Reviews

Review #375 Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, and some graham cracker. Palate: Cinnamon with some sweet clove notes. Finish: Medium length with medium heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 7.5/10 - Now that these are starting to sjow up at MSRP again, it's a good time to re-evaluate this pour. For a non age stated bottled-in bond bourbon from Kentucky it's a good one to keep on hand. I'm interested in seeing how it stacks up against its more expensive cousins.

Review #374 Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Apple, dark cherry, plum, raisin notes. Palate: Cinnamon red hots, clove, baking spice. Finish: Long and surprisingly warm for the proof. Splash: A few drops of water calms the cinnamon notes, allowing a sweet clove note that was previously muted to really come through. Overall: 9/10 - I always feel like I'm taking a gamble on Peerless expressions when weighing the proof and the premium cost. This was no exception, but it had been on my list to try for a while, and did not disappoint. Somehow Peerless gets so much more out of a lower entry proof than other distilleries. If the supposed "bourbon glut" ever manifests, these may go down in price and be just as good at a lower price. At >$100 this would be an instant buy and a 9.5.

Review #372 Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Caramel and vanilla with some sweet fruity notes. Palate: Clove, baking spice, oak. Finish: Long length with medium heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed, but the heat is also unaffected. Overall: 9/10 - This is one instance where my palate has changed. What I originally rated as too hot now seems pleasantly familar and welcome. I hope with the Gallo acquisition these higher proof single barrels become easier to find.

Review #369 Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Cocoa, raisin, caramel. Palate: Clove and baking spice. Finish: Medium length with very little heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 6/10 - I had high hopes for this and gave it an extra point due to the complexity of the nose. Everything else here is just average. Not at all great for the price.

Review #368 Charred Barrel group private barrel 130.7 proof, bottled 5/22/24 Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Mint, dill, vegetal notes. Palate: Baking spice, mint, oak. Finish: Long length with lots of heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 9/10 - These JD SBBP ryes are knocking it out of the park, and at around $75 for 130 proof, one heck of a bargain. I recently paid about the same for a 100 proof JD Heritage barrel, and this is not only tastier but much higher proof for the same cost.

Review #367 Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Peanut and caramel. Palate: Clove, baking spice, oak Finish: Long length with medium heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 7.5/10 - It’s good to see that my palate hasn’t changed in the last few months, at least with this expression. I’m not sure where these “blender’s editions” are going, but this is a solid start.

Review #366 Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Dark amber. Nose: Dark fruit notes of plum and raisin. Palate: Baking spice, clove, oak. Finish: Medium length with medium heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 7/10 - This is probably going to be a hot take, but in the range of premium Jack Daniel’s expressions this may be the weakest offering. Despite earning Breaking Bourbon’s bourbon of the year 2025, this is actually pretty mid. For about the same price, the JD single barrel barrel proof rye kicks its ass any day of the week.

Review #364 Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Dark amber. Nose: Fruity notes of cherry and raisin. Palate: Surprisingly smoky, with baking spice and clove. Finish: Long length with medium heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Ice: Nothing is gained or lost with a large ice sphere. The smoky note sticks around. Overall: 9/10 - This was a neck pour of a distillery exclusive that they assured me was the very last bottle. How could anyone resist that? And it was less expensive than some of their other, non-exclusive offerings. That smoky note in the palate came as a big surprise, considering the fruity notes in the nose. As a fan of smoky scotch, I’m amazed that this wasn’t a sample on the distillery tour (which I also recommend). Apparently Chattanooga has four wheated mashbills, and all of their grains are malted. They’re making great whiskey in Tennessee, and I will be buying and reviewing more in the future.