Tastes

Taste: 2 oz Glen Cairn, neat. This is Binny's Select Barrel 3904 bottled on 6/12/19. 94 proof, NAS Nose: (4.0) A bit faint but all the right stuff can be found. I get vanilla pudding, sugar cookie almost like a snickerdoodle, and a bit of barrel char. The only thing I detract for is that the great smells are a bit muted. Taste: (4.25) Peaches come through on the front palate. Peaches give way to vanilla wafer and what can best be described of the burnt sugar crust on creme brulee. There also is a bit of smoke and oak towards the end. Finish: (3.75) Quick to medium and that was the drag down. Would have liked more intensity as I got a lingering note of butterscotch candy and that puff of charhouse smokiness which was very pleasing Overall: The selectors at Binnys have again done some fine stuff. They selected a barrel that doesn't dissapoint! Eons away from the sticks and charcoal of Old #7 here. This is a sophisticated showcase of what a good Tennessee sipping whiskey is made of. My only regret is that the favorable nose and palate may have been muted by the lower proof. I would have loved to try this at the barrel proof. Gets my gears rolling on the next dram of Jack Daniel's. All the makings of good stuff and at the price this is no dissapointment

Taste: 2.0 oz in glen cairn neat and then 2 drops distilled water. 109.7 proof Nose: (4.75) Chocolate, cinnamon, toasty rye bread with a bit of dill. The nose is deliciously rich and inviting Palate: (4 75) Rich and buttery feel. The dark chocolate gives way to cherry and spucy rye. 2 drops reveal more sweet brown sugar and tone done a bit of the spiciness. Rye fans will enjoy this sans water. Bourbon fans will love the sweet sugary notes after water. Finish (4.5) Medium to long amd satisfying. Warm butterred bread and nutmeg dominate. Overall: One of the best ryes I have had this year. It is so full, so rich, and so layered. Everytime I take a pour I get something else in terms of taste or finish. I have really reserved my evaluation on this because I wanted to be sure before going head over heels. After 2/3 through first bottle and buying a second I am sure.....this is a great rye!

Taste: 2 oz. neat in glen cairn. 105.7 proof, 12 yr 2019 Fall release Nose (4.7) caramel corn, bit-o-honey, and peanut brittle. I could nose this for days. Palate: (4.75) True caramel bomb with pecans and a bit of spice. Reminds me of Fanny May Turtles with alcohol and just a hint of pepper. Nice and coating. It is what a grear bourbon should be. Finish (4.75): Slightest of burn. Does not at all resemble a higher proof in that department. Follows through with some honey and a hint of what is almost raspberry fruit. Only regret is that it could have been longer. Don't blame the bourbon that is me just not wanting it to end. Overall: Was really debating the hype. After all, this is a sourced distillate and very admittedly is "not our bourbon" when it comes to the distiller's claim. But it IS an incredibly well aged, 12 yr old MGP cask bourbon with all the right moves. It is everything you want in a classic bourbon- bold caramels and vanilla, some fruits, spice, oak, and pecan nuttiness. Worth the hype? Glad I have it in my collection

Taste: Neat 2 oz in glen cairn and then 2 drops. Nose: Nice rich in your face nose. Caramel, brown sugar, and oak highlight the nose. Palate: Rich and oily is the first words that come to mind. It is what a Kentucky bourbon should be. I get cherry and caramel with brown sugar upfront. 2 drops transformed it to an almost caramel nougat. There is an oakiness in the background. Finish: Finish is long and brawny. It reminds me of older Booker's round table selections. To that end I really appreciate it. Overall: The quality is there. These are the right blended bourbons to showcase traditional Kentucky Bourbon quality. Here is my one catch. .... KC barrel program has put out 13-15 yr barrel picks that for 1/3 the price in my area are similar or better! Hurts to say the distiller may have rivaled their "one of" release with too good a quality 120 proof bottles for $40 but that is the case. That said LB3 is not to blame, but KC picks are its best competition!

Taste: 1.5 oz neat in Glen Cairn. This is Binny#4294, Floor 4, Warehouse L Nose: (3.75) Sweet Tea and oak with some peppery notes. Definate improvement from the last pick I had. Not complex but very pleasing. The nail polish remover that I hated the last time isn't there this time. Palate: (3.75) Very spicy for an Old Forester at first sip. I get a bit of banana, with more peppery flavors. Buttery mouthfeel and more well rounded. Honestly amazes me that this is the same mashbill and proofed at 90. It is a bit hot but tending to be a rye forward enthusiast I like it. Finish:(3.75) lingers on the palate in a good way. Oaky and drying. This might be a complaint for some but I appreciate some of the rugged woody notes. Fades to a hint of brown sugar. Overall: A perfect study on why different single barrels are not the same. The first one I sampled 3 mos ago left me with question marks. This one left me with a new appreciation. It is not in a league with any of the 4 whiskey rows, but then again it is about $20 less. All in all it is better than the shelf 90 proof, but not the best store pick I have had this year. It is solid but in my opinion an "inbetweener"

Taste: 1.5 oz. pour (×3!) Neat in glen cairn. Binnys pick #19-00035, floor 4, Rick CN A Nose (5): Juicy fruit gum, cherries, baking spices and just enough ethanol to let you know this is serious. Palate (5): orchard fruit basket, dark plums, red apples, carmel over vanilla nougat. So juicy and vibrant it is like "fresh squeezed." Finish (5) : Hint of fresh squeezed pear juice followed by a spicy cinnamon finish. The Juicy Fruit gum on the nose then lingers for a long after effect. Overall: This is a bourbon that reminds me of why I like bourbon! So well balanced, so many good flavors together in cohesion. It is easy to drink, easy to like, and at 59.99 a no brainer. I have had 5 different Russell's SiB picks in the past 3 years. This one is absolutely the best so far.

