Tastes

Nose: Oak, vanilla, light brown sugar. Figs, citrus oil, rosemary, camphor - I have a camphor tree in my back yard next to a navel orange tree and I'm getting reminded of what they smell like in spring and summer. Berries and cream. Black pepper and barrel char - the oak is showing up here, which is expected given the ages involved. Also getting cigar tobacco and leather. Nutmeg and maybe a little star anise, though not much. Nose presents a lot of midrange and a bit of bottom end, but there's not much in the way of brightness, save for that bit of citrus oil. Palate: Vanilla, bananas, berries. Sweet oranges, whipped cream. Solid tannin presence with a good amount of texture as the sip progresses. Dusty corn. Getting more of that nutmeg and star anise, along with some clove. Not much cinnamon here. Cooked apples. Graham crackers. Nutty and slightly bready - getting some almonds here. Also getting pure cocoa, along with maduro cigar tobacco and well-worn baseball mitt leather. Medium-heavy mouthfeel. Finish begins with a fantastic citrus oil pop, slight barrel bitter and tannin coming to the fore. Things ramp up with blueberries, bananas, ripe strawberries, and apricots, along with unsalted cashews and peanuts. Things trail off into this wonderful mixture of nutmeg, thyme, basil, apple, and star anise. Finish is medium-long. Other notes: There's been a solid amount of hype around this company, and with good reason. This is my first bottle from them, but certainly won't be the last. There's plenty going on here, and this leans into some territory I don't often see with a bourbon. Toward the tail end of this, I realized I was getting some Dickel BiB vibes here in the best way possible, though with more overall complexity. I find it pretty impressive that they balanced the oak against everything else going on here as well as they did. Solid recommendation, high potential rebuy material, though I'm more interested in taking a look at their other releases after I finish this bottle.

Nose: Vanilla, brown sugar, and Hershey's chocolate. Oranges, honey, and cream. Mint. Oak, with a hint of char coming through. Nothing crazy. Nutmeg, thyme, and Red Hots style cinnamon. Just the slightest florality and fruit. Palate: Vanilla, orange, honey, and that same Hershey's chocolate - I call out the Hershey's specifically because there's a certain lactic tang it has that I'm also finding here. Presenting hot for its proof - almost like barrel bite. Baking spices and a touch of dusty books. Medium-light tannin, with medium-light mouthfeel. Finish starts with a rush of floral notes, citrus, cream, and barrel. The cream notes subside and that chocolate thing comes back, along with baking spices. Fades into honey, floral notes, and maybe a touch of grain presenting as a little bright and shiny. Medium length finish. Other notes: Not sure what else to say it. It's Four Roses. Not going to blow your socks off, but a solid representation of the drier side of bourbon. Good execution.

Nose: Vanilla, icing, some very subtle baking spices and faint black pepper. Oak, but very soft and rounded. Roasted peanuts. Toffee. Bread. Bananas, neon red maraschino cherries, strawberries. Very candied throughout. Palate: Vanilla, icing, and that rounded oak. More tannin than I was expecting, though nothing crazy. Canned peaches, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bananas and strawberries here, as well - think bubblegum. Lots of mid and high palate, but no lower palate to speak of. Ethanol is present in the mouthfeel with a relatively high level of "effervescence" that helps this not seem like just a glass of syrup. Medium mouthfeel. Finish begins with a pop of alcohol, canned peaches with vanilla-flavored whipped cream, and a touch of hot cinnamon and black pepper. As the booze subsides, slowly the tannin and strawberries, bananas, and a touch of barrel come through. And that's pretty much it. Medium-short finish. Other notes: This is a very middle-of-the-road wheater. The proof is just about on point - any higher and the sweetness would become cloying and unappealing. Any lower and there'd be no character left. This isn't as simple and straightforward as, say, Larceny or Maker's Mark. Indeed, I poured a splash of Larceny just after finishing this and the Larceny presented as brighter and less complex. I'd love to see this finished in port or sherry casks to help build up the lower palate. All that being said, it is bang-on for what it is. It might not be trying anything terribly new or different, but sometimes there's nothing wrong with that.

