Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-01-28

Here we go again - Whisk(e)y Wednesday. Let's give tonight's random sample a spin...

On the nose, I'm not getting anything originally. Going deep, I get brown sugar, maybe some peanut but it seems light overall. Agitating the liquid in the glass to open it up some, I get some more sweetness. The taste is brown sugar, sweet, nutty - it seems mid ABV, maybe around 50%. I seem to get a hit of dill too, it seems prickly and a bit peppery. Going back to the nose after sipping, I am finding the previous notes easier. Taking a larger sip - this does seem to have some heat - so maybe mid 50% ABV.

The finish is minty, but drifts off too quickly. A bit of a let down after the taste in my opinion. With water, the nose opens up and is better - sweet, a touch of floral and maybe some dill. Taste is sweeter, some mint too. Nose is nice ... similar but does seem to have a bit more body. The dill I seem to be finding is trying to lead me to a rye - but it just seems too sweet for that.

Overall, this is pretty good - I'd rate it a 3.75/5.0. Looking to see what I was drinking tonight, it turned out to be Four Roses Single Barrel Barrel Proof - a store pick from Oregon City Liquor, OBSK recipe, 57.40% ABV. I rated this originally as part of 24 Days of Whisk(e)y 2025 and rated it a 3.75 that night as well. It had me thinking it was a Rye ... so at least that part is consistent (: 

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2026-01-21

Another Whisk(e)y Wednesday, another random sample. On with the show!

On the nose, I get Crème brûlée, burnt sugar, and a touch of sulfur. The taste as burnt brown sugar, molasses, simple syrup, along with a matchstick sulfur. There seems to be some heat in the back. 

The finish is brown sugar, molasses, maybe some mesquite style smoke, and some char. With water the nose is more sweet, the taste is more hot spicy pepper along with the sweet, and the finish is more hot pepper too. 

Overall this is nice, and it grew on my as I sipped it, I'll give it a 4.0/5.0 tonight. It seemed young, so I'm thinking a smoked or peated American Single Malt, at around 55% ABV. Looking up what I was drinking, it was a Blended Scotch, Black Bull 12 Year from Duncan Taylor, 50% ABV. I reviewed this as part of 24 Days of Whisk(e)y 2024 and rated it a 4.0 that evening as well. I paid $43 for the bottle and would certainly pick up another at that price.

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2026-01-14

Let's get this party started ... Whisk(e)y Wednesday... random sample day - here we go.

On the nose, I get rubber, sweet cherry syrup, bbq meat. This is really quite nice. The taste, I get a phenol characteristic, sweet hot pepper, bbq, cherry syrup, and some ash if I hunt for it. I get a bit of numbing pepper if I take a bigger sip and hold it for a while. 

The finish is sweet bbq. It's nice, but a bit of a let down compared to the taste and nose. With water, I get less rubber on the nose, more sweet bbq and ash. The taste is similar but maybe more ashy, and the finish seems to have a touch of matchstick to it. 

I'm guessing this is a peated Scotch Whisky (or possibly a peated American Single Malt - but it seems more like a Scotch), with the spice and heat it seems over 50% ABV, probably a bit young. I'll rate it a 4.0/5.0 ... quite nice, would drink anytime (:

Tonight I was drinking Longrow Peated Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 46% ABV and costing a bit under $100 for a bottle. I reviewed this as part of 24 Days of Whisk(e)y 2023, and rated it a 4.25/5.0 that time, so same ball park.

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2026-01-07

Well here we are, Whisk(e)y Wednesday. I'm back to doing some random samples from bottles I've finished off the last few years. I'll nose it, taste it, give a best guess as to what I might be drinking, rate it - and then see what I might be drinking.

Here we go - on the nose, I get peanut brittle initially, but then it fades away. Light cherry, molasses, a touch of mint. Seems pretty light proof wise, maybe around 45% ABV, and on those nose I'm guessing bourbon. 

The taste, more spearmint, simple syrup... I do get some heat, so maybe this is a bit higher, 50ish? Unsure. I also seem to get some grape as well. The finish is more spearmint and simple syrup and some cherry. This almost tastes like a carbonated sweet cherry soda - effervescent like... but not really carbonated. (Yes, I know that doesn't make sense...)

With water, the peanut brittle is back on the nose along with molasses. The taste is similar with maybe some bubblegum, the finish now has a touch of wood. I'm guessing this is a mid-tier bourbon, 45% - 50% ABV, I'll rate it a 3.25 / 5.0 ... overall it's pretty good but I do feel a little out of practice on this, and I can't think of any lower proof bourbons in the random sample mix.

Tonight I was drinking Kirkland Small Batch Bourbon By Barton 1792, coming in at 46% ABV and costing about $21 for a 1L bottle, so quite a bargain. I'll buy it again the next opportunity I get (: