Tastes

NOSE Spirity vanilla, fruit, smoke, SweetTarts and minerality. The spirity character pops at first, followed by the peat and then doubles back to become very prominent as it opens. PALATE Spirity vanilla, fruit, smoke, SweetTarts and minerality with a bit of melon rind and banana taffy. It’s a tad more complex, but the Penderyn Peated Single Malt is still dominated by that spirity profile. FINISH Medium -> Spirity, vanilla and banana taffy fade to minerally smoke.

NOSE Strawberry shortcake, oak, candy corn, blackberry taffy, leather, toffee, candied prunes and figs. Warm, rich and unique with a candy dryness. The Four Gate Kelvin Collaboration 3 has a fun aroma. PALATE Rum funk, oak, strawberry shortcake, candy corn, dark fruit leather, toffee, figs, candied citrus and some nuts. Intense flavors climb up over the aroma with a lot of great profiles happening here; a balanced clashing and merging. FINISH Long -> Darkly fruity and candy sweet fades to nutty oak

NOSE Oaky, peanuts, dried df, stewed apples, baking spice, blackberry taffy, leather and a bit of citrus and candy sweetness. Warm inviting aroma that stays on the darker side with some lighter fruit and citrus pops, but most interesting is the leather. PALATE Peanut brittle, oak, baking spice, biscuity, copper, dark fruit taffy, dried orchard fruit and touches of leather, candy sweetness and pepper. The richly nutty aspect grows along with the spice as the Blood Oath Pact 7 opens. It’s a warm and lovely whiskey but the oak is oddly muted compared to the aroma. FINISH Med-long -> Oak, peanut brittle, and dark fruit fade to herbal spice

NOSE Corn, copper, grape-nuts, crafty wood, toffee and a bit of citrus and some rye spice. Not a super complex aroma, leans crafty at times, but it’s not horrible. It’s on the upper side of craft in its presentation. PALATE Corn, copper, crafty wood, grape-nuts, toffee and a bit of citrus and some rye spice. A touch woodier and craftier, but the palate of the Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys is basically a carbon copy of the aroma. FINISH Medium -> Woody, corn, spice and a touch of fruit fades out evenly.

NOSE Spirity and cloying with notes of orchard fruit, banana, vanilla custard, spice, creamy citrus and a heavy butterscotch that reminds me a bit of Canadian Whisky. This reminds me a lot of that High West 14 Years Light Whiskey. It’s light, topical, and hits some weirdly cloying sweet notes while being spirity. PALATE Spirity vanilla, cloying butterscotch (Canadian-like), orchard fruit, banana taffy, vanilla custard, spice and some creamy citrus hints. Wow, that Canadian butterscotch note is so heavy on the Hooten Young Whiskey 12 Years’ palate. I keep thinking of Black Velvet mixed with that High West… FINISH Med-short -> Canadian whisky butterscotch and baking spice fade to a banana taffy and woody profile.

NOSE Hay-like earthiness, oak, fruit, cinnamon, toffee and bits of vanilla, fresh biscuits and polenta. This isn’t super deep or complex, but it is well balanced and expressive in a way that brings the nose back to the glass over and over. It’s an enjoyable sniff. PALATE Hay-like earthiness, cinnamon candy, toffee, nutmeg, cocoa powder, vanilla candy, raw corn, caramelized banana and just a hint of that tannic-woody craft note. Again, not super deep or complex, but well balanced. Frey Ranch Bourbon is a surprising entry from the craft world because of the maturity it shows and the nice integration of wood and spirit. FINISH Medium -> Cinnamon, caramel, hay-like earthiness and corn fade out to a bit of that crafty sawdust/wood note and dried fruit.

NOSE Dilly, woody, caramel, coppery, peppery, herbal, lemony and a touch fruity with some notes of citrus peel and taffy sweetness. It’s a noticeably different profile than the old Rendezvous Rye, but that’s to be expected as sources and blends change and this latest iteration ain’t bad. PALATE Dilly, woody, caramel, coppery, peppery, herbal, lemony, touch fruity and leathery with a smidge of overripe veg that opens to some slight notes of minerally clay and vanilla taffy. Palate of the High West Rendezvous Rye 21C23 has an overall essence that’s a bit like a citra hop IPA whiskey… interesting. FINISH Long -> Copper, dilly herbal, spice and woody fade.

NOSE Caramel, oak, biscuity, honey, dried cherries, cinnamon and a touch herbal. Significantly richer and warmer aroma over the traditional Rebel Yell. Not crazy deep or anything, but a big improvement. PALATE Oak, caramel, vanilla cake, citrus frosting, baking spice, dried cherries, hazelnuts and a touch herbal. Again, the Rebel Yell Rebel Reserve is better than the regular RY ever was and it comes through like a decent bourbon. This is pleasantly drinkable. FINISH Medium -> Oak, darkly sweet and fruity fades to herbal spice.

NOSE Nuts, oak, leather, herbal, baking spices, dried dark fruit and some cocoa. Gets a bit more herbal as it opens and a bit more alcoholic. It gets sharper as it opens but doesn’t add much more depth. An oddly muted aroma for Booker’s. PALATE Oak, dried dark fruit, toffee, baking spice, leather, peanut butter fudge, cocoa, vanilla candy, citrus and a bit of char and pepper. All the notes missing or muted from the aroma are here, and shouting, in the palate. The volume of the Booker’s Tagalong Batch 2021-02’s palate is nearly deafening. FINISH Long -> Nutty, caramel, candy-sweet profile fades to oaky leather.

NOSE Banana’s foster, creme brulee, marshmallow, oak, fruit, nutmeg, vanilla candy and some nuts. This is the most a-typical Booker’s I’ve ever experienced, this is super weird. Good, but weird. PALATE Banana’s foster, creme brulee, marshmallow, oak, sponge cake, fruit, nutmeg, vanilla candy and some nuts. Like the aroma this is super weird, there’s a Banana Quik quality to it that’s interesting and odd. So not the usual, but still not bad. FINISH Long -> Banana taffy, oak, leather, nuts and dried fruit.