DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the distiller. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Copper
Nose: Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Port, Maple, Black Pepper, Citrus, Black Cherry, molasses, and oak
Taste: Sweet Corn, Caramel, Vanilla, Port, Black Pepper, Citrus, Black Cherry, and oak
Finish: Long, sweet, and smooth
Score:
Rick: 9. 5/10.0
Sam: 9. 5/10.0
Overall: 9. 5/10.0
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was purchased by me. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Copper
Nose: Sweet vanilla, pepper, citrus, fruit, and oak
Taste: OAK!
Finish: Short with just a hint of pepper Read the rest of this entry »
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the distiller. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Quick, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when I say “Single Malt”? Scotch right? When we think of Scotch we think of Scotland. Well, today’s triple shot review comes from the fine folks at Westland Distillery, in Seattle, Washington. I’ve had a bunch of American single malts from all over the country. Most, I wouldn’t give to even my buddy that would drink anything. The Pacific Northwest seems to have the corner on American single malt market. One of my favorites is from Oregon. On to the reviews, but first a quick excerpt from the Westland Distillery website, that says it better than I can.
“…For centuries, single malt whiskies have been considered solely the domain of Scotland. But a new category of single malt is taking root. One that offers us the chance to make a mark in the world of whiskey. It must be led by your own ideas, done on your own terms and realized through your own hard work. Here in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, we are graced with world-class natural ingredients. Those ingredients inspire us to pursue our own unique American-style single malt to rival the finest whiskies in the world. With each expression we work to create something that both honors the traditions of distilling that we admire and adds something worthwhile at the same time. Something new and distinctly American. The character of our malt provides a wealth of flavor profiles for our whiskies. Regardless of the individual expression, every whiskey at Westland Distillery is underscored by our house style – a sweetness and ease on the palate accompanied by a fruity and complex but ultimately grain-focused finish worthy of its place in this new world.”
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the distiller. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Today’s review is a double. Just feels
like that kind of day! The two bottles are From Detroit City Distillery. They are the Bloodline Whiskey, and Two-Faced Bourbon. DCD was founded by a group of 8 friends from Bath, Michigan.It was opened in an old slaughterhouse and meat-packing facility in Detroit’s Eastern Market. I’ve only seen pictures, but the bar is a large mahogany 20-seat mirrored backed monstrosity built in the 30’s not long after Prohibition. It was disassembled from an another storefront on Broadway,and then reassembled in its’ new home. It wasn’t restored, but rather cleaned to preserve the patina, reminiscent of what some car collectors are doing now. Oh, and to top it all off, these guys started making their hooch at Michigan State University under the watchful eye of their professors. Go Spartans!
Let’s start with the bad news first. The Bloodline Whiskey smells great, but that’s the best I can say for it. We didn’t enjoy it at all. To much of a yeasty new make tone to be enjoyable. To be fair, I have only come across a small handful of “American” whiskies that I really enjoy, and unfortunately this isn’t one of them.
The Two-Faced Bourbon is so named because it is a blend of 49% 1-2 year old bourbon and 51% 5-6 year old bourbon. It’s a satisfactory bourbon. I think given a few more tweaks and some more time in the barrel these guys might have something quite good. As of right now, they have been open for just a little over a year, and it shows. I would love to let them get another year or two under their belt and try them again. For now though, at $55 a bottle, all I can is is, “I’ll Pass.” I appreciate the samples and wish you guys all the luck in the future!
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome.
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I have been forced (willingly) to take the next logical step in my whiskey education. My birthday is in a couple of days, and my wife being the woman she is, always tries to find that one special thing for me. She says that I am hard to shop for. Apparently, my “refined” tastes make it somewhat of a challenge. Well, I think she really took up the mantle this year. She has really outdone herself! Thank you so much my dear, it is perfect!
I know, I know, “Get to it already!”
