Tastes

Was not excited by the neck pour but gave it air and tasted it blind with Elijah Craig B519, my favorite recent EC cask strength. To my shock, the 1792 FP won. A lot going on with the nose, taste and finish—citrus, spice, brown sugar, cereal—and a palate-coating mouthfeel. IMO both the 1792 Full Proof and Small Batch punch above their weight.

Not much going on with the nose, just shy sugar/spice/grain notes. More interesting palate, with sweet up front and a savory, hint of herb accent on the finish. Doesn’t wow you, but provides a pleasant dram that’s hard to categorize. Definitely improves with air—I was not a fan of the neck pour but much better a month out.

Was a little disappointed after so many great reviews. It was super funky when I first opened it, and smelled and tasted like how a good Japanese restaurant smells—a bit of soy and tempura oil and even fish (!). It evolved into a solid BiB over time, with the more typical brown sugar and baking spice notes playing against savory, non-fishy herb flavors, but is not my favorite by a long shot.

Whenever I have WhistlePig I wonder why I don’t drink it all the time. Sweet, spicy, complex, delicious, with great rye spice but none of the grainy notes some ryes have. OTOH, I’ve been sad to see the prices jump—it’s getting harder to justify spending the $ on this when it’s in the same ballpark as so many excellent cask strength options.

Easygoing and sweet, not challenging in any way. A go to when I want something low proof to sip on and enjoy without much thought.

Dangerous stuff. Sweet and inviting nose and a deep sweetness on the palate that’s not overpowering. There’s a little spice and oak as well, but the heart of this is hedonistic sugar. Drinks almost too easy for 130 proof.

Surprised I don’t like this more, because I enjoy the Russell’s Reserve line and think WT 101 is excellent for < $25. But Rare Breed tastes a little harsh and hot next to its peers ( e.g., Old Forester 1920) and lacks the complexity of some of the better cask strength bourbons. I’m glad I tried it, but it won’t be a staple on my bar.

Sweet, easy to drink, very little grain flavor but a lot of sugar and light baking spice. A favorite of mine in the 90 proof ballpark but agree with some reviewers that it’s a little overpriced—a cute key shouldn’t cost $10-$15. That said I keep one on the shelf for a low-proof treat every now and then.

Great flavor, not much burn. Brown sugar, vanilla, classic bourbon flavors and a long finish. Frighteningly easy to drink.