Tastes
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Whiskey Del Bac Classic Unsmoked
American Single Malt — Arizona, USA
Reviewed December 12, 2021 (edited December 26, 2021)Tasted blind at whiskey night with friends. I thought it was a scotch, comes across like a highland to me. I know it's the unsmoked version, but there seemed to be a little smoke hiding in there. Maybe it's just the Tuscon heat. Quite good, would like to try again. -
Bottled at 62+% ABV. I believe this comes from Barton, bottled in Memphis. On the nose I get vanilla and green apple. Surprising to me, not a lot of ethanol on the nose for what I believe is only 3-4 year old bourbon. The palate is buttery caramel and the apple shows there as well. A little warmth going down, but drinks lower than its proof. Young and not particularly complex, but definitely not bad at only 42$. Between this and the Riverset Rye barrel pick, I prefer the Rye.42.0 USD per Bottle
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Remus Repeal Reserve Series V (2021 Medley)
Bourbon — Indiana , USA
Reviewed December 4, 2021 (edited December 27, 2021)Really exceptional bourbon. The nose is toffee, vanilla, oak. The palate follows suit, but the finish surprises with dark chocolate-covered strawberry and spice that lingers. Despite there being some quite old bourbons in this blend, the oak isn't as prominent as Russell's 13 from earlier this year. Deep and complex - I think there's a lot to pick out here if you take some time with it, but it's also straight-forwardly good and super easy to drink. Could stand to have a bit higher proof maybe. -
Russell's Reserve Private Barrel Selection
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed December 3, 2021 (edited July 13, 2022)Bottle shows distilled 12/12 and dumped 9/21. I don't have a regular single barrel to compare, but I'm not picking up any notable differences. Same price, same proof, same great taste. Really great bourbon - one of my regular faves, but I'm thinking these are pretty interchangeable and consistent. -
Tried a few weeks ago. I quite like this although it’s not without some quirks. First, the nose is full of ethanol - seems to singe the nose hairs if you get too close. The palate isn’t as hot, but it’s rough on the nose. I let a pour sit out for about 45 minutes, and it was significantly improved, but that’s not always feasible. The other thing, which I enjoyed, but I could imagine being somewhat off-putting to some, is that there’s a floral note in this. My friend called it rosemary, which he said his florist relative sprayed on fresh flowers to make them smell more “flowery.” I didn’t get an impression quite that specific, but definitely identified an herbal/floral note. I wonder if that’s coming from the rye content. Otherwise, pretty classic bourbon notes, and the higher proof is always appreciated by me.
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This has the distinct Johnnie Walker backbone with a smidge of peat lurking - more so than I pick up in the green label, but less than black. The rye presence is felt in a little more sweetness than I typically find in single malts, and a touch of rye spice. Comes across as more scotch than rye, but the rye is definitely noticed. I enjoyed this as I typically do with most JW blends.
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Flóki Young Malt Sheep Dung Smoked Reserve
Single Malt — Iceland
Reviewed November 30, 2021 (edited March 7, 2022)A friend of a friend brought this home from Iceland. Smells and tastes like wet grass that’s been sitting in a trash can for a week in the hot summer sun. On the front of the palate the malt is not bad, but then comes the funky wet barnyard grass. It’s certainly distinct and somewhat interesting, and not as completely unpleasant as it sounds, but you’re definitely not asking for a refill. -
Stagg Jr Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch 1
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed November 21, 2021 (edited July 13, 2022)Managed to get a bottle of Weller 12 in an allocated whiskey sale for 50$, which I then traded for the Stagg Jr., batch 15. I probably could’ve gotten a little more in a trade, based on secondary values, but I wasn’t trying to be greedy and was thrilled to get a bottle of Stagg for 50$. First time to try Stagg of any batch. Wish I didn’t like this as much as I do. Wish I could say I prefer JDSBBP or OF1920 since I can find them easily. ECBP is at least a worthy competitor, and I would rate RR13 a hair higher than this, but this is really good. It’s got all the good stuff of caramel/brown sugar, vanilla, oak, and finishes with stewed cherries. There’s a little heat, but very restrained for 65%+ ABV. Sometimes I’m afraid a Buffalo Trace product lives up to the hype. -
Union Horse Barrel Strength Reunion Rye
Rye — Kansas, USA
Reviewed November 17, 2021 (edited July 19, 2022)This particular bottle is just under 6 years old and bottled at 123.6 proof. Somewhat austere. Not much sweetness, very herbal, anise, dill, some cinnamon. It’s also got a leathery character that reminds me of Knob Creek. I prefer some corny sweetness or fruit to counter the herbal rye flavors. Not bad, but not great either. I’d feel better about this at 40-45$ versus the 60 that I paid, although I do like supporting the smaller craft distillers. Update: my rating of this has decreased with each subsequent taste. I was hopeful this would open up some, but it is tough to drink, and doesn't work in cocktails.60.0 USD per Bottle -
High West A Midwinter Night's Dram
Rye — (bottled in) Utah, USA
Reviewed November 17, 2021 (edited December 1, 2021)Dark fruit on the nose and front end. The palate transitions to a classic herbal profile and finishes with a touch of both. The herbal rye provides a good foil for the fruity port finish. A really nicely done whiskey, although for interesting barrel-finished eyes, I prefer the Barrell Seagrass.89.0 USD per Bottle
Results 281-290 of 389 Reviews