Tastes

Worldwide Wine & Spirits store pick. 127.4 proof. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Vanilla and caramel with a strong almond/marzipan note. Some jammy fruits seem to be at play also, all nicely balanced. Palate: Thick mouthfeel with more almond and some oaky dryness. A bit of baking spice, but not too much. Finish: Medium heat that lasts for a long while. Splash: The oak and spice become more prominent with a couple of drops of water. Overall: 9/10 - This is a delicious bourbon that would hold up well to ice but would be a waste to mix into a cocktail. Heaven’s Door never fails to impress.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Nutty notes with caramel and vanilla. Palate: Cinnamon and baking spice. Finish: Very warm and very long. It really lasts. Splash: The nuttiness from the nose returns with a hint of oaky dryness. Overall: 9.5/10 - This is one of the best Larceny BP batches I've tried. Long finish and lots of character. It would hold up well to ice or in a cocktail, and even at MSRP is a bargain.

Distiller review template Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, some fruit notes. Palate: A bit of baking spice and some oaky dryness. Finish: Lobg length with medium heat. Splash: A note appears that's like a sweet clove note, even rhough there is no rye in rhe mashbill. Overall: 8.5/10 - I had sampled this next to the regular BiB at the store and preferred this one. I'm impressed enough that I may need to try them again side-by-side. The cost was ~$50 but I don't have the receipt. I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for more Holladay expressions.

Received a blind sample from a friend. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Sweet notes of vanilla, caramel and fruit. Palate: Oak, cinnamon, baking spice. Finish: Medium heat, medium-long length. Oaky dryness and rye. Splash: The spicy cinnamon in the palate becomes a sweet clove note. Overall: 8/10 - This is nice, and a classic bourbon. The finish gives away the higher proof, and the oak gives away its age. This will definitely hold up in a cocktail.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Light Amber. Nose: Big notes of smoke and brine, with some strong oak notes beneath. Palate: Much more oak than the nose suggests, followed by the smoke and brine. Finish: The finish goes from oaky to smoke to briny, in that order, and lasts a surprisingly long time. Splash: No new flavors are revealed, but I could live in that finish. Overall: 9.5/10 - This is truly what an Islay should be. I can taste the island. A bit more complexity and this would be a 10/10. I received it as a gift, but will definitely buy.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Light amber. Nose: Smoky and salty notes hide a milder, sweeter note just beneath the surface. Palate: More smoky and salty notes, but with an interesting hit of spice, almost like a rye. Finish: The heat fades after a meduum length, but the smoke lingers on. Splash: No new flavors are revealed, but a few drops of water makes this somehow saltier tasting. Overall: 9/10 - This is a quintessential Islay, but something about the cask finishing gives it more depth than some others I've tried. Judging by the finish, I would have thought this was a cask strength. Would definitely buy again.

Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Light-medium amber. Nose: The Cinnamon Toast Crunch note that people talk about is unmistakable here. It's all I can pick up, but not necessarily a bad thing. Palate: More of the same, with the cinnamon dialed up a bit, but it's still the dominant note. Finish: Very warm, but falls off quickly, leaving behind a slightly less warm, and different, finish. Splash: A sweeter clove note appears with the cinnamon dialed down slightly. Overall: 9/10 - This is my first amburana finished bourbon, and I was hesitant to try it based on what I'd heard. This is a divisive pour, people either love it or hate it. Perhaps I'll find another that I like better, but for now I can see myself sipping this quite often.

Batch 2, bottle 19, aged 5 years. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, some dark fruit. Palate: Some spice, but an overpowering note that I get from some Texas whiskeys that I can only describe as hay. Finish: Medium length, but more sweet than hot. Sweet clove notes. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 4/10 - I received this as a gift from a friend, and while I assume that this whiskey has its fans, I am not one of them. I hope I can make cocktails with this or something. Anything is better than drinking this neat.

Received a blind sample from a friend. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Nose: A marzipan note dominates the nose with some dark fruit and caramel underneath. Palate: Oak and baking spice give way to a spicy clove note. Finish: Medium length with medium heat. The clove note lingers. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 7.5/10 - I feel like I’ve had something similar before. The strong oak and clove in the palate makes me think this is an older expression, but it could use more heat in the finish.