Tastes

After sitting on a bottle for a couple of months I decided to break it out for my Birthday celebration. Sweet w/candy on the nose. Oak, caramel, and raspberry on first taste, however this measure builds with cinnamon apple pie. Lemon and spice hovering for an extended finish that seems to go on forever. Complex and smooth. Grade A all the way.

10yr-100 proof no BIB statement-Batch 45 Bottled 2/16 Nose is wood, hay, cashews. Taste of banana, clove and red raspberries. Rye rises to a long lasting tingle and red pepper spice. Full finish. Been wanting to try this one and it's not disappointing BUT you have to be a big rye fan to score this whiskey high.

Got a special "barrel program" bottle from my fav retailer. Their metal label w/Fred's signature. 12 yr. proofed at 129.1. Fruit, nuts, and cedar nose. Butterscotch toffee, cherries, and oak taste. Beautiful orange color with a little fall brown. Complex with hints of other favorites and stout rye tingle that lingers long on the finish. Hope the SB keeps the age statement (9yr). Delicious!

#1384 ABV 57.2 Barreled 4/27/06 Nose red berries, oak, citrus spice Taste of Fried sugared plantains, almonds, mature molasses. FULL BOLD & COMPLEX. The cherries and orange hangs underneath. Finish long with rye bite. Full boat if you taste it neat at room temp. Usually not a fan of sourced juice but this drink is excellent. $65 at my Memphis shop. Would overspend again! Must for SB cast strength fans.

Just found 8/2016 gathering heavy dust on Memphis shelf at $62! YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING!!!

Bold and husky. The age tames the beast, with burnt sugar up front and red berries. Nice red tint of color with the dark amber. Easy almond molasses and a hint of citrus finish with rye bite. At 10 it's a winner but I don't think it could make it as a youngster. Worth a purchase and taste test with with other big ryes.

One of the best off the shelf bourbons availabile. Nose of almond, orange peel, & caramel. Excellent dark gold color with a touch of autumn brown. Taste is very smooth with the rye aged and mellowed. Orange citrus and wet molasses with nuts in background. Finally the rye pops on the finish with cinnamon apple pie and a panty dropping red raspberry. Oh yeah, SO EXCELLENT!! Eagle Rare--- a shelf delicacy.

Got the 15 release 132.2 (this review) and now a couple of the 16 at 132.5. $50 at my Memphis retailer. Dark color, my guess is 8-10? Almond and burnt sugar up front with clove and red fruit flirting underneath. Red fruit grows as my buds adjust to the numbing strength of this neat room temperature hammer! Best tested before sex with a minor or sub machine gun fire. And, the finish doesn't disappoint with a long rye spice juiced with ABV cask strength. A fine early representation of the classic and rare GTS.

Nose is light vanilla, hay, and faint citrus. Flavor profile continues the hay and citrus then the fruit comes in big. Apple and black cherry with some pineapple. Finish is very robust in comparison. The big rye shows up with hot cinnamon and licorice building a strong long finish. Nice drink with multiple flavors hiding below the obvious.

Finished the bar bottle at Frank Grisanti's in Memphis 6-17-16. Big but not HUGE like W Larue W. Nose was brown sugar and almost cedar instead of oak. Light on citrus with surprisingly little red fruit. Taste was full with expected burnt molasses and nutty almond. Hint of tangerine and light baking spice. Long and strong finish with white pepper sprinkled over caramel pie w/chocolate. Drank neat because I was searching for certain familiar flavors that never surfaced? Below the 14 on my score and no match for the 14 WLW. I'll do a 88 only because I paid so much! :)