Tastes

I had forgotten that I bought a little taster of this while traveling to this distillery, but I'm glad I did, because I despise wheat distillate in any form, but haven't had an actual high mash percentage wheat whiskey to seal the thought. I know this distillery places a lot of care into their spirits, and although there is no age statement with this and the color suggests a very young final product, a 95% mash bill of wheat should really showcase the flavor of the grain. As a side note, I did find a Distiller entry for this spirit already, but with no less than 3 discrepancies entered, found it easier to make a new, correct entry than wait for Distiller to care about quality control. The color is golden with a hint of amber on the edges, and since their rye whiskey and bourbon from this distillery have much darker colors, I would guess this is a second or third use barrel, and not aged long enough to develop any color depth. The nose is malty like that of a single malt whiskey, but does actually have some vanilla and caramel sweetness from the barrel. There's a hint of wheat-based cereal, like Mini Wheats, and an even smaller hint of tropical fruit and banana behind that. The ethanol is slightly more potent than expected at a 90 proof point. The body is quite light, and turns into a predicted soft, young wheat/malt flavor after a few seconds. Just when I thought this is what the flavor would be through to the finish, a spiced, slightly heavier body comes to the forefront and creates a hot rye-like spice around the tongue and the front of the gums. With so much wheat and no rye in the mash, I'm shocked that the finish burns even hotter and deeper, especially since the proof is so much lower; this easily tastes like 110 proof or more. Even with this heat, this pairs nicely with another sip, as each new sip almost "cools down" the pallete. It takes a few minutes, but there is a very minute banana/clove Hefeweizen-like whisper of a note on the deep finish. This really was not what I was expecting for a wheat whiskey, and makes me wonder if this is an accurate representation of high percentage wheat whiskey overall. A lot of similarities to malt/barely and rye grain are both tasted and smelled, and with almost exclusively wheat in this mix, it's shocking that the softer, creamy, sweet flavors normally found in this grain are actually the least dominant. I'm not confident on how this would taste when mixed, so I wouldn't buy a full size bottle, not at least until I've tried a few more high percentage mash wheat whiskeys, which unfortunately are much harder to find in general, let alone in small 50ml bottles or at a bar where they're cheaper to sample.

Despite how difficult it usually is to find Whistlepig products, I continuously see this new bourbon in some of the worst liquor stores in Ohio, but ironically not so much the Piggyback rye. I think Whistlepig trying a bourbon is a great idea, especially to round out the market while still staying true to their rye specialty. Having said that, I hope that this is one of their very few products that isn't sourced, so we can finally see what the distillery is capable of other than buying and bottling other distilleries products. Even still, 6 years and 100 proof on a bourbon is a pretty decent combo, and may have some legs to stand against some other craft distilleries, so long as the "super high" corn mash bill doesn't overpower on the sweet side. #3 charred barrels seems like a great choice to even out some sweetness, though, while still providing the classic bourbon taste notes. Finally, the large, out-of-place "100%" in gold print on the back label has absolutely no context and makes no sense, but is very negligible if the liquid inside distracts enough. The color is quite light upon first glance, but not too far off considering the char and age time used. The nose is definitely full of sweet and candy, like those homemade chocolate or caramel bourbon balls you can find at some craft distilleries or even during the tours. Some of the raw corn can also be detected, but is not as harsh as much younger bourbons. The ethanol is hot, but doesn't burn through the nose, and is very well balanced. This same ethanol makes it very difficult to detect any rye, and without an actual mash bill, I can only hope the taste gives more insight. The body is extremely light at first, tasting weaker than most 80 proof products, but becomes spicier after a few more sips. The sweetness that was smelled is still here, but is much less potent alongside the light body; the chocolate is prominent, next to vanilla and some caramel. The rye is not tasted on the tongue, but instead inside a medium penetration of the gums long after the finish. Speaking of finish, it's full of semi-dry oak and somehow some malt that causes the end flavor to be more like a single-malt or blended whiskey that's been finished in several different bourbon barrels to concentrate that flavor aspect. All things considered, this costs a little bit more than what I would expect for a baseline, flagship craft distillery whiskey, and yet it delivers considerably less of an experience even if it were priced appropriately. The Piggyback line had already been established by this brand as their mixing whiskey, but whereas the rye whiskey nails this expectation and then some, the bourbon is far too weak to enjoy neat, and would likely fall apart in most cocktails as well. I would try it in cocktails where you need that sweet whiskey flavor, but would never make it the highlight; things like a bourbon smash or hot toddy would work well, but I'd never reach for this when making an old fashioned or mint julep. Even still, if I needed a bourbon with a wide palate like this, I would purchase one of at least a dozen other competitors that would deliver that flavor for a fraction of the price.

