Tastes

Batch number: 23D18 (mostly illegible) Finally getting around to trying this last Christmas gift, and I'm conflicted on how to feel up front. I've always loved one of the rye-based whiskies from High West, but I can't remember if it was Bourye, Double Rye, or Rendezvous Rye. After looking through the distillery's website to try to jog my memory, I learned 3 distinct things. First, this Cask Collection product is not listed anywhere throughout the whole site. Second, the prices of all High West products have increased no less than 2-3 times over within the last ~5 years, according to listed prices of the products for purchase on the site itself. And finally, while I was still trying to decipher the differences between the core rye whiskeys, I learned that High West is clearly trying to become the American version of Johnnie Walker, as they produce blends of whiskey that are very similar to each other, most of them filled with whiskey that they do not produce, and sell it for a massive mark-up. I've never been a fan of blended whiskey, mostly because I can purchase all the individual spirits and blend them myself, and in 9 out of 10 cases, save loads of money based on volume. However, blending also feels almost disrespectful to the origin distillers, since the blender is affirming that their blend tastes better than the sum of it's parts, while overshadowing any natural flavors of each individual base spirit. All that aside, I'm always a fan of finishing barrels, especially when the finish is new, unique, or downright weird. In this case, I feel the use of the specific cabernet sauvignon barrels is risky, since the tannic, dry, almost bitter notes that are possible from this grape don't seem like they would play well with the sweet, grain-forward, boozy notes of a bourbon. I love being pleasantly wrong and put in my place by a surprising underdog, though, so I'm hoping this is one of those reviews. From what I was able to find outside of the distillery's website, this is a blend of 4-9 year old bourbons that was finished in cabernet sauvignon barrels for 9 months, which brings about an expectation of a noticeably darker color. This indeed rings true, as certain light and backgrounds can turn the glass from an expected golden brown, to a cherry-chocolate color, and sometimes even a touch of black on the edges. The nose is both sweet and fruity, and funny enough, even has a slight cherry cordial scent to it. Dry, toasted oak, a general florality, mixed red berries, and a touch of banana and tobacco are also among the nose during repeated smelling. The ethanol is balanced, as it's not light or nonexistent, but also isn't strong enough to singe nose hairs. Initial flavors focus on slightly sweet red berries, with a big focus on milk chocolate and a much lighter note of banana. The ethanol quickly heats up the whole mouth, with a focus on the gum-line, but without penetrating very deeply. The body is overall quite dry, which prevents the finish from being very long, although a note of sweet oak can be savored throughout the short, yet powerful finish. This is definitely very tasty, which isn't all that surprising, but I am a little shocked at how hot and concentrated the entire flavor profile is, while only being 100 proof. I've had hot spirits (mostly whiskey) at this proof point, but it's far more common to be underwhelmed than the inverse. Also, while wine barrel finishing is certainly not new, I did not expect the choice of only cabernet sauvignon barrels to work out, but it thankfully delivered the juicy, berry notes to the end product, while leaving behind the heavier tannic and earthy flavors. This definitely is a fun and delicious whiskey with a unique barrel finish that was also unexpected to have worked out so well. I enjoyed this neat, and am just as excited to add water, ice, and play with cocktail experimentation, but I don't think it's worth the exuberant price point this distillery is moving toward, especially since the barrel finishing is the only thing that High West contributed to this likely MGP-made base.

Not often do I get excited and impressed about having found something that I was passively looking for, but this hit that part of my brain earlier today. After this released, I wrote it off to never be found, let alone in Ohio, but there it was, on the "regular" shelf, and at MSRP! I don't care who you are, if you're shopping in the American whiskey asile and you see the word "Singapore," your interest will be piqued. Plus, knowing and having sampled many, if not all the Jefferson's line of products, I've always been interested in the different finishing processes they've used, especially the location-based ones from the Ocean line. The idea of playing with the environment on the aging process is such a unique, genius breakaway from the safe, almost milk-toast weather of Kentucky. With the Ocean barrels proving these environment changes are noticeable, the humid and much hotter finish in Singapore sounds like both a safe and delicious entry into the Tropics series. With the added finishing time in the much hotter environment, I would expect a much darker color from the accelerated barrel interaction, but instead it's somewhere between sherry and copper with a touch of light gold. The nose is nutty and full of dark caramel, with an approachable ethanol and a touch of cinnamon. There's also a strange sourness after repeated scents, but is also somehow raw and sweet, like drinking cooking sherry with a sugar-coated glass. The initial flavor digs well into the gums, and becomes spicy quite quickly. Actually, the spice is quite aggressive, like sucking on a cinnamon stick dipped in pure high wine while chewing through some Red Hots. This calms down after a short time, while light caramel and young corn begin taking over. This continues through the finish, which is dry, but fades very quickly. It really only occurs to me now that, although expectations for this were high, the simplicity behind it makes it easier to detect the differences from the finishing process. The intensity from the Singapore weather created a whiskey that's both hot and aggressive (fitting for cask strength drinkers), but would also benefit greatly from a couple ice cups to cool it down and unlock a few more layers. I still think this is a great first entry for the Tropics series, but the premium is too high for flavors that can be found in similarly priced products, some of which with much higher age statements, if you take the time to search.

