Tastes

Bull City Bourbon Club pick, "Bull in Elijahs Shop" Barrel No. 6327849 Warehouse T; Floor 5 Age 9 years 62.45% abv; 124.9 proof Open 3.5 months Nose - Heavy oak, old leather, pipe tobacco, raisins, mixed berry jam, vanilla extract, toffee, caramel, Chinese black tea, and heavy ethanol. Palate - Burnt buttered pie crust, bready, caramel, Chai tea, dry cinnamon, Fig Newtons, tannic oak, molasses, and vanilla bean. Finish is medium-long with raisins, figs, light black pepper, dry baking spices, dry oak, and medium ethanol. This is the second ECBP pick I purchased this summer, and this time it was from my local bourbon club. It is very similar to the Chatham County pick, both taste old and distinguished with more focus on oak and baking spices and less sweet than a typical ECBP batch. Considering they are both 9 years old, they must be picking ripe barrels from the top of their warehouses. Both picks are slightly better than the last 2 years of ECBP batches, so don't mind the younger age statements.

Bull City Bourbon Club pick, "Peach Cobbler" Batch No. D33i Microblend of 40% 5-year, 35% 7-year, 20% 10-year, and 5% 17-year 58.07% abv; 116.14 proof Open 2 months Nose - Ripe peach, apricot, red plum, pie crust, Apple Jacks, cinnamon bun, clove, light black pepper, light oak, and medium ethanol. Palate - Peach cobbler (yes, it tastes exactly as the name), spiced apples, honey, cinnamon, and butterscotch. Finish is medium-long with overripe peaches, black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, white sugar, and medium ethanol bite. This is the first of 3 picks our club released this summer from Barrell, and is probably my favorite overall. Initially it was a little chalky when first cracked, but it opened up beautifully. It smells and tastes exactly like the name, with maybe a little apple and apricot thrown into the mix. It drinks sweet and lower than its proof, and is one of the best sipping cask strength bourbons I've had in a while. For reference, this microblend is mostly MGP with some Dickel and KY bourbon. Although this shares classic characteristics of MGP bourbon, it features more unique sugar and fruit notes than what you'll find in George Remus or other NDPs. The sticker price for Barrell is tough to swallow, but based on the four picks I've bought this year (one from Davidson County and three from BCBC) they release excellent products that live up to the cost. I've had a bunch of $50-70 sourced bourbon and rye, they're not always winners. Sometimes it's nice to pay a little more and buy a sure thing.

Bull City Bourbon Club pick, "Deitz Hometown Treatz" Barrel No. 16841 Age 6 years 61.6% abv; 123.2 proof Open 2 months Nose - Vanilla bean, black pepper, dried herbs, dill, pine needles, light menthol, medium oak, and medium ethanol. Palate - Sweet rye baking spices, light black pepper, light dill, crème brulee, ginger snaps, spearmint, and sweet oak. Finish is long with sweet oak spice, cinnamon, allspice, gingerbread, light dill, and light ethanol. These are bangers for the value, especially when ABC recategorized Old Scout Rye Single Barrel as a special package. The previous price was $50, so it's one of the few sought-after whiskeys that dramatically dropped in price in the last year. Getting cask strength MGP rye at 6 years for $35 is phenomenal, do not pass these up if you see them. At worst you can use them as a mixer or give to a friend.

Open 14 months Nose - Burnt brisket ends, smoked malt, honeysuckle, light brine, ocean scented air freshener, cigar smoke, wet campfire ash, and medium ethanol. Palate - Charred oak chips, light honey, light butterscotch, toasted white bread, sea salt, and white pepper. Finish is long but incredibly ashy. This is where I heavily deduct the score. It is dry, spicy with loads of black pepper and smoke, grainy, piney, and lacking sweetness. I think this batch is a significant downgrade from Batch 011. While that was incredibly well-balanced between the peat, brine, spice, and sweet notes, this is really, really ashy on the back end. If not for that finish I'd rate it higher, but it drowns everything out and makes this a one glass and move on type of Scotch.

