Tastes
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Isn't it ironic? So many Buffalo Trace distributed brands have become rarer than unicorn blood and just as expensive. And yet, at the seeming "bottom" of the totem pole lies their namesake bourbon. Buffalo Trace. Still priced sub $30 bottle and still readily available ( at certain times of the year ) at almost any retailer. Are the significantly more expensive and rarified selections distributed by Buffalo Trace distillery really worth 5x, 10, hell... sometimes 40x what this stuff costs? Or is it manufactured "market inflation"? The nose is sweet, a little spicy and a little dry. Vanilla, caramel and oranges swirl around with a whiff of cinnamon and leather. A soft palate opens up to bolder tastes. Creamy caramel and toffee candy with a little brown sugar is so soft and nearly undetectable to start off the taste. Tannic oak bites mid taste and as the transition happens to finish, some rye spice peeks out for a moment. The finish is dry with lingering, tannic oak. There's a little bit of sweet baking spice and very faint bitter dark cocoa powder thing at the end. This is a fine bourbon. Perhaps one of my favorites under $30/Bottle. I'd fully recommend this to anyone who wasn't looking to break the bank for a halfway decent bourbon to drink. This is the type of bourbon you can drink neat, on the rocks or mix into a tasty old fashioned without worrying about the sheer cost and rarity with what you're about to consume. I think every home liquor shelf should have this around as a staple.
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Weller Full Proof Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed July 15, 2023 (edited September 24, 2023)Finally taking delivery of my very own bottle of Weller Full Proof, I was all too excited to try my first taste. Typical of a good high proof bourbon, the nose is full of sweet with ethanol heat. Vanilla and cinnamon dance with caramel. Not an overly complex nose but it does seem to hint at the taste to come. Full proof definitely packs a tongue tingling punch. Vanilla opens the taste which explodes with baking spices, tannic oak and a odd tartness about it. It isn't necessarily fruity but maybe tastes a bit like under ripened cherries. The finish pushes towards the dry side. Again, hot cinnamon prickles your tongue and tannic oak and leather take center stage but as they fade, just a little bit of a milk chocolate after taste pushes down the last bit of finish. Weller Full Proof is certainly unique and a hot one. Maybe just a tad too hot, if Weller 12 is your idea of a perfect bourbon. -
Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Historic Barrel Entry
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed July 11, 2023 (edited September 8, 2023)Oh boy. Any time I walk in to a small mom and pop liquor store on a whim and spot a Woodford Master's Collection bottle I've yet to try.. you know it's going to be a good time. There's an interesting mash of different scents on the nose but it's just a tad hard to clearly distinguish as they seem to come all at once. I'm picking up some vanilla buttercream and baking spices such as cinnamon. The nose then tapers off to hazelnut and dark cocoa powder with just a bit of herbal mint at the end. The taste is as interesting and eclectic as the nose. Light, creamy caramel candy is accompanied by some banana pudding to open up sweet. The taste becomes much drier midway; with leather, baking spices and herbaceous mint taking center stage. The tannic taste carries through to the finish with charred oak, leather and just a tiny bit of a citrus twang. But because of the dryness of the accompanying notes, its a bit more like orange pith than freshly squeezed orange juice. Honestly, I think this makes a fine bourbon. Seems the average rating is quite a bit lower here than most of Woodford's Master's Collection but I think its unique and tasty enough to heartily recommend that you try it sometime. -
Fresh off my Spot whiskey binge tasting and subsequent binge purchasing of their selections, I've started to get curious now about other Irish Whiskies. In the past I hadn't given them a fair shake... but after tasting the entire line up of Spot Whiskies I've decided to seek out other excellent Irish Whiskies. A good friend of mine visited Ireland not long ago and raved bout this bottle: Writers' Tears Red Head. He lamented that they were near impossible to find local to him and I was just lucky enough to pick up two bottles somewhat local to me. One for him, one for me. Typically I steer well clear of heavy sherry / port / or just wine cask offerings in general. I don't think whiskey should taste like you're shoving an angry fistful of red fruit in your mouth. However, my buddy swears up and down by this stuff and let's be fair - $65/bottle isn't exactly going to break the bank. The nose is fruity for sure but surprisingly doesn't invade your nose holes with red fruit. Smells a little like flambéed orange peel, some nutty sweet pralines and a little bit of fresh cut grass. Interesting. The taste is pretty heavy on the sherry influence for sure, but not overly so. This whiskey has a rather oily mouthfeel which I didn't expect. A pleasant surprise. There's a bit of fruitcake about the front of the taste but doesn't bring much of the mustiness typically associated with those dried fruit/candy things. The palate turns drier midway through the taste and brings on leather jacket and a little bit of orange pith. The medium length finish doesn't switch up the flavor profile heavily from the palate, so its difficult to know when it starts. Leather jacket carries through, underlying some cinnamon red hots candy. It's good. But it isn't amazing. This is certainly better than most Irish Whiskies I have tried and I'd put it right up there with most of what Redbreast offers. But I still firmly believe that Spot whiskies are just a cut above.
