Tastes

Jim Beam Bonded is basically an amped up regular JB, but offers better value and kick at 50% ABV. Some describe this one as a younger Knob Creek and it does hint at KC flavors but not nearly as deep, rich, and savory. Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn. Nose is not overly exciting but offers the basics: caramel, vanilla, dusty corn grain, cinnamon spice and oak. On the palate you get immediate spice on the tongue and some heat but not overwhelming. Lightly sweet corn ethanol with nutty peanut brittle or peanut butter undertones. Definitely the expected Beam dusty peanut flavors here, and once the palate fully adjusts I quite enjoy the flavor even though it's fairly one dimensional. Finish is medium with some oak, vanilla, hints of maple, light tobacco. Finish is not deep and rich maple or strong oak like Knob Creek but I taste similar flavors, just much weaker. The finish is the best part of this expression as some richer notes pop up that don't present in the nose or immediate palate. Overall it's certainly not bad, but not terribly exciting in any way. It's really just a less watered down regular JB for a decent price, which is not a bad thing if you like Beam products. For a BiB bourbon, I'd take Henry McKenna all day, but it's also $15 more per bottle. A closer comparison would be Evan Williams BiB, but I prefer the JB. But to be honest Wild Turkey 101 or Beam Distiller's Cut beats this or the EW by a mile in flavors for similar cost! Cheers!

Knob Creek single barrel store pick aged over 14 years for under $40! Enjoyed neat from a Glencairn. This Beam expression offers a fairly simple nose and flavor profile, but those simple flavors are so rich, mature, and so well balanced. Sometimes a bourbon doesn't need tons of complexity to be considered great, and that's how I'd describe this one. On the nose is very rich maple, brown sugar, vanilla, pecan pie, and given the age, a surprising fresh toasted barrel wood scent. After 14 years I'd almost expect a somewhat musty barrel forward wood scent, but not so. The barrel is actually more of a secondary note behind the great sweet maple/vanilla combo. Again a fairly simple nose but very rewarding in the notes it offers. The palate instantly starts very hot served neat. A very hot and spicy warming heat, and rightfully so at 60% ABV and I love it; it's lively high spice, wakes your senses up, starts a fire on the tongue, means business. After the burn comes the rich flavors from the nose. It offers a taste of exactly what you smell here. Very rich sweet maple, toasted brown sugar, vanilla, spices of cinnamon and clove, and beautifully toasted wood. Also a nice minty menthol comes on late. Again not overly complex, but very balanced, so delicious, and rich deep classic bourbon flavors. Almost bourbon perfection! The finish lingers a while and is very pleasing, offering more maple, honey, cinnamon, and a more aged wood flavor. For a 14 year bourbon, I half expected an oak bomb, which I wouldn't have minded anyway. But that's not the case. Everything is in perfect harmony here, nothing trying to stand out among anything else. Overall for under $40 for a 14 year bourbon that's so well balanced and flavorful, this is hard to beat. All the classic bourbon flavors are represented here, but amped up to 11 and that's why I love the KC SiB! That combined with the 120 proof, and it's a heck of a deal for a quality pour. I'm not typically the biggest Beam fan, normally favoring Buffalo Trace or Turkey products, but the KC has earned a spot in my top rotation for sure! It's Kentucky Straight Delicious! Cheers!

Rittenhouse is my first bottle of rye, so don't have a lot of comparison with others in the category, other than a quick taste of Bulleit Rye once. Enjoyed neat in Glencairn. Nose is odd on this one for me. Sort of a mildly sweet woody burnt sugar mixed with a medicinal smell or hay, maybe pine, cedar, or wintergreen. On the palate the rye spice immediately jumps on the tongue. Quite spicy and peppery but it fades fairly quickly, leaving more of that medicinal taste that I got from the nose. I can't quite place it, but it almost seems like a band-aid or iodine quality. Taste isn't sweet, and more on the tart side. Also for 50% ABV, it seems fairly tame, like it could be closer to 40%. Finish is fairly short and settles into toasted wood and honey. Long in the finish I get a grassy note, maybe hay again. Overall, not a bad first entry into ryes for me but the strange medicinal quality just isn't all that appealing as a daily sip. I've tried Bulleit rye, and it was much smoother and less spicy, which isn't typical of a rye, so I'm not sure it's a great comparison. Although I probably prefered the Bulleit for its flavor profile. Maybe the Rittenhouse will grow on me, but not a great first impression. Cheers!