Batch 3 Bottle 329 My second purchase from Bluegrass Distillers during my recent trip, this one was my favorite out of all of their rye whiskeys. I loved the unique barrel finishing in the whole line, most of which I have never seen another distillery use for finishing any kind of spirit, let alone whiskey. The friend I was with enjoys his wine more than spirits, and he really enjoyed the sauternes finished rye because it imparted enough from the secondary cask for him to pick up on some familiar flavors. I'm not sure what the deal is with the identity crisis between Bluegrass Distillers and Midway Distilling Company, which further confuses me since all Midway ryes are sourced from MGP, and then bottled in Lexington rather than Midway, KY, where they'll soon be moving to. Still, since I make a lethal amount of Manhattans, this was an instant hit with me, and I can't wait to play around with portioning and adjuncts when I inevitably make one (or three) later tonight. An impressively dark color for 5 years, but some of that must come from the secondary barrel; it may be placebo, but it seems like there's a tint of ruby or maroon throughout as well. The nose is concentrated, but very calm for 110 proof. It sounds cliché, but all the notes from a good Manhattan are here: deep, black Luxardo cherry, bitter and floral fortified sweet wine, and cinnamon as well as grass from the rye. There's additional notes of wet earth, milk chocolate, and a touch of leather, but overall easily painting a cocktail mental picture. The initial body is very hot, and gives off notes of wet earth and mushroom, but is too hot otherwise to taste anything else at first. Softer oak, not quite toasted but not heavily charred, as well as classic grass and extra spicy cinnamon are tasted after more sips. The rye spice is felt deep into the gums, but is more focused at the front of the mouth rather than moving all throughout. The earth flavor continues, with some floral and more concentrated botanical notes fighting for the spotlight, but are being shot down by a very powerful and spicy ethanol-fueled finish. Maybe I didn't detect it at the distillery because I was already acclimated from some other samples by the time I got to this one, but the body on this one is almost too hot and powerful to enjoy neat. It's still quite a tasty rye (MGP knows how to make a goddamn proper rye whiskey), and definitely has detectable flavor from the finishing barrel (as does the rest of the Midway line), but still just a tad too high of a price point for me to easily come back to it. I would feel better if I were showcasing a small distillery's product, but I could buy good MGP rye whiskey from dozens of other competitors for much cheaper, albeit not having used finishing barrels. I'm hoping that Bluegrass/Midway/whatever continues this line with their own product, where I will excitedly wait to see what other casks/barrels will be used for finishing at that time. In the meantime, I'm still very excited to craft many Manhattans with this, or even just throw an ice cube in to calm down some of the harshness.

