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Jim Beam Pre-Prohibition Style Rye
Distiller Score 90
This is a rye that tastes like what you think a rye whiskey would taste like: big rye spice and pepper on the nose, but also strawberries, chocolate covered cherries, and faint floral notes. Flavor is big and bold, with a burly helping of spice alongside a medicinal tang. Licorice, bitter mint, and caramel come along for the ride. It's heavy and substantial, the kind of whiskey that holds up to a cocktail while still being sippable neat.
Reviewed by Keith Allison
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Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon 100 Proof
Distiller Score 86
Noticeably spicy and dark for a wheated bourbon. Upfront, there are notes of pipe ash and cinnamon that are buoyed by spiced honey characters. Across the palate, sweeter bread crust and vanilla flavors are offered up within pleasantly smooth sip from front to back.
Reviewed by Colin Howard
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Jim Beam Bonded Bourbon
Distiller Score 90
It's Jim Beam and then some. Honey and spice on the nose, along with oak, cherry, and butterscotch. It's a bold taste, rustic but refined, with vanilla, strong mint, bitter chocolate, and pepper. There's also charcoal, tobacco, and hay. Finish is short but warm, with more wood and mint as well as a bit of caramel. Water tames a bit of the bitterness and accentuates red fruits, chocolate, and pepper.
Reviewed by Keith Allison
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Old Overholt Bonded Straight Rye Whiskey
Distiller Score 86
Spicy rye opens on the nose with pumpernickel bread, rich vanilla with brown sugar, and hints of sour cherries. The palate offers baking spices such as allspice, nutmeg and cloves, with dry oak and peanut shells. A moderate-lengthy finish showcases more rye spice and oak, with a bitter-burnt note of toast, and spearmint. Altogether—the hearty punch you'd expect from the category with an unexpected bonus in the form of rich, vanilla-infused sweetness. A whiskey begging to be used in an Old Fashioned.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey (80 proof)
Distiller Score 86
Next time you take a shot of this rye, take a minute and actually smell the whiskey. You'll notice a pleasing aroma full of dark grain, char smoke, and cherry vanilla cola. The whiskey is quite hollow on your palate and not very full, but the finish is pleasing enough. You are left with the dark grain and char wood aromas.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Hochstadter's Slow & Low Rock & Rye (84 Proof)
Distiller Score 88
On the nose, there's an aroma that recalls strong black tea and old-timey cough drops. On the palate, there's plenty of lemon peel and mild vanilla with a dry and long finish of bitter herbs. Adding an ice cube is recommended. It could be doctored with some additional citrus bitters or sweetener, but ultimately, this stands on its own as a well-composed bottled cocktail.
Reviewed by Paul Belbusti
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Jim Beam Black Label Double Aged 8 Year
Distiller Score 85
Nose is full of corn, oak and caramel with a hint of vanilla. Palate is sweet followed by spice with fruits, undergrowth and butter. The mouthfeel is a very pleasant surprise. Finish is long with lasting flavors of caramel and wood.
Reviewed by Rob Morton
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Old Bardstown Black Label Bourbon (90 Proof)
Distiller Score 86
The nose on this bourbon is sticky and sweet, with overtones of molasses and vanilla that fade into fruity notes of cherry. The aroma ends with the rich scent of coffee and brown sugar. Its taste is slightly bitter — walnuts and cloves give way to softer flavors of malt and peach. The finish is long and spicy.
Reviewed by Derek Gamlin
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Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon
Distiller Score 88
The initial nose boasts a powerful whiff of alcohol that fades to yeasty bread. Given a little time to breathe, the scent of crème brûlée, brown sugar, and woody floor wax make themselves known. Taste starts off with minty bitterness and chocolate, like an Andes Mint made with dark chocolate. Vanilla and oak appear shortly thereafter, followed by dryness, wood, and fire from the high proof. The finish is warm and lingers, giving off a rye spiciness, though not particularly long. This is a business bourbon with little in the way of subtlety but an excellent reflection of Brown-Forman's urban setting.
Reviewed by Keith Allison
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Old Overholt 4 Year Straight Rye Whiskey (86 Proof)
Distiller Score 86
Whole peanuts lead on the nose, with dark chocolate syrup, caramel, and spearmint. The palate is dry up front, with anise, tannic oak, black pepper, and toasted rye bread, along with sweet grape jelly in the back. The finish showcases a touch of heat, with fiery cinnamon and cloves, along with sour cherry, black licorice, malt balls, and menthol.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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Ezra Brooks 99 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Distiller Score 87
For the price point, there's a fair amount going on here. After the fumes wear off from the initial pour you'll find some peanuts, sweet corn, dried herbs and a touch of leather. The bourbon is warming on the palate, but not over the top. Pleasant flavors of corn and vanilla can be found as well as a moderate amount of baking spices. The bourbon is tangy and pleasant on the finish. Keep a bottle on hand for your cocktail needs, but it also serves as a solid every day drink.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Jim Beam Distiller's Cut
Distiller Score 88
Jim Beam's new Distiller's Cut is a gem of an affordable bourbon. At 100-proof and bottled without chill filtering, it's full-bodied and flavorful. The taste profile is classic bourbon: vanilla, leather, a touch of smoke from charred oak, and an enjoyable bit of black pepper spice that lingers on the finish. It's a straight-ahead whiskey that can serve just as well sipped neat as it does in cocktails, and it's a fantastic value for the price.
Reviewed by Jacob Grier