Tastes

Color: The color I find on this blended scotch is a light maple syrup. Its legs stick to the inside of the glass pretty well despite how thin they are. Nose: The nose shows off notes of honey, caramel, and cinnamon. It also has notes of smoke and popcorn. Taste: The palate is pretty simple with small notes of dried mango, strawberry Twizzler candy, white tea, and vanilla ice cream. Finish: The finish is much like how a speech at a wedding should be - short, sweet, and syrupy. Thoughts: My first impression of this scotch after my first smell and sip was, “Dang! I like this!” It isn't complex, but it is delicious and has zero burn. It's a great casual sipper for conversations with friends! I haven't tried but I wouldn't add ice to it; it may disappear. I would buy this one again! Thanks, John, for raising the Barr! Sláinte!

Color: The color for this Scottish island delight is a very light honey gold. The legs are thin but viscous. Nose: The nose hit my nasal cavity with a light alcohol burn, but after acclimating, notes of green grass and hay bales stand way out in front. Honey, baking spices, soaked wood, and honeycrisp apple notes fill out the rest of the amazing bouquet. Taste: The palate contains notes of sea salt, fruits, honey, oaky tannins, malt and dark chocolate. It’s really quite delicious though maybe a little complex. Finish: The finish is medium long in length. The aftertaste is salty, bitter, and almost creamy like a stout beer Thoughts: This scotch was so delicious, vibrant, and full! It had an uncanny resemblance to a stout beer in my opinion, and as that is one of my favorite styles of beer, I really enjoyed it! I think a splash of water brings it down to the perfect level according to my preferences. I would definitely buy this one again, and highly recommend it! Sláinte!

Color: The color on this bourbon is a mahogany auburn. The legs in my glass are thinner and waterier than I expected. Nose: On the nose I find cherry and cedar notes with strangely enough, carrots. I get a slight note of corn, but not as much as I would've thought. There's also a note of dead leaves, reminding me of walking through a forest in fall. Taste: Caramel notes on the palate take the lead and spice notes like cinnamon and cardamom follow suit. By adding a few drops of water I found an almost bubblegum note popped up too. Finish: The finish is pretty long and has a spice to it as well as baked red apple and toast. Thoughts: This bourbon is really good! It's not complex, but it's definitely not disappointing either. It's a good balance of what you expect with what you want while sticking close to a bourbon’s classic traits. I recommend it and would buy it again. Sláinte!

Color: The color for this blended scotch is a light straw yellow. And its legs are pretty thin. Nose: On the nose I find the slightest trace of smoke, as well as citrusy lemon and shortbread cookie notes. Taste: On the palate I find lemon and cherry notes, as well as sweet butterscotch and sugar cookies. Finish: The finish is short to medium and has a slight burn but rounds it out with an almost cinnamon sugar aftertaste. Thoughts: So this blend is old and has a lot of history. I think that's really cool, but as far as the scotch goes, by itself it's pretty boring. As a cheap mixer scotch, I'd pick this all day. But drank neat, it is pleasant, but it doesn't have much depth. If it was offered to me though, I would not refuse. Sláinte!

Color: The color on this blended Texan is a light caramel brown. The legs are really watery and thin. Nose: On the nose I find notes of caramel, oak, sweet butterscotch or cotton candy, salted nuts, and the overall impression of a dry white wine; it has an alcohol mixed with sweet fruity sort of presence. Taste: The palate on this whiskey features notes of leather, buttered toast, corn, and a slight strawberry and cherry note reminding me of Twizzlers candy. Finish: The finish is quick to medium in length, leaves me with little to no burn, and has afternotes of red apples with cinnamon, basically an impression mom’s apple pie. How much more American can you get? Thoughts: For this proud Texas spirit, I paired this whiskey with a bowl of carne asada fries, so needless to say, it was a fine afternoon. As far as the whiskey itself, I found it relatively complex and very interesting. There were tastes in this whiskey I hadn’t found anywhere else, and I was pleasantly surprised. I like it! Thumbs up, Rebecca Creek! Cheers!

