Tastes

The nose is like dessert, combination of coconut and pecan pie. Sharp flavor on the tongue, but velvety feel. Leather and butterscotch, slightly floral. Ends with walnut shells, a little bitterness. Slightly numbing. 11/7/18

Batch No. W-T-01-97, 108.6 proof. Of course, the cork broke. Mild nose, no alcohol at all. Smells like lime soda and mild oak. On the palate, a rush of perfume. Then, leather, oak, dark chocolate, cola. Warm for the proof. 3.5 stars. 11/2/18

2014, barrel 2018, rickhouse N, floor 5, Super Market Liquor & Wine. Fresh nose, like a crisp spring day. On the palate, a burst of sweet flavor that drops off precipitously, but there is a lingering spice. Some fruit. Very sweet at first, like marshmallows, but the finish is very dry. This is interesting. A bit of funk as well. Well done. 4 stars. 11/2/18 16-489, rickhouse M, floor 5-24-3, Gordon's Fine Wine & Liquors. Nose is different, lots of brown sugar and honey, not as much alcohol. Smells sweet. After a while, more vanilla. Tastes sweet as well, although not as sweet as the nose suggests. Honey. Some pecan nibs on the finish. Proof hits you at the end. But still very drinkable. Different than most other RR's I've had. Honey barrel. 4 stars. 11/2/18 17-0669, rickhouse D, floor 6 2 1, Gordon's Fine Wine & Liquor. Minty, almost herbal nose. Some vanilla as well. Rich. on the palate, strong flavor, deep caramel. Pleasant spice. Lingering oak and bitterness. 3.5 stars. 17-0735, rickhouse D, Floor 6, Durham's ABC "The Bull City". Lots of dill on the nose. Almost sour. Sweet notes as well. Smells like sweet and sour sauce, the neon red kind. With a dash of dill. On the palate, spicy up front, but softens towards the end. Fruit punch notes, Hawaiian Punch. Lingering warm spice. Some bitterness at the end. What a weird roller coaster bourbon. But very interesting. 3 stars. 11/2/18 18-0449, rickhouse A, floor 4 7 2, Bay Ridge "Bourbon Geeks." Strong, but standard, nose. Intense. Vanilla taffy. Funky on the palate. Leather. Drier than the nose suggests. Straightforward. Warm finish, but not spicy. A splash of orange zest at the end. 3 stars. 11/2/18 Standard RR Single barrels, 2017 bottling. Dill and sweaty gym clothes on the nose. I always get cardboard with standard RR single barrels. Stings the nose. Very spicy on the palate initially, but drops off quickly. Cardboard. Some sweetness, and zest. 2.5 stars. 11/2/18

Nose is mild. Fruity and minty on the nose. Some cream, burnt sugar, and then a weird unexplainable note. Nose gets better with time, with vanilla increasing. It says white chocolate on the bottle, and I don't know if it's the power of suggestion, but I get it. On the palate, a bit thin, but flavors cascade. Layered. Long minty finish. The nose is the best part of this. 11/2/18

Smells like a familiar wheated bourbon. Some grass notes as well. The intensity on the palate is surprising. A bouquet of floral and wood notes. But the classic vanilla and caramel bourbon notes are missing. Lingering note is herbal and mildly bitter. Pleasantly sweet throughout. Smooth mouthfeel. 6/29/18

Soft nose, strong caramel. Rush of flavor on the palate. Sweet and spicy, with chocolate covered pecans. This might be the best of the Signature Craft series. 10/28/18

Soft nose, with mint, and after a few minutes, some maple syrup. On the palate, leather and spice, and surprising herbal rye notes. Pleasant sweet undertones, and lingering tannins and bitterness. Another good sipper in this series. 10/28/18

Pleasant nose with soft, classic bourbon notes, but also some earthy notes like mushrooms and damp wood. Soft on the palate, with a slightly acidic kick at the end. Some fruit and pecan nibs. Good sipper. Prices vary wildly on this. 10/28/18.

OBSQ, 52.6% ABV, Total Wine pick May 2015. Ethanol, damp wood, and buttered pancakes with syrup on the nose. On the palate, furniture polish on the front end, a slight hint of fruit which dissipates quickly, and turns into an herbaceous bitterness which lingers. The sweet notes on the nose don't carry over as much as I wanted, but it's not completely dry. While this isn't bad, it's not one of the better PS barrels I've had. 3 stars. 10/27/18

Bracing myself for the blast of orange on the nose, but it's very mild. Noticeable, but mild. On the palate, it's there as well, but not overpowering. Smooth with leather. The citrus is there, but more like bitter zest, not like orange juice. Good change of pace. 10/20/18 More orange on the nose this time. A musty note on the palate. Citrus zest. Smooth for the proof. Good change of pace. 11/30/18