Tastes

Tasting Barrel #19F963 Nose - dry oak, dark brown sugar, leather, and a faint evergreen note. Not especially rye-like, I could easily mistake this for a bourbon based on the nose. Palate - Caramel corn, dark chocolate, rye spice, some faint spearmint, vanilla and allspice. The finish fades more quickly than I'd like, with some oak and sweetness on the tail end. The first time I tasted this, it was a huge disappointment. We'd already had several other whiskeys prior, some of which were considerably higher in proof. In that context the M10 was just dull and thin, with the flavors being very muted. I've since revisited it a few times with a fresh palate and my opinion has improved. The flavors/aromas are there to make a compelling whiskey, I just wish it wasn't so subtle. This whiskey is at a 5-6 in intensity, where as I want it to be an 9 or 10. It just really suffers from the low proof, even more so than the M10 Bourbon. I also wish it had more rye character; even for a 'barely-legal' rye this one doesn't have as much of the green notes that you'd expect. I could easily mistake this for a high-rye bourbon rather than a straight rye. Bottom line, I should have tried this in a bar (if I'd ever seen it), so I could have had the experience without the price of a full bottle. If they ever release the 10yr at barrel strength, I'm sure it would be excellent; but this one is weak-sauce compared to competing ryes.

So Kentucky Owl tends to be polarizing. Consensus is that the bourbon in particular is way overpriced; and while Batch 1 of the rye was mostly liked, Batch 2 didn't get much love (price hike probably didn't help). I tend to like the KY style of rye, especially the older ones, so I'd been curious about this one for a while. One of my regular local stores had Batch 3 in stock for a while at just under MSRP, so I ended up getting a bottle. I've had this on several occasions now, in fact I've gone through about 2/3 of the bottle with a buddy of mine, having a glass whenever we get together. So I figured it was time for a write-up while I still have some left. Nose - oak, vanilla, leather, rye toast, chocolate, cinnamon and nutmeg. Not super-complex, but really pleasant. The rye notes are not particularly dominant on the nose, but are definitely there. Palate - mouthfeel is somewhat oily, definitely not thin. Starts with brown sugar, vanilla, and dark chocolate, followed by greener notes of rye/spearmint along with some cinnamon/allspice. The finish is long, with those green rye notes lingering along with oak and a bit of caramel. The oak is present throughout, but without ever getting tannic/astringent. I like this a lot. Definitely one of my favorites of the ryes that I've tried. If I were to nitpick, I'd maybe like to see a little more rye character on the nose to add some complexity. But the palate is everything I want in a rye. One of my other favorites is Wild Turkey Cornerstone. In a side-by-side recently we gave a slight edge to Cornerstone on the nose, but preferred the palate on KY Owl enough to give it the overall win. I had some Willett 10yr Rye a while back in a restaurant, and going from memory I'd say this batch of KY Owl is in that league. I easily prefer it over Michters 10 Rye, TH Handy, and Lock Stock & Barrel 18 yr. So, is it overpriced? Well, I'd be happy if it cost less; but I don't regret buying the bottle, and am seriously considering a backup.

Found a 'dusty' of this in 2019, have been enjoying over the last couple of months. Nose - Caramel, vanilla, charred oak, leather, apple, pear, cinnamon, nutmeg, peanut. Pretty standard Booker's nose. Palate - Thick, full bodied. Dark brown sugar, lots of vanilla. Roasted peanuts. Lots of cinnamon and baking spices on the finish along with sweet oak. This was really good- rich, sweet, and spicy with a nice finish. Not super complex (particularly the nose), but the flavors are intense enough to make up for it.

Nose - charred oak, leather, candied bacon, cinnamon, allspice, evergreen (cedar?), cocoa powder. apple, orange peel, vanilla, black tea. A bit of smoke. Really complex, with different notes coming out as it breathes. Some of the notes I'm getting remind me of older Armagnacs I've had. Palate - Soft velvety mouthfeel isn't really thick, but coats the palate. Starts with dark brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, bittersweet chocolate, toast, vanilla, rye spice, and a hint of spearmint. Oak, baking spices, a bit of smoke/char and some tannins linger on the dry finish, which is quite lengthy. A few drops of water didn't do this bourbon any favors. The nose became a bit sweeter but also less complex. The palate flattened out, and got a little astringent on the finish. Definitely preferred it without water. I really like this one. People talk about Orphan Barrel and older Heaven Hill releases being over-oaked and similar to sucking on a two-by-four, but that wasn't my experience. Rhetoric 25 doesn't have that bitterness that I associate with truly over-oaked whiskey (which BTW doesn't have to be super-old - there's a lot of bitter, over-oaked whiskey coming out of TX that's less than 4yrs old).

