Tastes

Neat Glencairn Nose: This has an apple pie nose — baked apples, toasted pie crust, cinnamon, cloves and toasted turbinado sugar. Nice and delicate with absolutely no ethanol burn. Palate: The nose carries over 1:1 to the palate - baked apples, toasted pie crust, baking spices and toasted turbinado sugar - but also adds a nice, sweet oak and leather character. Finish: Once again, the nose and palate carry over 1:1 but now I also pick up a light spearmint/menthol characteristic. 87/100 Absolutely no ethanol burn to this dram. This would make an excellent dessert whiskey, but also stands up well for an anytime dram. An instant classic and favorite. Thanks for letting me taste, @TravHernandez!

Neat, Glencairn Nose: Bright citrus meets you at the top of the glass and beckons you inside, where vanilla, oak, cinnamon, pipe tobacco and leather await. Bit of red twizzler and maybe some grape soda as well. Palate: A nice, pillowy mouthfeel, like oat flavored cotton candy to begin, which gives way to a soda-syrup sweetness, citrus and cinnamon mid palate, with a black pepper spice that builds to the finish. Finish: Dried tobacco leaf, cinnamon candy, black pepper, dry oak What a treat! Wonderful depth and complexity throughout, with classic flavors and a couple less familiar/challenging notes as well. Very little alcohol burn to this dram, making for a pleasant, drinkable bourbon for all occasions. Thanks for the sample, @TravHernandez 88/100

Nose: Toasted marshmallows, brûléed sugar, Graham crackers, and ripe, almost mushy raspberries. Palate: Bright red berries, toasted wheat bread, creme brûlée, maybe even a Teddy Graham note — toasted wheat and a bit of cinnamon. There’s a creamy quality to it, too. More of a mouthfeel thing than flavor. It coats and clings like heavy cream. Finish: Flash of licorice, chewy wheat bread, tobacco leaf and a subtle oak spice. Nice Kentucky hug on the finish as well. This is a creamy, sweet, toasty and, at times, tart dram that I really enjoyed. It’s sweet enough to be a dessert whiskey, but toasty and chewy enough to serve as an excellent dram at any time. #DAD

2021 Balmo Neat Glencairn Appearance: This whiskey belongs in a library setting, with lots of rich mahogany and many leather bound books. Dark and rich in color. Syrupy texture that really costs the glass and sticks. Nose: Leather, oak, cloves, blood orange Palate: Grape soda pops into the palate, followed by a spicy oak and baking spices. Pretty strong spearmint note. Leather. Maybe a little milk chocolate as well. Finish: Baking spices, oak, spearmint and leather linger long after the whiskey is gone. Gentle Kentucky Hug accompanied the tasting notes, making for a delightful finish. Got to try this via sample from @trentoniousmaximus This is very good bourbon. I love how dark and rich this is, and it has the complexity to boot. Thankful to be able to have tried this gem!

Neck pour Neat Glencairn Appearance: Bronze and amber in color. This whiskey clings to the glass, and forms a nice crown before developing legs. Nose: Black pepper, red pepper flakes, fingernail polish, musty rickhouse, fresh rye bread Palate: Black pepper spice, syrupy sweetness - like a cherry cola, Coco Pebbles, heavy cream Finish: Chocolate cereal, tobacco leaf and heavy cream linger long after the whiskey is gone. Cinnamon candy, like Red Hots or Hot Tamales. An excellent rye expression, deserving of the accolades. I am delightfully surprised with how complex the neck pour is, and cannot wait to see how a little oxidation further opens this up. 90/100 This was given to me as a gift from two good friends. Thanks @trentoniousmaximus and @travhernandez

Appearance: Blonde ale, honey in color. Legs are extremely slow to form. Nose: Green Apple, Twizzler candy, oak, vanilla extract, cinnamon Palate: cinnamon apples, a nice oak spice, vanilla, dark toast Finish: oak spice lingers with toasty bread notes. Mostly lingers on the back of the tongue, and doesn’t creep down into my throat or chest. Solid bourbon, not too challenging. Really nice oak character throughout, without ever becoming overpowering. 78/100

Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye 112.2 Proof Neck pour, neat. Glencairn. Appearance: Rose gold, peach and honey colors. Legs develop quickly, but do linger. This bird is no stage 5 clinger. Interestingly, I had this covered with a challenge coin for about 10 minutes and this spicy girl fogged up the glass. I’m gonna need a cigarette after this. Nose: Warm cinnamon apples, lemon zest, fresh cracked black pepper and red pepper flakes. Palate: Rye bread peeks through as soon as this hits the tongue before quickly giving way to caramel sweetness, green apple and citrus. The spiciness dances through the palate, peeking through at various points and in different areas of the mouth before reaching its peak just as I begin to swallow and slowly trickling its way down to the belly. Not a strong Kentucky hug — more like a gentle squeeze on the shoulder to let you know that your good friend DOES care about you, man. Finish: Medium-long. Leather, rye bread and bittersweet chocolate notes. I was pumped to find this bird while hunting today, and had the hype validated by tonight’s dram. This rye is a wild night in Mexico, dancing with a spicy Latina in a flowing red dress, accompanied by Carlos Santana and Chad Kroeger’s “Into the Night,” only you get to remember all the fun you had the next morning. What a peach!

Dark berries, Fanta Grape, musty oak and vanilla on the nose and palate. Finish really brings out grape soda/grape candy. Red hots mid palate and on the finish as well.

Red apples, cinnamon, and black pepper throughout. Oak notes are light and pleasant — not bitter at all.

Nose: Hint of apple, cherries and oak. Scents change at different levels, making a fun, challenging nose to fully explore. Spicy, with vanilla and brown sugar. Palate: A symphony of flavors. Cinnamon candy, salted caramel, toasted oak, and brown sugar. A pleasant black pepper spice accompanies all other flavors. Finish: Dried fruits, oak, cacao powder, and a minty feeling retro-nasally. Kentucky hug starts like a firecracker in the back of the throat, and fades into a delightful ember as it reaches the stomach. What an excellent, excellent bourbon. Truly great experience. Thanks to my buddy, Stephen, for letting me sample his sample.