Tastes

This is a must-try for bourbon lovers. Lots of cinnamon and vanilla on the nose, followed by that familiar depth of flavor common in all great American whiskeys. This is sweet and grainy, but nothing like a good rye. I love the color of this whiskey, too. Very unique all around.

Interesting how the rum-cask finish affects this Irish whisky compared to what it does to the Angel's Envy rye. It gives an extra sweetness to the fruity overall profile, so the easy takeaway is something that resembles a piña colada. It also has a lot of coconut in the oily mouthfeel. Not a huge finish, but an overall nice value whisky.

Very different in a good way from the normal ultra-grainy, bready ryes I tend to prefer. This seems to be grassier (hay-ier?) on the nose, then has a mellow mouthfeel while still keeping a nice intensity on the finish. A pleasant surprise.

Smoke unlike any other American whiskey I've ever tried. Then it gets even more intense on first sip, bursting with BBQ goodness. This IS Texas!

It has that great bready nose that I love from complex ryes, but it's surprisingly "thin" on first sip. That's not to say it not enjoyable by any means, but the higher-aged Willetts are more what I'm looking for. Without taking price into consideration, this is a great rye.

Salty, oceany, and sweet...full of smoke. Seems similar to Laphroaig 10. A peaty staple.

Factoring in price, this should probably be a 5-star rating. Like the Elijah Craig 12, this is an unbelievable value. I get a lot of orange peel and cinnamon on the nose. In the mouth, it's not oily and the sweetness is understated. Very smooth, then gives way to latent heat. Great finish.

I'd like to see how this would do in a blind taste test with some of the heavies. The mouthfeel is excellent, with classic bourbon flavors permeating throughout. It's spicy at the finish, but this is a sweet bourbon up front. What a pleasant surprise.

Salty/sweet at first (corn flakes?), which is surprising for a whisky this peaty. That initial taste turns into smoke and heavy peat, then finishes with some nice heat. I love this!