Another Limestone Branch trip, another master distiller signed bottle, and another beautiful piece to round out my shelf. Originally I had no interest in this product, mostly because they have another product with "toasted barrel" right on the label. Because of the confusion, I emailed the distillery before this product even released, in order to help clarify the differences, and never received a response. 3+ months later, I happened to be in the area for some other distillery hopping, and couldn't resist stopping by for an updated tour, since I haven't had an official tour in ~6 years. During the tasting, both this product and the "Toasted Barrel" black label product were tasted, definitely with noticeable differences, but the explanation there was what I finally wanted. Apparently the black label product utilized a multi-use barrel from several kinds of spirits, and was never explained when I first purchased that. This toasted "finish" product, on the other hand, was explained as the more traditional aging, then inserting toasted barrel staves to finish it for a short period of time. At the distillery, I was told that American oak was used, but now I see from the Distiller description that many types of staves were used, in addition to American oak. I hope that this mess and lack of information sharing by the distillery is no indication to how the Yellowstone line will be expanding and changing, especially since these new products are all very unique and have noticeably different flavor profiles. The color reflects the classic chestnut brown in the center of the glass, but the meniscus is very light, almost straw or lemony yellow; expected for the 4 year base, but the toasted staves may be responsible for the added lightness. The nose is full of freshly cooked grain, mostly too young but with enough barrel character to add a much-needed sweetness. There are also shockingly specific notes of lemon zest, toasted baking spices, fresh strawberry jam, and some light florality on a creamy, dry finish with a touch of burn from the ethanol. Surprisingly, these are all the basic notes I expected from all the added staves that were used, and I didn't expect all the very different profiles to meld together so well. The body begins with very light flavors, but lacks the watery character found in lighter proofs. Vanilla is one of the first flavors that rises up, alongside light toasted spices and a general florality. The vanilla really continues, with some light caramel alongside it, with the body picking up the spices and gum burn from the ethanol without being unapproachable. All the notes found on the nose from the toasted staves are all tasted in a small amount, but all at once instead of being layered as they were then on the nose. The finish falls off fairly quickly as far as the toasted flavors go, but the original bourbon base sticks around with some young corn, while the rye flavors push into the outer surface of the gums. In the end, it's not that I'm surprised that the toasted stave flavor came through as much as it did, but instead it's shocking how concentrated those flavors are, and how much each type of stave was represented here. Because flavors of the young grain and fresh, still fairly aggressive corn are tasted throughout sips, this leads me to think that perhaps the young overall age of the base bourbon here are what led to the toasted flavors coming through the way they did. My mind naturally wants to compare this to a particular popular wheated bourbon that allows custom staves to be added to a finishing process, but I've never been able to dissect a lot of those added stave flavors from that product as much as I have been here. I'd love to see more finished bourbons and American whiskeys in general, but of those, I'd be more curious to see young base whiskeys used and then letting any additional age time desired to be done with the finishing wood. After all, the longer a whiskey ages, the more character it has by itself, and the more it should never be adjusted from that well-earned journey. All said, if you're looking for a quality toasted finished bourbon (and don't mind a slightly higher proof and body) on the market for a very similar price, go for this, especially over the black label/black sheep "toasted barrel" product from the same distillery.

Privately selected & bottled exclusively for: Log Still Veterans 2023 Barrel number: LSD6998 Bottle number: 132 Proof: 122.77 Something gripped me about the Log Still distillery when I visited them earlier this week. For being nestled quite far in a rural area, it really welcomes people in from a distance, as soon as you see the iconic water tower in the distance. The whole music and event scene is super unique and helps to bring people in, but it always boils down to how the spirits come across, and there was something about the classic Monk's Road bourbon that I had that was impressive in a way that I haven't experienced with other craft American whiskey in quite some time. I took a gamble and went with the last bottle of this single barrel, mostly after learning that it was chosen by all the veterans working at the distillery (I believe it was 13 total vets), and being assured that most of them were Air Force, so it was likely that it was a quality barrel. Life turned even better when I noticed the proof was so high (the highest off all the single barrel batches they offered at the time), which is even further proof that military was involved in the process. For being a young, wheated bourbon with no other specialities used or found in the distilling process, the classic Monk's Road had a well-rounded flavor that steered away from the expected softness and sweetness of most other wheated bourbons. Although this particular single barrel of this whiskey was available for tasting there, I decided to purchase it blind, and we'll see how the Nelson County veterans picked after all. I can't remember if the base Monk's Road was 4 or 6 years aged, but even with the higher age, the color is quite impressive in it's depth, without knowing the size or char level of the barrels. I attribute this to the high absence of excess water, which is further evidenced during the first few smells from the glass. Instead of the ethanol being overbearing and burning the nostrils, it instead helps concentrate the other notes found. The nose is full of the iconic sweet grain smell from a freshly cooked mash that just started fermentation, the same smell that wafted over the whole campus of the distillery while I was there. This may be the best American whiskey that has captured this scent in the final spirit, especially so because of the high concentration from the aforementioned proof. Strangely enough, I also smell iconic cinnamon and spearmint/grass that comes along with rye whiskey, despite none being used here in leiu of the sweeter, softer wheat. Rounding things out, there are also notes of cream soda as well as a slight earthy/smoky smell. First flavors are full of cinnamon and other similar baking spices, but blend alongside the expected soft body created from the wheat. The proof is initially fairly approachable, but quickly moves to scorch the gums, but more on the surface than the penetrating manner that rye usually does. A slight watery earthiness surfaces, and although there is a creamy and an even smaller floral flavor present if I really reach for them, the burning ethanol turns away any sweetness or further flavors, and keeps the mouth hot all the way through the finish and beyond. As compared to the classic Monk's Road bourbon, this is aggressive, hot, and difficult to find any secondary tasting notes... Which makes it a highly desirable spirit for any service member that needs that stiff drink. I won't say I prefer the batched original version over this based on taste alone, but I can say that if you don't desire a more powerful, concentrated craft bourbon flavor in leiu of the more approachable body of the proofed down, batched version, then this single barrel isn't for you. But if that does sound good, this is a very nice price point (I like how Distiller considers ~$60 as 3 out of 5 dollar signs in cost, despite this being very affordable for the craft American whiskey market) that blends the flavors of both rye and wheat based bourbons, despite only using the latter as the flavoring grain. I think this may be too aggressive as a neat drinker, but has an almost infinite excitement for use in cocktails and other ice-based drinks, considering the fresh mash flavor is still present in the core, but just needs a little bit of taming to shine through.

