Tastes

Let me be clear: the only reason this is getting 4 stars is because of the price. There is no other whiskey under $25 that can compare: the closest would be Evan Williams Single Barrel, which is ~$28 here. Buffalo trace has a delicious nose that delivers on to the palate. I appreciate low-rye mashbills, so BT mashbill #1 does the trick perfectly. Lots of 'high' notes on the nose (vanilla, burnt sugars, caramel), with the 'low' flavors coming in to mostly balance on the palate (lots of leather, a little tobacco and the smallest amount of mint). No rye burn. Finish rides out as a short hit of toasty vanilla. The only complaint I have here is the lack of oak and barrel in the 'low' notes and the short finish. Overall it is very well rounded for the price point, and not disjointed or rough around the edges like many you will find under $25. For more oak and a better finish, obviously try Eagle Rare. If the price creeps up above $30, then this bottle doesn't hold up as well, but for MSRP it is impossible to beat (OGD 114, Knob Creek, and Elijah Craig probably come closest in terms of quality).

Eighty dollars??? For this? Really? I'm super glad I tried this at a bar before wasting a bunch of money on it. You know how 'Poor Man's Pappy' is a thing? 'Poor Man's Garrison Bro' should be a thing. Take two handles of Weller Special Reserve. Put it in one of those tiny 1 gallon shitty oak barrels. Wait 3 weeks. Now it's over oaked and has some burnt and cleaning supply-like crappy flavors. Perfect! Now you have a gallon of Garrison Bros equivalent. Honestly all those supplies would still probably be cheaper than actually buying a fifth of this crap.

I wanted to like this. I really did. The distillery is about 10 minutes from my alma mater (WDE). But this is really terrible. I hate peat and smoke. So their decision to add charred pecans to this as it ages makes it a total dud to me. I taste really no classic 'rye' flavors. The tiniest bit of pepper, no dill, nothing. Just Sharpie on the nose and campfire on the palate. I think I'll tuck this away until scoth drinkers come to town. Maybe they will be able to appreciate it. But unfortunately, I cannot.

Single barrel pick from Total Wine. MGP and Dickel sourced juice. Butterscotch and ethanol on the nose. Dickel vitamin hits on the palate, with some fruit and a lot of gritty corn dominating as well. Drying heavy oak and heat on the finish. Not worth the price of entry, pretty disappointing all in all. Admittedly reasonably smooth for the proof, but I like some flavor in my bourbon not just a smooth way to injest alcohol (sorry not sorry).

At 47% it comes off as stronger and more forward, so that’s why I knock it. But besides that, it’s very sweet and fruity. Banana bread comes across clear as day. Brown sugar, butterscotch, some good oak and wood coming from the charcoal filtering, and vanilla sing back up. Tasty for sure, but worth $45? Ehhhhhhhhhh there are better things out there at the same price point and proof point. I wouldn’t turn it down, and it’s certainly unique. Good and a soft ‘buy’ endorsement comes with it.

Very astringent and a little bit of grain and honey on the nose. A very light and honestly pretty terrible Irish. The only thing that keeps this from being a total train wreck is the little bit of oily mouth feel, from the pot still portion. But still, only drink this if it’s free or on special at a happy hour and you need a shot. Slane is far superior for only a few bucks more.

This is the bourbon that started me down this damn rabbit hole, so it has a special place on my shelf to be transparent. But, its also, it deserves that spot. The nose has wonderful layers of crisp apple, vanilla, and cinnamon. Not apple pie, to fresh and 'crispy' for that. Then the palate delivers a nice oily mouth feel, with great fruitiness and sweetness on the front. Then the spice and char hit, with a nice but not too hot cinnamon and oak to finish it. I wouldn't call this smooth, but it is not the alcohol that makes the burn, it is the rye and heavy char making a nice robust flavor. What a bourbon should be, and this is an incredible price point. Not many better offerings in the $20-$30 range.

This is a tasty whiskey. This is definitely more of a bourbon drinker’s rye, something to transition someone over to the wonderful world of rye. The nose is quite pleasant, floral and light, with vanilla and burnt caramel creeping in. I was surprised by the lack of rye spice (pepper or cinnamon even) on the nose. The palate is fruity and light again, with some crisp sour apple that turns in to a white pepper and rye spice. A pretty decent finish, with white pepper on the front, and a heat that hits your chest that is definitely not from the proof. Very small taste of the barrel on the back end of the finish, turning back in to a strong taste of sweet burnt sugars as it fades out. After the finish is gone, I am left with wondering how they got a ‘rye’ so light and sweet. Probably a little young, and the 53% rye is the answer to that. Overall: for $34 this is tasty and reasonably smooth, if albeit a little light and simple. I wish there was more oak or deep rye flavors to help balance out the light floral/sweet/fruity tastes. I will definitely try a barrel select and see if this answers that complaint. I wouldn’t call it overpriced, but there are definitely cheaper bottles out there that I personally think deliver more. But get this as a bourbon drinker’s first rye, and you won’t regret it.

Wow this is good stuff. I bought a handful of 375ml bottles out of impulse for a flight. All entry level fair (knob creek, gentleman jack, bulliet, high west, and old forester) and this one stand above the rest. This is complex and very tasty. Nose is gentle, and sweet with a little oak, it really underplays what you get on the palate. Palate is an amazing mix of floral aroma with fruity undertones at first. Then the butterscotch and vanilla caramel pour in. Then, a hot cinnamon and little peppery oak ride off on the finish. For the proof and the price, I was shocked how smooth and complex this was. I cannot wait to try a single barrel pick and 12 year offerings. One of my favorites. Only complaint is it drinks a little hot sometimes, but other than that, it is everything I feel a bourbon should be. Definite buy.

I clearly did not get the 'honey barrel' that the distiller reviewer did, but I do enjoy the 2011 vintage I bought. Almost 8.5 years old. A wonderful nose of vanilla and oak. Low rye, and drinks sweet and smooth, thanks to the solid age and low bottling proof. Tasty sweet and salty peanut brittle shines through on the front of the palate too. A little disappointed in the mouth feel and shorter finish, which is mostly oak and brown sugar, with a little leather showing through. This competes well at the price point, especially because of how widely available it is. Not as complex as normal Buffalo Trace, but that is not to say I would always pick BT over this. Sometimes a little more sweet and simple is what you want, and lets not forget that BT far and away owns the $20-$25 price range. This is a great bottle to gift to a beginner or non-connoisseur. The wax dip, neck tag, and hand marked barrel and dump dates. Reach for this as a gift instead of the usual Basil Haydens or Makers. I would never be disappointed to receive this and I look forward to trying other vintages. Not deserving of the given 96, but deserving of a spot in your rotation and a little more respect than it gets.