Tastes

Total Wine, Waco, TX pick Barrel No. 30869 Aged 50 months total, first in a used Oloroso sherry cask then transferred to a used KY bourbon barrel 64% abv: 128 proof Open 3 weeks Got a sample from my friend who always visits his in-laws in Houston over the holidays Nose - Stewed stone fruits and berries, molasses, fresh steakhouse bread, cocoa, funky malt, allspice, medium oak, and medium ethanol. Palate - Berry and fig jam, chocolate covered caramel, toffee, sickly sweet malt, cinnamon, allspice, and sweet oak. Finish is long with rich dark fruit jam, molasses, allspice, cardamon, oily oak, and medium ethanol. This is fantastic. Typically I really like Balcones products on first crack, and over time they get less enjoyable as the oak dominates the flavor profile. The extra long aging in a used Oloroso sherry cask balances out the oak perfectly. You may think aging malt in Texas heat this long would bring out the boldest and worst of the sherry and bourbon barrels, but they marry so well together. It's still a big, heavy pour, 2 glasses max in one sitting. But unlike the cask strength rye and malt single barrels I've had, I don't feel like this was aged too long in the Texas climate. The closest comparison I've had is the Rua Sherry Cask from NC, but this is bolder and heavier.

Open 9 days Nose - Butterscotch and caramel infused with Christmas spices, Honey Smacks, malted chocolate, golden raisins, and medium ethanol. Palate - Vanilla infused honey, candied cinnamon apples, peach and cherry pie, figs, sweet hay, and cocoa nibs. Finish is medium-long with chocolate oak tannins, clove, cinnamon, toast, white peppercorn, apple cider, and medium ethanol. This is the single most enjoyable whiskey I've had in 2022. Everything about it is fantastic, and it is perfect for this time of year. I originally thought I'd knock it down to 4.25 to avoid grade inflation accusations, but I don't care. It's great, I love Maker's wood stave finishes. They're so good at this. Plus they haven't raised their prices in the last year like most bourbon distilleries. The taters can chase Weller, Pappy, and Old Fitz to their heart's desire, I'll stick with Maker's.

Bull City Bourbon Club pick OBSQ recipe Barrel No. RS23-5J Age 11 years and 4 months 62.2% abv; 124.4 proof Open 3 months Nose - Brown butter, plum, custard, honeysuckle, almond, toasted marshmallow, herbal tea, and medium ethanol. Palate - Cherry pie, fig, fresh black peppercorn, molasses, allspice, clove, grilled corn, and sweet oak. Finish is long with toasted rye grain, sweet oak tannins, raisins, herbs, clove, and medium ethanol bite. The admins of BCBC are Four Roses enthusiasts (fanatics), and this was the first pick they've procured for the group. It was hyped for months. What else should we expect from admins who own dozens of 4RSBBS picks? This is also my first time ever trying the barrel strength, it is extremely difficult to come by in NC. I was fully prepared to be underwhelmed. Fortunately, this is a great barrel pick. It sits right at home with many of my other barrel proof bourbons in constant rotation. What distinguishes this from my usual heavy hitters like Elijah Craig, Barrell, and Jack Daniel's are creamy and floral notes that set it apart from the typical bourbon profile. Although it shares a very similar mashbill with MGP, it does not share the same flavor profile. It is definitely a great buy at $80, but I don't think it warrants the fervor and secondary market that make it impossible to obtain at most stores. I blame part of this on Four Roses, why not have a regular barrel proof offering in tandem with the single barrels and limited editions?

Bull City Bourbon Club pick Barrel No. RS23-5J Age 11 years and 4 months 62.2% abv; 124.4 proof Open 3 months Nose - Brown butter, plum, custard, honeysuckle, almond, toasted marshmallow, herbal tea, and medium ethanol. Palate - Cherry pie, fig, fresh black peppercorn, molasses, allspice, clove, grilled corn, and sweet oak. Finish is long with toasted rye grain, sweet oak tannins, raisins, herbs, clove, and medium ethanol bite. The admins of BCBC are Four Roses enthusiasts (fanatics), and this was the first pick they've procured for the group. It was hyped for months. What else should we expect from admins who own dozens of 4RSBBS picks? This is also my first time ever trying the barrel strength, it is extremely difficult to come by in NC. I was fully prepared to be underwhelmed. Fortunately, this is a great barrel pick. It sits right at home with many of my other barrel proof bourbons in constant rotation. What distinguishes this from my usual heavy hitters like Elijah Craig, Barrell, and Jack Daniel's are creamy and floral notes that set it apart from the typical bourbon profile. Although it shares a very similar mashbill with MGP, it does not share the same flavor profile. It is definitely a great buy at $80, but I don't think it warrants the fervor and secondary market that make it impossible to obtain at most stores. I blame part of this on Four Roses, why not have a regular barrel proof offering in tandem with the single barrels and limited editions?

