Tastes

(Short Note) - A truly sublime pour...the nose is glorious, but pales in comparison to the taste, which is fruity and sweet, but balanced with an amazing level of barrel complexity for something at this age. This bottle is not on my shelf, but on a friend's about a half mile away, and I feel compelled to offer my services to house sit for their next vacation. Top ten, likely top five, and possibly top 2 or 3 whiskey I've ever sipped. I'll give it a 5...there's only so many that can be better!

Ok, still cold, let's rate another. Nose screams rye - spicy, grassy, piney...simply 'outdoorsy'. Get plenty of mint as well...and water doesn't really do much either way, but I would add that the nose on this, poured neat, is supremely approachable, considering this is pushing 120 proof. Flavor is quite bold...still a lot of grassy rye notes, an herbal tea quality, but a notable, yet underlying sweetness that keeps this interesting. Not a challenging sip in terms of either complexity or heat (surprising lack of heat on this pour for the ABV). I find this to be a very nice value pour at $50/bottle...

Full details - Rackhouse #1, Batch 2, dumped 11/23/21, and 116 Proof...nose is light (as is the body) - corn and a nutty note emerge quickly giving me a feel of a light whiskey, but a few deeper inhalations produces more of the rye spice...including some grassiness and lemony citrus, and there's surely some ethanol at the backend. Interesting...I can see how this could be polarizing (and, to be honest, confusing), but its unique at any rate. Flavor starts off a bit on the hot side of the spectrum - definitely some cinnamon, before some of the spice and citrus emerge. While a bit of water doesn't do much to change the profile, a bit of glass time brings out a bit more on the palate. So, this is on the sweeter end of the spectrum for rye whiskey pours, and admittedly it does feel a bit youthful at times, so I understand a bit of the criticism. A touch of oak at the initial sip, but it fades quickly, and the finish isn't particuarly long, which is a bit surprising for the proof. I've warmed up to this pour over time, appreciating the unique qualities, but recognize that it isn't the best value pour on the market right now. Now, I've nipped the KY Sweet Mash, and look forward to rating that down the road...

Ok, its cold out...time to pull down some dusties and see if I can get in a few ratings before the end of 2022...considering I have five of these LBP bottles on the shelf, and have rated zero, let's get cracking. A121...which I purchased somewhat reluctantly as I have not been a huge fan of Larceny 'standard', was a pleasant surprise. The nose needs a bit of glass time, and water does some wonders, as the ethanol is quite intense, even for the proof. A bit of patience and dihydrogen monoxide brings out some bold fruit notes (orange seems to be the most dominant for me), spice, and some pretty bold oak. The flavor is kind of muted at first with a lot of oak and almost a sawdust like quality...some cereal/oatmeal feel, but the water also helped a lot here. Orange and vanilla come through quickly after a few drops, though the wood remains present. More caramel starts to emerge as well. Having enjoyed 3 of the 5 bottles, I can say this is my least favorite thus far, but was still good enough to continue to buy future renditions when I saw them at MSRP. A great value bottle (assuming no gouging)...solid pour for those cold, early winter nights!

Admittedly bought this to have on the shelf (at a reasonable price), having sipped it a few times before and always leaving satisfied, but not particularly impressed. Nose is standard...plenty of vanilla and brown sugar, barrel presence is notable...almost leathery. Flavor has some citrus notes, an ever-presence dryness (yet sweet throughout the sip), and herbal tea notes. It is good...but I just feel like there's a bunch of tentacles that never really come together... Let's be fair, its a good bourbon for the price, but stay away from secondary prices. Many of the rye-forward Willett products are more interesting/have greater depth.

As usual, go months without rating, but get at least two in when the time comes around. Dusty nose...has an aged feel...loads of oak and vanilla, and a hint of sweet raisin. There is a ton of wood on the nose...queue the jokes...but this is a completely different pour than the 12 year that I'm accustomed to. Flavor is oak forward...a general dryness, with notes of clove, dark chocolate, and vanilla on the edges. Easy sipper for the age, I didn't love this at first sip, but I have warmed to it over time

Hot damn / Holy shit... Mind you, this isn't the first time I've poured this, and this rating is meant to synthesize both my knee jerk feelings on the dram as well as my considerations with time. Beautiful. If allowed three syllables to describe this whiskey, it would be an easy task. Beautiful. Only two you say? Complex. Feeling generous and giving me four? Chameleon. Sweet, mildly peaty, smoky, fruity, sherry-filled, nutty...it just goes in a different direction each time I swirl the glass or take a nip. Regardless, it is an incredibly smooth pour, and is, I hate to say, grossly underpriced for what this offers. I don't pull this down often, because it actually taxes my senses, but the ride is always worth the price of admission. On a more traditional rating vibe, there really is a lot going on. If I get to brass tacks, there's a contrast between sweet and smoke/peat that wavers back and forth. Some cinnamon-like spice (nutmeg / banana bread?) kick in, and there's definitely some almond/hazelnut-like notes that come in mid-sip. Easy drinking, but has some ethanol on the backend. Wow...one of the best pours I've had, even if it doesn't come off the top shelf often.

Few prior tastes, and finally pulled the trigger on this truly unique bottle. Nose is a boozy tropical paradise, blended with a boatload of rye spice...a few drops of water really opens things up, and allows the fruit to shine even more...great entry here. However, the gem of this pour is the flavor - vibrant on the palate, and absurdly complex, and I seem to pick up something new each sip. Orangey apricoty peachy up front before the rum barrel influence takes the wheel for a few moments. Brown sugar, hints of maple, some oak, and an overall intense, but not-at-all offensive sweetness finish things off. Moderate length finish has a bit of heat, but this is super easy to drink neat. Water allows a bit more vanilla to shine for me, and this is definitely better at room temp than on a bit of ice. On the viscous end of the spectrum, but not syrupy per se. There is nothing I've had quite like this pour...and its damn good from start to finish.

Rich, full nose greets you quickly here...plenty of spice, (wet) wood, some vanilla, dark fruits, and what I perceive as a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg...its unique, warming, and enjoyable. Fresh oak, cinnamon, and plenty of rye spice greet you on the sip, but even though this sounds brash, its actually quite gentle, and oh...so...smooth. Could add that there's some leathery feel, and this tastes like it has some serious age to it...much more than it actually does, which deserves a tip of the cap. Where there are hints of ethanol at the edges of the nose, this comes through with a very long, gradual warming, but never an alcohol burn. The finish on this is truly epic...I could have typed up this entire review and still had bits of flavor lingering on the tongue. Swirl this around...give it a bit of oxygen, admire the long lasting legs on this pour, and appreciate something worth the (MSRP) price of admission!

Light amber colored pour brings a nose full of tropical fruit notes - orange is particularly prevalent to me, but also some hints of peach and pear. Otherwise, a floral bouquet that is lively, along with a non-zero burst of ethanol...this would be easily identified as an Irish if nosing blind, as it is soft at the core, but has some tendrils of boldness on the edges. Flavor is quite different from many other Irish pours...the citrus is present, and there's a general sweetness that coats the palate quickly, but it is a bit brash at points, which is probably why this is a somewhat polarizing pour from what I can gather. Peppery notes, some cinnamon, apricot nectar, and some bourbon-like wood and vanilla are all available, though not always at the same time. Of the bourbon, sherry and port cask aging, the bourbon and sherry are more prevalent than the port, at least to my middle-aged palate. I really enjoy this whiskey...and I'm quite content with the somewhat steep price, but 100% get why this is not the pour for everyone...its a 'bring down from the shelf every few months' type whiskey...as opposed to, say, Redbreast 12...