Tastes

Neck pour (not really sure how that affects anything, but I’ve always wanted to say ‘neck pour’.) Smell reminds me a lot of Maker’s Mark, but, dare I say, less intense. This does, however, translate to less of an ethanol whiff, so it’s a bit easier to pick up on the flavors. Caramel, cinnamon, vanilla and some juicy fruit flavors are discernible on the palate. Oddly enough, the aftertaste and the smell in the glass after the liquid has evaporated reminds me of Jameson Black Barrel. The same sweet, fruity notes are present, but this is much richer and darker than JBB. The reason I’m giving it 4 stars is based on comparisons to other wheated bourbons in the same (retail) price range. I’d drink this all day if I could find it at retail, but there’s no way it’s worth more than ~$55.

Being a big BT fan, I decided to track down a bottle of AAA 10 Star and give it a try. I wasn’t disappointed. I can see why some refer to this as “Baby Blanton’s,” since it’s made with the same mashbill and exhibits many of the same characteristics. Thankfully, it’s a lot more affordable and a lot easier to obtain. Some nice rye spice and a warm Kentucky hug. Surprisingly complex for the price. Great in an old fashioned, but good enough to drink neat. My only real complaint is the plastic bottle. I have no shame when it comes to imbibing “cheap” bourbon, but I don’t like to be reminded of it every time I pick up the bottle. I’ll be very upset if this suffers the same egregiously over-priced and understocked fate as its Buffalo Trace brethren, so it’ll have to be our little secret.

Nothing to write home about, but nothing to scoff at either. Four Roses’ other bottlings are far superior, but I bought this to make old fashioneds, and it delivers exactly what I expected. High-rye, smooth and eminently drinkable.

Appearance: dark amber/orange, thin legs and good clarity Nose: cinnamon raisin toast Palate: vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar Finish: moderate, sweet and inoffensive I have no idea why I waited so long to try this. I guess I was so distracted by all of the options we now have that I neglected to try some of the classics. A darn shame. This is honestly pretty good. It displays your typical, sweet and floral wheater flavor but still has enough body and richness to be a solid contender. In terms of wheated bourbons, I’d place this ahead of Larceny but behind Weller SR. Since Weller is nearly impossible to find at a decent price, I guess Maker’s will be my go-to when I’m craving something wheaty. I’ve tried it neat, on the rocks and in an old fashioned, and it’s very pleasant and smooth any way you choose to drink it. There’s not a ton of depth to it, but I really can’t find much to complain about, especially when price is taken into consideration. It’s a smooth, sweet, no-frills whisky that’s easy to relax with at the end of a long day. I can definitely see how this was once considered a “premium” bourbon, but there are others in the ~$25 category that have a little more to offer. Still, a great bourbon and always available at a good price. I’ll be eager to try the other MM offerings and see how they compare.

This is the second bottle of this stuff that I’ve tried. I bought my first bottle in Tennessee in summer 2019 shortly after it was first released. I had read about it online and was eager to give it a try. Despite my expectations, I was disappointed as I had expected much more from a 13-y-o whiskey. I was even more surprised to see it named Whisky of the Year. This second bottle, however, is quite different from the first. The aroma is sweet, spicy and a touch floral. It tastes quite smooth and full-bodied. It honestly reminds me of Four Roses SB, which is quite baffling considering its low rye content; it may have something to do with the unique strain of yeast used by George Dickel. There’s quite a bit of corn flavor there as well. Brown sugar, nutmeg, caramel and oak define the tongue-dazzling performance that entertains with each sip. This is a sugary, oaky dram that has been blessed by its time in the wood and was bottled at its peak, no doubt. Compared to Dickel Barrel Select, this is a whole different ballgame. Barrel Select is much lighter and has more of a Tennessee whiskey feel while GD bib tastes like good old-fashioned bourbon. The first bottle I tried seemed thin and harsh, but this one is quite the opposite. That signature Dickel yeast flavor is definitely present, but it melds perfectly with the corn and rye flavors to produce a solid bourbon. I still don’t know if this was worthy of all the awards it received, but it’s certainly a strong contender and a wonderful new release.

