Tastes

Color: surprising nice copper/gold. The bottle doesn't do the color justice. 3.75 on the color scale Legs: slow forming evenly spaced and slow running down the sides. 3.5 Nose: spicy sweet, low hints of the oak/Carmel and more pronounced clove or black pepper, hint of mint. 4.0 First taste: ultra smooth, perfect viscosity, not a lot of burn on the tongue for a 100 proofer (BiB) 4.0 Taste: really nice balance of spice and traditional rye notes with enough sweetness to take most of the harshness of a rye away. 4.25 Finish: Again, pleasantly surprised by it's easy going nature, minimal burn and consistency from nose through finish. 4.25 Overall: this is a steal of a bottle at $27. I'm adding this to my best under $50 list and will be on the lookout for more product out of this brand. Going to go 4.0 overall with a price/value score of 4.5.

Color: solid copper tone 4 on the scale of 1-10, 1 being water and 10 being motor oil Legs: extremely slow forming but we'll spaced Nose: honey, spice, pepper, slight sweet Carmel but not overpowering Taste: pepper, leather, rougher than expected but didn't harm the tongue Finish: first sip was smooth on the way down with a slight delay on the burn Subsequent sips much easier on the throat and stomach but little rough in the back of the throat Overall, good rye without a lot of surprise. Looking for a good basic switch up that's a little less octane than your typical Rye, this is decent.

Color: fantastic copper brown that epitomizes the color bourbon Legs: there is an initial set that run down the sides, followed by a second grouping lingering at the top Nose: toasted caramel and toffee with vanilla Body: the body stays true to the nose and brings a little heat with the 117 proof coming into play Finish: first sip is spicy and warm with the second and third bring much more gentle. Overall: this is a high quality, high proof single barrel with really consistent nose to finish. Sometimes you're in the mood for a surprise, and sometimes you just want to know exactly what you're going to get. This falls in the second category. Definitely going on my best under $50 list.

Color: perfect golden copper Legs: form well around the glass, run smooth and a bit on the faster side Nose: sweet Carmel vanilla deliciousness, some spice at the end. Maybe a little leather Body: a bit spicier than the nose led to believe, not a lot of different tastes, consistent and prodominately oakey. Finish: first sip is spicy and burns a bit on the way down. Second is easier not not overly complex Overall: I was expecting more for the novelty of a former winner but was left a little disappointed. Perhaps due to the single barrel nature, all are a little different. I'll let it air out a bit and revisit it in a week or two.

Color: deep Golden bordering brown Legs: fast forming but gentle ride down the sides of the glass Nose: toasted oak, Carmel, subtle vanilla, sugarcane or toffee Body: my first reaction is sweet and spicy, vanilla comes out strong to me, not a lot of burn and touches each part of the tongue without much harshness. Finish: a little more powerful than I was expecting for a 107 proof. Also, spicier than I was expecting given the sweetness on the nose and body. I really enjoy Beam products and this didn't disappoint but it didn't blow my socks off either. A different type of daily drinker. Would buy again and will keep in rotation for awhile.

Color: a fantastic copper gold, looks beautiful in a crystal glass. Legs: slow to develop and trickle ever so softly and spaced fairly well. Nose: first sniff, boom punch right in the nostril. There's that 115 proof. The next set of nose dives are more calm with vanilla caramel oak and hints of butter and toffee. Body: more vanilla and caramel than I was expecting and not as much bite as I was expecting from a 115. Finish: slight burn on the end with some complex flavor appearing. Some hints of cherry or other fruit. Not rough where it takes your breath away but maybe one to let open up with a touch of distilled water. Will be custom aging a bottle of 1910 with a bottle of 1920 to balance out the sweet and spicy, looking to do that in a 1L barrel for 8 months. Can't wait to taste that result.

This one clocks in at 109.6 proof, so it must vary by bottle. Color: great golden copper tone Legs: long to develop and tightly spaced Nose: smells sweet with that very traditional Maker's scent. Lots of Carmel and sugarcane. Body: thick and smooth, sweetness is very well balanced with the proof. Carmel is powerful with vanilla and slight bits of oak. Finish: boom that's where the proof hits ya, that complexity as it rolls back goes from sweet to powerful and delicious. This is a really nice bottle, haven't been down the Maker's path in awhile but I enjoyed the stroll and will come back again soon.

Color seems light from what I believe is an 8 year but it is reduced down to 86 proof. Legs are quick and nicely spaced. Body: There's a traditional oak and Carmel with light passing of vanilla but I'm so glad I researched this a bit to understand the mesquite that gives it such a unique profile, i can't tell if it's adding spice on the back end but for sure smoothing it out as it rolls back over the tongue. The finish is bold and smooth with an easy finish. I'm looking forward to seeing how this one opens up over time. Recommend as it's unique and bold, better than most.

Color is very light, like a young scotch. Legs after extremely slow and almost difficult to create. Nose: peaty, some floral undertones, cherry blossom perhaps some semblance of saki like flavors Body: very familiar scotch like flavors but curiously different, maybe some elderflower or cherry blossom, even minutes later I'm still trying to pin point it. Finish: more like the body than the nose, not super strong at 86 proof with an easy scotch bite. My first Japanese whisky, I was expecting more traditional Kentucky whiskey/bourbon and got a lot more scotch like flavors. Very easy to drink and I can see why some people fall in love with it.

Color is a tad on the light side, more yellow than brown. Legs run relatively quick Nose: very light, mostly vanilla and some butter maybe butterscotch. Body: mello and spicy, oaky and kind of raw. Finish: complex finish, oak, Carmel, and spice. I need to grow my pallet for rye but for now it's a little unrefined. I'll revisit this one in a year or two and it'll probably have more to it.