Tastes
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Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed September 24, 2021 (edited September 29, 2021)Dark but vibrant copper body. Really sticks to the glass leaving behind slow moving but numerous legs and a nice ring of beads. Nose definitely indicates it's a Russell product: notable spice notes and Rye contribution among the vanilla, barn must and oak sawdust. Faint hint of rosemary or eucalyptus in there, too. Sweet up front followed immediately by a bright tart fruitiness (think granny smith apple pie) sliding into tons of spice and contributions from the wood. An explosion of flavor coats the mouth and stays for a while, leaving carmel, cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom and butterscotch. Terrific long finish. Warms the chest and mouth. A few drops of water bring out some coconut and really amplify the vanilla. This is everything I look for in a Russell family bourbon, but turned up in magnitude, and lengthened out over the finish. Second only to their 13 year in any offering I've had from them.54.99 USD per Bottle -
Iron Smoke Straight Bourbon
Bourbon — Fairport, NY, USA
Reviewed September 20, 2021 (edited September 29, 2021)Vibrant gold and copper body with lots of medium speed legs. Nose shows the apple wood smoke immediately. Plenty of fresh oak and a hint of vanilla and pecan. Musty, earthy character and a grassy note sneaking in there, too. Lots of barrel, accentuated by the smoke, but not overly charry. Medium to soft mouth feel coats the mouth with a sweetness and helps to carry the flavor. Short to medium finish that leaves more smoke and a return of the vanilla and apple wood. The wheat shows on its own, outside the smoke Deep and earthy, it shows the youth, but is still quite pleasant. Neat idea and a nice take to a traditional bourbon. -
Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof Rye
Rye — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed September 1, 2021 (edited September 29, 2021)bright copper/brass color. virtually no legs, but does leave behind a nice ring of beads. the nose is bright and lively, and getting too close really hits. The combined spice/tart fruit and high proof are notable from a ways away. light caramel, butterscotch candies, orange peel, golden raisins and an earthy grain character are first to peek. Cardamom, eucalyptus/resinous pine undertones, and a definite citrus quality to it... the finish rolls out for some time and leaves with a back and forth between a sweet toastiness and the bright, spicy rye notes. terrific complexity, great balance and stands up well to a rock or a splash of water, and I'd imagine it would make a wonderful old fashioned. The Rare Breed has never let me down, and continues to impress!63.99 USD per Bottle -
Pinhook Bohemian Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed August 31, 2021 (edited September 12, 2022)Picked up a second bottle and I just can't stick with a 3.75 soft, golden hay color. really really sticks to the glass. first impression is that it's young... nose shows a solid contribution of rye. a bit of burnt orange oil and spices abound: clove, a bit of eucalyptus. a bit of a corn flake richness or sweetness comes to mind as well as candied apricots. it's sort of all shows up on the front. sweetness exists throughout, but the oak and nuance rolled themselves out shortly thereafter. short to medium finish with a bit of stickiness in the mouth left behind buttered toast sprinkled with cinnamon. it's well balanced and delicious, even if a little young outstanding value34.99 USD per Bottle -
Westland Sherry Wood American Single Malt
American Single Malt — Washington , USA
Reviewed August 31, 2021 (edited September 29, 2021)Golden body, light amber hue. Quite sticky on the glass. Sure he is immediately noted on the nose: Cherry lozenges, stone fruit and rich barley malt and leather. A hint of vanilla. Big, syrupy mouthfeel. Sweet throughout, mostly ripe fruit. Reminiscent of milk chocolate covered cherries. Pretty long finish, bringing a return of the black cherry lozenges, and a roasted malt/ barrel char note to wrap it up. This is very solid, but I definitely prefer their American Oak single malt. -
Templeton Rye Barrel Strength (2018 Edition)
Rye — Indiana (Bottled in Iowa), USA
Reviewed August 30, 2021 (edited September 29, 2021)Light, bright brass color. Plentiful but slow running legs. Lots of spices, tart fruits and an almost resinous, hop-like character on the nose. Soft, mid sized mouthfeel. Finish is mid length, but wild with action: pine notes, spices and intense floral and citrus. A bit of a butterscotch backbone throughout helps balance it a bit. Solid value, for sure! This will make an amazing rye old fashioned. Confirmed that it makes a great old fashioned on 9.24.2150.99 USD per Bottle -
Pinhook Bohemian Bourbon High Proof
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed August 30, 2021 (edited December 6, 2022)Golden-pale straw color. Lots of quickly appearing legs. Nose is loaded with rye notes: baking spices, tart dried fruits, golden raspberries, candied oranges, and a bit of semi sweet barn funk. Slowly building warming effect starts early and magnifies after the swallow. Larger than anticipated mouthfeel, coats the mouth with light caramel, immediately replaced with a bit of oakey dryness and plenty of that tart fruit and spice. Big with plenty going on. A bit more Barrel contribution would really round it out. Incredible value and I suspect that this distillery will only continue to produce more, and more well-balanced and nuanced products.44.99 USD per Bottle -
Chestnut Farms Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed August 30, 2021 (edited April 16, 2022)Revisited this on 1.26.22 Although my notes really won't change on this, the rating will. I made the note upon my an original rating that I would have knocked it down 0.25. Today, I most certainly do that and even consider dropping it an additional quarter point. It would be a sure to pay $100 for this ever again. Beautiful golden with amber tint. Really hangs on the glass, leaving a ring of beads. Nose is butterscotch, vanilla cookies, a hint of eucalyptus and clove. Beautiful sweetness throughout the drink. Butterscotch up front, turns more to caramel over time. Light char notes, but lots of wood on the mid-palate and into the finish. The vanilla makes a strong return along with a hint of maraschino cherry. The finish is long and wraps up with toasted oak, dark honey and sticky caramel. This is a good bourbon. Well rounded with excellent balance and a medium- long finish. At $100/bottle I nearly knocked it down .25 points, as one can do as well (or better) at $50, but those are getting awful hard to find99.99 USD per Bottle -
Balcones Lineage Texas Single Malt
American Single Malt — Texas, USA
Reviewed August 29, 2021 (edited September 7, 2021)Deep ruddy copper. Lots of speedy legs. Nose is Rich with sweetness, chocolate, syrup and faint smoke and leather. Big mouthfeel... Leaves a great deal of action behind. Ripe fruit, a bit of chocolate, salted caramel and cream. This really is a terrific value. There's lots of interesting stuff going on, it's unique, and stands on its own. -
Kirkland Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon by Barton 1792
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed August 21, 2021 (edited August 26, 2023)Pale straw. Lots of legs, but leaves some hanging on the glass. A bit hot on the nose. A good deal of rye; sweet hay, light caramel, vanilla and a hint of coconut. Salty peanuts, butterscotch and some spice. A bit of sweetness sticks around... Although nothing special, it's dangerously drinkable. The medium finish and peanut butter notes make me want to take another drink fairly quickly. A terrific value.
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