Tastes

Batch 8. Has some cider notes on the nose, followed by a thick vanilla blanket. It kind of reminds me of a tamer, creamier Elijah Craig Small Batch. But then, I also get a faint whiff of curry. That's a new experience, never had that before in a whiskey. Taste is interesting, I get nutmeg, white pepper, wax, bubblegum, medicine, flowers. I'm all over the place with each sip, it's fairly complex, yet very smooth, and the mouthfeel is very soft. The flavors linger, with a tingling of spice, but the heat dissipates; not that 92-proof is high, but this doesn't drink like a 92-proofer. I'm actually not sure what "great with food" is supposed to look like in a whiskey, but if that means multi-layered I think Jefferson's and Chef Lee accomlished their goal. 4/14/17 A week later, and I'm still getting new and interesting notes with each sip. 4/20/17 This is still a headscratcher, in a good way. Complex. This time on the nose I get walnuts, cardamon, paprika. On the palate, it feels thin but creates a waxy texture on the tongue. I taste medicine, bubblegum, bitter chocolate, pepper, potpourri, salt. There's plenty of spice but not as much heat. It doesn't taste like the whiskeys I like yet it makes we want more. It's like the bourbon and rye components are constantly fighting to take the forefront. Layered and interesting. 5/23/17

Very light in color. The nose is fruity, I get mostly pears and maybe some apple, all tied together with an underlying vanilla note. Hints of malt are there as well. The juice pinches your tongue, you taste the fruit that was on the nose, although the vanilla didn't seem to transfer as much. There's a charry, smoky bitterness (some sips I swear I get peat), and towards the end of the dram that will be the dominant note. It's pleasantly sweet throughout, and there's a rush of spice that lingers for two seconds, before disappearing in the relatively short finish. 4/14/17

Interesting nose, it smells of pineapple and, no joke, Red Bull (or Bacchus D for those of you who know what that is). Silky feel on the tongue, but the flavor seems thinner than I expected. Strong herbal notes and some bitterness on the front end, the spices remain throughout. A hint of vanilla and cough medicine at the end. Definitely out of the ordinary, but in a way that's probably not for me. I'll revisit it later. 4/13/17

When someone says a whiskey will taste like peanut brittle, I'm skeptical. That's a flavor profile I really like. But this one comes through. Doesn't even seem like a rye, I think many would be sure this was a bourbon in a blind taste. Not as spicy or strong as I expected for a 100-proof rye, but I don't mean that in a bad way. In short, it's delicious. Coats your mouth, has a great aftertaste, and again, peanut brittle. Commence hoarding. 4/13/17 After the first tasting (with friends), about half the bottle was left, so I wanted to see if the air time affected the juice. Burnt sugar and wood on the nose. Some paper, brown rice, spice, and yes, buttery peanut brittle. Some additional nutty and fruity notes appear on the nose and on the tongue halfway through the dram. Overall, I'd say this showed more layers this time around. This is quite a bargain, a multiple-note whiskey that's great to drink neat but probably would hold up in a cocktail (not that I've tried). 5/9/17

At first, seems doomed to be relegated to the world of nondescript whiskey. But after a while it develops some character, some notes that stand out a bit. Overall, mellow, with bitter notes in the backend. It seems like something that may open up with more time and air in the bottle. Not bad, but I would hope The Duke had better in his lifetime. 4/13/17

128.2 proof... From the nose it's not that apparent that this is a higher proof than the standard Single Barrel offering, and the smell is familiar (meaning, very good). Once you take a sip, however, you realize you're in another tax bracket. Walnuts and peanut brittle smack you immediately, along with cinnamon (the genetically modified kind on steroids). This sharply stings the back of your throat in the most pleasant way possible, and it's warm warm warm going down. An oaky bitterness lingers, along with some nocino notes. Adding a splash of limestone water muted it just slightly, and heightened the vanilla notes a bit. In my view, this isn't just a stronger version of the standard Blanton's, it seemingly tastes like a different animal altogether. This is a muscle car with the engine that sticks out of the hood, the one that gets obnoxiously driven through your neighborhood, rattling the windows of your house as you question its existence, but causes you to daydream what it would be like to be behind the wheel. If Buffalo Trace adds this to the BTAC lineup, I'd understand (even though it probably would be just as hard to find and probably more expensive). Good stuff, worth seeking out. 4/12/17

Strong but pleasant nose, with vanilla, brown sugar, and wood. Numbing on the front end, which masks the flavors... flavors don't appear until the end, but at that point the heat also masks some of the flavor. The flavor doesn't venture far from the nose, which is a good thing here. Maybe if I could try this with some limestone water, it would open up, but alas, I'm at a restaurant now. Nice warmth going down, finish is fairly long but dry. 4/12/17 Apple and a strong note of potpourri on the nose. Pleasant nose. Sweet, some fruit and wood notes with warming spice on the backend. This is good, but flavor seems a bit thin compared to the nose and mouthfeel. 6/1/17 Bottle has opened up with air time, more intense flavors. Stronger vanilla and floral notes. Very good.

This tastes like a very mild rye, with maybe malt notes next. Silky, and definitely a pleasant sipper, probably evidence of a good mash from people who know what they're doing. But I'm not going to lie, I wanted to taste each grain distinctly and blatantly. The price gives me pause, but this was worth trying. 4/11/17

Honestly, this is the first time I'm having this with a critical perspective. Previously this just seemed plentiful and in the wheelhouse of good juice, good price, so I imbibed mindlessly. Haven't had it in a while, and was expecting to downgrade it due to all the great bourbon I've had since my last time trying this, but now that I've had it again... this definitely holds up. Great nose of fruit, wood, sugar, and leather. On the palate, strong flavor yet smooth, with a nice warmth going down. Familiar mash #2 notes, for you Buffalo Trace fans. Cider, vanilla, slight pleasant bitter notes, moderate spice, all dancing on your tongue. Finish isn't super long, but your memory won't be straining. A great standby, a credit to bourbon. 4/11/17

60.1% ABV, aged 10 years. Smells like floral rye and orchard fruits. Fruit forward on the palate, I get sweet apple juice and some baking spices, then the proof kicks in. It's warm, and the heat fills your chest and lingers, but otherwise the finish is relatively short. After a while, a slight aftertaste of cinnamon and maybe bitter chocolate develops. This is like a tart apple pie. After adding a limestone water ice cube, the nose opens up a bit and I get additional notes of dried apricot and vanilla, and on the palate I definitely get more wood notes. 4/9/17 Still getting floral rye notes on the nose, there's definitely a sense of walking through a flower or herb garden. The fruit is still there, but there's more vanilla this time around. The palate has developed a distinct cola note, and this still tastes like spiced apple pie. Adding limestone water seems to make it sweeter, and highlights the chocolate/char notes. This is an interesting pour. 4/16/17 10-year SF Whiskey Society from Hard Water SF. Deep caramel, honey, oaky vanilla on the nose. Solid. Nice spice on the end, but disappears, but in a nice way. This is balanced with sugar and spice. Very nice. 5/9/18