Tastes

I don't get it. I got peanuts and a little wheat on the nose, the palate was bland and astringent with a bitter finish. Water just killed the nutty flavor without really adding anything to the nose or taste.

Really nice! Brown sugar, chocolate mint, smooth burn on the finish. Adding just a couple of drops of water amplified the mint in a bad way and took away some of the great mouth feel. Much better neat.

This batch (they don't even identify which one it is on the bottle) is a huge disappointment compared to a taste I had about three years ago at a bar, and no, that one wasn't the original Kentucky Black Maple Hill. The one I had three years ago was complex, floral, and balanced, like Blanton's only better. This batch is astringent and doesn't show much more than peanuts and oak.

Neat, the nose is almost imperceptible. Add a drop or two of water, and things improve. There is a lot of heat, spice, and oak, but the flavors don't linger like Stagg. I prefer the Willett 4 year if I'm going for rye, especially considering the price of entry.

This lived up to the hype. A nose that just goes on forever, perfectly balanced, and somehow a smooth burn at 129 proof. It should be a crime to add water to this beauty. If only it was possible to buy a bottle at retail price.

If Johnnie Walker Blue were a bourbon; super smooth, not too sweet