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Hirsch Selection 28 Year Bourbon
Distiller Score 97
The nose is soft at first and but as you dive deeper you become bathed in the peppered, rich toffee and dried apricot notes. Vanilla, walnut and nutmeg enrich the complex woody whiskey. There’s a lingering finish of soft caramel and toffee with well-defined clove and earth. All of these flavors work in concert making this dangerously easy to drink. Please DO NOT mix this with Cola.
Reviewed by Brock Schulte
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Four Roses Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Small Batch Bourbon (2017)
Distiller Score 94
The nose offers baking spices, oak, a range of vanillins, and overripe apples. The palate then starts lighter and sweeter than expected, with a ton more vanilla but also a tart side; think vanilla taffy. There's also butterscotch, orchard fruits, and berries. It gets a bit hot on the finish, but that's soon smoothed over by the underlying vanilla sweetness, with vanilla pudding, biscuit and oak, as well as cinnamon and cloves.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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George T. Stagg Bourbon (Fall 2013)
Distiller Score 97
A nose full of heat, but once subsided, we find cherries, chocolate, tobacco and brown sugar. On the palate, notes combine into chocolate covered cherries, dipped in honey. The finish is long with even more chocolate, mixed with coffee and a cherry [syrup] on top.
Reviewed by Rob Morton
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Wild Turkey Master's Keep Revival
Distiller Score 95
Strawberry jam on warm cornbread pulls you in on the nose, with red fruits, rye spice, cocoa powder and oak. The palate kicks off with vanilla, syrupy pancakes, baking spices, and black pepper, with milk chocolate and oak coming on late. A long-lasting finish showcases brown sugar, rich vanilla sweetness, and a dose of spearmint, along with leather, and more oak and spice. Very much an amplified, fruitier Wild Turkey.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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Michter's 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye (2019 Release)
Distiller Score 94
Chocolate opens up the nose—the coveted, crispy and burnt corners of brownies, along with cinnamon, cloves, and sour cherries, as well as oak and cedar. The palate showcases vanilla taffy and salted caramel moving towards the back end, with tannic, slightly green oak. The finish is a smooth drive into a vanilla extract, chocolate syrup, and rye spice sunset. (Barrel #19F965).
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon (2015)
Distiller Score 96
Find a big, sweet nose, with brown sugar, coconut, honey and red fruits. The palate is smooth and nuanced, ranging from caramel and candied fruits, to light nuttiness, and baking spices. The finish begins with oaky and spicy notes, even cedar box, flashing and then fading into nougat, vanilla and maple syrup. Big and bold, but easy drinking and elegant all wrapped into one. Add in a few drops of water to showcase a bit more on the floral, spicy and aromatic side.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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Angel's Envy Cask Strength Bourbon Finished in Port Wine Barrels (2023 Edition)
Distiller Score 93
Tart lingonberries show up prominently on the nose, followed by brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. The palate showcases salted caramel, spearmint, candied orange peel, barrel char, and prunes. The finish is sweet, with raspberry syrup, grape juice, and dark chocolate, and closing notes of almonds, oak, and leather.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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Elijah Craig 21 Year Single Barrel Bourbon
Distiller Score 87
The 21 year is “slow to warm up” but as it does, you will enjoy smells of slightly burnt orange, dark dried fruits, dark salted caramel and of earthy leather and dusty woody chips. The palate speaks of a nuttiness that is reminiscent of toasted almonds and candied walnuts, toffee and dark caramel, and rich baking spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and clove from time in barrel with a round spicy white pepper to balance with the sweet baking spice. The finish is anything but abrupt; you’ll enjoy a rich finish of baking spice, vanilla caramel, and subtle dried fruits. This is a whiskey that should neither be rushed nor neglected, it is truly a choose your own adventure whiskey. Although it may be great in a simple classic cocktail, do its makers a favor and enjoy it eye to eye; it lends itself best to being enjoyed neat, with just a touch of water, or over a large ice cube.
Reviewed by Ryan Conklin
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Angel's Envy Cask Strength Bourbon Finished in Port Wine Barrels (2021 Edition)
Distiller Score 92
The whiskey is a beautiful red-hued dark brown in the glass. Juicy plums and red berries lead on the nose, along with peanuts, vanilla, cinnamon, and a spicy oak influence. The palate is rather approachable in spite of the high proof, and offers blackberries, red wine, spearmint, and toffee. A warming finish offers rich chocolate syrup, barrel char, sawdust, and peanut brittle.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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Four Roses 135th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon (2023)
Distiller Score 94
Vanilla bean and crème brûlée lead on the nose, along with candied apples and honey roasted peanuts. The palate is rich, featuring gooey caramel, spicy oak, spearmint, orange peels, sour cherries and saltwater taffy. A sumptuous dram finishes with a big flourish, offering leather, barrel char, cinnamon, and dark chocolate syrup.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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Wild Turkey Master's Keep Decades
Distiller Score 91
A familiar Kentucky nose of caramel, vanilla and butterscotch is joined here by yeasty esters -- clove and brûléed banana, most notably. Onto the tongue drops bold, baking spice and the tannic notes associated with prolonged exposure to oak. The initial heat from this 104 proof liquid calms itself in a lengthy finish where a slight cinnamon streak becomes the star of the show.
Reviewed by Brad Japhe
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Wyoming Whiskey Barrel Strength Bourbon (Barrel #3242)
Distiller Score 94
A deep mahogany color beckons from the glass, with big baking spices leading on the nose, followed by vanilla and dry oak. The palate starts with rich sweetness, think hot caramel on a chocolate dessert, with sugar-dusted berries, cedar, cinnamon, red wine, and candy cane. The finish is long and sweet, with juicy fruits and mint chocolate chip ice cream balanced by peppery oak, leather, and a Red Hots combination of spice and cinnamon.
Reviewed by Jake Emen