I am very excited to revisit this technically different version of Knob Creek's single barrel cask strength bourbon, now just over 6 years since I first discovered it. The last bottle I had was engraved and had my wife and I's fingerprints on the wax top, and that was back before the new labels were created. We vowed to only drink this special bottle on our anniversary and no other Knob Creek products in the meantime, until our bottle was empty; as of last month, we finally unlocked the ability to revisit the brand. Distiller lists this as a different product than what I had before, although I recall the proof and age being the same, but I truthfully don't remember the stats of my older bottle. Either way, I am looking forward to treating this as an entirely new product anyway, and I'm so excited to finally come back to it, because 120 proof is an excellent proof, and a 9 year bourbon is absolutely unheard of in this current market (well, unless you're a Buffalo Trace "hunter" that chases 10+ year aged products for hundreds of dollars and a massive waste of time), both of which are found at a very attractive price point here. I would love it if the particular barrel stats and info were listed on the bottle, as this is such an easy piece of information to give to provide a much higher collector value to your single barrel products, but I digress. The color is a healthy chestnut brown, not much darker than similar whiskeys aged just a few years less, but noticeable if compared side-by-side. The nose is rich with light caramel, toffee, saltines, and a salty brine. Lesser notes include a bit of lemon zest, cocoa, peanuts, and a bit of lavender. The ethanol is very plain and not at all aggressive, which is surprising for this level. I don't normally like heavily specific tasting or smelling notes, but these honestly jump out to me quickly at this specificity compared to similar American whiskeys (with no additives or barrel finishings), which I think speak to both the professionalism and heritage of the Jim Beam product line. The toffee and caramel flavors are tasted almost immediately when the liquid hits the tongue. A spice begins to build that's mostly from the high proof, but also has easily distinguishable rye, which comes through as flavors of cinnamon, freshly cut grass, and red berries, while penetrating a medium amount through the gums. The finish begins to get a bit dry and nutty, while having a slight citrus note that doesn't quite swell, nor does it go away. Repeated sips do bring about that saltiness that was on the nose, but it's faint and doesn't get in the way of the other flavors. I would like to say this is underwhelming, but that would only be because of my own internally high expectations. This is a fine expression of cask strength/high proof bourbon, although I don't taste flavors or a body that would indicate 9 years of age, which should be pretty noticeable amongst a 4 year or less average in the current American whiskey market. Of course, with big distilleries having flagship products with similar ages (Bulleit, Wild Turkey, etc), it's not unexpectedx for Jim Beam to produce plenty of product lines with age options, but it's a little disappointing to see a single barrel variant amongst those options that doesn't quite stand out as much as the potential says it could. I'd love to try the lower proof batched bourbon from the Knob Creek line as a comparison, because I don't see myself returning to an unlabeled single barrel expression if the flavor alone can't justify the higher cost compared to the batched bourbon.

Ah, Knob Creek, one of the more special relationships I have to a brand. Technically speaking, I haven't had anything other than a particular "anniversary" bottle of their single barrel bourbon since 2017. After my wife and I made a hand-bottled, hand-stamped, engraved bottle of said bourbon our wedding and subsequent anniversary beverage, we swore off all Knob Creek products until that bottle was emptied (except the maple, because duh, and we agreed it "didn't count") . Now, 6 years later, I'm happy to swipe most of the shelf of one of my local liquor stores, and try some more of the brand that basically started it all, as far as our love of spirits. Timing worked out pretty well, too, since the rye age statement just dropped earlier this year. It's certainly not shocking that Jim Beam can produce such a large quantity of one of their more "upscale" brands, but it is surprising that they continue to sell and price it at such an affordable value. This is especially true given our current saturated market of American whiskey, where I'd wager to say at least 75% of rye whiskeys made here are less than 6 years aged. Leave it to the Beam's to dominate the market as far as variety, and with a mid-range proof on top of it all, I feel the Knob Creek line is still doing just fine. The color is fairly dull given the higher age, with more yellow notes than gold. The nose is full of light caramel, faint baking spice (ginger heavy), candied/sweet lemon and orange peel, black cherry, and florality/minerality notes that I can't quite pick out... Is this... Is this an Old Fashioned, somehow? The proof is just right in that it's easy to return for multiple, full inhales, but still delivers that bite inside the nose each time. Intitial flavors include barrel caramel and some raw malt, but develop pretty quickly into the citrus oil from the nose, alongside some grassy and almost earthy notes of the base rye grain. The body is light enough that the building sweetness doesn't feel overpowering or "sticky." A touch of cinnamon is found near the finish, but slightly more powerful, like it has a kick of capsaicin to it. The finish itself falls away a little too quick, and the spiciness from the rye doesn't get too far in the gums, so there's nothing here to really chew on. During my first few sips of this, I thought it was amazing, and most definitely one of my more top-end rye whiskeys. As I continued to drink, however, I thought that, although the flavor and potential is definitely there, perhaps I was simply drinking it incorrectly. Given the higher-than-average age and medium proof, I feel this may be one of those rarer whiskeys that I prefer over ice, as the flavors found while drinking neat weren't powerful enough to last, and fell off the deeper into the glass I went. Nonetheless, for this price point and the unique tastes as compared to most other American whiskeys, not to mention the ability to purchase this almost anywhere (even in Ohio!), it showcases that Knob Creek is still one of Jim Beams best "side brands," and further explains why it's so easy to fall in love with them in the first place.