Tastes

Nose - Nice sweetness made up of cherry, vanilla, fruity syrup, and a touch of sugary peanuts. Palate - Characteristic beam nuttiness. Burnt sugar. Charred oak and barrel spice Finish - Not a very long finish but lingers on a pleasant barrel char note Mouthfeel - Not too much of a mouthfeel. Tingles the tongue a bit. Nice whiskey overall. Not the best I’ve ever had, but it does things well. Definitely worth a try. Not too expensive either so I’d keep one stocked

Nose - Cherry, oak, and vanilla right away. Pretty soft nose. A little bit of burnt sugar and caramel too. Palate - Little bit of the cherry and caramel that quickly heads for the oak. Some cinnamon too. Finish - The finish lingers on the oak notes for a while but the oak gets a bit bitter (Granted this was a pour from the bottom of my bottle so I won’t hold it against it). Mouthfeel - Not much to report here. Pretty tame. Not dry. I may be being a bit harsh on this bottle since it’s been low for a while and I needed to kill it, but it didn’t wow me. I remember it tasting better before when it was full so take this review with a grain of salt. I thought it was good in the nose, fine in the palate, and then things slowly fell off from there. I do enjoy the Whiskey Row line from Old Forester but 1910 and 1920 are above this for sure. Could be better. Could be much worse. Try for yourself.

Nose - Beautiful toffee and crème brûlée notes on a proof forward nose that hits you right away. Also includes some orange zest along with oak and spice. Palate - Beautiful flavor. Creamy vanilla and caramel that quickly morphs into great barrel spices toward the end. Little bit of cherry and citrus hiding in the middle too. Finish - Long and lingers around the sides and back of the tongue. Hazelnut and barrel notes hug you all the way down. Mouthfeel - Slightly drying with a proof that will tingle the lips and tongue. Stagg Jr. is easily a must have. It’s one of the best bourbons out there and can even rival its older brother George T. Stagg. It’s a hitter for sure that uses its high proof to deliver beautiful flavors without an overpowering burn. I don’t think you could go wrong with any of the Stagg Jr. batches, that is, if you can find them. Do yourself a favor and get some Stagg Jr., you won’t regret it.

Nose - Very sweet fruityness. Cherry and orange. Bit of vanilla and a hint of barrel. Cherry cola. Palate - Same sweetness from the nose but very easy to handle. Cherry and orange blend nicely into a touch of charred oak. Finish - Short-Medium finish. Lower proof doesn’t allow the flavors to stick around very long but the barrel notes that linger are pleasant. Mouthfeel - Not too exciting of a mouthfeel. Could be better. Not dry. Blanton’s, probably the most sought after bourbon for beginners behind maybe only Pappy. I enjoy the desserty sweetness of this drink but not enough to pay secondary prices. There are plenty of things that are more available that I think are just as good but I think it’s worth picking up a bottle at retail if you can find it.

Color: Tawny Nose - Charred oak and barrel spice upfront. Sweet cinnamon sugar and caramel and maybe a hint of berries. Not very complex but still good. Palate - Barrel notes take center stage with char and a touch of spice aided by some creamy custard and burnt sugar as the opening act. Finish - Decently long finish that hangs around on the barrel notes. Mouthfeel - Nice and oily which coats the mouth. A touch dry I like Confiscated to sip on but I don’t think it’s worth such a high price. It has a nice proof point and does things well but I feel like I can find things just as good for half the price. Worth a try if you haven’t had but not something I’d hunt for.

Color: Chestnut Oloroso sherry Nose - Creamy caramel drizzle and candy pecan. Marshmallow and toasted sugar. Very sweet. Proof evident on the nose but in an inviting way. Deeper in is a nice oak note with a hint of orange zest. Palate - First sip has oak and leather upfront. Nice cigar smokeyness. Sweetens as it goes into some sea salt dark chocolate. Finish - Medium-Long finish that lingers on a barrel char and spice note with the dark chocolate from the palate still there. Mouthfeel - Rich and a little dry. Pretty nice feel overall. Love this whisky. Looks light for an 18 year old but man does it taste good. Sweet nose that pulls a switcheroo on the palate with rich leather and oak. Proof not overwhelming but adds to the mouthfeel. Definitely a hitter for sure. Only real room for improvement would be in the finish and mouthfeel, but that’s just me nitpicking. Would highly recommend.