Tastes

Took awhile for this to make its way over to my part of Ca, but when I saw it on the shelf, I had to pick it up, especially for the price. I had heard some good things about this bottle. 125 proof bourbon from Buffalo Trace at about $20 definitely piqued my interest. Right off the bat, this thing is HOT. Huge ethanol on the nose followed by sweet cherries and vanilla. Palette is very oaky with mild cherry. Slightly bitter, but definitely packs a punch. Pretty one dimensional, not complex at all. Finish is ok, pretty short with the flavor but the high proof does make it slightly linger a bit. Overall, its decent for the price, but don't expect to be blown away by it. Worth a shot, but again, not remarkable and there are certainly other things in the price range that are more flavorful. This one is mostly just hot and one dimensional.

I really enjoy this bottle. On the nose nothing too complicated that sticks out. Light cinnamon spice with brown sugar or caramel. Palette is smooth. A bit of oak, spice like a rye, and a very subtle apple. I do with the apple was a bit more pronounced, you gotta hunt for it a bit. Finish is nice and long, slightly tannic as it goes down. Overall, quite an enjoyable, smooth and easy dram. It is however, pretty hard to find. I got lucky and was able to snag the last bottle at my store and glad I did. Packaging and bottle are quite nice and make for a sweet display piece.

Total Wine (NorCal) Pick Les Trois Sauvages Barrel: 295 ABV: 57.36% I was hesitant to give this a shot since the Total Wine Spirits Manager was pushing this on me hard. Eventually I caved, but am totally glad I did. First, the bottle itself is absolutely beautiful and unique, with a completely glass top (including glass cork). This is bourbon finished in 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Grenache, and 10% zinfandel. The nose from a fresh pour has a good amount of ethanol to it, which is understandable with the proof. It has notes of honey and butterscotch. Hints of wine also, from the finish. The palette is quite wonderful. It has a nice influence from the wine barrels. Its sweet but not overpowering. Some very light caramel and stone fruits. The finish is excellent. Not a lot of burn but the flavor that stays on your tongue is quite pleasant and long lasting. Overall I am glad I gave this a try and would recommend. It is a little bit pricey, but its well worth it for a unique bourbon.

Batch 145b, Bottled May 2022, 57.36%. Nose is high in ethanol but also sweet with cherries. Nothing too complex here. Lots of rye spice on the taste, slightly nutty and oaky then finishes with that cherry sweetness. Finish is good leaving a subtle sweetness on the tongue but also some tannins as it slightly dries the mouth. Just a slight burn as well. Overall not too bad and worth a shot if you can find it for MSRP (~$75). It is quite a step above the base Smoke Wagon which is not bad, but if you see this one on the shelf, grab it over the base if you do enjoy Smoke Wagon.

Finally got my hands on this at close to MSRP. Surprisingly difficult to find nowadays, and when a store gets it, it sells out quick. Nose is pleasant with light ethanol, vanilla and nougat sweetness. Nothing overly complex. Palette is real smooth and sweet. Some cherry, vanilla, and honey. Finish is pretty good and long. Not much of burn at all, though it could be that I'm too used to the high-proof bourbons nowadays (>60%). But overall pleasant, smooth, and easy. Would say to definitely pick it up at close to MSRP but not much more than that. I do enjoy the bottle and tube it comes also.

Rare breed is one of those bottles that definitely tastes and feels like its a more expensive bottle. Unfortunately it seems like this hidden gem is not really hidden as it is slowly becoming more difficult to find and the prices have seen to gone up. This is quite a step above WT101 and holds its own against other BP products. Bottled at 116.8 proof, this one is quite the hitter. Nose has plenty of ethanol and other notes like cinnamon and caramel. Palette is slightly nutty, oaky, cinnamon, and butterscotch. Finish is medium length with a slight burn that follows all the way down to your stomach as you swallow. Overall quite smooth. Definitely a staple on the shelf.

Nose: Really pleasant. Spice, dark fruits, caramel, maple syrup, oak. Subtle ethanol. Palette: A bit simpler than expected. Charred oak, vanilla, brown sugar, Finish: Not as hot given its proof, quite enjoyable. Medium length finish. Lingering oak and vanilla. Overall: This bottle has gotten a lot of good reviews, and for good reason. Its very enjoyable and accessible for a good price point. The proof is in a great spot at 115. Would likely repurchase again.

Since my first review of this bottle, I ended up purchasing several more since it was so good and the price was on point! This review is for a 375mL bottle hand selected by Master Distiller Chris Fletcher (JD Master Distiller) which was found at my local BevMo and bottled at 64.40% ABV. Nose is good with lots of oak, caramel, cinnamon apple. Gotta be careful not to nose too closely since the ethanol will getcha. Palate is real smooth with the typical bananas foster and maple pancakes. Suprisingly not so much burn up front, but you can feel it as you swallow with the heat going down esophagus and into your stomach. Finish is nice and long. Very smooth. This has definitely grown to be one of my favorite bottles to keep in the bar, and I currently have 4 unique barrels. If you love high-proof whiskey, this is one I'd highly recommend, since it is relatively easy to find and the price is very reasonable on it.

Total Wine & More Barrel Pick bottled at 66% and aged for 42 months. Nose is heavy on the chocolate and coffee, not too much ethanol which is surprising for a 66% bottling. Palette is actually quite similar to the nose with dark chocolate and coffee and a finish that is slightly bitter like drinking black coffee with a slight raspberry like finish as well. Just a slight burn on the way down, but the finish leaves a lingering burn in the throat. Its decent, but the chocolate/coffee is pretty darn strong and really all I'm getting from this. Maybe it will grow on me, but at the moment I likely won't repurchase. Worth a shot if you like the choco/coffee notes.

Freshly cracked bottle and tasted neat in a Glencairn. Nose has a lot of spice and good amount of ethanol burn to it. Faint hint of cherries, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, and cola, but its quite overwhelmed by the ethanol. Might be because it is a fresh pour. Taste is very nutty and spicy, with a little bit of cherry and vanilla sweetness at the end. Goes down with some heat for sure. Finish is slightly bitter and sweet and lasts decently long. Slightly dries out the mouth. Overall a great bottle to have, especially at the price point I can get it for. I enjoyed the A122 just a bit more and felt it was a little more complex and flavorful. Maybe this one will open up with time and really let some of those hidden/masked flavors come out more.