Nose: Assertive - brown sugar, oak, and vanilla. Plenty of barrel on display here with smoke joining into the mix. Black pepper, orange peel, thyme, and rosemary. As you acclimate to the 131 proof, you start getting peaches, apricots, and strawberries. It's worth noting, however, that while this does indeed have an obviously high-proof nose, it's not as intense as you'd expect. Letting things warm and open up a little you also get banana and roasted peanut. Hot cinnamon, nutmeg, and anise, too. This is exactly what I would expect from a high-octane version of a classic bourbon. Nothing wrong with this at all. Palate: Wallop of oak, hot cinnamon, apricot, char, and brown sugar. Anise and nutmeg are still hanging out. Good tannin, with some barrel bitter joining in. Orange rind and orange bell pepper. Medium mouthfeel. Finish begins with a whole lot of ethanol, cinnamon, nutmeg, and strawberry. As the ethanol slowly turns down, cashews and peanuts come forward, along with cocoa and leather. We then end with the burn, barrel bite and bitter, and some rosemary and anise. Finish here is very long. Other notes: I was gifted this bottle (along with some others) and was very excited to get to try it. This is big, bold, turned-up-to-11 fun. Is this the most complex thing on the market? Hell no. But just like with Stagg Jr., Bulleit Barrel Strength, and Knob Creek Single Barrel, this is the kind of high-octane fun I'm into. And for its style, it's pretty good.

Nose: Phenolic, musty funk, pencil eraser, brine - getting reminded of Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon. Buried honey and green bell pepper. Lemon oil, lemongrass. Palate: Rounded notes of vanilla and honey. Very friendly. The peat carries through, but in a really nice, almost pretty way. Some barrel character - the ex bourbon cask shows up, albeit in a subtle way, including some tannin. Key lime, whipped cream. Floral, but in a sweet perfume way. Mouthfeel is medium light. Finish begins with a rush of what you get on the nose alongside some nutmeg and whole lot of tannin-driven texture. The sweet and floral notes start to fade away while the phenol comes forward, as well as this star anise, fennel character. And eventually you're left with this dance between bitterness, honey, and phenol. Other notes: This executes against the Islay profile incredibly well, really leaning into the rubber and phenol but in a way that many might find appealing. If you want a gateway into Islay, this might be one ticket. Also a great example of a nose and palate presenting quite differently. Not necessarily my personal style, but quite good nonetheless.

Nose: Brown sugar, barrel, vanilla. Honey, slight floral and citrus note - reminds me of the navel orange tree in my backyard when the blossoms come out. Peppermint ice cream. Camphor. Nutmeg, clove, cooked apples. Palate: Woah - classic bourbon, but some added and intensified layers. Brown sugar, oak, char, and vanilla are in here. Tannin shows up big-time in the texture. The baking spices noted on the nose are coming forward - can absolutely tell there's a good dose of rye in this mash. Black pepper, slightly vegetal. Very appealing. This doesn't present as 116.8 until you get about 2/3 into the sip and then you start getting some of the heat. Medium mouthfeel. The finish begins with a nice swell of barrel bitter, ethanol, brown sugar, vanilla, and orange blossoms. The ethanol fades and the sweetness subsides, letting the barrel, floral, and vanilla characters to come up. As it fades, you get some dill notes alongside the barrel notes. Other notes: I was excited for this one - the Russels know what they're doing. I haven't been disappointed by a single thing they've done, and the profile here lives up to my expectations. You can tell it's Wild Turkey, just a little more rowdy. I will absolutely look to buy a bottle of this again.

