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Leopold Bros. American Small Batch Whiskey
Distiller Score 83
The nose is a nice balance of spice and sugars with notes of caramel, brown sugar, and hints of molasses. This is soon followed by a nice rye and light baking-spice, baked apple, and delicate under-ripe strawberries. On the palate, this whiskey tastes of corn, baking spice, and caramelized sugars with hints of Bartlett pear and vanilla bean. The wood tannins are soft and perhaps a little on the light side for the modern whiskey palate, but perhaps right on for the pre-Prohibition-style that Leopold Bros. set out to recreate.
Reviewed by Ryan Conklin
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Old Fitzgerald 12 Year
Distiller Score 88
Soft, sweet corn, rolled oats, buttery cinnamon sugar cookies, vanilla, and toffee dominate the nose with subtle aromas of oak in the background. Big flavors of gooey vanilla toffee, cinnamon toast, and maple syrup stand up front with mild hints of spice, wood, and red delicious apples rounding out the palate. The finish lingers with all the spice and oak that was missing in the first tastes with round and sweet mouth-coating memories of buttery toffee.
Reviewed by Ryan Conklin
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Hirsch Small Batch Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Distiller Score 87
The first whiff carried a lot of alcohol and promises a fiery, and perhaps a rough-around-the-edges bourbon. After that initial assault, caramel corn, honey, oak, vanilla, and spice emerge. The palate boasts a lot of oak and warm spice, and is just a little rough, but in an enjoyable way. Lots of corn, vanilla, and cinnamon are in there as well. The finish is short but pleasant, with a little spicy orange zest joining the chorus.
Reviewed by Keith Allison
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Breaking & Entering Bourbon
Distiller Score 89
Warm banana nut bread and vanilla caramels dominate the nose with hints of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg rounding out the aromas. One sip will prove that the sweetness in the nose was supremely deceptive as nuttiness and spice pull forward with dominant cinnamon, white pepper, and a touch of menthol. A moderate finish persists with big wood, baking spice and caramel with lingering banana flambé.
Reviewed by Ryan Conklin
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1792 High Rye Bourbon
Distiller Score 85
This whiskey opens like a beautiful apple and pear tart coming out of the oven: brightly fruity and deliciously warm. The baking spices don't disappear on the palate; in fact, candied ginger and orange peels demand your attention immediately. The rye punch you're expecting never happens. Instead, you get a balanced, sweet bourbon.
Reviewed by Nicole Gilbert
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Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon French Oak Finish
Distiller Score 91
A well-balanced use of French oak, which can be tricky with a spirit as muscular as bourbon. Right out of the glass is a rush of floral and pastry (think pound cake) notes that are held tightly together by sturdy rye and spice aromas. The palate is lush with nut and pear flavors that closes with a lingering tobacco note. Elegant and fun.
Reviewed by Colin Howard
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Bully Boy American Straight Whiskey
Distiller Score 82
Lots of caramel and cinnamon on the nose, as well as figs, cherries, and a strong whiff of alcohol due to the spirit's youth. Given the sweetness on the nose, the initial taste is surprisingly more on the side of a bittersweet amaro, with more familiar caramel and rowdy rye spice arriving later, followed by a dry oakiness.
Reviewed by Keith Allison
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Bardstown Bourbon Co. Origin Series Bottled in Bond Bourbon
Distiller Score 92
The nose is rich and enticing, with butterscotch, caramel, and peanut brittle. That nuttiness continues onto the palate, which also offers a surprising of red fruits, including apples, orchard fruits, plums, and grapes. The finish is lengthy, and showcases chocolate syrup, Tootsie Rolls, tannic oak, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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Leopold Bros. Maryland-Style Rye
Distiller Score 86
The wood is notably light on the nose which allows the depth of the whiskey to really shine through. Aromas of baking spice, fennel, orange zest, and faint notes of eucalyptus and strawberries follow next. Upfront the flavors on the palate display a youthful spirit that has a nice mouth-feel for its age. Flavors of vanilla, cooked sugars, bright citrus and berries are then followed by Baker’s cocoa, clove, cinnamon, and a peppery and smoky rye spice. The finish rounds out this nuanced style of rye with a lingering vanilla and chocolate-covered berry sweetness that simply won’t let you forget this special dram.
Reviewed by Ryan Conklin
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Big Bottom Barlow Trail Port Cask Finish
Distiller Score 91
After the initial alcohol heat has time to dissipate, the whiskey has a lively nose with Madagascar vanilla, flan, oak, fresh orange peel and raspberry. On the palate, an initial rush of vanilla fudge and caramel sauce gives way to baked raspberry crisp, with hints of toasted almonds, white peppercorns, cinnamon sugar, raisins, baking spices and oat cakes. The finish starts with warm alcohol and cinnamon, then into black pepper, but quickly dissolves leaving oak, tawny port, dried plum, and toasted cereal grains on the palate.
Reviewed by Distiller Staff
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Clayton James Tennessee Whiskey
Distiller Score 87
A surprising bouquet of apples and pears greets the nose, along with caramel, apricot, and most surprisingly agave. The taste is rich, with maple syrup, vanilla, spice, and that curious mezcal-esque agave again. Water brings out the whiskey's floral notes as well as accentuating caramel, smoke, charcoal, and even rosewater. A truly unique and surprising Tennessee offering unlike anything else being done in the state.
Reviewed by Keith Allison
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Berkshire Bourbon
Distiller Score 82
This bourbon has a very light nose. There's caramel, spice, and alcohol there, but none of it is overly assertive. In the mouth, it's mellow, maybe a bit muddled, with toffee, oak, pepper, and even a brief appearance of banana. The finish is very short and gets spicy. Overall, none of the flavors are as defined as I want, making for something of an indifferent if inoffensive whiskey.
Reviewed by Keith Allison