Tastes

Having been a fan of Four Roses for sometime now, I was really interested when I heard they were releasing a new small batch "Select" that blends together a combination of 6 of their 10 different mashbills all aged between 6 and 7 years of age.  For those of you familiar with Four Roses mashbill coding they selected OBSV, OBSK, OBSF, OESV, OESK, and OESF for this batch.  Those of you who are unfamiliar with Four Roses process I would encourage you to look it up.  Its very interesting info and if you are new to bourbon it is a great way to learn how the different recipes influence the taste.  As you learn about what you like and don't like in a mashbill you will get better at picking bourbons you will enjoy versus the frustrating drain pour!   Now, on to the tasting.  For this Four Roses Small Batch Select you get a very pleasant mixture of spice and fruit upon entry.  As the taste builds you get more black pepper and vanilla which really form the backbone of the taste.  The finish is mild and doesn't linger but it is still warm enough to enhance the more earthy tones and leather flavors that start to come on toward the end.  The spice and vanilla continue throughout and really help balance out the taste. Four Roses does so many things right with this batch that I can't find any fault with it.  I wanted to not like it as much because of the price, but honestly it is worth every penny!  If you are new to bourbon or you want to introduce someone to bourbon this would be an outstanding choice. Cheers!

So for the past several months my buddy @dubz480 has been telling me about this store pick and how much I needed to try it. Since my collection had grown out of control over the past few years I wasn't buying many new bottles, and Knob Creek just has never been that appealing to me in the past. But I had cleared some space on the shelves and was ready to reload so in my last order I decided to give this one a shot, and all I can say is wow, so glad I did! Beautiful dark brown color that looks thick like motor oil in the bottle. The initial taste sets you back with the thick oily mouthcoating and sweet orange peel and caramel flavor hitting you almost immediately. That gives way to pepper and rye spice with some of the oakiness coming through as well. The finish is long with a pleasant amount of heat. More of the pepper and some dark fruit flavors come through at the very end. All of which are well balanced throughout and it leaves you with that satisfying warm sensation. All in all this is a fantastic rye, and at $36.99 you would be hard pressed to find a better value anywhere. Hats off to @Dubz480 for another great recommendation! Cheers!

So its been a while since my last review, but I recently took a flier on a store pick from Hi Times Wine Cellar in Newport Beach, CA and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Enough so that I thought now is a good time to get back into the app and catch up on some reviews I've been meaning to write. So now on to the review. Their pick of the Yellowstone Select 93 is a 5 year age stated pick and one of the first to be sourced entirely from Limestone Branches own juice. If this particular batch is an example of what we can hope to expect as their brand continues to mature over the next few years we have found an absolute gem! The first thing to hit you is the well balanced classic bourbon notes. This definitely isn't like so many of these new distillers pumping out young bourbon that's been over flavored with different cask finishes, and Frankensteined into something they call bourbon. No, Its a tried a true old fashion good classic bourbon with no frills. Vanilla, brown sugar, caramel, and peanut brittle up front, the peanut brittle hangs with you along with black pepper and some orange peel notes until a nice warm finish rounds out the tasting. Everything you could want from a bourbon without breaking the bank! For 36 dollars this is a fantastic pour that makes you want to order a few more. I've had the bottle for a little over a week and its has just gotten better with each pour! Cheers!

A friend of mine introduced me to this fine Brooklyn Bourbon.  It is a rich copper colored liquid in a simple bottle with a white label.  I really dig the simple look of the bottle. It makes me think of the old time western elixirs the snake oil salesmen would peddle in the movies.  As for the bourbon, it is a 10 year old, 91 proof, Kentucky sourced bourbon that is blended with rich NY limestone water that helps make this a beautifully smooth drinking bourbon.  At first sip you get a nice warm flavorful medley of vanilla, carmel, oak, mocha, and a pepper spiciness that blends together perfectly.  The warmth you sensed at first taste progressively builds into a smolder as it progresses toward the finish. You can now taste baking spices and a subtle earthiness that the limestone water imparts on the bourbon. These flavors all round out nicely in the finish, which isn't too long or hot as you might expect it to be at first taste. All in all this is a solid bourbon to add to your collection. At the current $65 - $70 price point I think it is a little overpriced for what it is. In my opinion you are paying a surcharge for the marketing of their "mine water" story and the Brooklyn "hip" factor more than flavor, which leads me to rate it a 3.5 to 4 out of 5.

I found Henry McKenna probably 5 or more years ago in a Costco and decided for the ridiculously low price of 24.00 how could I go wrong. I must admit I've been hooked ever since. That beautiful light honey colored liquid resting in that unassuming bottle is a 10 year old, 100 proof, bottled in bond bourbon that is worth twice the price they charge for it. It’s a well balanced, smooth drinking bourbon, with a subtle complexity that makes it stand out. At first taste you get oak and carmel, but it quickly evolves to bring some light cinnamon spiciness that stays with you throughout. You will also find pleasant brown sugar, toffee, and vanilla undertones that you uncover throughout the experience. The taste finishes with the perfect amount of burn that adds a nice accent to the flavor profile and stays with you for a satisfying amount of time. I find most people who don't appreciate this bourbon rush the taste instead of allowing the liquid time to wash over your tongue and finish all they way through. Henry McKenna is a bourbon that everyone should have on their shelf no question about it! It is a steal under $30.00. I rate it a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

I thought I might like this one at first, initial sip tasted smooth with a nice subtle corn flavor, but after that initial impression the taste morphed into a sickly sweet version of liquid fritos. Unless you have an unnatural obsession with corn chips I would definitely pass on this on.