Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2025-07-23

Here we are again for another random sample for Whisk(e)y Wednesday. Let's dive in and see what we have tonight.

On the nose, I get sweetness, honey, strawberry jam, burnt sugar and some burnt popcorn - similar to what I get from Balcones Brimstone, though I don't think I have a sample of this in the random sample box. 

The taste - spice and heat take over initially. On the second sip, I find honey, strawberry jam, some botanical notes. The sweet trails into heat. The finish I get a hot cinnamon, honey sweetness, dry oak in the back.

Overall, this is pretty enjoyable. The nose isn't too harsh, but then the taste brings the heat - so I'm somewhat lost to guess at proof. Maybe 50% ABV ... or maybe higher? Unsure. My best guess is this is a higher proof bourbon or rye - it's spicy enough I guess I'd go with rye. I'd give it a 3.75/5.0 ... it's pretty tasty overall.

Well - sometimes you're on, sometimes you're off. Tonight I was off. I was drinking Santa Fe Colkegan Cask Strength American Single Malt, 59% ABV. During 24 Days of Whisk(e)y I liked this one quite a bit, rating it a 4.0/5.0. Tonight, I just didn't get the malt or the smoke... not sure why. I have some of this left in a Woozy - I'll have to try it again at some point to see what I find, Cheers!

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2025-07-16

Hey look ... another Wednesday. Time for another blind sample to try...

On the nose, I get vanilla, honey and some orange. The taste is similar - vanilla, honey, along with some spice in the back. The finish I get the honey, a little pepper spice, then sweet at the end.

Overall, this is enjoyable enough. I'm guessing it's a non-peated Scotch, though it could be an Irish I suppose. It's likely in the 40%ABV to 45%ABV range, it's pretty simple overall - I'd rate it a 3.5/5.0 this evening.

Turns out I was drinking Deanston 12 Year Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 46.3%ABV. I've rated it 3.5 in the past - it's nice, but at $65 a bottle there are better options out there that are more interesting.

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2025-07-09

Welcome back... time for another blind sample. This has been fun so far, we'll see if it stays fun (:

The nose is a bit hot at first... then I find orange, honey, and a touch of malt. Overall the nose is nice. The taste it's sweet in the front along with honey, then it's woody, then there is a hot cinnamon in the back that takes over. The finish is minty, honey and along with cinnamon.

Overall I enjoy this, but I don't have a good guess what it is. It might be a rye, an Irish ... unsure. I'd guess around 110 proof due to the hotness of the nose... and rate it a 3.75/5.0. Turns out, it was Whistle Pig 10 Year Small Batch Rye, 50% ABV. Back during 24 Days of Whisk(e)y I rated it a 3.5 ... so same ball park. Cheers!

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2025-07-02

Another random sample to try this evening... let's see if this one is any good (:

On the nose, I get some honey, orange, sweet apple, brown sugar, some malt. My first impression is it's an Irish Whiskey. The nose is a touch hot, but not overly so.

The taste - I get some spicy heat, brown sugar, a rye like spice, cinnamon, honey... and malt ... so much malt. The finish has a cinnamon heat that lingers, and lingers. It's very nice. I am guessing this is an Irish, and I like it quite a bit, tonight I'll rate a 4.0/5.0.

Turns out it was Redbreast 12 Year Cask Strength, batch B1/22, 58.1% ABV. Back during 24 Days of Whisk(e)y 2024 I rated it a 4.0 then as well... it's really good stuff, biggest issue is it's north of $100 a bottle, so I pretty rarely buy one... cheers!

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2025-06-25

Here we go.... Whisk(e)y Wednesday... tonight ... another random sample from my collection. Let's see if it's any good ... ok, I wouldn't have saved a sample if I didn't think it was good - so let's see how good it is tonight (:

On the nose, initially and up front I get some malty notes, musty, apple, orange, brown sugar ... for lack of a better word it is "bright". The taste I also get the orange, along with brown sugar, candy, baking spice and on the backend I get some hot cinnamon. I'm having a hard time nailing this one down.

The finish I get the brown sugar, cinnamon, oak dryness ... some spice. Overall this feels ... dark (?) ... fruity... it seems to go back and forth between fruity and spicy. It almost feels like an Irish Whiskey like maybe a Cask Strength Red Breast - but I don't think it's quite that good. Can't quite nail this one down.... but I'll rate it a 3.75/5.0 tonight.

Turns out - this was Jefferson's Ocean Aged At Sea Rye, Doubble Barrel Rye Whiskey. Back during 24 Days of Whisk(e)y I rated this one a 3.75 as well. That time I found some licorice on the finish, which had me leaning towards rye - if you go looking, you can find that black licorice on the finish, and once you find it - it's hard to miss. Overall, this is pretty good - but at $80 or more, it would be hard to buy another one. Cheers!

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2025-06-18

All right ... time for another random blind sample. This has been fun and interesting so far... I'm not very good at guessing what I'm drinking sometimes, but - maybe today will be different (:

On the nose, this one is malty - it reminds me of an American Single Malt or maybe an Irish. I get some apple, citrus, no peat. I get some burnt sugar as well, along with orange marmalade.

The taste I find burnt creme brûlée, oaky dryness, orange and a it's a bit spicy in the back. The finish the orange carries through, along with burnt sugar, dry in the back.

This one feels a bit off, not sure ... maybe my tasting is just off tonight. I'd guess it's about 100 proof, American Single Malt, and youngish. Tonight I'd rate it a 3.5/5.0

Turned out I was drinking the Branch Point Trit Whiskey. Trit is a rye-wheat hybrid, and the first time I drank this I rated it a 3.5 as well. It comes in at 46% ABV, cost about $55, and does have some of the PNW malt funk that's present in a lot of Whiskey from Oregon. Cheers!

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2025-06-11

Well, I'm not making this a habit, which I guess is good and bad. Anyway, another blind Whisk(e)y Wednesday, randomly selected from about 30 2oz samples that I've saved and labeled with a code so I can look up what I'm drinking.

On the nose, I get butterscotch, ripe fruit, and it's malty. The taste has some hot spice up front, sweetness in the back and some orange as well. The finish I get a hot cinnamon, along with dryness in back and some orange and citrus. 

I'm guessing this is Irish, but the heat/spice is throwing me off a bit. It's the first pour of the day, so maybe it's drinking hot for that reason. The Red Breast Cask Strength would have some heat from the proof, and while I'm enjoying this, I don't think it falls into the Red Breast category of good. I'll rate it 3.75/5.0

Turns out this was the Powers Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, John's Lane, Aged 12 Years, 46% ABV. I rated this a 3.75 during 24 Days of Whisk(e)y, and during the Irish Whiskey shootout afterwards, and now tonight. It cost me $67, it's probably worth another buy at that price.