This year she got me an age your own bourbon kit from Wheat State Distilling, right here in Kansas.In the picture below you can see that it comes with two 750ml bottles of really fresh (distilled 10-07-15) Bourbon, bottled at 125 proof. It also come with a 2 liter barrel, with bung cork and a small spout for tasting as it ages. Lastly, it comes with two tasting glasses. All of this is embossed with the “WSD” logo. The gentleman who sold it to her said that he can also have the barrel tops custom branded if you give them a week or two notice. I’m glad mine isn’t though, because depending on how this turns out I may try other distilleries too, and start a collection of mini-barrels from the distilleries that offer these. I just did a quick google search, and there are plenty! I can already see my wife reading this, and thinking “What I have I started?!?”
I’ll be filling the barrel Saturday, right now I am prepping the barrel by filling it with hot distilled water to swell the barrel. I originally was going to use tap water, but though better of it, because I don’t want any chemical contaminants in the barrel. I want the spirits to shine through, not the chlorine and fluoride! The directions say to place the spout is first, which makes sense to me. Afterwards, fill it with hot water and allow it to swell until it stops leaking, which can take anything from one hour to a few days. So, after a little begging, because my birthday isn’t technically until Monday, I was able to talk my wife into letting me prep the barrel last night. I am contemplating using some of the distilled water that is in the barrel to top off the Bourbon, but haven’t decided yet. I like higher proof whiskey, and I don’t know if I want to mess with experimentation my first time.
The plan is to have a small tasting of the new make Bourbon, and then to fill the barrel and revisit it every 2 weeks. I figure doing it this way we’ll be able to get an idea of the aging process. I don’t have a set amount of time that I will age it, just until it’s good! I hope you will follow along on our journey!
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome.
Contact info can be found HERE and don’t forget to follow us on FACEBOOK and TWITTER!
Until Next Time,
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the distiller. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Dark honey
Nose: Smokey Campfire, Sweet Almonds, Honey, Vanilla, and Oak
Taste: Smoky Campfire, Honey roasted Almonds, Pepper, Vanilla, and Oak
Finish: Long Smooth Finish
Score:
Rick: 8.5/10.0
Sam: 9.5/10.0
Overall: 9.0/10.0
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the distiller. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Copper with a Red tint
Nose: Pear, Honey, Cedar, Orange Zest, Vanilla
Taste: Malted Vanilla, Orange, Honey, Caramel, Spice, and Oak
Finish: Long Pepper Finish
Score:
Rick: 8.5/10.0
Sam: 9.0/10.0
Overall: 8.75/10.0
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the distiller. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Dark Caramel
Nose: Pepper, Vanilla, Raisin, Oak, and Corn
Taste: Sweet Corn, Pepper, Raisin, Oak, and vanilla
Finish: Medium Pepper Finish
Score:
Rick: 8.0/10.0
Sam: 8.0/10.0
Overall: 8.0/10.0
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the distiller. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Dark Amber
Nose: Corn, Pepper, Vanilla, Citrus, Caramel, Oak, and a hint of New Make
Taste: Sweet Corn, Black Pepper, Grapefruit, Vanilla, Buttered Popcorn, and Oak
Finish: Short Peppery Finish
Score:
Rick: 8.0/10.0
Sam: 7.5/10.0
Overall: 7.75/10.0
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the distiller. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Amber
Nose: Corn, Pepper, Vanilla, Red Fruit, Caramel, Banana Nut Bread, and Oak
Taste: Sweet Corn, Pepper, Fruit, Vanilla, Butterscotch, and Oak
Finish: No kick Short Vanilla and Oak
Score: 7.5/10.0
Rick: 7.0/10.0
Sam: 7.25/10.0
Color: Chestnut
Nose: Sweet Corn, Rye Spice, Cherries, Apples, Pepper, Vanilla, Caramel, Smoky Oak, and a hint of Brine
Taste: Sweet Buttered Corn, Tobacco, Cinnamon Spice, Pepper, Vanilla, Oak, and a touch of Islay
Finish: Long, Smooth, Sweet heat, with a bit of burn. Lingering Oak
Score: 9.25/10.0
Sam: 9.25/10.0
Read the rest of this entry »
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Fresh Straw
Nose: Sweet Corn, Pepper, Vanilla, Oak
Taste: Sweet Corn, Pepper, Vanilla, Oak
Finish: Medium slightly sweet
Score: 6.5/10.0
Rick: 7.0/10.0
Sam: 6.0/10.0
Read the rest of this entry »
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Fresh Straw
Nose: Sweet Corn, Honey, Vanilla, Cedar, Rye
Taste: Sweet…Sweet…Sweet!