It's not that I don't enjoy white dog, but they usually taste far too similar to each other given that most American whiskey distillers use the same mash bill, in addition to them not usually bottling and selling it. I loved the taste of this one from the still, and was even offered a taste of it at this proof point, and thought that this mash bill offered a noticeable sweetness that was still neutral enough to be used as a vodka substitute (or so I'm hoping). Plus, it is always nice to support a small distillery that makes great products and hires great people (shout out the Stephan, who gave a fantastic tour and tasting). The color is just barely not clear, and seems to have a tiny touch of a pale yellow in it. I wondered when I saw "aged less than 30 days" on the bottle, if they perhaps filled some barrels and then changed their minds about it a few weeks later, but wouldn't that make it a different product if you aged it? Either way, the nose has a lot of sweet corn, but is a much softer sweetness that I assume is due to the wheat. I am not sure what to expect from blue corn specifically, but there's a large note of fruity cereal that I have smelled before on moonshine, so I wonder how just these grains can bring such a sweetness that is normally a result of added sugar. Funny enough, the initial body is so light that I thought I may have mistakenly added water, but it does build quickly and stay around after the first sip. Sweet corn, a touch of baking spice, and a decent amount of that fruity cereal note from before, but not enough to be overwhelming or take over the entire palate. The gums start to spice up, but the hotness stays focused at the center of the mouth, allowing a more concentrated flavor that never makes it to the corners of the palate. The finish is fairly hot and sweet, but still heavily focused on the corn itself instead of an artificial sweetness. I don't keep any vodka around just because I find it too neutral and can usually find a way to use gin in it's place; most of the time flavors get enhanced using gin, whereas vodka seems to be used only to get drunk off of juice and mixers. This white dog has a potent body and nice sweetness that makes it a little too aggressive and plain for drinking neat, but should be a welcome vodka substitute that can sweeten drinks without overpowering the mixers, and would be a nice choice for those who don't enjoy the botanical flavor of gin. If this was a 750ml bottle at this price, I may have even picked up 2 of them, but the price is definitely too high for an unaged spirit at this volume.

It has been quite some time since any bottle was picked off the shelf as quickly as I did this one. Limestone Branch is definitely one of the most special distilleries in my heart and mind, and a single malt whiskey really shows creativity and a desire to showcase their unique profile through a different perspective. I especially love that this particular liquor store placed this next to the standard Yellowstone bourbon, which really made the beautiful teal color scheme pop. Once I got this home and isolated it on the "tasting queue" section of my shelves, it became apparent that this is certainly one of the most beautiful labels on the market, especially on such a simple bottle style. It hurt to take the teal cork paper off, but I prefer it all the way off rather than just hanging around, so oh well. Anyway, it's very intriguing that this distillery's first single malt whiskey is presented at the highest proof amongst any of their flagship products, but also at the least amount of aging (to my knowledge). In fact, this very well may be the youngest single malt whiskey I've ever had, American or otherwise; perhaps single malt whiskies can thrive at a young age after all. I am going into this with very little background experience or research, but am still just as excited to try it as I was to buy it. A very light golden-orange color that has hints of darker hues from the barrel in the center, but is still overall very light and bare. The nose is very layered, with raw barley and honey up front, cereal and cinnamon through the middle, & cacao and grass through the finish. All of this is approachable on the nose given the higher proof, and reminds me more of what I would smell from a rye rather than a single malt whiskey. My first sip is confusing, as the body initially tastes very light, but the proof starts to work fairly quickly by spicing up the palate. The barley is easily tasted up front, but is so raw and aggressive that the flavor is reminding me more of a white dog combined with just a touch of unaged rum rather than any kind of whiskey. The proof ensures that this raw flavor continues for quite some time, and doesn't allow many other notes through. I can tell there's a slight fruitiness and an even smaller tropical note that I get a whisper of at the very beginning, but isn't allowed to shine through over the younger aged grain. The finish is hot, and penetrates the gums somewhat, but burns the roof of my mouth more than anything else. No contest: this is a unique whiskey not only for Limestone Branch, but in the American whiskey market as a whole. However, it's far too young, and has been presented in the inverse of what it should be; a higher age and lower proof is what should have occurred. This is a little too "unique" to be used for most cocktails, and I am thinking it will be on my shelves for quite some time since it's also equally difficult to drink neat. I wouldn't buy this again, especially at this price point for their youngest product, but I would be interested in any single barrel variations that may come out, especially/mostly if they are aged longer than the base product.

