Tastes

Woodinville Straight bourbon is a light copper color in my glen. The nose is nice, toffee and baked fruit. The first thing I notice on the tongue is oak, a slightly spicy oak. I don't get much sweetness at all. Some pepper notes show up trailing after the oak. This drinks a little hotter than it's 90 proof would indicate. Not much in the way of complexity. It's the oak and char that dominate, and there is some uniqueness to the flavor of the oak. This is an interesting if simple bourbon, but one I certainly will be tasting more of.

This bottle has only improved the longer I've had it open. Sweet with a little spice, and a nice subtle smokey char. A good long finish with the perfect amount of heat. I wish this was more readily available, because it's definitely a favorite.

This is a bottle kill tasting. Not much in the way of tasting notes, but more of a summation of my thoughts on the bottle. I haven't had any other wheat whiskey yet, so I can only compare it to wheated bourbons. I would probably put this somewhere mid pack among wheated bourbons. Better to me than regular Maker's, but not as good as Weller or even Larceny. There's just not much complexity here. It's got a great price point considering it has a 7 year age statement, which is rare in it's price range. It's very drinkable, but for me it doesn't offer up anything special. I would gladly sip this if it was offered up, but probably won't purchase another bottle for my home cabinet.

This is my first taste of Old Ezra 7 year barrel strength. Visually it's a dark amber and on the nose I get oak and ethanol. I'm not getting the rich sweetness you get with some of my favorite barrel proofs. Pretty light on the caramel notes too. I'm picking up a bit of nuttiness and roasted corn. Not much spice, but a fair amount of heat from the proof. The finish is nice, long, and has a hint of red licorice. I wouldn't put this on par with an Elijah Craig Barrel Proof or a Stagg jr, but it's solid. This was just my first pour, so I've got a whole bottle left to explore the profile further.

Of the entry level wheated bourbons, Weller Special Reserve is my favorite. It edges out Larceny by a hair, but is head and shoulders above your standard Maker's Mark. However, given it's scarcity in my neck of the woods, Larceny is a fine substitute. If it were available readily at retail, it might be my go to for a budget wheater. It has nice notes of caramel, vanilla and a bit of cinnamon. I'm enjoying sipping my current bottle, but when it's done I doubt I'll be spending the money get another at secondary prices.

The is my first pour of John Emerald's Double Oak Bourbon that's made right here in my home state of Alabama. In the bottle this bourbon is a medium amber gold. The nose smells heavily of oak. The big flavor that jumps out immediately is that same oak. It's a taste that brings to mind freshly sawn oak lumber, perhaps the smell of a coopers shop. It goes down nice and easy, but lacks complexity. The sweetness that I typically associate with double oak/ toasted oak bourbon isn't really there. The finish is short, no bitterness and just a touch of dark chocolate. My first impression is that this is a pretty good pour for the price, and I'm happy to find a sippable bourbon made locally. This definitely deserves further exploration.

The last pour out of this bottle may be my favorite. This is one if those bourbons that seems to improve after sitting on the shelf a while. The nose is floral. I get fruit notes, honey, caramel, and vanilla. Not much spice wise, and nothing bitter at all on the finish. This is a very solid pour, and a real bargain favorite.

I've gone back and forth on this one. This is a very drinkable bourbon, but it just doesn't really offer anything to distinguish it from the crowd. Bottom line, it's a decent enough pour for the money, but there are quite a few better options around the same price point.