Tastes

The nose starts with a lightly peated lemon lime soda with sea salt then vanilla extract followed by tangy barbecue sauced tender jackfruit, salted orange and red grapefruit that transitions to steamed mussels with white wine broth and light ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with a moderately bitter and slightly sour spice that slowly fades to charred lemon and lime with a moderate minerality of sea waves crashing over shore rocks then vanilla meringue followed by tangy barbecue sauced tender jackfruit, salted orange and red grapefruit pith that transitions to baked stuffed clams and light ashy oak with light ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with baked stuffed clams, light peat, lemon frosted Angel food cake and lightly ashy oak. For just 3 years old, this came together well with a mix of citrus, green vegetal notes, light peat and seafood, but the taste is thin and leans towards a moderate bitter and sour spice that throws the balance off for me. This expression shows real promise for their future releases with some more age to them and a huge thank you to @Richard-ModernDrinking for the generous sample for me to try.

One of the latest in The Whisky Barrel's series of space themed whiskies is this Bunnahabhain 30 which was distilled in 1990 and aged for 30 years in a hogshead then bottled at 54.8% ABV and given the title of Artemis to commemorate the first flight of the Artemis Moon program that’s expected to launch this year. The nose starts with a mix of moderate barnyard funk, light smoke and creamy but moderately soured fruit then the barnyard funk remains but in the background of fruits of salted mango, papaya, caramelized peaches, lemon juice, and sour cherries followed by roasted macadamia nuts and dark chocolate with a caramel center before transitioning to gooseberries, ginger spice, leather and light ashy oak with high ethanol burn. The taste is a viscous mouthfeel starting with a moderate sulfur that quickly fades to a mix of moderate barnyard funk and creamy but moderately soured fruit then a bed of hay with fruits of salted mango, papaya, caramelized peaches, lemon pith, and sour cherries followed by roasted macadamia nuts and dark chocolate before transitioning to grapefruit pith, moderate ginger and black pepper spice, leather and moderate ashy oak with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with light sulfur, sea spray, peaches, sour lemon candy, dehydrated mangoes, plantain chips, macadamia nuts, dark chocolate, a moderate ginger and pepper spice, leather and medium ashy oak that lingers for minutes. This one is a bit of a rocket without jet fuel that at full strength is on the sour, pithy, funky and ashy side, but once you give that rocket some water as fuel to bring it under 50% ABV this whisky blasts off to another level by keeping the same notes of the full strength profile but tames those bitter and sour fruits allowing more tropical fruit through and the ashy oak becomes rich polished oak with a medium and creamy mouthfeel that’s nearly perfectly balanced. In the rocket without jet fuel state, I’d rate this at 3.5, but in the fueled up rocket blasting off state, this is damn near perfection with the main flaw being those slightly sour flavors really causing me to rate it under a 5.

The nose starts with a mix of moderately sour grapes, tobacco and old oak then dark chocolate cherry cordials with brandy center followed by candied pecans that fades to fruits of sautéed caramel apples, lemon rind and orange zest that transition to ginger, cloves, antique leather and polished mahogany with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with creamy caramel then a mix of moderately sour grapes, tobacco and a medium drying old oak spice that slowly fades to dark chocolate covered candied pecans followed by sautéed apples, lemon candy and macerated cherries that transitions to ginger, cloves, antique leather and polished mahogany with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with dark chocolate, musty grapes, candied pecans, cherries jubilee, antique leather and moderate ashy old oak spice. This is a very good bourbon that manages to incorporate bourbon, sherry and cognac together well, but has a higher sour and medium oaky spice than I prefer. I’d still happily take a pour of this anytime, but I’m not likely to buy a bottle with the $91 price around me. For those of you that enjoy those spicier and slightly sour notes in your bourbon, I think you’ll be happy here, but I feel as if bourbon works best for me with no finishing. A huge thank you to @ctbeck11 for the generous pour of this one.

Dad’s Hat uses a farm to bottle approach that is crafted using local ingredients and rye grain grown in Pennsylvania. I’d never heard of this one until @ctbeck11 gave me a bottle of their single barrel that was picked out by Total Wine with a minimum age of 3 years and bottled at 61.9%. The nose starts with a rye flavored Coke then fresh baked pumpernickel bread slathered with honey butter followed by fruits of peach cobbler, sour apple candy and tangerine orange that transition to toasted caraway seeds, pine needles and forest floors with high ethanol burn. The taste is a rich and creamy mouthfeel starting with a rye flavored Coke then fresh baked pumpernickel bread slathered with honey butter followed by a high drying spice that slowly fades to dark chocolate and fruits of caramelized brown sugar coated peach, apple pie with vanilla ice cream on top and candied orange peel that transition to toasted caraway seeds, spearmint, leather and polished oak with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with orange flavored dark chocolate, moderate ashy rye spices, leather and polished oak that lingers for minutes. This is a rich and creamy rye that really packs the flavors in with the main flaw of the high spice on the mid-palate that throws it off for me. If you’re a fan of spicy high proof ryes, this would be incredible and I’m really impressed with how great this one is for such a young whiskey. I decided to do a side by side with a Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel and they were really close to each other but the Russell’s was the winner for me due to the lower spice. The Russell’s also had an advantage of an additional 5 years of aging, so it’d be really interesting when Dad’s Hat comes out with some older stock to compare them then. For $60, this is an incredible VFM and one to look out for.

