Tastes

The nose is lemon vanilla poundcake. There’s also a good bit of ethanol, which is surprising to me for 29 years in a barrel. There’s an underlying note of rubbing alcohol that detracts, although it does seem to dissipate as it sits out. There’s a berry note there. I don’t notice any oak, and the color of the whiskey suggests it didn’t pick up much, again despite 29 freaking years in a barrel. Are we sure the barrel was wood, and not stainless steel? The palate is nicer than I expected. The lemon vanilla poundcake comes through. Doesn’t taste as hot as it noses. The flavors actually really appeal to me, reminding me of my mother-in-law’s lemon vanilla poundcake. I can taste the crusty sugar, dense cake, along with what seems like limoncello drizzled over the top. A little bit of the rubbing alcohol note comes back on the finish, along with some lemon pith. Interesting how much this differs from the 28 year-old North British. Actually, between the two I prefer this one. Really a joy to try both of these old grain whiskies. Thank you @ContemplativeFox for the samples!

The nose is sugar crusted oak, that is to say oak with a sweetness over the top. There’s something slightly vegetal, but burnt. I get the sense that this may be more oak than I care for, but we’ll see. The nose is quite interesting, and I spent probably more time nosing than I typically do smelling this one. The palate shows lots of wood. Layers of wood upon wood. There’s some of the sweetness, some vanilla maybe, and then some more wood. It’s a little much for me, but in small doses it’s quite an experience. Wood flavored candy or candied wood? Probably not one I’d care to repeat, but I am exceedingly grateful for the opportunity to try. Thank you @ContemplativeFox for the sample!

I previously had a taste of an older bottling which had been bottled at 40%. I remember it having a more noticeable peat presence than this one. This was a taste of a new bottling at a friend’s house. Sherry, honey, raisin. Dark chocolate and somewhat drying on the finish. Maybe the slightest wisp of smoke, but it’s subtle. I think this is good, but I also kept wishing there was more peat as I was remembering (misremembering?) the older version.

Obligatory banana note on the nose. Then caramel and nuts. Peanut. Vanilla cream. Dusty wood, cedar, pecan shells. Seems a little hotter on the nose than I think it should be for 50%. On the palate, the sweetness of the typical JD profile is somewhat muted, which I appreciate. Banana nut bread. Some fruit, apple, apricot. I can get some of the rye especially on the finish. Cinnamon and nutmeg. Maybe some honey coming from the malt. I like this better than the new Bonded release. More interesting, less sweet. I also like this at the $28 I paid for the liter size bottle. Wouldn't likely rebuy at the normal going rate, which around here seems to be $45+. But I'll enjoy this bottle.

The nose has bruleed peach, black licorice, cherry saltwater taffy, dark chocolate. The palate is full of fruits, cherry, cranberry, peach, candied ginger, dark chocolate, Christmas spices. The finish is maybe a smidge more bitter than I would like. Maybe. @DrRHCMadden was spot on with the description of this as the autumn whisky to the springtime Sauternes finish. I think I prefer the springtime Sauternes, but it may be that the lingering Oklahoma heat going into October hasn't got me feeling autumny yet. Still, this is quite enjoyable. Lovely rose color. The proof is appreciated. The texture is good. Seems like Arran can do no wrong.

On the nose, roasted corn on the cob glazed with pineapple juice. Agave, somewhat reminiscent of tequila. The palate is fairly dry and somewhat vegetal, although there's some corn sweetness in there too, especially on the finish. More roasted corn cob on the back end as well. This is the second Mexican whiskey I've tried, the first being Abosolo, which I tried at a resort in Mexico last year. Neither have really impressed me, although I'm always thrilled to try something new. Thank you to @ContemplativeFoxfor the sample!

