2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 24

Day 24... end of the road. And today... Ardbeg!!! We're having the 2022 Ardbeg special release - Ardcore. This is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky coming in at 46% ABV. The last two Ardbeg special releases were not very special in my opinion, let's see how this one is.

The nose on this is amazing. Sweet BBQ Meat, peat, smoke, some brine, some black petter. I sat with this for at least 10 minutes just smelling it. Fantastic. The taste is a bit of a let down, but really - it would have been hard to match the nose. I get pepper, sweet and meaty, some smoke and earthy peat. The taste is a bit thin compared to the nose... I get a hint of vanilla too. The finish is effervescence along with some heat that lingers a long time. It's a bit weak at first, but I do get some earthy peat, a little bit of pepper and some brine.

With water, it's sweeter on the nose, some mint in the back too. The taste is similar while the finish is more spicy - this is good with or without water. The nose on this fantastic - but the taste and finish is a step back. Overall it's very good. Rated 4.25/5.0 - cheers!!!

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 23

Day 23 ... almost there (: Tonight, we're drinking West Cork Limited Release, blended Irish, Barrel Proof - NAS (but stated as at least 3 years old). 62% ABV! Not many Irish Whiskeys are high proof ... so I'm interested on how this will turn out. 

On the nose, I get vanilla, bread/cookie, malt, apple juice and honey. The taste, I get sweet, malty, some herb, apple and vanilla... with a heat that builds from the proof. The finish is some good heat from the proof, fruity, malty... lingers for a long time. 

With water, the nose is a little more subtile, more apple, more malty. On the tast, it's still hot, but it is tamed down a bit. The finish is still malty and vanilla. Overall... I like this quite a bit. Boozy, malty... quite tasty. I give it a 3.75/5.0... cheers!

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 22

Thursday! And I'm off until Wednesday ... so, Whiskey Time! Day 22... nearing the end. Tonight I'm trying out the Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI, 2022 Release at 50% ABV. This is an annual release of several Ross & Squibb (formally MGP) sourced bourbons, a blend of 8 - 14 Year bourbon. I've had a few of the past releases and they've always been very good. How will this one be?

On the nose, this one is pretty mild. I do get some floral notes, some mint, and occasionally sweet brown sugar, and maybe some vanilla. The taste... initially I found it oddly sour. Maybe it's wood, but I'm not actually certain. Not a strong sour, just a bit off sour? Can't quite place it. Going back I do get some sweetness, and a bit of rye like spice. The finish, I get the wood, some heat, but some of the sour carries through. Still not sure how to exactly describe it.

With water, I seem to get more rye like spice on the nose, taste and finish. Some vanilla on the taste, and a sweeter finish. Seems to be a bit better with water for me, but still not something I like too much. This bottle runs about $100, and it can be hard to find, at least around here. Considering how good I liked past releases (Series II I rated 3.5, Series IV I rated 3.75, and I'm pretty sure if I had rated Series V I would have placed it at 4.0 as it was really good) I admit I'm disappointed. I split this bottle with a friend, so there isn't much left, but enough to go back to it on another night to see if I enjoy it more. Rated 3.0/5.0

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 21

Day 21... Hump DAY!!! Whiskey Wednesday!!! Tonight we have 1792 Full Proof, a Westmoreland Single Barrel Store Pick. This one is about 8 Years old, and 62.5% ABV, distilled and bottled in Kentucky. So far I've had a few different 1792 products, and I haven't really enjoyed them - we'll see if this one can change my mind.

On the nose, I get some brown sugar, a Hi-C juice box like fruity sweetness, Smarties candy, a slight hint of fruit. It's interesting, and somewhat surprising considering the ABV, not that hot on the nose. Later in the evening, it did seem more brown sugar after I had let it sit a while. The taste is cinnamon red hot initially... maybe from the proof as the heat didn't build. I get a brown sugar/syrup taste as well. The finish starts hot, then has some nut, and finally some oak. It hangs around for some time and is quite nice. 