The nose starts with a mix of sour cherries, diced strawberries and moderate oak spice then black licorice, dark chocolate and roasted peanuts followed by sautéed apples and orange zest that transition to spearmint, cloves and mild oak spice with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with creamy orchard fruit and sour red berries before quickly veering toward a high tannic oak spice that never fades with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with sour red berries, salted peanut shells and high tannic oak spice. The nose started promising with a mix of red berries combined with traditional bourbon notes and the taste started nice and fruity but a high tannic spice comes in and ruins the show that never fades until the finish that allows some light red berries and peanut shells but maintains that overpowering tannic spice. At the price tag of $50, this is an easy pass as there are far better options of Wild Turkey Rare Breed, Wild Turkey 101 or even just $10 more for a Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel. A huge thank you to @ContemplativeFox for the generous sample of this one to try.

This is a blend of two mash bills, one from barrels of 15-year-old MGP light corn whiskey, with 99% corn and 1% malted barley that makes up 86% and the rest coming from an 8-year-old Tennessee sour mash whiskey with a mash bill of 70% corn, 22% rye and 8% barley that makes up 14% and bottled at 48.6%. The nose starts with a mix of light butterscotch, rum and herbal notes then floral notes of honeysuckle and orange blossom along with a pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt then a mix of cereal and fruit with apple peel, peach ring candy, and smarties then milk chocolate covered toasted peanuts nuts followed by very light oak spices of a whole cinnamon stick, ginger and lightly brewed black tea with light ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel that starts with a mix of light butterscotch, rum and herbal notes then floral notes of rose water, honeysuckle and orange blossom before a mild spice of black peppercorns along with a pinch of Himalayan sea salt that fades to fruit notes of green apple jolly rancher, caramelized peaches over vanilla pudding, and lemon drop candy then comes milk chocolate covered toasted marshmallow followed by ginger and freshly brewed black tea with light ethanol burn. The finish is short with honeysuckle, orange blossom, milk chocolate covered peanut brittle, caramelized peaches and lightly brewed black tea. From the first nosing of this, you can tell it’s a light whiskey based on those light rum notes intermixed with florals, candied fruits and light oak spices, but the Tennessee whiskey adds some new flavors with peanuts and toasted marshmallow in the taste. I decided to do a side by side of this with my Proof and Wood 25 year and even though the Proof and Wood is only a slightly higher ABV of 51.15%, the Proof and Wood is so much thicker with bolder flavors. American light whiskey seems very similar to single grain Scotch and seems to require long periods of aging to really come together. These barrels seem like they could have benefited from a few more years of aging or a higher proof to intensify that mouthfeel and flavors, but it’s still a very enjoyable drink.

The nose starts with a mix of heavy peat smoke, barnyard hay funk and butterscotch then chocolate covered raisins and toasted walnuts followed by rich fruits of orange creamsicle, figgy pudding and grilled peaches that transition to burning hay and light oak spice with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium to full mouthfeel starting very fruity with orchard fruit before a mixture of heavy peat smoke, barnyard hay funk and creamy butterscotch gelato then dark chocolate covered raisins and toasted walnuts followed by rich fruits of orange creamsicle, figgy pudding and grilled peaches that transition to burning hay and light oak spice with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with dark chocolate covered raisins, grape must, orange juice, burning hay, and light oak spice. For just 10 years old, this is a monster of a dram that manages to balance heavy peat smoke with fruity nutty notes coming from the sherry and bourbon casks, but there is a bit of a sour astringency likely due to its youth. This has a far creamier mouthfeel than you’d think from that 46% and I’d much rather drink this over an Ardbeg Wee Beastie, 10 or Kilchoman Machir Bay. Side by side with my Springbank 12 year batch 21, the youthful sour cracks are apparent in the Ballechin 10, but it puts up a hell of a fight against a Springbank that is older, higher proof and costs more. At around $75, I think this is a great buy for anyone that’s a fan of smoky peated drams and would likely be impressed.

This is a blend from Heaven Hill that was a mash bill of 78% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, 10% Rye that aged for 8 years and was bottled at 45%. The nose is just short of rich and inviting starting with butterscotch pudding and perfectly balanced oak spice then chocolate covered caramel pecan clusters followed by light fruits of star anise spiced baked pears, freshly opened plastic cup of mandarin oranges, and Morello cherry jam that transitions to spearmint, cloves, polished leather and mahogany furniture with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a light astringency, butterscotch candy and perfectly balanced oak spice then chocolate pecan pie with slightly burnt crust followed by fruits of star anise spiced baked pears, mandarin oranges, and sour cherries that transitions to spearmint, cloves, leather and polished mahogany with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with chocolate pecan pie, mandarin orange peel, star anise baked pears, light leather and polished mahogany. This is a perfectly balanced bourbon that brings those traditional bourbon flavors with some rye spice and rich oak, but unfortunately has a youthful astringency and the 45% ABV has thinned the flavors. If this was bottled at 50%, this would have been absolutely incredible. I decided to side by side this with my Old Carter Batch 1 that was bottled at 58.75% and it was close, but the Old Carter’s proof brought bolder and richer flavors that likely would have been in the Kuiper’s Belt if it was bottled higher. For the $100 these appear to cost, I’d say it's great bourbon that will make anyone happy and perfect for those looking for something lower proof that’s an easy sipper.