Tastes

Open 2 months Nose - Vanilla bean, toast, toffee, caramel, blackberries, cherries, big oak spice, and medium ethanol. Palate - Heavy caramel and vanilla, toffee, toasted rye bread, berry compote, astringent oak spice, chocolate, and burnt wood. Finish is medium-long with dry and tannic oak, dry baking spices, caramel chew, chocolate covered cherries, and noticeable ethanol bite. I think this went from underrated to overrated in a matter of 2-3 years, thanks to YouTube and multiple price increases. It wasn't available in NC until a couple of years ago, and it was very difficult to find. Now it is slightly easier to find, although still difficult, but that also coincided with two price hikes from $45 to $50, then to $60. Old Ezra 7Y is good high proof bourbon, and you would think by my notes that it is rich and complex. It is not. Those vanilla, caramel, and fruit notes are on the dry side of the bourbon flavor profile, with the oak and char dominating the palate and finish. Seven years honestly seems like an understatement, I would guess it is mostly 8-12 year old bourbon based on the oak presence. At this price I would buy Old Forester 1920 every time over this, which has a similar flavor profile (minus the banana bread) but is a more rounded bourbon. The oak in the bourbon also has a lot in common with George Dickel BiB minus the minerality. When it was $45, this was a great deal a la Rare Breed. Now that it is $60, you could buy quite a few options from major distillers that are better.

Barrel No. 285; Warehouse H; Rick 53 Bottled 01-28-2021; Bottle No. 144 Open 5 months Nose - Caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, cereal grain, artificial cherry, citrus cleaner, and very light oak and ethanol. Palate - Light and pleasant caramel, vanilla, honey, baking spices, orange peel, and toasted walnuts. Finish is short with caramel, dry and astringent oak, clove, cinnamon, and light ethanol. This was my first opportunity to buy a Blanton's at MSRP at a store opening, so I grabbed one because in the past I've only had it at bars in rocks glasses. Overall, it's a fine bourbon and pleasant to drink, but it is too light and one-note sweet for me. At an MSRP of $60, this is not worth the money. When you consider secondary prices and scarcity, the hunt for this bourbon is mind-boggling. What I think is a really good replacement are Elijah Craig single barrel picks, which are readily available, have age statements, and are half the price. If you want an enjoyable sipping bourbon that doesn't overwhelm your palate with proof, EC SiB is >>> than Blanton's.

Open 3 months Nose - Hot and heavy rye spice, eucalyptus, pine, herbal, grainy, green apples, honey, and strong ethanol. Palate - Pine sap, herbs and mint, honeysuckle, unripe apples, sharp and dry baking spices, and black pepper. Finish is medium with harsh ethanol and rye spice, black pepper, pine and juniper, light caramel, and dill. This is fine, but not something I'd buy again. I was excited Barrell was offering a more affordable cask strength rye, however, this does not stand out from the pack in this price range. It is all spice and floral notes without any depth of flavor, and a noticeable lack of fruit and sweetness. I would rather buy Pikesville, Old Scout, Templeton, Wilderness Trail, Sagamore, Knob Creek, Pinhook, Russell's Reserve, and more if I'm paying $50-65 for a rye. I'm going to finish this bottle with cocktails because it is not a great sipping rye compared to others I currently have open.

Open 2 weeks Nose - Cinnamon, gingerbread, black tea, caramel, molasses, crushed blackberries, strong oak, and medium ethanol. Palate - Vanilla glazed gingerbread cookie, chocolate covered oranges, thick caramel, berry pie, hints of honey and tea, sweet oak, and light ethanol up front. Finish is medium-long with lots of sweet oak, baking spices, black tea, candied oranges, and notable ethanol bite at the back end. Whew, I was getting worried about ECBP this year after two lackluster batches. This is a return to form and what ECBP enthusiasts expect with each new batch. It is better than A121, and leagues better than B521. I think it compares favorably with the 2020 releases, but I don't have any on hand. It's good enough that I already bought a second this past week. They're still one of the best buys in bourbon if the batch is good, and this is well worth it.

375 mL plastic flask for $9.50 Open 10 minutes Nose - Vanilla, caramel, light cinnamon, corn dust, light orange, light oak, and light ethanol. Palate - Vanilla frosting, charred wood, toasted caramel, light toffee, light cinnamon bun, and a hint of chocolate. Finish is medium-short with drier oak, light orange peel, cinnamon powder, hint of rye spice, and smooth caramel vanilla. I needed something for backpacking this weekend, so why not kill two birds with one stone and try the new EW 1783 in a very affordable and hike-friendly $9.50 375 mL plastic flask? I don't know how this compares with the previous version, but I know this and that were both really good for the price. I think I actually prefer this to the slightly overrated Bottled-in-Bond, which is more dry and sharp. This is a nice, easy, and sweet sipper for $20. If only those Buffalo Trace hunters knew they could buy Evan Williams and get the same smooth drinking whiskey sans cherry, all of us bourbon drinkers would be a lot happier.

