Tastes
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So @dubz480 gave this one a thumbs up and there was quite a conversation that ensued afterwards about the potential sourcing of this rye. Let me say after procuring a bottle of this I’m also a believer that there’s more than likely a little Dickel tickle in this one. Slight wood, anise & baking spices on the nose, that is where the rye similarity ends for me. The body was a complete surprise and I think that’s where Dickel comes in. I’m no Tennessee whiskey expert but you can detect the limestone mineral similarity that exists here. The body is truly balanced for a young 3 yr old, traditional wood barrel notes with raspberries and baking spices, the finish is fruity and fun and lingers nicely... it’s the berries. Much sweeter than I expected in a rye but it is extremely approachable, completely different, non typical, barely qualified rye that is fun and different and definitely worth a try. This isn’t just lip service, it delivers a very unique rye experience and at this price I’ll keep it around. ...for the record I found the bottle packaging too hokey, then again I’m an Old Dude.
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Larceny Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed September 24, 2019 (edited November 19, 2020)The “Old Guy Crew” at IHOP have been given me a hard time over the past several months once they found out I’m out here on Distiller saying I’ve become a “whiskey snob”. As a result they have given me some less than desirable bottles recently (Old Crow, Yukon Jack) or bourbons that they thought I wouldn’t like or appreciate, well they were seriously wrong this time. Maybe it’s just me but up to this point I found wheated bourbon to be somewhat predictable and kinda boring, however this one was different and I was delightfully surprised. Probably the most recognized wheated bourbon on the market is MM, well there’s a bit more to this one and I’m not talking about the small bump in proofing. Heaven Hill has done a good job here in producing a wheated bourbon that can cast its own shadow. The flavor profile is more outspoken than MM, apricot and soft honey on the nose, baking spices with butterscotch sweetness balancing the body and I picked up a slight aniseed as well, cinnamon and light maple finishes it off moderately. The body and mouth feel isn’t as rich and full as I’d like but it had far more to offer as far as the flavor profile was concerned. Wheated bourbon, has it completely changed my perception? Not yet, but this one was good enough to try another wheater 👍🏼. ...I’ll play their game, maybe next I’ll tell them I don’t like Scotch. (truth is I can’t afford a good Scotch, then again neither can they LOL). -
Yukon Jack Original 100 Proof
Other Liqueurs — USA
Reviewed September 22, 2019 (edited December 3, 2023)After a forced hiatus in the hospital with pneumonia (Mrs Old Dude had to come to terms with the reality of my mortality) I’m providing a review on a liqueur I would not have previously considered. This is marketed as the “black sheep of whiskey” (a moniker which is quite apropos), however IMO this isn’t a whiskey at all... it’s more of a liqueur. Yes the base juice is some type of Canadian Whiskey but it’s not self evident. The nose, body and finish all scream FOOLED YOU! I typically drink my whiskey neat but the overpowering orange and honey sweetness make this virtually impossible to enjoy unmixed. The body is much more like orange flavored Delsym cough syrup, thick and slick except it’s sweet... blech. So why this review? One of my IHOP buddies says he wanted to help with my recovery, I think his motives were far more fiendish. I decided to take the highroad and resolved myself to find something to mix this whiskey imposter with without choking and retching. Conclusion: This is NOT a good whiskey, in fact it barely qualifies as a whiskey... but it makes a really good hot tea toddy. When I’m sick with a cold, flu, whatever, I drink tea toddies, normally with a bit of brandy. I’m English, tea toddies make me feel better, and if you have enough of them you don’t care how bad you feel anyway. I use Bigelow black tea, make it hot and strong, let it steep and add a shot, no honey or sweetener - jeepers this stuff is sweet enough. This isn’t good for nothing whiskey, it’s a good for one thing whiskey - a hot toddy. Because of that one reason I’ll give it 1.5⭐️ but I have to deduct .5 ⭐️ for basically impersonating a whiskey. So for now it’ll be resting comfortably on my bottom shelf (with the rest of my liqueurs) until the next time I’m feeling under the weather, and it won’t move until then... -
Old Crow Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Bourbon — USA
Reviewed September 4, 2019 (edited September 23, 2019)I took out the trash and what do I see. 🤔 A drunken old derelict taking a pee.🥴 He’s filling this bottle of Old Crow, can it be?🤔 It might be for you but it’s sure not for me!🤢 Enough said. -
George Dickel No. 12
