Tastes

I reviewed this just over two years ago, in August of 2022. Since then I've found that putting in just a little water improves what's already great stuff, and this review is of the juice with water. This bottle cost me $22.99 at Total Wine, which is a couple or three dollars less than the previous one. It's just a pint (375ml - I don't think in metric measurements), it's 125 proof, there's no age statement since it's never been in a barrel, and in the glass it's clear. It's Buffalo Trace's mash bill #1, but other than it having the standard bourbon ingredients - corn, rye, and barley - I can't learn what that mash bill is. NOSE: It's very grain forward, which you'd expect from something straight off the still. Sometimes I can sort out the three different grains on the nose, and sometimes I can't, especially with water. There's a little mustiness also, that seems to connect mainly to the corn, a vegetal note that I presume comes from the rye, and something that makes me think of wet wood or wool. That doesn't sound terribly appetizing, but in fact I like it. MOUTHFEEL: Creamy - three or four drops of water don't materially alter this, since it's so viscous to begin with. TASTE: There's just one note, but it contains multiple things - the note is honey butter with cinnamon. FINISH: Medium, with red pepper and honey butter. SUMMARY: I find in my handwritten notes here that the date of the previous review was August 14, 2022, so it's been just over a year and a month. It took me a long time to decide to experiment with the juice, but when I first reviewed it I hadn't even been drinking whisky for a year and I didn't know what water and ice could do. Ice ruins this, but just a little water really helps (it's good without, but for some reason after the first glass from this bottle it began smelling and tasting, in the glass, like it's rotting, though from the nose of the bottle it smells and tastes fine). This is a simple whisky of necessity, since it hasn't received any benefit from aging; this is why straight from the still, the way our ancestors drank it. But it's good to begin with, and with a little water it's very good. RATING: On my hick scale I have to rate it somewhat lower than I'd like to, just because it's such a simple whisky. If it were more complex, and retained its current character otherwise, it would have a higher rating. What I gave it is the fifth on my scale (1 is the lowest, and 8 is the highest on this scale), Good. That converts to 3.125 stars, and either 62.5/100 or 6.25/10.

This is an 86 proof Mexican corn whisky. It's pale gold in the glass, and a bottle cost me $39.99 at Jubilation Wine & Spirits here in Albuquerque. The mash bill is unique - it's 100% cacahuazintle corn (you pronounce it ka-ka-wa-SEENT-leh), which is a variety that only grows above 7,000 feet in two or three states of Mexico. Before grinding the corn and mashing in, the distillery uses the same process that goes into making hominy - soaking the corn in a lye or similar solution. This alters the flavors (as anyone who's had hominy knows), and thus on top of everything else works in the character of this whisky. And finally, some of the corn they sprout and then dry. This unique mash bill creates a unique whisky to begin with, and then they age it in a warehouse with only a light roof and no walls, thus allowing the weather to work on the barrels more intensely. There's no age statement on the bottle, but I found some sites online which say that it's two years old (though none of them gave any source for that number). NOSE: The nose begins with a corn note that's both sour and sweet at the same time (initially I thought there was no sourness at all in this whisky, but over the four glasses I've had now I've learned to discern it, but it's not in any way overpowering or offensive. Next I got goat butter (I had goat butter growing up, and while I can't swear that the aroma is exactly the same, that's what it made me think of), red chile, something that made me think of a mild cheese (perhaps Edam or Gouda), a little bit of brown sugar, and after I began sipping a faint citrus note - perhaps lemon, though I'm not sure. And finally, there's a little edge of semisweet chocolate. MOUTHFEEL: Given the apparent youth and the fairly low proof, it's surprisingly creamy. TASTE: A little chile, cinnamon, honey, and some chocolate. FINISH: Medium, with notes of red chile and a little oak fading to semisweet chocolate. SUMMARY: This stuff is unique. It reminds me of Abuelita hot chocolate mix (if you can find it your grocery store, give it a sniff). It's not terribly complex, which isn't surprising given that it uses just one grain, and ages either in used bourbon barrels or in new uncharred barrels (some sites say they're toasted, but I can't swear to that), but the notes that are there are very appetizing. The kind of corn, the process of preparing the corn, and the aging (the rickhouse has no walls, and only a light roof to protect the barrels from direct sunlight) combine to create a whisky that bears only a slight resemblance to the other corn whiskies I've had. It's more complex than I realized (though as I say, not spectacularly so), and I definitely like it. From my first taste it was immediately my second favorite corn whisky, and it remains in that position. RATING: On my hick scale it gets a 6, Fine - 8 is the highest rating on my scale. This comes out to 3.75 stars, or 75/100 or 7.5/10.

