Tastes

Nose- Lemon meringue, sea salt, and a touch of hay. The nose is more faint than I am used to in the world of American Whiskey, but it is refreshing. Kind of reminds me of.......well, Spring. Palate- Lemon meringue pie, tangy citrus, vanilla, and juicy fruit bubble gum. There is a sweet/sour note I really dig here. Finish- Not the hospital on fire, band-aids burning finish I absolutely hate. No rubber balls or tire fires here. It is a bit grainy, but in a good wholesome barnyard way. Warming and perhaps a bit short, but I like it. The finish is......refreshing. Overall- easing in to Scotch. I am no specialist but I have a good palate and sniffer so I have been told, so cautions to the wind! I like the citrus, salty, and country feel to this. It is playful and a decent introductory. I dwell in the world of bourbon and rye......but this would a good cross-over. To put it in a TV type of thing.....this is when Chicago Fire, PD, and Med crossover for a very good episode!

Not really into scotch, but you have to broaden horizons if you are to fancy yourself a whiskey connoisseur. Thought I would therefore jump in Normally I find most scotch a bit band aids and iodine. Lacks the sweet, rich, candied flavors I crave in bourbon. This one though....I could be won over to at least accepting bourbon's across the pond cousin. The nose is sweeter. I get vanilla pudding, a bit of barnyard hay, and some tropical fruit -almost like very ripe mango. The palate is more rich than expected. The nose carries through with vanilla pudding mango, a touch of coconut, and lemon meringue pie ...but with a layer of tang. Reminds me of sweet and sour sauce a bit as it goes down. I do also get a little of the bitter "hospital fire" on the back end- a dash of burning rubber bandaid and iodine. Finish is shorter. I find most scotch to not be as coating and lengthy on the finish as bourbon unless it is peaty offering. Overall- As a bourbon and American Rye drinker, I am not offended. I know that this is an entry level offering, but it is the backbone of things like Dewers. I wouldn't kick it off my bar, but would not be something I would ever crave.

Nose- This is what a liquid taffy apple smells like- it is green apple oozing with gooey caramel, all covered in nuts. It has an old timey bourbon smell to it, like a rickhouse in late October. In a word- splendid! Palate- the taffy apple carries forward with plenty of red fruit, caramel, and chewiness. But a milk chocolate note also kicks in. That sweetness is balanced by a bit of dry oak. The taste does not disappoint! Finish- long, warming, satisfying. Leaves you on a note of leather and cigar box. The perfect ending to a perfect bourbon! Overall- This is my bourbon of the year! The balance, the tastes, the depth, the traditionalism of bourbon is in this bottle. I could probably find flaw somewhere......but why???? This is a must have bottle.

8Nose- Rich vanilla, butterscotch, and a bit of toasted coconut. It is an incredibly good whiff. Palate- I was surprised that there was little if any WT funky barrel note until towards the end. Being a fan of that funky note I am not sure how I feel about that I get a bit of ginger snap, caramel, and then a cascade of french vanilla and peanut brittle. The mouthfeel is creamy, the back palate is vanilla and caramel bullseye candies. This is good, very good! Finish- finish is medium and ends on a creamy peanut butter and funk WT oak note. This seems to be just the right proof to be a winner with little to no fiddling. Overall- I was hesitant. Everybody is doing "toasted" finishes. I was worried WT was jumping on a bandwagon, throwing it in impressive packaging, and getting gobs of money- masking a product, throwing it at us, and not being a very thoughtful release. Alas, as those who follow me know I am that sucker for WTMK releases. I can't shy away, and my faith in the Russell boys runs deep. I couldnt resist my hopeful side. Wow! This is no gimmick. This is superbly well blended Turkey with a thoughtful finish that added a creamy, nuttiness with a touch of coconut. It takes something delicious and elevates it to a better level. Am I head over heels for it like I was for Russell's 13? No, but this and the 13 are completely different things. To me Russell's 13 was my bourbon of the year until November came, an I had to drop it to #2. This though makes my top 5 and is in impressive company. My Top 5 in 2021- 1. 4RS LE '21 2. Russell's 13 3. OF150 Batch 1 4. WTMK One 5. Thomas Handy '21 PS- Pappy 15 and 23 are never on my list as not enough folks get to try them, but they were very delicious as always. More importantly though, be on the lookout for my sleeper of the year! That is coming up and will generate some discussion. Stay tuned!

