Reviews

Nose: Mostly vanilla and caramel with lighter notes of barrel spice, leather, and orange. Palate: Vanilla and Caramel are front and center again. Lighter notes of orange cream, cinnamon, and clove come underneath. Finish: Fairly short, but sweet with mild spice. Summary: Nothing crazy, but makes a great daily driver for under $30. Perfect for a first Bourbon as there is nothing off-putting in the entire sip. Just don't fall for the hype and overpay for a bottle.

Malted Barley, Cherrywood Smoked Malt, Crystal Malt, and Rye vapor-infused with Opal and Mosaic Hops aged in New Charred American Oak Barrels Nose: The hops shine through with notes of cedar and pine. Behind that is sweet butterscotch with cinnamon apples and a puff of wood smoke. Palate: The palate replicates the nose well, with everything balanced well, but the rye now comes through. Waves of caramel, cinnamon apples, cedar, pine, and spicy black pepper rounded out with some more smoke. Finish: Sweet wood smoke and cedar linger for a nice long finish Summary: A testament to how great experimental distilling can be. Very well balanced and tasty.

Nose: Sweet and fruity. Pear, banana, and plum. Light honeyed toffee. Hints of cereal grain and mint. Quite refreshing. Palate: Lots of toasted marshmallow on the front of the palate. Mild oak, cereal grain, and pear unfurl around the tongue. A slight bite from the alcohol pushes through with pepper and mint. Finish: Medium length. Sweet, but slightly tannic and spicy oak. Summary: Very different from what is assumed when seeing "90% Rye". Different can always be good. And this is good.

Nose: The immediate smoke is meaty and salty, like a beautiful barbecue. As the nose acclimates after a few more tries, the Bourbon and Sherry influence shines through. Vanilla, honey, caramel, and orchard fruits with raisin and a bit of seaweed underneath. Palate: The smoke is a little more ashy and wet here. Not so in your face either. Vanilla and caramel hit after the initial smoke. Lovely barrel spices. Raisins, tart apple and seaweed really round out this dram. Finish: Long and luscious that only comes with age. Peat smoke and apple dance on the tongue for what seems like hours. Summary: An incredibly delicious and balanced pour. There's a reason it has the status it does in the whiskey world. Should be on everyone's whiskey bucket list.

Nose: Young barley funk and dry grass are immediate. Behind that are some great savory herbs and frozen peaches. A touch of cinnamon and caramel round everything out. Palate: Sweet toasty cereal with a nice peppery bite. Not much else going on. Finish: long warmth with the same cereal grain from the palate. Adding a dash of water tones down the funk on the nose and brings out more of the sweetness. Same on palate. I definitely prefer it this way. Summary: Enjoyable for a young malt. Another 2 or more years in the barrel and I'm sure it'll be great.

Nose: Sweet corn, creamed corn, ethanol, and a touch of malty funk. Palate: Thick and oily. Ethanol and creamed corn. Finish: The raw taste feels like it lasts forever. Summary: Is it good? Not really. Should you try New Make spirits if you're really into whiskey? Absolutely. These will challenge you and give you an appreciation of what barrel aging does. There is actual good New Make out there, but this isn't one of them.

Nose: Grilled pineapple, sweet caramel, cinnamon, roasted cayenne peppers, semi-sweet chocolate, touch of menthol. Palate: Burnt marshmallow, leather, milk chocolate, roasted coffee beans, chili powder. Rich and oily. Finish: Warm and long with chocolate covered coffee beans. Summary: A corn whiskey like no other. Not too surprising coming from Balcones. Far off the beaten path. Will challenge your palate. I've had this bottle for over a year and it continues to change as time goes on. Well worth the price of admission.

Nose: Cinnamon graham crackers. Dark brown sugar, vanilla, and caramel. Lots of sweet fruit jam. Cherry, raspberry, and fig. Hint of apricot and clove. Palate: The fruity jam immediately hits the front of the palate. As it move through the middle, big notes of brown sugar, deep caramel, and a bit of molasses curl under the tongue and into the jawline. This is also when the punch of the alcohol hits. Not overwhelming, but will throw off someone not used to higher proof. As the sip flows over the back end, medicinal cherry and rich oak pop up. Finish: Long and lingering of medicinal cherry and oak. Summary: I get why people seek these bottles out, but like most Buffalo Trace products, it's just not my thing. Too sticky sweet for me to fully enjoy. If you're someone who loves hard hitting and super sweet pours. This is for you.

Nose: Honeysuckle and flower petals to start. Soon after comes sweet corn and caramel with the hint of a freshly picked jalapeño pepper. Palate: Sweet caramel and apple butter followed by burnt marshmallow and the return of jalapeño. Finish: Sweet toasted marshmallow entices another sip. Summary: Most celebrity spirits are a cash grab and a joke. This is one of the rare times it is not. Good price. Great pour.

Nose: Like a glazed spiced apple cake. Baked apples, vanilla, baking spices, sweet breadiness. A touch of butterscotch. Palate: Again baked apples, but with vanilla custard this time. A bit of oak and barrel spices. Finish: Short and a bit tannic. Vanilla. Summary: Has more weight than it's age and proof suggest. Easy going and enjoyable. Crowd pleaser. Falls a bit short on the finish, but I'm not complaining. Worth the price of a bottle.