Tastes

Was fortunate enough to have a small sample of this right after my sample of redbreast 27. It definitely didn't measure up to the 27 year old Irish whiskey, but it was quite delicious. I didn't really have enough to get in-depth notes, but the one taste that stood out to me was sweet tea. I would definitely pick this up at retail if I ever lucked into finding it, but the secondary price is absurd.

Only had a small sample, but I was extremely impressed with Redbreast 27. This is by far the oldest spirit I've ever had. It was sweet and smooth, and the fruit notes the finishing gives are warm and delightful. Not sure I'll have another opportunity to sip this one, but I'm certainly happy to have had this pour.

Tried this one at a friend's house, so no detailed notes. It lived up to the oak part of its name, as oak flavor dominates. There were strong notes of leather as well. A bit of a let down on the toasted side as those flavors were fairly faint. Reminds me a bit of Woodinville bourbon. This one wasn't bad, but not one I would likely purchase for myself.

I've reviewed this before from a 2 oz sample, this time I had a chance to steal another pour from a friend's bottle. I'm standing by my first review and staying at 4 stars. This is fast becoming one of my favorite ryes. Too bad it's a little on the pricey side.

I mentioned to my wife I was running low on ryes so she picked up a couple of store picks for me from her last trip out of state. She's a keeper, and this bottle she grabbed is a keeper as well. It's a Nulu toasted rye single barrel pick from the Bottle Shop in Columbus, GA that's 117.2 proof, 6 year mgp distillate, finished in toasted oak casks. The nose is maple syrup. It's sweet and spicy. There's a maple, toasted marshmallow sweetness, with a of bit lemongrass twang. It's rich and viscous with a peppery finish you expect from a good rye. Reminds me a little of Angel's Envy rum cask rye, but not as sweet and with much more thump. I think this will be a fun bottle.

I get light citrus and vanilla on the nose. The palate is fruity and peppery, with notes of lemon, berries, and peppercorn. The sweetness is caramel, and fairly minimal. I also get some mint on the tongue and on the finish. It's a rye, so you can definitely taste the rye grain. It's fairly mild but does have a respectable bite.

The nose presents a flora sweetness with only a slight whiff of ethanol. The first thing I notice upon sipping is the smoothness this has despite being high rye and moderate proof. It strikes a nice balance on sweetness, I think. I get notes of toffee, dark fruit, and baking spice. You can certainly tell this is a high rye blend, but it's fairly understated. This is a very nice, easy drinking bourbon. I'm looking forward to my next pour of this one, which will probably be in a few minutes.

This is my final pour of my bottle of Russell's Reserve sib, which is actually a Total Wine store pick. The nose is strong ethanol and burnt caramel. On the palate I get the classic Wild Turkey notes, but richer. I pickup on vanilla and toffee, similar to the taste of Rare Breed. It's plenty sweet from beginning to end, and the finish is warm and spicy. These Russell's single barrels are very popular right now and not as available as they were in the past. I enjoyed my bottle a lot, but it's not one I just have to have on my shelf.