Tastes

Taste: Neat in glen cairn, 2 oz. sample. Bottle. Oak Finishing staves, Binny's Pick-RW @ 109.4 proof. Nose: (3.75) Cherry dominates with some oak and clover honey. Cinnamon is in the background Almost reminds me of a cherry coughdrop. That bit of syrupiness on the nose plays a bit medicinal but doesnt dominate what overall is pretty good. Palate (3.75): This is a cinnamon bomb. Didnt expect that at all. Spicy sweet red-hots, and Big Red chewing gum. It's good, not great but is something way out of the league from standard maker's mark. If you are making a true hot-toddy you want this. Finish (4.0) Well executed and long. The cinnamon carry's through and finished a bit more like a toasted cinnamon bun. I like this better than the initial palate. Overall: Pleasant departure from the ho hum wheater that standard Maker's Mark can be. This was interesting and definately worth a try. The 79.99 price tag though is a bit of a price to pay for a cinnamon lover's delight. Get a sample like I did before buying the bottle.

Taste: Neat in glen cairn, 1.5 oz, then 2 drops water. Nose (4.25): Fresh roasted peanuts and carmel hit you right away. it is that smell you get at a baseball game when the beer vendor passes the peanut guy. I loved it. Brought back childhood memories. Palate: (4.25) Would be 5 if more complex or higher proof. The nose turns to straight up peanut brittle with a hit of baking spice. I am all in on this one. Finish: (4.25) Vanilla and heathbar at the end. Just that little bit of chocolate makes me want more. And then you get some cinnamon at the end. Overall: I have found an everyday drinker that rivals the imposters for twice the price. This is straight up, no frills, traditional bourbon the way it should be. It succeeds by NOT trying to be what it isn't. I had trouble trying to find ways to knock it down! If this were a cask strength.....straight 5!

Taste- 1.5 oz Neat in Glen Cairn glass Nose: (2.75) Lots of candy-corn sweetness. I get some buttered corn, and Cracker-jack. It is welcoming but maybe a bit too much. I do also get a bit of solvent that is slightly off putting. Palate:(3.0) Reminds me of corn pudding. There is some brown sugar in there. Towards the back palate it is creamy and has a thicker viscosity. A bit oily but coats well. Finish: (3.25) I get a nice cola finish with a little spice on the back end. Would have like this spice earlier on to bring some balance with the sweet. Overall: I have mixed emotions. On the upside--This reminds me alot of Rowan's Creek which I like. I applaud these guys for using their own distillate, own aging, using local Illinois grains, and just doing their own thing. They could have just as easily bottled an MGP, made up a cool story, slapped a label on it, and called it a day like a lot of start-ups are doing. On the downside- this is young and a bit too sweet. It needs some spice to balance things out. A little bit "mashy" to me. I hope these guys continue to develop their craft and I will stop in to see their operation as Geneva is close by.

Tasting: 2oz neat in glen cairn Nose (4.0): Traditional sweet bourbon nose. Butterscotch and vanilla dominate up front. I also got a little candy corn. Palate: (3.75) Hit me first with a little bit of soap taste that was off-putting. This dissipated quickly and reminded me of grandma's candy bowl. I got those yellow sweet butterscotch candies, with sugary cherry slices, and vanilla. Mouthfeel was buttery and thicker. If not for that soapiness un the beginning I might have been at 4.25. Finish: (3.75) Nice finish. Some peppery notes let you know there is a little backbone to it and it is not all sugar plums and candy corns. Kind of a quick finisher though. Overall: At first I was kind of meh. After some time with it has some merit to it. I am not a huge fan of blended whiskies BUT if this is where things are going it is on the right track. Pricewise though, you can do better. A lot of work blending these whiskies yielded what in my opinion is an above average bourbon at an elevated price in which I would gladly buy something like a Knob Creek or WT Rare breed for less and get same effect. If it were $50 that would be great, but over $70 I am not so sure. As for me, I am glad mine was a sample.

Taste: Neat in Glen Cairn, 2 oz. Nose: (4.75) Fruit for days, like blackberries, ripe plums, all stewed in warm fresh churned butter. It is an incredibly clean nose that was easy for me to discern. There was a grapiness to this that was really interesting. Palate: (4.75) Sweet, rich. best described as melted butter, grape jam, over warm homemade biscuits. Some might find this too sweet. I found it pleasantly digestif. Finish (4.75) : Long lasting and pleasantly warming. Lingers and coats the back palate like sucking on a grape jolly rancher. That butteriness gives a wonderful mouthfeel. Overall: Initially anything Barrell made me suspect. Blending 9.5 and 12 year sourced Tennessee whiskey and sourced Kentucky bourbon seemed like a strange Frankenstien experiment to which I was not akin to investing $80.00 without trying first. A work friend brought me a sample and man was he dead on on how good this is. The quality is there and I definately now want a bottle . I also am not afraid to try Dovetail which is an experiment in Rye and Bourbon mixing. something that if done right (i.e. Forgiven,Bourye to name a few) is right in my wheelhouse. Enjoy the jammy goodness with this one!