WT101 is a what I'd call a man's bourbon, not for the faint of heart or casual bourbon drinker. In the $23 and under price range, this would be a top pick for me for a quality daily pour. Much better pour than the regular Jim Beams, JDs, or Evan Williams of the world. If you seek an honest, no bs, stronger bourbon that warms the soul, literally, then read on. Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn. Nose shows classic bourbon notes of rich vanilla and butterscotch, cherry syrup, with a very uniquely Turkey woody cedar like quality and lightly nutty undertone. Once you take the first sip, your palate will instantly wake up with tons of spicy heat. This is a hot sip to be sure, so if you're looking for something smoother with little heat, this isn't it. To me WT101 makes a fantastic fall and winter pour because the spicy heat literally warms you from within, more so than most others in its category. I suppose the high spice comes from the higher rye content combined with higher ABV. I've got plenty of other bourbons that are smoother and more refined, but it is nice to have this option as a more spicy heated pour that really wakes you up and says it means business. It really makes this one stand out in it's price range. On the palate are classic tasty, but uniquely Turkey, bourbon flavors of sweet toasted cedar wood, burnt sugar or marshmallows, some nuttiness, cherries, and that lively high spice. Not much fruitiness or high sweetness here if that's what you like, in fact it's more tart at times than sweet. I've got other bourbons that fulfill the fruit tastes, and again it's what makes WT an honest unique bourbon with delicious flavors. The flavors linger on but the spice demands your attention through the finish. The finish is nice after the spice dissipates and you're left with toasty barrel wood, maybe even cedar wood again, char and ash mixed with tobacco, and a lingering light sweetness. To me the flavors here are just plain better and more amped up than what the standard Beams, Daniels, or Williams offers. Although it may not be smoother than these however, but that's what makes it unique and different in this group. And sometimes it's good to stand out from the pack. Wild Turkey 101 doesn't taste like every other bourbon; it's dancing to its own drum (or barrel) and it's delicious! Overall at $23 WT101 is an excellent value, honest bourbon, that hits a higher mark in flavors than its price suggests. It offers big bourbon flavors while being able to warm even the coldest of souls. It makes a great daily option without breaking the bank. In this price range I probably like Buffalo Trace the most as it's much more refined, smoother, and more flavorful. But sometimes you want something different, something firey, something rustic, and something with attitude, and this is where 101 excels. It's quickly becoming one of my very favorite pours, regardless of cost. Well done WT!! Cheers!

Henry McKenna is a Heaven Hill produced expression that is somewhat rare in its class range, in that it is bottled in bond and age stated at 10 years. For a bourbon in the low $30 range, there are few competitors that can offer a higher proof combined with an actual age statement. Of course none of that matters if it doesn't taste good, so let's find out! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn. Nose is certainly interesting on this one, compared to other 10 year options on the shelf. I'm picking up aromas of spicy vanilla and toasted marshmallows combined with dark fruits and maybe even spearmint. Palate is also very nice with generous spiciness but only a little burn despite the higher proof. Pretty smooth and creamy with rich balanced flavors of burnt sugar, dark fruits, citrus, and nice spice zest. Starts out fairly sweet but quickly fades. Finish is dry and somewhat short at first, but once the palate is adjusted it comes alive with dark cherries and dark chocolate and light barrel notes poking up. Just a bit longer in the finish I get a great honey note, maybe with a whiff of tobacco and even faint cinnamon. Well into the finish all I get is dusty old wood, almost like walking into a old wooden barn. Just fantastic all around! Overall a very nice sipper! I was not a huge fan of the highly rated Evan Williams SiB, but the HMcK is a very different animal from the same distillery. For just a few $ more the HMcK offers far greater flavors, complexity and depth than the EW. I'd rate this one as good as Eagle Rare 10 year with complex flavors, higher proof and different flavor profile that makes this one an interesting option. In fact I think it tastes fairly similar to Eagle Rare in flavor profile, only the McKenna has more lively spice and citrus zest. The only other option on the shelf at this price with a 10 year age statement is Russell's Reserve 10, which is fantastic in its own right. Definitely a must buy or must try for the HMcK! Cheers!

