Tastes
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Bottle I've had unopened on the shelf for a while and was looking for something I hadn't in a while...seemed to fit the bill. Standard pour...plenty of sweet vanilla and light oak notes on the nose...and it is dripping with caramel. Leaning sweet, but quintessential bourbon notes throughout - no surprises. Modest spice at the sip's entry, but turns sweet quickly with a pretty long, caramel/vanilla finish. A bit more oaky on the palate than the nose would suggest. A bit of booziness mid-sip, but otherwise an easy drinker...and while the finish is long, it feels just the slightest bit thin on the late palate. Sweet and tasty...not complex. This is a very nice bourbon, and I recognize that this is a great entry whiskey and also one that could serve as a daily drinker...but the 'can't find it on the shelf' hype is well overdone (and probably a product of how this was a grossly underpriced product about 5 years ago)...45.0 USD per Bottle
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2022 bottling - ran into this at MSRP (maybe a skosh high, but at a total wine in Louisville), so why not... Nose is grainy, but in a pleasant way...cornmeal/cornbread...splash of bonus brown sugar, lighter fruit, some strawberry in particular, but also some spice. Generally light and sweet. Flavor allows a bit more oak and surprisingly a bit of ethanol, but it remains an easy sipper. The finish is the highlight of this whiskey, as it has serious staying power for the ABV, and in a very, very pleasant fashion. This rating is a challenge...as I feel it should be more like a $60/70 a bottle pour, but then it would be really good (based upon the finish) at that price point. Notched it a quarter point higher when all was said and done as the long, oaky finish is worth the price of admission...though I'll treat this bottle with care and let it linger for a few years!100.0 USD per Bottle
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Reminds me of a 'classed up' Old Tub (one I've poured a lot more of over the past few years), with a bit of extra zing...plenty of corn, sugary peanut notes, mild spice, but there's also some age here...an almost leathery component. It doesn't nose 'rich', but it doesn't nose 'poor' either. Palate is moderately oily and generally sweet...brown sugar and more of the corn, along with a bit of baking spices. While this isn't a complex pour, it isn't overly simplistic either. Finish is moderate in length with a bit more of the wood character late in the sip. This is a perfectly good $30 whiskey...I'm a bit surprised at how hard it is becoming to find, but then again, I probably shoudn't be surprised by anything in the world of bourbon...30.0 USD per Bottle
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Batch #02. Tried this at a blind tasting, and it was a hit, so with my own bottle in tow, here we go. Pours a copper penny color...not much in the way of legs, but its a pleasant color that suggests the french oak did some good things. Nose is quite oaky, but not offensively so, with some cherry notes, a bit of brown sugar, and some peppery spices. Seems like a good nose for a cold winter night (and alas, its June, but it is rainy and cold). Flavor is robust, and hot...truly a warmer! Less spicy and more sugary is the knee jerk reaction, but digging deeper there is plenty of brown sugar and pie-like sweetness, more cherry, and a bit of almond on the backend. The oak is there...and this tastes like it has some age (though I suspect it is youthful, as there is NAS noted). Long finish...and this drinks every bit of its 113 proof. Nip of H2O makes the nose a bit sweeter and softer, and simply softens the palate a bit... I really, really enjoy this whiskey...its impressive how this can be so full flavored and be a whiskey that would complement a cigar quite nicely that is likely less than 5 years old. Kudos...80.0 USD per Bottle
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Picked this up on a whim a while back, surprised to see anything with CoK on the shelf. Admittedly, the price made me a tad bit cautious at $75 for something just on the BiB side of the line, but it (was) 2022, and $75 is the new $60, so went for it. A bit of a ruddy gold pour, the nose is, well, odd. Highly herbaceous, and somewhat green and funky, there's a bit of tea, a splash of mint, and an almost vegetal note that, admittedly, did not strike a good chord. In a nutshell, it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be (which is a bit odd, considering the Jim Rutledge signature on the bottle). Flavor is a rye...a bold, spicy, herby, minty, and (mildly) dill pickley rye...and is a vast improvement on the flavor even if not perfectly aligned with my tastes. Bit of brown sugary chewiness on the finish that remains spicy for quite a while. Did I like this? At first, no, and I never warmed up to the nose, but the palate is intriguing and makes it something to bring off the shelf when a guest is looking for something new, or loves ryes...but this would be downright offensive to someone who likes to hang out on the sweeter end of the spectrum75.0 USD per Bottle
