Tastes

Nose- Fresh mint, vanilla extract, and orchard fruit. There is a slight smokiness in the background with a tad bit of peach pit. Palate- the taste is decently rich and buttery. The fruit on the nose turns a bit citrusy yet creamy like lemon curd. The vanilla still comes through with a little bit of barnyard hay. Finish is shorter and not overpowering. I get a bit-o-honey candy note, but then there is a touch of bitterness and Sulphur at the end. Not horribly off putting, but could be better. Overall- This could be like a daily drinker for a single malt fan. Has a lot of nice parts- mouthfeel, vibrant fruit, honey, but then gets disjointed in the end like a young bourbon might do. I like the mouthfeel and the fruitiness, but I don't dig the sulphur and bitterness at the end. To me it is JUST another Scotch. A good scotch, definitely not bad.... Nothing to bowl you over, but certainly nothing you would turn your nose up at.

Tasting- this is Kenwood Liquors OESK, aged 10 yrs and 2 mos. Tasted neat in a Glen Cairn glass. ABV is 58.3%. This is a tier 3 offering. Nose- red licorice dominates. There is also a fresh strawberry vibe that is inviting. Palate- there is a hit of ethanol followed by chewy strawberry saltwater taffy. Caramel kicks in, but is quickly diminished and replaced by a bit of nutmeg and spice. Finish- the finish throws back to the fresh picked strawberries on the nose. I wish there were more sugar tastes like caramel, molasses, or browned sugar. This would have enhanced the taste, but the strawberry note kind of made this singular and even gave way to white, unripened or "green" strawberry. That was my dissappointment. Overall- First, I have never found a bad 4rs SiB. Some are better than others, but. They are always quality. This is no exception, but it is not exceptional. This one is mediocre to me. Kind of one dimensional. I craved a hit of sweetness on the backend but got more fresh strawberry, perhaps a bit of "green" strawberry that bummed me out. I have had better SiB 4 rs.

Taste- neat in Glen cairn, 100 proof. This is a handpicked barrel by Dad's Drinking Bourbon and The Whiskey House of Nashville TN. Triumphantly proclaimed to be "The Ghost of Cascade Hollow." It was barreled on 10/31/11 (Yep!), and then bottled on 4/22/21. Nose- wonderful caramel apple and a hint of peanuts! This is the candied apple you got in your trick or treat bag that your parents forbade you to eat. But this time.....you are an adult and you want to just bite into it, and you can. The appearance is dark amber, and the legs really cling tight to the glass. Taste- just a bit of the Dickel vitamins, but that is quickly overshadowed by apple, caramel, butterscotch, and candy corn without the waxiness. The flavors come in waves. Who ever thought candy-corn could be so good? Hated those in my treat bag, but dig it in my whiskey! This is so drinkable that it is criminal. Reminds me of some of the first Dickel Bottled in Bond releases, but much richer. Nicely done. Finish- it just hangs on to you! Vanilla makes a debut towards the end, but goes out in more of that butterscotch. Mixed with the vanilla it is almost like butter brickle ice cream There is a slight bitterness on the end note which might be where I have identified the flaw. Overall- Dickel polarizes. You either love it or hate it. You either get turned off by the Flintstone Vitamin hit (although this is so subtle) or you embrace it as the signature similar to the barrel funk of Wild Turkey. I am an acolyte of the love it, embrace it. This is really good Dickel and a well selected barrel. A trick-or-treat bag of fun! It won't be for everybody, but if you value a wonderfully aged, 9 year SiB pick at an affordable price.......this is more treat than trick.

