée, which all combine to make a throughly enjoyable experience. Palate: Supple with the caramel, vanilla, crème brûlée and orange notes in a fine balance. Finish: Medium length and drying with orange, caramel, and vanilla notes. Bottle kill. It still won’t rock your world, but it is an excellent wheater and thoroughly enjoyable. Worth seeking out a pour.

Sharp umami, floral notes and plums. Interesting, but not particularly enjoyable. If you thought this would be better in a high ball, you’d be sadly mistaken. Label art is A+.

Sweet, syrupy, rich, oily, bananas (a little like a banana liquor), vanilla, caramel, chocolate, honey and a vague hint of nuttiness. Spice doesn’t register at first, but it builds over sips. Very enjoyable.

Nose: Lemon, honey, pepper, brine, beach fire, vanilla. Palate: Velvety, intense, complex, umami, vanilla, caramel, pepper, soot, tar, citrus fruits, beach fire, hint of fresh tennis balls, band-aids and burnt rubber, nice burn on the roof of my mouth and sides of my tongue. Finish: Long, very pleasant with smoke, brine and citrus notes. Empty glass smells of clambake on the beach with squeezed lemon. Excellent whiskey and the 120 proof is very enjoyable. I chose this whiskey for my 500th review because I think it symbolizes my journey over the last 2.5 years. Coming into this as a rum and coke guy with a serious sweet tooth, I thought what kind of freak would find fresh tennis balls, disinfectant, iodine, band-aids, burning rubber, tar, asphalt, chimney smoke, soot notes appealing? Yet here I am, a self described freak, I guess. Can’t wait for what the future of my whiskey journey will reveal.

Nose: Mexican chocolate, coffee grounds, vegetable oil, apples and a hint of herbs. Palate: Semi-sweet, rounded, somewhat viscous, chocolate and coffee notes, none of the usual rye herbal notes. Finish: Medium length, chocolate and coffee notes and a strange vegetal note, maybe like the water from steamed broccoli?, idk, it’s a bit strange and not sure if I like it or not. This is unlike any other rye I have tasted. It’s unique, complex, weird, compelling.