Tastes

Nose: Rich, dense, and complex, but balanced - peat, campfire smoke and ash, vanilla shortcake, and a touch of oak. Wintergreen, blood oranges, fig newtons, and a touch of brine. Limes. Smoked ham with a blackberry glaze. Caramelized sugar. Rubber and rope. The smell of a fresh cut lawn in the spring, complete with the fumes coming off your lawnmower. Palate: Peat - earth, moss, wet tree bark, tar, campfire ash. Strawberries, bananas, mint. Black pepper. Lemon and lime oils. Stone fruits. Molasses. Dried thyme and basil. Dill, star anise. Wintergreen comes up again. Brine. Meaty. Alcohol is prickly - definitely makes its presence known though it doesn't detract from the experience. Finish begins with a low key brine, mint, peat, ash combo. Things slowly build and bitter tannins show up, presenting as coffee and high cacao chocolate - that mint note carries through. Things slowly fade into ethanol, wintergreen, vanilla, and a medicinal brine note. Menthol, as well - I'm reminded of the Chloraseptic sore throat spray I used as a kid whenever I had strep throat (which was often). Other notes: I always forget just how good this bottle is. Full of classic Ardbeg character, Corryvreckan shows what's possible when you get into high proof territory. As this opens up, there are some added layers that are really appealing. This stands up exceptionally well to cigars - definitely reach for your more full-bodied maduros.

Nose: Oak, char, and ethanol. Plenty of barrel going on here. Brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, vanilla. Smoked paprika, ground chipotle, and black pepper. Red hots. Dusty corn. Chestnuts. Chocolate covered cherries. Mint and Gros Michel banana. Like all other Booker's editions, there's this signature buttermilk biscuit thing going on - funny given the name of this batch. It's this raw flour, buttery, creamy, lightly salty kind of thing that I personally find very appealing. Palate: Dense with brown sugar, dark chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, oak and char, smoked paprika, Luxardo cherries. Tannin is evident, though the palate here is so dense it's competing with a lot of other flavors. Fruit crisp but with a ton of extra baking spices added - apricots and peaches. Chipotle peppers. After your palate acclimates, the tannin shows up. Presents as high proof, though maybe not nearly the octane bomb you'd imagine. All the flavors here are maybe a little dense and hard to pick apart at first sip, though this is absolutely Booker's through and through. Once you acclimate and the glass opens up, There's a surprisingly good balance going on here - low, mid, and high palate notes all displaying quite appropriately. Finish begins with a prickly pop of ethanol on the tongue, and slowly fades away with bananas, mangoes, vanilla, and white sugar playing around, a slightly minty notes comes to the fore, and then everything settles into this pleasant fennel and bubblegum combo with a solid alcohol burn. Long finish going on here. Other notes: Booker's never disappoints. I do have my personal favorite batches, but I've never had a glass of this I didn't like. My personal favorite batch I've had so far is still probably the 2018-02, but this is a solid second. The punch here reminds me a bit of my bottle of Stagg Jr. - especially the hot cinnamon and dense brown sugar/nutmeg notes. If you're ready to step up to the proof, Booker's is always an excellent choice, and this bottle really steps up to the plate and delivers the kind quality I've come to expect.

Nose: Brown sugar, barrel, char. Peach, apricots, figs, plums. Cherries. Deep and rich but not cloying. Vanilla. Slight mustiness. Toasted cereal grains. The milk left behind after a bowl of Frosted Flakes. Palate: Brown sugar, vanilla, honey, oak, tannin. Strawberries, plums, peaches, apricots, figs. Again, not cloying, but definitely deep. Milk chocolate. Almost lactic tang. Finish starts off with berries, bananas, honey, and cream - getting a parfait vibe here. The berries and bananas give way to whipped cream with added sugar and vanilla. Things slowly fade away into a pleasant fruity character. Other notes: Another bottle that might not be the most complex, but what's on offer here is certainly interesting enough to keep your attention for a glass or three if you want. I regularly cite this as an excellent place to start to develop your palate a little more. Also a great bottle - especially when tasted alongside Buffalo Trace and/or Stagg Jr. - to showcase how much influence the barrel has on the final character of a whiskey.

Nose: Classic bourbon. Brown sugar, vanilla, oak. Char visits the party but it's not center stage. Small thread of rye spice - nutmeg, dill, star anise, dried basil. Warm buttered whole wheat toast. Simple fruit notes - cherry, banana, strawberry. Roasted nuts. Dusty corn. Again, just classic. Palate: Dusty corn up front, followed by vanilla, brown sugar, and oak. Slightly creamy - caramel comes to mind. Roasted peanuts. Cherries, strawberries, maybe even blackberries coming in. Cinnamon, leather, tannin, and chocolate. Maduro cigar tobacco. Finish starts off with a wash of red apples, nutmeg, caramel, and vanilla. It then builds into a vanilla cream with citrus and ethanol. Everything slowly coasts into a tannic leather and vanilla-scented lotion note, but in the best way possible. Other notes: Elijah Craig demonstrates that price is not reflective of quality whatsoever. Every bottle I've purchased reminds me that there's great bourbon to be had at any price point. This stuff is incredibly balanced, and though it's not necessarily the most complex whiskey on the market, it's certainly punching well above it's weight. This, Evan Williams BiB, Wild Turkey 101, and a few other choice bottles tend to find their way into my cart at the grocery store, and I am never disappointed.

