Tastes

To finish off my Buffalo Trace series, I have a sample of the 2014 Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye. To start off my tasting, after I had poured the sample, I decided to put my ear to the Glencairn with the Handy in it and low and behold, you can hear the faintest of whimpers coming from flippers/investors crying “No, my precious has been opened!!!” and “Wait, resale value equals blah, blah!!” Oh, what beautiful music to an enthusiast’s ear, but even though I could listen to that all evening, I decided to discover what the liquid had to offer instead of just some boo hoo tater tears. The nose starts with a decadent pecan pie with slightly burnt crust before moderate forest floor herbs along with dusty barnyard floors then a moderate black peppercorn spice and lightly charred pumpernickel bread followed by mildly sour fruits of Granny Smith apple peel, baked cherry pie and candied lemon peel followed by rich vanilla orange crème brûlée, candied fennel seeds and black licorice with high ethanol burn. The taste is a rich syrupy mouthfeel starting with decadent pecan pie with moderate forest floor herbs before a moderate black pepper spice that slowly fades to freshly baked pumpernickel bread followed by baked cherry pie, sautéed apples and sour lemon hard candy followed by a rich vanilla orange crème brûlée, candied fennel seeds, black licorice and polished mahogany with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with cinnamon apple pie, vanilla orange creme brûlée, dill, cloves, spearmint and dusty barnyard floors. This is a big, bold and bruising rye that’s likely not for everyone as that high proof is evident throughout that brings a rich decadent sweetness to dusty oak, earthy forest rye flavors, toasted bread, sour and creamy citrus and candied rye flavors that has a slightly sour youthfulness to it along with a moderate pepper spice that overpowers much of the flavors on the palate but thankfully eventually fades to allow those rye and citrus notes through and finishes long with a balance of rye, creamy citrus and dusty oak that lingers for minutes after each sip. This is a very delicious high proof rye, but this isn’t blowing me away like a Lock Stock and Barrel 18 year or Barrell Seagrass 16 year did. Side by side with those, this comes across sour and youthful with a high peppery bitter spice whereas the Lock Stock and Barrel 18 year is more refined and polished and the Barrell Seagrass 16 year is richer that manages a better balance with big, bold flavors that, for me, would be a better high proof rye purchase. If someone luckily manages to find this for the MSRP of $100 or even $150, I’d say it’s a great buy, but there’s no need to chase this into the astronomical prices of today.

Next up in my Buffalo Trace series are three samples of single barrel picks of Sazerac rye all bottled at 45% ABV. First up is a selection made by a Las Vegas group. The nose starts with a moderately sweet butterscotch with lightly charred pumpernickel bread and mild forest floor herbs then a mild black peppercorn spice with slight sourness from baked plums followed by a light vanilla orange custard, candied fennel seeds and anise with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with a moderately sweet butterscotch with mild forest floor herbs before a moderate bitter spice that slowly fades to a sour cherries, baked plums and lemongrass followed by a light vanilla orange custard, roasted fennel and anise with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with burnt pumpernickel bread, baked apples, dill, cloves and spearmint flavored candy mints. The nose started promising with a mix of sweet, sour and herbal that leaned more toward the sour side, but not unpleasantly; however, once I went for a taste those sour notes dominated along with a bitter spice that overpowered those sweet and light rye flavors before finishing on the ashy and bitter side with light citrus and sweet herbs slightly coming through. Score: 2.5 Next up is a selection made by a Warsaw group. The nose starts with a moderately sweet butterscotch with lightly charred pumpernickel bread and mild forest floor herbs then a mild black peppercorn spice with slight sourness from baked plums followed by a moderate vanilla orange custard, candied fennel seeds and anise with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a moderately sweet butterscotch with mild forest floor herbs before a mild bitter spice that slowly fades to a baked cherries, plums and candied lemon peel followed by a moderate vanilla orange custard, candied fennel seeds and black licorice with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with sautéed apples, vanilla orange custard, dill, cloves and spearmint flavored candy mints. The nose was very similar to the Las Vegas selection, but those sour flavors were more restrained and the taste has a richer mouthfeel with a light bitter spice that isn’t overwhelming and allows for those creamy light sour fruits to come through with sweet rye spice that finishes on the sweeter side with cooked creamy citrus and candied mints. Score: 3.25 My final sample comes from a selection made by a Los Angeles group. The nose starts with a moderately sweet butterscotch with lightly charred pumpernickel bread and mild forest floor herbs then a mild black peppercorn spice with slight sourness from baked cherry pie followed by a moderate vanilla orange custard, candied fennel seeds and anise with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a moderately sweet butterscotch with mild forest floor herbs before a light black pepper spice along with freshly baked pumpernickel bread followed by baked cherry pie, sautéed apples and lemon hard candy followed by a moderate vanilla orange custard, candied fennel seeds and black licorice with low ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with sautéed apples, vanilla orange custard, dill, cloves and spearmint flavored candy mints. The nose on this one shares the same DNA as the others but is richer with sweet baked fruits, mild rye and ever so slight sourness with almost no alcohol bite followed by the taste that follows the same notes as the nose with the lightest of black pepper spice with a wonderful balance and enjoyable mouthfeel that finishes with sweet creamy citrus and light mild herbs. Score: 3.5 Overall, I came into this expecting very similar experiences between the three samples, but found that the different casks produced variances in the level of the sourness or sweetness of the fruit along with different levels of bitter spices, mouthfeel and even the alcohol presence in the nose and taste. It’s definitely a case of YMMV that can happen with any single cask expression which could turn out favorably or poorly depending on what flavors you prefer with some leaning into the sour and spicy profile or into the sweeter creamy fruit with light spices. At the price of $50 or under, I’d say these could be worth a purchase and I’d be very happy to pick up the Los Angeles pick, but I’d suggest trying to get a sample before you commit to a full bottle as they can vary. Thanks @PBMichiganWolverine for the generous samples of the Las Vegas and Los Angeles picks.

