Tastes

EWSB 2010 ~$30/750ml This is surprisingly difficult to come by in my area. I ordered to help balance shipping on an out of state order. It is definitely not EW Black. It is slightly honey sweet, mellow, it has a very thin and quick finish with a hint of oak. If you like your whiskey slightly sweet, smooth and boring, this would be the whiskey for you. It is not for me, for the price point, I would seek out a McKenna BIB 10YR. I prefer a spicy rye heavy whiskey to wake up my taste buds.

First nose is astringent, even from a 3 month open bottle. After a minute to breath, a soft vanilla, toffee, and a slight hint of cut grass nose. On the palate, there is a sweet and not quite creamy front, which builds to a creamy, buttery, vanilla, caramel middle, leading to a long, spicy rye finish with a thick oil feel. Slight notes of oak and leather on the end, but not overpowering. This is a complex little bottle.

Batch 002 Bottle 10496 54.1%

Very smooth whiskey, very approachable for a port-finished whiskey. I drink only neat, I suspect water will make this quite a bit sweeter on the palate. I find it smooth, some port sweetness, a touch of tea leaves and cinnamon on the rather short finish. Not spicy enough for my palate, but probably my favorite port-finished whiskey to date.

Barrel 2311, Bottle 42, Fill Date 10/02/2006. 112.9 Proof. Private Selection Bounty Hunters Sweet, peppery, caramel, slight oak bitterness on finish, but expected, and not unwelcome or offensive. One of the better cask strength single barrels I have discovered.

Due to the barrel parameters, this whiskey does not have the flavors I prefer. It is very herbal/grassy, the spice is hot as expected from such a young rye. I can't quite put my finger on the finishing taste, but it reminds me of very young and very cheap, minimal peat Scotch.

117/A 517/B 917/2 118/A 518/B 918/C

Batch 01 and Batch 02

Easy to drink, mildly sweet, slight caramel and vanilla palate with dry oak finish, touch of cinnamon. Smooth, but short-lived and boring.

3 French Mocha, 3 baked American, 4 Maker's 46 Staves. Smooth, silky, with medium finish. Raisin, cocoa, vanilla and oak. Finish has slight leather and tobacco hints. The wheated mint aftertaste is very subdued. One of the few wheated whiskeys I can happily drink.