This whisky is copper colored in the glass. It cost me $69.99 for a fifth at the Mountain Run location of Kelly Liquors here in Albuquerque. It's 117.6 proof, and the age statement - in fine print on the back - says AGED: OVER 2 YEARS OLD. It also says it's DISTILLED IN INDIANA, but since Hard Truth is in Nashville, IN that doesn't tell us whether it's from MGP or it's from Hard Truth's own stills. With such a young age, I'm inclined to think it's the latter (it doesn't, by the way, taste young). [edit] I realized later that the bottom strip on the front of the bottle settles this question. It says that the whisky is MASHED, DISTILLED & AGED IN CHARRED, AMERICAN OAK BARRELS/BROWN COUNTY, INDIANA. This means that it is Hard Truth's own juice. [end edit] The mash bill is 94% rye and 6% barley, which is close to, but not identical with, the famous MGP rye mash bill that Sagamore Spirit and Bulleit (and no doubt others) have used. NOSE: Cool spring water, brown sugar, honey butter, cinnamon rolls, Dove milk chocolate, chocolate cake, and something buttery and savory that I can't identify. I have the distinct impression that there's a lot more in the nose that I couldn't sort out - I kept going back and going back, even after I began sipping, and I never was satisfied that I was discerning all it had to offer. MOUTHFEEL: Slightly creamy. TASTE: I have learned that when I find a lot on the nose two things will be true - I won't be able to get nearly as much on the palate, and I'll like it. Both are true here. On the palate I get dark brown sugar, milk chocolate, cinnamon, melted butter, and a pure sugary note that makes me think of rock candy. FINISH: The finish is on the short end of medium, and gives me mint (the first time I've ever gotten that note, even from a rye), eucalyptus, and a tinge of oak. The finish is more pleasant than this description indicates - I really enjoy it, and wish it would keep going. SUMMARY: This is an extremely good rye whisky. It's almost as good as Sagamore Spirit, and it's not as aggressive with the rye notes as Sagamore is. Someone who likes bourbon and likes proof, but isn't a big fan of rye, could very well enjoy this stuff. That describes me, and I really like this. RATING: My hick scale, as I've mentioned before, has eight levels, and 1 is the lowest. This whisky gets the seventh level, Right Fine. That's the same as 4.375 stars, or 87.5/100, or 8.75/10.

I bought this bottle at Total Wine for $55.99. It's a golden copper color in the glass, is of course 100 proof, is six years old, and has a mash bill of 75% corn, 15% soft red wheat, and 12% barley. NOSE: On the nose I first got an overwhelming note that I could only characterize as charred grain, though it's something I've smelled before and I'm sure it's not actually that. At any rate it's pleasant. As I continued to nose the juice I got a distinct peanut shell note, which I've found is characteristic for me of Heaven Hill whisky - I never expected to find it here. Then came dark honey, puffed wheat (I've never yet gotten that note and then disliked the whisky), honeysuckle, honey butter, milk chocolate, and MAYBE a faint note of leather. MOUTHFEEL: Silky. TASTE: Honey butter, a little cinnamon, and a surprising note of hot cocoa - which I enjoyed, though I HATE hot chocolate. I wasn't able to dissect the palate any further than that, though it's obvious there are other things in there that perhaps time will bring out for me. In addition to the few specific notes I could discern, I got an impression that this whisky tastes sweet and clear and good. FINISH: The finish is on the long end of medium, beginning with honey, then going into sweet water, bringing in an oak note, and finally ending on a lingering chocolate. SUMMARY: This is a good, complex whisky which might require some time to fully understand. I wasn't able to get many discrete notes on the palate, but this is NOT a boring whisky. I definitely recommend it. RATING: In my hick system, which has 8 levels with 1 at the bottom, I give this a 6, which I call Fine. That's the same as 3.75 stars, 75/100, or 7.5/10.

