Tastes

Nose: Lots of peppery rye spice and butterscotch. Strawberry and cherry Laffy Taffy hits after enveloped in a thin layer of vanilla and barrel char. Palate: Sweet caramel and a punch of black pepper lead the way. The vanilla and barrel char are more pronounced with cherry Laffy Taffy taking the back seat. Finish: Medium in length. Soft tannins and a sprig of spearmint entice another sip. Summary: One of the best bang for your buck whiskeys out there. Cheap, but offers a lot on its own while holding up well in cocktails. It's disappointing that this has been discontinued for the return of the inferior 80 Proof Rye. If you see this when you're out and about, it's definitely worth snagging up a bottle or two before they're completely gone. Hopefully we see it back sooner than later.

Mash Bill: 93% Rye, 7% Malted Barley Nose: The high amount of oak used is immediately noticeable with toasted dark rye bread and brown sugar. Birch beer, clove, fresh mint, black coffee, and semi-sweet chocolate follow. Hints of cedar and pine hide deeper within. Palate: Toasted rye grain and spearmint come in spades. Brown sugar, black coffee, and birch beer are back rounded out by clove and little cocoa powder. Finish: Birch beer and toasted oak fade slowly into a soft mintiness for a warm and satisfying end. Summary: A beautiful pour. Especially in the cold winter. Deep and rich with a bit of freshness and spice. Well worth the price of admission.

Nose: Very grainy and toasty right off the bat. Highly suggest allowing this one to breathe and open up for 10 minutes or so. Coming back, the 100% Malted Barley is still front and center. More toasty than grainy now with butterscotch sweetness. Just underneath, there is a mix of died cranberries, cherries, and orange peel with a dusting of cinnamon and cocoa powder. Palate: Butterscotch and toasted barley are prominent. The graininess is almost absent. The cocoa powder comes through with cinnamon and warming barrel spices, almost like a Mexican hot chocolate. Bringing up the rear is the return of dried cranberries. Finish: Fairly short, but warm with barrel spices and some bittersweet chocolate. Summary: Very good for a young single malt, but the heavy toast and graininess could throw some people off if they don't like going off the beaten path. I really hope they do another batch at 6 or 7 years. It could be something truly special.

Nose: Earthy corn and sweet tobacco come forward first. Notes of unsweetened dried cherries and dry grass are just underneath with a hint of wood smoke rounding it out. Palate: Almost identical to the nose, but a bit more balanced. A more medicinal cherry mingles nicely with the corn and tobacco. Again, a puff of smoke is a nice touch. Finish: Warming with medium length. Medicinal cherry and wood smoke fade away for a satisfying end. Summary: Well balanced and enjoyable to sip on. Worth picking up if looking for a good corn whiskey.

The nose is very vanilla with some rye spice and cereal. The only thing I get from my palate is Frosted Cheerios and I kind of love it. There's a little spice and wood, but I feel like I'm just eating whiskey cereal from the box. The finish turns into sweet and spice.

The nose is mostly typical Bourbon. Caramel, vanilla and oak, but with just a touch of peat. The Palate shines with the earthy smokiness being the perfect pairing to the sweet caramel and vanilla of Bourbon. I'm not a huge Bourbon fan since I don't like things that are very sweet, but this mellows out the sweetness without overpowing it altogether. The finish reminds me a lot of a Scotch. Stone fruits and almost a smoked cheese element to it.

Nose: Green Apple and Cinnamon Palate: Green Apple, Pear, Dry White Wine Finish: Sweet Apple, Pear, and Cinnamon