Nose: Underripe oranges, green apple, shortbread cookies. Creamy - that pot still mustiness is really well balanced here. Vanilla. Crème brûlée. Earthy nutmeg and allspice. Figs. Cocoa. Sweet, but in a delicate sense. Very friendly and inviting without being flat and boring. Palate: There's that soft, creamy. sweet vanilla again. Earth, nutmeg, and allspice slowly give way to the most understated cinnamon note. Coffee, a little leather, milk chocolate. This is mostly mid palate - not necessarily a bad thing. The sherry cask shows up, along with subtle tannin character. Finish starts off with chocolate covered coffee beans and orange zest. That slowly turns into bitter chocolate ice cream, but with a little more vanilla than usual. Slowly everything disappears from the bottom up - eventually left with bananas, orange peel, and then finally cocoa powder. Other notes: I am really glad I'm revisiting this. I recognized the quality here the first time I had this, but I sold it short due to my own preconceptions with Irish whiskey. Coming back to this with a more open mind has given the a chance to recognize just how good this stuff really is. The execution with this stuff is top notch. Every single person I've suggested it to has had the same reaction - "Woah". Well worth having a bottle on hand.

Nose: Smoke, peat, earth, sherry, raisins. Cocoa, leather, coffee. Maduro tobacco. Figs. Cream cheese frosting. Mint, wintergreen, lemon oil. Dried thyme, basil. Slightly vegetal - green bell pepper, cucumber, celery. The sherry is contributing some beautiful sweetness - verging on cloying but not unappealingly so. Palate: Soft and round - earthy, peaty, with whisps of smoke. Peach, orange, mango, mint. Brown sugar and vanilla. Campfire ash. Creamy. Dates and figs. Apricots. Persimmons. Wintergreen. Lemon oil. Honeysuckle. Slight prickly alcohol, but not intrusive. Finish starts off with more of that sherry sweetness. There's a buildup into a splash of alcohol brightness. And then the tannins from the barrel coat your tongue and mouth and longer, along with dark stone fruits. Finish is long. Beautiful.

Nose: Sweet vanilla, stone fruits - plums, dates. Burnt brown sugar. Crème brûlée. Sweet floral character - honeysuckle. Charred oak. Very balanced, if forward, likely partially due to the proof. Luxardo cherries. Palate: Big brown sugar, vanilla, barrel and char. Tannic - tons of texture and a good bite. Slight creamy mustiness. Bell pepper. Black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice. Barrel bite, but in the best way. Finish starts with a bright pop of ethanol and vanilla with baking spices. As things come down, sweet creamy vanilla shows up. The ending fade has nice depth and length with much of the same. Medium long finish.

Nose: Caramel apple, vanilla, cherries, peaches, banana. Orange blossom and honeysuckle. Roasted peanuts. Dusty corn. Thyme, basil. Black pepper. Oak. Almost bright pineapple. Mangoes. You definitely get a big, clean nose off this. Not cloying or overly dry. Classic bourbon. Palate: Brown sugar, vanilla, oak, char. Barrel bitter. Fruity and floral - orange blossoms come to mind again. Bananas, apricots, fuyu persimmons. Tannin. Medium-light mouthfeel with just enough oil to keep things around for a while. Finish starts with a flash of sweet potpourri, then falls into a less sharp floral and herbaceous direction. Vanilla, banana, and sweet mandarins then come forward. Everything then falls down into a sparkly, charred oak note.

Nose: Burnt brown sugar, vanilla, oak, char. Dusty corn. Honey, orange blossom. Really jumps out of the glass. Grassy and herbaceous. Cinnamon. Cocoa. Biscuits. As it sits and opens up, peach, strawberry, and banana. Palate: Oak, char, tannin. Burnt sugar, toffee, vanilla. Yeast. Barrel bite. Cinnamon, nutmeg. Dried basil. The proof is definitely prevalent, and this stuff has a beautiful, oily, lingering finish. Definitely takes it's time. Finish starts off with bitter chocolate, vanilla, and buttermilk biscuits. Evolves with some nice heat - prickly - and orange bitters come in. The heat surges more before everything fades away, leaving behind charred oak and leather.

Nose: Walnuts, dusty corn, cherries, vanilla. Toffee, toasted honeyed cereal grains, bananas. Musty pot still funk - that creamy thing you get from Midleton, Redbreast comes to mind. Bright and shiny almost acetone note. Wet cardboard. Yeasty cinnamon rolls. Orange blossom and honeysuckle. Green veggies - bell pepper, cucumber, and celery. Palate: Cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cumin. Tongue-drying tannic character flowing into that acetone note again. Oaked musty walnuts, cashews, and pecans. Waxy. Floral perfume. Very bright, not much low palate. Mid palate is fairly subdued and straightforward. Everything on show here is upper register. Cream cheese frosting with a bit too much confectioner's sugar and an almost lactic tang. Paper. Finish starts off with musty, lactic, funky tang. Then a bright pop from the ethanol - that metallic, acetone note shows up. Oak, char, and barrel bitter poke their head through. As the ethanol burn dies down, banana Nilla wafers take over as things coast into a simple brown sugar and vanilla tail, with notes of dill, dried basil, and celery blossoming here and there. Finish is relatively long. Other notes: My first taste of this really challenged me. My nose and palate had a really hard time dissecting this in any meaningful way. Coming back to it now, I'm finding some more complexity and am better able to identify what's going on. The overall character is still largely the same to me, but I have better appreciation for what's going on in the glass. Though I'm still not likely to put this on my short list to buy again, I'm glad I gave it another shot. I wish the palate was a little more rounded out, but I can understand what they're trying to demonstrate here.