Tastes

"Are you kidding? Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Revenge. Giants. Monsters. Chases. Escapes. True love. Miracles." A deep swill tells a story within the story, but only to those who look beneath the surface. Basil Hayden's Bourbon is surprising; a layered, and complex whiskey. The Princess Bride (1987), was a fairytale for children right? Not exactly. The tale opens with a doting grandfather caring for his ailing grandchild. The pages of an old book open; the scene is sweet but emphasizes the piquant rye of youth. The story quickly becomes a saccharine romance. Fred Savage's character, being a young boy of the '80s decries the sap - his wise grandpa insists he wait for the tale to play out. Like this bourbon, the beginning is familiar. Some sweetness and all-too common flavors served in an a almost cliché romantic package. Nothing special, but it's nice enough. As the story advances, approachability is overtaken by surprising cleverness. The sweet honey of true-love's kiss alternates with the dark-comedy of spiced rye. Action, suspense, comedy, romance, and whimsy swirl together into a remarkably memorable mixture. “Life isn't fair, it's just fairer than death, that's all.” ... Like the movie, your first imbibing should be enjoyable but leaves something to be desired. Reflection and repeated intake will reveal a rich world of creativity. The clever, occasionally dark, comedic adventure eventually reveals the absurdity and beauty of life as it bestows true loves kiss.

Old Forester Classic - the Top Gun (1986) of bourbons. The color of a fading summer-sky behind jet smoke over Naval Air Station Miramar - San Diego California. A low, muddy amber. When Top Gun (1986) was released, it left a mark. It was different. Real, professional aviation had never been featured so well. A new way for the public to appreciate the prowess of the US military. Deeply relevant for the time it was released. Not the 1st movie of its genera but a stand-out that would hold for generations. The film had a unique charm and an unmatched ability to bring viewers back to the 1980's. Old Forester must have been like that upon its debut. And it too has endured. The similarities continue. Masculine leather and molasses hit the pallet like an F-14 Tomcat leaping off the deck of an aircraft carrier. A few spicy maneuvers fly low as the story builds. Only instead of a bold climax, dim cereal notes follow. A weak burn. A funeral scene. A let down. There is something there... and then there is not. The cleanest parallel between Top Gun and Old Forester is the hard nostalgia they both evoke. The variety of nostalgia that only leaves disappointment. You're sure there's supposed to be something more, something special. There's a phantom promise that never delivers. The idea of it is greater than the experience. Goose, to Maverick: "Every time we go up there, it's like you're flying with a ghost."

The Wild Turkey Redemption. Act I When you 1st take in the scent of the Turkey, it seems unseemly, unappealing... unsavory (morally). Not unlike a pipeline that runs beneath a prison. Too much ethanol, too much spearmint; grime. When you 1st taste the Turkey, it's a criminal affair. A crime of passion but carried out in cold blood - murder. The allspice and cherry-fruit burn into the pallet like gun powder ejecting from the chamber of a pistol delivering a killshot. This rye belongs in prison. Act II "The first night's the toughest, no doubt about it. They march you in naked as the day you were born, skin burning and half blind from that delousing shit they throw on you, and when they put you in that cell, when those bars slam home, that's when you know it's for real. A whole life blown away in the blink of an eye. Nothing left but all the time in the world to think about it. Most new fish come close to madness the first night. Somebody always breaks down crying. Happens every time." - Ellis “Red” Redding, Shawshank Redemption Keep sipping - ponder, "can the Turkey be redeemed?" Sooner or later the spirit takes on a new character. The caramel notes blend in with a paprika finish. The passage of time tames the roughest edges... it grows on you. It finds redemption. Act III Not a perfect whiskey - but real and distinctive. As that flavor evens itself out, it becomes familiar. Feels like a friend. I miss the sip now. I hope to drink more. "I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.” — Ellis “Red” Redding, Shawshank Redemption

This Bourbon is for sipping on a certain type of late Fall evening for a certain type of man. You know the kind - where a man needs nostalgic vanilla Dr Pepper notes to tickle his nose and palate before giving way to a clean burn. One caramel tinged sip settles in to another, then another... now the hard work can be done. This is the kind of late Fall evening where a man has to take the fight to the source - time to hit the streets. Time for justice.

Mild smoke and cloves come out before a spicy burn with tang. Sweet caramel and vanilla open the nose. Feels like you're suckling from a barrel out in the Tennessee woods on a full moon night.

Excellent light smoke with a clean finish.

Japanese Whisky for the masses. -Balmy early spring -why a bitter, light fruit lifts -under the copper