Tastes
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Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof Rye
Rye — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 23, 2022 (edited June 8, 2023)Orange creamsicle, caramel, cinnamon, pepper. I don't think this is a barely legal rye, but it comes across rather like one. This is quite enjoyable, but for the profile, I think Pikesville is a better value. Among the Wild Turkey core range, while I like WT101 Rye better than WT101 Bourbon, I actually prefer Rare Breed Bourbon to Rare Breed Rye. And Russell's Reserve Rye and Bourbon are both better than their Rare Breed counterparts. Update: this has grown on me, and after a side-by-side with Pikesville, I think this is every bit as good, if not a little better. There’s still a value difference as long as Pikesville can still be found for $40, but I'd have this a slight notch above the Pike. -
Four Roses Private Selection Single Barrel Barrel Strength Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 19, 2022 (edited August 16, 2022)OBSK recipe, 10 years and 1 month, bottled at 52%. On the nose, caramel, Blue Bell Peaches and Homemade Vanilla ice cream, clove, orange peel. The nose is really something. On the palate, starts with rich caramel and vanilla, grilled peach, cinnamon apple, citrus. The spice builds all the way through. The lower proof for a barrel strength gave me pause, but I'm glad I pulled the trigger on this one. The high rye recipe gives this one plenty of pow. I think the regular single barrel already punches well above its price point, but this is in a higher weight class. This is in the 4.25-4.5 range for me, but the Blue Bell ice cream note gives it the edge. Cheers to all the the dads! Update: subsequent tastings have me drop this a quarter point. It seems to have lost much of its spicy kick. This is settling in as more and more like the regular single barrel, which is a great bourbon, but this cost about twice as much. Coming down to 4 stars.80.0 USD per BottleCellar Wine & Spirits -
Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 19, 2022 (edited July 13, 2022)WT101 turned up to 11. Brown sugar, orange peel, tobacco. Best to me with a little splash of water. Falls a little below RRSiB, but it's a solid bourbon, and better than many of the allocated ones not named Stagg. -
Broken Barrel Rare Americana
Other Whiskey — Indiana, USA
Reviewed June 18, 2022 (edited July 31, 2022)This one appreciates some air to open up. Take a whiff and note the sauternes on the nose immediately, along with some heat from the high proof. Come back in 15 and find a hefty dose of caramel corn. The sweet wine seems to recede to the background. The palate brings an immediate dose of spice and charred oak. Honestly, too much. A little too rough with the spice, oak, and high proof. Let's see what happens with some water. Everything is toned down a little. The caramel corn from the nose has come back, and now I'm getting the sauternes again. I'm not sure how well it works though. The main thing it seems to add is more sourness, and it seems out of place. Overall, it's not bad, especially at the sale price of $35, but I'd not feel great about this at the regular price of $70. The nose is my favorite part, but it seems to go a little downhill from there. Update: this has been a slow but steady riser. Each new dram impresses me a little more. The nose is definitely the star of the show - it leaps out of the glass. The finish goes on and on, and the bittersweet spice and sour is different, but growing on me. Update 2: now nearing bottle kill, this is becoming less appealing. It's hot and unbalanced. There continues to be an interesting mix of flavors, but I'm seeing that it's not one that calls out to me very often. Dropping score. Curious how opinion of a bottle can change over the course of consuming. -
Woodinville Straight Bourbon Port Cask Finish
Bourbon — Washington, USA
Reviewed June 18, 2022 (edited February 12, 2024)First time trying anything from Woodinville. Port is really prominent on the nose. Smells like it's going to be a real treat. Grape jam, toasted vanilla. The palate, however, fails to deliver. Really disjointed. Starts with the rich port, then transitions into a rather flat and cheap-tasting bourbon note. Finishes bitter with a lingering cough syrupy quality. Not pleasant at all on the finish. I'd say this is a good example of secondary finishing on bourbon that doesn't work, but in this case it may be that the bourbon isn't great to begin with. Thanks @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for the sample. I was a little worried that my taste appeared so out of line with the average reviewer on this one, but it looks like my taste was somewhat similar to yours. -
Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Seagrass (2022 Release)
Canadian — (bottled in) Kentucky, Canada
Reviewed June 14, 2022 (edited July 31, 2022)I'm kind of a cheeseburger guy - if my body would let me, I could probably eat a cheeseburger daily and be quite content. But I also love on special occasion reverse searing some thick-cut ribeyes. The regular Seagrass is like my cheeseburger, compared to the thick-cut ribeye of the 16-year Seagrass. In a similar way, the regular Seagrass is all about the several distinct and complementary flavors, none of which seem to dominate the others. The 16-year, however, is mostly about the well-aged Canadian rye, with the finishes more in the background and adding complexity. It's definitely a more elegant pour, although being a cheeseburger guy, it's not so simple as saying it blows away the regular Seagrass. They're different, and I really enjoy both, but the preference may come down to whether you're a cheeseburger or a ribeye guy. I'm giving this one a slightly higher mark just on its technical merits, but my enjoyment is fairly equivalent. I'll also say that my second bottle of regular Seagrass doesn't quite have the same magic as the first. I still enjoy it, but the first bottle really hit the spot all the way through. Lastly, thanks a ton to @pkingmartin for the generous sample. Really a special opportunity it was to try this one. -
Inexpensive bottle brought home to me from a friend who visited Nepal. The description says it's a "rare 10-year-old Speyside single malt aged in sherry casks, blended with famous Highland malts matured in bourbon casks." Blended and bottled in Nepal. The nose is honey, apple, dried fruit. The palate hits with a lot of vanilla and brown sugar and finishes with honey and dried fruit. A little orange peel. Maybe the tiniest wisp of smoke. It's quite sweet, bordering on artificially sweet. I wouldn't be shocked if I learned that this has a little sweetener added, vanilla sweetener especially. It's surprisingly drinkable, however. I don't know what else might be available to buy in the price range at a Nepali liquor store, but I'm sure there are worse choices. For whatever reason, this hits me as about on the level of Jameson Black Barrel, maybe slightly lower.
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New Riff Single Barrel Barrel Proof Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 11, 2022 (edited March 4, 2023)Bottle kill on a bottle I picked up on vacation in Missouri. Bottled at 55.85%. The bump in proof from the last bottle I tried gave this a little more pop. Brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, and a big dose of spicy cinnamon on the finish. Maybe a hint of orange peel. Sweet with not much complexity, but it's an easy sipper. I'm quite impressed with this for only 4 years in a barrel. At $50, I think you could do much worse.50.0 USD per Bottle -
Tullibardine 500 Sherry Finish
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed June 5, 2022 (edited December 20, 2022)This was acquired by way of whisky pull at a benefit event. It's not one I've tried, so I'm not disappointed, although it's probably not one I would go out and buy otherwise. The nose is tangy green apple, vanilla, and something a little musty. The palate follows suit with much the same. Fairly creamy texture. The little musty funk goes back and forth between feeling like an off note and feeling like it gives this a little more interest than I might have in this otherwise. The finish goes pretty flat and then I taste more of the sherry casks, which don't seem especially impressive. As far as value, I think this is in the ballpark of a decent blended scotch and would hope that it's priced accordingly. -
Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Rye
Rye — Kentucky , USA
Reviewed June 3, 2022 (edited August 1, 2023)Very Turkeyesque on the nose, along with some mint, pine, vanilla sugar. On the palate just really pleasant all the way through. Sweet, but not cloying. The proof is right. Caramel, vanilla, rye on finish with a little mint and dill. Not super woody, but it doesn't taste young at all. Great balance. I'm a Wild Turkey fan, so I was sure I'd like this. And I do. It's an easy rye to enjoy. Thumbs up.
Results 181-190 of 395 Reviews