Tastes

There’s something clean about the nose I just love. You will taste candy corn here for sure, but it’s not overly sweet. Atypical, highly accessible rye—my favorite of the Koval lineup.

No, I’m not going to pay $250 for it. But it’s absolutely still magical, & don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

There’s a corn syrupy-sweet impression the standard 46 that leaves with me I can’t quite shake, but the maker’s cask strength, & everything to the right of this in the lineup (private selections, wood finishing series, etc.), has been a winner by me.

A truly perfect thing. It’s still incomprehensible to me that a bottle this perfect is available virtually everywhere for roughly $60. In most any tasting we do, it’s the control that’s usually present…and on any given day, the 1920 might topple almost any contender, no matter how towering. A marvel of modern whiskey I don’t want to ever take for granted. footnote: the very rare OF 117 is currently my favorite in the line, but not by much. This bottle will hold its own against virtually anything.

Beautiful.

For lack of a better way to put it, the infinite barrel project is a little bumpier ride than other Barrel offerings. But also complex, interesting, and a little less pricey—I’m a fan.

While not reaching the unassailable greatness of the 1920 and 117 for me, cranked up OF is still one of my favorite things on the shelf at present. All the OF notes I love, dialed a little higher—what’s not to love?

A vaguely cough syrup-like quality hindered this one for me.

The port finish puts this on the dessert side for me, but it’s not overwhelmingly sweet. Competent, if not particularly impressive, pour.