Open 4 months Nose - Musty cereal grain, malty peat smoke, toffee, hickory smoke, dark chocolate, gingerbread, berry pie, and medium ethanol. Palate - Delicate malt, light briny peat, honey, caramel, vanilla, light cinnamon, light berry, and light orange peel. Finish is medium-long with dry oak, hickory smoke, ashy peat, light honey, and medium ethanol kick. This is a really good Japanese whiskey, and affordable when you consider the other options in NC are around this price and under 90 proof. If I reviewed this when I opened it, I may have given it 4.5 stars. Towards the end of the bottle the kick and richness has faded slightly, and it's gotten a little more dry and bitter. Still, if you like lightly peated Scotch you will probably like this. The closest comparison I've had is the John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend. They both taste like blended Highland malt, but this definitely has a peated Highland/Island profile in the blend compared to the unpeated Celebratory Blend. I had both bottles open and confirmed this side-by-side. Side note, the bottle looks really cool and unique but is terrible at pouring. It's hard to avoid a dribble when the bottle is more than half full.

Pick by Bull City Bourbon Club; dubbed "Back Alley Bird" Barrel No. 21-572; Warehouse F; Floor 4 Barreled 12-27-12; Dumped 03-30-21; Bottled 04-30-21 Age 8 years and 3 months Open 3 weeks Nose - Peach and cherry compote, warm pie crust, black pepper, bubble gum, cereal grain, light honey, light caramel, and medium ethanol. Palate - Peach and cherry pie, crème brulee, toasted marshmallow, shiny grain, and light vanilla bean. Finish is medium-long with stronger notes of cereal grain and caramel, dry spices, oak, and medium ethanol. This was a low yield barrel with only 126 bottles filled, and although I didn't win the randomizer in my group luckily I was able to split a bottle with my friend. It's hard to go wrong with Wild Turkey, this Russell's pick is no exception. It has classic sweet oak and grain notes with caramel and cinnamon, and prominent pie flavors filled with a stone fruit medley. Another awesome pick from our local whiskey group, we have a lot of good picks coming up this winter.

Open 2 months Nose - Soft maraschino cherry, caramel, fruity leather, crème brulee, red hot cinnamon candy, blueberry and cherry pie filling, and medium ethanol. Palate - Caramel syrup drizzled over cherry pie, oiled leather, cinnamon candy, cane sugar, and plums. Finish is medium-short with lingering artificial cherry, honey, cinnamon, oak tannins, and medium ethanol bite. Honestly I wanted to hate this, but it's a good wheated bourbon with a very good nose and shorter than expected finish. But, there's no way in hell I'd pay a markup for this or spend countless hours hunting it down. I got lucky and picked it up locally at MSRP during a club pick release. I'm glad I did because honestly it may be the best thing I've tried so far from Buffalo Trace, which isn't saying much. Here's the dirty secret that may be my isolated opinion, this tastes really, really similar to Maker's Mark 101 and Cask Strength. Both are readily available for $42 and $50 in NC, the cask strength on sale a quarter of the year for $40. When I opened this bottle, my very first thought was this is that great Maker's 101 I bought last year. I've already gotten in arguments on Facebook with people who religiously hunt and secondary purchase BT products who think I'm an idiot. These same people haven't tried the good Maker's products or half of the big brand bourbons because all they do is look for scarce products listed in clickbait internet articles. Don't be that person, buy Maker's and cover the label with a piece of tape with Weller written in Sharpie.

Open 11 months Nose - Cereal grain, acetone, overripe bananas, green apples, honeysuckle, little to no oak, and strong ethanol. Palate - Irish pot still and grain blend, astringent cereal malt, hay, grass, iodine, light brine from probably a coastal Scottish malt, honeysuckle and light honey, dry baking spices, unripe green apples, and biting ethanol. Finish is medium-long but not in a good way. The drier tannins build at the back of the throat with young bourbon and single malt astringency, acetone, and a harsh ethanol finish. My brother stopped in Louisville last year to grab a couple bottles, and panicked when most things on my list weren't there. The Wilderness Trail Rye Cask Strength was amazing, this panic buy was not. We split the bottle, and he enjoyed this way more than I did. At first it was ok, it has the character of Scottish and Irish blends with dashes of American whiskey. Over time it's gotten woodier, drier, and more bitter. I have finished this bottle mostly by mixing with ginger beer because sipping it neat is not pleasant. I could buy dozens of Scotch and Irish bottles off the shelves under 90 proof that are way better than this. I made the mistake when I first started my infinity bottle of trying to mix bourbon, rye, non-peated Scotch, and non-peated Irish together. It was terrible and eventually I threw it out after 2 years of mixing over 100 whiskeys. This tastes like the same failed experiment, but at a premium cost that is ripping people off. My current infinity bottle of only bourbon and rye is awesome, and my Scotch/Irish infinity is coming along well. Barrell should do the same, they have the sourcing and blending knowledge to make a much better product.

Open 2 weeks Nose - Figs, plums, blackberries, sweet BBQ glaze, leather, pipe tobacco, crème brulee, caramel, toasted nuts, and rich baking spices. This is a fantastic nose. Palate - Dark fruit pie filling, fruit leather, tart grapes, tobacco, allspice, baby back ribs, molasses, and sweet oak. Finish is medium with dried berries, caramel, brown sugar, toasted nuts, and cereal grain. I bought this for my brother as a graduation present, and of course I took a couple samples with me. I've overlooked this for a long time, most likely due to the price. After my brief experience with it, I definitely should've had it sooner. This is a fantastic sherry finished Scotch, one of the best 12Y I've had in a while. The nose smells like it might be too sweet, but it mixes those savory and bitter wine and oak notes just right.