With water, the nose is similar though a bit more muted, more nutty on the taste and finish too... more wood on the finish as well. It's good either way, and it's worth exploring with different amounts of water as well. At $50, this is a pretty good deal. For me, this is the best bourbon of the 24 days so far, I like it a bit better than the Trail's End, I'll rate it 3.75/5.0.

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 20

Tuesday, Day 20. Tonight... McCarthy's 6 Year Oregon Single Malt Whiskey, Distilled and Bottled by Clear Creek Distillery, Widmer Wash. This uses peated malt from Scotland... so it's more or less a peaty Scotch that is distilled in Oregon. I liked the Cask Strength Single Barrel McCarthy's on Day 8 - let's see what I think of this one.

On the nose, this one has the peat, sweet bbq meat, a touch of medicinal and some brine. It's a really nice nose, well balanced... and just want to keep smelling it. The taste I get the peat, a spicy pepper, and the sweet bbq meat. It's not quite as good as the nose, but still pretty good. The finish, I get spicy heat tingle initially, earthy, and the sweet bbq again. The earthy dirt like finish lingers - if it was more 'dirt' I might not like it, but here it's quite nice.

With water, I got more alcohol initially on the nose, but that faded pretty quickly - and then it was more or less the same as before. The taste - I get some citrus and it doesn't seem as hot spicy as before. The finish is less spicy too, but also a couple notches flatter - better without water. I poured a bit of the McCarthy's Cask Strength to compare it to. The nose on this is better, the taste on the Cask Strength is probably more interesting. I paid $90 for this, while the Cask Strength is $60 - so since I think they are similar, I know what I'll be buying another bottle of (: Rated 4.25/5.0 - good stuff!

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 19

Monday! I actually had to work today due to coworkers on vacation ... but that means I just need to work 8 more hours the rest of the week... woo! Day 19... tonight, we're drinking Yellowstone Select Bourbon, Aged 4 Years, and High Rye Mashbill, 46.5% ABV. This one is a store pick from Westomoreland, Kentucky sourced and bottled. Two lower ABV Bourbons in a row, let's see how this one is.

On the nose, this one is a bit hard to get into... have to dig a bit, but that can be expected at lower proofs. I get some cinnamon, but more like baking cinnamon or a cinnamon broom, some rye spice, along with a sweet brown sugar. The taste, I get some lemon, some candy red hot cinnamon, the brown sugar and creamy sweetness. The finish - more hot cinnamon on the front, nice length, along with some barrel char and a touch of nut on the backend. 

With water, I notice the citrus on the nose along with everything else from before, more citrus on the taste, and cinnamon on the finish, but a bit more mellow. Pretty good either way. This is good, but not great. Nothing about it says 'WOW' but on the other hand, there are no faults. This one was $46 - I've seen the non-store pick for $37. If it's comparable, that's a better price for this. In the Eagle Rare territory in my opinion. Rated 3.25/5.0.

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 18

Sunday evening... time to try this one out. Tonight we're drinking Tin Cup Bourbon Whiskey, aged 10 years, MGP sourced from Indiana, bottled in Colorado at 42% ABV, costing about $55 in Oregon. That's a pretty low ABV, lets see if tastes that way.

On the nose, there seems to be a lot going on, but nothing is overpowering. It's a bit soft and you have to go hunting a bit - which thanks to the lower ABV, you can get in deep. I get vanilla, honey sweetness, rich fruit, some oak. On the taste, the honey comes through, along with a bright orange, brown sugar, some creamy sweetness, brown sugar, a bit of oak. A cinnamon heat builds over time. The finish is the cinnamon at the front, with the oak in the back that hangs around a long time.

When I tried this with water, I found that it just softens and dulls the nose. The taste is hotter, and the finish is flat, much better without the water. Overall, this is really quite good, and a nice change from some of the higher proof. This is probably a touch better than the Eagle Rare, on par with the Old Forester 1910 probably - which is where it's priced. Rated 3.5/5.0 - cheers!

