Tastes

Nose: Oak, vanilla, barrel, and char all present, though I'm also getting a big combo of thyme, dill, mint, and dusty corn. Getting a distinct Play-Doh with herbs vibe. Sweet red bell pepper. Black pepper, clove, cumin, and slight cinnamon. Cocoa and dusty leather. THis is definitely rye, but also a very high percentage of corn for a rye, so it's exactly what you'd expect from, say, a high-rye mashbill bourbon. Palate: Surprisngly consistent with the nose - the oak's tannic bitterness coming through now. Also getting some solid fruits - bananas, strawberries, and blueberries. Hot cocoa with toasted marshmellows. Thyme and rosemary, subtle hits of dill. The basking spice/black pepper combo is also still here, along with that dusty corn. Certainly middle and upper palate focused, whith the lower palae pulled way back. Light mouthfeel. Finish: Soft fruits, cocoa, and cigar tobacco give way to dusty corn and cheerios. A good swell of camphor and mint alongside a ping of ethanol settle down into a peach cobble with lemon and topped with vanilla-flavored whipped cream, the oak hanging out underneath the rest of the experience. Mediun-short length. Other notes: Though not terribly complex or big, this answers a question I didn't realize I had - we have high-rye bourbon, why not high-corn rye? Which makes me further consider other options - high barley rye and a 51/49 malt/rye combo specifically come to mind. I'll be upfront that this is not what I'm necessarily looking for in a rye, but is interesting nonetheless, the corn balancing against and taming the rye spice in a very appealing way. I could totally see this as an excellent introduction to the style for somebody that doesn't want to drop much money or have something deeply challenging. Not something I'd feel compelled to have on-hand, but something I might pick up if I wanted a few bottles around for company.

Nose: Dense, deep, and rich. The peat leans into lightly smoked ham territory. Speaking of smoke, there's a solid layer of ash and soot sitting on top. Camphor, wintergreen, and sweet orange. Wet cardboard and earth. Some light, sublte baking spices alongside toasted black peppercorns. Palate: That density and richness carry through - meaty, earthy, and ash. Iodine is present, but not like you see with Laphroaig and Ardbeg. The age is absolutely evident, with the barrel character also carrying through, with vanilla, tannin, and barrel char detectable. Tropical fruits including mango, pineapple, and banana. Clove, nutmeg, and anise, as well. Getting some English tobacco vibes. This is very much mid-palate focused, with the lower palate being moderate and the upper palate being pulled a little back. Medium mouthfeel. Finish: Iodine and ash, alongside seaweed and meat. Mint, clove, star anise, and nutmeg all come in, with thyme and slightly vegetal notes becoming evident. As things fade out, meat, soot, and ash are accompanied with tannic bitterness and texture. Medium length finish. Other notes: Though Lagavulin is my least preferred Islay, the relative quality and age of the spirit isn't to be ignored The extended maturation (which they're quick to remind you of) makes for a relatively easy and "smooth" experience. This isn't fighting you. It's not even trying to disagree with you. That's not to say this isn't complex - it absolutely is. But the balance of flavors here make me wish I was sipping on some other offerings, particularly sherried, for some reason. All that said, I'm going to do a side-by-side of this, Laphroaig 10, and Ardbeg 10 some time in the near future and go exploring. Though not a bottle I feel the need to have on hand, this is certainly something I may buy again in the future, though the younger, higher proof expressions tend more towards my preferences. That all being said, this is absolutely a quality bottling and one everybody absolutely should try at least once.

