Tastes

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, butterscotch. Palate: Cinnamon and clove, with caramel notes and oak tannins. Finish: Medium heat that goes on and on and on. One of the longest finishes I have had. Splash: Less spice and more caramel and oak come through with a few drops of water. Overall: 9.5/10 - This is only my second Little Book, and I passed on it earlier in the year at a better price. My wife got this bottle as a gift, and I can't find anything to criticize. At MSRP, this will be an instant buy for me in the future. I look forward to next year's chapter.

Received a sample from a friend. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Sweet and nutty, almost like a pie. Palate: Oak tannins and more nutty notes. Minimal spice, but some salt. Finish: Short with little heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed, but the salty note intensifies. Overall: 5/10 - I really wanted to like this more, and the nose gave me hope. The palate is interesting, but not particularly complex, and the finish is disappointing. I can't imagine this would be any good with ice or in a cocktail.

Received a sample from a friend. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber with nice legs. Nose: Nuts and oak and jammy fruit. Palate: Cinnamon, baking spice with some oaky dryness and sweet clove. Finish: Long with more of that sweet clove note. Splash: No new flavors are revealed, but the existing flavors come into vbalance with a few drops of water. Overall: 9/10 - The nose is the real star here, but the palate and finish are complex and well done. This would stand out in a cocktail or on the rocks.

Received a sample from a friend. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Vanilla with some floral notes and a hint of fruit. Palate: Cinnamon and baking spice with a healthy dose of spearmint and clove. Finish: Long and very hot. Splash: A few drops of water calms the spicier notes, but no new flavors are revealed. Overall: 8/10 - The finish is the star of this show, although the spicy palate makes me think this could stand up to an ice cube or a mixer without losing much flavor. The scarcity prevents me from keeping this on my bar.

Received a sample from a friend. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Caramel and fruit. Apple and raisin mostly. Palate: Baking spice and a sweet clove note with some oaky dryness. Surprisingly absent are any spicy rye notes. Finish: Medium length with medium heat. Splash: A few drops of water seems to improve the oaky dryness a bit. Overall: 6/10 - This is a rather average 90 proof whiskey at an absurd price. Even at a lower price, this would still need some more proof points to make it a buy for me. Heaven Hill BiB for example has more proof and more flavor at 1/3 the price.

Received a sample from a friend. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: In addition to the usual vanilla and caramel, there's a stong note that most resembles root beer. Palate: Root beer continues, with cinnamon and baking spices. Finish: Medium length with medium heat. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 7/10 - The root beer note is interesting, but not enough to really elevate this bourbon above its contemporaries. If offered a bottle at MSRP I'd probably pick it up, but this isn't worth chasing or paying secondary for.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, some light fruit. Palate: Baking spice, some clove and a touch of cinnamon. Finish: Medium length with medium heat. Splash: The clove notes become more prominent, but rhe other notes from the palate are still present. Overall: 7.5/10 - This is priced between the 101 proof and the private select, and it seems to be for this reason: this is the 90 proof makers in a single barrel at barrel entry proof. No more or less rhan that. If you like regular Maker's, you might like this more since it's the.same thing dialed up to 11. What is doesn't bring is anything else: the stave finishing of the private selects or the wild experimentation of the wood finishing or cellar aged variants. It's good, but Maker's has shown that they're capable of so much more.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Apples and caramel with a hint of cinamon and clove. Palate: More apple, caramel, cinnamon, clove notes with some dry oak. Finish: Long and warm, with mainly cinnamon and clove. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 9.5/10 - This is outstanding. The spicy notes are suprising considering the lack of rye in the mashbill. The finish just won't quit.

Batch 57, 110.5 proof Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Salted caramel and chocolate with some oak and leather notes. Palate: Cinnamon and baking spice, with more oak and leather. Finish: Medium length, medium heat. Splash: The oak and leather become more prominent with a few drops of water. Overall: 9/10 - Considering this is their base offering, Peerless really brings their A game. The 110.5 proof appears to be their barrel entry, and although this isn’t a single barrel, it drinks below its proof and has as complex a character as many single barrels costing $20 or more above the price. I’m excited to see what else they come up with, but glad that this is as accessible as it is. I’ll definitely try it in cocktails.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Caramel and maple syrup. Palate: Cinnamon and baking spice, with a touch of oak and more maple syrup as the stronger flavors fade. Finish: Long and warm, with a sweet clove note. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 9/10 - I 've had this bottle for a while but hadn't opened it until now. The maple syrup notes are subtle and yet hard to miss. Barrell doesn't disappoint.