Reviews

Scene 8 NEAT NOSE - Subtle hints of rye space overshadowed by prominent notes of port wine, raspberries, and plum. PALATE - Lovely, rich mouthfeel with notes of vanilla, raspberries, and juicy plums. FINISH - Very long finish. Initially, there’s a rush of rye spice thats quickly taken over by tangy and sweet plum skins. BUY? - I hate this price point, but this is a lovely whiskey. I’ve only had a pour from an earlier batch and I’ve never been lucky enough to find a bottle until now. If you like wine finished whiskies, I’d buy this if you’ve never had this bottle before. For some of those who have had prior batches for less money and say the quality is better, I don’t fault you for not paying the $150. If i bought this expression years ago for $80-120, I’d be pretty upset with the price hike and percieved drop in quality. BUY AGAIN? - Not backing up due to the price point, but I will look forward to next year’s batch! *my rating does not take price into consideration on this one*

NEAT NOSE - This is quite a fruity nose with a burst of cherry cola and cherry sours with subtle hints of orange soda. PALATE - The palate is much of the same. From the nose, I’d expect the flavors to punch a bit more. While not dissapointing, the palate is a bit mellow even though the flavor is clearly present. This is a masterclass of barrel finishing. I don’t believe any barrel outshines another. They work together in what seems to be perfect harmony. FINISH - Long, fruity and juicy finish. BUY? - Absolutely! BUY AGAIN? - No question, especially at the price point of around $60 I believe. Copper and Cask doesn’t seem to miss. I’d love to see how this holds up to Joseph Magnus CB.

NEAT NOSE - Cinnamon dusted bread pudding with bourbon soaked cherries, Caramel, and Oak PALATE - Typical, yet rich and balanced double oak profile. I get alot of caramel and toasted oak with subtle hints of vanilla and cherry. FINISH - Long finish, full of flavor. Oak, caramel, and sweet dark chocolate. BUY? - No question. BUY AGAIN? - Absolutely. This is my first ShortBarrel offering and it’s top tier! I’ll definitely be looking forward to getting more of their stuff.

NEAT NOSE - Cinnamon on top of Apple Pie, Honey PALATE - Light palate with a ton of flavor. The nose transfers to the palate and evey note can be pulled out easily. Im not sure how this flavor profile came from finishing 100% single malt in ex-bourbon and ale casks. Surely, the malted barley and their process over at Stranahan’s is something special. FINISH - This was so close to getting five stars, but the finish is a bit of a letdown. The palate finishes with honey that then goes into cinnamon and a bitter oak and bitter ale note. The finish is where you understand that this was finished partly in ale caks. BUY? - Yes! I definitely hesitated at the price point but luckily, my favorite store was sampling a bottle. After sampling it, I couldn’t turn it down. I must say though, I don’t remember the finish coming across as bitter when I sampled it. Maybe it needs some more air to open up, because the bottle in the store was about half empty. Time will tell! BUY AGAIN? - No, but only because of the price point and I’d rather try other things.

BARREL ENTRY // 7.12.17 BOTTLING DATE // 8.4.25 BARREL No. // 25-04933 NEAT NOSE - Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, and a fresh bag of Marshmallows PALATE - Sweet and decadent with a velvety mouthfeel. On the palate, there is sweet oak, caramel, and bannana. FINISH - Long and smooth. No burn whatsoever. BUY? - Yes. It is still characteristically Jack, but with so much more depth of flavor. It’s very welcoming. BUY AGAIN? - Without a question. I paid MSRP of $70 and I would not pay more than $80.

SELECTED BY // Brewzle BATCH No. // 22-2316 PROOF // 120.4 AGED // 4.5 Years (American Oak) NEAT NOSE - Caramel, Vanilla, Honey, Graham Cracker, and Sweet Oak PALATE - Decently viscous mouthfeel and rich palate. There is a ton of caramel and honey on the palate. Earlier today, I tried a honey finished bourbon and the finish here is reminiscent of that honey finished bourbon that I tried earlier. Amazing work from Starlight! FINISH - Long finish with lingering honey and vanilla. BUY? - Absolutely BUY AGAIN? - Absolutely. I don’t know the age of the oldest barrels in this blend as its age stated at 4.5 years, but I can’t imagine what some others taste like with age statements of 8+ years!

NEAT NOSE - Sweet. Cherries, caramel, and oak. PALATE - Viscous mouthfeel. Lots of cherry and caramel carried by notes of oak. FINISH - Decent. Medium in length. BUY? - It’s good. Even at $100, its not bad for the price given the age of the bourbons blended in. BUY AGAIN? - I may buy future batches, but I’d like to hear reviews first. I got this on sale for $60 and I’d happily buy others if they go on sale.

BATCH // 24-901 NEAT NOSE - This is like if you had sat down to pour a bowl if cereal. You couldn’t decide between Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Apple Jacks so you chose both. Then, instead of using milk you poured honey over it. I can only imagine the sweet smell that would radiate up from that bowl of diabetes. That’s what you get here. PALATE - Exactly the same as the nose. Extremely sweet, yet there is a nice balance of the honey and amburana on the palate. The mouthfeel is slightly sticky and viscous. FINISH - Long. All of the flavors slowly dissipate. Again, very well balanced. BUY? - ONLY at MSRP. This is good, but not my favorite thing. I think this pour would really shine after eating something spicy as the sweetness of it may be a nice, soothing dram for the palate. BUY AGAIN? - I honestly doubt it. Ive passed on three more batches of this after getting this bottle because I’m just not a huge fan. I can’t deny it’s good and I see how some people could fall in love with this.

NEAT NOSE - Rich nose! Lots of Caramel, Honey, Cherry, and Grape Jolly Rancher PALATE - The nose transfers over to the palate. This is honestly one of the most balanced 12 YR bourbons I’ve had the pleasure to try. There is absolutely no burn, spice, or tannic notes from the oak. This is very smooth and sweet, seemingly moreso than the 10 YR which is pretty wild. Buffalo Trace is highly sought after for a reason. FINISH - Sweet oak, caramel, and cherry. Medium length finish. BUY? - Absolutely. This shines at MSRP. I think the most I’d pay is $70 if I couldn’t get it for MSRP. BUY AGAIN? - Without question, at MSRP.

NEAT // $36 Pour NOSE - Bannana Laffy Taffy, Caramel, Honey, and Charred Oak PALATE - Dark, Rich, and Viscous. Loads of Caramel, Honey and Oak. FINISH - The finish goes on for days and is full of charred oak and bannana. BUY? - Yes, at MSRP or slightly over. $250 would probably be my cap. However, if you can find a Jack 12 from this year, I’d 100% get that over this if you were comparing based on secondary prices. Jack 12 is $200 on secondary as opposed to $400 and up for Jack 14. This is good whiskey and a steal at MSRP, but just doesn’t live up to the secondary value and the hype in my opinion. The Jack 12 (Batch 3) is one of the best whiskies I’ve ever tried.