Tastes
-
Russell's Reserve 10 Year Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed September 21, 2020 (edited October 25, 2020)Reddish hue. Light and sweet with a lot of cinnamon. Honestly, it is hard to get much of anything else from the nose or palate other than cinnamon, a bit of sweetness and a bit of a spicy kick on the finish. Enjoyable, but too light and nowhere near impactful enough. I don't usually think this, but if the proof was cranked up to 100 it would be leagues better. Got to say, though, as I've worked through the bottle it has been something of a go to for me because it is lighter - a good starter. Kind of similar to a lighter scotch. It might creep up in my estimation. It's also only $32 which is pretty outstanding for a 10 year even if Eagle Rare beats this pretty handily.32.0 USD per Bottle -
Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed September 21, 2020 (edited October 27, 2020)My first experience with high proof bourbon and wow is this memorable. It is over 55% alcohol yet totally drinkable neat. The nose is layered with cinnamon, baking spice, red fruit sweetness and alcohol although it isn't that strong and a bit difficult to pick apart. In the mouth, this is viscous, syrupy, heavy fruit and baking spice, like a pie! And yet it isn't overwhelming and doesn't burn. Chewing this is so great - it makes your tongue and cheeks tingle and makes the finish last a long time. Finish is a bit sweet with a spicy rye kick. This thing is pretty lit and reasonably priced at $55. Have to try Rare Breed next to see if I can get a similar experience for $10 less.55.0 USD per Bottle -
Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! I respect how much flavor they've packed into this thing, but it is too much sweet for me. Nose is very sweet but nice with chocolate, caramel and the like. The palate is just pure candy and overwhelmingly sweet, as is the finish. Just too much of a good thing. I can see this as a dessert dram but it's a bit much.37.0 USD per Bottle
-
Buffalo Trace Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed September 11, 2020 (edited September 12, 2020)Buffalo Trace is an extremely balanced, light and sweet take on the classic bourbon profile. Strong caramel and vanilla with some light spice. Oak and heat are very much minimized. This is a champion daily drinker assuming it is widely available where you live and the price is good. Around here it is available everywhere for between $21 and $25 which makes it a great deal. However, it isn't worth chasing or overpaying if it is unavailable in your area.21.0 USD per Bottle -
I was pleasantly surprised by this. The wheat makes this "soft", with some caramel and delicious spice on the nose which is lovely. The palate is sweet with spicy oak laced throughout, but well balanced. Finish hangs on a little because of the spice. I think it is really solid, available everywhere and $30. The quality of this relatively basic offering makes me interested in the Maker's Mark cask proof offerings (46 or regular) and the store picks and annual releases. I'd written off Maker's Mark before ever trying it because it seemed to be a 1950s "premium" bourbon that has never evolved, but this wood stave approach is pretty interesting and surprisingly good. Well done, especially when Wellers which isn't all that much better is virtually impossible to find and ridiculously overpriced on the secondary market. There is a high quality, readily available alternative sitting right there on the shelf.30.0 USD per Bottle
-
BenRiach Curiositas 10 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed August 13, 2020 (edited December 14, 2020)Excellent peated speyside. Vanilla extract on the nose, with fruit, floral and smoke. Extends to the palate. Just well made, enjoyable scotch.55.0 USD per Bottle -
Talisker Select Reserve (Game of Thrones-House Greyjoy)
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed August 13, 2020 (edited June 3, 2021)Muted nose from normal Talisker 10, a little less peat, more brine, not as much fruit hiding behind the peat. On the palate I'm noticing a lot of straight up salt which I do not enjoy very much. It tastes like someone literally tilted a salt shaker in my glass. Other aspects such as peat, pepper and sherry are toned down and the salt is turned way up. Not a fan unfortunately. The only plus is that it was cheap.36.0 USD per Bottle -
GlenDronach Revival 15 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed August 13, 2020 (edited January 17, 2021)This is the new Glendronach 15 Revival, not the legendary older one I've never tried. Still getting used to this one. Starts out pretty tight and almost harsh for a sherried dram. If you give it a bit of water and time it starts to open up and get pretty nice. Very layered and complex. One of the strongest honey and nut flavored drams with loads of spice I've ever had. I can see why people really like it, but there seems to be a mix of time as an open bottle, added water and other aspects to sort through for this to show the best. A work in progress but an obviously well made and intriguing dram. I can see why people rate it so highly but I need more time with it.80.0 USD per Bottle -
GlenDronach Port Wood
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed August 13, 2020 (edited April 15, 2024)The nose on this Glendronach is delightful - berries and plums. Palate is sweet and soft, again berries and plums and something floral. It drops away very quickly however and only some spice remains in the finish. The "drop away" aspect is the only reason this isn't well into the 4+ rating though - it's really nice. I also really, really love port finishes though so take that for what it is worth. When I finished this bottle I searched out one of the last ones in the Bay Area to replace it however - always a good sign.71.0 USD per Bottle -
First time trying Eagle Rare and I was very impressed for $30. Long story short, this tastes like chocolate covered cherries soaked in excellent whiskey to me - what's not to like? I tasted this side by side with Buffalo Trace (which I enjoy and rate about 3.75), knowing that they are made from the same mash bill and the only differences are (i) ~2 more years age, (ii) ER is essentially a single barrel, and (iii) different placement in the rick house. I swear you wouldn't even guess they are related if you tried them blind. An amazing demonstration of the cumulative impact these seemingly small differences can make in the final product. This whiskey is a bargain. I'm sure mileage varies for more experienced bourbon drinkers who want high proof and more rye, but for someone starting out with bourbon, this will knock their socks off.30.0 USD per Bottle
Results 51-60 of 99 Reviews