Tastes

Ah, that familiar Weller nose, full of cider. This hits your palate in waves... orchard fruits up front, then a vanilla bomb, then cinnamon. The spice lingers, and the warmth stays even beyond that. Silky in the mouth but there's still a bit of sharpness that pierces through. Fruit-infused, high-cacao dark chocolate sticks to the back of the mouth. Good luck finding this, rejoice when you do. 3/7/17

Fruity nose. Very mild on the tongue. Moderately sweet, with grain and nuts that linger. Very interesting. Strong aftertaste of walnuts and pecans (a plus for me). Not getting as much heat as I expected. Great pour. 3/6/17

Some floral honey and a bit of funk on the nose. Sharp on the palate, some tropical fruit as well as vanilla. Spice, flowers, and some woodsy earthy notes at the end. Good warmth going down, the cinnamon lingers. Seems a bit thin. Some bitterness creeps up after a few sips. 3/6/17

Batch 2. Smells glorious, with vanilla, butterscotch, and sugar, some fresh scent notes that I can't put a finger on. Very smooth on the palate, sweet but not cloying. So silky. Sharp wood notes and a bit of spice and bitter chocolate on the back end. Great warmth in the throat. This is a nice pour, although the finish is a bit short, and while not simple, overall it seems a bit thin. Too expensive for an every day pour, but I certainly wish it could be. This is a credit to Fred Noe. 3/5/17 I'm down to the end of the bottle now. The nose is still wonderful, if not more so than when I first opened the bottle. Doesn't feel as thin, and the bitter notes are a bit more pronounced. But otherwise the flavor profile is the same, thankfully. Say what you may about the price, which is understandable, but just judging the juice, it's hard not to like this bourbon. 8/28/17

Smells like sweet walnuts. Proof is evident on the nose. Initially on the tongue it's smooth and sweet, the heat doesn't hit you until later. Syrupy, nutty, with wood notes, spice, dark chocolate, and bitters on the end. Finish is potent but doesn't linger, it begs for another sip. Fantastic pour. 3/3/17 Almost 7 months since I first opened this bottle, and I'm down to the last quarter. Distinct cinnamon on the nose, sweet and nutty. Great nose. Sweet up front, you get wood and licorice as well. The heat cascades, as well as the spice. The rye notes really shine, much more than when the bottle was new. Orange peel and cacao nibs towards the end. The spice and slight bitterness lingers a bit. Sharp Kentucky hug. This has developed with air time. Still delicious. 9/29/17 Almost 4 years later (different bottle)... big red on the nose. Nutty on the palate, very. Interestingly, some young notes I don't remember from last time.. including some corny notes on the nose that has developed. Pecan nibs at the end, some bitterness. Slight downgrade from last time. 5/15/21

Barrel #4744182, aged since 9/2005. Smells like a wheater, slight floral tones and honey, after a minute it opens up and you get some caramel and butterscotch. Very pleasant nose. Feels heavy on the tongue. Sweet, some butterscotch, then cinnamon hits and the finish is warm. The flavor and spice lingers a bit, and you get a slightly bitter, chocolatey aftertaste. This seems like the perfect proof, you defnitely feel it but it doesn't overwhelm the palate. Quite flavorful. Adding a limestone water ice cube heightened the sweet notes, and interestingly, smoothed it out on the front end yet added a sharpness to the back end. Well done, Luxco. 3/1/17 Smells like a spring day. Grainier this time, smells fuller than when I first cracked open this bottle. Smooth and rich on the tongue, sweet honey notes, clove, and bit of leather and spice that prevents this from being cloying. Butterscotch aftertaste, with a hint of dark chocoate bitterness, and nice warmth going down. Delicious. 5/17/17

Back age stated. Rich on the nose - apple, walnuts, vanilla. Very full on the palate, with those flavors and more. Some spice and wood notes, and the flavors linger in a long finish. Nice warmth. The Barrel Proof version must be fantastic. 2/27/17 Still fantastic. Getting even more vanilla on the nose and palate, and a slight herbal note that I don't think I got before. Drinks like a 100-proof bourbon, with good spice and heat to balance out the sweetness. This is a good bourbon to wow a newbie and satisfy a veteran with. Good thing I've stocked up with lots of both the back age statement and front big red bottles. 4/15/17 Front age stated. Smells clean and smooth. Burnt sugar and wood. On the tongue, it's soft, smooth. Some classic bourbon flavors and some an herbal note. Layers. Sweeter than I expected. Good stuff. 7/21/17

Orchard fruits on the nose, smells crisp and clean. A hint of vanilla. Quite pleasant. The palate is richer and fuller than the nose, very smooth as well. Some toffee and cider, a hint of butterscotch, and then cinnamon and slight bitterness on the backend. Finish is a bit short. A very bourbon-like Japanese whisky. 2/27/17

Smells of caramel and apple cider. Fierce on the tongue. Spice and sweetness, and a rush of candy apples. The cinnamon lingers. Great value at retail. 2/23/17 Sharper than last time. 3/11/17 Sweet apple cider, vanilla, and oak on the nose. The proof is evident at first sip, it's hot and spicy but not overbearing, as the butterscotch sweetness and fall flavors, as well as the full mouthfeel, round out the profile. Bitter cacao notes and cinnamon apple pie notes linger in a long finish. A warm Kentucky hug as well. This takes you for a ride, intense but fun. At retail price, hard to pass up, no matter how many you've bunkered. 5/28/17