Tastes

This one most definitely needs time to breathe in the glass tor me. The nose initially smelled of basic American whiskey with some scotch malt vibes, and the first taste was straight up insecticide. But then a few minutes and 5-6 drops of water later, the char wood smoke came through along with cherry and cola notes. But then a few minutes after that it kinda collapses in on itself. While it’s an undisclosed blend, I’d posit there is some pot still in there and/or column still with wider cuts (to address some of the outlying “taint”), but perhaps with some chill filtration to account for the “thin”ness of the pour (especially since it’s 90 proof).

The nose is very even with standard bourbon notes, but layered with fresh savory herbs, and what Rob Morton is getting as sweet popcorn and fruit I think is what’s hitting me as a faint Double Bubble bubble gum. It is way less woody/tannic then I was expecting considering the rumored age (not a bad thing). This being my first time trying it I keep thinking how all the taste sensors are activated on the tongue: sweet, salty, un petit peu of sour and bitter, all smoothed over by an even umami sensation, a rich yet not overpowering leathery “meaty”ness (but in a different way than the meatyness in a lot of Islays). Adding a little water really brings out the rye. Definitely looking to add to my bar.

Has the breadth of a pot still bourbon. The sweetness and proof were balanced. Had hay and farmyard notes juxtaposed with candied cherries (that turned to straight dark cherry on the finish) and mint… flavors that don’t often play nice together and take turns fighting for attention, but I wasn’t horribly offended by it and the finish was quite long. Despite it being affordably priced I don’t know if I would buy a bottle to keep on hand, but it was intellectually intriguing and I would gladly have it again. Interested to try some other expressions from their line.

Has some good, typical bourbon note, but about 10 minutes in some industrial – even medicinal/chemical – notes pop up, and the longer the glass sat the more prominent those notes became. For it being sourced and with no more effort than it seems they put into curating a premium blend, I don’t understand the high price point. I am curious to try them again once they start putting out their own whiskey.

It’s robust, but the low proof helps keep it approachable. Spice, rye bread, some baker’s yeast, dark fruits in the background, it’s everything you expect/want from a young 100% rye… I’m just not sure I personally want to pay $50 for it. 🫤

It smells of fingernail polish remover and tastes of Wonka Runts (the little hard fruit candies), it’s like fake sweet. On a blind tasting I would’ve guessed this was a flavored Canadian whiskey. It’s not a “bad” taste necessarily, it has its place… but its place is in a barbershop’s dime candy bank, not what I personally want in a whiskey glass. Even if it had a higher proof, I still doubt I’d buy a bottle.

Not typically being a Wild Turkey fan, I was surprised to find a deightful nose and the palate was initially quite nice. Had a strong berries n’ cream vibe with a very silky mouth feel; oak was a light accent in the background. The downside is the finish: an industrial medicinal “taint” crept in… fortunately the finish is short, but unfortunately the “taint” is still enough of a reason to not buy a bottle.

I’m generally unenthralled with Evan Williams’s Single Barrel line. This particular one is not bad and has background notes of raisins and dates, which I’ve never seen in Evan Williams before… but still for a single barrel, I was wishing for more.