Nose: Big - charred oak, dark brown sugar, and a vanilla bean. The alcohol is absolutely present (which is no surprise given the proof), so nosing takes a moment of acclimation. Roasted nuts, ripe bing cherries, peaches, apricots, blueberries, and a little blackberry jam. Solid hits of nutmeg, clove, anise, and cinnamon. Being a wheater, it's not every day you find baking spices like this, telling you just how much character the barrel was responsible for here and what no dilution can mean. There's also some cumin and smoked paprika vibes buried in the back. Palate: Dense, dark brown sugar, charred oak, and vanilla bean. That barrel character is absolutely making itself known. Plenty rich, going between cream and browned butter. Natural peanut butter. Cherry flavored cough syrup. Over-ripe orange, floral perfume. Tannin texture and bitterness. Same hits of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, etc. The presentation on the palate is quite consistent with the nose. I'm reminded of the crust on a good tri tip seasoned with Pappy's - that combination of salt, seasonings, and charred beef. English style pipe tobacco, along with some dark chocolate cocoa. Toasted marshmallows - the ones you let light on fire and develop that black exterior. The upper and mid palate are both quite amplified, with enough lower palate to help support them. Medium mouthfeel. Finish: Obviously a big splash of ethanol, and then a flood of charred oak, sugar, and vanilla extract. Thyme, mint, rosemary all pop in, while a slightly vegetal note also hangs out - thinking green bell peppers and celery salt. The ethanol stays present, while things move towards vanilla icing and the oak tannin bitterness fills in and starts to fade out. long length on the finish. Other notes: Larceny is the only label coming out of Heaven Hill that I just can't jive with. Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, Rittenhouse... everything else in the portfolio (that I've had, at least) has been excellent and right up my alley, but the Larceny and I just don't get along. That being said, this barrel proof edition is much more up my alley. The brittle, sharp character that I find is replaced with a burley, dense, rich experience. And while this isn't necessarily something that I'd find myself craving, it's a definite improvement over the original. I'll likely keep an eye out for future releases and pick up a bottle just to experience the batch-to-batch variation, though won't feel compelled to seek it out. A solid buy if you're curious.

Nose: Classic bourbon - all that brown sugar and vanilla, with an oak component leaning away from "charred". Cherries, with a little banana and apricot tossed in. Maybe just a hint of under-ripe persimmon, as well. Some dusty, sweet corn is present, though not nearly as dominant as with, say, a Beam. Nutmeg and stale clove without any cinnamon. Being a wheater, I'm not surprised by the tamer, "softer" notes all around. Maybe some roasted nuts, as well. As it opens up in the glass, I'm getting an almost medicinal cherry flavoring. Also some grape flavored hard candy character. Palate: Vanilla, brown sugar, and (again) oak that doesn't come accross as "charred". That cherry note is very prominent, with some mango, banana, and strawberry kicking in. I'm reminded of fruit cups, complete with the syrup at the bottom and the singular bright red maraschino cherry. Same nutmeg and stale clove vibe - stale in that the compounds that give cloves some of those harsher notes are all but gone. Tannins present uniquely - for some reason my brain wants to parse the low to moderate bitterness as being almost a little sour. This is all middle palate with some highs sprinkled in. Not much foudnation to speak of, which fits with the distillery's overall profile. Light mouthfeel. Finish: We get a small pop of cherries, vanilla, cream, and ethanol. Some general fruit characteristics come in, while the oak starts to stand out. Solid tannin texture and taste. Subtle bitterness hangs out while notes of that canned, slightly metallic vanilla frosting come in. Maybe just a hint of cherry essential oil popping through, as well. Medium length finish. Other notes: A classic wheated bourbon much improved by the modification to the aging process. I picked up this bottle just to see if my perception and opinion of it has morphed over time. By and large, while I'm better able to recognize and identify what I'm experiencing, my overall opinion really hasn't changed much. While not necessarily something I'd keep on hand, it's a solid example of the wheated bourbon category and something I can readily suggest to people looking for a friendly and easy sipping experience, especially as part of a back-to-back comparison with standard Maker's.