Tennessee Whiskey — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed September 2, 2019 (edited May 11, 2020)I’m an old dude with preconceived misconceptions that have at times negatively influenced some of my choices in life, Tennessee Whiskey (Whisky) is a good example. For decades I assumed Tennessee whiskey WAS Old No 7, man was I closed minded. It’s not that JD is bad, it just wasn’t the whiskey that rang my bell, I’m a bourbon guy. I don’t know maybe it’s a generational thing, maybe it was just me but you’ve gotta remember that 40-50 years ago the choices we had back then make up about 25% of the options currently available today. Factor in product distribution and market availability and in most cases you had Beam, Roses, Williams & Brooks with Tennessee being represented by Daniels, well JD didn’t impress me much so I wrote off Tennessee. I sniffed the Roses and chased those Wild Turkeys for the better part of 50 years... until someone gave me an unfamiliar bottle - and dang - I liked it... a lot! So I’ve been on this adventure for the last several years and it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t visit Tennessee again and I’m glad I did. Recent reviews I’ve read on this Dickel 12 were compelling enough for me to step out of my Kentucky bourbon comfort zone. If you want to know what Tennessee “whisky” is really all about, look no further. I’ll defer the tasting profile to @BeppeCovfefe, he nailed it - read his review of this. You guys that follow me have made this a fun journey, wouldn’t be drinking this one if it wasn’t for you - thanks & cheers! -
Jack Daniel's Gentleman Jack
Tennessee Whiskey — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed August 30, 2019 (edited October 21, 2019)As I’ve worked my way through this bottle it’s grown on me. If Old No 7 is the Budweiser of whiskey this is their Michelob, you know right away this is a JD product. I didn’t give this one enough credit the 1st time around. While I find it still to be banana forward, it is fuller and somewhat creamier, much smoother this time. You know the vanilla flavor of the cone at Dairy Queen after you’ve finished the ice cream inside, I pick that up here too. I called this a one trick pony, I was wrong. While this isn’t going to blow your mind there’s more here than I expected. -
Old Grand-Dad Bourbon (80 proof)
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed August 20, 2019 (edited February 17, 2020)The last time I had this bourbon was decades ago, gas was $.28 a gallon. I had just gotten my first decent job making pretty good money ($102.50 per week) and felt I had graduated from the cheap bottom shelf offerings to Makers Mark, Harpers, Wellers and the like. Too bad I forgot there are some hidden jewels down there and this is one. The nose is a little timid but you’ll detect orange peel, cinnamon and woods. The body is a little thin but I picked up mostly an oily pine mouth feel which was very pleasant with more orange peel and hints of cinnamon, relatively short finish with the oily pine coating remaining. Although they say this is a high rye mash bill it doesn’t resonate as strongly as I would like. While this can’t compare with the mid shelf offerings it can hold its own on the bottom shelf. I found this very approachable and friendly and a welcome reminder not to take Old Grand-dad for granted.13.99 USD per Bottle -
Jack Daniel's Gentleman Jack
Tennessee Whiskey — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed August 18, 2019 (edited August 25, 2019)Well this’ll be a short & sweet review. If you like banana cream pie you’ll love this! It’s very sweet and easy to sip. Don’t add water or ice, at 40 abv you’ll loose this one quick. Very entry level bourbon with no complexity, it’s a one trick pony - it’s bananas. -
If Aunt Jemima made moonshine instead of maple syrup this is what you’d end up with. I’d elaborate but after having one of these my blood sugar spiked and I’m just now coming out of a diabetic coma lol. This is artificial maple syrup pretending to be bourbon. If you’re a bourbon “purist” this is a hard pass, just put this bottle down and walk away. Glad I only had a shot...
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Knob Creek Small Batch Bourbon (NAS)
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed August 7, 2019 (edited January 31, 2020)Alas I am at the bottom of this bottle, I’ve enjoyed it so much I felt it necessary to provide an update to my original review from a couple weeks ago. I was preoccupied and impatient with my initial review. I opened up this bottle and sat down to watch the baseball All-Star game, this is not the bottle for that, it deserves your attention. I said it was a Beam clone, it’s anything but that. This one is a full-fledged member of the Beam family that branches off beautifully. Pour this one out and let it rest, if you’re patient it will open up to you. Although this isn’t overly complex it is a multifaceted bourbon that has a lot more there than you’d expect. Yes you get all the classic Beam peanutty and vanilla undertones, but there is far more oak and earthiness here with black ground pepper. I thought I was the only one detecting cherries in the mix until @NealtheDeal made the same observation. The finish is warm and zippy, not hot with a burning bite. I really enjoyed this, I don’t think it gets the recognition it deserves and at $30 it’ll be in my rotation... after I check out some of the other Knob Creek offerings. @BeppeCovfefe suggested their 9 yr Single Barrel... challenge happily accepted.30.0 USD per Bottle
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