Tastes

Nose- Vanilla, creme brulee, toffee, and oak. There is also a hint of smoke and nutmeg. This beckons you to sip it. You literally taste it through your nostrils Palate- is this seriously 133 proof?!?!? Undeniably drinkable. The heat comes in at the end, but this is caramel coated vanilla bean, sweet toffee, a bit of apple, and oak. Terrific balance here. There is also a spice cabinet worth of Fall baking to go along with it. I honestly have to say this could go head to head with Pappy 15 and knock it off its pedestal. In terms of value and accessibility- go get you some! Finish- for days! The kind of bourbon that warms you up without burning you down. The finish showcases the 13 years and 7 mos. It makes you want to sip more of that oaky goodness. Overall- currently my top pick for bourbon of 2023 (although I REALLY want 4RS LE to taste side by side). Blows the doors off of Maker's Cellar aged. Reminds you of the pirate bottles of years gone by . Just when you thought Heavenhill put out "Just another good barrel proof whiskey" they blew the doors off of it. BALANCE, taste, and finish- it's all there

Nose- traditional cherry cola sweetness prevails! A bit of spicy sassiness too Palate- not complicated. It is in your face and traditional Stagg Jr. A bit rough and ready, at other times caramel, cherry, and oak. A bit of nail polish in there too. Finish- medium for its proof. A bit one note, but good to the last drop. Overall- tried this next to ECBP C919, and a 2019 SFTB Blantons. In my opinion it finished a close third. It wasnt bad, it just wasn't as complex. As a stand alone it is just a great bourbon.....not the greatest, not life changing, but what it does it does well. The balance was a bit off, and the finish fell flat vs. the other two. That said, Stagg Jr. (Now Stagg) has gotten better and better. This is a step up from previous

Nose- The nose reveals some nice age. Plenty of green apple jolly rancher and musty book leather. I love the age that comes through. Their is also some tobacco notes. Palate- spicier notes are revealed. A baking shelf of nutmeg, all-spice are revealed. It then gives way to oak and leather book. It is chewy, and at the same time caramel coated. Their is some heat, a bit of astringency, but super sippable without water. With water, a taffy apple comes through! Finish- long an oaky. A bit of bitterness is there but not so much as it is off putting. The finish does not go quietly into the night. Overall- One of the most challenging batches I have sipped. On one hand the nose is fantastic, on the other it borders on too much oak. It doesnt cross the line, but if you are one of those who don't like a bit of a drier finish, you may find that is where the flaw is. I for one like everything it sets out to do. Water is your friend in releasing more of the scrumptious nose

Nose- Buttered rye, caraway seed, bit of cream soda Palate- Candy- Corn at entry, hint of dill. Traditional MGP rye Finish- Medium finish, goea out on the rye seed note Overall- traditional MGP Rye. Not much to see here. It is solid, but not worth the private barrel price. I would buy Rosseville Union at half the price if I had to do all over again. $30 for the hyp and sexy bottle is not worth what is in this glass

Nose- The nose gives off rich maple syrup, fresh ground cloves, and oak. There is also a bit of chewy nougat in the background. Palate- at first sip I get candied orange and dark chocolate, whixh then gives way to some molasses and that maple syrup I had gotten on the nose. Finish- this lingers to a nice warm orange candy finish with a drizzle of dark chocolate, and spice. There is a bit of a waxiness near the end that I haven't decided if I like yet. Kind of like those waxy tube candies with the liquid inside. It is not overly sweet, but there is another layer that it fades to. Overall- This is a smashing hit! I enjoyed this way better than the 2020 Special Release. Quality, rich, deliciously layered rye all the way. Water helps release some if the concentrated flavors, but for "proofies" this will pass the muster right out of the bottle. I enjoyed it more with 3 drops to tame a bit of the heat and be able to separate the flavor notes, but suit yourself. This is NAS, but literature puts these barrels between 7-8years. This is one if you can find, completely outkicks the coverage

After resting the bottle, I tried the last 1/3rd. Here is the scoupe- It does EVERYTHING a top 10 bourbon should do.....but not the being the best in anything a top 10 is. That said.....do not pass this bottle up! It is an unsung hero in a sea of limited releases that just dont outkick it. This is a worthwhile limited release that doesn't have huge secondary markup.

Nose- traditional vanilla and caramel nose with some banana runts candy. It is not a deep and rich nose, but certainly one worthy of saying this in fact should have its merits. Palate- I find it a bit thin. Vanilla and green banana prevail with a bit of burnt butterscorch coming in. There is some acetone/ fingernail polish notes that reveal the age. It isn't bad, but it is run of the mill. Finish- a bit woodshoppy but with some pleasant caramel candies which turn a tad bitter on the end. Overall- High praise to what they have done here. Resurrected an old label, didn't source out of the box, and instead waited, released a 6yr BiB instead of just a straight whiskey. NOT an easy road to take when it would have just been easier to either release a 2+ yr old, straight bourbon, or bottle someone else's contract distillate. The whiskey is a bit thin and one note. I would be interested at trying this after another 2 or more years in the oak, and perhaps at cask strength. For now, it is a mundane whiskey but with potential. It is just not quite ready yet.

Nose- oak, cherry, vanilla Palate- cherry, vanilla, oak and a touch of cola. This is so much better than regular Blanton's. It is deep, rich, and really in your face. Finish- medium to long finish. Those deep cherry and oakier notes stay with you. This hugs and doesnt play around. Overall- Now this is what I want- a bourbon that matches the pretty bottle! SFTB is an excellent example of what a barrel-proof should be! Is it as elegant as Blanton's Gold? No, and gold seems to hit all the right places for me. Can you dial it up to be exactly what you want it to be? You get yourself a bottle, because all you have to do is tune it to your liking and see. Quality is in this one!