Next in my Buffalo Trace series is a sample of Eagle Rare 17 from 2014. The nose is moderately rich and creamy that pulls you in with sweet butterscotch pudding with a light sourness from honey dew, diced Granny Smith apples and dusty leather-bound books then mild earthy notes of affogato with blonde roast espresso over vanilla ice cream and chocolate covered candied pecans followed by mandarin oranges and cherry cough drops that transitions to light spices of spearmint, ginger, cloves and dusty barnyard floors with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with sweet butterscotch pudding with a light sourness of honey dew, diced Granny Smith apples and dusty leather-bound books then mild earthy notes of spicy mocha, black peppercorns and candied pecans followed by mandarin oranges and cherry cough syrup that transitions to light spices of spearmint, ginger, cloves and polished mahogany with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with milk chocolate covered candied pecans, sautéed cinnamon apples, cherry cough syrup, cloves, ginger, mild black pepper spice and antique leather armchair. Well damn, this is a delicious bourbon that is moderately rich and creamy with a balance of sweet and sour citrus with a dusty old oak in the background along with mild earthy notes and light rye spices that are nearly perfectly balanced with the main fault of the flavors being thinner than I’d prefer likely from that 45% ABV that with just a few more percentage points could have really elevated this bourbon with a richer mouthfeel and bolder flavors. Side by side with Eagle Rare 10, they share the same notes but the additional years of the 17 have really helped intensify them with a richer nose and mouthfeel along with dusty old oak that makes it the clear winner. At a price of around $2400+ today, there is no value to be found here and there are plenty of other bourbons that are equal or better than with this for far less.

Next in my Buffalo Trace series is a sample from a single barrel Eagle Rare that was picked out by Drammers. The nose starts sweet with a light sourness with honey dew, diced Granny Smith apples and candy corn then mild earthy notes of blonde roast espresso beans and chocolate covered candied pecans followed by mandarin oranges and cherry cough drops that transitions to light spices of spearmint, ginger, cloves and dusty barnyard floors with low ethanol burn. The taste is a thin to medium mouthfeel starting with sweet with a light sourness with honey dew, diced Granny Smith apples and candy corn then mild earthy notes of spicy mocha, black peppercorns and candied pecans followed by mandarin oranges and cherry cough syrup that transitions to light spices of spearmint, ginger, cloves and mildly bitter black tea with low ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with milk chocolate covered candied pecans, sautéed cinnamon apples, cherry cough syrup, cloves, ginger and dusty barnyard floors. This is very enjoyable bourbon that the nose draws you in with a balance of sweet and sour citrus, light earthy notes of chocolate, nuts and coffee and ever so slight rye spices that are well balanced and carry over to the palate without veering into any overly bitter or spicy notes before finishing with a balanced mix of earthy, sweet and light spices. Unfortunately the main fault with this is that BT decided to bottle this at 45% ABV which I keep finding to be too low on their products that thins the flavors and could have been a stellar product at 50%+. Hopefully one day BT decides to make an Eagle Rare Single Barrel Barrel Proof version which I think would take this to another level much like Jack Daniels did with their bourbon. At a price of $50, this doesn't really seem worth it IMHO and I'd much rather spend a little more to get a Russell's Reserve single barrel or OF 1920.

