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Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year
Distiller Score 89
Nose is full of oak, baking spices, vanilla and char. The palate is thick and viscous with more oak, spice, leather, and tobacco. Finish is long and can at certain points be unwanted. Overpowering burnt sugar, charred wood, and wood.
Reviewed by Rob Morton
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Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year
Distiller Score 92
A nose of honey, clove, rye, oak and the initial blast of heat. The palate is filled with spicy cinnamon and Szechuan peppercorns before fruity notes of cherry and pear appear. Maple sugar candy rounds off the taste. Finish is long and complex with cherries and pepper notes continuing through.
Reviewed by Rob Morton
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Westland Solum Edition 2
Distiller Score 89
Fireplace shows up early on the nose, along with cherrywood, black pepper, vanilla pudding, and green-herbal characteristics. On the palate, find barrel char, peat smoke side by side with fresh, wet soil, macerated berries, and dark chocolate brownies. The finish offer a simmering mesquite BBQ type smoke, along with tannic oak and sour cherries.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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High West Rocky Mountain Rye 21 Year
Distiller Score 93
Imagine if you will, Little Red Riding Hood taking a wrong turn into a biker bar with her basket full of goodies. Cinnamon sugar cookies mingled with leather and tobacco might be strange to envision, but it is an accurate description of the whiskey. Vanilla and wood spices emerge, and as you sip, there's a momentary sweetness on your tongue. Dark rye grain and red apple skins linger on your palate. My, what big flavors you have! All the better to drink you up!
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Westland Garryana 2019 Edition 41
Distiller Score 88
Westland Distillery does a great job of reflecting a certain Pacific Northwest character in their malts. Brooding notes of dark malt and wood char give way to to lighter briny/ green olive/ peppermint aromas on the nose. The palate is muscular and savory. Dark bread and black pepper linger long afterwards and bristle at the sides of the tongue.
Reviewed by Colin Howard
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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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Sazerac Rye 18 Year (Fall 2013)
Distiller Score 88
The nose finds rye, oak, orange, and pickle brine. A leathery palate of cinnamon, orange, crisp sugars and a rather oily mouthfeel. The finish is very, very long, with crisp sugar, clove, leather and tobacco.
Reviewed by Rob Morton
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William Larue Weller Bourbon (Fall 2013)
Distiller Score 96
A nose full of caramel, molasses and maple sugar candy gives way to the palate of seeded fruit on toast with butter and cinnamon sugar. The finish is long and complex, with light tobacco, leather and more cinnamon sugar.
Reviewed by Rob Morton
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Four Roses Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon (2013)
Distiller Score 98
Hot on the nose with hints of rye bread, maple and peppermint. Coming in at barrel proof this whiskey does well with a touch of water to open up the aromas. Touches of lemon rind, green fig and nutmeg come through once opened. On the palate, chocolate, peppermint and maple are followed by a mild and ripe stone-fruit characteristic. The finish is long with woody notes and baking spices lingering throughout.
Reviewed by Dennis Gobis
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Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon (2020)
Distiller Score 94
You'll find quite a wide array of aromas from the sweet (vanilla, milk chocolate, sweet corn,) to the fruity (lemon peel, apple & cherry fruits) to the savory (brown butter, gentle barrel spices, toast). As you taste, rye spice comes through as well as a moderate oaky flavor, but the bourbon isn't too chewy or tannic. You can still find those fruit and sweet notes too. A bit of leather shows up as well. The finish is lengthy with a tangy, bittersweet profile as well as a touch of green vegetal notes. A great bourbon that shows dimension. Would serve neat or with a splash of cool water.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Charbay Hop Flavored Whiskey Release III
Distiller Score 94
There's almost a cognac-like elegance to the nose of this whiskey. The palate is quite hot and the flavors are massively concentrated. There's deep espresso, savory and floral hops, and secondary citrus flavors. A bit of water is a must. With a few drops, everything comes alive, particularly the hops which are clear and present all the way into the never-ending finish. This is a must for lovers of hoppy beer and those looking for something completely outside the box.
Reviewed by Paul Belbusti
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Elijah Craig 18 Year Single Barrel Bourbon
Distiller Score 92
The oak jumps out of the glass almost giving your nose splinters. Vanilla fudge, honey and orchard fruits, such as cherries, flood your senses. The nose on this bourbon is invigorating and swirls with complexity. The vanilla and caramel flavors are expected but charred oak plows through without overwhelming the whiskey’s delivery. It’s actually soft for an old bourbon. This slow sipper has a long finish that spikes midway with hard spices and a musty twang.
Reviewed by Blair Phillips