Tastes

I'm almost finished with my bottle and ready to give a review. I've been oscillating between a 3.5 and 4 rating for this depending on the day, and my opinion is sometimes colored by the $39.95 price for a Jim Beam Single Barrel when the other Jim Beam variations are all under $30 in NC. But, the closest comparison I can give in terms of price and distillery is Knob Creek Small Batch, another Jim Beam product I also recently bought and is available for $36.95. Between the two, the Jim Beam Single Barrel is a much better bourbon. I wouldn't recommend the Knob Creek Small Batch if you could only choose one. While Knob Creek has overwhelming alcohol and oak flavor, Jim Beam is less harsh with a very nutty taste. The spice/harshness difference has nothing to do with the rye, since they both have the same percentage of 13%. It's also tough to chalk it up to the minimal difference in proof, since Jim Beam is 95 and Knob Creek is 100. This Jim Beam bottle is sweet and nutty on the nose and taste. I kept thinking of desserts with caramel and lots of nuts, and once I got peanut brittle in my mind I couldn't think of a better comparison. It also reminds me of generic chocolate nut samplers you buy at Valentine's Day. This is a pleasant flavor that gets old after a couple of pours, but I like to switch up whiskeys no matter how much I like the taste. I've enjoyed this bourbon and I'm anxious to try some of the higher priced Jim Beam lines like Knob Creek Single Barrel and Baker's in the future.

I currently have Bulleit Rye which I don't enjoy, and haven't had their bourbon in a while so I bought the 50 mL for $3.95. (In NC the 750 mL is $29.95, which makes the 50 mL ridiculously overpriced compared to other 50 mLs I've bought recently. Is the glass necessary??) This is a high rye bourbon and many of the bourbons I've had of late are <15% rye or wheated, so I have little to compare to other than Four Roses Single Barrel. The Four Roses is superior, but they're different price ranges and one is single barrel. The nose is pretty good, not too strong, but all I get on the taste is spicy rye. It overpowers the other notes listed in reviews. I'm not a huge fan of this bourbon, but I have enjoyed it in the past and can see why it's popular at its price point. I'd definitely recommend trying this in some fashion because there are plenty of bourbons around $30 to choose from.

I think I've only had Crown Royal Deluxe so I bought a 50 mL of this for $2.95. (In NC the 750 mL is $30.95.) Right off the bat, this nose is TERRIBLE. I'm a chemist and I generally do not huff solvents I frequently use, but this nose distinctly smells like a combination of isopropyl alcohol mixed with ketones or aldehydes. I might even smell something akin to ethyl acetate. Let me reiterate, this nose is TERRIBLE. Seriously, it smells like mixture of cheap organic solvents you'll find in commercially available products for household cleaners or topical medication. I honestly have no idea how the Expert Review can pass off this smell as "smoky and robust." I have a poor sense of smell due to genetics and all of my lackadaisical practices as an academic chemist, and I can still smell things in this whiskey that tell me I shouldn't drink this. But I did drink it, and you get a standard alcohol flavor that makes me think it won't kill me, it's just a crappy whiskey. I get no tasting notes outside of alcohol. If you gave me a blind taste test and said this was Aristocrat, I'd believe you. Do not buy this, it is a freaking waste of money for $30 a bottle.

I don't think I've had Woodford Reserve since I was drunk at their distillery over 3 years ago, so I picked up a 50 mL for $2.75. (In NC the 750 mL is $39.95.) Right away I get a nice punch of alcohol and oak vanilla on the nose, more pleasant than other bourbons I've had recently at similar proofs. I expected a harsher taste/finish like I get with Elijah Craig, Knob Creek, and 1792 Small Batches, but surprisingly the taste is smoother than the nose. I don't think it's as harsh as the Expert Review suggests, and I think it's a better overall bourbon than the flagship offerings of other big distilleries. At this price though, I'd be hesitant to say it's something I'd readily buy in the near future but it's still a solid pick.

I purchased a 50 mL for $2.75 since I've never had this and always had the original Jack Daniel's growing up. (In NC the 750 mL is $34.95.) The nose is quite nice, creamy bananas that is reminiscent of 1792 Single Barrel and some pot-still Irish whiskeys I've had. The taste is smooth, buttery, with less banana taste than on the nose. And this whiskey disappears FAST, with little to no alcohol bite. This is a good whiskey for those who want something easy to sip on and are turned off by more challenging bourbons. I would compare this to the aforementioned 1792 and Jameson Black Barrel, but noticeably worse than both. At this price I probably won't be buying it again, but I can see the lane this whiskey travels in and I'm sure a lot of people would enjoy this over Jack Daniel's Black Label.

I bought the Glenmorangie Taster Pack for $34.95, which includes 4 x 100 mL of Glenmorangie Original 10Y and the three primary finished versions. That breaks down to $8.74 for each, which is overpriced for the original but good value to try the Quinta Ruban. (In NC the 750 mL is $58.95.) This and the Lasanta were my two favorites by far, but I like the Lasanta a little more. The Quinta Ruban due to its port finish is sweet on the taste and dry sticky sweet on the finish. I like the nose a lot, it is the most aromatic of the 4 options, but overall the Lasanta flavor wins out for me. It is a more subtle finish due to the sherry. The port imparts beautiful color and seems great for one or two ounces, but I think it'd be hard to enjoy more than that due to the sweet, long-lasting finish.

I haven't had Johnnie Walker Black in ages, so I bought a 50 mL for a ridiculous $3.50. But, this is good sipping Scotch. There's a nice hint of ash and peat, mostly on the nose and the finish. I always avoided this and Johnnie Walker in general because of the price and proof of their offerings, but I'd consider buying a 375 mL for future comparison to Double Black or Green. I don't think it is worth the price for a full bottle since there are a lot of great whiskeys around $40, but combined with another 375 mL purchase that's a good evening of tasting. I think at 86 proof this would be a home run, but big-brand Scotch always has to milk their dollars. For reference, in NC the 375 mL is $20.95 and 750 mL is $41.95.

This is pretty good for a budget blended Scotch. I bought a 50 mL for $1.95, and the 750 mL is available for $24.95 in NC. Initially the nose hit me with unpleasantness, but it is much smoother on the taste. I'd bet in a blind taste test it'd be hard to tell the difference between this and blends that are closer to $40. If you're looking for a Scotch under $30, it's hard to go wrong with this.

I remember Elijah Craig more fondly than this. The last bottle I had was many years ago, so it could've been before they removed the age statement. This was somewhat of a disappointment. I bought a 375 mL for $15.95 (750 mL is $29.95). It is a one-note hot oak/cherry taste, and I can't really tell if it's more alcohol or oak giving that heat. It doesn't go down easily, I enjoy the nose much more than the taste or finish. To me it's similar to another recent purchase that was disappointing, 1792 Small Batch. They have different flavors, but both are predominantly one-note with too much heat for their proof. Some may like this more than me, but I'll pass on this in the future. On a positive note, I really like this 375 mL bottle design. Update - My local ABC store has a store pick for Elijah Craig Single Barrel Select, which was chosen from one of the barrels that would normally go into the Small Batch mix. It was the exact same price as Small Batch, even though it was a single barrel. An amazing deal I thought, so I had to pick it up. Tasting them back to back highlights how much worse the Small Batch is. There is no nuance to the Small Batch, just hot oak. The single barrel has much less oak foreword flavor and much better caramel cherry spice notes. If you see one of these special labeled single barrels pick it up! **There is no Elijah Craig Single Barrel Select (94 proof) (NAS) on Distiller so that's my brief review above. I'd give it a 4.25/5 stars, and it was $29.95 in NC.