Bull City Bourbon Club pick, "Two Barrel Bullpen" A blend of two barrels instead of a single barrel Open 8 months Nose - Lemon peel, brown sugar, light cinnamon, sweet corn, oolong tea, maraschino cherries, and light ethanol. Palate - Artificial cherry, flat cream soda, caramel, powdered sugar, and light tea. Finish is short with lemon bars, over steeped herbal tea, white sugar, bitter watery oak, and little to no ethanol. I have little interest in Woodford these days, but bought this club pick anyways. Woodford is fine, but there are so many bottles you can buy that offer more proof and flavor. Is a barrel pick better than standard Woodford? Who knows. It's so light and thin that I struggle to pick out any notable flavors. I've barely touch it in 8 months, and it'll probably sit on my shelf for a while.

The Party Source, Bellevue, KY pick Barrel No. ISC 779761 Rickhouse B-E12N4 Yeast Strain FP1 Age 4 years and 4 months 53.46% abv; 106.93 proof Open 1 month Nose - Butterscotch, caramel, honey, herbal tea, anise, soft citrus, light oak, and medium ethanol. Palate - Soft caramel, white pepper, pine needles, dill, honeysuckle, white sugar, and dry oak. Finish is medium with herbal and floral rye notes, white pepper, mineral water, dried honey, and light ethanol. I've had Wilderness Trail Rye Cask Strength before, but apparently they're switching their cask strength single barrels to a white label and renaming the single barrel to Family Reserve. Thoroughly enjoyable and affordable rye whiskey, and unique in its flavor profile that makes it stand out amongst the barely legal ryes and MGP ryes. Not as good as the previous single barrel I've had, but still a really good bottle.

The Party Source, Bellevue, KY pick Barrel No. 12292 Distilled in July 2018; Bottled in September 2022 Age 4 years, 2 months 55.9% abv; 111.8 proof Open 1 month Nose - Cherry, allspice, fresh hay, honeycomb, chalk, vanilla, artificial orange, medium oak, and medium ethanol. Palate - Spiced orange, dark honey, black pepper, sweet grain, licorice, oak tannins, and clove. Finish is medium-long with black pepper, oak, vegetal herbs, dill, citrus peel, and medium ethanol. Spoiler alert - I moved to Cincinnati a month ago and have been taking too many short trips across the river to The Party Source in Bellevue, KY. The Party Source is claimed to be the second largest liquor store in the country that also conveniently shares a parking lot with New Riff. This is a distillery I haven't gotten to try while living in NC. It gets the same type of praise as Wilderness Trail, but their bourbon falls short. I may have picked the weirdest of the 4 bourbon picks available at Party Source. One of the cool things about New Riff is they are very transparent with their picks, and provide tasting notes on the bottle. On the bottle the aroma - black cherry, walnuts; flavor - orange juice, coconut; finish - dry, peppery. In retrospect I should've picked something with more classic high rye flavors, the orange juice and coconut intrigued me. Luckily all New Riff bottles are very affordable and since this purchase I've visited the distillery bar to taste more bourbons, ryes, and malted rye. My conclusion from that visit is they do a great job with their ryes but their high rye bourbons are middle-of-the-pack when compared to MGP bourbons.

Nose - Spicy, bold oak, cinnamon, clove, pumpkin bread, molasses, cocoa, burnt marshmallow, and medium ethanol. Palate - It is so much lighter on the tongue than the nose suggests. Dark honey, caramel fudge brownies, dark chocolate with sea salt, gingerbread, and clove. Finish is medium-short with light, syrupy honey and caramel, hints of clove and cardamon, tannic but not overly dry oak, and light ethanol. Received a 2 oz sample from a friend, and it's my first time trying a Remus Repeal. This smells like a cask strength, but drinks like a 90-100 proofer. I love the nose, but honestly it kind of dies on the palate and fades quickly. I expected a syrupy and oily mouth coating finish given the age and nose, but it drinks more like a one-note Buffalo Trace product. Is it better than standard MGP bourbons? Definitely. Is it worth $100 retail? Absolutely not.

North Carolina Bourbon Society pick Distilled on 12-21-2012 Dumped on 10-04-2021 Bottled on 11-17-2021 Warehouse K; Floor 3 Age 8 years, 9 months, 13 days Nose - Dulche de leche, buttercream, caramel, cinnamon bun, cereal grain, white pepper, and light ethanol. Palate - Crème brulee, old-fashioned hard candy, butterscotch, peppercorn, honey, orange creamsicle, medicinal cherry, and grilled peaches. Finish is long with white pepper, rye grain, caramel candy, oak tannins, Frosted Flakes, and light ethanol. This was a 2 oz sample from a friend. Excellent RR SiB, probably the best I've tried. Hard to top the value of a good Russell's pick.

Received 2 oz sample from a friend Nose - Spiced orange, citrus cleaner, chai tea, toasted vanilla, rye bread, clove, medium oak, and medium ethanol. Palate - Cheap orange chai tea, honeysuckle, wildflower honey, fresh baked bread, sweet corn, and light anise. Finish is medium-long with orange oils, honey, vanilla, higher than expected oak tannins, and medium ethanol bite at the end mixed with an oily orange peel. This actually surprised me. I have no experience with Good Times. They must be a small distillery because it's difficult to find reviews or videos covering any of their bottles. They have a ton of finished products, which always screams gimmicky and upcharge to me. However, this is pretty dang enjoyable to sip on. It definitely is orange-forward, but those oranges are a nice mixture of spiced tea and creamy infused honey. It's one of the better non-traditional finished bourbons I've had.