Tastes

The initial nosing was dominated by smoked meat, sea spray, leather, wet tobacco and iodine. After 10 minutes in the glass I picked up some lemon, honey and a faint herbal note that reminded me of sage. At 20 minutes some fruit notes consisting of pear and sour apple pierced through the smoke. On the palate the entry was very briny with a touch of honey and some malt. A large burst of ash, smoke and tobacco quickly followed. The finish was full of smoke and malt with some ash, spicy oak and menthol. Absolutely superb! 4.75 stars.

Stagg Jr. is a solid, affordable cask strength bourbon that sells for about $55 in my neck of the woods. Taken neat it's a fireball. A bit of water really softens the rough edges, opens it up and brings the sweetness forward. There's not a lot of complexity to this bourbon, but it's nicely balanced with a traditional and pleasing flavor profile. 3.5 out of 5 stars. Nose: Oak, Vanilla, Cherry Cola, Brown Sugar, Marshmallow. I also get some hints of maple syrup after about 20 minutes in the glass. Palate: Oak, Mint, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Dark Fruit. Finish: Oak, Smoke, Dark Fruit, Cinnamon, Root Beer.

Nose: Smoke, Sea Spray, Seaweed, Oak, Malt, Bacon, Hint of Lemon. Palate: Honey, Apples, Smoke, Oak, Brine, Pepper, Malt. Finish: Smoke, Honey, Pepper, Oak, Malt. The first pour from this bottle was not terribly impressive. However, after several weeks and a few more pours the whisky has improved greatly. The nose is full of smoke and ocean scents, along with oak, malt and a hint of lemon. After 15 minutes in the glass I detect some bacon, which is very pleasing. The nose translates well to palate, but I get a strong dose of honey and apples, then some malt, before the smoke, oak, salt and pepper take over. These dominant flavors carry through to the long finish, but as they fade the malt and honey re-emerge at the very end. Good stuff!

I'm a huge fan of Booker's Small Batch and the Small Batch Series; and while Little Book is a blend and a totally different animal, I've been eagerly looking forward to tasting it. The concept of constructing a blend that (mostly) mirrors the composition of a traditional mashbill is a clever approach. Does it work? I have no idea, but I'm about to find out. The reviews for Little Book "The Easy" are all over the map. Some love it, some don't, and that's to be expected. I commend Freddie Noe for taking the road less traveled and offering the whiskey world something different, something that challenges the status quo. Purchased for $75 at my local B&M. Now on the to review. Nose: Musty Oak, Brown Sugar, Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Light Smoke, Cherry Jam, Buttered Toast, Hazelnut. Palate: Roasted Nuts, Caramel, Corn Grain, Smoky Oak, Rye Spice and Vanilla. Finish: Smoky Oak, Cherry Cola, Buttery Caramel, Rye Spice, Clove, Vanilla and Roasted Nuts. The initial nosing of the whiskey offers aromas of musty oak and brown sugar with a subtle presence of sweet corn and vanilla. Considering the high alcohol content (64.1% ABV) I'm struck by how easy this whiskey is on the nose. I would have expected a strong element of ethanol, but it's actually quite mild for cask strength. As I give the juice a gentle swirl, the legs are long, of medium thickness, and they cascade slowly down the interior of the glass. After 15 minutes I'm picking up some light smoke, cherry jam and a hint of buttered toast. At 20 minutes in the glass the vanilla grows stronger and at 25 minutes I'm also smelling some hazelnuts. So far I'm really diggin' it. On the palate at full strength the whiskey has a rich, oily mouthfeel with flavors of roasted nuts, smoky oak, corn grain, caramel and vanilla. It's not as sweet as the nose suggests and is well balanced. A strong bloom of rye spice and familiar Booker's heat follows that is very rounded with no sharp edges. A larger sip yields much more heat and a noticeable amount of burn all around the tongue. However, for those who enjoy cask strength whiskey this is a good burn, full of flavor. It definitely puts a smile on my face. The finish delivers a healthy dose of smoky oak along with buttery caramel, roasted nuts, rye spice, cherry cola, clove, vanilla. A little water brings out some caramel on the nose along with more sweet corn. On the palate I get more grain and corn sweetness, more cherry and dark fruit, and less rye spice. The water extends the length of the finish, but the flavors are less defined. Being the first pour from a newly opened bottle I expect some things to change. However, upon first impression I think I prefer "The Easy" without water. Overall, it's a great release. Freddie has done an excellent job with this blend and I enthusiastically give him two thumbs up. In terms of a star rating "The Easy" gets a solid 4 out of 5, and I expect after the bottle has been open for a few weeks the whiskey will get even better.