The mash bill on this juice is 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% barley. It's seven years old, of course, and cost me $21.99 at the Total Wine location in Uptown. It's a 90 proof whisky, and is copper colored in the glass. NOSE: Cinnamon, honey, citrus, something musty, a fruit note that might have been grape, apple, and a very light smoke. I don't know whether I've ever mentioned this, but I continue nosing all through the evaluation, and get more notes after I begin sipping, which isn't surprising because taste and smell interact with each other. MOUTHFEEL: Creamy - far more creamy than you'd expect from a 90 proof whisky. TASTE: Citrus, cinnamon, honey, a little oak, and brown sugar. FINISH: Medium, beginning with oak, then bringing in a brief citrus note, and then fading into dark chocolate. SUMMARY: This is not regular Jim Beam. It's just a few years older and a few proof points higher, but it's much superior to the white label. It's not a highly complex whisky, but it's very good. It's much better than the price - it's worth at least $10 more. RATING: On my hick scale, which has 1 on the bottom and 8 on the top, this comes in at 6, Fine. This translates to 3.75 stars, 75/100, or 7.5 out of 10.

I find that the mash bill on this whisky - as with all Knob Creek - is 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% barley. It's 100 proof, a fifth cost me $69.99 at the Kelly Liquors store in the Mountain Run shopping center here in Albuquerque. Of course there's a 12 year age statement on the bottle. In the glass it has a dark copper color. NOSE: Immediately I got honey butter with cinnamon. Next came a musty corn note, smoke, milk chocolate, hot vanilla, candy corn, photo cocoa, a tinge of citrus, vanilla icing, and something floral. After I had the first sip a burned wood note also entered the nose. MOUTHFEEL: Smooth and somewhat creamy. TASTE: Spring water, fresh flowers (these two aren't tastes so much as things the whisky reminded me of), cinnamon, dark, chocolate, and a little oak. I never get as much on the palate of a complex whisky as I do on the nose, but I had the impression that there were notes just outside my range, which someone else could pick up but I couldn't. FINISH: Long, beginning with oak. Semisweet chocolate comes in, and fades into a lingering oak and chocolate. SUMMARY: This is recognizably a Knob Creek bottle, but it's different from both the 9 year and the Single Barrel Select store pick I have. It began, in the first glass I had, with far too much oak, but it's opened up wonderfully, and that overabundance of oak is no longer there. I got notes on the nose I've never gotten from anything else, and if my palate were so inclined I believe I would've gotten more notes there. The price is high for me, but the whisky's worth it - it's fantastic stuff. RATING: My hick scale has eight levels, with 1 being the lowest and 8 the highest. I give this whisky an 8, Mighty Fine. This is equivalent to five stars, or 100/100 or 10/10.

I got this bottle (a fifth) for $49.99 at the Uptown Total Wine store here in Albuquerque. It's 116 proof, has a two year age statement, and is dark copper in the glass. The mash bill is 70% white corn, 25% rye, and 5% sprouted barley. NOSE: Over a number of dives into the glass I got dark caramel, something that I can only characterize as warm, green leaves, brown sugar, eucalyptus, butter, bread, musty corn, and cornbread. MOUTHFEEL: Heavy and creamy - I thought of saying oily, but it doesn't quite fit that word. TASTE: Again it took several sips for me to get caramel, brown sugar, butter, honey, milk chocolate, and red pepper. FINISH: Medium, with milk chocolate, a little red pepper, and a little oak. SUMMARY: The nose and palate are so complex that it's hard to pick out specific notes - but it's DELICIOUS. This is everything the Musician promises but doesn't deliver. This is excellent whisky. RATING: My hick system has eight levels, with 8 being the highest. I give this that eighth rating, Mighty Fine. That comes out to 5 stars, or 100/100 or 10/10.

