Tastes

Heavy roasted malt with some age. A little coffee, some cocoa. Glenorangie's usual malt is pretty well concealed here. Well done but I didn't love it, especially for the heart-stopping price per bottle. A little too bitter/gimmicky/odd instead of unique wow.

Heavy caramel with oak and spice. Very traditional, straight forward bourbon flavors done well. However, I find this somewhat overrated and wouldn't pay much over the "old" retail of around $30. In a blind tasting Eagle Rare smashed this and the McKenna was somewhat indistinguishable from Buffalo Trace other than being a little hotter and spicier. It is obviously good stuff but I don't think it is worth a premium or a long hunt. That said, remember this is a single barrel and mine may just have been okay. But when you're lucky to pay $50+ for this if you can find it at all, why on Earth would I get this instead of a Russell's Reserve single barrel? Barrel #4246 Barreled 12-14-07

The one I tried had very little nose. Most that could be said was it was floral. Body was spicy - high rye. Some caramel and cherries but not as much as I'd like. Finish is all rye. Obviously quality and I'll buy some more at the totally reasonable price but not quite up to some of the other bourbons I've had. Second one I tried has an oddly floral/herbal nose that I don't like very much. Palate is caramel and spice and finish is all spice. All about what you like - floral and rye spice? This is for you. As a little air gets in this bottle I start to get some more cherry that I like, so this second bottle is growing on me. I'll definitely continue buying these because the value is so good and the quality is obvious, but I'm more excited about other options out there.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Excellent peated speyside. Vanilla extract on the nose, with fruit, floral and smoke. Extends to the palate. Just well made, enjoyable scotch.

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.