Nose: Smoky Cedar & Oak, Sweet barbecue, Sea Spray, Seaweed, Apples & Pears... and Peat! Palate: Orchard fruit, lots of Smoke, Brine, Seaweed, Spice and Pepper. Finish: Smoke, Barbecue, Apples and White Pepper. Great nose comprised of smoked wood and sweet barbecue, sea spray and seaweed. After 10 minutes in the glass I can detect some apples and pears. At 15 minutes the peat really starts to assert itself, mixing nicely with the wood and the ocean scents. On the back-end there are some very subtle elements of plastic and band-aids. Complex and elegant. I could nose this whisky all day. On the palate I first taste the orchard fruit, quickly followed by an explosion of smoke. Emerging through the smoke are flavors of briny ocean water, seaweed and peppery spice. On the finish there is more smoke along with sweet barbecue. As the smoke and barbecue fade, the apples make a final encore appearance sprinkled lightly with white pepper. Awesome! 5 Stars.

Nose: Nuts, Cereal, Fig, Dark Fruit, Vanilla, Honey and Oak. Palate: Malt, Honey, Peaches. Finish: Peaches, Malt, Vanilla, Honey, Oak. The whiskey is soft on the nose, but very pleasant. Upon entry there are flavors of malt and honey followed by an explosion of peaches. The mouthfeel is thin. The finish is long. More peaches, malt and honey with a little vanilla, dark fruit and wood. Bushmills 16 is a delicate whiskey, but it's very balanced and full of wonderful flavors.

Eagle Rare is an excellent bourbon, full stop. The nose is gorgeous, the whiskey is very well balanced on the palate, and the finish is quite pleasing. There are many bourbons three times the cost of Eagle Rare that aren't half as good. Nose: Oak, Baked Apples, Vanilla, Caramel, Maple Syrup, Hint of Coconut. Palate: Oak, Caramel, Mint, Vanilla, Cinnamon and Tea. Finish: Oak, Mint, Cinnamon and a bit of Caramel at the tail .

As a huge fan of Booker's bourbon I love the Small Batch Series, and "Off Your Rocker" (2016-05) is one of best I've tasted. 4.5 stars out of 5. Nose: Smoky Oak, Vanilla, Butterscotch, Mint, Cherry Cola, Coconut, Herbal note. Palate: Oak, Butterscotch, Mint, Vanilla, Dark Fruit, Roasted Nuts, Cinnamon, Tobacco. Finish: Oak, Vanilla, Mint, Cinnamon. "Off Your Rocker" (2016-05) has a beautiful nose that gets better and more complex with more time in the glass. I get a lot of oak right from the start, along with butterscotch, mint, cherry cola, coconut and a faint herbal note. After about 25-30 minutes in the glass the smokiness of the oak really starts to blossom, mixing beautifully with the mint, while the coconut has completely faded away. On the palate there is a lot of oak (mildly smoky) with some butterscotch and roasted nuts, followed by a flood of heat containing flavors of mint and cinnamon and a slight herbal note. Vanilla, dark fruit and tobacco emerge as the heat dissipates. The finish is long and warm with more smoky oak, vanilla, mint and cinnamon. While "Off Your Rocker" can be enjoyed neat, I find that a little water really brings out the best this bourbon has to offer.