Nose: Vanilla, brown sugar, and oak. Maple - imagine a maple donut from your favorite local shop. Under-ripe bananas, peaches. Rye spice just barely poking through as cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Peanuts - roasted but unsalted. Sweet naval oranges. Dense and rich, but not overpowering or excessive. Palate: Classic bourbon - vanilla, brown sugar, and oak. The maple has turned down while the citrus is punching through some more. Creamy - for some reason I'm reminded of the orange Creme Savers from a while back. Flashes of wintergreen and mint. Fruity - strawberries, blueberries, and peaches. Some tannin here, but in a very balanced way. Barrel and char, too. Medium-light mouthfeel. Finish begins with a a harmony of vanilla, fruit, and barrel notes. As things settle in, some alcohol brightness, mint, and cream start pushing through in a surge of flavors. Then a really appealing sweet citrus oil and honey note shows up, along with this backbone of tannin and oak. The fade-out is a dance between cream, orange, vanilla, honeysuckle, and oak. Other notes: The few things I've had so far from Wild Turkey have impressed me. The 101, the rye, and this are all excellent at their respective price-points. Though my bourbon preferences tend to lean into the cask strength end of the spectrum, this demonstrates what a skilled master distiller is really capable of with lower proofs. I almost want to say I wish I could have this at barrel strength, but I also feel like the balance going on here would get destroyed in the process. This fits a similar profile as Knob Creek, but heads into a more fruit-forward direction, while KC leans into the barrel. Really appealing overall.

Nose: Vanilla, cream, brown sugar, nutmeg, cloves. Some barrel showing up, though in a mild, rounded way. Bananas, cashews. Slight cinnamon, basil, dill, apricot, and persimmon. Faint honey. Really hunting for things here - the vanilla, oak, and brown sugar are definitely dominant here but the proof is helping keep things interesting. Palate: Vanilla bean ice cream with a dusting of chocolate powder. Clove and cinnamon, too, with oak in tow. Floral honey. The smallest hit of barrel influence - mild tannin. Bananas and orange blossoms. Light mouthfeel. Finish starts with a rush of orange oil - if you've ever sat at a bar and experienced the smell just after a bartender expresses a peel over a glass, you know what I'm talking about. Then the vanilla and cream show up, along with some hot cinnamon and nutmeg. As things fade out, I get a distinctly store-bought eggnog character, but with freshly grated cinnamon and nutmeg, while bright citrus pops over the top. Medium-short finish. Other notes: Surprised I hadn't reviewed this one yet. This is one of those sleeper hits that surprises the people I suggest it to - especially at its price point (sub $20 near me). It's not the most complex, rich experience, but it's an excellent example for a bog-standard bourbon, and one of a few budget offerings I regularly suggest to people wanting to get into the style. When I'm reaching for 100 proof, Knob Creek is usually my go-to, but I'm happy to land here when my budget dictates. An easy buy, and one that I'm always happy to come back to.

Nose: Higher proof is evident, but not overwhelming. Cinnamon, burnt sugar, vanilla. Oak - the barrel is coming through really pleasantly. Black pepper, balsamic vinegar, and berries. Palate: It's all here - brown sugar, vanilla, oak, char. Hot cinnamon and ginger. Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate. Dusty leather. Slightly tannic, with good texture. Mouthfeel is medium. Finish starts off with a flash of black pepper, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla. The base fades away while the middle and top of the palate slowly evolve into orange blossoms, honeysuckle, and apples. That sweet, slightly floral character sticks around for a while, thanks to the oil content. Other notes: This is exactly what I thought it would be, and I like it. This makes me fall in love with Weller all over again. Highly, highly recommend.

Nose: Sweet, dusty corn. Oak and char. Mint, thyme, lemon oil - there's a green, vegetal thing going on that's hard to put my finger on. Bananas and strawberries. Red bell peppers maybe? Fresh, warm rye bread. Icing. Palate: Sweet, dusty corn, barrel, dusty leatherbound books. Honey, oranges, toasted grains. A little floral. Tannic. Medium-light mouthfeel. Finish starts with a surge of tannin texture, but the dusty corn and barrel stick around, along with honeysuckle. The oak and corn stick around, mint fades in and out, and then eventually you have very mid-palate focused flavors. Finish is medium short. Other notes: A good example of potential. I want this to be more on all fronts - more body, denser flavors, heavier mouthfeel. It's not bad, mind, just not the big, punchy, complex flavors bourbon can aspire to these days. That being said, this would appeal to somebody looking to step up from their usual Jim Beam white label and find their gateway into the rest of bourbon.