I spotted this rather unique bottle sitting on a dusty shelf in a local package store. I’m still not sure how it ended up there in the first place because this is Fireball and Miller Lite country, not single malt country. The fact that I couldn’t find very much information on this spirit combined with its relatively low cost led me to believe that this could be an amazing find. The bottle states that it was distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2015, meaning that it had been sitting around, unopened for 5 years. It’s a single cask expression bottled at cask strength, which is fairly common in bourbon, but unusual for a scotch. Upon breaking the seal and opening the bottle I am greeted by a floral honey aroma. The 58% abv content is quite evident in the way that the ethanol notes sting the inside of my nose. It’s not an unpleasant or harsh sensation but it does establish the fact that this is potent stuff. The first few sips that I took were accompanied by an unpleasant sulfur taste that seemed to get worse with each subsequent sip. I tried adding water incrementally but the dank stank persisted. The whisky finished with a long, potent raisin note that reminded me of cheap cognac. I was disappointed with my first tasting of this but I decided I’d let it rest for a few days to mingle with the newly-introduced oxygen in the bottle. My second tasting was dramatically different! That deliciously floral aroma is still present upon opening the bottle and I can now detect some bourbony notes as well. The sulfuric flavor has vanished altogether and I am greeted by a warm, full-bodied flavor bursting with honey and sherry notes. The raisiny finish is still present but it’s definitely smoother and more nuanced than before. I admit that I’m not very familiar with Speyside malts as most of my experience comes from bourbon and Islay scotch, but I do know that this stuff is excellent quality and quite unlike anything I’ve ever tried before. I’m going to hold onto this bottle for a while and only break it out on “special occasions.” I’m excited to see how it improves with further oxidation!

This one’s a real unique beast. The batch code on my bottle reveals a blend of 7-10 year old malts aged in bourbon and wine casks. The nose is unmistakably Islay, but is missing those characteristic phenol notes that result from peat usage. It still smells quite briny and smoky with hints of fruity sweetness. I’m greeted with a burst of rich flavor on my tongue receptors when I taste this whisky. It sort of glides around my mouth hole and triggers all of my flavor detectors in a rather pleasant way. Again, it’s definitely an Islay, and the lack of peat doesn’t change that at all. The finish is long and nuanced. Some savory smoke notes and dark fruit notes linger for a moment before leaving an ethereal film of rugged seaside flavors. This is a solid bottle for the value. I’ll admit that I was skeptical of this young and unconventional single malt, but Jim McEwan definitely knew what he was doing. This is definitive proof that there’s a whole lot more to Islay than just peat.

What a great way to absolutely ruin a perfectly good bourbon! Taste and smell is overwhelmingly mapley, and if you get even a little bit of this Elixir of Death on your hands, you’ll be smelling it for hours. It’s really, really sweet, and the pungency of the added flavors overpowers any other flavors that might be there. I do appreciate the fact that this is bottled at 90 proof, but I feel that the effort is wasted. Save yourself some money and drink a bottle of Aunt Jemima instead.

Tasting a large pour in a red solo cup from a very generous friend. Even though this Pappy is “not Pappy,” it still commands a Pappy premium, it’s still incredibly difficult to find and it’s still pretty good. Even though it’s not Pappy, it’s still definitely not Step-Pappy. Nose is quite fruity and mapley with some nice, dark spice notes. It does smell like a wheated bourbon, but it’s more balanced than most. It’s incredibly easy to drink and has very minimal burn and bitterness. The same dark, spicy fruit notes are evident on the palate and the higher proof does a good job of carrying the flavors without being overly boozy. This may be an incredibly overhyped, overpriced 10 year-old bourbon, but it’s still the best 10-year-old bourbon I’ve ever tried.

George Pickle rye smells just like a dill dickel! Wait, umm.. I mean... I do get a strong dill scent on the nose of this whiskey. There’s also a strong hint of freshly cut grass and some black pepper and other spices. I really hate pickles, and thankfully, this stuff tastes nothing like the little green devils. The flavor is fairly complex, and quite well-rounded for what it is. There’s no corn in the mashbill, but there’s still plenty of vanilla-y sweetness and tongue-coating creaminess. Quite lovely. This is the same MGP 95% rye mashbill as Angel’s Envy Rye and Bulleit Rye. I like this whiskey just as much as Bulleit, and it’s smoother to boot. It’s unfair to compare it to AE Rye, since AE is much older and rum-finished, but Dickel can hold its own ground. The value is superb, and the whiskey is enjoyable for both beginners and seasoned rye enthusiasts.