Tastes
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Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Wheated Bourbon (2024 Release)
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed November 29, 2024 (edited November 30, 2024)Appearance- amber with many slow running legs. Coats the glass thick like honey. Nose- Ripe berries with a musty, leathery smell, must likely from the corn. The nose is a bit muted, but give it a moment and it becomes floral with honeysuckle flowers. Palate- thick and coating, I get honey covered berries, cream, and a bit of melon- musky like cantaloupe. Very little burn but a nice even finish. Finish- medium, goes out on a taste of bit-o-honey Overall- I like this offering alot. Sometimes a wheater can be kind of one-note. This is not. It is thick, luscious, and interesting. One of those bottles that one might say is "crushable." Where it fell short is on the nose. I had to search a bit to get a full understanding. I loved the musty note especially. This is a good bottle to add to the collection. -
Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon (2024)
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed November 15, 2024 (edited November 18, 2024)Nose- Cigar box, creme brule, and leather book lead in. The nose reminds you of a richly apointed study with leather chairs, and fine cigar smoke hovering about the room. Palate- Spicier notes than 2023, and then fades to rich berries covered in nougat. It is a roller coaster of oak, chewy bulls-eye cream candies, and baking spices. This all fades to a cigar box type agedness that lets you know the older, oakier bourbons are unabashedly willing to come forward. Finish- lomg, coating, syrupy, yet leathery like your favorite chair. Nicely executed! Overall- One of the beat 4 Rs LE I have tasted. Brent Elliot just gets better and better. This rivals his 2019 hit, gently nuances his 2023 blend. For me, this is the bourbon I have trouble putting down. -
Nose- Peanut Brittle is the first note I get, then carribean flavors like coconut and musky mangoes Palate- pop of nutmeg spice followed by juicy fruit gum with a bourbony oak backbone. There is also sweet brown sugar and some leatherbook. The rum is rich, and coating. It surpised me with its sting. Nicely done! Finish- the finish is long and warm. I get more of a bourbon/caramel back end, and musty oak barrel. It is long and lingering. A great compliment on a cold Fall/Winter night! Overall- this is superior rum. It is rich, coating, intense, and well crafted. If you like whiskey, this is your transition piece. It gives you both, but not in a disjointed way. My only knock may be that you have to really be into oak and spice to truly appreciate what it brings. I wanted that nuttiness that I got on the nose to be more involved on the taste. Instead it gave way to the oak. It is not a mouthful of sugary sweet tropics. It is a more sophisticated approach to that. At 120 proof it will bite and challenge you. I look forward to see what water might do.
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Russell's Reserve Kenwood Pick Barrel 0449, 2019 Bottling
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed October 9, 2024 (edited October 12, 2024) -
Angels Envy Sherry Finished (Binny's 2024)
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed October 4, 2024 (edited November 21, 2024)2 oz in glen cairn without and then with 5 drops of water Appearance- dark cola color with thick running legs. One of the darkest finished straight bourbons I have seen to date Nose- Raisin and oak dominate. There is an underlying musty tobacco aroma too, which is brought out most with water added. Palate- without water this is bitter, tannic, raisin bran. Wasn't a fan at all. WITH water it is completely transformed! The oak is toned down but still there. The raisin is no longer bitter and almost more like black plum or fig. There is a currant " jaminess" that comes forward that is really pleasing. Finish- a dry oak bucket is the best way to put it. With water, that oakiness is put more to the background and raisins and perhaps bran cereal or bran muffin are the note to go out on. Overall- this is the tale of two bourbons. Without water it is almost abonimable. It is tight, all oak and raisin, and bitter from start to finish- a 2 rating. But water really moves it in the right direction. For 139.99 I am not going to re-seek this. As a unique and challenging bottle, I move the mark up. At the price point though, you are paying a lot to play the higher difficulty level. If you are patient to coax out some things there are rewards. For me, "the lemon isn't worth the squeeze." -
Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Rum Casks
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed September 22, 2024 (edited November 15, 2024)Nose-bakery sweetness like a powdered donut. Hint of dusty corn in the background Palate- mouthfeel is a bit light. Candy corn, powder sugar, and a hint of musty tobacco. It is sweet and playful. Goes out on an almost cornpop cereal note Finish- short to medium finish, leaves me with a taste of raisin bran Overall- this is a sleeper! It is so "crushable." At 100 proof it is just right. It is sweeter, but balances the rum perfectly. The only flaw may be that the whiskey is noticeably younger.....which isnt such a bad thing. Yellowstone is doing it right here -
Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2024 The Heart Release
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed September 17, 2024 (edited November 15, 2024)Nose- sweet brown sugar, notes of chocolate, honey graham crackers. Palate- sweet, but not cloying. This tastes like a milk chocolate bar! It is creamy and rich. It is coating with an oak backbone Finish- shorter finish, bit goes out on that milk chocolate and raspberry flavor. Does not drink like its proof might suggest Overall- this is a definate BUY bottle. Normally I find most Maker's Mark consistantly, meh. This ine is a pleasant surprise! It is chocolatey, oaky, creamy. It goes down easy and is sneaky for its proof. I love the richness and chocolate bar flavor. At 79.99 it is a winner! -
Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye
Blended American Whiskey — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed September 6, 2024 (edited September 24, 2024)Nose- dusty white corn, cream soda, oak, and a hint of black pepper. There is also a signature Beam peanut odor to back it up. The nose is very inviting and balanced. Palate- It is tangy and crisp almost like apple cider would be. There is a touch of green apple, smokey oak, peanuts, and vanilla quickly then followed by pops of spices like cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. I really had to search for caramel, but a few drops of water made that revealed in plenty. Warm baked bread along with some heat comes on at the end. It is a tad drying at that spot, and perhaps turns a little citrusy as it moves to down the hatch. Water seems to change the citrus taste, and really helps that from being too acidic. Finish- I go out on a bit of caraway seed and black licorice. It is longer and lingering. Not in a bad way, but in a way that really showcases the rye towards the end. Overall- this is a strong addition to the lineup, and a super bargain at its price point. It is the delicate tightrope of balancing the rye and bourbon that I was most impressed with. You get the bourbon first followed by an almost completely rye finish. The flavors for the bourbon and then the rye come in almost as if they were staged or arranged to be that way. Sweeter nuttier, vanilla flavors at the front and then spicy, citrusy, elements going out. I weigh it up though VS. Wild Turkey's batches of Forgiven. For me it doesn't hit that mark, but it really is a schooling in the power of Jim Beam whiskies when beautifully blended. At 44.99 it is a definite bottle to have fun with. -
Ron Diplomático Selección de Familia
Aged Rum — Venezuela
Reviewed July 27, 2024 (edited September 26, 2024)Appearance- Darker brown with many thin, quicker running legs Nose- brown sugar, coconut, oak, green banana, rancio Palate- Coca- Cola, molasses, juicy fruit gum, ripened pineapple, banana pudding, oaky, musty barrel and leather book. Like all Diplamatico that I have had, this is a sweet sipper. It is lush and coating. Finish- Finish is medium and a touch spicier than the regular reserva. I think the bourbon barrel comes through on the finish. Some detect bitterness there where I get peppery spices. Overall- I love this, and for the price if it was the only rum I had to drink for life, I would be more than happy to. It is a cornucopia of sweet fruit flavors with just a touch of "estheriness" to give you that musty "rummy" flavor. All that said, I like my rum on the sweeter side- thicker, richer, sweet, and reminding me of a Carribean vacation. I also love to pair my rum with an earthier cigar. For this rating I was smoking a CAO Italia which has a lot of expresso and darker, bitter chocolate notes. This complimented those notes and elevated the experience. The question is- Is it that much better ($10) than the regular reserva? To me the difference wasn't vast, but I did detect this to be more rich, perhaps chewier, and impart a bit more spice. Either way, these rum makers know what they are doing, and at the price if either it us a squeal of a deal. -
Russell's Reserve 15 Year Bourbon (2024 Release)
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed July 19, 2024 (edited August 18, 2024)Nose- this is such a complex and changing nose. At first it was oak, leatherbook and chocolate. Then with air more sweeter, fruit flavors come to the forefront- cherry, ripe red apple, fruit compote. Really have to study this one. The more it sits, the sweeter and fruiter the nose gets. Palate- first thing that strikes me is the chewy viscosity. It is luxuriously coating. I get a hit of cherry cough drop followed by musty leather and tobacco. There is some chocolate to it too. It takes it right to the verge of overoaked without being overoaked. There then becomes this sweetness like red crisp apples in apple pie. Not the more bitter granny smith, but those Washington state kind. It goes out on that note. Finish- long oaky, apple pie finish with some nutmeg. It just keeps going and going until you sip the next one. Really good. Overall- One of the best I have had to date. It is so complex and changing with every sip. To me, it is a bit of a Pappy Killer- I prefer this over that for the complexity, added spice, and beautiful balance. This takes RR13 batch 1 to a new level by imparting more oak without losing the fruit. Where RR13 was a fruit/caramel bomb, this is a fruit/chocolate/oak grenade! I hate the price, but love the liquid.
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