Tastes

The bottle indicates that it was distilled in Wyoming, so perhaps it's no longer an MGP juice? Get to thank my wonderful friend Nadine for sharing this from California. Vibrant, bright copper color. Really sticks on the glass with a few realtively slow-forming legs. Nose shows lots of wheat and oak. There's some heat, and sharp corners there when getting a little too far in. Notes of cigar boxes, whole grain bread, baking spices and a hint of ethanol. After some extensive breathing time, some caramel notes come through as well. Soft on the palate and sweet upfront, gives way to a pleasant warmth from the proof and the spices. Wheat influence makes its presence known again throughout... The barrel seems to contribute less char and lots more fresh cut oak than most. There's toasted coconut, pecan shells, a hint of leather and cream. The medium length finish leaves a few additional notes: milk chocolate and burnt sugar with a hint of vanilla woven in with the baking spices. My overall impression of this is that it's just not quite there yet: all of the right stuff is there, but it's a little wonky in the way it unfolds... In some ways it reminded me more of a beefy single malt than a bourbon. It's interesting and tasty, but lacks the symphony and synchronicity of really outstanding Bourbons.

Dark copper/ amber color. Moderate number of slow forming legs. The nose is loaded with fruit: berries, pear and tart cherries. Plenty of caramel, baking spice and barn funk. Undertones of chocolate and toasted coconut come through as well. It brings a good bit of heat, from the proof as well as the spice and barrel char, but quickly unfolds into a caramel, dried fruits and burnt sugar and a little vanilla frosting coming through late. It's not the incredibly complex flavor bomb that made me a believer from past releases, but it's well balanced and delicious...

A dark golden/copper with a hint of Amber. Moves off the glass quickly with lots of legs but leaves a sticky sheet behind. The nose is big and dominated by the barrel, for sure. Barrel char, tobacco, Rich oak with hints of eucalyptus and Rosemary hiding in there. The corn sneaks in there too. Sweet throughout with notes of leather, toasted pecans and creme brulee. A bit of baking spice, black pepper and cacao provides a nice contrast to the rich sweet character and multiple layers of oak and chat. This is a big Rich complex and interesting Tennessee whiskey with a nice long finish.

Golden straw/tarnished brass. Quite sticky with slow forming and slow moving legs. The nose shows a nice balance of rye spices and barn funk with vanilla, coconut and fresh oak. The front is mostly sweet, and yields to a bit of heat mid palate. The warmth comes from baking spices and a hint of green apple tartness. This cuts the silky mouthfeel nicely. The medium length finish lets the barrel shine through a bit more. A peanut note pops up there, too. This is interesting, tasty and well worth $40 given the current market. Definitely shares the MGP feel... A solid product.

Copper body with gentle Amber hues. Lots of legs appear and move quickly, but a good solid ring sticks on the glass. The wheat jumps out to lead the way on the nose... Plenty of caramel, soft, sweet fruits like candied apples and caramelized pears. Notes of clove and coriander pop through the rich fruit. Sip slowly warms the whole palate. Not hot for the proof, at all. Front is sweet, yielding to the spices present on the nose before a drawn out finish that shows exceptional balance... Left with darker caramel, toasted oak and the subtle sweetness of toasted steel cut oats and a faint hint of vanilla buttercream. I'll reiterate how much more impressive this is than their regular offering... I'm buying every chance I get

Dark copper body. Quite sticky for the proof. Nose is dark caramel, ripe fruits, vanilla. Hints of cacao, and a grainy note hanging in there. A tart fruity bite pops through the mostly sweet front. Green grape/granny Smith apples. A good shot of heat carries on with some clove, cinnamon and black pepper. A few drops of water loosen up the reins and bring out more of the sweetness that underlies it all, and helps stretch it out a bit. A solid char character comes through at the end. It's got good complexity and is interesting enough... It tastes different than I'd expect based on the nose. Just caught me off guard a bit in that sense.

Light golden straw, big thick legs and hangs on the glass nicely. Nose is light, grassy, herbal with honey, light caramel and a hint of Orange. Soft and sweet all around upfront, with a sneaky bite of heat on the back and sides of the tongue that follow the swallow. The lingering sweetness and toasty notes are what I'd expect out of a highland single malt. Notes of graham cracker, muscat and oak sawdust stick around for a medium length finish. This is nice. A local product to be proud of... Not really what gets me all excited, but I'd be proud to share this with a lover of highland scotch and heavier Irish whiskies.

I'll admit, I don't really know how to stack up Irish whiskies, so the rating could be inflated a bit... Golden pale straw, sparse legs. Really sticking to the glass. Nose is honey, light caramel, toasted white bread, and a hint of golden raisin or other dried fruit. Big and soft on the palate, especially for the proof. The mid palate is warm and carries a bit of spice before moving into sweeter toasted grains and more honey. Long finish leaves toasted pecans, a hint of vanilla and wood. It's really wonderful... Supremely balanced and alarmingly drinkable.

Dark golden/ brass. Hangs pretty tight to the glass for it's proof. Nose is loaded with caramel and fresh oak. Herbal notes and cacao. Dark brown sugar, almost molasses and lots of vanilla. Sweet throughout, but not overwhelmingly so... A cream corn sweetness. A bit dry on the palate. Leaves a nice long finish that returns all of the barrel notes, and dark chocolate balancing the sweetness nicely. Solid all the way around.

Jeff's Spirits 250th Anniversary Warehouse K, floor 8. Dark copper color with a faint hint of Amber. Small number of slow forming legs. Nose reveals that it's definitely an Old Forester product. Good rye presence with plenty of spice. Dark caramel, both ripe and tart fruits. A little hint of cardboard in there and a bit of a hit of ethanol. Some sweetness up front, but it wanders a bit and the sweetness doesn't linger long enough. A little butterscotch candy comes out. mouthfeel is a little bit thin, but there is a solid length finish that shows lots of wood. It comes up short in balance... All the flavors are there, but it's a little disjointed.