Tastes

N: Earthy and herbal rye grain, dill, mint, white tea, roasted turkey(?). Notable red wine notes (obviously from the finishing) that add red fruit and apple. Maybe a dash of charcoal cooked coconut, and ethanol - decent blast to the nose. It is undeniably a young rye nose. P: Caramel, dried herbs, rye bread, sweet red fruit, good round butterscotch notes when you hold it on the tongue a bit, mint, white tea, fresh cracked rainbow pepper. Gets very herbal if you draw air across it - like you went to your spice rack and dumped all the dried herbs right on your tongue. Okay, not that bad, but pretty intense. F: More dried herbs, dill, red wine, boozy cooked caramel, dash of oak, dash of black pepper. As young rye goes, this is surprisingly drinkable, Have to think that port finish softens some serious edges in the unfinished rye. It's a solid dram and I've enjoyed it even though I tend to prefer the more Christmas-y flavored ryes (love me some bonded Old Overholt). This is more of the green rye grain type of rye - not as green as some I've tried, somewhere in the middle really. But I think it gets to the middle because of the port finish, not because of the underlying juice. Anyway, this is young, it drinks pretty young, and I'm hard pressed to recommend it to all but the most rye-loving drinkers out there. I also can't figure what justifies the price - maybe I over-payed, but this feels like a $20-25 bottle, not $40. ____________ Please come join an unofficial Distiller community on Discord: https://discord.gg/VSmCvzAQfH. We chat spirits (and other things) in real time while being a great resource to each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired, please post a comment and I will provide a new one.)

2021 release that's been open just over a year, probably my oldest bottle at this point. Bottle No. 20,399. N: Sweet smelling with kettle corn coated in caramel, sweet corn on the cob (fresh), oak with a woody funk, stone fruit, ethanol, vanilla, toasted nuts, hint of old books, maybe just a dash of citrus. P: Sweet corn, cheek puckering oak tannins, more of the woody almost sawdust funk, brown sugar, dash of vanilla, burnt nuts, some more of that old book note that shows up more like dusty old paper, caramel when you draw air across it, subtler notes of cinnamon and other baking spice. F: Salty, sweet, vanilla, caramel, more tannins - on the tongue now, funky medicinal notes, burnt corn, lightly cooked brown sugar, touch of ethanol, very minimal heat (but some). I know the cult following for this and Cowboy. But both to me are really niche whiskies. If you like them, you probably really like them. If you don't, they're wildly overpriced. I'm in the latter camp. This comes across over-oaked to me. And that oft noted GB funk doesn't do anything good for me. I'd prefer it wasn't there. I suspect my Cowboy review, whenever I get to it, will be about the same. I think I may revisit in a few years - palates change - but for now, there's not enough value in this for me. I do love the story though - Ozarks oak for four years, another year in Minnesota oak. Being from Minnesota (originally), I really want to like this, but the overwhelming impression I'm left with is tannin. That's fine in moderation, but not as a primary note. And certainly not for the going rate of $160 (although I got a better deal than that). At that price (and what I paid), there are numerous other bottles I would prefer to this. ____________ Please come join an unofficial Distiller community on Discord: https://discord.gg/VSmCvzAQfH. We chat spirits (and other things) in real time while being a great resource to each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired, please post a comment and I will provide a new one.)

N: A penetrating lemon citrus, other citrus, white grapefruit, white wine, a deeply floral honey, mango, kiwi, ripe berries, hints of barley cereal. The only peated character of this I can detect is a faint bbq scent that sort of permeates everything. It's subtle, exceptionally so when compared the regular finish on the Peated. But it is also intense and packed with layers of different notes. In other words, it's a cask strength Balcones. P: Citrus-peach wrapped in caramel (if citrus-peach doesn't exist, it should), bbq'd grapefruit, chocolate candies with a salted caramel center, lemon tea with milk, charred wood, dash of the toasted marshmallow that's a hallmark of the standard Peated, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, fresh baked bread with dried basil and thyme in the dough, and plenty of heat. F: Cooked cinnamon (like a stick stewed in a mulled wine), lots of oak and cheek puckering tannins, chili pepper burn, vanilla, dark chocolate covered pretzels, grapefruit bitterness (almost like a hoppy beer), medicinal notes, baked bread, white grapes, stone fruit, dried flowers/heather, pine (just a little), and lingering chili pepper heat. There's more. This goes on forever - I'll probably still be tasting it in the morning. Point 1: incredible whisky. Seriously, just fantastic. Point 2: niche flavors. You kinda gotta be into this to really like it. It's not a Balcones Peated variation (okay, technically it is). It's something quite different. It almost isn't fair to compare this to the Peated because it's so different. But the reality is this is a bit of a niche whisky that has to appeal to someone who loves, well, grapefruit, mostly. It reminds me a bit of the classic, super hopped, West Coast IPAs - it's an acquired taste. But people who have acquired that taste are probably still reading. Give it a go, if it's still around. I would add two smaller points: unless this bottle crazy specifically appeals to you, it's not worth the markup over the regular Peated, which is an amazing beast, but different. Second, I tried this multiple ways, but found straight in a Glencairn to be best. Normally, above 55% I prefer ice and/or a more open glass, but this was best straight in a narrow glass despite the proof. Worth experimenting though. ____________ Please come join an unofficial Distiller community on Discord: https://discord.gg/VSmCvzAQfH. We chat spirits (and other things) in real time while being a great resource to each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired, please post a comment and I will provide a new one.)

N: Peat - and lots of it, landing somewhere between the medicine of Laphroaig and the perfume of Lagavulin - earthy, bit of petrichor, tar, maybe pine. Not getting much beyond the peat. Some caramel, some lemon citrus, peach, and pear. P: Caramel, sweet red fruit, vanilla, citrus, earth, pine, heather, dried flowers. F: Fruity, some tropical notes, vanilla cream, dried flowers and herbs, dash of oak. Late lingering wood spice with a touch of unexpected heat (unexpected this late). This doesn't quite live up to the classic Islay whiskies, but it's close. It's quality and a bit of a change of pace from the Islay bottles. The stone fruit nature of it is a nice change from Lagavulin's lemon notes. And this isn't as aggressively medicinal as Laphroaig (but what is, I guess). It's also got some of the flowery/heathery notes of a Highland Park, but lacks the punch of their drams, for better or worse. I guess I don't know how to think about this except in comparison to other peated Scotch. That said, it's not on par with the classic Springbanks - their originals are better than this Islay knockoff. Is what it is. ____________ Please come join an unofficial Distiller community on Discord: https://discord.gg/VSmCvzAQfH. We chat spirits (and other things) in real time while being a great resource to each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired, please post a comment and I will provide a new one.)

N: Caramel, banana, malted cereal, stewed stone fruits, slightly green rye grain, cherry cough syrup, splash of citrus, some medicine, some ethanol. P: Dark chocolate, slightly bitter, caramel, dried dark bread, caramel, toasted nuts, cooked cherry, cinnamon and other baking spice, vanilla candy, some heat. F: Oaky, bitter, salty, earthy, some heat. Not much in the way of specific flavors aside from the wood. This is a solid, interesting entry to the JD line. Glad it exists and I'm sure I'll buy again. But, you know, it's not like crazy exciting either. Makes a solid weeknight wind-down pour. Doesn't go much deeper than that. Doesn't need to either. ____________ Please come join an unofficial Distiller community on Discord: https://discord.gg/VSmCvzAQfH. We chat spirits (and other things) in real time while being a great resource to each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired, please post a comment and I will provide a new one.)

