Tastes

A great value. The nose is sweet with lots of alcohol. The taste is full of corn sweetness, cinnamon, black pepper spice, and oak. The finish is slightly bitter with a lot of alcohol. A 7 year old bourbon at 101 proof, for $12, is great any day of the week.

A simple, classic bourbon. The nose is all caramel, with the taste being caramel, vanilla, oak, pepper spice, and a slight creamy corn sweetness. The finish is mostly oak. The downsides are a short finish and a thin mouthfeel. For an 8 year old bourbon, under $30, this is a good deal.

The nose is full of alcohol and the slightest fruitiness. The taste is one note, just oak. There is no finish to speak of. I can see why this was discontinued.

Batch 8, 139.8 Proof Lots of alcohol with a slight sweetness on the nose. The taste is full of honey, cinnamon, dark chocolate, oak and spice. The finish is long and spicy and sits on the back of the tongue. The finish slowly fades to become bittersweet and full of oak.

Lots of sweet maple syrup on the nose, with the taste continuing the sweetness. You can also taste notes of dark chocolate. There is a medium finish with just a touch of bitterness.

Another lackluster effort from the Orphan Barrel series. There are two main problems. First, it's very thin. This would definitely benefit from a higher proof. Also, the flavor is very one note. All I get is vanilla. There is no depth of flavor, nothing, just vanilla. Luckily, I was able to get a pour in a bar and save some money.

Batch 15-01, 111.3 Proof The nose is very sweet with a marshmallow type creaminess. Even with the high proof, it is still extremely drinkable with spice, a touch of fruitiness, and oak. The finish is loaded with oak and cinnamon. Overall, a good pour. I just wish the price was better.

You immediately notice the color on this one. It is a very dark reddish-copper. Then the nose, which is just as great as the color. Tons of sweet oak (emphasis on the sweet), vanilla, and a little bit of fruitiness. The taste is full of sweet and creamy vanilla. I get the slightest taste of fruitiness, similar to an orange peel. Overall, this was very enjoyable. I am glad I was able to get one for now and one for later.

Pleasantly surprised by this. Slightly fruity with notes of chocolate and coffee. The finish was pretty bitter though.

46% ABV, Store Selection. On the nose, there is a honey sweetness, with a touch of fruit. The taste has a slight spice that quickly fades to a big dose of maltiness. It has that "green" unmalted type finish. The color is a very light yellow. This is an average pour.