Tastes

After several more pours of High West Prairie Bourbon I'm still not loving it. Not much sweetness, but some smokey mesquite notes that are nice. During tonight's tasting I'm picking up a strange old lacquer, medicinal taste that is a little off putting. This is not a bad bourbon, but probably not one I'll be keeping on my shelf. High West Double Rye on the other hand I find to be quite good.

I've had this sitting on my shelf a while mostly being overlooked in favor of flashier bourbons, but I decided to give it a go tonight. This time around I'm picking up a few different flavors I didn't notice before. The nose is alcohol and classic sour mash. I'm picking up more sweetness. I'm getting some banana, maybe fruit cake. There's a some oak, and only a little leather. The finish is warm and fruity. I'm finding I like this much more than I did initially. This is a decent sipper.

This is my third review of this bottle, which is crazy, but I feel like the further down in the bottle I get the more I like it. Actually picked up a sweet honey suckle smell on the nose this time. Seems that it's much sweeter, too. It has a nice mouth feel and creamy caramel flavor. Vanilla, cinnamon, and rye spice mingle nicely together. There's oak, but it's not overpowering. The finish is slightly sweet and peppery. This one has slowly but surely crept onto my favorites list.

I've reached the bottom of my 2011 barrel 1400 that I reviewed a few months back. It's been a pleasure getting here. You've got the quintessential bourbon flavors here, with sweet caramel and vanilla as it hits the tongue. Very smooth, but not too complex. There's very little spice or heat. Only a little oak and leather, and it finishes like sweet tea. Evan Williams single barrel easily out classes many bourbons at twice the price. I'll be grabbing another one of these for my cabinet soon.

On the nose I get alcohol and just hint of tobacco. A nice little hit of sweet caramel and vanilla at the start, then hot cinnamon. This one is spicy, with loads of peppery rye. It finishes with light oak and a bit of a leathery aftertaste. There is some alcohol heat, but most of the burn comes from the cinnamon and spicy rye notes. It's a different experience with each single barrel bottle. So, although I'm enjoying this quite a lot, I think I may prefer the slightly smoother, more mellow New Riff BIB.

The nose is lightly floral with a good bit of alcohol. I don't get a lot sweetness, but if you "chew" it a bit, it's there. There's strong notes of roasted corn, and I'm reminded of Four Roses bourbon, which may not be a surprise since that's where Bulliet did and may still be getting some of their juice. There's peppery rye, but oak and leather dominate the finish. This is a pretty good bourbon, but at it's price point I think there's better. In Alabama it's nearly $50, fortunately I picked this up in Kentucky for $36.

I didn't pick up much on the nose other than alcohol. Fortunately the alcohol is much subdued on the palette. It has a terrific mouth feel and is like sweet icing coated bakery goods on the tongue. Oak and leather notes are minimal. This is not a spicy whiskey, but is very smooth with a warm finish. This is the perfect sipping whiskey for a cool evening by the fire, or just about anytime you get the craving.

The nose has a nice almost floral scent. The sweetness is light, brown sugar. There's a nice herbal earthy taste, but not to woody. A little cinnamon and baking spice with strong rye spice. This is surprisingly smooth for a young BIB. The finish is medium length with not too much bitterness. I'm pleasantly surprised by this bourbon. It's plenty good enough for sipping.

Being a fan of Tullamore dew, I'm excited to try this rum cask finished version. I enjoy a sweet whiskey, and this one hits that mark perfectly. Sweet molasses and brown sugar on the tongue. The rum finish makes itself known right from the start. The smoky tobacco notes of the Irish whiskey are still there, with the addition of some nice hints of tropical fruit. The finish is dry and just a little bitter on the aftertaste. I like this, but I'm going to need a few more pours before I decide if it will be a permanent addition to my shelf.

Rare breed might best be described as Wild Turkey 101's bigger, ass kicking brother. It has loads of the sweet carmel, vanilla, and toffee flavors that WT101 has and Russell's Reserve seems to be short on. There's just enough oak, and plenty of spicy rye kick. There is some alcohol burn, but it's a good burn that warms the soul. The finish is sweet and spicy with hardly any bitterness. For a fan of WT 101 like myself, this is an instant favorite.