Tastes

I got a 1oz sample of this for 1oz of my EHTBP Batch 10. I haven't opened my 4RSmBLE yet and wanted to see how much I would enjoy this before cracking mine open. Nose: Burnt caramel, candy cherries, ethanol burn, floral, slightly nutty, this is really sweet and at the same time like sticking your nose in a boquet of flowers . I'm just out in a field of flowers right now. argh this is so good. honey. red fruits, like strawberries and maybe something a little more tart Palate: oh my god. oh yeah. I'm definitely going to keep my bottle of this. sweet, oak, molasses. definitely some of the rye spice, classic bourbon notes, but there's more complexity that I'm not picking up just yet. It's so well done with the sweetness of caramel, then the rye spice, then the other flavors I can't put my finger on quite yet Finish: oaky, not overly impressive, nutty, a nice burn, there's some sweetness, but I think the oak is preventing me from truly experiencing it. definitely some leather 90/100 - Always on my shelf. idk if it was the complexity of the palate that kept driving me back to taste this, or the finish that I am disappointed in, but I drank this faster than I meant to. This is really easy to drink and so much fun try to identify everything that's going on here. I'll definitely try adding some water when I open my bottle, but I'm not doing it with this sample. Could be fun to play with down the road. I'm a four roses fan boy, so I figured I'd like this one, but you're always a little afraid of being disappointed. I think the complexity on this makes it a big time winner. I imagine sharing this with friends who are avid whiskey drinkers and even if they aren't a huge fan of the flavors/finish, they'll appreciate the complexity this dram has. Excited to share this and maybe even add a drop of water.

Got a sample of this in a crazy trade where we both gave up a lot. Nose: super sweet, red apples, slight nuttiness, vanilla, brown sugar, toffee, definitely a familiar nose of buffalo trace - like one I've smelled before, but more complex and sweeter. There's also a nose burn with this one. I think I'm getting some cherry jolly rancher on the nose too. Actually, with the spice, I'd probably say more of a cherry menthol Palate: oh wow, why did I swallow that. that was real tasty and kept changing. ohhh yum. Definitely some spice. Cherry, definitely a burn to it, pretty oaky, vanilla. Finish: kind of simple / disappointing after that first taste. Pretty light and short. I don't think I've had this happen before, but the finish is creamy. It's not oily, it's not dry, but it's creamy. 78 - Sure I'll take some. This smells like a wheater, but tastes kind of medicinal. It's tasty, but not worth anywhere close to the secondary prices. I'd put this among more of the unique whiskey I've had, which is cool to try something different, but wasn't my favorite. I think this would be more fun to sip around a fire with friends as you try to dissect the notes, but find you're unable to really pinpoint anything.

Got a free sample and haven't had any Penelope stuff before, so I'm interested to see how this goes. Nose: Light milk chocolate, really hot. I can't dive deep into this without singing my nose hairs, brown sugar. It's really hard to nose this b/c it's so hot. Palate: Nutty Finish: strong nutty finish. Not huge on nutty finishes, and this is really strong. It's actually lasting a while and I wish it wouldn't! Mildly hot. This burns a lot hotter than it's proof. 50? I'll pass. This is too young for me, burns hot, and just isn't worth drinking. I'd rather grab something else on the shelf. I saw this is around $65 and I can't imagine paying that for this. I wouldn't even pay half that. I'd grab a 20-30$ bottle and get a lot more out of it than this.

Just did the OF13 sample a couple days ago, so now it's time for OF14. I know this is great juice - I haven't had it, but I've heard so many things from friends I know it's magnificent. If this disappoints, I'm gonna blame the samples. Nose: Floral, herbacious, like a four roses, cinnamon, cotton candy, slight oak, leather, cherry, caramel, cola Palate: mmm that's tasty, initial sweetness, pepper spice, black liquorice, Finish: little drying on the finish, cola, tannins, brown sugar, nutty, getting more and more oak on the finish 75/100 - I'll pass. The nose is fantastic. But the palate seems kinda short/simple and the finish is kinda short, which has been my experience with Old Fitz. I'm not getting any of the bananas, bread, or vanilla I was expecting with this. I have an unopened bottle of this, but I'm not opening it after this tasting. I may ask a friend who is happy with his to share a pour, b/c this did not hit the spot at all and I'm actually disappointed. Knowing the rarity of this, the secondary pricing (or even the MSRP after this tasting) I'm gonna pass and just drink something else.

I received a sample of this and something else special arrived, so I figured this would make for a good celebratory pour. Nose: sweet, brown sugar, some red apple, oak, red liquorice, cinnamon or maybe something a little spicier, nutty, vanilla, caramel, corn Palate: oh wow, that is sweet, nutty, toasted goodness. this would be dangerous. I could swallow this and immediately take another sip. second sip was so good. I just want more of this in my mouth and I can't really focus on what I'm tasting. what is this brown magic??, vanilla frosting, caramel, corn Finish: nutty, somewhat oily, long lasting, oak, tobacco, corn, peppery 85/100 - Buying at MSRP. This is really good, but the finish is lacking the flavors I love. It lingers forever, it's just not something delicious. I'd describe it as eating nuts and the nutty flavor just lasts in your mouth forever. If that excites you, then definitely go for this, but that's not something I'm going to chase. The nose is nice, nothing crazy, but there's something going on in the palate that just excites my mind and I'm struggling to focus enough on the actual notes. Old Fitz is not ridiculously priced at MSRP when you can find it - but is that even possible? These are usually over 350 on secondary and I'm not biting at that price. I'm also surprised by how much oak I was getting on this and it makes me curious about the 14 and 15 year offerings. The longer I sip this the less exciting it's becoming.

