Tastes

NEAT **This bourbon is very complex so please excuse my juvenile nose and palate in this review for the things that I’m not picking up. NOSE - Honey, Orange Peel, Dark Fruits, Cinnamon Streussel cake PALATE - Honey, Citrus Zest, Malted Grains. The mouthfeel is slightly fairly oily with a decent body to it. FINISH - Medium in length. Rich in dark fruits and a sweet, pleasant oak. BUY? - Yes! Don’t pass this one up. Bourbons like this one make craft whiskey so exciting and stand apart from things like buffalo trace, etc. They are unique and don’t try to be something else. BUY AGAIN? - I wouldn’t be opposed to backing this one up and I will definitely be on the lookout for a 9 and 10 year if they plan to continue in that fashion.

BATCH #: 23-202 PROOF - 109 ABV: 54.5% NEAT NOSE - Loads of brown sugar balanced with caramel and oak. PALATE - Beautiful mouthfeel. Thick and viscous. Palate follows the nose. There is a hint of rye spice on the palate that is not noticeable on the nose. FINISH - Long, rich and sweet. BUY? - For sure. BUY AGAIN? - I would. They are currently doing these under their “Estate Collection”. I’m not running out to stock up on these but I would definitely buy another one when this one starts running low.

NEAT NOSE - Warm Apple Pie drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with cinnamon. Oak is there but faint. PALATE - Amazing mouthfeel. Very light on the palate, yet very oily. Main note here on the palate is caramel and light brown sugar. I wish there was more of the apple and cinnamon, but it is good nonetheless. FINISH - Short, unfortunately. BUY? - Absolutely. I’d love to get my hands on more bottles to see how consistent these are and if more of the notes that I get on the nose shine more from other barrels. BUY AGAIN? - For sure, especially at SRP. I also wouldn’t pay over retail for this one, just my 2 cents.

NEAT NOSE - Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Oak, and the slightest hint of caramel PALATE- Simple, inoffensive, and Smooth. Vanilla is on the forefront with touches if oak towards the end. FINISH - Oily mouthfeel with oak being the most prominent note on the finish. BUY - Good budget bourbon. Some people may like it as a daily. BUY AGAIN? - Probably not with having the options if the full proof and single barrels.

NEAT NOSE - Vanilla, Caramel, Oak, and Raspberries PALATE - Velvety smooth and viscous. This bourbon has an amazing mouthfeel. The caramel and oak are the most prominent notes supported by traces of vanilla and a hint of raspberry on the end. This an incredibly easy sipper that goes down like water; not surprising being 90 proof. FINISH - A flash of raspberry with lingering oak and caramel sweetness. BUY? - Absolutely. At SRP, which thankfully is what I got this for. However, if I had to pay more, I’d be willing to pay $60-80 max because of its rarity and how hard it is to get. BUY AGAIN? - Absolutely!! Comparison to Weller Antique 107: I was hoping to not care for this because of the mixed reviews that it gets but this is honestly a very good bourbon for it’s price. In comparison to Antique 107, the 107 is more bright and fruity whereas this one is more oaky, dense, and rich. The Weller 12 also has the better mouthfeel. If I had to choose one, I’d take the Weller 12 but both are great ESPECIALLY at SRP.

NEAT NOSE - Immediately, I like this more than the bourbon. Notes of caramel, apples, and honey. It smells exactly like a caramel red apple. PALATE - Creamy, silky smooth mouthfeel. Incredible roundness to this bourbon. Its sweet, but not sweet enough to categorize this as a desert bourbon in my opinion. The nose carries over to the palate effortlessly. The notes are easy to pick out and to be honest, I’m not getting much else. Ive had pours with similar notes but not with this level of balance. For the price, this bourbon is amazing and I can’t wait to see what they taste like as the age goes up. FINISH - Short. Sweet oak. BUY? - Absolutely. Support craft especially when its done well! BUY AGAIN? - Yes!

NEAT NOSE - Very bold explosion of oak, brown sugar, and caramel. There is some vanilla and cherry hiding in there that’s much more subtle. PALATE - Viscous mouthfeel. The nose follows through on the palate but man, this one is very oaky. However, it doesn’t come across as tannic or dry which is a surprise. The brown sugar and caramel come through mid palate with vanilla and cherry on the finish. FINISH - Long. Bold, Sweet, Oaky. The last note is cherry as it fades away on the palate. BUY? - Absolutely. I’m sure this could beat some batches of Stagg. BUY AGAIN?? - I’ve thought about backing this one up but I’m fine looking forward to future batches as always.

BOTTLED FOR // Spec’s AGE // 7 yrs WAREHOUSE // WF6 BARREL # // 39-56 ALC/VOL % // 61.43% NEAT NOSE - Brown Sugar, Caramel, Maple, Oak, Cherry Sweetness PALATE - There is a bold explosion of flavors on the palate. The brown sugar and maple are the initial note and they are bold and unmistakable. The cherry sweetness comes through on the mid-palate with oak soaked in caramel on the finish. Complex and amazing. FINISH - Long BUY? - This is much better than the batched Uncut and Unfiltered that I currently have, but is reminiscent of the first and more favorable uncut and unfiltered batch that I tried at a restaurant. To me, that means there is either alot of variation between batches and the single barrels stand out better but I need to try more than this one to have a better opinion. Regardless, at around $80, I don’t think you could go wrong with this bottle. BUY AGAIN? - For sure. Hopefully, I keep coming across barrels as good as this one.

NEAT NOSE - Caramel, Sweet Oak, Honey, Red Apples, and Vanilla PALATE - All notes from the nose mingle together mildly and very nicely. FINISH - Sweet and short but extremely pleasant BUY? — You must buy this at some point in your bourbon journey. While I don’t think its worth the cost of paying over retail (maybe $5-10 at most depending on availability in your area), it’s almost essential to try this atleast once in your bourbon journey. Not only does it establish a solid foundation for what bourbon ‘should taste’ like, but it also gives a glimpse into the sweet character and profile of buffalo trace bourbon. This isn’t a fantastic pour but it is one of the best bourbons you can buy for the money at MSRP. It’s also a great introduction to bourbon for new connoisseurs. BUY AGAIN? - Easy shelfer.

NEAT NOSE - Caramel, Honey, Blackberry/Raspberry Jam PALATE - Decent mouthfeel but leans towards being more thin than viscous if that makes sense. No oak presence. The main notes here are caramel and honey supplemented my faint notes of berries. It’s pretty sweet and very smooth. FINISH - Short. BUY? - I’m torn. I like this, but I don’t love it. I think at a higher proof I’d like this much more. However, if you really enjoy bourbons finished in these casks, I’m sure this will be right up your alley. In my opinion, the proofing down of this one hides too much of the influence of the finishing casks. BUY AGAIN? - No, but maybe at cask strength.