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 17

Saturday! Got some work done around the house... day 17 of 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - tonight, Heaven's Door Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon, a Westmoreland store pick. This one is 60.75% ABV, distilled and bottled in Tennessee. It's pretty high proof, let's see how it is.

On the nose, I really have to hunt for anything interesting. I do get a little bit of citrus, but more like citrus cleaner than real citrus, a touch of sweetness too. The taste - hot! Cinnamon Red Hot... and not much else initially. There is a bit of sweetness, and I do get a little wood too. The finish is hot and spicy as well, then in the back I do get the wood too.

With water, the nose is sweeter, but the taste and finish is even hotter. I don't think the heat is coming from the proof directly, but it probably isn't helping matters. This is OK overall - there are no faults, but there also isn't much about it that I like too much. Rated 3.25/5.0, cheers!

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 16

Day 16... Friday!!!! Tonight, we're drinking Deer, Bear & Moose 2011, Caol Ila Aged 10 Year, Double Cask, distilled 2011, bottled 2021, 56% AVB, Flaviar Exclusive. This one was a bit of a hope and a prayer - no idea how good it was going to be, they wanted $95.00 for the bottle... I signed up and hoped for the best.

The nose... smokey, meaty, ashy, brine, touch of medicinal/band-aid/iodine. This is everything a peaty loving Scotch drinker is looking for. The first sip - the proof comes through, hard. the second sip... ok, now we're talking! Peaty, peppery, some malty sweetness, some heat (pepper?), quite tasty. The finish follows through and lingers with the smoke, the chard meat, some brine, pepper, and ash. 

Adding water, on the nose I get more pepper and iodine.. more medicinal. This has flipped from a Lagavulin-ish Scotch to a Laphroaig-ish Scotch. Quite a transformation. The taste and finish is similar, where it's a lot more Laphroaig-ish ... in a good way. 

This one is really good. I went ahead and poured a sample of the CS McCarthy's to see how it compares. The McCarthy's does have better flavor overall, but The Deer, Bear & Moose is better balanced and overall is a better "Scotch" to drink. If you have this and have not tired it with water - do so... it is better for me. I'm going to rate this one 4.5/5.0 ... it deserves it. Cheers!

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 15

Thursday! My Whiskey Tasting got delayed tonight due to being the rollout monitor for work... and the rollout taking about 2.5 hours instead of the 30 minutes it usually takes. Boooooo! But... it was successful, so now it is time to celebrate. I will admit, I poured the Whiskey before the rollout was done, just to nose it ... so it sat for over 2 hours with a cap on it until my work was complete (: Tonight... Sagamore Spirit Rye Barrel Select, a Westmoreland Store Pick, aged 7 years, location Floor 11, Rick 3, Barrel 63, MGP, Indiana Sourced.... 55% ABV.

On the nose, I find spearmint, brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, some herbs and way in the back a touch of dill if I'm hunting for it. The taste... initially it was *hot* ... but then on the second drink it settled down somewhat. I get herbal, rye spice, a touch of sweetness, hot spice (cinnamon?), and some wood. On the finish, I get a spice that lingers and a tongue that tingles, along with some wood bite that does hang around for some time.

With water, the nose is sweeter but a bit dull, the taste is similar but a touch less "hot"... finish is similar as well. I could drink this either way. Overall, this is pretty good. I'd say it's better than the Old Pepper Distillery Rye from the other night, but I'll rate it the same, 3.75/5.0 as I don't think it's good enough to warrant a 4.0. Cheers!

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 14

Hump DAY!!! Whiskey Wednesday!!! Tonight, we're trying out Noah's Mill, Genuine Bourbon Whiskey, handmade in the hills of Kentucky, from Willett Distillery. Batch 21-53, 57.15% ABV, estimated to be a blend of 4 - 20 Year. Apparently it used to have a 15 year age statement, but about 5 years ago they dropped that. This is not sold in Oregon as far as I can tell, but I did pick up a bottle from Flaviar for about $60 last year.

