Tastes

Single barrel store pick “The Red Dragon” Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Apples, peaches , apricots, raisins. Palate: Clove, cinnamon, baking spice, a bit of oak. Finish: Long length with medium heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed, but the palate becomes more even with the finish. Overall: 8.5/10 - I had sampled this at the store and was impressed enough to buy a bottle. I'm glad I did as this is well above average from a craft distillery. I like where this is going.

This won Best Store Pick in one of my online whiskey groups. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: This is amazing. It's chocolate brownies with nuts on top. Palate: Oak and leather, with clove and some mild cinnamon. Definitely more dry than spicy. Finish: Medium heat but short length. This is slightly disappointing. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 8.5/10 - A longer finish would make this a solid 9/10, but Woorford charges a lot more for those. This may not be my favorite pour of the year, but I can see how it won that award. I’m looking forward to trying it in a cocktail.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Toffee, caramel, vanilla. Palate: Clove and cinnamon. Finish: Medium length with medium heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 7/10 - This is a fine dram, but doesn't stand out from Sazerac's other bottom shelf offerings. It's slightly above average. Not worth paying secondary for.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Dark amber. Nose: A sweet fruity note mixed with smoke and salt. Palate: Smoke and salt with a spicy cinnamon note. Finish: Long and warm. The spice lingers. Splash: A few drops calms the spicy notes into more of a sweet clove. Overall: 9/10 - This is one of the best American Single Malts that I’ve tried, and the price is reasonable for a store pick at 126.22 proof. I have been disappointed by Texas whiskey and ASM in the past, but this hits all the right notes. My only criticism is that the fruit in the nose never makes another appearance.

Whisky Mentors QS04 “Rye January” Aged 5 years, 121.5 proof, selected by Irene Tan Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Floral with fruity nottes of apple, raisin, and peach. Palate: Clove, cinnamon, and baking spice. Finish: Long length with medium heat. Splash: Just a few drops makes the spice far less intense, so it’s possible that this could have benefitted from a slight reduction in proof. Overall: 9/10 - I had the opportunity to try this store pick before buying it. I know it will open up even more now that it’s been opened. This is a killer rye already, and will elevate any cocktail it’s added to. My 9/10 may go up once it’s had a chance to breathe.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Rich notes of cocoa and caramel. Palate: Oak, clove, cinnamon. Not as spicy as some. Finish: Long length with medium heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 7.5/10 - I generally like most Maker’s expressions, but I felt that the Private Selects were overpriced and somewhat underwhelming. This Is essentially what we have here, although rather than lower the price, they made the bottle 50 ml smaller, and seemingly produced a lot of 700 ml bottles using this particular stave combination. Considering that this is essentially a Private Select, it’s one of the better ones, but the finish is less than I’d expect for 111.9 proof.

Bertelli's Liquor Mart Single Barrel Select Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Big fruity notes - apple, raisin, and prune. Palate: Baking spice and clove. Finish: Medium lengh with medium heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 8/10 - This is above average bourbon, and a heavy hitter for the price point. It just doesn't have much in the way of character, but it's priced about right. Would probably stand up to ice or a cocktail better than most under $50.

The Wise Old Dog store pick @ 127.6 proof Warehouse H Floor 5 Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, raisin. Palate: Oak, Cinnamon, clove with a lingering raisin note. Finish: Long length, medium heat. Splash: The spicier notes and the oak are more balanced with just a few drops of water. Overall: 9/10 - These high proof OF store picks hit all the right notes for me. Great in a cocktail or on the rocks.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Light-medium amber. Nose: Lots of caramel, fruit, and some floral notes. Palate: Oak and cinnamon, with some clove and baking spice. Finish: Medium length with medium heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 5.5/10 - This is a passable rye for a mixer, and not bad neat, but there are more interesting ryes at a similar price point. Bonus 1/2 point for such an interesting nose.

Received a sample from a friend. 109 proof. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medíum amber. Nose: Caramel and fruit, with a hint of leather. Palate: Clove and baking spice. Surprising not hot. Finish: Warm but not very long. Splash: A mild minty note appears. Overall: 8.5/10 - This is a nicely complex bourbon, combining some unexpected notes with some more traditional ones. It definitely drinks well below 109 proof.