-
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
-
(ri)1 Straight Rye Whiskey
Distiller Score 82
The spice notes are quite pronounced on the nose and in fact are a bit prickly. Once you jump that hurdle, you'll discover a sticky sweet and vanilla'd underlining. The rye is on the thin side and bitter and dry with a bit of leather on the palate. As you exhale, you'll find lots of char smoke and red apple skins. This is a decent rye, but there are older (and better) whiskeys on the market sold for much less.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
-
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
-
Temperance Trader Straight Bourbon
Distiller Score 93
Roasted cereal grains and dark caramel along with leather and a hint of cherry are found on the nose. The masculine notes continue on the palate with the soft whiskey becoming spicy and peppery on the finish with a touch of cherry cola. Rye whiskey drinkers should seek out.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
-
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
-
Journeyman Distillery Silver Cross Four Grain Whiskey
Distiller Score 91
The corn and barley are most prominent on the nose, offering complex aromas. You know right away you are about to sip a fine American whiskey. The palate has a lot of heat, but there are respectable showings of dried fruits and almonds. The wheat adds a bit of levity to what might otherwise be a heavy spirit. A drop or two of water opens the spirit significantly. The Silver Cross offers complexity rarely seen in such a young craft spirit.
Reviewed by Paul Belbusti
-
Treaty Oak Red Handed Bourbon (Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee)
Distiller Score 90
You pick up a lot of vanilla and pecan on the nose with some pleasing wood aromas. The whiskey isn't rich, but is warming and tangy. There's a little red fruit on the palate with no harsh tannins or off-flavors. The char smoke is present, but gentle. All said, this is a solid little whiskey that is easy to drink neat and worth the trouble to seek it out.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
-
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
-
New England Distilling Gunpowder Rye
Distiller Score 85
The nose is bright, young, and grassy. There's hay, honey, and juicy cantaloupe, but no rye spice to speak of. The rye asserts itself on the palate, however, with a healthy dose of spice that melts into something bitter and dry with oak notes and a bit of caramel. Rye often deals with a young age well, and that is certainly the case here.
Reviewed by Keith Allison
-
Koval Single Barrel Oat
Distiller Score 86
The aroma, particularly on further inhalations, is heavy on breakfast oatmeal loaded with fresh cream and sugar. Some vanilla and a hint of mint is present as well as savory spices (think curry). The body is soft, but not substantial. The whiskey is young, but not raw. There's enough of a complexity in the whiskey that merits a purchase beyond simple curiosity.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
-
Yellow Rose Straight Rye Whiskey
Distiller Score 85
Dark rye grains, char, and hay are notes found as you stick your nose in the glass. The aroma of a permanent marker is also hard to miss, which sounds oft-putting, but isn't. This rye has a nice balance of sweet and spicy on your palate and you can pick up a little red apple skin as well. Making an Old Fashioned cocktail with this rye isn't a bad idea.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
-
Oola Waitsburg Bourbon
Distiller Score 80
Fruity and floral on the nose, smells young, with the yeast very present. Lots of baking spice, very earthy. Subtle menthol or eucalyptus flavor. Finishes very dry.
Reviewed by Phil Olson