Tastes

After opening and getting back to this one the green apple and citrus come through. Coat that in caramel and you have a liquid taffy apple. I am in!

Pour: neat in glen cairn Nose: (4.0) Oak and honey dominate with a bit of toffee and ethanol. Palate: (4.5) I hate to use the term but it is incredibly smooooooth. Almost no bite. Tastes of traditional caramel and vanilla are out front with hint of pepper. The fact that it is not complex but very traditional bourbon speaks to me. Finish: (4.0) Could have been longer on the finish as it offered nice fruit and a creamy nougat like finish. Dont expect alot of spice but just enough keeps it intetesting to go back for a second glass. Overall: At 39.99 this is a certain winner. It makes me want to sample the Madiera and Cognac finishes BUT hard to step up to the 79.99 price tag. Enjoy this one for $40 less until the fancy ones come down. A solid bourbon to my collection

Nose: (4.0) Sweet honey and golden grahams smack you on the nose. You get honey and a bit of rye. Reminds me of a bowl of golden grahams with buttery rye toast on the side. Palate: (4.5) Beautiful buttery sweetness. Reminds me of the halloween candy corns I ate as a kid without the waxy taste. Gives way to a spicy little kick that is not long lasting and then fades to bit o honey. For a finished spirit it is way cool. As a traditional rye, you might feel it is more a sipping rum then a rye. Finish: (4.25) Finish is shorter with almost no alcohol bite at all. Brown sugar lingers on the palate, and is reminiscent of a cinnamon bun. This is a way interesting offering. Either you will love it as a cool riff on rye, or hate it as more rum then whiskey. As for me.....I could drink it all day.

This one got better after the bottle had a chance to breathe. Plenty of graham cracker, chocolate, and caramel gives way to spicy rye and red hots. I wasn't fair with my first taste of this.

Tasting: Neat in glen cairn and then 3 drops of water in 1 oz. pour. Batch B518 Nose: (5.0) A bit of oaky, musty barrel and then the mother load of caramel and butterscotch comes through. Fills the room with deliciousness Palate: (5.0) I got heathbar and a bit of ethanol. Scrumptious chocolate and butterscotch are the main players. The vanilla plays in the background and then the heat builds and hits you upside the head. Finish: (5.0) Long finish with spice and cinnamon, beautiful caramel aftertaste. Coats the palate and builds to a comfortable inner warmth. This bourbon is spectacular good. It is one of the few bourbons of which if I could only have one on a disserted island it would be it.

Caramel apples with cinnamon spice and you can't beat that. Add two drops of water to tame it and open the door to vanilla and some baking spice on the finish and it is a classic. One of my favorite bourbons.

Nose (3.75): Nice caramel, nougat, and vanilla. reminds me of a bulls-eye candy. Palate(3.75): Nose continues into the palate. This is a very well balanced sipper. I would have liked it to be a tad more concentrated with the tastes as they start to fade a bit. All and all though very pleasurable. Finish: (3.75) Quicker finish with some added oak and cinnamon. This is a mellow bourbon and in my opinion likely has a lower rye in the mash. If you want a little spicier wheater this is the one to pick

Tasting: First neat from rocks glass, then with ice added. Nose (3.0): A bit lacking. I got some oak and white pepper with a bit of vanilla in the background. Palate (3.5): Straightforward first alcohol and then heat. Mellowed out to a bit of cteam soda. Pepper still stayed there. It was ok, and I think would hold up to most mixed drinks. Finish: (3.25) It mellows out but for the lower proof is medium lasting. A bit minty and still spicy. Sometimes a bit medicinal Ice does little for the taste other than tempers the heat and kills the flavor. All and all this is an OK rye. For 22.00 a bottle I would keep it around as a manhattan mixer.

Pour: Chilled in glen cairn with one small cube. Open for 15 minutes Nose: (4.0) Not overpowering alcohol for proof. Sweet and bakery-like. Vanilla and rye dominate. Palate (4.25): Rye is upfront with bakery spice and cinnamon. Mellows to an almost gingersnap flavor when the spice kicks in. Finish (4.25): Gingersnap turns a bit citrusy, alcohols comes in to warm the senses. Smooth and lasting lemon poppyseed muffin type finish. Overall (4.25/5) This is a good rye. Bit pricey for a single barrel rye of 6 years but worth it.