Finish: Short and Sweet
Score: Not going to rate
Read the rest of this entry »
This is a first for me, as I usually review Scotch and Bourbon, But when you find a golden nugget like this you just have to share it. This is a review of an outstanding BBQ joint in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I originally went to a place up the street called Whiskey Business, but sadly they didn’t have anything I couldn’t live without. The gentleman working there kindly directed me to Albert G’s, which is just right down the street. The first time I went in I spoke to Tyler, who unfortunately is leaving for the higher elevations (No pun intended) of Colorado. In the 15 minutes I talked to him I could tell that he was knowledgeable, a Bourbonite, and very well spoken. They have around 115 different bottles of bourbon and American Whiskey on their shelves a long with at least six barrel aged cocktails. I was extremely tempted to belly up to the bar and never leave, but sadly it was eleven o’clock in the morning and a little to early to drink, so I promised to come back later in the evening.
![IMG_9281[1]](https://whiskeyandwhisky.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/img_92811.jpg)
Shannon and I at Albert G’s
![IMG_9280[1]](https://whiskeyandwhisky.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/img_92801.jpg)
Me with the original flight
Shannon if you are reading this we need to name this flight after me! Maybe the Bourbonite Flight?
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome.
Contact info can be found HERE Don’t forget to like us on Facebook!
Until Next Time,
.
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Toffee
Nose: Charred Oak, Sweet Corn, Banana Bread, Toffee, Cinnamon Spice, Vanilla, Rye
Taste: Sweet corn, Citrus Fruit, Oak, Spice, Smokey Oak, Vanilla, Malt, Rye Bread
Finish: Long and Smooth, Spicy Rye, Charred Oak and some slight heat
Score:
Rick- 9.5/10.0
Sam- 9.0/10.0
Overall- 9.25/10.0
This beautiful Bourbon is 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. It was also sent to me from the fine folks at Sazerac / Buffalo Trace.This is another one of those bottles that just shines. No water, no ice, just sip it neat.
I had a hard time with which “Pocket” to put this in. It ranges from $29.99 – $31.99. Ultimately, I decided that at 29.99 you are still going to spend more than $30, which is the cap. So this one moves to the top of “Bourbon Under $59.99“. It only just squeaked into the top spot. I’d like to do a head to head with this and Bulleit 10 Year Old. On to the review
The nose on this is one of the most complex yet. It has to be drawn out and allowed to breathe. Don’t try to inhale it to fast, it does have a slight burn and can hinder the aromas. It smells so good that you the urge to see what it tastes like is strong. Resist and let the nose be drawn out, it makes the first sip that much better.
The flavor of good bourbon is right there, along with a few flavor profiles I haven’t had before. Rye usually comes through as spice, but with this it was more like bread. The malt was stronger than what I am used to. Not bad, just pronounced. All in all I think the whole mouth feel is what really sets this one apart from the others. It engages your whole mouth. You can feel it everywhere.
When you swallow, you get a nice long finish full of Spicy Rye and charred oak. There is also a bit of heat with this one. It really warms the throat on the way down. It has a slight bite, but not as much as I’d like.
All in all this is a great Bourbon. The price is in the right neighborhood, and it isn’t going to leave you disappointed. Not really a beginners Bourbon, more of an intermediary. It’s definitely something even old pros would enjoy too. Unfortunately I have been sipping on this bottle for the last two weeks, so it is almost gone. Definitely will be buying another one. After trying this, I’d really love to get my hands on the 1792 Sweet Wheat. If you haven’t heard, 1792 is replacing the Rye in their mashbill with Wheat giving it a sweeter profile.
Well this is the last review from the last round of tastings. We have a whole new round coming up this weekend. So look forward to Rum aged in Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrels, Vodka made from corn, and a lot of whisk(e)y. We are still predominantly whisk(e)y, and those first two reviews will be from a whisk(e)y drinkers perspective. Should be fun. Thanks for reading.