Project Mayhem pick through Gibsonville ABC - "Goatbaaaack Mountain" Batch No. 6718 Aged 6 years in new charred oak with French oak staves Finished 1-2 years in Limousin Oak 55.89% abv; 111.78 proof Open 3.5 months Nose - Heavily toasted rye bread, red hot cinnamon, clove, white pepper, menthol, bright oak, and medium ethanol. Palate - The most gingery ginger snap cookie you can buy, leather, wood oil, cocoa, Chai tea with orange spice, black pepper, light caramel, and medicinal cherry. Finish is long and very oily with dry oak pulp, orange peel, clove, gingerbread, Red Hots, and medium ethanol. This pick by some friends in NCWH is an excellent example of not only great value in cask strength rye by a craft distiller, but also shows what you can do with finished rye outside of the typical double oaked or wine finish. I could not put my finger on this flavor profile until my brother tried it. He's into wine and has lived in multiple Europeans countries. The first thing he said is this tastes like nice, old cognac. That's exactly what it tastes like. An American rye version of cognac. The French oak staves and Limousin oak provide flavors you won't typically find in a double oaked rye. Considering the age, finishing, and proof, $55 is an incredible value coming from a small distiller in Wisconsin.

Chatham County ABC pick Barrel No. 6327746 Age 9 years 64.7% abv; 129.4 proof Open 3 months Nose - Rich oak, gingerbread, molasses, mixed berry jam, leather, pipe tobacco, vanilla bean, allspice, and medium ethanol. Palate - Lots of darker syrup and gingerbread up front, cinnamon bun without vanilla frosting, brown sugar, tobacco, and sweet oak extract. Finish is medium-long with a bit of rye spice, heavy oak that belies the 9Y age statement, toffee, allspice, and medium ethanol burn. This is the first of 3 ECBP picks I've bought this summer, and this one is very good. I think people were worried that when Heaven Hill announced their ECBP barrel program they would be using it as a method to charge more for a younger, inferior product. From what I can tell, it's the opposite. All 3 picks I have are better than the last 2 years of batches. My educated guess on why they started doing this is they have tons of ECBP barrels ready to go at 8-10 years, but they boxed themselves in with the 12Y statement on ECBP batches. With these picks they can move excellent barrels that may get too oaky by the time they're 12 years old. I know they're $10 more, but in my opinion these picks are must buys. That's what I'm doing any time I come across a different single barrel.

Open 3 months Nose - Caramel, toasted marshmallow, cinnamon bun, allspice, medium oak, and light ethanol. Palate - Caramel and brown sugar, light vanilla frosting, light gingerbread, light tobacco, and light oak. Finish is medium-short with drier oak tannins, vanilla, cinnamon, caramel, light rye spice, and light ethanol. This may be the simplest ECBP I've had, and I struggle to find nuance in the flavors. But I don't think that's a bad thing considering the batches they've put out the last 2 years. B522 is crushable. Similar to C921 but even simpler and sweeter. I think if you're introducing a friend to barrel proof, this would be a great option. It's a nice change up from the dry, hot, and oaky A122, B521, and A121.

Chatham County ABC pick (Fall 2021) Barrel No. 4940 59.21% abv; 118.42 proof Open 3 months Nose - Mead, Corn Pops, menthol, green apples, green grapes, light cinnamon, butterscotch, fresh cut grass, light oak, and strong ethanol. Palate - Honey syrup, toasted marshmallow, Werther's, caramel apples at the state fair, oat ale (try an oat ale if you haven't), lightly sugared Frosted Flakes, shortbread cookie, and sharp ethanol. Finish is long with honey, chili powder, cinnamon, astringent oak, spice cake, and medium ethanol. This is remarkably similar to a club pick I bought almost 2 years ago. I guess I'm just a big fan of Woodinville bourbon. Its honey and bright fruit profile is unique in my experience for cask strength bourbon, and really damn drinkable. I think it has a lot in common with notes you'll find in a Highland malt, albeit with corn and new oak. The climate in Washington likely has a big influence. These picks sit around for months on ABC shelves. I don't know if people don't like them, or are hesitant to drop $70 on a lesser known product. With the prices going up everywhere, I think these are a really good buy.

Part of a virtual tasting with Southern Distilling Barrel No. 109 113.6 proof Nose - Chalky Big League Chew cherry/grape, caramel, toffee, cinnamon stick, vanilla frosting, toasted oak tannins, and medium ethanol. Palate - Rainier cherries, overripe peaches, caramel, vanilla frosting, clove, and oak. Finish is medium-long with dry cinnamon, vanilla bean, butterscotch, and light ethanol. This is really good stuff for an NC bourbon. I'm impressed. These barrel picks aren't common, but if you see one I recommend picking one up. Easily one of the best NC whiskey products I've tried.