Taste: 2 oz. neat in glen cairn Nose: (4.75) Chocolate, cherries, toasted buttered rye bread, red apples, cereal bars, and smoke. Super luxurious nose. You smell it, you want to taste it plain and simple. This is rich. Palate (5.0): The apples and brown sugar come through, but then you get a spicy hit. Allspice perhaps? That rich dark chocolate is on the back palate along with the cherry. Reminds me of biting into a chocolate covered cherry cordial. The mouthfeel is buttery, not coating. The legs are thick and slow with this one. Finish: (5.0) Sweet cream butter, chocolate, rye, and a puff of smoke. The cereal bar on the nose comes in. There is some well mannered oak too. Overall: I have waited to rate this one until now. It is such an intense and delicious offering at the get go I didn't want to jump to judgement. The verdict is in.....hands down, if not THE best rye out there. I still cant decide between this or the Cornerstone Rye. They are different but the difference is like trying to choose your favorite car between a classic Corvette or a Shelby GT 500. Different animals, gorgeous in their own right

Taste: 2 oz, neat in Glen Cairn. Nose: (4.5) Full of caramel, and concord grape jam. It is sweet, rich, and full of sweet stewed fruits. Palate: (4.5) Grapes, apples, vanilla, and chewy taffy. There is a sweetness about it but not overdone. The mouthfeel is thick and coating. Finish: (4.25) Finishes for days. The grape jam precludes an almost fig-newton type aftertaste. There is a bit of oak that comes in that lets you know this has some age to it. Overall: This is a great pick! Apparently 11 yrs., 6mos is the perfect time to rest a delicious single barrel OESO. I cant wait to try the other Binny's select picked barrel recipes I got on this release. OBSQ is my next bottle to open once this one is gone. Can't wait to do a side by side comparison and then pick one after sampling blind.

Taste: 1.5 oz neat in Glen Cairn and then 2 drops. Nose (3.0): There is a menthol that hits me, almost like a eucalyptas cough drop which is a bit off putting. I get rye, dill, and green fruit. Not my favorite nose. Taste (3.5) : I get a very raw rye taste, a bit of dill, some chocolate, and tart berries. That menthol lessens its grip, but is still there and is my major complaint. Not sure if it is more menthol now or like chewing rye seeds. More maneageable on the palate then when it overwhelmed my nose a bit. My first sip affirms that this is to be experienced more as a rye "experiment" than a conventional rye whiskey. I knew it going in, no doubts now. The mouthfeel is thicker and coating. It is a full, rich spirit. Finish (3.0): Longer and drier. I get a fresh young wood type flavor that isn't particularly bad but it is not delicious either. The wine barrel finishing is definately present here and I think that is what might save the finish from being a disaster. Overall: I was hoping for something like MWND, but got something closer to Catoctin Creek (which I did not enjoy). There is interesting notes in here, and the wine idea is interesting, but to me the rye is too young. My mind is always open to new finishing as although I tend to like traditional well crafted, aged bourbons and ryes I have really enjoyed some of the finished ones (WT Revival, MWND, Rieger'sto name a few). To me this one just isn't good enough executed rye. When it is as high a rye in the mash as this, it has to be aged well. This just isn't that.

Taste: 1.5 oz neat in glen cairn, then 2 drops spring water. Nose. (4.0): Cherry, grape and vanilla prevail with some nice butterscotch notes. There is a bit of musty barnyard hay or barrel funk like you might get in a Wild Turkey, or a good rum. I really like the nose here. Reminds me alot of Wild Turkey Revival for 1/3 the price. Taste (3.75): Initially this is sweet going in. Cherry and vanilla hit on the front with a bit of sweet cream corn. There is a jam-like quality to this, but then it gets dry. Then comes some baking spices that gives it a tartness. That drying I spoke of gets a little bit more intense as this plays through. Dry red wine lovers will dig it. Finish (3.5): For the proof this has a medium finish. I get the tannic oak, vanilla, and a bit of anise or black licorice trailing off with some smokiness. Overall: This is a very good whiskey given a 39.00 price tag. It is interestingly sweet yet still plays within the bounds of quality spirit and not a cheap bourbon masked by a good sherry. Reminds me so much of Wild Turkey Revival. I put them side by side blind and it was hard for me to discern except the Rieger's dries out quicker and is not as coating. I would definately recommend a bottle. This is one that you bring to a group tasting, don't discuss the blending or lack of provenance (Distilled in Indiana, bottled in Missouri, so I am guessing blended MGPS), and then the group will say, "huh? Where did you get that? It is really good. **Side Note: My sampling was 2017 Collector's Addition. Don't think that changes anything but the label BUT I want to be sure so not to confuse***