On the nose, I get herbal/floral, some honey/brown sugar, a cherry candy, and maybe some wood. Nothing is out front. I do get some alcohol as well, but it's not overpowering. On the taste, I do get the wood, some heat/cinnamon, along with the herbal notes and the cherry candy and wood. I can tell it's a bourbon, but without the sweetness, I would probably think this was a rye. The finish is dry and a bit acid/woody, along with some heat, either cinnamon or alcohol, I can't tell for sure.

With water, the nose is still herbal, but more sweet, and it's more herbal on the taste... still sweet, but less heat. The finish does have more wood bite. I would say this is better with some water - maybe taking it down closer to 50% ABV. I'll give it a 3.25/5.0 ... I would almost raise it to 3.5 with water, but I'll stick with 3.25 (:

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 13

Tuesday... end of the weekend for me as I go back to work tomorrow. Day 13 ... tonight, we're drinking Rye. Old Pepper Distillery Straight Rye, a Single Barrel Store Pick from Westmoreland, bottled at 55% ABV, aged 4 years, distilled in Indiana, bottled in Kentucky. I tend to like rye whiskeys more than bourbons overall, so let's see what I think about this one.

On the nose, this has a lot going on, but I can't put my finger on one "big note". I get an herbal/floral note, some licorice, some molasses sweetness, and ever once in a while I get a faint hint of dill - but that might be because I'm looking for it.There is some proof, so I had to back off a bit to get the nose, but it's not overpowering. The taste is similar... nothing is out front and in your face, but there is the floral, the licorice, the sweetness. I also get some heat - nothing I can specifically call out, but there is certainly a spicy warmth... and there is some proof showing up too, so you can't come at this one too hard. The finish has a nice tingle that lingers. Occasionally I get a bit of black tea on the taste, but then it seems to vanish.

With water, the nose is similar, maybe a bit more herbal on the taste. The finish is still warm and tingly ... this is pretty good straight or with water. I think it does need to be at room temperature to shine, so I wouldn't drink this on ice. I rated this on a 3.75/5.0 ... pretty good overall. Cheers!

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 12

Half way ... Day 12. Today I did a 20 mile urban hike... so I earned this Whiskey! Drinking the Westland Peated American Single Malt, aged a minimum of 3 years, bottled at 46% ABV. The peated malt comes from Scotland, and then is mixed with Westand's own malt, and this is the final product. 

On the nose, I get earthy peat, a touch of mint freshness, a little bit of malty sweetness. If I go hunting too deep I end up getting alcohol burn. The nose is somewhat subtle. The taste is similar and not heavy handed, with the earthy peat, the mint freshness along with some heat... not really pepper heat, so it might just be the alcohol. The finish is the mint freshness and some spicy heat, hangs around nicely.

With water, things get a bit soft. The nose seems more sweet, as does the taste. The finish is more subdued, I certainly think this would be better neat. Overall this is pretty good. I'd like to try it aged a bit more, have the peat more out front, or higher proof. I hear they have a yearly "Peat Week" release that I might have to see about getting as that might deliver some of what I think this one is missing. Rated 3.75/5.0

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 11

Sunday Evening! Yes, I didn't forget to post this until Monday morning... 

Anyway... Day 11!!! Tonight, we're having Stranahan's Blue Peak American Single Malt, Solera finished starting with 4 Year old barrels. I watched some reviews of this one, and it sounded interesting enough to try, so I picked up a bottle.

On the nose, this has apricot, vanilla, a sweet honey or simple syrup, malt with a touch of funk... maybe some lemon or perfume-ish floral herbal notes as well. It's not dull, but it's not over powering either, and the alcohol is in the back so you can really get in there for a sniff. The taste is more sweet, with butterscotch coming through along with a malty bread and some herbal/floral. There is a spicy heat that seems to build up over time like a spicy Thai dish. I don't notice any heat when drinking but after a bit I feel hot... in a good way. The finish has the malt and the spicy heat fighting each other and it lingers for some time. 