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Pours a deep gold into a rocks glass (sans rocks). Nose has some ethanol and is quite spicy...but also brown sugar and vanilla to keep it from being too 'rye like'. But seriously, this is spicier than I remember it being in the past (bottle is about 1/3 empty, so I've done some damage in the past couple years). Flavor is bold, and outstanding, and fairly long...and I don't get nearly the spice on the palate...but more fruit, brown sugar, vanilla, and maybe a note of cinnamon. A splash of water softens the nose a bit and admittedly opens up the flavors a bit, but doesn't seem to introduce anything new or rewarding. Don't find this particularly wheat-forward, but it is more evident on the palate. Decent legs...this is a nice sipper. Got this bottle nice and cheap back in the day...and for $55, this is an absolute steal55.0 USD per Bottle
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Bardstown Bourbon Co. West Virginia Great Barrel Company Blended Rye
Other Whiskey — USA
Reviewed June 11, 2023 (edited June 12, 2023)Had this as a taster and was duly impressed, so with a bottle in tow, time for a review. Moderate red pour...some decent legs as well. Nose is quite complex, but overarchingly sweet - some oak at play here, and a somewhat nutty finish. While I note some cherry, I wonder how much of that is because I'm 'expecting' it, but its a captivating nose regardless. That being said, the flavor is the show...modestly spicy with the rye mashbill, there's a vanilla sweetness throughout, with hints of sugar and oaky tannins. Ok, on second thought, the mouthfeel is also the show - this is beautifully balanced...oily and smooth with a great finish, not to mention easy drinking for 110 proof. I don't really get how this works, but it does. It isn't cheap, but I dare say its a good value...one of the most unique pours I've had135.0 USD per Bottle -
Bottle that's been open for some time...purchased for somewhere around $60 if I recall correctly, but that's a pretty rough guess. Lighter body than expected (in terms of color - sort of a slightly reddish gold in a rocks glass (with no rocks). I note the Cab Sav on the initial nose, as I sense its a bit dry and dusty...some bready notes...underlying sweetness, but not a thick sweetness...more of a white sugar/honey sweetness. Flavor is quite hot, though it is over 60% alcohol...beside the ethanol is notable baking spices, more of the honey notes, and some soft berries that are an accent rather than at the forefront. Palate is extremely drying...but with a long, warm finish. I like this whiskey, but I don't love it...not my favorite Barrell product by a long shot...
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Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond 19 Year (Fall 2022)
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed January 6, 2023 (edited January 16, 2023)Small pour from a local liquor store owner...will remain anonymous, but nevertheless, much appreciated. Nose is an oak bomb with some sweetness, some spice, and some fruity tobacco...its intriguing if nothing else. The oak is heavy on the palate...having recently had a nice sized pour of the 17 year, that one was light and vibrant, and while this certainly has character, the extra two years makes this one a bit more of an gentle, slow, and somewhat overweight ambler than a lively dancer. Tobacco and other pipe notes (clove?) seem prevalent, and there's some fruit underneath that maybe, just maybe, a bit more juice with a bit more time may have brought forward a bit more. Is this a good pour...certainly! But I'll put it out there...this didn't hold a candle to the 17-year...hopefully that isn't too sacrilegious. -
Journeyman Distillery Corsets, Whips & Whiskey
Wheat Whiskey — Michigan, USA
Reviewed January 6, 2023Nice, boozy wheater here...so let's break it down. Nose is a bit heavy on the ethanol, but otherwise generally sweet with loads of caramel that isn't opened much with water, but a bit of simple glass time seemed to make it sing a bit more. Not particularly complex, but pleasant. Flavor is what one would expect from a wheated whiskey...hints of toffee, caramel, some vanilla...slight note of butterscotch, and with the ABV, there's definitely some burn here, but nothing over the top. A bit of earthiness which feels a bit odd, but I think adds to the complexity/enjoyment of this pour. Price and availability make this a solid dram!55.0 USD per Bottle
Results 11-20 of 85 Reviews