Tastes

Heavy, sweet oak, caramel covered cherries and raspberries, leather, sweet tobacco, and roasted coffee beans on the nose. It really gets deep inside the nose and gives the senses a great big bear hug. It’s really inviting. Great viscosity, love the way it coats the palate. Sweet tobacco starts up front followed by cinnamon, almond, leathery oak, tart red fruit, and some clove and black pepper. Vanilla extract and more oak show up on the finish that lasts. Not as impressive as the nose, but delicious nonetheless. It has a rich, decadent style that really blends well with the tart red fruit. A great example of balance. Worth the trip to Kentucky to pick it up.

Nose is stellar. Chocolate covered honey grahams, fresh cinnamon rolls, vanilla bean ice cream, pipe tobacco, sweet oak. I just want to keep bringing the glass to my nose and inhaling these potent vapors. I can't pick up any ethanol either, and at 60.5%, well done. Very warming but the burn isn't too bad. Viscosity is great. Lots of sweet oak, cinnamon, vanilla bean, and an additional layer of pineapple and some tropical fruit is detectable for me too, which is a nice surprise that I didn't pick up on the nose. Finish is surprisingly dry and a bit tannic. Sweet oak, pipe tobacco, and caramel stay on the palate for a bit but aren't as potent as some other barrel proofs and doesn't linger as long either. A bit of a let down All in all, very good whiskey but the palate and finish don't hold up to the high expectations the nose led me to hope for. This won't be whiskey of the year for me, but I will enjoy it thoroughly.

Loving this nose. Brown sugar, spiced carrot cake, oak, maple syrup, a little leather and peanut shell. Aromas are forward with a nice intensity. No ethanol. Can smell this for hours. Deep and rich with a beautiful mouthfeel and warm palate. Entry is so smooth. Cream soda, toffee, sweet cinnamon, and honey roasted peanuts right off the bat with rich, sweet oak coming before the finish. Black tea, dark chocolate, and cinnamon rolls go on for minutes. This is so well balanced. I'm loving this more than the 15 year (only 2 I've tried) with the sweeter profile. It still has the rich, round, and softer profile I look for in a wheated bourbon but the flavors are more forward and are beautifully blended. One of the best I've had in 2021

Nose shows both sweet and savory notes of caramel flan, toasted almonds, cocoa powder, dry oak, and leather. Some lingering notes of fruity vanilla bean and red apple. Doesn't jump out of the glass but it is very pleasant and balanced. Rich entry but doesn't coat the mouth all that well. Of course dry oak starts on the palate with vanilla custard, red pepper jelly, rye bread, and aniseed following behind. It is not a full flavored bourbon but the orange scented oaky finish lasts a nice long while. Proof could be a bit higher to see what other flavors are lying dormant in those barrels. But all in all, very enjoyable 15 year bourbon that stays away from being too dry

Sweet nose loaded with caramel covered fruits like peach and cherry. Some leather, old oak bookcase, and wood varnish reminds you its mostly 15+ years old. Dark chocolate lingers on the nose too. The blend of fruit and oak are married so well here. Pretty hot entry with dry oak, lots of cinnamon red hots, honey roasted peanuts, coffee, and leather. The sweetness comes after with cherry orange compote, dark brown sugar, and toffee. Good mouthfeel but could have a bit more richness for the age and proof. Finish is smooth as silk. Milk chocolate, coffee, and old oak are prominent. Good length but not exceptional. I sure loved the complex nose and strong flavors, but a lack of richness in the mouth and finish lacked a bit in the complexity department, kept this from being next level. These are nitpicks, however. This is a great whiskey. Maybe not worth the price though

61.5% Barrel No 5 Color is so inviting, a nice dark amber. Nose does not disappoint. Very fruity with notes of strawberry, raspberry, lemon, and pineapple. The more classic bourbon notes are there too, this is 13 years old. Tons of sweet oak, toffee, and minty chocolate (Andes Mint if you've ever had one) provide some contrast to the fruitiness exuding from the nose. No ethanol at all Powerful but smooth entry, it has tons of flavor right up front. Sweet oak dominates then the fruit comes in in the form of raspberry and blackberry with a little raisin on the end. Caramel and vanilla frosting come soon after but cherry and caramel ride front seat on the finish. Flavor is complex and the finish is long and potent Only criticism is the mouthfeel. I expected a bit more for a 13 yr BP. It is not bad at all. It has weight but this bourbon would be just about perfect if it was a bit creamier and mouth coating. Also lacks some spice for me. Wanted some cinnamon or clove, black pepper even. The fruit and sweet oak dominate though. Still loved it!

4 Seasons barrel 118 proof I immediately noticed nice, sticky, and viscous legs on the glass right away. Usually a good sign. Nose was very pleasant but didn't smack me upside the head with potency. It was, however, loaded with brown sugar, vanilla, toasted oak, leather, and mint. Plenty of baking spices apparent as well as back notes of lemon and peach. Very complex nose. First off, this is chewy and mouth coating. Beautiful, supple mouthfeel and great proof. Oak permeates every other flavor in this bourbon in a positive way. The brown sugar comes after the oak, followed by vanilla, wood varnish, cherry cola, and leather. Finish has good length but flavor fades to muted notes a bit too quickly for me to consider it elite. Its mostly the oak and brown sugar still, which is pleasant and doesn't dry out the mouth. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this. Got it as a gift and didn't know much about it. Still can't find much on the actual juice but the owner...kind of ran a winery in Burgundy but had to walk away in some shame it seemed. Well, kudos to this barrel.