Nose: Dark brown sugar - we're leaning into that molasses here, charred oak, and some high-quality vanilla. Rice bran - if you've ever smelled brown rice while it's cooking, you know what this note is. Biscuits and roasted nuts. Clove, anise. Leather, tobacco. Plums. Dusty books. Citrus oil and pine. The proof here makes itself known, though it isn't nearly as in-your-face as I was expecting. Ripe blueberries and strawberries. Palate: Big, deep, charred oak, brown sugar, and vanilla. Solid barrel bite, but in a very appealing way. Dark chocolate, leather, and dark roast coffee. Tobacco. Take a second to acclimate to the proof and you'll find tons of banana, apricot, peach, and blueberries up against the baking spices that the rye brings to the party. Plenty of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, and thyme. Wintergreen, too. Deeply toasted grains. Lemon oil. Solid tannin presence in texture and taste. This is firing on all cylinders, with the upper, middle, and lower palate all perfectly balanced. Mouthfeel is medium-heavy. Finish: As you'd expect, we start with a big rush of ethanol. As that subsides, brown sugar, charred oak, and vanilla are revealed. Barrel bitter, mint, and lemon oil work their way to the front. We then shift to clove, nutmeg, dark chocolate, and cavendish tobacco (think particularly gloopy OTC stuff like Captain Black). Long finish - this stuff hangs out for a while. Other notes: I have yet to try a single high proof thing out of the Beam distillery that I haven't been genuinely impressed with, and this is no exception. The blending on display is excellent, with the brown rice bourbon bringing some excellent character that makes me wish it would become "a thing". Personally, I'm a sucker for big, chewy, high proof bottlings and this fits nicely into that category. An excellent addition to the Little Book lineup, and one that I will likely buy a few more times before it disappears. In fact, as much as I enjoyed Chapter 3, I find myself preferring this by a good margin. This is the kind of thing that I would regularly buy and have stocked if it weren't a limited release. Guess I'll need to sock a bottle or two away for the long term.

Nose: Vanilla and citrus. Dry, charred oak character is present, as well. Getting a good smack of nutmeg and clove - going to guess that's the rye in the mash bill. Black pepper, too. Underripe banana. Subtly floral. Dark brown sugar, with some earthy molasses notes. Not a complex nose, but what's on display here is well executed. Palate: White sugar, vanilla, and oak. Black tea, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, black pepper. Ripe fruits, with apricot and banana at the front, though there's a solid cherry presence. Being a 4-grain, there's a very good mix of the traditional punch of rye spice with the "softer" character of wheat. The citrus is dialed back and presents more as almost like a candied bitter lemon. Ginger shows up, too. This drinks like a higher proof than what's in the bottle, but in a mostly good way. This is relatively bright and shiny, without much bottom end to hold things up - unique balance but effective. I'd be really interested in a cask strength version of this. Mouthfeel is medium-light. Finish: Begins with nilla wafers, bananas, clove, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Black tea and black pepper show back up as things progress. A slightly bready, sour, bitter character comes in, with the tannin revealing itself. Medium length, with an effervescent quality that hangs around for a while. Other notes: 4 grain bourbons can be a hit or miss experience for me. They either lean so heavily on the rye or wheat that you question why they went 4 grain in the first place, or the resulting profile comes across as bland and uninteresting. This strikes an excellent balance, allowing the separate grains to shine through and contribute meaningfully. That being said, this isn't a "centerpiece" whiskey. Though interesting and complex enough to focus on and appreciate, it doesn't necessarily grab your attention. Great example of something that straddles the line between being a background whisky or the center of attention. Solid rebuy chance, though not something I'd feed compelled to always have on hand.

