Tastes

God I wish I lived in KY. This is an exquisite bourbon, and if it was $30 I would still probably give it a 'buy' recommendation. A KY retail exclusive, I was able to pick up a few bottles while there on a road trip. Same, but better than EW SiB - classic bourbon nose and notes. More fruity, and less caramel than the EW SiB I've had, but still overall a very sweet and bright profile. Sips wonderfully for 90 proof. Only complaint is mouth feel, which is thin and watery just like EW SiB. Finish is long and sweet, trending slightly bitter. I poured some Buffalo Trace for a side-by-side comparison. The HH 6yr nose won, but the mouth feel of the BT was definitely better. I think the BT is a deeper flavor profile, while the HH 6yr is lighter and more floral. The finish on the HH 6yr is a little more memorable and longer lasting, although a little bitter (charcoal filter?) while the BT is more oaky and little more sweet, but doesn't last as long. Obviously, both are wonderful. BUT the point here is that one is half the price of the other. And that is amazing to me. Wish I could ship a crate here.....

Off the bat, the pepper and dill of the 95% rye MGP are noticeable. The notes are markedly better/more refined than other 95% MGP products (such as bulliet). The nose is overall appealing, with some sweeter caramel/butterscotch notes ostensibly coming from the low rye portion of the blend. The palate, by comparison is not at all appealing. Extremely thin mouth feel, and lacks the punch most look for in a good rye. This is likely due to the extremely low proof (83.3). The pepper and baking spice and caramel do show, but it is disappointing following the nose. The finish is short, slightly tart with the white pepper and caramel balancing. Overall, it’s a very one dimensional product. Caramel, pepper, and thin. Given the price tag, it’s really disappointing. Other products, such as Dickel Rye or Russels Reserve Rye are cheaper and far better. I may try some of their double oak or cask strength offerings, because the increase in proof will likely do wonders, but those are also extremely high priced for sourced juice that is likely pretty young. Pass on buying this one, but try it if it’s at a bar or you want to show a newbie a one dimensional rye to give their palate bearings.

I'm actually on my second bottle of the Total Wine barrel select version of this. I don't know how I haven't reviewed it yet! My buying of a second bottle (a rarity for me, as I like to try new things and rarely re-buy anything except my favorites) is a large indication. I really like that the single barrel selections come in at 92 proof, significantly more respectable than the regular, frankly disappointing 80 proof. Age stated, pot still distilled, and bourbon cask matured? The specs alone are right up my ally. Supposedly sourced from bushmills, but that may have changed. Nose: relatively mellow, with the obvious bourbon derived vanilla and a good bit of hay and graham/malt on the nose as well. An intriguing but not mind blowing open. Palate: A silky mouth-feel is the first thing I notice, followed by a generous amount of very creamy vanilla and sweet graham crackers, almost birthday cake-esque. Then, the pot-still spices hit, bringing a tingling heat of mint and a little pepper. Some fruit pops in an out as well, perhaps green apples? Finish: The pot-still spices linger relatively long, with some vanilla-y oak rounding out the surprisingly long finish, especially for the relatively low proof. Overall: This is a great irish, and I'd definitely say a 'bourbon drinkers' irish. It will not blow your mind, but it always has me saying surprised 'damn that's good' when I absent mindedly take a sip. The 12 point proof increase over many of it's competitors really sets it apart and makes me wonder how other offerings would improve from just a little less dilution. The price, for an age statement and high proof, may well be the best part of the whole dram. $45 is a steal for this product, and I will likely buy a third bottle when my second runs out. Will likely always keep it on the shelf,

Single Barrel Section for Fiesta Liquor, C32, 106 proof. Sourced MGP Rye and KY Bourbon with some Texas distilled and aged bourbon. Lovely color. Very nice and sweet nose, with a slight punch of ethanol. Strong brown sugar and vanilla, and the tiniest bit of pepper. Smells reminiscent of a high rye bourbon, something like a 4R 100 proof SiB, but missing some of the depth/age. Very nice mouth feel (thanks, NCF) with a coating hit of caramel that lingers for a really nice long time allowing you to appreciate it. Then, the rye takes over, with the pepper, rye bread spice, and sweet sour apples. Finish is dominated by the rye portion, and I would appreciate more oak and bourbon in the finish, but it lingers a relatively long time with that same sour apple and rye heat. Drinks a little hotter than the reported 106. Overall, a very nice offering from a local brand. I keep coming back to the comparison between this and 4R 100 proof SiB. And that is huge compliment for a young distillery in Houston. Still missing the oak-y finish, but highlights some of the younger rye spices better. The price even, right around $40, is also similar to the 4R comparison. This also drinks a little hot, but is higher proof and NCF as compared to 4R 100 proof SiB. This is nice, and will likely rotate in and out of my collection as long as I can get it. Won't blow your mind, but is damn good. I look forward to trying other batches. The blend works well together and takes you on a great varied flavor tour. Hats off to Travis Whitmeyer.