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome. Contact info can be found HERE
Don’t forget to like us on Facebook!
Until Next Time,
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Golden Caramel
Nose: Oak, Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Spice
Taste: Sweet corn, Honey, Spice and Oak
Finish: Smooth and Oaky
Score:
Rick- 8.5/10.0
Sam- 8.5/10.0
Overall- 8.5/10.0
If you haven’t seen our newest feature, it is called “What’s In Your Pocket?”. It is a list of whisk(e)ys by price range. After tonight Buffalo Trace will be gracing the top of the Under $30 list. My friends at Sazerac kindly donated this bottle to the cause, it was actually one of three that they were kind enough to let me have. I I have seen this many times at the store but was always a bit hesitant to pick it up. Never again! Buffalo Trace has a very colorful, and long history. Please take a few minutes and check it out HERE. Bourbon aficionados will recognize more than a few names.On to the review.
At first the nose on this is predominantly oak, followed by a hit of sweet corn and vanilla. The brown sugar and spice are at the very tail end but not diminished in the least. The aroma seems to meld together in the nose and tantalize the senses. At first I almost wrote this off as your typical bourbon, but it definitely is not.
The taste is where this really shines. The oak shines through first, coating your tongue in smokey vanilla and A bit of pepper. The corn sweetness rolls through and coats the tongue making way for a bit of brown sugar and honey. At the end of our tasting, this was the bottle we chose to wind down with and enjoy a couple of cigars with. I won’t try to go into details on the cigars, I’m not really an avid smoker, just the occasional cigar if I am given one. I will say this with the cigar was sublime!
The finish was a bit unexpected, I was expecting smooth and sweet, but got spicy pepper and a decent bite for a 90 proof. That was what really sealed the deal for me. I love a good bite at the end. To me that is what lets you know you are drinking whisk(e)y.
Rick said something towards the very end, this is the “Perfect introductory bourbon”. He’s right, it really is. You can’t beat the price. Who’s really going to be upset about spending $20-25 on a bottle of bourbon. Even if you don’t like it you aren’t out much, bourbon is always good to keep around. Everyone has at least one friend that loves whisk(e)y.
So, if you are new to bourbon and you don’t want to break the bank to find out if you are going to like it, this is a great starter. Even if you have been on the road as long as I have, it’s always nice to have a bottle around that you know will never disappoint. That’s all for me tonight, I have a bottle to finish!
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome. Contact info can be found HERE
Don’t forget to like us on Facebook!
Until Next Time,
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Golden Toffee
Nose: Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Apple, Spice, and Light Oak
Taste: Sweet corn, Honey, Spice and Oak
Finish: Smooth and Oaky
Score:
Rick- Did Not Care for it.
Sam- 7.0/10.0
Overall- 7.0/10.0
For the first time, Rick and I were split on a bourbon! I thought it was decent, he didn’t care for it. This particular Bourbon comes from A. Smith Bowman, a Virginia based distillery. They use a triple distillation to achieve what might be the smoothest Bourbon I have ever tried.A little history from their website before we get to the review;
A Smith Bowman bought the Sunset Hills estate farm in 1927 and opened up a dairy and granary. The farm was so abundant that he needed a use for the excess grain from his fields. In 1935, after the repeal of prohibition in the state of Virginia, he built and licensed the distillery. His sons maintained that tradition, continuing to feed the distillers grains to the dairy cattle, which were known to be the most contented cows in Virginia.
In response to the rising real estate prices and property taxes of Northern Virginia, in 1988 the distillery was moved to the current location in Spotsylvania County near the city of Fredericksburg, 60 miles away from the original location.
The nose is the best part of this bourbon it is excellent. It has all the right characteristics of a great bourbon. The sweet fruit, brown sugar, corn and Vanilla really rush up to greet the nose. It smells divine. The oak and spice are background notes that lend a bit of a darker side to an otherwise very sunny bourbon.