Nose- Caramel, oak, vanilla, a hint of peach and fresh strawberries. The nose is vibrant and jumps from the glass. Amazingly the ethanol stays in the background for this high proof (138.1). Palate- Layers and layers of flavor here- banana, caramel, vanilla, caramel cream, strawberries, fresh peach skin all in an oak bucket Palate- Dangerous! The proof does not relate to the palate. Easily sippable right from the bottle. A bit of green banana, vanilla, peaches in a basket. Vanilla bean all layered in caramel drizzle. Then the spice comes in as if your grandma was making a from scratch sweet potato pie. Finish- Whoa......hold on here! I AM AT A LOSS FOR WORDS hahaha! Those who follow me know I am NEVER at a loss for words. Overall- If you continue to piss on JD because you remember how drunk you got on Old #7 during your college days, well, you just don't get it! This is a spectacular offering. Pull up a chair, sit down, light up a cigar and enjoy this one like I did. Why it isn't a five......there is one note on the entry that is a bit waxy. I am critical, but on any given night.......you need this bottle

Nose- a fruit cornucopia of flavors. Dark berries, currants, raisins with just a bit of dustiness to it. There are also peaches and cream just waiting to be scooped into. Really nice nose. Palate- I tasted this blind and guessed the proof to be in the mid to upper 90's.....boy was I wrong! So drinkable at over 100 I had to double take upon the reveal. You get some ethanol that let's you know it has some balls but it is so tempered by the bursts of flavors that you will not accept it is a much higher abv. The mouth-feel is creamy and luscious. The palate stays true to the nose and I finally get to taste the peaches and cream I got on that along with a hint of strawberry jam. There also is a bit of sulfur here. It doesn't flaw the sip, but as I am not a big scotch drinker and am getting my feet wet, it is the one thing I might have done without. Finish- golden raisins. Just plump, juicy golden raisin like you would get out of a Sun-Maid box as a school snack. It is nice and even warming. Very welcoming sip that stays with you. Overall- First, I am by far a scotch enthusiast......but this could darned well bring me over! The fruitiness, and distinct flavors were superb. The sulfur threw me a bit though. Not sure what to make of that. So drinkable even at a higher proof (for a scotch). The taste itself reminded me of one of my favorite finished bourbons- Wild Turkey Revival. So much so that I immediately wanted to taste it side by side to see if I was right. Sure enough, that American cousin was a great comparison for those of you daring to cross the line from bourbon to scotch. I am not giving up my American whiskey for anybody.......but if there are Scottish Whiskies this tasty, well count me in.

Nose- peaches, ripe berries, caramel, vanilla, and a bit of oak. Palate- so well balanced. I thought that the oak would dominate but it didn't. This is very vibrant for an elder statesman which often are oak soggy. The proof is perfect and hits a sweet spot for me. There is honey, vanilla bean, a raisin type thing that plays in the background. No rough edges, just good, solid well aged bourbon. Finish- Medium finish with no ethanol burn, but hints of spice. Nicely done. Overall- This one was super good. Sampled it next to Michter's 25 and it was a tale of two cities. Where M25 was tannic and hot, BB22 hit the mark on all levels.

Nose- Bananas Foster, Carmel and oak. There is also some cherry too. Palate- Oak and a large bit of ethanol too. This was drying and tannic Finish- Medium to long, drying and a bit biting. Overall- I had high hopes. A once in a lifetime pour for me. Too tannic and hot. The flavors were condensed. Tried a bit of water which just dried it out more. Regardless of the price, hype, and wanting this to be good.....you can find way tastier for a fraction of the price.

Nose- vanilla pudding and oak abound. There is some darker berries in the background and perhaps currants. Palate- the texture is creamy/butter. There is a sweet corn on the cob taste on entry that quickly transitions to the vanilla pudding I get on the nose. I also get vanilla wafer and red fruit towards the end, all coated in gooey caramel sauce. This reminds me of bread pudding. It then transitions to a bit of cola-like finish. Plenty of wood to go along but in a nice down home way. Finish- Long and even with no bite, but enough backbone to let you know there is some alcohol here. It is oaky and sweet, then goes out on a bit of cherry cola. It makes me feel warm and content. Overall- This is a winner of a bourbon! The nose and texture are excellent. Traditional bourbon flavors amped up to 11 is what I get. Some may kick it in the butt for lacking complexity, but sometimes what is showcased is the ability to just let the bourbon do the talking in a traditional way. I think the stave selection adds much creaminess to the texture, and a bit of dryness on the way out vs. regular Maker's Mark at cask strength. Definitely recommend this one. It is one of the limited bottles that will not cost a secondary arm and leg if that is your only means to get it, but will outshine bottles you might pay triple for.