Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-02-25

Another Wednesday, another blind sample. Let's see what we have tonight.

On the nose, I'm getting mint, honey... and it seems like a touch of sulfur? Maybe my glass wasn't very clean (: The taste, honey, pepper, it seems proofy. I think I'm getting some dill as well, along with some burnt sugar and wood. The finish - sugar, wood, baking cinnamon - it's oily and clingy. 

With water, more mint on the nose, still proofy. I get some sweet on the nose too. Mint, pickle and peppery on the taste, with the finish being more wood. Overall tonight this just seemed too proofy, I'd guess 60% ABV. Seems like it's a rye, and it's just not doing it for me - I'd rate this one a 3.5/5.0

Tonight we were drinking Maker's Mark Cask Strength, batch 22-04, coming in at 55% ABV. I had this during 24 Days of Whisk(e)y in 2024 and I rated it 3.5/5.0 and generally liked it better. After knowing it was bourbon I did get more bourbon notes from the nose and taste - I guess I was just off tonight... cheers!

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-02-18

Hump DAY!!!! Another go with a random sample ... let's see what tonight brings.

On the nose, this is very sweet, and I get rubber, fudge, some proof, maybe around 50% ABV, but I don't think this is cask strength. It's giving me peated single malt vibes ... but it could be a peated American Single Malt too. The taste I get fig, sweet frosting then sweet bbq and a nice hot spice. The finish is pepper, char, sweet marshmallow with some ash at the end. This is really good and hitting all the bells for me tonight.

With water, there seems to be more proof on the nose, still sweet too. Sweeter on taste, but still has the sweet bbq meat and some tar that turns into hot spice. The finish is pepper hot with sweet in the back. Overall this is quite nice, guessing Peated Scotch Whisky, 50% ABV and I'll rate it 4.0/5.0 tonight. It could be Port Charlotte as that is the right proof point and this reminds me of that somewhat.

We were drinking Deer, Bear & Moose, Isle of Jura 2011 Single Malt Scotch Whisky. It comes in at 59.2% ABV ... which I was caught off guard when I had this during 24 Days of Whisk(e)y as well. It just drinks much lower. This is a Flaviar exclusive and I believe cost me around $70... so *well* worth it in my opinion. 

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-02-11

Time for another one of these... doing a blind tasting of one of the samples I've saved off, we'll see what tonight brings.

One the nose, it's mild, touch of spice, sweet, maybe floral. Thinking this might be a rye, or a not-so-sweet bourbon. The taste ... it tastes like bourbon (: Sweet, some cherry, does seem to maybe have some proof... probably around 50% ABV or so. The finish is light and short ... but certainly bourbon. 

With water, this gets more sharp. Still sweet, but also more sharp and woody on the taste. The finish is still thin. There is nothing wrong with this ... but it's nothing special either. I pleasant sipping whiskey for sure. I am going to guess bourbon, 50% ABV, and rate it ... 3.5 (I could see rating this 3.25 as well, but I do think it's slightly more interesting than a good budge bourbon).

Tonight I was drinking Weller Antique 107, Wheated Bourbon, 53.5% ABV. This was a barrel select from Oregon City liquor, and cost $60.95. Probably not worth the extra price, and these are near impossible to find in Oregon anyway, but no need to go hunting in my opinion, cheers!

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-02-04

Hump ... DAY! Random Sample ... DAY ! ! !

Tonight's pour... on the nose - this seems really neutral. Minty fresh, some floral, low proof, maybe around 45% ABV. The taste... bubblegum and a spicy pepper. It's all right overall, but not all that memorable. The finish is minty fresh ... seems to linger. On first thought, this seems more rye than bourbon, but I'm not certain.

With water, more mint on the nose, and a minty taste, along with a simple sweetness, some pepper heat and a tough of wood too. This finish is still minty. Overall this isn't very unique, kinda simple, but it is enjoyable if you're wanting something simple to sip on. I'm not sure how to rate this - but I think I'll go with 3.5/5.0 this evening.

Tonight I was drinking Blanton's, "The Original" Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey, dumped on 2020-06-04, Warehouse H, Barrel #108, Rick #5, Registered Bottle 209, 46.5% ABV. I rated this during my 2020 24 Days of Whisk(e)y and I finished the bottle back in 2022 - so this sample has been hanging around for quite some time. I rated it 3.5/5.0 back then - but at that time I wasn't doing my 24 Day's of Whisk(e)y blind, so I'm glad it seemed to have held up. I picked it up for $59.95 at that time - I do not think I would pay much more than that for a bottle though.

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.