Tastes

Nose: Oak and char. Cherries, peanuts, bananas. Brown sugar. Rye spice in the form of cardamom, cinnamon, and dried basil, thyme, and a hint of oregano. Dusty corn sweetness. Leather. Honey ham. Vanilla bean ice cream. Ripe orange. Cork. The 100 proof is helping things jump out of the glass a little. Let it sit for a little while and you'll get peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwiches. Palate: Brown sugar, dusty corn, vanilla. Peaches and bananas. Clove, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg. Oak - definitely some tannin showing up in taste and texture, with the slightest barrel bite. Whipped cream with added sugar. Bitter chocolate, leather. The slightest pot still mustiness coming through - Beam uses a column still to make their low wines and pot still for their high wines, which probably lends itself to this profile. The proof, though present, isn't challenging at all. The finish starts with a nice, fruity toasted grain character. I'm reminded of Cheerios with a spoon of sugar and sliced bananas. The banana sticks around while that vanilla bean ice cream comes back into play. The alcohol comes to the fore as a more prickly, "carbonated" characteristic. Tannins are also playing around still. Slowly everything fades away into a sparkly, strawberry mineral water vibe. Medium-long finish overall. After letting the glass open up a bit, peanut butter joins the party (as it did on the nose). Other notes: I've been slowly re-reviewing things recently, and this has really held up. Knob Creek is my daily drinker, and revisiting it like this cements exactly why - though it's flavor-forward and has some real robustness, it's also quite suited to just sipping. And the price-point I can find it at means I don't feel bad when I can't give it my fully undivided attention. One of my "cornerstones" of Bourbon (and American whiskeys in general), I highly recommend anybody pick up a bottle of this and give it a fair shake - it's well worth it.

Nose: Smoke, brine, earthy and phenolic peat. Mint, lemon oil. Vanilla, brown sugar, freshly baked wheat bread. Dusty, leather bound books. Star anise, dried basil. Light tobacco. Pepper. As the glass opens up more, the fruity strawberry and banana characteristics come forward. Honeyed cereal grains. Black tea. Once you break past the peat and smoke, there's a surprisingly pretty whisky to be found. I almost want to say this starts butting into Irish pot still territory. Palate: Campfire ash, brine, mint, nutmeg. Sugar, vanilla, grain, tea. Pepper and fruit. Cream - almost getting warm bread with honey and whipped cream. Yellow bell pepper. Bitter lemon. Peach. Finish starts off with a lot of those warm, round flavors, then builds into a pop of effervescence on the tongue - the alcohol making its presence known. Then progresses into soft, minty citrus and banana and then slowly fades. Wisps of smoke carry throughout. Eventually lands on a very, very subtle tannin, mossy earth, and dead fire blend. Medium long finish. Those pretty characteristics on the nose are carried through to the palate. Though there are some warmer, round flavors contained within, this is still very pretty. Other notes: I've previously reviewed this and decided to revisit because why not? There's a reason this stuff is so beloved. Though maybe not my first pick for an Islay, I try to keep a bottle of this around due to its availability, price, and sheer level of quality. And though their other expressions (like their quarter cask) tend to be more my style, this is an excellent representative of what peated whiskey can be.

Nose: Rich toasted oak, brown sugar, vanilla. There's a fruity quality - banana, peach, cherry. Cream, honey. Rye spice poking its head through - mostly as dried thyme and basil. Tannic and bitter, but in a very appealing way. Palate: Toasted oak, vanilla, sugar. Peaches and cream. Warm bread. Honeyed bananas. Fig Newtons. Dried basil and thyme again, maybe a hint of oregano. Persimmon. Floral, perfume-y quality buried in the finish. Tannin creates an appealing drying quality. Other notes: I don't re-review things so quickly, but I figured this deserved a second look after having tasted it while my palate was shot. Slightly different notes this time around, but my impression is largely the same - this stuff is quite good. The sheer amount of time invested in barrel shows up in some really wonderful ways. Not mad at all about this, especially given SRP. Well executed.

Nose: Earth, compost, lemon oil, wintergreen, brine, iodine. Peat. Rye bread. Faint vanilla, oak, fresh cut grass. Thyme, basil, rosemary. Palate: Vanilla, confectioner's sugar, oak, tannin, citrus. Dill. Brine. Clove and nutmeg. Lemon oil. Yeast, barley, mineral water. Other notes: Ardbeg is a favorite. I've reviewed the 10 before - there's enough depth and variation here to keep things interesting. The introductory flavors are enough to hook you, while the depth is enough to make you wonder "OOOoooh... What else?!"