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Blue Spot 7 Year Cask Strength Single Pot Still
Single Pot Still — Ireland
Reviewed June 23, 2023 (edited August 30, 2023)Short of the special wine cask Green Spots, my most recent pick up has completed my Spot Whiskey vertical collection. I have been told that Blue Spot is the best of all of the Spot Whiskies and boy, it had better live up to the hype because being the best in this bunch is a tall order. Right off the bat, the nose smells of a higher proof but ethanol heat doesn't drown out the subtle hints of baking spice and ginger. A bit of caramel and hazelnut swirl around with black peppercorn. This one definitely smells spicier than the others. The first thing you notice is just how full and creamy the mouthfeel is. Sugary milk chocolate melts on your tongue as you first take in the taste. As it goes down, spicy peppercorn flourishes then is pleasantly replaced by super creamy vanilla. Wow.... its almost like a vanilla milkshake for a moment there. Toward the back of the taste brings toasted hazelnuts which is just about the most perfect pairing with the vanilla. The finish is long and keeps the spice. As expected from a cask strength selection, that finish does dry out a bit. Along with the lingering nutty vanilla taste slowly fading from the palate, a bit of drying oak tannins joins the party, all the while the tongue tingle from the peppercorns early on slowly fades into the distance. Ok... I will concede. Blue Spot is good. But I am personally torn between Blue Spot and Gold Spot as being the best of the Spot lineup. They're both outrageously, completely and utterly delicious Irish Whiskies. And if you know a Irish Whiskey hater like I once was, give them a taste of this or Gold Spot. Guaranteed that they'll never look at Irish Whiskies the same again. I sure as hell know that I don't and have fully embraced the segment. -
Red Spot 15 Year Single Pot Still
Single Pot Still — Ireland
Reviewed June 20, 2023 (edited June 22, 2023)Comparatively speaking, the nose of Red Spot is gentle and sweet vs Yellow Spot. Delicious apricots, apples and cherries dance around in your nose. There's a bit of slightly smoky, charred oak... hardly noticeable and just a gentle touch of leather jacket towards the tail end of the nose. Makes for a very sweet and fruity nose but with just enough deviation to make you go in for another smell, as its quite different than the million other sherry cask whiskies on the market. The taste starts very fruity with some tart and sweet raspberries; incredibly vibrant. As the whiskey works its way down, a bit of spicy and tingling black pepper underlies the taste and just the tiniest bit of tannic oak ushers in the finish. Not nearly as much tannins as Yellow. The finish brings back sweet fruit after the tannic oak leaves the scene, along with a little bit of baking spice. Red spot seems to be the most fruit forward selection of all the standard spot whiskies. But where other wine cask whiskies literally jam the red fruit flavor down your throat, this beautiful selection doesn't hold your head down in a vat of cherries and raspberries in an effort to suffocate you in red fruit. Thank God for that. No, instead this fruity, sweet and complex Irish really redefines what a wine cask whiskey can accomplish. Bravo, and a must try for sure. -
Yellow Spot 12 Year Single Pot Still
Single Pot Still — Ireland
Reviewed June 20, 2023 (edited January 15, 2024)You know what's great about Spot whiskies? Although they CAN cost a lot, they are still relatively easy to come by. Its like the hipsters haven't stumbled across this pot o' gold yet. An interesting mix of red fruits and hay hit your nose with a bit of a twang but then open to baking spices, honey, hazelnut and the faintest hint of some brine. Its just enough to tickle the nose. The front of the palate has a wonderful salty/sweet thing going for it. Hazelnut cream with roasted peanut with Creme Brulee create a lovely taste.. enough for you to want the whiskey to linger a moment or two before taking it down. As the taste goes down, tannic oak sweeps in with a bit of tart red apple and citrus zest. The finish dries up quite a bit, bringing in once again - tannic oak that stayed from the end of the taste but with it just a bit of tongue tinging peppercorn. I'd say the finish is just about as far removed from the front of the taste as possible without going peated. Another fantastic Irish by Mitchell and Son and most definitely a bottle I will be keeping on hand at all times. -
Weller Antique 107 Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 13, 2023 (edited September 24, 2023)I am embarking on what could be a very expensive journey. I knew I had to get here eventually... and that one day I would start collecting bottles of Weller's vertical set. So far I have 12 year, I did have Special Reserve ( not a fan of that one ) and now I'm the proud owner of a new bottle of Antique 107. Right now this bottling is actually pretty readily available for a decent price. Well.. by decent I mean about double RRP if you look hard enough and about $130-$160 if you don't. Which seems like a relative bargain compared to what CYPB, Single Barrel and Full Proof are going for these days. ( Not store pick Full Proof. I know those are pretty easy to get, too. I'm talking about the original Full Proof ). The nose immediately resounds with a pretty heavy ethanol kick, reflecting the higher proof. Breathe this one in gently. When you look past the alcohol hit, you're greeted by the wonderful vanilla