I wasn’t very impressed the first time I tried this. I decided to give it another try and see if it got any better while writing this review. The good news is that it did.The first time I tried it, it was one of 5 that we were reviewing. I wasn’t impressed at all. On its’ own though, it is decent. I definitely recommend drinking this straight. Water or ice will kill it. The sweet fruity note is balanced out by the spice and oak.
The finish, is the worst part for me. I like smooth bourbon, but this one is so smooth it is as if I am swallowing water. There’s no burn, no bite just a slight hit of oak and then it is gone. This is a 90 proof bourbon, where’s the bite?
This is one I would recommend to someone that doesn’t like the whisk(e)y burn. It has a great nose, decent mouth feel, but the triple distillation makes it way to smooth for this reviewer. I wouldn’t pass up a glass, but I wouldn’t go looking for it either. I heard they make a cask strength Rye that is awesome. Maybe I’ll go looking for that next. Try it for yourself. and let me know what you think.
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome. Contact info can be found HERE
Don’t forget to like us on Facebook!
Until Next Time,
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Toffee
Nose: Sweet Honey And Vanilla, Malted Cereal, Maple, Spice, and Light Oak
Taste: Honey, Barley, Maple, Spice, Caramel, Dried Apricot, and Oak
Finish: Short, but smooth finish with lots of spice, oak, and a tinge of spearmint.
Score:
Rick- LOVED IT!
Sam- 9.5/10.0
Overall- 9.5/10.0
The fine folks at House Spirits sent me this excellent Westward straight malt whiskey. This is made from 100% malted barley grown in the pacific northwest and is fermented with ale yeast that really changes the character. It is also double pot distilled and matured in two-char american oak barrels, giving it an Irish twist. Finally, it is aged for two years before being bottled without chill filtering.
The nose on this goes straight to the head. It is intoxicating on it’s own. The sweet honey and vanilla stroll casually up to greet you,. The barley and maple arrive together reminding me of Maple and brown sugar oatmeal. The spice and oak hang out in the background, there but not boisterous. I enjoyed the bouquet from this extensively. It is just one of those whiskeys that beg to be inhaled.
The first sip is sweet at first but doesn’t last long. Westward has a nice mouth-feel that really coats your tongue, bathing you in all of it’s richness. I have to give credit to my lovely wife yet again. The woman doesn’t like whiskey, but her taste buds are extraordinary. The best I could come up with was dried fruit, but one sip and bam! She nails it. Dried apricot, as soon as she said it I knew she was right. These folks are definitely on the right track with this fine whiskey.
The finish has its’ own secrets. It is a bit short, but by no means inconsequential. The spice really hits home at the end along with a nice smoky oak in the background. The real surprise is the taste of spearmint that lingers on the tongue. the short finish is due to this being a relatively young whiskey. A few more years in the barrel will cure that.
I know I say this quite often, but this seriously would be in my liquor cabinet at all times. Except, for the price tag. This really is the only downfall for Westward. At $50 for 375ml bottle, I find that a little hard to cough up for a 2 year old bottle. I can pick up 22 year old 750ml bottles for the same price. I’m not saying don’t try it, because I definitely loved it. I’m just saying invite me over to enjoy it with you!
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome. Contact info can be found HERE
Until Next Time,
P.S.-That is Rick in the background. He needs some encouragement to add his voice to our blog. Let him know that you’d love to hear from him!
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Deep Copper
Nose: Alcohol, Corn, Oak
Taste: Sweet Corn, Caramel, Vanilla, Pepper, Oak, Green Apple, Orange, and Pecan
Finish: Long smooth finish with oak and butterscotch
Score:
Rick- 8.0/10.0
Sam- 8.5/10.0
Overall- 8.25/10.0
Thanks to the beautiful folks at Four Roses for yet another wonderful dram. I love that they continue to feed my obsession. Four Roses is one of my go to’s for when I go to the bar and order Bourbon. They really make a great Bourbon, and when I am at the bar I want something that tastes good but won’t break the bank. My local bar has this and the small batch and it is what I order when I go.
I realize that Four Roses makes a couple different expressions of their single barrel. Unfortunately these sample bottles did not come with the neck tag to tell me. So if what you have tastes a little different, that is why. On to the review.
