Tastes

For a bourbon that's so difficult to find, with secondary prices that are difficult to swallow, it's funny to know that the favorite way for Elmer himself to drink this was with 7Up. (I myself have tried it in pineapple juice, and it's outstanding). Pale burnt orange with a subtle rosy hue. Nose with cedar, sandalwood, ripe peaches, and clove, along with a cool eucalyptus note. Palate has a light but noticeable viscosity, shows chocolate covered cherries, honey, creme brulee, rosin, and spicy cinnamon stick, before finishing with leather and vanilla. Light bourbon burn, consistent with 90 proof. Complex, with notes atypical of your everyday bourbon. N.B. All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

(Dump date 11/2/2017, Barrel #57, Warehouse H, Rick #15, 130.3 proof). I was able to trade for a couple of these a few years ago, but that's another story. If Blanton's is the Mercedes E-Class of bourbon (see tasting note 5/12/2022), this is the AMG version stripped of any extraneous weight and tuned for the track. Sheer, unadulterated power. Clear mahoghany color. Nose that demands--and receives--attention: honey, caramel, ripe plums, sweet tea, waffles with maple syrup, Chinese five spice. Assertive and penetrating palate: cinnamon applesauce, pipe tobacco, char, walnuts, drying leather, and white pepper, finishing long, with vanilla extract. Back-end burn not for the faint of heart, and not surprising given the high proof, but well integrated on the full-throttle frond end. Powerful and complex: one of the best. N.B. All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Interesting whiskey. Clear russet color. Glycerin-like from the bottle. Nose reveals Crackerjack, something like neatsfoot oiled baseball glove--which is not offputting-- mesquite, and a touch of vanilla. Entry is viscous like the pour, with a flavorful, mouthcoating palate that starts sweet and honeyed with some caramel on the back end, finishing with chilies and a long pull of vanilla and a touch of white pepper. Very nice, and $29 at my local shop.

Outstanding. Burnt orange color. Poured into a Glencairn glass out of the bottle, the bourbon appears viscous and oily. Nose of oranges, clove, and nutmeg ; cocoa powder and vanilla wafers from 5/4/2022 note still there, but not as pronounced. Coolness again present, but more spearmint than menthol. Penetrating, mouthcoating, fruity palate finishing very long with leather, vanilla, paraffin, char, and spearmint (again). Pleasant burn consistent with the 100 proof. So much to like here: unfortunately I'm not the only one with this opinion. I can typically find HMcK for $100, and once my inventory runs out, I'll have to pull that trigger. I justify it with mental accounting: a 2 oz pour--12 of these in 750ml--equates to just over $8 per, far cheaper than a bar or restaurant (if you can even find it).

New bottle. Clear oiled teak color. Cedar, cherries, toffee, honey-nut cheerios, maple syrup. Fruitier palate, adding some juicy citrus notes, and finishing with drying leather and a mild bourbon burn, belying its 115 proof. While I've not written a note on this bourbon before, I've had a few bottles, and recall liking them more than this one. My experience with prior bottles leaned toward more intensiveness, effusiveness, even a bit ostentatiousness. Certainly this bottle warrants another tasting to confirm.

This is a very good, refined and balanced higher-proof bourbon, but one that lacks sufficient differentiating qualities from other bourbons in this proof range. Clear burnt orange. Nose: fruity chocolate covered cherries, some cocoa, creme brulee, barrel char, and a whiff of spearmint. Cinnamon and pepper on the back end. Smooth, easy sipper at 104 proof.

Clear amber to a rose gold--ostensibly due to the 4 years spent in port casks. Wonderfully fruity nose of dried apricot, honey, and strawberries. Sweet midpalate, finishing with white pepper; the combination imparts a slight bitterness that detracts from a more enjoyable experience. Great nose, but downhill from there.

Clear, deep burnt orange. Fruity nose with cinnamon applesauce, orange oil, and dried cherries, along with dark chocolate, toffee, and some char. Robust, penetrating palate with cedar, sweet pipe tobacco, and concentrated chai tea. Long finish, with oak-driven vanilla. The 127.9 proof makes itself known, but is balanced with the full-throttle palate and aromatics. Hard to believe this bourbon could be better--except as Stagg "Sr."

This is a polarizing, love-it-or-hate-it whiskey. I'm unabashedly in the "love-it" camp. The distillers intended to create a whiskey with the flavor profile of a stout--and they succeeded. The robust nose is the love child of a Russian Imperial Stout and a Mudslide: all mocha and chocolate, with a faint touch of spearmint. Mouthcoating palate begins with dark chocolate and espresso, before morphing into a prepackaged bottle of Starbucks vanilla latte (I say this in a positive way). Very long finish. At a mild 90.4% proof, still packs enough punch to complement the wild aromatics and flavors. Unlike any whiskey you've ever tasted. Nothing traditional here. I am a big fan of Woodford's Master's Collection Series, after receiving a bottle of the 125.8 proof March 2018 release. I found this Five Malt Stouted Mash at my local store for $149 and bought it on sight. If I could find another bottle, I'd buy it.

Burnt orange color. Sweet, penetrating nose of chocolate covered cherries, pipe tobacco, caramel, cinnamon applesauce, and tangerines. Distinct tangerine notes on the palate as well, with some tobacco and leather, and a not-unpleasant essence of Atomic Fireball jawbreaker candy. Smooth: subdued bourbon burn given the 100 proof. No wonder E.H. Taylor Small Batch is scarce: it's good.