Tastes

NEAT NOSE - Caramel, Vanilla, and Light Oak; Quintessential bourbon notes PALATE - Thin mouthfeel. Everything on the nose carries over along with notes of cinnamon and honey. FINISH - Smooth with the smallest hint of rye spice. Cinnamon is the most apparent note om the finish. BUY - Yes, good pour. Possibly will suit some as a daily. BUY AGAIN? - Yes.

NEAT NOSE - Quite a few bourbons I can get my nose pretty close to the juice before I have to back off. Not this one. The nose on this one is hot! I’m also surprised because it’s been open for a while. Nonetheless, I get lots of oak, and cherry. It reminds me of a cherry cola on the nose. Hiding in the background are very subtle notes of burnt brown sugar and caramel. PALATE - Definitely some rye spice. I still get some of the “cherry cola” notes on the palate with some oak (probably barrel char). The brown sugar and caramel come through much more noticeably on the palate than on the nose, thankfully. Mouthfeel is slightly oily, but nothing too viscous. FINISH - Long. Smoother than expected. BUY? - Yes. It’s good and you may really like it. I know some swear by it. BUY AGAIN?? - I would, but for similarly priced bottles, I prefer Rare Breed or JD Single Barrel Barrel Proof. This is still a good bottle, but I don’t think I’d rush out to replace it when it’s gone. If we’re keeping it within the Whiskey Row Series, I prefer 1910. It’s deeper, darker, and much sweeter. It’s also much more pleasant on the nose.

NEAT NOSE - Vanilla, Caramel, and Oak PALATE - Thin, almost watery mouthfeel. The nose transfers to the palate, but there is an incredible balance to this whiskey even if the notes on the palate come through faintly. The oak is the most prominent note, but it is not overly tannic. It’s smooth and sweet and a delight on the palate. This could be a daily sipper, especially at the price. FINISH - Medium/Smooth BUY? - Absolutely. BUY AGAIN?? - Yes. Shelfer! **My first bottle of this was overly tannic. It tasted like drinking black tea aged in a barrel. It was terrible. This is only my second bottle, but I haven’t heard many other people have experiences like mine, so don’t discount it if that is your experience.

DISTILLED: 12-10-13 AGED: 8 Years DUMPED : 10-31-22 BOTTLED: 11-08-22 BARREL #: 22-0660 WAREHOUSE: 7 FLOOR: 4 SELECTED BY: Eddie Russel for Spec’s Liqour NEAT NOSE - Huge Caramel Bomb with Vanilla PALATE - The palate is just as the nose suggests in a huge fashion. I don’t even get any oak notes. It’s almost as if I have a caramel chew in my mouth as I swirl this around on the palate. This is one of the best bourbons I’ve ever tatsted. The mouthfeel is kind of syrupy. FINISH - Smooth and Long BUY? - Without question. BUY AGAIN?? - Absolutely. Every pick I have the opportunity of grabbing. This is amazing. I wonder how it compares to the Russel’s Single Barrel offering.

I’m trying my best to review this as a $70-80 bottle as opposed to the $150 that I spent (never again). NEAT NOSE - Sweet Bannana Bread drizzled with maple syrup in a wooden lunch box. PALATE - Bannana, Oak, & Maple Syrup FINISH - So, so smooth. The finish goes on for days! BUY? - Yes. Only at retail. BUY AGAIN?? - Absolutely, If i can get it again AT retail. There is such a nice balance to this whiskey. It’s not overly complex, but its straight forward and concentrated in its flavor profile.

PICK: Oak Liqour Cabinet//Barrel No. 12 NEAT NOSE - The nose is rich and overflowing with dark brown sugar with some faint oak notes and a hint of caramel. PALATE - I was surprised with how this is on the palate as the oak was very faint on the nose, but very prominent on the palate with dark brown sugar being the second most prominent with the slightest carmel note. FINISH - Long. Goes down smooth. BUY? Absolutely. I feel like these can go toe to toe with Stagg in a blind. BUY AGAIN? - Absolutely. Every single barrel I can get my hands on. Thankfully, two of my go-to stores get single barrel picks in of these somewhat often.

NEAT NOSE - Vanilla and Oak PALATE - Vanilla and Oak FINISH - Medium with Alot of Rye Spice BUY - Yes, its a good go-to daily for the price. BUY AGAIN?? - For the price point, yes. Also, I’m sure it would make for great cocktails as well.

NEAT NOSE - Typical bourbon notes on the nose. Brown Sugar, oak, and vanilla. PALATE - Thin mouthfeel. Very smooth and balanced with brown sugar and vanilla. FINISH - Medium length finish with oak being the most present on the finish with a very strong bananna note as well. Im actually surprised I couldn’t pick the bananna up on the nose with how strong it is on the finish. BUY? - Yes. Hard to regret at its price point. BUY AGAIN?? - For a daily sipper yes, but I should blind this with Wild Turkey 101 sometime and see which one I prefer..

NEAT NOSE - Rich notes of caramel, vanilla, and brown sugar with some oak that is not overpowering like some barrel strength bourbons. PALATE - Thick and coats the mouth. Nose transfers over to the palate with the vanilla and caramel being more dominant than the brown sugar or oak. FINISH - Long BUY? - Absolutely. This should be one of your first barrel strength pours for the price and because it sets good expectations as you go on your bourbon journey. BUY AGAIN?? - Yes. Definite bottle to keep on the shelf once the one on the bar is done.