Rick No. R-14; Barrel No. 21-09485; Bottled on 11.5.21. 65.65% / 131.3 proof. N: Bananas soaked in whiskey, cooked caramel (slightly burnt), ethanol, medicine, floral notes, wood char, cooked bananas, mineral notes, some tropical fruit, more wood, and more bananas. P: Caramel, vanilla, bananas, wood, cinnamon, chili pepper, char, something vaguely meaty, toasted bread, cinnamon, maybe some cardamom and/or allspice. F: Has some bite. Hot cinnamon, chili pepper, vanilla cream, wood for days, cooked bananas, dark chocolate. I'll keep it short and sweet: this isn't better than the regular single barrel cut to proof. It's also not better than the Sinatra. It's a fine whiskey, and I have second bottle ready to go, and I will probably continue to buy it when I see it at MSRP, but there are better whiskies and bourbons in the world, barrel proof or otherwise. Of course, caveat, single barrels have variation. Will be interesting to see how the next one compares - it is slightly less proof at around 64% ABV. ____________ Please come join an unofficial Distiller community on Discord: https://discord.gg/VSmCvzAQfH. We chat spirits (and other things) in real time while being a great resource to each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired, please post a comment and I will provide a new one.)

N: Lemon curd, lemon cake, vanilla yogurt, toasted marshmallow, cherry pie, dried fish, tennis balls, new tires. Good swirl releases campfire smoke, pine, and bread baking over that campfire. This is the kind you can nose over and over again and never really feel like you hit bottom. Always something new. P: Vanilla cake with lemon filling, toasted marshmallow again, earth, big wood spice, pine, cherry, herbal tea, mint, ethanol, dash of bitterness, dash of sourness, some salt, caramel. Again, really just keeps coming. Good, round mouthfeel - good weight on the tongue and in the mouth. F: Slightly medicinal, earthy, herbal, vanilla candy, Tootsie Roll, barrel spice, some more fruit, more anonymous on the finish then elsewhere. This is just fantastic. It's like they turned the volume up to 11 on the 12 year. 57.7%, but doesn't say it's cask strength, so conceivably they cut it to 115.4 proof, which would be hilarious. I assume it is cask strength though. And it is probably the best cask strength scotch I've ever had. It is completely drinkable at that proof. In fact, delicious. I'm regretting not having bought two of these when I had the chance - not really expecting to see this batch again. But I'll dive into the next one with high hopes. ____________ Please come join an unofficial Distiller community on Discord: https://discord.gg/VSmCvzAQfH. We chat spirits (and other things) in real time while being a great resource to each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired, please post a comment and I will provide a new one.)

N: Sweet corn, spiced cherries, cherry cough syrup, wood and char, toasted nuts, ethanol. P: Vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, baking spice, mild cinnamon, bitter tannins, medicinal notes, cut wood, pencil shavings, peanuts. F: Cinnamon, barrel char and spice, dried herbs, baking spice, lingering bitter tannins, wet paper, wood. I've enjoyed this bottle. I think it slots nicely between Buffalo Trace, Knob Creek 9, and the Evan Williams Single Barrel. It's not really better than any of those, but it's different, and I appreciate that. Price is right. This is the one of the Benchmark line I'd be most likely to pick up again. ____________ Please come join an unofficial Distiller community on Discord: https://discord.gg/VSmCvzAQfH. We chat spirits (and other things) in real time while being a great resource to each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired, please post a comment and I will provide a new one.)

Barrel No. 11740; bottled on 2/2/12. N: Lots of cooked corn, sweet wood, cardamom, cinnamon, orange, citrus-tinted ethanol, hint of tropical (or maybe citrus) flowers. P: Earthy, wood, and bitter (tannic) right up front, but that gives way quickly to sweet corn, vanilla, salted caramel, red fruit, orange, milk chocolate. F: Cinnamon candy trending toward chili pepper, charred barrel, caramel, bread, dried herbs, mint, cereal grain. There's a lot going here, but somehow it feels incohesive and like there's some rough edges. I don't entirely mind rough edges, but somehow they hit wrong with this one. The overall effect makes this feel rustic and unpolished, and not in a way that makes you want to drink it by a campfire. Instead, it feels like it could be charming at like $30, but it's not ideal at $65, much less the markups I've seen approaching double that. I can imagine maybe this is a less than ideal barrel, but I've had another bottle of this and thought about the same thing on that one. I'd probably buy another, but that one needs to hit it out of the park to not be a third strike. ____________ Please come join an unofficial Distiller community on Discord: https://discord.gg/VSmCvzAQfH. We chat spirits (and other things) in real time while being a great resource to each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired, please post a comment and I will provide a new one.)