Tastes

Redwood empire distilling (?) 60%rye (95/5) aged 3-5 yrs 40% bourbon (75/21/4) aged 4-12 yrs No disclosed site of distillation (presume MGP from mash bills) 45% abv Neat in a glen cairn, rested 15 minutes Color: light rust Nose: ethanol, cloves, citrus, spearmint, apricot Palate: medium body; spicy into winter green, bubble gum sweetness, maple syrup Finish: medium, pepper and honey with lingering dried apricots Different and interesting That apricot finish is still there 10 minutes later Easy to drink T8ke scale: 5.5: I’m struggling with this one, it’s well made, and a great value for the price

MGP, bottled by Belle Meade in TN 45.2%, 6-8 yrs Served neat in a norlan glass Color: amber Nose: sweet cherries, vanilla, caramel, maple syrup Palate: medium in mouthfeel, sweet on the tongue, with honey, black tea, and cherries, with a bit of alcohol bite Finish: medium, very soft with cinnamon, sweetness and oak Very well executed T8ke’s scale: 5, good, just fine

Sold to sazerac by brown-foreman, summer of 2021 79/11/10 mash bill 50% abv and at least four years old Norlan glass, neat Rested 10 minutes Color: amber Nose: cherries, vanilla and caramel, alcohol Palate: medium on the tongue, caramel, honey and vanilla Finish: medium, chocolate, some tannin Nothing fancy, just bourbon done right In a way, my review doesn’t do it justice, because this is really good whiskey. A great daily sipper Delicious neat, but I’m not afraid to mix with it either ( and you won’t kill your brother in law, when he dumps some in a coke…) T8ke’s scale: 7, great. Well above average

50%, blend of three distillates, 6-8 yrs Norlan, neat Rested 10 minutes Color: amber Nose: alcohol, sweet tea, cherries, vanilla, honey Palate: medium, sweet, smooth, minimal bite, but kinda indistinct Finish: short, leather and tobacco This is for your buddy that really likes ‘smooooth’ whiskey (whoa, can’t believe I’m saying that about a diageo product 😋) But honestly, it’s nice, but nothing special T8ke scale: 5, good, just fine

Barton’s, 62.5% Open 8 months Norlan glass, neat Color: light amber Nose: bananas, peanuts, ethanol, caramel Palate: thick and full, sweet honey and caramel, ethanol and iced tea Finish: medium to long, some astringency, oaky bitterness, still with alcohol, but the sweetness just stays. 🥵, I don’t know, not a favorite, the heat kinda overwhelms the flavors T8ke scale: 5, good, just fine

Canadian, 100% rye, 66% NAS Glen cairn, neat Color: dark orange Nose: mint, cinnamon, iced tea, vanilla, ethanol, black licorice, honey Palate: medium, orange/spice, cloves, nutmeg, sweet honey, alcohol, tobacco, oregano (?) Finish: long, with licorice/cloves/cinnamon, tannins, good Kentucky (Alberta) hug Wow, just wow T8ke’s scale: 8, excellent, really quite exceptional

O.F.C/ Buffalo Trace, 50% No age statement (at least 4 yrs) Norlan, rested 10 minutes, neat Color: light amber Nose: cherry coke, cinnamon, honey, vanilla, maple syrup Palate: medium, sweet; black tea with honey, tannic oak bitterness, raw cookie dough Finish: short, oak, vanilla, cinnamon This is a very good, solid bourbon, not the most complex, but also few flaws, easy to drink T8ke score: 6, very good, a cut above

MGP: Nevada H&C distilling, 56.22 Batch 66 Norlan, served neat Rested 10 minutes Color: light rust Nose: sweet tea and ethanol, pralines and brown sugar, tobacco, vanilla, caramel, dark fruit lingering in the back ground Palate: thick, sweet, cinnamon and brown sugar, more caramel with wild berries, some tea tannins, oak and leather Finish: long with cocoa, oak, leather, brown sugar; man, this just keeps on going Humminah/humminah! T8ke score: 8, excellent, really quite exceptional

Rebarrelled bourbon, 46.5% Glen cairn, neat Rested 10 minutes Color: amber Nose: bananas, acetone (it’s that fake banana smell and it’s hard to get past ), a hint of cherry, balsamic vinegar Palate: medium in the tongue, good feel, sweet honey, some oak, some cocoa, some caramel, banana bread Finish: short, cocoa, oak, lots of tannins, banana, cinnamon I know a lot of people love this, but it’s not my thing, can’t get past that banana/vinegar nose. I like Jack better T8ke score: 4, subpar, not bad, but many things I rather have

11 yrs, 50%abv Norlan glass, served neat Color: amber Nose: vanilla, cherries, caramel, sweet tea Palate: medium mouth feel, caramel, vanilla, honey roasted peanuts, ahh there it is … flintstones (but much more faint then #12) Finish: medium, chocolate covered cherries, some oak astringency, honey This is good stuff, I can’t get enough, especially for the price T8ke score: 6, very good, a cut above