Nose: Lime, meyer lemon, orange oil. Sweet pineapple. Iodine and brine - you really get a sense for 19 years of sea spray. Black pepper, wintergreen, fennel. Peat is absolutely evident, with a little ash still floating around. For as mature as this is, it retains plenty of brightness and vibrance and doesn't come off as "heavy" in the nose, though it's still rich. Pine resin, grilled meats and vegetables. Herbs - thyme, bay leaf, basil. Camphor. Subtle nuttiness, like parmesan cheese, with a hint of musty funk/butyric acid-like quality. Fresh cut grass, seaweed. Cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander. Leather and wet hay. This is close to what I imagine when I close my eyes and think about what an ideal Ardbeg nose might be. Palate: Peat and ash alongside iodine and brine, followed by mint, orange, and cream. The interplay between vanilla and brown sugar from the bourbon cask and the dark fruits and nuttiness of the sherry cask is excellent. Oak character is present, with plenty of tannin in taste and texture, but not overbearing. Well-worn leather. The bright lime and lemon character is still here and keeps things vibrant and dynamic without taking away from the denser, richer characteristics. Thyme and basil, along with grilled fennel. Beautifully cohesive. White pepper, ground chipotle. Nutmeg and clove. Smoked meats and cheeses. Bitter chocolate. I'm imagining walking into a classic library/office with dusty books, big leather chairs, oak shelves, and cigar/pipe smoke in the air. THis is excellently balanced. Medium mouthfeel. Finish: A rush of brine, peat, ash, wintergreen. Lime zest and cream come forward, with a little seaweed and fresh cut grass. Things slowly shift into hot chocolate made using milk, complete with marshmallows, and extra vanilla. Slowly turns into mexican hot chocolate and espresso. The lime comes back and things fade out on chili chocolate, lime, peat, subtle ash, mint... there's a lot going on here. Quite a long, complex finish. Other notes: This is a beautiful expression. Many reviewers who know much better than I do have mentioned that this retains a lot of vibrance for being so heavily aged, and they'e totally right. Instead, the age presents both in the cohesive flavors and smells, as well as in the larger than usual cask impact, with the bourbon and sherry coming through more than usual. There's more just sheer oak presence, as well. You could spend hours exploring this one - adding water helps bring out some beautiful floral characteristics, with sweet roses and orange blossoms. Candied apples, too. If you get a chance to have a glass of this and aren't sure, do it. If you have a chance to grab a bottle and aren't sure, do it. The price tag might be offputting, but if you're a fan of Islay and well-aged spirit, this won't disappoint. I hope I'm lucky enough to always have a bottle of Traigh Bhan in my cabinet, and this year's expression illustrates exactly why.

Nose: Jumps out of the glass. Plenty of light brown sugar, oak, and vanilla on tap, but balanced against the cognac barrel influence. Connecticut cigar tobacco. Chocolate covered almonds. Orange zest. Classic baking spices - hot cinnamon (the real stuff, not the cassia bark you get that's labeled cinnamon at the store), nutmeg, clove, anise. Fennel, too - slightly herbal. Dusty leather. Red grapes, raspberries, blackberries, Luxardo maraschino cherries. Charred wood. Really lovely. Palate: All the brown sugar, vanilla, and tannic, dry oak are here. Nice back and forth between thyme and mint, while there's an underpinning of basil. As mentioned, there's a nice tannic quality going on, with some subtle bitterness and char coming through. Dusty leather, cigar tobacco (now more maduro), and cocoa are all along for the ride, as well. That fruity grape note is still there, along with some bright lemon/lime character. Ripe dark fruits and berries. Maybe a hint of maple in the very back. Blood orange keeps coming to mind. This is absolutely rich and complex, but cohesive. This emphasizes upper palate, while the middle and lower are quite evenly balanced against each other. Medium-light mouthfeel. Finish: Sweet vanilla and charred oak swell up, with mint and berries coming just behind. This excellent tannin, ethanol brightness, and grape character comes in. Fade out on cream, leather, cocoa, vanilla, and mint. Just a tinge of pipe tobacco ash at the very tail end. Medium long finish, with the relatively low oil content still doing a great job helping this hang around. Other notes: This is excellent. Though it's not the big, super high proof, chewy type of bourbon I typically go for, the depth and complexity make this wonderful. The cognac finish really helps bring this together in a cohesive way while also adding a complimentary set of flavors that pair very well. The only thing I can really dock here is that the mouthfeel is a little lighter than I'd prefer, though stylistically I don't know that it particularly needs it. I can highly recommend picking up a bottle if you can. I might seek out a second if I finish this one fast enough.