sweetness found in 12 year swirled with a little spicy cinnamon and some interesting dark fruit like over ripened cherries and plums. As you hold the bourbon in your mouth for a moment, there's a hint of brown sugar to open the bold taste. This whiskey is loud, sweet and a little spicy. Its like the extroverted party animal next to Weller 12's sweet quiet demeanor. Yes, there is the familiar vanilla and caramel sweet of Weller 12 that sets the stage for cinnamon and oak tannins. Through mid taste leading into the finish, some dark cherries wash through and you notice, quite vividly; how viscous this whiskey feels in your mouth. Its quite oily and coats the tongue well. The finish is drier, bringing back some tannins and spicy cinnamon. As the heat dies down, you're left to savor a trace of that sweet, familiar Weller vanilla. Its more noticeable if you press your tongue to the roof of your mouth for a bit. This one was solid, if not a bit spice heavy for my taste. I remember seeing bottles of the stuff touching $300 and I would have been pissed if I bought a bottle for that price. But for the $110ish mark? Worth a try for sure. -
Casamigos Reposado Tequila
Tequila Reposado — Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed June 12, 2023 (edited June 24, 2023)Not one to leave well enough alone, I was at the store purchasing a bottle of Casamigos Anejo and I had to pick up a bottle of their Reposado. Now admittedly, I bought both bottles with the intent of making mixed drinks from them ( Tequila Old Fashioned from the Anejo, Tequila Sunrise from the Reposado ). Not sure if that is blasphemy for the die hard Tequila fanatic but hey, I'm just starting to dip my toes into the tequila pool. The nose of this Reposado smells pretty similar to their Anejo, sans the underlying butterscotch flavor. These tequilas all seem to have an herbaceous, citrusy smell. But underlying this one is something brighter and sweet... some vanilla perhaps? The palate of this tequila is significantly closer to that fresh cut grass, earthy flavor that I remember tequila having in comparison to their Anejo. However, there is complexity and a remarkable sweetness that tails in the palate that tastes of sweet pineapple juice. It isn't overwhelming and it is barely there but it comes on in a flash and is gone for the finish. Why can't that pineapple sweetness stay a bit longer? The finish offers up more of that familiar, herbaceous cut grass and pepper. A bit of tobacco leaf brings a bit of tannic bite but then, quite unexpectedly; that finish bows towards sweet. When breathing through your mouth during the tail end of the finish, you get a surprising whiff of caramel chews. Wow, where did that come from? Tequilas are opening up a whole new taste experience for me, being a die hard whiskey fan. I'm not sure they'll ever win my heart over, but they are a nice change of pace from the usual and actually quite pleasant. -
Casamigos Añejo Tequila
Tequila Añejo — Highlands, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed June 12, 2023 (edited June 20, 2023)My friends are a bad influence on me. I am arguably a die hard whiskey fan. Of every taste I have written up on this beautiful and sacred website, only one was non-whiskey and ( surprise surprise ) it was another Anjeo Tequila. I think some of my friends are just trying to bounce Anejos off of me as they are the most "whiskey like" of tequilas. I was tricked one day during a dinner outing. A friend of mine ordered an old fashioned for me at a nice restaurant. I was surprised... the taste caught me off guard. It was an old fashioned but.... sweeter. The notes were somehow brighter than I remember... with a twang of herbal kick. What was this wonderful drink? Then it was revealed to me. The old fashioned was made from Anejo Tequila. After asking around, the majority of Tequila folks around me recommended Casamigos as a good starting point. So I picked up a bottle of this stuff, some bitters and an orange and decided to make myself a Tequila old fashioned. But before I did, I poured myself a dram of Casamigos Anejo neat in a Glencairn and set off to tasting... The nose smells of bright, zingy citrus and that familiar herbal, fresh cut grass tequila hit. But there's also something a little sweeter underlying that bright nose, perhaps a bit of butterscotch. The palate is incredibly subtle, almost undetectable. When I smell tequila I almost instantly expect the jarring, medicinal herbaceous lightning bolt of face puckering alcohol hit that I received from cheaper tequilas of my youth but....no. This stuff isn't even close. In fact...I rather LIKE this. Oh no.. am I converting? The flavor profile is decadently sweet, tasting of nilla wafers and marshmallows. There is a hint of smoky, charred oak but really... the taste is overwhelmingly sweet. I can pick up a little bit of spice - not herbal but more peppercorn type spice, too. The finish brings back the familiar herbaceous taste of tequila. A bit of mint ( not the cooling, rather the herby punch of it ) mixes with some lemon peel for a more classic tequila finish. The finish is quick and light ( compared to whiskey, not sure how it compares to other Anejos ). What a pleasant surprise this was indeed. Thinking of tequila conjures up memories of scantily clad girls in night clubs pounding down shots of Patron to the ubiquitous party anthem by the same name by Lil Jon. But a tequila to sip and enjoy like whiskey? One that has a great presence in an Old Fashioned? Hell... sign me up.
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