Tastes

A sample from dthom as part of the "whiskey transfer program". This is a 120 proof 14 year barrel pick. I usually like Jim Beam products in general and Knob Creek specifically so I'm looking forward to this. Nose: Very sweet vanilla with dark caramelized sugars and toasted nuts, and a background grassy herbal note. The more I get in to the nose the more I get the usual nutty Jim Beam feel that I enjoy. Flavor: More vanilla and dark sugars, heavy toasted nuts, some baking spice, red fruits especially cherry. A little buttery which I enjoy. A little like caramelized pecans or peanut brittle. Finish: Medium long with more toasted nuts, barrel char, some rye spice, baking spices, fading in to a drying nutty barrel flavor that I enjoy. Hits all the high points I expect from a Jim Beam product and at quite a solid price point. High value and very tasty.

A sample from dthom as part of the "whiskey transfer program". Nose: Traditiona bourbon nose. Vanilla, caramel, apple, pear, baking spices, very sweet with background oak and some ethanol punch from the high proof. Smells really nice. As it sits in the glass I start to get dried fruit like raisin and date with banana. Flavor: Caramelized nuts, vanilla, dark sugars, banana, dried fruits, and a little bit of a floral note. Finish: Whoa spicy! Quite a bit of ethanol punch from the proof, barrel spice and baking spices galore! A very drying toasty finish that offsets the sweetness nicely. Cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. The rye spice hits hard and then fades fast for a medium length finish that goes back towards those banana bread notes. Nothing super exciting here but it's a solid barrel strength bourbon. I enjoyed it but maybe a little "checks the box" for the usual price point above $60. A little more rye spice on the finish than I'd like. Overall if this were $45 I'd say it'd be a better buy.

A generous sample from bourbonjosh24. Somehow I've never tried Buffalo Trace and this is a store pick! I guess I have expensive tastes. Nose: Heavy apple, caramel, and vanilla up front. A little bit of oak. Not super complex but it smells nice. Flavor: Very mild and sweet and pleasant with more vanilla and caramel with burnt sugars and apple/pear notes. A little bit of background wood. Finish: Medium length with sweet barrel notes and a little ethanol punch fading in to a drying toasted pecan wood note. Overall I liked this a lot. Why haven't I tried Buffalo Trace before? I'll be super disappointed if this store pick is better than every version of this I try afterwards. Not complex or particularly interesting but a solid classic bourbon that tastes nice and drinks easy.

A generous sample from bourbonjosh. Admittedly excited to try this as it has a 99 on Distiller. Nose: Vanilla, poached pear, wood almost like cedar, grassy background notes, and a ton of butterscotch. Huge butterscotch punch in the nose. This smells awesome! Flavor: Sweet wood notes meet and more vanilla and butterscotch. A little bit of a funky wood note from the barrel that I associate with sherried scotch with just a little bit of baking spices in the background. Finish: Wow...medium length finish with a ton of toasted coconut, toasted oak, roasty toasty notes almost like you'd associate with a dark coffee but without the bitterness. Sweet and pleasant and then fading in to a hint of dried fig and dried cherry. This stuff is awesome! Too bad I can't find it.

A sample generously gifted by bourbonjosh24. Nose: Honey sweetness with a hint of smoke and a little bit of a medicinal floral smell that I find pleasant. Background light oak and dried fruit. Flavor: Just like it smells. Lightly sweet with vanilla, light smoke, some medicinal woody smells and dried pears. Finish: Just a little spicy with a medium length finish that fades in to an oaky lightly drying pleasant taste. My favorite Japanese whisky to date. Not super complex but that allows some really nice subtle flavors to come through.

A sample gifted by dthom as part of the "whiskey transfer program". Pretty excited to try this as I tend to enjoy sherry finished whisky and I'm a big barrel proof guy. This checks both boxes. Nose: Sweet dates and figs up front with that standard sherry funk. Quite a bit more grapey wine on the nose than I'm used to with sherry finished Scotch but that may be coming from that high proof. Vanilla, dark sugars, light notes of toasted oak. I'm getting background notes that alternate between maple syrup and cream cheese icing. Super complex nose. Flavor: Sweet red fruits up front like cherry and plum with quite a bit of ethanol heat. More vanilla and dark sugar followed right away by more grapey wine flavors and that sherry funk along with dried fruit and a gingery bite. Tastes a lot like it smells. Finish: Medium length with some barrel spice and sugars fading in to a pleasant slightly drying oaky finish with some herbal grassy notes. This whisky is REALLY nice. Super pleasant and complex.

So I should point out that this is a barrel pick from Total Wine married only in French oak casks. When I mentioned this particular pick to the local Compass Box rep at a tasting he mentioned it was his second favorite Compass Box product ever and his favorite barrel pick. Nose: Wow! Heavy apricot up front but super sweet almost like canned apricot in syrup. Musty wood notes in the background, with a kind of funky finish that smells like a hint of mint and red wine. Flavor: Not at all like the smell. Kind of thick and coating but unpleasantly medicinal right up front with a pretty strong harsh bitter wood flavor. Very sweet with citrus and dried pears on the background. Finish: Medium length with quite an ethanol punch towards the finish. A bit spicy with toasted wood notes but still bitter and medicinal. This was super hyped and I really wanted to love it. The nose was fantastic but I just couldn't get past the weird bitter medicinal cough-syrupy notes in the flavor and finish. It tastes like I'd imagine Robitussin aged in oak barrels would taste.

A sample gifted by bourbonjosh24. Nose: Sweet with some sherry funk, dark berries, a little bit of smoke, some herbal notes, and a background yeasty smell. Flavor: Sweet with dark berries and caramelized sugars. More yeasty funky sherry notes. Light oak up front. Finish: Heavy oak with some more light smokey notes and just a little bit of barrel spice. Overall I liked this but wouldn't seek it out. A little too mild for me or rather I found the smoke to be out of balance and too forward masking the sherry notes that I ordinarily really enjoy. For an 18 year aged product I think maybe this needed more time in barrel and less smoke.

A sample gifted by bourbonjosh24. VERY excited to try this super hard to find whiskey. Even more excited to not have to camp out in freezing temperatures in Colorado to get it. Nose: Front and center super sweet grape notes almost like grape soda (I like grape soda). Yeasty funky notes like you'd get from a good fortified wine like port or sherry. A little background grassy herbal note with some light wood and smoke. Flavor: Whoa! Sweet and spicy up front. More grapey dried cherry and wine notes with wood, yeast, and a background flavor almost like brandy. Tastes a lot like it smells. Not super thick and has just a little ethanol bite. Finish: Medium Long, lingering spice and oak with just a little bit of smoke and ash. Super interesting and unique. It tastes a bit like grape soda and I kind of really like that. Definitely more of a dessert whiskey. If this were more readily available I'd definitely keep this around. Stranahan's definitely knows what they are doing with a cask finished single malt!

I think maybe I just don't like Whistlepig? Nose: Floral and grassy with some background vanilla and brown sugar, wood notes coming through as well. Flavor: Sweet and more grassy floral notes, very mild taste for a rye. Finish: Medium length with some barrel spice and oak, a little tobacco and surprisingly not very spicy. I think maybe Whistlepig is kind of boring. Like they're trying to hide the rye spice. Maybe it's just Canadian grains that are kind of mild? Sort of meh.