This was a sample from barrel #68 which was constructed from the wood of the bottom half of the tree that had 12 rings that then received a level 4 char before aging a high rye bourbon mash bill that entered the barrel at 125 proof and was stored in Rick K. The nose starts with butterscotch hard candy, powdered sugar dusted over sautéed cinnamon apples and mild sawdust then candied pecans and blonde roast espresso followed by candied orange peel and cherry cough syrup that transitions to a moderate spearmint, cloves and slightly worn catchers mitt with light ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with candy corn, powdered sugar, and sour caramel apple lollipop that quickly veers towards a moderate bitter spice that slowly fades to slightly burnt walnuts and cacao nibs followed by charred orange peel and watered down maraschino cherry juice that transitions to moderate spearmint, black pepper, cloves and slightly worn catchers mitt with medium ethanol burn. The finish is short with cacao nibs, slightly burnt walnuts, black cherries, sour apple jolly rancher, black pepper and moderate spearmint. The nose was promising with a creamy fruitiness with a mild sour astringency and moderate rye spices, but the palate failed to live up to the nose with a heavy oakiness and youthful astringency that doesn't come together well before finishing short with earthy and spicy rye flavors. I'm not sure why these were bottled at 45% ABV and not at cask strength to really showcase those flavors from the individual trees that sadly had to perish for this thin and average bourbon. I hear other barrel numbers turned out better, but I'm in no rush to find out. The single oak bottles appear to have sold for around $50 at MSRP, but you'd unfortunately have to pay around $400 for one of these 375ml bottles today which is just outrageous and either price isn't justified IMHO for what you get.

To start off my Buffalo Trace series, I have a single barrel pick from the Drammers club. The nose starts with powdered sugar over sautéed cinnamon apples and butterscotch candy followed by milk chocolate covered pecans then light fruit notes of cherry and orange peel that transitions to spearmint and very light baking spices with low ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with sour apple before a mild bitter pepper spice that slowly fades to cocoa nibs followed by light fruits of maraschino cherries and orange zest that transitions to spearmint and light baking spices with low ethanol burn. The finish is short with cocoa nibs, sautéed cinnamon apples, orange push pop, spearmint and light baking spices. Overall, this is an easy sipper but it’s quite dull. Picking out the notes outside of apple and cinnamon is difficult as they are very light which results in this tasting like a watered-down whiskey that is inoffensive but also lackluster. At the price of $50, this seems priced too high and I'd much rather just pick up a WT 101 as I find it a better whiskey, but my palate tends to find Buffalo Trace products underwhelming outside of their Blanton's Gold and Stagg Jr.

The nose starts with lemon lime sherbet, burning hay bales, moderately salted vanilla taffy and chocolate covered raisins then shortbread cookies, freshly lit pipe tobacco and light sea side rock minerality followed by chamomile tea, red grapefruit juice, dehydrated apricots and mango that transitions to candied ginger, cloves and mild black pepper spice with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium to rich mouthfeel starting with creamy tropical fruits with a mild sourness that quickly veers towards a moderate bitter pepper spice that slowly fades to charred lemon and limes, burning hay bales, vanilla salt water taffy and cocoa powder dusted prunes followed by white grapes, apricots and red grapefruit juice that transitions to ginger, cloves, and mild black pepper spice with high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with burning hay bales, slightly sour tropical fruits, vanilla sea salt taffy, spicy dark chocolate mocha, dehydrated figs, and candied ginger. This takes those typical Glen Scotia DNA notes of citrus, farmyard, ocean brine, and rocky minerality and intensifies them with the higher 54.2% ABV to create a bolder and richer whisky, but there is a youthful sourness to it along with a moderate pepper spice that unfortunately throws the balance off for me. At the price of $100+, this doesn’t seem worth it and I’d much rather spend an additional $20+ to be able to pick up the 18 year that polishes out the sourness for creamy fruits with a light pepper spice.