One of my friends came over for a party and he brought Maker's 46 and wanted to leave me the bottle. Thank you! I need more friends like this in my life. Last time he brought a really tasty Jeffersons I still need to review, but that'll be for another night. Nose: sweet, red apples, milk chocolate, some spice, cherry, butterscotch Palate: vanilla, oak, Finish: short oak tannins, medium burn, some vanilla OK, so this is a simple sipping whiskey, it's pretty nice with all the vanilla. I wouldn't pay much for this. Lemme price check on the state run site - $40! 40 is totally doable for this. If it was $60 I'd say hard pass, but at $40, I'd probably like it to be closer to $30, but still, $40 is a fair ask. At this same price point I'd probably prefer Four Roses Small batch or single barrel, or an Old Forester offering of 1910/1920 for a little more. I'd totally reach for this when I want something a little nicer than Evan Williams BiB to drink while my friends smoke cigars. 65/100 - Sure I'll take some

Was gifted a sample of this by someone who doesn't know I'm not big on ryes. However, I know this is a popular / sought after offering, so I am excited to dive in. Nose: ethanol, black licorice (anis), light honey, milk chocolate, there's some kind of salty toffee/caramel sweetness behind the chocolate I'm struggling to identify, lots of red fruit sweetness, tobacco. ok, let's go in for a sip. Palate: pepper and honey, very light, some tobacco, a sweet cherry, red apple Ryes: kind of drying, rye spice, sweet, oak tannins The nose is nice and complex, but the palate and finish are really lacking for me. It's really light, and not much going on, along with some of those rye characteristics. Aside from the nose, I'd consider this a cheap, easy drinker. If this was a blind taste, I'd definitely think it was cheapy with the simple palate and quick finish. Definitely not something I'd chase at MSRP or secondary. 65/100 - really debating on giving this a "Sure I'll take some" or "I'll pass" rating b/c I know the cost of this and its rarity. This is an easy drinker b/c there is so little going on I'd throw it back and need a refill without even thinking about whiskey. I'll go with "I'll pass" b/c of the cost and rarity and leave it for someone else. If it was $40-60 I'd take some and not worry about how quickly I drank it. *Not sure what year this bottle was, but given that this is much lower ranked and reviewed than the 2021, I'll put this under 2020.

Was doing something nice for someone and to show their appreciation they gave me a sample of this! Let's dive right in. Nose: sweet, cherry, maple, brown sugar, molasses, more sweetness, like sugar cookies, caramel, Palate: sweet, mild burn, some nuttiness, some honey Finish: hazelnut and the mild burn continues, tannins, cotton candy I'm gonna give this a 78 - Sure I'll take some. The nose is nice, but the flavor is simple/quick, and the finish is short to medium, but also simple. If I found this at MSRP and was told I had to open it and keep it on my shelf, I'm not sure I'd buy it. I can get a lot of good stuff for the $120 my state controlled stores charge for this. Just added a few more points to the score as I got cotton candy on the finish as I was typing this and that's extra tasty. But overall, the palate and finish are light and simple and at $120 I just don't want to spend the money on this. At $60 I'm interested. Also of note, I do have an unopened bottle of this and instead of keeping it, I'll definitely be looking to use it as trade bait.

I'm not sure what to expect from this neck pour. I really enjoy the ECBPs, but those are offered at a much higher proof. ECTB coming in at 94 proof makes me question how this will be different from the EC Small Batch, which also comes in at 94 proof, is a lot easier to find, and can be had for a third of the price. Nose: caramel, brown sugar, very sweet, some cherry wax candy, vanilla frosting, green olives (where did that come from?) Palate: interesting. it's definitely different. some sweetness, tannins, oak, caramel, vanilla, hazelnut, Finish: short-medium, oak, some sweet, tea, rye spice This was just ok for me. I think I get more from it than the small batch, but at $60 this is not worth it for me; I'd much rather have easier to find spirits at the same price or cheaper. 73/100 - Sure I'll take some

Had to trade a sample to get a sample of this. I'm not expecting to be blown away, but I wanted to try it and see if the ridiculous prices this is going for make it tempting. Nose: red licorice, merichino cherries, waxy candy, vanilla, light ethanol burn, light oak, light leather, definitely sweet, spice - maybe clove or cinnamon, caramel, rye. Not that I've ever experienced it, but if you cranked this up I could see red apples cooking on a stove top with some baking spices to make a nice warm apple cider Palate: mmm that's tasty, cherry, light burn, oak, rye, light walnuts Finish: oaky with a mid palate tingle, oak grows stronger and light cherry, some tannins, rye, walnuts, tobacco, peppery Doesn't coat your mouth with the nice oily finish I love, but it's between that and regular mouth feel. This isn't what I was expecting and it's not my favorite profile, but it is nice. I certainly wouldn't pay the secondary prices for this, but it is interesting. I would describe this as a sweet rye with a decent amount of oak. 76/100 - Buying at MSRP - but only b/c it's so freaking rare and friends would love to try it