Rickhouse site: Bernheim Warehouses: 1E and 1J 2023 Class of American-Made Heroes who selected this batch: Chaz Koch - USN Susan Wagner - USN (ret.) Mandy Hazelton - USAF (ret.) Brian Barber - USMC David McCracken - USA (ret.) Laura Jeanne - USA Thank you for your service, and cheers. A bit of a spin on the usual American Hero tradition from Evan Williams; I did a quick double take when I first saw it before I realized it wasn't in fact the Black Label. The "2023 annual release" on the label makes me think I've missed previous years of the 1783, but this is the first time I remember seeing it, and I always keep an eye out for it since it's one of very few distillery products that honor military members. It's also nice to have found it in a standard 750ml bottle, since I'm fairly certain the American Hero Black Label only comes in 1.75L bottles, although the larger size feels like a great honor to the military in my experience. I haven't had 1783 in quite some time, so I'm looking forward to the re-review, and hoping these vets chose some quality barrels. A very light color, closer to straw on the outer edges, with a hint of chestnut in the middle; still somewhat darker than Black Label, though. It's worth mentioning at this point that I turned my recently direction-switched ceiling fan on (which now blows down), which has been filling the room with beautiful rickhouse-like scent; I'll never not do this again. Speaking of scent, I get some very low ethanol up front, but the fumes get stronger with repeated smelling. A bit of cinnamon candy and grass combine with raw oak and a neutral vegetativity. There's a floral note as I pull off the glass, but I can't place it, as the ethanol burns it off each time I try. The flavor starts off so light and mild that I would instantly guess this is a Speyside scotch. However, classic cinnamon and grass notes from fresh rye very quickly spice up the tongue and dig into the gums. The body is still light, with a raw oak flavor rising up behind the rye, but the sweetness of it is missing, instead being replaced by a bitter charcoal note. The finish is more spice from the rye, being tasted more in the gums than on the tongue, and is easily approachable without a burn from the slightly higher proof. A few minutes later brings up a slight taste of roasted peanuts, which I usually note from heavier charcoal filtering. Although I won't try now, I believe this is one of few whiskeys that likely taste better with some ice. I do remember 1783 being very underwhelming, and only slightly better than Black Label or White Label, but not quite as deep as the single barrel. However, considering there is only a small window to purchase this and the Black Label American Hero version each year, and the price is hardly different, it's still an excellent, patriotic way to honor two of greatest groups of people in this country: our military and bourbon distillers. Cheers to my fellow brothers and sisters. Hoping for some other distilleries to pick up on this tradition.

I've made a link to the specific BLACK NOISE playlist used on this whiskey, which I am listening to in it's entirety during this review. Drink along: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlLK8agEj0UdPZyvjR0Mzb2cSYCBf5obU&feature=share In celebration of Metal (Metallica) Monday, in addition to Metallica's upcoming newest full-length album to be released on Friday, I am so happy to support these ageless metalheads any way that I can. When I first saw this behind the counter, I only saw "Blackened" and then "Wes Anderson" before the price tag made for a hard pass. It also didn't help that I also thought Wes Anderson was an actor or other musician that I wasn't aware of or didn't care for. A few days later, during a sleepless night of gaming, I came across an article of this release, and became very excited about the potential connection with Angel's Envy. Despite their slight pretentiousness, Angel's Envy definitely led the barrel finishing game, especially in the iconic port wine barrel. Had I not have already had the American and rye expressions, I probably wouldn't have readily bought their first bourbon, especially at this price tag (which unfortunately isn't far off for the craft market at this age level). I'm not surprised that we weren't given the mash bill nor the finishing time, but with a 6 year age statement, cask strength, barrel finished, badass BLACK NOISE enhanced bourbon here, I think there's good reason to be excited. The color is fantastic, and although the body looks quite light in the sun, the hue is almost a deep rust with notes of crimson or even violet, and looks more like a high aged brandy than a fairly young whiskey. The nose is kind of unexpected, starting with medium ethanol burn, before turning into an earthy, watery, mossy note, like that of compost made entirely of red berries and grapes. The oak is surely present, but is more dry than sweet, really hiding the traditional caramel or vanilla from the bourbon barrel in leiu of more toasted and earthy notes. The ethanol really hits hard up front; be careful with the air flow on this one. The same earthiness from before seems to be the first flavor, but less watery and yeasty, instead tasting like mushroom cooked down with some black pepper. There's some rye around the gums, but only in the front, stopping around