With water, everything seems more bitter... the initial notes are still there, but there is a bitterness that comes through initially on the taste and finish - I prefer this one neat for sure. Overall, this is interesting and pretty tasty, and at $43 it's pretty reasonably priced. I give it a 3.5/5.0.

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 10

Saturday... Day 10. Earlier today I did a stout and pastry pairing at a Arch Bridge Taphouse. It was quite tasty, but I did need a nap afterwards, strong beers, good desserts!

So tonight we tried High West American Prairie Bourbon, Single Barrel store pick for Westmoreland, finished 10 months in a Malbec barrel, 48.9% ABV. No real age statement, and they don't say where it comes from other than saying it's a blend of straight bourbon whiskeys.

On those nose, my first thought and reaction is "neutral". I'm not really getting much of anything... if I go hunting a get a touch of fruit and maybe some floral, along with a bit of sweetness, but not enough to really get more specific. The taste is similar, a little bit of mild fruit, some simple syrup sweetness, a little bit of heat. Finish I think I get some wood, and a nice warm finish that does seem to linger. 

Water doesn't really change things... possibly a little more floral on the nose and taste, I'd probably just drink this neat as the water does seem to dull things a little. Overall, this isn't bad, but it's not great either - and it's a bit boring. Pleasant enough to drink, no issues, I'll give it a 3.0/5.0 

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 9

Happy Friday! Day 9... today we're drinking a store pick/single bottle of Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon, aged 10 years, from Liquor World. I bought this a few years back, and today is the day I drink it (:

On the nose, I get an orange sherbet, some mint, brown sugar sweetness, and a a touch of alcohol burn. The taste is a mild sweetness, some hot peppery spice, some sort of soft fruit notes, and some oak as well. The finish I get oak, the pepper - medium duration for the initial finish, but the pepper lingers for some time.

With water, I get some floral notes on the nose and some brown sugar, there is more oak on the taste and it's a bit softer overall, the finish turns a bit more spicy hot - this is probably better neat. While this is a store pick, this does track with what I recall from previous tastings of Eagle Rare, though previously I did get some licorice notes that are not present tonight. At $35 or so this is a steal of a deal but it can be difficult to find at times. Certainly worth keeping around, rated 3.25/5.0

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 8

And today... day 8, we have McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt... it's peated, it's Cask Strength at 56.2% ABV... is it any good?

On the nose, it's meaty, I get BBQ, it's fatty, there's charred Meat, there's campfire, a simple syrup sweetness... it's Ardbeg-ish. The nose is *really* good. Crazy good. The taste is a little bit of a let down, but that's not too surprising to be honest... there is some minty freshness, some heat (it is Cask Strength), some "bourbon style" sweetness, honey, and the simple syrup from before. The finish has a lot of mint freshness tingle that lingers, along with the smoke, campfire, marshmallows... did I say this is really good?

With water, there is more mint on the nose, otherwise, it is similar. The taste is more sweet overall, and the finish is more mellow. This is really good. I broke out the Ardbeg Uigeadail to compare it to... and even though it didn't quite reach to the Uigeadail level... it was closer than you would expect. Rated 4.25/5.0

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 7

Onto Day 7... Hump DAY!!! Tonight we're drinking The Lost Monarch from Redwood Empire. This is a blend of bourbon and rye (a Bourye), says it's aged at least 3 years, the source is unclear, but most likely MGP out of Indiana. This one costs around $40 in Oregon, let's see how it is:

On the nose, I get citrus and an orange cleaner type of smell, some wintergreen mint, and a touch of cinnamon and brown sugar. It's hard to describe completely, but it's pretty nice overall. The taste has a spicy zest, a touch of that citrus, some brown sugar, and some hard candy sweetness. The finish I get a mint tingle that hangs around quite some time and maybe some pine.