Admission up front: I saw a number of what seemed like middling reviews before trying, so was expecting to be at least a little underwhelmed. Also, I'm not the biggest Irish whiskey fan. Outside of Redbreast Cask Strength, I haven't been that impressed. But I also think I'm beginning to appreciate the subtle nuances of Irish whiskey, so there's some hope. The nose starts strong like many Irish whiskies do (the palate is usually where the let-down is for me). There's an unexpected big dose of dark caramel - the bourbon barrels seem to be playing an outsized role initially. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then comes tropical fruit, then red fruit. Pineapple, green banana, toasted coconut, assorted berries, covered in vanilla whipped cream. Shortbread cookie. Some clove, maybe nutmeg. Solid nose, but let's see about the palate. The palate actually does not disappoint. I suspect the higher proof helps here. All the flavors on the nose seem to deliver on the palate. There's some nice depth, and the flavors are well balanced. One can pick out a lot here and not be overwhelmed with one or two notes. For quality control, I did a small lineup with a couple other Irish whiskies from the cabinet. This was easily better than Knappogue 12 Marchesi finish. Compared to Redbreast Cask Strength, I thought the nose on this was better. The palate of the RB did have a bigger punch of flavor - owing I'm sure to the higher proof, but this had more depth and interest. Is this as good as Redbreast Cask Strength? I don't know, maybe. Seemed to hold up in the mini-tasting I did. But I was also half-expecting this to be ho-hum, so maybe it was helped by low expectations. The value is a little dubious, considering this seems to retail around $130 in the states, if you can even find it. The last bottle of RBCS I bought for $65, but I think those days are over, as it seems to be $90+ anywhere I see it now. I picked this up for $110, so the value difference isn't quite as big, and ultimately I'm pleased at that price. 4.25 - 4.5 range.

Special release Summer Solstice Edition of the Harbinger Tri-barrel. The three barrels range in age from 5-6 years. Made with bloody butcher and purple corn. Two barrels of American oak, one of European oak. Cask strength, 62.6%. Picked up at the distillery Sept 2022. The nose already has me reaching for some of the better bourbons in the cabinet to compare. Lots of cherry, even brandied cherries. Maybe a little singed orange peel. Dusty oak. Underneath, there is a little of the signature Texas funk that I liken more to the kind I get from Garrison Cowboy. This comes across as a sort-of mashup of Stagg Jr Batch 15's big cherry notes with the bold Texas bourbon of Garrison Cowboy. This is one that can be enjoyed on the nose for some time before taking a sip. The palate comes through with loads of cherry, berry. Fruit bomb is right. Then rich caramel, before coming back to fruit again. The back end brings some baking spice and woody notes. Maybe clove, allspice. Lingers. I did a little compare with Stagg Jr. and Cowboy, and this held up well to both. I think I settled on Cowboy #1, this #2, and Stagg #3, but the order could change by the day and mood, as they're all great bourbons. Really pleased with this one.

Batch 5, reported to be 6+ year MGP high rye bourbon mixed with a small proportion of Ironroot Harbinger bourbon, then finished in Armagnac casks. Purchased at the distillery Sept 2022. Fruit on the nose - plum, grape skins, orange rind, followed by burnt sugar, vanilla. The palate shows brown sugar over baked apple, apricot, sweet tobacco. The rye of the MGP is evident in the mix. The finish has a little bit of a dark chocolate bitterness that rides out with some baking spice and brown sugar. This is something like the kid brother of Bardstown Laubade. It’s younger MGP and the Armagnac casks are likely younger as well. But it’s well-balanced - the finish doesn’t overpower the bourbon, but gives another layer of complexity. It’s definitely not at the level of the Bardstown, and it’s probably a notch below Joseph Magnus, but at $65 for the bottle, I’d do it again.

This review is for the 2022 release, purchased at the distillery Sept 2022. Aged at least 40 months. I understand it’s a blend of corn whiskey and bourbon, but the blend changes with each batch. The nose is quite minty. There’s vanilla pudding, orange peel, some cherry, and some oak notes. A little of the Texas funk comes through, which also carries through to the palate. The palate shows much of the same as the nose. Seems like there’s maybe more rye here than I remember hearing about in this one, or maybe there’s something else like a finishing barrel in here that I missed. The funk is not overwhelming, but it definitely has a Texas whiskey characteristic that’s noticeable. Woody. A little youthiness seems to show up particularly towards the finish. I actually quite enjoy this, but it’s not one I would recommend for someone looking for a Kentucky bourbon profile. Texas whiskey in all its variations is kind of its own thing, which I tend to like, but I also know it’s somewhat polarizing.