Color: It's about time I tried this straight bourbon. I got some for some friends and I to share over a camping trip this past weekend! The color on this whiskey is an old oak bark or dark amber. The legs are thin but seem pretty oily. Nose: On the nose I'm picking up brown sugar, oak and corn notes, a funky almost sweaty note, salt, and honeysuckle. I'm also getting dill pickles and banana notes after a while too. Taste: On the palate I get notes of dark chocolate, oak, and cinnamon, with a sour green apple in there as well. Finish: The finish has a mint and black tea flair but doesn't last too long. Thoughts: This bourbon has a long history and I pray they will have a much longer one. Claiming the first distillery in the state of Kentucky is no small claim. So for that, good on you! This bourbon may not be the best, but it is good! Definitely worth a try and no shame being a go-to. Evan Williams, thanks. And to everyone else, cheers!

Color: The color I find on this blended whiskey is a light straw yellow. Nose: I get notes of corn and cornbread, but also nail polish remover. It's a constant balance of good and strange smells, like pine needles and butterscotch cookies then Windex and car exhaust. Taste: The palate is sweet with caramel latte which is nice, but there is not much going on beyond that except like a plain rice vibe and alcohol. Finish: the finish doesn't have any burn, but it's quick. It's not good or bad, it just leaves you curious if you missed it. Thoughts: I'm bummed really. I knew this dram going into it wouldn't be my favorite, but I try to be fair and let everyone play and have a turn on this whiskey playground. It's better than I was expecting, but that still isn't saying much. I will say this: This whiskey admits to having a 20%/80% ratio of bourbon to neutral grain spirits respectively. They claim on their website, “The 20% Bourbon is the most expensive bourbon ever created.” That's a bold claim, but I'll go on record saying, “If that's true, I'd love a taste of that bourbon before it gets blended!” Not my thing, but if it's yours, sláinte!

Color: The color on this scotch is a pale straw color. Clearly no coloring has been added, which, I'm not going to complain about that, but I do appreciate when it's just the whisky, pure and simple. There are oily legs that like to stick around on the inside of my glen. Nose: On the nose I find salted caramel, briny beachfront, and notes reminiscent of life on a farm; hay, flowers, and honey mostly. Taste: The palate is really tasty and creamy. There are notes of honeysuckle, vanilla coffee creamer, and for me a blueberry note. I added a few drops of water and it really mellowed it out; I don't really recommend it. For me the only new note that emerged was a dandelion green. Finish: The finish is pretty short but it's crisp and fresh reminding me of some Colorado bourbons I've had. Little to no burn rewards your swallow. And there is an aftertaste of cinnamon breath mints that rises up inviting you to another sip, or at least has your mouth feeling clean. Thoughts: I'm a fan! Especially after reading Deanston’s story online. Knowing their pursuit for community and their striving for the purity of their product gives me a great deal of respect for what they're doing and I'm glad to have tried the fruit of their labor. Thumbs up! Sláinte!

Color: The color on this wheated bourbon is a gorgeous copper, with very thin but pretty viscous legs. Nose: The nose starts off with caramel and wildflowers. Vanilla ice cream and honey add their sweetness to the bouquet as well. There are also notes of red apple and cinnamon. Taste: The palate consists of notes like sweet corn, dill, honey, and brown sugar. Finish: The finish doesn't last too long or have much burn at all leaving an almost cinnamon dessert aftertaste. Thoughts: This is a dang fine bourbon! If I had the keys to the vault that held this bourbon, I might be tempted to snag some for myself too. Honestly with this quality at the price point at which it's offered, this is a steal! (Pun maybe intended.) Sláinte!

Color: I’m currently comparing this 10 year old with its standard NAS younger brother. The color is noticeably darker, the color of polished mahogany. Also the legs are more viscous than the entry level Bird Dog and they stick around for a bit. Nose: This bourbon has a darker, sweeter, and more complex nose than the other. Cherries, pine, vanilla, as well as cut grass notes take you on a little adventure. There are heavy oak notes woven throughout too. Taste: Sweet apples mingle with oaky notes on the forefront. Cherries come back to the palate too. Salted caramel candy you'd give your wife as a gift definitely contrasts the Halloween reject taste of the standard Bird Dog. Finish: The long finish starts out sweet, but still leaves your mouth with the feeling of a dry wine. There's a Redvine candy flavor you're left with as well. Thoughts: This bourbon definitely steps up Bird Dog’s game. It's tasty and complex, without being overwhelming. Though they may specialize in flavored whiskey, their 10 year old can really stand on its own. Well done guys!