With water the nose is more sweet, the taste seems more floral, and the finish is similar, but drifts off fairly quickly. I probably like this better neat overall. This one is pretty good, especially for the price. I would be interested in trying the ryes on their own to see what they were like, though I guess a lot of companies bottle MGP rye so it would likely be similar to any of those. Rated a 'weak' 3.5/5.0.

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 6

Happy Tuesday ... Day 6 of 24 Days of Whisk(e)y, tonight we are drinking Trail's End Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Kentucky sourced, aged 10 Years, finished n Oregon Oak Casks by Hood River Distilling, 52.5% ABV, costing around $60, so creeping up there a bit in price.

On the nose, I'm getting sweetness, baking spice like cinnamon or similar, molasses, and brown sugar. You do get some of the proof, and I needed to back off a bit. The taste is caramel and toffee along with the cinnamon. There is some either proof burn or possibly from the cinnamon, but not too strong. The finish has some heat that then turns into some wood dryness. 

With water, I did get more cinnamon on the nose and a touch of floral. The finish has a bit less heat with the water as well, more wood present. As the finish drifts off the heat/spice returns and lingers for some time. Overall, this is quite good, probably the best of the bourbons so far. Rated 3.5/5.0

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 5

Happy Monday! Since going to part time, and having Mondays off... they just seem a little better (: Day 5 - today we're drinking Old Forester 1910 Kentucky Bourbon, Double Aged, No Age Statement, distilled and bottled in Kentucky, coming in at 46.5% ABV. We had the Old Forester 1897 on Day 3 - let's see how this one compares.

On the nose, my first impression is toffee and caramel, sweet cream, and a touch of light fruit. The nose is pretty good in my opinion. The taste is hard to put my finger on - I like it, I taste many different things, but I can't quite find what it reminds me of. I get some mint freshness/tingle, and on one of my sips I did find some cinnamon. I get some sweetness, but only a touch. The finish I get some oak and some spice, maybe some sweet chocolate way in the back while it's drifting off.

Adding water, things didn't change much. The nose became more sweet, the taste is probably more sweet as well, with some spicy heat in the back. I get more of a wood finish with water - overall I prefer this one neat. This one costs about $55 ... I probably like this one better than the Old Forester 1897 or the Belle Meade we had on day 2. Or maybe I was just in the mood for this one tonight. Either way, I"m going to give this one a 3.5/5.0 - Cheers!!!

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 4

Happy Sunday! Day 4 ... and today... Ardbeg Day! We're drinking Ardbeg Blaaack, the special limited release from 2020, coming in at 46% ABV, no age statement, finished in New Zealand Pinot Noir Wine Casks. I have sipped on this over the time I've had it, but never done a full taste test of it, so time to check it out in detail

On the nose, first off I get sweet bbq meats, along with some dark rich fruit, and then in the back some smoke. The nose is fantastic - I could just sit all night and sniff this and it would be a good night (: The taste sadly doesn't live up to the nose. It's not bad, but it's just not as amazing. I get ash, wood smoke and a peppery bacon. The finish is even more disappointing - it's spicy initially, but that fades quickly and is replaced with ash and dirt, and not really in a good way. Again, it's not terrible - it's just that the nose gave me high expectations that were not met on the taste or finish.

Adding water - the nose smooths out some, not necessarily better, but not worse either. The taste is sweeter, and the finish is probably better with some peppery heat and a nice tingle. Overall it's good, but compared to Ardbeg Uigeadail or Corryvreckan, it's just not as well balanced, and this was $120 retail when I bought it back in 2020 - which was nearly twice as much as Uigeadail at the time. I will pretty much always buy the Ardbeg special releases when I see them - regardless of if they end up being any good. This was was just not all much different to others in the standard lineup. Still - it's a pretty good Islay Scotch Single Malt - and I rate it a 3.75/5.0 - cheers!

