Fireside Single Barrel Straight Bourbon

Review #331 Whisky Mentors single barrel pick 7 years old, 140.8 proof Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Dark amber. Nose: The nose is all fruit: grape, apple, raisin, cherry. Palate: Cherry cola, cinnamon, baking spice, oak. Finish: Long length with a lot of heat. Splash: A sweet clove note appears. Overall: 9/10 - This was surprisingly good when I sampled it, and surprisingly good all over again at home. The fruit notes are fantastic, and it’s just big & bold (& hazmat). The finish just won’t quit.

Mile High Spirits, Denver, CO. This is their single barrel straight bourbon whiskey. Colorado corn, rye, and chocolate barley, distilled in a German copper pot, aged 3 yrs in charred white oak in CO. This is barrel # 3b 11, bottled at 52.80% ABV. The angels sing! Rosy copper color and average coating legs in the glass. Nose is sweet grain, vanilla oak, milk chocolate, light smokiness, and rye spiciness in the background. In the mouth, sweet grain, dark chocolate, smoky vanilla oak. Then comes the spicy rye, good and tingling, and just a hint of ethanol--much less than most 105 proof bourbons. Mouthfeel is oily thick and coating, soft and sweet. The finish runs with oak tannins, rye and sweet grass spiciness. Smoke lingers. No sour or off tastes at the end. The smokiness and chocolate notes span this bourbon from nose to tail. It's a really pleasant and cohesive profile. It caught me from the first taste. It drinks like an older bourbon with more than 3 years in oak. Ice dulls the spice and chocolate, but leaves it smoky sweet. I'm really captivated by this whiskey (especially after drinking it over a few days), and am wishing I bought two bottles in CO. This is one to search out. Great whiskey (if you like a little smoke--I do!), especially at this price point. Hopefully, Mile High Spirits will expand production and distribution (at least to Utah 😁) so I can get this without heading to CO... although, there's nothing wrong with that! Cheers!

Daveco select, 5 yr Spicy nose, licorice and some thing else i cannot find a name for. Palette: smoky, citrus, baking spice, orange marmalade, slight bite that lingers. Interesting dram. Sticks around. Not balanced but intriguing

Argonaut Store Pick, Barrel #17f29.4f3, 105.6 proof, Age: 4 years Unlike other Fireside single barrels which featured heavy doses of rye spice, notes of the chocolate malted barley come through in this one. This bourbon reminds me of amber ale or English nut brown ale turned into a whiskey. The nose is malty with hints of baking chocolate and dark tea. The palate continues with the malty theme of chocolate and nuts finishing with some rye spice. Faint rye spice and chocolate liner on my palate. Throughout this drink I have to remind myself that this is a bourbon. The chocolate malt is strong enough to make me forget that. It's not a bad thing, just a unique twist on American bourbon. If you're expecting a fruity bourbon or one with stereotypical bourbon notes look elsewhere.

Very spicey. Smooth. Notes of cinnamon. Not too strong on the nose or mouth.