the teeth and not moving into the back of the mouth like higher rye content typically does. Speaking of rye, though, once I focus on it, it has a really hot and powerful spearmint flavor to it, like eating a slice of seeded light rye bread while chewing spearmint gum; if only there was more of this taste. The finish is hot as hell, and so far makes it hard to figure out where the port wine finishing comes into play as far as taste. A few more sips starts to reveal more and more raw grain, which is surprising that it's not more mellowed, especially at 6 years. There's the smallest little taste of sweet grape in the mouth before I swallow or breathe, and I think it may be this and the sweet, raw corn flavor near the finish that is the only tasted result of the port wine barrel. At the end of the day, this is a good tasting whiskey and a fun way to support not only one of the best metal bands still alive (we'll see what 72 Seasons has to say about that), but also a unique collaboration with a top bourbon distillery, especially with Metallica trying their hand at port wine finishing in Angel Envy's honor. I can't get over how cool the BLACK NOISE process is, and think it's even cooler that there is not only a different playlist for every whiskey expression so far, but that those track lists are released to the public to listen (and drink) along. Does all of that justify this price tag? Barely, and that's only because most of us have gotten used to the huge inflation of this market, with no way to fight back so far. I did see some other shops selling this for upwards of $135, and although some will pay that without thinking, I feel good about getting this at what Blackened asked for as MSRP, and feel this is more worth it than some of their previous offerings, "limited edition" or otherwise. Although I may not always reach for and drink Metallica, they'll live forever in my headphones and speakers. 🤘

Barrel house: 2-29 Barrel number: 23-01721 Bottling date: 03MAR2023 ABV: 63.35% Now this is just plain neat. Firstly, it's awesome that Jack Daniel's offers both a proofed down and cask strength single barrel with no frills, and that they include barrel information on the label (a shockingly sparse feature in most American whiskey today). Second, the price points of both are very refreshing, and the distribution is very plentiful. I had only recently heard of the cask strength version of this single barrel, and it was right before a co-worker of mine was making a training trip down to the Nashville, TN area. I asked him to keep an eye out for this particular product while he was there, but as he gave up the drink decades ago, I didn't have high hopes on him searching. Funny enough, in just a few days time after he departed, I had probably seen this bottle for sale in half a dozen local liquor stores, most of which were not known for carrying niche or craft spirits. In all that, I had to think if it was just Jack Daniel's or the Tennessee whiskey genre in general that has their shit together, as most other American whiskey distilleries cling to allocation and hyper-small batching and aging. Remember: the best whiskey to buy is the one you can ACTUALLY buy, i.e. that's actually on a shelf. The color of the actual spirit is beautiful, like a deep chestnut brown, while the eyes draw towards the gold labeling, which is a perfect visual accent. The nose starts with decent ethanol, slightly less than expected based on the proof, while the sweet oak leads the charge. The sweetness smells more generic, like plain sugar as opposed to the classic vanilla or caramel, which pairs nicely with the underripe banana note below this one. Jack Daniel's usually has such a distinct charcoal scent, but the barrel proof really calms this down; although still present, the nutty, bitter charcoal that's expected is now very minute. The body here is quite hot, and requires some decent acclimation before the flavors come through, but I am also noticing quite the oily texture surfacing, although more towards the finish. Around all the hot air, the banana really coats the mouth, as well as some fresh cherry shortly behind it. The oak is calmer and more pure here; less sweetness in lieu of astringency and floral notes, but this compliments the full-bodied fruit from before, as opposed to competing with it. The charcoal flavor has been here the whole time, it simply tastes different (less nuttiness and more floral) and is approached from a new perspective at this proof level, or perhaps simply in this barrel. The oiliness needs to be mentioned once more, just because it's this quality above all others that separates standard Jack Daniel's and this very high proof version. Sure, the different single barrels impart different complexities each time, but this cask strength is a unique and lovely perspective of this popular Tennessee whiskey. If you're a fan of Jack Daniel's and wish they were more into the craft side or had something with more depth than good ol' No. 7, absolutely go for the single barrel. Be wary with the cask strength, as the potency could turn off some that aren't used to this level. Still, as you can usually find both proofs sitting next to each other in a good number of liquor stores, all you need to worry about is your taste, cost, and ABV preference, knowing that either will impress you regardless.