The nose on this starts off with a very heavy alcohol kick. This is a bit of an anomaly, one that was helped by letting it sit for a few minutes. I also found that adding a small hit of water would open up the nose too. After letting it rest I was able to get a better bouquet from it. The aromas balance out nicely once it has had time to rest, the aroma is what you’d expect from Four Roses. I am going to chalk this up to the small sample bottle.
The flavors aren’t affected at all. The sweet corn, caramel, and vanilla are the first to greet the tongue, followed by the green apple and orange. The pecan, oak, and pepper finish out the flavor profile. This is what you would expect from a great mainstream Bourbon. It is very balanced on the tongue, none of the flavors try to jump up for a solo, they seem to mix on the palette in a very nice symphony.
The finish is long and smooth with oak and butterscotch being the prevailing notes. It doesn’t have the bite that I like from Bourbon. It is one of the smoothest Bourbons I have had. The addition of water makes it go down like honey.
I wouldn’t mind having a bottle of this in the cabinet. I’d definitely recommend it to someone looking for a good pour. Like I said earlier they carry this at my local establishment and when I pop my head in it is what I order.
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome.
Until Next Time,
DISCLAIMER: The Sample for this review was provided by the manufacturer. All ideas and opinions in this post are entirely my own. I do not accept any money for these reviews.
Color: Yellow Gold
Nose: Caramel, Vanilla, Oak, Pepper, Fruit
Taste: Caramel, Peppery Rye Spice, Malt, Oak, and Citrus
Finish: Long finish with a heavy hit of pepper and oak
Score:
Rick- Likes it, but has nothing to compare it to for a rating.
Sam- 9.0/10.0
Overall- 9.0/10.0
Thanks to Jim and the fine folks at Bozeman Spirits for this bottle! I really enjoyed this one. It isn’t bourbon or scotch, it’s Montana whiskey. According to Jim, their 1889 whiskey is a blend of a 6-7 year old whiskey made in Indiana with a whiskey they have distilled on site, barreled and aged. Bozeman Spirits’s mash bill is corn, montana malted barley and montana rye. They then do a few other processes (deliberately vague here) and then it is blended into a 300 gallon tank. The finished whiskey blend is run back through a distillation process in their Arnold Holstein still. The whiskey is then proofed down to 90 proof and bottled! The final product is outstanding!
The nose has a heavy hit of caramel. I’d have to say it is predominant. The other aromas hang out in the shadows and really have to be looked for. I was a little worried that this was so caramel forward. I pictured something like a Brach’s caramel chew in liquid form. Please don’t misunderstand though, it really does smell wonderful, just not what I have come to expect from whiskey. My experience with American Whiskey, which is how I would classify this, is limited at best. I have had a few bottles here and there that are just labeled whiskey, some good most bad. That wasn’t the case with this one though.
This whiskey starts out sweet, but it isn’t as sweet as I had anticipated. The caramel on the tongue is quite nice and the other flavors that were not as predominant are now right there giving this a nice mouth feel. The spicy Rye really comes forward on the tongue giving this a nice all around taste. I found that the differences this whiskey brings to the table are what makes it stand out.
The finish is long and full of that spicy rye that makes it really bite the back of the throat. It wasn’t to spicy though, just enough to let you know that it is there. The oak seems to help settle it and make it one of the best American whiskeys I have had to date.This is usually where I end with a recomendation, but not this time.
My wife sometimes joins Rick and I when we drink, only she can’t stand whiskey. For her it’s rum. While we were talking about this she asked to smell it, this isn’t anything new, she does it quite often. More times than not this ends with her making a stink face and handing it back. She took one sniff and downed the contents of the glass. I was stunned! When she uttered her next sentence I almost hit the floor. Her exact words, “That’s good!” Now please don’t think for a moment that this tastes anything like rum, or is as smooth as rum, because it’s not. This is whiskey through and through, she says that she liked the caramel and pepper. I can’t give it any higher praise than that.
I welcome your thoughts and opinions. Review suggestions are welcome.
Until Next Time,
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