Taste: 2 oz. neat in glen cairn. Nose: (5.0): Rich, chocolate, cherries, raisins, rye and cereal grains. The nose is one of the best I have experienced. It has that luxurious feeling similar to Thomas Handy. Palate (5.0): Chocolate coated cereal bar with cherries and raisins. There is some char notes and a bit of a yeasty doughiness. I am guessing this raw dough flavor might br a product of the second barrel entry. There is an excellent balance here between sweet and savory because of that. Finish: (4.75) Sweet and lingering. It is short to medium. Would have been 5 if it lasted longer Overall: My favorite rye. Michter's has a winner here. The luxurious quality of the nose and finish is a byproduct of great care and the low entry to the barrel proofing (Michter's goes into the barrel at 103 proof. This one came out at 109.4 proof!) which consolidates rich flavors. My only problem- hard to get and I only have 1/3rd bottle left.

Pulled this out again as I decided to have a Rye blind tasting. The 3 comps were Michter's Barrel Strength, Rosseville Union Barrel Proof, and EHT Straight Rye. All sampled neat. This one stood out as my favorite hands down tonight. So rich, so full, so flavorful. In company with the other three very highly appreciated ryes, I am upping my 4.25 to 4.5 because of that. It is just damned good rye.

Taste: Neat 2 oz in glen cairn, and then 2 drops water. Barrel 1272, Rick 42, 5/23/19 bottling. Nose (3.25): Traditional Wild Turkey musty nose. Barrel spice, oak, raw peanuts, and vanilla. Got a little honeysuckle in there too. Nice nose, somewhat floral. Palate (3.25): Initially a bit harsh on the ethanol and soapy. This does dissipate quickly on the rear palate where the peanuts and honey come through. Lots of spicy, peppery notes here. A bit medicinal. Palate was somewhat of a let down for me. Finish (3.5): Takes a big Kentucky hug. This is a man's man's bourbon and I appreciate the prickly roughness. Notes are a bit woody. Stays on you for a good long time. Overall: Bought this at the distillery as a pre father's day gift to me. I had much anticipation as I am a bit of a WT fanboy. I wasn't wowed, I wasn't bummed. I would buy Rare Breed 5x over as compared to this though. A little one dimensional, a little rough around the edges. It is kind of like that hot girl you really want to date in high school and then once you get that special date she has the body, but no personality and just sits there.

Taste: Neat in Glen Cairn, 2oz. Binny's Barrel Pick Nose (3.25): Green banana and ethanol dominate at first. Gives way to some vanilla and newer oak. To me the nose seemed that of a newer bourbon. Palate (3.00): A bit woody and somewhat acetone at first sip. Not my favorite first sip. Spicy pepper notes at the rear palate and some oak. I am not thrilled by this one. It is just ok, but not writing home about it. Might be good in a mixed drink Finish (3.5): Finishes better than the taste. That green banana on the nose makes a return trip, some butterscotch notes linger. Considerably dry. Overall: First, I am a bit of an Old Forester fan. I loved all four of the whiskey row, especially 1910 and 1920. This one didn't do it for me. Second, I prefer Statesman, 1920, 1910, 1897, and even the signature over it. Barrel not my profile? Maybe. Found it a bit "nail polish" remover like.

Tasting: Neat 2 oz. pour in a rocks glass. Nose: (4.0) Sweet buttery nose. Loads of vanilla and honey. Reminds me of bit of honey candy. Palate: (3.75) More ethanol than I expected. Vanilla comes forward, honey takes second seat. Candy corn on the palate too but not cloying. Mouthfeel is thicker and a bit oily. Coats well. Finish (3.75): Nice long finish, gets a little bitter at the end. The candy corn stays with you and turns a bit waxy towards the end. Overall: I liked this one. Pleasant surprise for me. It is a sweeter bourbon that is well suited for dessert. Some might say it is too sweet and perhaps looses its balance there. If you could be just under 4 overall but north of 3.75 that is where I am at so rounding up here.