This is a 121.8 proof bottle - according to the label, it's Batch 8. It cost me $38.99 for a fifth at the Uptown location of Total Wine here in Albuquerque. There's no age statement, and it has a mash bill of 68% corn, 28% rye, and 4% sprouted barley. In the class it's a definite copper color. NOSE: This is a far more complex nose than you'd expect from the general reputation of Bulleit bourbon, and it's certainly more complex than the standard 90 proof expression. Through several sips I got Roasted corn, caramel, cinnamon toast, brown sugar, vanilla buttercream icing, green summer leaves, a fresh plowed field, maple syrup, a little bit of sweet smoke, and vanilla ice cream. MOUTHFEEL: Creamy. TASTE: I got cinnamon, honey, red pepper, brown sugar, honey butter, and a very faint oak note. It would concern me that I get so much less on the palate than I do on the nose, but I've learned that my mouth is considerably less sensitive than my nose - this is a typical occurrence. FINISH: Honey, cinnamon, spicy oak, and a lingering milk chocolate. Overall the finish is medium in length. SUMMARY: This is an excellent bourbon, with a good proof. It has a delightfully complex nose and a highly satisfying palate. And the price is right. I'll definitely buy this stuff again. RATING: On my hick rating scale it comes out at the 7th level (counting from the bottom), which is Right Fine. This is equivalent to 4.375 stars out of five, 87.5/100, or 8.75/10.

This bottle cost me $43.99 at the Uptown Total Wine Store in Albuquerque. It's 10 years old, of course, and 90 proof. Online I found information indicating that the mash bill is 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% sprouted barley. It has a new copper color in the glass. NOSE: Dusty caramel, vanilla, creamed corn, buttered roasting ears, cinnamon rolls right out of the oven, coconut (coconut?!), and very ripe bananas. It seemed like every time I nosed it I found something else, including one note I've never gotten from a whisky before. MOUTHFEEL: Smooth and slightly oily. TASTE: Cinnamon, butter, honey, brown sugar. FINISH: Medium - oak, with a bit of honey. SUMMARY: This is a better bourbon than the notes above might indicate. The nose is complex, but the taste is more simple, and the finish just gave me two notes. However, it's still a real good bourbon; I have no complaints about it at all. It's definitely worth the price, and maybe a bit more. RATING: My hick rating system says this one is Right Fine, which is next to the top in my eight level scale (I count from the bottom, so this is a 7). This rating equates to 4.375 stars, 87.5/100, or 8.75/10.

This is a pint bottle, which cost me $30.99 at the Uptown location of Total Wine here in Albuquerque. There's no age statement, it's 112.2 proof, and it's dark copper in the glass. I found very limited information on the mash bill. Some sites said that it's a blend of two mash bills, one high rye and one low rye, while others said that it's a 95/5 mash bill. Since Sagamore Spirit began by using MGP juice, and now - or so I understand - is distilling its own whisky, it may be that both have been true at different times. But while I often find it frustrating that distilleries frequently don't let you know what's in their whisky (all other products have to list their ingredients), this is perhaps the most frustrated I've been. NOSE: I first got vanilla, then cinnamon, a mineral note that reminded me of the rough gravel that granite decays into, and honey. As I began sipping, a fresh mowed grass note appeared, with a hint of smoke, nearby rain, and summer leaves. MOUTHFEEL: Creamy. TASTE: Cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, red pepper, and black pepper. The pepper notes came in late, but were very emphatic. FINISH: The finish overall is long, and begins with cinnamon and brown sugar. These fade out, and a strong oak comes in, which is what lingers and lengthens the finish. SUMMARY: This is fine whisky. It's a little hot, but not too much, and the taste more than makes up for it. In some ways this drinks like a bourbon, but it has definite rye characteristics. I highly recommend this juice. RATING: In my eight level hick scale, which counts from the bottom, this receives a 6 rating, which is Fine. This is equivalent to 3.75 stars, 87.5/100, or 8.75/10.