Tastes

Took a short hiatus from the drink cause of an unpleasant stint with a sinus infection. Once cured I decided to open one of my newest additions to the cabinet. I haven't had any prior knowledge of this brand, but the bottle/label beckoned me. The nose on this contained an inviting cherry and oak essence. Tasting notes consisted of faint cherry which transitioned to the rye spice and leather I was anticipating. This caused the finish to linger and persist in a pleasant manner. Second pour netted a touch of cinnamon and dusted cocoa on both smell and taste respectively. The 111 proof impressively went unnoticed throughout. I'm definitely looking forward to the next pour. Cheers all 🥃

Popped into my local 2 weeks ago and saw this baby sitting on their exclusive shelf. I didn't think I'd encounter another Weller for quite a while. Thankfully, I didn't have to shell an arm and a leg for it either. I couldn't wait to dive right in. Took a few pours over time before deciding to review. After pouring this lovely amber-ish liquid I put my nostrils to work. The aroma was quite pleasant. What stood out most was the leather and apple essences. But I also got hints of cocoa and perhaps butterscotch. The palate received some niceties consisting of caramel, honey, and very subtle green apple that came later. Not too sweet with a peppery spicy kick thrown in. The finish was fairly lengthy. Got the usual corn here and there. I'd say this drinking experience was very much to my liking and recommend others grab a bottle if seen in the wild. I will try and make this bottle last as best I can. Even though it'll be quite a challenge. Cheers everyone. 🥂🥃

Saw this on my recent trip to Vegas. I was quite intrigued to see how this compared to its Kentucky brethren. I didn't have time to purchase one while at the source, but located a recent supply at my local shop. My first impressions were fairly positive. The aromatics yielded a subtle mix of cinnamon/vanilla, maybe cherry, grains, and ETOH. The palate received a warm welcome that dulled a bit with time. This allowed the detection of flavors consisting of fresh corn and said cherries I thought I got on the nose. Rye peppery spice was obvious yet not over the top. Medium sweetness that was honeyed like. Soft hints of leather emerged at times as well. Not too shabby for this spirit born in Sin City. I'm game to try more from this distillery. Hopefully, the Uncut variation comes a knockin' by me. Btw, I am digging the personal photo option to our check-ins. Such a nice touch and addition to our descriptions.

Haven't had too many ryes, but was curious to learn more about the style. What better way than a bottle of Saz. The aroma was interesting with its cherry and vanilla character. Herbal essence as well. My palate extracted mostly vanilla and said herbal qualities with a touch of a waxy like presence. Very much looking forward to making a Manhattan and the popular cocktail this is named after.

Next up from my short Vegas trip was this interesting pour from the Garrison Brothers. Heard good things about this Texas sourced bourbon. My first impression was the very different nose compared to their Kentucky and Tennessee counterparts. Lots of grass and earth up front with hints of honey and malts. The taste was fairly similar and accompanied further by notes of wood, syrup, peppery essence, barley, fruit, and some leather. Definitely not as sweet as most of the ones I've had over time. Which has most likely programmed my palate a bit and rate it somewhat lower than usual. Not to say this isn't good by any means. I sipped and finished 2 ounces of this without a problem. Curious to see what other variations these bros have to offer.

A trip to Vegas gave me the opportunity to try a couple of pours from hard to get bottles locally. First up was this rendition from Weller. It started off with some great aromatics reminiscent of the 12 I have at home. Baking spices and vanilla to be exact. Couldn't wait to see what the first sip would yield. Pros and one significant con to report. Let's start with the good part. A big standout I got compared to the 12 and Full Proof I've tried is the herbal character. Had to take a couple more sips to confirm and it persisted quite well. I dug this. Then came the usual suspects in the lineup namely vanilla, tobacco, and cinnamon. The finish was fairly long and satisfactory. Now onto the con. The one negative aspect I experienced was the bite. I expected some from the level, but it seemed to be an attention seeker from beginning to end. Not a deal breaker, but definitely an issue to me since I love my pours neat. I'm sure a rock or some water would've corrected this, but I prefer not to if possible. The full proof I have didn't have the same effect for me. That aside, I still enjoyed it. On the plus side I know now not to pay secondary for this hehe!

This is my first peek into the Booker's portfolio. Very nice presentation with the wooden box and inscriptions. I used to see these every now and then at my locals, but passed on them for some reason. I'm lucky to have been given this as a gift from the wife for Xmas. I was quite impressed overall. The nose was fairly complex and inviting. It reminded me of an apple turnover dusted with cinnamon. My palate first experienced what can be perceived as red hots from the elevated baking spice character and the uncut proof. When that subsided, notes of charred oak, grilled corn, and subtle leather emerged. The finish was slightly oily and long lasting which was a plus. Sweetness factor was at a minimum too. I very much enjoyed this dram overall and look forward to grabbing a future batch.

My local got a decent shipment of bottles recently. Price was right as well, so I took advantage since it was kind of tough to acquire previously. My first impression was that the name hyped this up quite well. Not saying it was mediocre, but definitely nothing to get all up in arms about. The nose gave off a light yet muddled whiff of baking spice and leather. After a bit, I got wind of some corn. The flavor reflected the nose with a touch of vanilla. After several sips the leather and corn emerged slightly more and persisted onto the finish. Not too sweet. The proof made this very approachable as well. Halfway through the bottle, I can safely say this to be a viable everyday pour in my book. This can also be a potential intro into bourbon for newbies/first timers.

Came across this on the shelf of my local. I wasn't familiar with anything spirit related out of Iowa. The price was competitive and only 2 bottles remained at the time. So I took a chance. Very satisfied with my decision. The nose was intriguing with a mix of vanilla, apple, and floral characters. Upon tasting, I was impressed how smooth this liquid went down considering the 104 proof. In addition, the rye was tastefully done. It came off just a tad spicy, but not over the top. Surrounding the rye was a pleasant combination of nutmeg, honeyed sweetness, and subtle oak. The finish was fairly long and somewhat dry. It contained an essence of caramel/butterscotch. The mouthfeel erred on the oily side. IMHO this was money well spent considering the experience I had and the quality contained within. I will definitely stretch this one out and see how it develops over time.

A surprise Xmas gift from my bro in law. Prior to now, I've never tried any Russell's Reserve let alone Wild Turkey. I always recalled Wild Turkey from my old college days being something cheap to get trashed with. Never indulged in it cause back then vodka and tequila were my hard liquor poisons. Anyways, back to business. Not knowing what to expect, my first impressions were quite positive. The nose was similar to a woodsy vanilla cream scented candle. Oak and said vanilla played a minor role in the flavor mostly due to the dominant cinnamon candy influence that ensued. There was a noticeable sweetness that wasn't cloying, but up there. The finish started off short, but after a few pours became more elongated. This sweetness morphed into a maple essence. Leather subtleties rounded it out well. Some boozy bite that smoothed out quickly. Ice/water was unnecessary unless it's your preference. This won't wow the seasoned drinker, but IMO serves nicely as an everyday drinker.