Tastes

A sample from dthom as part of the "Whiskey transfer program". Nose: Vanilla, brown sugar, citrus, and a lot of odd earthy notes going on here. Heavy mint and baking spices on the nose. Kind of a weird combination that I found a little off putting. Flavor: More sweet classic bourbon notes and still heavy black pepper, mint, and baking spices. Finish: Oaky and drying, medium length, heavy mint and black pepper again with some ethanol punch. Honestly I wanted to like this but I keep getting an aftertaste that is a little bit like toothpaste that I couldn't get past.

A sample from dthom as part of the "Whiskey transfer program". Nose: Very mild nose. Vanilla, shortbread cookies, brown sugar, cereal notes that smell a lot like corn flakes, very sweet pear scents, Flavor: More of what I got in the nose. Poached pear, vanilla, brown sugar, some charred oak, and then gone and right in to the finish. Very thin mouth feel. Finish: Some spice with charred wood notes, and barrel spices. Short finish with no super strong flavors coming through. I liked this but wouldn't seek it out. Not as much flavor as I'd like from a 100 proof whiskey probably due to the charcoal filtering. I can see this being a good whiskey for making cocktails if it weren't $40 per bottle.

A sample from dthom as part of the "whiskey transfer program". This sounds super interesting on paper so I'm very curious to try. Nose: VERY complex. Right off the bat I get fortified wine notes with sweet dark sugars and a yeasty undertone like fresh baked bread. As I dig in more I get vanilla, poached pears, and a little bit of oak. This doesn't hit hard on the nose given the high proof. Flavor: Interesting. Up front I'm hit with a spicy grapey flavor (I assume from the red wine and port). Very sweet up front with some vanilla and dried fruit notes. Finish: This goes right from the wine notes in to the sweet rum notes with dark sugars and peppery spice that later fades in to a dryer red wine finish. Pretty spicy on the finish. Medium length that fades in to a slight peppermint aftertaste. This didn't hit as hard alcohol wise as the proof would suggest and it has some very interesting flavors. I like it but didn't love it. If this bottle cost $40 I'd probably pick it up but I usually see this for $90 so this would be a pass.

A sample from dthom as part of the "Whiskey transfer program". I'm inclined to want to like this as I'm a fan of the "firewater" as a friend calls it. I like the barrel proof stuff and Barrell only paints in big bold high proof. Nose: Not at all what I'd expect. Heavy citrus, some mint, heavy ethanol and a little solvent-y, young corn as well. This smells like a young bourbon and not necessarily in a good way. Not a lot of traditional vanilla/brown sugar bourbon scent going on here. Flavor: The flavor is kind of subtle with vanilla, light sugars, light oak and then...gone. The flavor goes right in to the finish after maybe half a second. Finish: A surprisingly long finish with heavy oak, black pepper, more mint, and drying tannic notes. Ends up with more ethanol solvent notes that last...longer than I'd like. Kind of off putting. Overall I really wanted to like this but I think the whiskeys that were batched together to make this just didn't age long enough. Kind of disappointing.

I liked this a lot. Huge value proposition here. Nose: Dark sugars, vanilla, heavy boiled peanuts, some baking spices, and dried fruit. Flavor: More dark sugars and boiled peanuts, black licorice and candied nuts. Finish: Some rye spice and more peanut and dark sugars. Medium length. This tastes a lot like Elijah Craig Barrel Strength but dialed down a little which makes sense given that this is rumored to be a Heaven Hill product and is charcoal mellowed. VERY good for the price tag.

A sample from dthom as part of the "whiskey transfer program". I liked this a lot and I'm pretty picky on rye. Nose: Roasted nuts, dark sugars, baking spices, herbal notes like dill, freshly peeled cucumber. Flavor: More caramelized sugars and baking spices, more freshly peeled cucumber, nice buttery mouth feel. Not as hot as I'd expect. Finish: Medium long, spicy, baking spices. Very straightforward rye with great flavors and an excellent balance of sweet and hot. Definitely recommend.

Wow this is bad. Offensive all the way through. We were thinking about checking out the distillery tour tomorrow and changed our mind after trying this. Nose: Lemon pledge, eucalyptus, vanilla, white sugars, pine, cedar, and wood glue. Flavor: Exactly like it smells. Like a solvent I'd clean my oven with. Tastes like artificial sugars and diet soda. Finish: Short and brutal. Cleaning fluids and sugar. Wow this is horrible. Maybe the worst whiskey I've ever tasted. I'm thinking I may dump this out just to use the bottle for something else which is a first for me. Don't waste your money. Seriously.

A VERY generous gift from dthom. Wow is this good! Everything I like about Blanton's but turned up to 11. Nose: Granny smith apple big time! Caramelized brown sugars, vanilla, quite a bit of oak, cinnamon, and oatmeal. Smells like apple cobbler. Flavor: Poached apples, dark sugars, crème brulee, heavy cereal oatmeal notes, baking spices. Even more apple cobbler. VERY buttery and delicious. Finish: Medium length, some rye spice, intense dried tart apples, calvados, and toasted nuts. Wow is this good! I'm blown away. Everything I love about Blantons here but just more of everything.

A sample from dthom as a part of the "whiskey transfer program". Nose: Smells like a Weller 107 turned up to 11. Vanilla, brown sugar, red delicious apple, baking spices, honey, and some grassy notes. Flavor: Sweet caramelized sugars, vanilla, cereal notes, and more apples. Nice buttery mouth feel on this. Finish: More heat and baking spices than I'd expect for a wheated bourbon and lasted quite a while. I like this a lot. It has everything I like about the Weller line but with the added heat and age.

I didn't really like or dislike this. It wasn't unpleasant but also wasn't anything I'd seek out especially at the price point. Nose: Fig, brown sugar, vanilla, baking spices, and red wine. Smells almost like brandy. Flavor: More sweet brown sugar and vanilla notes, heavy baking spices, dried cherry and date. Finish: Surprisingly short for a 12 year rye and this doesn't check any of the boxes I want for an age stated rye. Basically zero spiciness. Just a short sweet finish. Overall too sweet for me and lacking the rye spice that I think would have offset the sweetness that the various cask finishes brought in. My first Whistlepig taste and I'd be curious about some of the other varieties but not enough to buy them at the high price tag.