Tastes

Nose: milk chocolate, wood smoke, and ethanol. With time fresh cherry. With water strong maple comes on Palate: pine, caramel candy, citrus rind Finish: menthol, citrus, char, strawberry cream candy This is different, but every bit as good (maybe better flavor but not as smooth) as Rittenhouse (and mixes as good as Rittenhouse in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned). In fact, it reminds me of a less refined Rare Breed rye (which I love). For $29 a bottle this along with Rittenhouse will now have a place in my regular rotation as my go-to mixer for rye cocktails. Update: after this bottle is opened and oxidizes for about a week it really mellows and softens. Takes on a strong vanilla maple character. Delicous and smooth at 100 proof. Upping to 4.25 stars

Nose: wood smoke, raisins Palate: raisins, black pepper Finish: marzipan, pepper, cinnamon With water: gets sweeter Not bad. A little young, but not too bad at all. (Flaviar Advent Calendar)

Nose: apple and citrus Palate: citrus, white pepper Finish: lemon zest, white pepper With water: chardonnay, oak, butter, melon, bitter lemon, caramel. This takes water really well and i recommend it. (Flaviar Advent Calendar)

Nose: grapes, peat, barrel char, chocolate Palate: mild citrus, moderately sweet malt, hints of dried fruits Finish: mild fresh red fruit, bitter dark chocolate With water: drowns. Better neat. This is smooth as glass. Not super complex but well made and a solid Irish malt. (Flaviar Advent Calendar)

Nose: nutty, malt Palate: orange juice, oak, white pepper Finish: short. White pepper and orange blossom With water no change. Different. A little hot.

Nose: butterscotch hard candies Palate: vanilla Finish: oak, white pepper, marzipan With water: no change. Simple and inoffensive. (Flaviar Advent Calendar)

Nose: cedar, bright red fruit, cough syrup, walnuts Palate: cheery cough syrup, mixed nuts Finish: oak, red pepper flake With water: intensifies the nuttiness (Flaviar Advent Calendar)

Nose: smoke, dark sweets Palate: salted caramel, peat Finish: tobacco smoke, chipotle chilis With water: brings some unexpected nuttiness on nose Not a bad blend for rhose who like a little peat. Proof is nice. (Flaviar Advent Calendar)

N: rich, earthy anise and golden raisins. P: dark fruit syrup a s fruit cocktail F: slicy, dry, dried red peppers With water develops a maple syrup character. A little hot at 45% so thats why its not a 4 outta 5.