Larceny is a wheated bourbon, or wheater as the lingo goes, from the Heaven Hill Distillery. The story on the name is intriguing and all over the web so if interested take a look. And honestly the name might be the most interesting thing about this expression, unfortunately. To me it seems like this is a relatively young wheated bourbon, and that possibly several more years in the barrel would have greatly enhanced its character, to tame the overly spicy nature and added much needed richness, complexity, and depth. Larceny sort of surprised me, in that it's profile seems more similar to a regular rye bourbon than wheated. Weller SR and regular Makers are my direct wheated comparisons here. Both of those are much sweeter and less spicy than Larceny, which I was surprised at its much less sweet profile. Of the three, I greatly prefer Weller SR. Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn. On the nose, the Larceny is lightly sweet with notes of toasted nuts, vanilla, and some fruit maybe banana. The palate here is what surprised me the most. After first sip it was immediately very spicy with some long burn. Other wheaters have much less spice and burn and more sweetness, which is why I stated this seems more like a standard rye mash bill instead of wheat. Palate flavors, while decent, are much less complex and enjoyable than the Weller. Larceny offers a nice nuttiness similar to toasted walnut, very light florals, and isn't overly sweet, like I think a wheater should be. Finish isn't very complex or long and gives notes of sweet bread and nuts. Very little in the way of barrel wood or richness and depth here, which is somewhat disappointing if you like that. Again the Weller provides a far superior finish. There's just not a lot of complexity or interesting notes to get overly excited about Larceny. Honestly if this is what Fitzgerald was breaking in and stealing, maybe he should have raided the Weller barrels instead. I guess there's a good reason why folks are so rabid over the Weller wheater collections. Overall Larceny is an enjoyable sip, even if it differs from what the typical wheat profile should be. It does offer, I suppose, a change of pace in the category, but I wouldn't go around showing Larceny off as a representative example of the category. Weller SR is less money and offers much greater bang for the buck in every way. If you can't find Weller or you're tired of standard Makers, this is worth a go. It's not exceptional in any area but is a decent sip nonetheless. It's not bad, just not outstanding, and when there are outstanding options at the same price, maybe give those a look first. Cheers!

Fantastic small batch bourbon at the $30 price point. Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn. Nose is pretty bright, with florals and fruits, cherry cola with some citrus zest, pear, and cinnamon spices. Background notes of vanilla toffee and light barrel wood. Palate is creamy and delicious, starts mildly sweet and mildly tart. Notes of citrus zest and cherry with florals and spices, like cinnamon. Some heat and spiciness but quickly fades. I'd call this one a smooth sip, as it starts warm but never overly hot or spicy. With the creamy smoothness and nice complexity, this would make a great starter for new bourbon drinkers sipping neat looking for a quality pour. After your palate adjusts some honey pops up. Finish lingers a while and starts bright but ends in vanilla and light toasted wood. Letting it linger a while longer and I get honey and fresh baked bread with much deeper woody barrel char that's very pleasant. Overall a very very nice expression from Four Roses! Fairly complex with lots of bright fresh flavors. Not many darker richer notes if that's what you are after. Seems like a younger bourbon to me, I'd guess between 5 and 7 years at rest. Eagle Rare, while being every bit as delicious, offers a darker profile for the same price, but it should as a 10 year bourbon. Both are excellent options in the low $30 range! Well done Four Roses! Cheers!

As a big Buffalo Trace fan, this is my first taste into their world of premium bourbon. Simply put, it's one of the very best 10 year age stated bourbons at the $30 price point. Love it! It's had plenty of time to rest in the barrel and ponder how great it would become. Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn. Nose is ever so inviting with rich notes of burnt sugar, leather, wood and darker notes of sweet dark fruit and cocoa. Palate also full and rich, starts sweet but moves towards tart mid taste, with some spiciness and heat pushing through. Nice rich oily mouthfeel and very easy to sip, almost dangerously so. Notes of dark fruits like raisin or plum, dark cherry, cinnamon, and dark chocolate give way after the light burn passes. Finish is fairly dry with barrel wood and more dark fruit notes, maybe some tobacco. After the palate fully adjusts to the flavors, a nice finish of old barrel wood and tobacco stay around. So incredibly good! Overall a great bourbon at a more than fair price for a stated 10 year age. This is very comparable to Henry McKenna 10 year with similar dark fruit and old oak flavors. However the HMcK is much much spicier on entry, which I love too! You'd be hard pressed to find a better pour under $30! Definitely a must buy or must try and as usual well done Buffalo Trace! Cheers!