Nose: Brine, iodine, seaweed, smoke, earth - definitely phenolic. Peer through that, and there's definitely some vanilla and brown sugar, along with some oak. Bitter lemon peel. Wintergreen. Some slightly vegetal, "green" notes like green bell pepper. Toasted black pepper, cardamom. Camphor. Licorice. This is definitely Laphroaig but all the knobs are turned up. As I let it sit in the glass and come to temp and I acclimate to it, I can tease out a little banana-style fruit behind everything else. Also getting hit with lemon pepper vibes, which if you've ever had the pre-made stuff you know it doesn't simply taste like just lemon and pepper. There's a funk buried in there as well, like when you dig a really deep hole at the beach, but also when the tide is super low and you hang out in the tide pools that are left behind. Fresh cut grass quality, as well. Even though this is 60%, it's not slapping me around like I'd normally expect. Palate: Brine, vanilla, brown sugar. Iodine, seaweed. Smoke, earth, phenol. Oak. Black pepper, nutmeg, anise, cinnamon. Camphor, thyme, basil. Ashy throughout. Mint, chocolate. Lightly aromatic pipe tobacco. Sweet orange, bitter lemon. Where regular Laphroaig 10 parses as sweet and pretty and friendly, this is coming across rich and dense, and though it's "darker", it's not "dark". There's some dusty leather/dusty book going on. Again, this is definitely Laphroaig turned up. Ripe fruits. Oil content is high, so each sip adds more and more to the party. Warm apple pie, rosted bell peppers, and the effervescence of the alcohol. This is relatively evenly balanced between upper, middle, and lower palate. Mouthfeel is medium. Finish: The ethanol has been present throughout, but on sip you get this bright peppery flash. That presents next to mint, citrus oils, cocoa, and sweet basil. Earthy, ashy, phenolic notes are also way out in front. Rich chocolate and cream with chipotle powder and smoke paprika, like the finest mexican hot chocolate you can imagine. The brine and iodine come up next, along with more mint and fruit. Think strawberry shortcake topped with macerated strawberries, a dollop of whipped cream, and garnished with a sprig of mint. We're left with this beautiful mix of sweet pipe tobacco, chocolate, leather, brine, barrel, vanilla, and brown sugar. Oil content here is fantastic, lending to a long finish. Other notes: When I saw this on the shelf, I got excited. I tempered my expectations to not get too disappointed, but this is excellent. It's what you want it to be - big, bold, concentrated cigar smoking mermaid bathwater. I tend to prefer the output of Ardbeg, with Laphroaig bringing up a distant second, but this approaches the darker, denser characteristics I like. And because of the proof and oil content, playing with adding water and the like will reveal some other flavors and give you plenty to explore. I like this. A lot. Easily my favorite Laphroaig expression thus far.

Nose: Herbal, with dill, thyme, and basil. A little mint. Slightly metallic vanilla with white sugar - maybe a hint of molasses. Bright citrus zest, along with a little pith. Dry oak with a hint of char. Anise and a little cinnamon. Maybe a touch of nutmeg, though otherwise not finding a bunch of baking spices on the nose. Floral. I'm able to tease out some fruits in the backround, persimmon and apricot come to mind, but quite subtle. Palate: Brown sugar, vanilla, mint, thyme, sweet basil. Oak and tannin, though not intense - slight bitterness and texture are complementary to everything else going on. Cream. Banana, cherry. Ethanol is apparent - more so than I expected looking at the label. Slight roasted nuts thing going on. Orange bitters. Lemon rind. Very bright overall, with plenty of upper and middle palate, almost no lower. Light mouthfeel, though with some oil content. Finish: A big hit of dill, thyme, nutmeg, citrus peel, and dusty oak. As those fade, cream, vanilla, and sugar become apparent. Ethanol brightness helps keep things a little vibrant. Fade out on oak, tannin (including a little texture), and soft fruits. Medium length finish. Other notes: I recently tried their Brewer's Select which I thoroughly enjoyed and wondered what their other base expressions had to offer. A chance stop at a local liquor store and they had this on the shelf. This is not a mind-blowing rye - it's distilled in Indiana (we all know what that probably means), but that's not necessarily a bad thing. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend this as a must-have, it's absolutely worth a go and a taste.