Nose - Standard notes of oak, vanilla, and cinnamon. Also a fair amount of ethanol. It's kind of the standard MGP bourbon nose, only hotter and more astringent. Palate is thin and hot. There's some oak and and lots of spice, but it's just lacking in richness. Finish drops off before even hitting the back palate, the only thing that lingers a bit is the astringency. I should have done a little more due diligence before buying this, but I like everything else I've had from Joseph Magnus so I just bought it. Turns out it's a blended bourbon, not a blend of straight bourbons. Big difference, as this stuff is actually 30% light whiskey. If this were a $30 dollar bottle I might be a little more generous with my score. But considering the $90-100 price and the misleading label, I feel this really deserves a harsh score. Heck, I have $30 store picks of Elijah Craig Small Batch that are better than this stuff. Bottom line, if you're looking to splurge on a bottle, go for the Joseph Magnus triple-cask for the same price, this one just isn't worth it.

I was surprised to find some of this on a shelf in Louisiana, almost 3 years after release. This particular barrel was 13 years old, barreled on 2/26/2004 and bottled at 121.9 proof. Nose - Cherries, apples, vanilla, oak, tobacco. Baking spices and leather. A very faint nutty note. Some dried varnish, but I wouldn't call the nose hot. Palate - Brown sugar, sweet oak, dark chocolate. The Beam peanut note is there but it's very restrained. The fruit from the nose never really showed up on the palate. Sweetness lingers on the long finish, along with oak, cinnamon and baking spices. A few drops of water killed the fruit notes on the nose, which was disappointing. It also amplified the sweetness and baking spices on the palate. But that nose was my favorite part so I prefer without the water. What's interesting to me is just how different this is from other KC releases I've tried, especially the fruit on the nose was a really pleasant surprise.

Color is a dark copper, lots of legs after a swirl Nose - Oak, leather, dark brown sugar, red apple, orange, roasted nuts, a bit of ethanol. Palate - Roasted peanuts, oak, burnt caramel, vanilla, cinnamon and baking spices. The vanilla, spices and oak continue on the moderate finish along with some drying tannins. I wouldn't say the mouthfeel is thin, but it's also not thick or oily. This will inevitably get compared to the 120 proof KC store picks, which can be anywhere from 9-15 years and are $10-15 cheaper. This is different, less oily/rich, a bit drier; but I would also say more complex than the single barrels tend to be. Not necessarily better or worse, just different. One thing this expression should have going for it is consistency due batching; I've had some great KC single barrel picks, but some of them have been pretty meh, and I think some of those older picks are from barrels that weren't in the best warehouse locations, and Beam doesn't know what else to do with them. It's temping to ding this 12 year on value compared to the KC single barrel picks, but really it's hard to argue that it's overpriced for a 12-year 100 proofer compared to the rest of the market.

Nose - Caramel, vanilla, oak, cinnamon, and red apple. That beam peanut note is lurking in the background, but it's subtle. The nose is not hot at all. Palate - First sip is thick and rich. Caramel, oak, vanilla, cinnamon and baking spices are the main players. The finish is long and rich, with brown sugar sweetness and oak spices lingering on the back palate. There's no alcohol burn at all, just a pleasant warmth. The intensity of the flavors and length of the finish is especially impressive given that this isn't a cask-strength bourbon. This limited release is a home run for Beam. The flavors are great, and not just your typical Beam/Booker's profile but something unique. I think the 107 proof works well and creates a really balanced whiskey that lets the flavors shine through. It's also a relative bargain compared to most other limited edition releases.

Color is a dark copper, and swirling produces thick legs. Nose is maple, brown sugar, roasted peanuts, chocolate, red apples, cherries, tobacco, leather, and charred oak. For sure there's some heat at first, but it dissipates after some breathing time. Palate starts with rich/dark caramel, peanuts, and chocolate. There also some fruit I'm having a hard time identifying. Cinnamon and other baking spices arrive on the mid-palate and carry into the long finish along with brown sugar, vanilla and oak. There's a nice warm Kentucky hug, but it drinks below its proof. I only have experience with Booker's batches going back to 2018 so I can't compare to the older stuff; but this is my favorite batch from those that I've tried. It's everything Booker's should be: big, bold, rich, and spicy.

Nose - Some herbal notes - more grassy than minty - green apples, tobacco, a faint floral note. Some oak and a whiff of varnish. Palate - caramel, green apples, cinnamon and some herbal notes arrive up front along with a peppery bite (more than I'd expect for 91 proof). Moderate finish sits on the mid-palate, with rye spice and some pepper. Overall pretty decent. There's nothing to dislike, but also nothing that stands out. There are certainly better options for the price, but you could also do worse. I actually tasted this blind as a sample from a friend, and guessed that it was either a high-rye bourbon or 'barely-legal' KY-style rye, those herbal notes threw me for a loop. I also guessed it was around 100 proof.