Tastes

Sadly, I've reached the end of my bottle. I think this is from 2006 or 2007, I didn't even open it until 2015. It's changed a bit since that first time; back then, it was the best whiskey I had ever had, but since then I've tasted some just as good or better. Regardless, still a great dram to savor, I'd be interested to see what the more recent ones are like. It's been great being able to share it with others who can now say they've had a dram of Van Winkle 12. On the nose, the familiar Weller wheated odors, with strong butterscotch plus a hint of orchard fruits. The palate is sweet, some floral notes, and surprisingly warm for the proof. The finish is spicy and a slight woody bitterness is detected. There is nothing harsh in this anywhere. This Lot B is better than most other Lot A's. A great, great pour at close to retail, but probably not worth the crazy prices we're seeing these days, although to be fair that's true of many bourbons. If you find yourself with one of these, enjoy it and appreciate it, and hopefully share it. 2/19/17

Nose seems simple at first, after a few seconds you sense a wave of walnuts. On the palate, lots of heat, even compared to the 007 which is of similar proof. Intense but not overbearing spice follows and sticks to the tongue. Walnuts, caramel, honey, potpourri. This is walnut liquer, but complex and delicious. Maybe my favorite bourbon. This is a must try, although I'm hoping everyone will forget about this so that I can grab what remaining bottles are left in the wild. 2/18/17. I had Batch 011 last night, it was very good, so I wanted to try this again tonight to confirm that Batch 006 was still my favorite Barrell. Confirmed. Sweet walnuts on the nose, and I do get pears this time as well. If you're not careful, this will make your eyes tear up upon first sip. Charred oak, baking spices, honey roasted nuts, cocoa nibs, with a pleasant sting and deep burn throughout. Unfortunately, I haven't found a replacement for my one bottle, I'll be sad when I get to the bottom of this one. 5/22/17 More than 3 years later, opening up a backup. Nutty on the nose. Walnuts. On the palate, the walnuts are there, sweet tea, baking spice, dark chocolate. Walnut liquer. Reasonably long finish with spice. Holds up. 10/09/20

The high proof prevents a deep analysis of the nose. But definitely smells sweet. And... definitely tastes sweet. This is a sugar bomb. Not off putting, but not as complex initially as I was expecting. It opens up though. Spice, honey, some fruit, some fingernail polish remover. Works for me. Looking forward to seeing how this bottle changes over time. 2/18/17. A week later, which probably isn't enough time for too many material changes to be noted. The nose has a bit more fruit (zest?) than I remember, and on the backend of the palate I get a little nutmeg and bitterness. But otherwise, the same as before - sweet, spicy, a bit of acetone. Warm going down. A bit thinner and less complex than the Barrell Bourbons, which are just fantastic and to me worth their premium prices, but this Whiskey is a winner as well. 2/25/17

Smells like non-food: old leather, some turpentine. Heat hits you up front, and there's a surprising sweetness given the nose. Spicy. Nougat and some bitterness on the finish. A few drops of limestone water brings out some sweetness but doesn't tame the spice and heat as much. I can see why people rave about this as an everyday sipper. 2/18/17. This time around, slightly more sweet and vanilla notes on the nose, and some orchard fruit on the palate. Detecting some peanut brittle towards the end. Otherwise, the flavors I experienced the first time around are still there. The bitterness lingers, but it's not overwhelming. Feels a bit thin, but the flavor profile and heat are great for this price range. 3/19/17

Decent, but a little too thin, and too bitter, compared to other good value bourbons. 2/18/17.

Citrus and butterscotch, and slight floral notes on the nose. Spice up front, sweetness, then bitter chocolate. A bit sharp, with a short finish. Great value. You'll need to decide whether the Rare Breed is worth the premium to this 101; to me the Rare Breed is (especially the older 108 proof batch), but many people probably would think the 101 is the better value. 2/18/17 Better this time around. Great nose, strong floral honey on the palate. Medium finish. Great value. 7/7/17 1980s 101 at Jack Rose. A little thinner than I expected, but the complexity and intensity of flavors are there. I hate it when I say that it was better in the old days, but this is good good stuff. 10/16/17 2018 bottling. Good caramel on the palate. Nice spice. Bitter chocolate at the end. Furniture polish note. A bit thin. Short finish. 11/2/18 2009 bottling. Paint thinner and cardboard on the nose, and a hint of brown sugar. Tingly. Less caramel and more bite, but less bitter, than the 2018. Seems dry. Slightly longer finish. 11/2/18

Familiar pleasant Beam soapy smell. Slightly sharp initially, but overall mellow relative to my expectations for a single barrel offering. Wood, butterscotch, some bitterness on the backend. I'm a Beam flavor profile fan, and while those notes definitely exist here, they somehow feel muted. Adding a limestone water ice cube just mutes it even further, giving the bitter aspect more of a prominent place. Will definintely need to revisit this bottle (and I understand the variability inherent in single barrel offerings). But for now, in my judgment not only does Jim Beam Bonded offer a better value, I think it just tastes better regardless of price. 2/17/17. Tried it again a few days later, the flavor profile was better, not as muted as before. It's good for Beam fans. I still prefer Jim Beam Bonded, especially for the price. 2/19/17 This continues to evolve for the better, has rounded out nicely and developed more of the nut and cherry flavors that I like about the Beam mash. Jim Beam Bonded is still a better buy given the flavor profile I like is more apparent from first opening and especially given the price, but I am definitely a fan of this Single Barrel. 4/8/17

Vanilla, honey, and nutmeg on the nose. Very smooth and creamy feel. Elegant is the right word for this. Sweet, a hint of spice, with a surprising warmth (given the low level of spice) that outlasts everything else. This is pleasant the whole time, but after a few seconds you think to yourself "what did I just drink?" which causes you to repeat the whole process. After a while a bit of licorice creeps up in the back of the throat. Adding a limestone water ice cube completely quells the heat but brings out a bitter note. This seems like a session bourbon (or whiskey, technically). It's wholly familiar, yet different enough warrant a try. 2/17/17 It's opened up a bit and I get more vanilla on the nose and palate than last time. Creamy and velvety. The warmth is still there, and still surprising. In short, packs more flavor than when I first opened the bottle, but elegant is still the right word for this. 5/6/17

Citrus and butterscotch on the nose. Maybe some burnt caramel and flowers. Stings the nose. Taste seems different than the smell. Very flat on the palate initially, then cinnamon and toffee. Finishes abruptly with some herb and bitter notes. Warmth lingers longer than the flavor. Very silky mouthfeel. I found myself wishing it were a bit sweeter, but that's exactly what happened when I added a limestone water ice cube. Good value. 2/15/17

Familiar Beam smell... honey, hotness, walnuts, and that something extra. Nose opens up over time, surprisingly complex. You could take a while describing the nose. On the palate, this is both flavorful and smooth. Chocolate, nuts, caramel, spice, butterscotch, wood. This isn't as intense, and the finish isn't as long, as Booker's, but it's Booker's Jr. (as you can tell, I'm a fan of Booker's). Adding a limestone water ice cube seems to somehow increase the warmth on the backend? That can't be right. It does accentuate some spice and bring out some caramel at the end. But anyway, this may be the best easy-to-find $20 bourbon out there. 2/14/17 Still great. Even more vanilla and walnuts this time around. 3/19/17