Nose- Baker's chocolate, maple syrup and mint are the dominant notes. It is crisp and inviting. Palate-  Luden's cherry cough drop, oak, a bit of maple syrup (diminished from the nose), baker's chocolate, cardamom, and a delightful umami earthiness.  Gets a tad bitter on the back end but not a flaw, just a bit outside the lines-- and I color outside the lines so I am ok with that! For a rye, this is nice an rich. It finishes for days.  Warms up and down without any biting ethanol.  This is a fantastic finish and the strength of this whiskey surprises you Overall- within the top 5 rye whiskies I have had. To get comparison, my top is 2004 Vanwinkle Family Estate Rye (pre vatted). I also would give an edge to 2018 Thomas Handy which was a tad sweeter- but this is in tht ball park. This is a standout for 2021 rye.

Nose- Very nicely done! At first whiff I get fresh strawberries, and a bit of nuttiness like pecan. The nose is crisp very clean. There may also be just a hint of Christmasy pine in the background. Palate- Strawberry rhubarb pie! There is a tart berry flavor that is delicious. The tartness walks a fine line but does not get bitter. More traditional caramel and a hint of chocolate are there too, and I wish they made their presence more felt. The mouthfeel is nice and rich. I get why the pro taster got ligonberries. The combination of tart, rich, and fruity reminds you of swedish pancakes withouth powdered sugar. Overall- Well done! The early MWND were hard to live up to. Act 7 was disappointing as less MGP and more HW distillate got added. 8 was improved. Both though strayed from the original profile as HW transitioned more of its own rye. Not a bad thing, just different. This however is a pleasant return to all of those original flavors. The flaw may be that it lacks the sweetness of my favorite.....Act 4. But this is rye that drinks like bourbon with a tart rye sass. I enjoyed it. Paired with an Opus X..... well that makes everything better. Cheers!

Taste- neat, 2oz. in glen cairn. Nose- Candy corn and toasted marshmallows. There is a bit of caramel and smoke intertwined with a hint of fresh picked strawberry prickliness in the background. The nose is sweet. Palate- Sweet corn, marshmallow, a hint of apricot jam, with a bit of BBQ smokehouse. The taste is sweet and soothing with a hint of ethanol bite. The one flaw is that the mouthfeel may be a tad thin. Finish- medium finish, has some nice chewy butterscotch and the prickly strawberry I got on the nose along with apricot jam is what I am going out on towards the last note. This is a really nice finish. Overall- First, I totally do not get ANY of the notes of our expert reviewer. Perhaps my palate is just not that sophisticated. Michter's toasted releases can be hit or miss. I normally LOVE the toasted rye releases, find the toasted sourmash a bit thin and underproofed, and the bourbon is either spot on, or doughy like raw pizza dough. This year it is spot on! The secondary barrel gives a good bourbon some really nice toasty marshmallow notes. This year's offering is sweeter, but not singular. Nicely done!

Tasting- 2oz. Neat in glen cairn, and then with 6-7 drops of water. Appearence is a deep reddish amber, legs are fat and slow running. Nose- caramel bull's eye cream candies and dark red fruits are dominating. The nose also showcases plenty of oak. A bit hot to start, but the aromas are rich and decadent. A bit of water brings out the best this bourbon has to offer. Palate- cherries jubilee with a side of baked Alaska all covered in caramel. Neat it has some strong bite back at you. This batch is not playing! Then it gives way to some spiciness. A bit of nutmeg and perhaps allspice? Just a dusting of that as the fruit and caramel are forward. I can't get over the richness here. Water really helps tone down some of the ethanol and releases some nice cherry pie crust, but this is still a beast! This is bourbon from the barrel much like an older Booker's- unabashadely genuine. Finish- looooooong finish! That cherry pie and crust all coated in gooey caramel is definately for me! Overall- hands down the best thing I have ever had from Old Forester. I have had every Birthday Bourbon offering in the last 5 years, and have sampled President's choice 2019 (once) so you can judge my comparisons with your own OF inventory. This is what bourbon should be- sweet, oaky, a bit thick, rustic, and screaming "look at me!" This bottle reminds me of one of my favorites of all time- Booker's Center Cut.... but without the signature JB peanutiness. If you can get one- get one!