The nose starts with key lime pie, burnt hay bales, light ocean brine and chocolate covered raisins then freshly lit pipe tobacco along with seaside rock minerality followed by chamomile tea, white grape juice, apricots and persimmons that transitions to ginger, cloves, black pepper, and polished oak with light ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with slightly soured but creamy tropical fruits before a mild pepper spice that quickly fades to charred lemon, key lime pie, burning bales of hay, and light ocean brine then dark chocolate covered raisins followed by chamomile tea, white grape juice, apricots and persimmons that transitions to ginger, cloves, black pepper, and a mild ashy oak spice with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with burnt hay bales, soft creamy tropical fruits, sea salt taffy, spicy dark chocolate mocha, prunes and polished oak. Overall, this is an excellent dram with the typical Glen Scotia DNA of citrus, farmyard, ocean brine, rocky minerality, and tea that the 18 years of aging has managed to turn those sour fruits found on the younger expressions to sweet and creamy with the addition of polished oak. At a price of $120+ a bottle, I think this is well worth the price and it can even compete against the 25 year that costs $400+. The 18 year has very similar notes to the 25 year, with a slightly thinner mouthfeel and lack of those dusty-leather bound books, but if you want a well-polished Glen Scotia for under $150, this would be the one I’d recommend.

The nose starts with a mix of florals, powdered sugar covered dehydrated apricots and dusty oak then milk chocolate covered caramel squares and toasted walnuts followed by anise spiced baked pears, charred orange peel and maraschino cherries that transitions to spearmint, cloves, ginger and polished leather with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting floral and sweet with powdered sugar dusted tropical fruit salad before a moderate spice that quickly fades to charred orange peel and dusty oak then milk chocolate covered caramel squares and toasted walnuts followed by anise spiced baked pears, sautéed cinnamon apples and black cherries that transitions to spearmint, cloves, ginger and polished leather with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with a mild ashy oak spice, charred orange peel, anise spiced baked pears, spearmint, cloves, ginger and polished leather. This is a fantastic bourbon that combines traditional dusty old bourbon flavors with tropical fruits, florals and unique spices to create a complex and unique profile that differs from the normal bourbon profile with a bit more spice than I’d prefer, but not to the point of overpowering those unique flavors. For around $80+, this is a bargain in today’s insane priced market that I would highly recommend and a huge thanks to @soonershrink for providing me with a generous sample.

To finish off my mini-Balvenie series, I have a sample of their A Day of Dark Barley 26 year that I’ve been looking forward to and hopeful that this will be the first Balvenie to really impress me. The nose starts earthy and dark with espresso beans leading with a backdrop of lemon lime candy and ever so slight hints of dusty leather-bound books then charred brown bread and cocoa nibs followed by honey dew, orange blossom and grapefruit zest that transitions to cloves, candied ginger and polished antique furniture with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with creamy tropical fruits that quickly veers into a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to a spicy mocha and charred brown bread followed by sour lemon, orange zest and grapefruit before transitioning to cloves, ginger and a mild black pepper spice with low ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with charred brown bread, cocoa nibs, ginger, lemon lime candy and a mild black pepper spice. This is an interesting change from Balvenie’s typical floral honey forward character to an earthier chocolate profile with slightly burnt brown bread. lemon lime fruits along with mild spices that is a fun dram to try but the balance is off with a bitter spice that overpowers much of the palate and finishes mildly spicy with those charred brown bread and chocolate notes dominating with mild citrus in the background. Side by side with their 25-year Rare Marriages, they are very close, but I would likely choose the 25-year Rare Marriages as it has a strong honey sweetness with less of a bitter spice compared to the Dark Barley 26-year. At the astronomical cost of $900+ for a bottle, the price IMHO isn’t justified for what you get and for my palate there are plenty of better options available for a fraction of the cost that I’d rate higher than this.