Tastes

Nose - confectionary sugar, dark oak character, strawberry, blueberry. Not much spice on the nose besides maybe a hint of mint? Palate - spearmint, mild rye spice. There is some kind of earthy undertone that dulls the spice notes. Two other muted notes are orange peel and strawberry. Finsih - medium. The spearmint and a slight lingering maple syrup-like sweetness hang around for a pleasantly long amount of time. Overall, I think this is a phenomenal bottle from New Riff. More importantly, I see this as a gateway bottle to ryes for those that generally dislike rye whiskey.

This is my first woodford distillery series release beyond the Masters Collection and Batch Proof offerings. Enjoyed neat. Nose - toasted marshmallow, peanuts, buttercream, and hints of caramel and cinnamon. Palate - buttercream and whipped vanilla icing start on the front. Cinnamon and peanuts hit at the mid palate. There is a slight oak astringency on the back end. There is also a malt note on the backend. I wish it was more akin to a chocolate whopper note, but it just tastes malty on its own. Finish - the finish is muted and short. Marshmallow, caramel, and a baking spice/cinnamon note remain. Overall thoughts - I consider myself a fan of Woodford products. There have been a couple times i’ve pulled this bottle out and enjoyed it more than this time. This is not my favorite offering I’ve tried, but still one I enjoyed.

Color - amber Nose - brown sugar, cherry, vanilla, and oak Palate - vanilla, butterscotch, oak, baking spices, and the slightest hint of cherry. Finish - medium. The finish is satisfying, as the sweetness of the vanilla/butterscotch clings on. Overall - For a 10 year bourbon, this bottle scratches an itch that Eagle Rare probably could (if I could get a bottle of ER). For the price, I probably won't buy this bourbon again - it's not hitting notes that make me want to drop $80 for a 750mL bottle. Good? Yes. But for me, not exceptional.

Color - copper. Nose - vanilla, caramel, plum or grapes (cant tell which one), a solid amount of oak, and toffee Palate - brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, maple, and a touch of rye spice and oak. Finish - medium. The sweetness of the brown sugar and caramel notes fade into the rye spice. Overall - I didnt know about this bourbon until i was introduced to it this weekend. As an easy sipper, this is a great pick that delivers a balance of sweet and spicy notes, while also not feeling hot. This is not deep or a complex bourbon. But this is a tasty single barrel bourbon akin to Blanton’s.

NAS. 116.8 proof. I've enjoyed this current bottle for the last 10 months, and it's on the final couple pours Color - Copper. Nose - Mint, baking spices, clove, cinnamon, caramel. Palate - Cinnamon and caramel, vanilla, mint, rye spice, orange peel. There is a lot of depth in this bourbon. Complex and delicious. Finish - Medium-long. The mint and spice notes linger, and a slight butterscotch or molasses note closes the finish out. Overall - When I was getting into bourbon, I found this really hot, and hard to enjoy neat. Nevermind the proof, there are enough spice notes that it can be tough to identify all the notes and flavors underlying in this bourbon. But I think that's what makes this bourbon good. It's complex and tasty. It's not my favorite bourbon from Wild Turkey/Russel, but it's hard to deny that it's a solid bottle for how available it is and how it's priced.

Dumped on 6-17-19, barrel 901, rick 36. 93 proof. Color - Dark gold. Nose - Nutmeg, vanilla, cherry, caramel. Slight green apple too! Palate - a reflection of the nose. Cinnamon and nutmeg spices lead into a vanilla and sweet finish, with a hint of cherry coming through. Finish - Short. Lingering sweetness from the caramel note. Overall - Look, if Blanton’s was more readily available, this would be my go-to, always on the shelf bourbon. I don’t think this bottle is worth secondary prices or the hype it receives. But it is objectively good. But just that, good. Not great. It lacks depth in flavors on the nose and palate, and the finish is short.

Main Street Liquors (MD) 2023 store pick. Selected on 4/5/2023. 90.4 proof. Color - Deep gold. Nose - marshmallow, pine wood, oak, vanilla cream, cherries. Palate - clove, cinnamon, vanilla, oak. Less complexity than the nose. Finish - Short. Tannic oak and vanilla persist briefly Overall - solid for its proof. But the palate is a let down based on the nose of this bottle. Id like to try more store picks in the future of this to test how different they are.

Unlike my usual approach to reviews, I decided to review the neck pour of this bottle. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn after sitting for about 10-15 minutes. Color - Burnished. Nose - Fresh baked bread, orange peel, vanilla. Green apple. Palate - caramel and brown sugar. Cereal. Vanilla. A little cinnamon spice. This is surprisingly sweet. Finish - medium-long. Vanilla, cinnamon, cherry/stonefruit, and cereal notes linger. Think cinnamon toast crunch cereal with a bowl of fruit with whipped cream on top on the side. Overall - I was skeptical going into this. There are mixed reviews all over the place on this bottle. And I do wonder how this bottle changes now that it’s opened. But I think this is pretty good. Maybe not worth $90 that it costs MSRP. But no doubt enjoyable.

Michter's Unblended American Whiskey. Batch 21I2609. 83.4 proof. Color - Copper. Nose - Caramel and oak on the forefront. Chocolate covered cherries. A little cinnamon. Cereal. Palate - Wow, this is sweet. Caramel and vanilla. Buttery. If you've ever had a buckeye candy, this tastes like a dark chocolate version of that. Finish - Very short finish. I guess this should be expected given the proof... Overall - The nose and palate on this bourbon are delicious. Good stuff. But it rolls off the tongue and leaves nothing to chew on with a finish. This bottle firmly sits in the category of "better if it was barrel-proof." Even then, this is still good as it is, and would be a great bottle for someone getting started in tasting bourbons/whiskeys.

Color - Deep copper/burnished. Nose - Vanilla, crème brûlée, honey, and cherry. We’re close to cherry pie territory with this nose Palate - Close to what the nose delivered. Vanilla, honey, and caramel. Satisfying but not complex. It feels very thin and doesn’t do much to coat the mouth. Finish - Short. A little bit of oak, caramel, and vanilla remains. Overall - I enjoy this bourbon, but this is not a complex bottle. I would really enjoy this bottle more if the finish lasted longer. Good thing the rest of the Weller line can potentially deliver on that…