Tastes

Nose: It is taffy apple! No better way to put it, and it excites me. Green apple, caramel, and some nuts. There is a slight raisin note but this is taffy apple for bourbon lovers! Palate: green apple, spices like nutmeg, and allspice really pop. They give way to creamy caramel. The mouthfeel is amazing. If there is a flaw it might be some ethanol, but quickly tamped down with a few drops to release ripe yellow raisins. Finish: The finish reveals some older whiskey and thus comes the balance. I have found the oak! It is drying, but still has that nice ,full, buttery body and crispiness! Overall- 2019 is a tad better imho, but this is well worth the price for admission! Where 2019 is more layered, 2020 is in your face as to its intentions I can see why some think it as singular, but simple is what a great bourbon really sometimes is- it is fatty, sweet, spicy, fruity, has a kick- ticks all of the boxes. It IS what bourbon should set out to be. 2019 was a bit more complex and staged the recipes within. If you had patience, you could sip the some of its parts. 2020 IS the some of its parts!

Appearance- medium golden brown, with red hue. clings wonderfully to the sides of the glass with nice fat, medium running legs. Nose- brown butter, hint of mint, rye bread with a touch of caraway seed- then fresh baked jewish rye bread, think your favorite bakery at 5 A.M.! Gives way to butterscotch candy. Palate- it is coating and velvety, coats well without being oily. The kind of mouthfeel one expects in quality rye- well churned butter. I get dark chocolate, cardamom, some newer oak, mint, and dear I say a wee bit of hay (not a note favored in whiskey but rather welcomed, reminds me of a wonderful fall barn in October). There are sweeter layers as it opens up, butterbrickle ice cream? The palate is more like a high rye bourbon or Kentucky rye BUT the rye forwardness in the mash is there, subtle but not hiding out, and why should it be??? Bourbon lovers will be fooled this is not high rye bourbon😆 Finish- shorter than I imagined. I get cherry, cream soda and a gentle warming, slight licorice hit as it goes out. If anywhere there is a flaw perhaps the finish being too soft. There is a slight bitterness at cask sip which with water is quickly extingished

Is it a whiskey?  Is it a scorchingly high octane wine?  Best served in a brandy snifter,  a cordial glass, or a coffee cup?  The oddity and universality is its likeableness.  Not convinced it is good, or even a good idea, but it is fun and it is different.  Blackberry jam and black licorice on the nose with just a bit of funkiness of what I can only say is that over ripe fruit just before it is declared as decay!   The taste is thick, jammy, unctious, and boozy. Reminds me of my grandmother's cure for the common cold-  warm blackberry brandy, a touch of black tea, a cinnamon stick, and a lemon wedge.  THIS will be my cure for the common cold!  I am sipping this warm with a cinnamon stick by a wonderful fire on a fall night in my patio room watching the NLCS. This will never be a centerpiece of my whiskey collection, but rather a guilty departure.  Sometimes it is the afterthought bottles, the ones nobody really wants that brings surprising joy on a brisk fall night

Nose: menthol cherry cough drop, dill, caraway seed, and ethanol. Least favorite part of my experience, but the best was yet to come. Palate: cherry menthol cough drop fades to marzipan Christmas candy. There is ground nutmeg, and some hard cinnamon candy. A few drops of water give up butterbrickle, and a bit of praline. Really enjoyable. Finish: long and lasting. It is warming with a punch of sweet tart candy and oaky barrel. Love the finish. Overall: Really enjoyed this 4 1/2 yr old rye. Once I got past the menthol on the nose which was a bit "cherry smelling Ben-Gay" it just got really good sip after sip. Huber's Starlight Distillery is no stranger to distillation being a powerhouse for quality Brandy. They barrel delicious wine and their foray into rye and bourbon is dead on. The fact that they have never sourced and are bringing out something of this quality has put them on my distilleries to watch list and they should be on yours. Quality product from Indiana.

Nose- Spicy and sweet. Honey, cherry, and sweeter oak pops out at you. I get a hit of peach cobbler and pink bubble gum. Palate- the palate has peaches, honey, caramel, and a bit of smoke, with a dustiness to it. There is what can best be described as old leather book or tobacco as well. I also dig some spicier notes and tartness from a bit of black licorice at the end of the taste. Finish: Medium and just a wee bit grainy. Caramel nougat seems to linger with a bit of that vege "sproutiness." It is a very interesting and warming finisher. Overall: I like the concept. I love the four grain approach. I am not a fan of malted barley, but this one is more acceptable to my individual palate. That dusty, sprouty note is usually what off puts me, but some folks will really appreciate that- especially if you are a fan of whiskey along the line of Stranahan's or Old Elk. The malted barley is in there and gives it some backbone, but also lends a bit of grainy mouthfeel. It doesn't steal the show but that presence is felt. Chattanooga Whiskey seems to be doing completely their own thing apart from Jack Daniel's, Dickel, Uncle Nearest, and Nelson's Green Briar. It is wonderful to see such variation, but it also might throw you a bit off from what you might have expected.

Raised my sights on this one after it has had some air time. Truly a nice, solid, traditional bourbon. After it has been allowed to get some air and I am now about half through, the bitterness and excess heat is gone. I am now left with chewy coconut dusted caramel, some cinnamon, and a smidge of coffee bean. I have really warmed up to this one. First impressions are not always the best impressions. Fine sip here. Still not sure the price for a NAS is worth it, but this is unabashedly bold and beautiful

Nose: Perhaps one of the best noses I have had in a bourbon in a long time.....and I have tasted a fairly large amount of bourbon. Just blooms from the glass the more you let it set. There is cherry hard candy, vanilla bean, caramel, and a hint of oak. I get some sweet brown sugar in there as well. Palate- Tremendously well balanced. The palate stays true to the nose and has a buttery mouthfeel. There is a nice shot of pepper and a small bit of anise on the backend that balances the cherry candy and caramel. There is some tropical flavors also, almost like mango and toasted coconut in there if you dig. The proof gives just the perfect amount of heat. Finish- Intoxicating finish that goes out with a puff of smokiness, oak, and black tea. Lasts on the palate medium length and beckons for another sip. Overall- this is the best OFBB in the last 4 years. I thought 2018 was a standout, I enjoyed 2019 immensely, I thought 2017 was a bit short on taste, and for me 2016 was ho-hum looking at my old notes. This is one of those rare ones that is directly on target. Superbly done!