Picked up a handle of this while in KY. Yes, it’s only 80 proof and likely only 4 years old. But jeez, I was impressed by the flavors that were going on. Yesterday, I tasted and reviewed Basil Hayden’s 10 year rye, also 80 proof and costs 7 times as much. This more flavorful and I’m not sure how. The nose is far more clear, sweet basic bourbon flavors of caramel and vanilla, the palate brings that same sweetness and a touch of nuttiness and yeast/bread. The finish is expectedly short, but is a nice mellow end to the pour. Perfectly approachable and impressive for the price. I wish bottom shelf KY exclusives were available here in TX. As good as my beloved Ezra Brooks? No, but still a bottom shelf bargain.

Got this as part of a package deal on discount, or else I would not have bought myself. Nose: very faint and gentle, with just a tad of vanilla and mint sneaking through. No oak, despite the age statement. Palate: tastes like a bourbon, with the smallest hint of very generic rye spice. Mouth feel is super watery and generally vague. Mashbill is not disclosed, but I’m guessing barely legal rye. I would mistake this for a bourbon blind probably. Finish: what finish? No oak, despite the age statement, and really nothing lingers at all. This is a huge flop. I understand that some people enjoy low proof whiskey. That is fine. This product however, is not fine. Especially for the price tag. One can get a 140 proof monster, single barrel, 10 year old rye from Barrell for just 10-15 bucks more. Do that, then water down and you have way more volume and likely way more taste. In all seriousness, I don’t understand who thought this would be a good product. Sagamore is 83 proof, less than half the price, and way more flavorful, if you’re looking for a good low proof rye. Very disappointed in this product, and the Hayden’s line in general.

86.4 proof. Sweet aromatic nose. Vanilla frosting and vanilla wafer cookies. A tiny amount of grain on the nose. On the palate, the sweetness is realized with a little heartier amount of grain (baked bread with butter). It is sweet and light, without much depth. Mouthfeel is decent for the low proof. The finish is okay, with pot spices coming through a tad, with the lingering vanilla sweetness following it up, but not lasting very long. In conclusion, this drinks perfectly fine. It is nothing to write home about, and certainly could not stand up to a cocktail or Irish coffee. The asking price, and value for money, is just not good enough to justify. Knappogue castle 12 is actually a few dollars cheaper. And if you want something truly excellent seek out a Knappogue castle 12 barrel select as they are a few proof point higher.

Holy dill. The nose is lots of intensely sweet dill, white pepper, and almost a nitrile glove type smell. Lots of earthy yet sweet spices, dill weed, mustard green, anise, etc. Not overly or artificially sweet. Nose is promising, no hint of alcohol as expected at only 92 proof. Herbaceous, to sum up in a word. The palate delivers on the sweetness, but not the herb-y uniqueness. Sweet generic caramel and a little bit of oak is present, along with a sizeable dose of 'dusty' flavor and feel (leather maybe?). The finish brings back a tiny bit of earthy-ness and dill, as well as a tad of the white pepper. Finish is pretty short and small, leaving really only some lingering sweet pickle-y dill and mint. The takeaway: $30 is right a little high for a blend of 2-7 year old ryes. I wish that I could compare to older bottles that had some of the 17 year old sourced juice in it, maybe those would have delivered better. But, at the end of the day this was pretty dissapointing, both from a price/value standpoint as well as a nose promise and palate delivery. The nose really promises a lot that the palate and finish can't get close to delivering on. The herbaceous-ness is noteworthy and unique, but doesn't merit buying again for me, hence the 3.25 stars rather than 3.75. If you want to show a new whiskey drinker the difference between a bourbon and a rye, this is an okay vessel for that, but I would still suggest Dickel or Bulliet ryes or even Sagamore for a spicier palate, but this is a great nose. I guess maybe if you like dill then this may be your jam? But personally, not a fan of the new Double Rye! blend

I'm pretty torn on this one. The heat really is what gets to me, it drinks way hotter than 110. This is one of the few bourbons that I enjoy more with a splash of water. Mouth feel is still great even with a splash of water, and burn is much more manageable. The fruit (apple and prominent banana) and very strong barrel spices still shine through, and are frankly better with an added splash of water, and it also cuts down on the bitterness that likely comes from the staves. Worth the price of admission compared to 46? Ehhh, sure why not. I'm interested in the private selections and future stave things they release.

I, like most I assume, grabbed this hoping that it would be a cheaper version of Angel's Envy Rye finished in Rum barrels. The category is limited, but steadily expanding. The proof I'd say is by far the largest let down. Almost no rye comes through. I don't know how wet the rum barrels are, but it's clear that unlike Angel's Envy Rye (which also isn't straight!), they add a lot more rum/rum flavoring. The maple syrup is too strong, and almost unbearable. Nose: straight brown sugar and vanilla, really nothing else Palate: Just maple syrup, but add some packs of splenda and you're there. Sickeningly sweet, just like Angel's envy rye, but with no body and spice to give depth or back it up. Finish: Really just brown sugar and a little vanilla. Angel's envy rye is definitely expensive, but if this is the alternative then the added price is worth it. Neither are a must -buy, but angel's envy rye is worth the extra money. I had to use this one up in Dark n' Stormy cocktails, but at 80 proof it didn't take long. More spice, and less sweet is needed with this one. Super disappointing finish, likely due to the proof and mash bill. Hard pass.