Tastes

I'm actually tasting a private barrel selection tonight, but it's essentially the same. This barrel is just shy of ten years, and is a medium gold. The nose is ethanol and rich caramel. This taste like wild turkey. I sipped some 101 and Kentucky Spirit last night, and you can absolutely taste those same base notes. This is richer with a hint of chocolate. I get caramel, vanilla, and the earthy turkey funk. Also, there's a bit of corn and something slightly fruity. This hits the sweet spot for sweetness, not too much, not too little. I like this, although maybe it falls slightly short of my expectations based on it's reputation. I would say I prefer rare breed after my first sip, but I might like to do a head to head before I make that call.

Longbranch bottle kill. I've enjoyed this one a lot. It shows the softer easy drinking notes wild turkey has to offer. It's a great bottle for when you want something light to sip on a warm summer day. As far as lower proof bourbons go, this is one of my favorites. Sweet and smooth, yet flavorful.

Bottle kill on my bottle of Angel's Envy Finished Rye. This bottle was a crowd pleaser, from the regular whiskey drinkers to the new whiskey drinkers. It went fast too. At 100 proof it's still very easy drinking. It's sweet, with tons of maple syrup notes, and just enough spice to make it interesting. I acquired this bottle in a trade for a half bottle of Larceny barrel proof, and I feel a bit guilty because I definitely got the better end of the deal. I feel bad for anyone who can't enjoy this rye, because it's quite delicious.

Drank this tonight with two other single barrels, Kentucky Spirit and Four Roses single barrel 100 proof. The store pick 1792 sib just couldn't hold its own against it's competition this evening. It's a nice sippable bourbon, but it lacks the richness of the other two, despite being within a couple of proof points. I'm not giving up on this bottle, but so far it's just not hitting the marks I was hoping for. At this point, I have to say I prefer 1792 small batch.

This bottle is proof that more years in the barrel doesn't necessarily produce better bourbon. This is probably my least favorite of any 10 year and over bourbon that I've had. This one hasn't faired well in blind tastings either, with myself or friends. Musty corn was the phrase tasters agreed on. No tasting notes today, since I've demoted this bottle to mixer status. I can report that it performs admirably in an old fashioned, though. However, I would probably choose their rye for my cocktail if given the choice of the two.

After my first taste I wrote a fairly glowing review of Longbranch. It's possible I may have already had a few pours beforehand and that may have affected my rating. I stand by my previous assessment of this bourbon, but it's shine may have diminished ever so slightly in subsequent tastes. It does hit all the right notes in the right proportions, but it doesn't do much beyond that. This is an exemplary bourbon if you're looking for a smooth easy sipping bourbon with just enough character to keep it interesting. If you're in search of something to excite the taste buds, this may fall a bit short.

I get the port influence on the nose as well as vanilla. Fairly sweet with caramel, dark chocolate, and fruit. Very smooth, with only the slightest hint of spice and maybe a whiff of oak. The finish is short and dry. Not a bad sip, but I would rank this below some of the other finished bourbons I've tried, like Rabbit Hole Daringer and Angel's Envy. It's also a bit cheaper, so it's a trade off.

This is my first time trying any TX bourbon, and I'm jumping right in with the Barrel Proof version. The nose is hot with a bit of vanilla and caramel. I tasted this neat then on ice. Much more spice and oak neat. You really taste all that 118 proof drinking straight from the glen. Pour this one over ice in a rocks glass and the sweetness comes to life. You get rich notes of caramel and a cinnamon kick. I get a lot of sweet corn as well. Nice finish, with nothing offensive on the aftertaste. This is a nice craft bourbon, not overly complex, but it's very sippable.