Nose: Vanilla, brown sugar, oak. Classic bourbon. Honey. Char. Maraschino cherry, peanuts. Cracker Jack comes to mind. Palate: Brown sugar, oak, vanilla. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove. Allspice. Tannin shows up. Rich. Medium short finish. Apple. Cream.

Nose: Sourdough bread. Brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon. Orange blossom water. Strawberry, banana. Butter. Raisins. I'm reminded of the cinnamon, sugar, and butter mixture when you make cinnamon rolls. Apples. Mint. Stone fruits - peaches especially. Very rounded, warm, and sweet, but not cloying. Palate: Brown sugar, vanilla, prune, raisin, fig. Oak and tannin - drying and bitter, but in a very tasteful way. Mint, apple. Figs, peaches, mandarins, banana. Molasses. Finish is vanilla, stone fruits, oak, tannin, char - apple and peach pie both come to mind. Other notes: This is a special sip. Boss Hog V was polarizing to some, VI is much more approachable and friendly. The proof isn't off-putting, while the richness and depth of flavor are worthy of exploration.

Nose: Oak, brown sugar, figs. Nutmeg, allspice, clove. Freshly baked whole wheat bread. Deep toasted grain - the rye and barley are showing up to the party. There's a buried candy sweetness that reminds me almost of classic bubble gum, which is usually banana, strawberry, and cherry. Toasted nuts - peanut, walnut, cashew, which gives way to an almost rich, BBQ meat thread. Think pork shoulder or brisket. Palate: Cherry, brown sugar, charred oak. Tannin - the mouthfeel that develops after a sip is showcasing the age here. The rye makes it through to the taste, again as allspice and nutmeg. There are the toasted nuts again, this time as almonds and peanuts. Barley is buried here. Slight cinnamon. Luxardo maraschino cherries, banana. Moderate finish that fades "bottom-up" in that the more rich, foundational characteristics fade away first, then the mid-palate "body" goes, and then the fruit lingers for a bit. Other notes: My palate is a little wonk right now - had a big bowl of spicy ramen for lunch, which is likely distorting things a bit here. Overall, though, this is a well executed bottle. The price/age/quality ratio here is pretty excellent. Worth a buy to see what the hype is all about.

Nose: Honeyed cereal grains - think honey-nut Cheerios. Black tea, dried basil and thyme. Grass. Bell pepper. Mint. Vanilla. Earth and oak, but with a bit of petrichor mixed in. Palate: There's that honey-nut Cheerio note again. Black tea and mint are also evident. Oak and tannin. Sweet citrus - oranges and key limes show up mid-finish. Leather, cocoa, vanilla all slowly come to the party towards the end. Some effervescence, too. Semi-light mouthfeel but the oils coat your mouth and help the flavors linger and continue to develop.

Nose: Classic. You can tell this is Beam, but a little more swagger. Vanilla, oak, char - it's all here. There's an almost floral citrus thing going on - orange blossoms spring to mind. Dusty corn, cheerios. Vegetal and herbaceous - probably the rye in the mash bill poking its head out. Earth, slight leather. Palate: Again, that Beam white label heritage comes through, though a little more refined and stately. That classic dusty corn character comes through. White sugar and charred oak. Mint, thyme, oregano. Cucumber. Citrus. Very mellow sip. Finish is medium-short with that slight rye spice showing up again, along with more dusty corn and not much else. Other notes: This is a BevMo barrel pick. Proofed at 95 so it's not going to slap you, but there's enough there to keep things interesting. Definitely an interesting experience - really allows you to see and understand what's going on in a given barrel - great to compare to standard Beam white label and maybe even Knob Creek single barrel (proofed down, of course). I might not get this again, but I'm glad I picked this one up.

Nose: Oak, thyme, oregano, green bell pepper, dill, clove. Bread. Brown sugar. Char. Palate: Vanilla, sugar, oak. Leather. Bell pepper, dried thyme and basil. Tannin. Slight wintergreen. Yeasty bread. Finish is mild - classic rye spices leaning into cardamom, clove, and cinnamon.