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 3

Day 3 of 24 Days of Whisk(e)y... tonight, we are having Old Forester 1897, Bottle In Bond, 50% ABV, 'new' version, 4 Year Minimum, distilled and bottled in Kentucky. I have not had this one before, so I have been looking forward to trying this. It's around $55 a bottle, so not cheap, but not overly expensive, let's see how it is:

On the nose, I got sweet cherry, some caramel, and some floral notes. The taste was mostly cherry and a woody note. The finish started out with cherry, then finished with a wood bite that lingered. I didn't particularly like the finish.

With water, it was very similar, a bit sweeter on the nose, and more burn on the finish. Probably better neat. This one was interesting overall, probably not as good as the Belle Meade last night, but certainly better than the 1792 the first night. I'll give it a 'weak' 3.25/5.0, cheers!

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 2

Friday! Day 2... tonight we're drinking Belle Meade Reserve Bourbon, coming in at 54.15% ABV - this is a No Age Statement, but reported to be a blend of 7 to 11 year whiskeys from MGP in Indiana, bottled in Kentucky. Let's see how this one is:

On the nose, I get some sweet cherry fruit, along with some alcohol burn, molasses, and a touch of mint. The taste is sweet cherry syrup, and a bit dry dusty wood. The finish carries the cherry syrup along with some wood - it's warm and lingers for some time, the finish is quite nice.

Water makes the finish more woody, and there is more sweetness on the nose and taste. It can be enjoyed either way. This one runs around $60 - the company that makes this, Nelson's Green Breir Distillery, is currently changing their lineup, so this is being discontinued. It's good enough I'd be willing to check out the replacement. Rated 3.50/5.0

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 1

And here we are, the start of 24 Days of Whisk(e)y. Hopped on voice chat with a couple of friends to drink one this together. Tonight we are drinking 1792 Bottle In Bond Bourbon, a Westmoreland Store Pick, Barreled 2014-03-20, Warehouse 33, Floor 6, Barrel 7419, distilled and bottled in Kentucky, coming in at 50% ABV. To be bottled in bond it needs to be at least 4 years old - and it looks like this one is coming in around 8 years.

On the nose, I'm getting a bit of spearmint bubble gum, kinda a bit like scented nail polish with an alcohol burn present. There is a touch of grass as well. The taste has some typical bourbon sweetness and a hit of cut grass, but pretty light and neutral. The finish is short and not much there, but I do get some wood dryness.

With some water, it does mellow things out, but mostly it just makes it more flat, probably better neat. Not a crowd pleaser to start with, hopefully things are better for tomorrow. I'll rate this a 2.50... not bad, but not notable either. At $41 a bottle, it's pretty reasonable.

2022 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 0

Well hello! It's that time... time for 24 Days of Whisk(e)y. I'll be officially kicking things off tomorrow, but I thought I better get back into the swing of things, so I'm reviewing something that's been on my shelf for a bit, but will not be in the 24 Days lineup. Tonight I'm drinking Bull Run American Whiskey, Aged 14 Years and then finished in Oregon Pinot Noir Casks for 20 more months. Batch No APF45, Barrel Proof coming in at 63.28% ABV, Hand selected by Westmoreland Liquors, costing just over $40. As far as I can tell this is a sourced whiskey - where it's distilled is anyone's guess as the label doesn't give any clues.

On the nose, we got some cereal grain, cherry fruit, herbal mint, and a touch of sweet molasses. The proof is certainly there as well. The taste has some malty sweetness, a touch of cherry, some bitter black tea and licorice, and the proof carries through as well. The finish is warm and tingly - dry. Has a burnt sweetness in the back... nothing off-putting, but nothing great either, which is too bad because the finish does linger for quite some time. 

With water, everything is just somewhat subdued... nose is flat, the taste seems to have more dry bitter tea and that carries into the finish. For me while it's punchy neat, it's better overall. At $40 and 14 years this would be a bargain if it was a bit better - but as it is, it's just so so, rated 2.75/5.0