Tastes

Smells like floral Rye. Tastes like it too. Sweet perfume. After a few minutes the nose opens up, some vanilla. A root beer flavor coats the mouth. Short finish. Sips easier than the proof. 4/2/17.

Smells of furniture polish and mint. Interesting flavor, some wood and caramel, along with a creamy yet herbal aftertaste that I can't quite put a finger on. Leather notes. Nice warmth, and numbing in the mouth. 4/2/17

Smells like apple cider, maybe some floral honey. Uncomplicated, but pleasant and actually a nice nose for this price point. Very sharp on the tongue initially, but vanilla, wood, and apple quickly follow and it's smooth on the backend. Not as bitter or harsh as I would expect for this price point. Not that much warmth going down, but there's an interesting aftertaste... can't quite describe it, a bit of nutty char? If it's true that this is being discontinued, that's a shame. Definitely punches above its weight. 4/1/17 Fruit, toffee, char. Minor spice that lingers, with some dark chocolate. Pleasant sipper. 7/1/17

Vanilla and fruit on the nose, some floral notes. Honey and some spice, but not as much spice as expected. Plus, something that tastes like... Sprite? Uncomplicated sipper. 3/31/17

Smells of honey and wood. Clove honey on the tongue, some herbs. Very smooth sipper, not as spicy as most ryes. Heat on the nose but almost none on the tongue, although there is some warmth in the chest. 3/31/17. Soap. 1/25/18

Nose is rich, sweet fruits abound and a surprising alcohol sting. Very smooth, wood notes on the palate. Full mouthfeel. Finish is short. Some slight bitter notes appear later. Easy sipper. 3/31/17. TWCP store pick. This is bright, but still with the heavy cab notes. Tannic at the end. 10/27/17 Broudy's store pick. Rich fruit, but it's not heavy, this is very bright and has a pleasant caramel, vanilla, and honey tone to it. This is accessible to newbies but also has enough there for veterans. Crowd pleaser. 1/20/18

Peanut brittle and vanilla on the nose. A bit sharp on the front end, with a very light mouthfeel. Almost seems like cotton candy with a barely there feel. It's not cloying like cotton candy, but it's sweet. Hints of nuts, caramel, and some wood spice. The spiciness lingers, along with some bitter chocolate, bitter walnuts. This is a great pour, and a steal at $30. 3/29/17 The 15-year (!!!). What. A. Nose. Deep caramel, cinnamon, graham cracker. Fantastic nose. Smooth for the proof. A strange herbal element on the palate. Finishes with leather. Palate doesn't follow the nose, unfortunately, but this is going to have fans. 2 out of 5. 5/9/18

Smells heavy and sweet, like maple syrup, with a hint of fruit. However, it feels thin on the tongue; this a light bourbon. Hints of wood, and wood cleaner or turpentine, some cacao bitterness at the end. Also, not as sweet as the nose suggests. Some warmth and numbing spice lingers, but the finish isn't that complicated. Definitely a pleasant sipper, but at this price you're justified in expecting some more. Hopefully this opens up with time. 3/29/17 It hasn't been that long, and maybe I'm imagining this, but it does seem have to have developed a bit. Still has a very sticky, syrupy nose, but more vanilla this time around, along with a musky, sour note. A bit sweeter than I remember, but the wood and wood cleaner notes still seem to dominate the palate, and the back end is still spice and bitterness. Looking forward to future tastings. 4/16/17 Three months later and this has really opened up. More vanilla, honey, and caramel. Still smooth, but more flavor. Some leather notes. Worth the wait. 7/3/17

Smells of honey and orchard fruits. Tastes like perfume at first, then cider and oak. A bit sharp. Short finish. 3/27/17

"I smell dried fish, wood, cereal, bananas. I taste milk, maybe a hint of apples, some sherry notes. Feels unctuous, but tastes a bit watered down. Finish is short. Hoping this will get better with time. 3/22/17"