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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 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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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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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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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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Reilly's Mother's Milk
Distiller Score 87
This is a very easy drinking whiskey, with smooth vanilla, red apple and rich caramel flavors. Nuances of sweet spice, brown sugar and toasted oak develop upon further sipping. A slight burn in the finish reminds us that lads like Reilly like to go out swinging!
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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Old Forester Classic 86 Proof
Distiller Score 85
Nose shows dried apricots, barrel, molasses and corn. Cinnamon-dusted apricots, oak, leather and nutmeg show up on the palate. The finish is of medium length with burnt sugars coming to the front.
Reviewed by Rob Morton
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Jack Daniel's Old No. 7
Distiller Score 85
Nose shows banana, vanilla, yeast and a strong corn profile. Palate is more of the same: strong banana, corn, char from the barrel and some heat even at 80 proof. Finish is long and full of candy corn, more tropical fruit and a little heat.
Reviewed by Rob Morton
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Old Forester Rye
Distiller Score 85
An affordable, 100 proof rye from Old Forester is an exciting new offering, and this whiskey has a unique mash bill and flavor profile to stand out from the crowd. The palate is strikingly unusual, with a big hit of clove. It offers a good balance of sweet and heat, with flavors of vanilla, cherrywood, and a mildly medicinal note. The finish is sweet with a bit of maple. It's likely to make an excellent choice for complex Manhattans.
Reviewed by Jacob Grier
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Early Times Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
Distiller Score 86
This revival of Early Times is a very welcome addition to the market. It hits all the right notes for a bottled-in-bond bourbon: A bit of heat, but full-bodied with lots of vanilla and hints of smoke, leather, and candied orange peel, with a pleasantly warming finish. It's a quality whiskey, and its surprisingly affordable price makes it even sweeter.
Reviewed by Jacob Grier
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Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch Bourbon
Distiller Score 92
It's pretty hard to find a good quality bourbon at this price point, but this is certainly one of them. You can't go wrong with a whiskey for $20 a bottle that tastes like a melted down oatmeal raisin cookie (molasses, brown sugar, sweet cereal, vanilla, baking spices—and those raisins are the slightly tart kind). The cinnamon, clove and nutmeg notes are well integrated, and play good hosts as they both greet the palate and also take everything into the finish. The whiskey is slightly woody and a little hot in the finish, but a really decent sipper for what it is. Gonna be darn good in a sour or Manhattan too.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster