Doc Swinson's Exploratory Cask Summery Retreat White Port Cask Finished Straight Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $60

- 105.2 Proof

- 7 years

- Release No. 24-003

- Indiana

I can't say I've had a lot from Doc Swinson's. But, I have had a few of their Exploratory Cask series bottlings, and I've really enjoyed them (not to mention their amazing easy-cracking wax!!).  The Cognac-finished bourbon was absolutely delicious.

So, when a handful of new offerings hit the shelves, all with sharp, newly designed labels, I knew I'd be grabbing one of them. And this one stood out as something worth a go.  Starting with 7 year MGP rye and bottled at cask strength, boxes were quickly being checked. The relatively modest price certainly helped as well. And, it piqued my curiosity a bit with the white Port finish.  So in my cart it went!

Up front on the nose, I got a little bit of a red or purple grape note. It was certainly sweet, and smelled . . . juicy??  I'm not really sure how one smells "juicy," but it was there. I also got a bit of dark, rich cherry. However, that was balanced out by a light bitter note, kind of a mix between red wine vinegar and oak. It wasn't strong, but it was there enough to be noticeable.

Interestingly, the flavor didn't necessary fall in line with the nose. Right away I found the good underlying rye notes, including cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla, along with a light minty note. There was even a good peppery spice to it right away on the tip of my tongue.

But, the Port notes quickly found their way in, as dark fruits like plum and black raspberry took centerstage.  While it was very fruit-forward, it was never super sweet. Rather, fresh notes of raspberry and even cherry and blackberry dominated, giving it a nice sweet and tart combination.

On the finish, the rye seemed to push its way through again, providing a great cinnamon heat on the finish, along with a light dark chocolate note. As each swallow faded away, I also got light lingering notes of maple syrup and even anise at times. 

This was absolutely an interesting bottle, with the rye taking the spotlight at the beginning and the end, and the white Port finish providing robust dark fruit notes throughout the middle. It was a pretty fun ride, and a successful "exploration" by Doc Swinson's.  

Grade: B+

Templeton 4 Year Rye

VITALS:

- $28

- 80 Proof

- 4 Years

- Indiana

Okay, this is one of those whiskeys that is just always available at nearly any place (at least by me) that sells whiskey. I grabbed this off the shelf at Meier for the simple reason that it was a bottle I've never had before. After all, it's a four year old rye from a smaller distiller, it's sourced from MGP, and it's bottled at only 80 proof. It doesn't exactly scream, "Buy me!" 

But, I wanted something new, and, quite frankly due to requests from visitors at my house, I needed some lower proof options. So, I picked this up at a very easy to swallow price of $28.  I figure, at the very least, it will set the record for the shortest blog post title.

The nose on this one was surprisingly fruity. At different times I got all sorts of different notes from apple to pear to plum.  But, it wasn't all sweet. There was a slight resin note that added some earthiness, as well as a bit of a cinnamon spice, I'm sure coming from the rye. It was kind of like an earthy fruit salad (which sounds really weird). That said, those fruity notes did make it smell a bit young.

Not surprisingly, the first thing I noted when I took a sip was that this was thin and watered down. That tends to be the case with 80-proofers. However, after a moment the flavors tend to make their way to the front, and in this case that charge was led by a fresh pear note. There was a bit of spice to accompany it, like cinnamon and perhaps a little bit of chili powder, but this was all fresh pear.

The finish, despite the watery texture, was actually surprisingly long.  Here the cinnamon spice seemed to take much more of a foothold, leaving a spicy note at the back of my throat.  Coupled with the pear or even apple notes, I did find a cinnamon apple combination that I wish was more prevalent throughout, even if it gave of those "young" vibes.

This is one of those whiskeys where I knew what I was getting when I bought the bottle. And, both good and bad, it was exactly what I expected.

Grade: C

Old Scout Binny's Private Selection Straight Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $50

- 114 Proof

- 5 Years

- Barrel No. 31905

- Indiana

This is one of those whiskeys where by now I pretty much know what I'm going to get. After all, this is a single barrel, cask strength bottling of MGP rye. This has stuff has been bottled under so many different labels, of course at varying ages and proofs, but almost always the 95/5 mashbill.

This is a single barrel, though, so it should have its own unique qualities. And, it was good enough to be selected by the tasters at Binny's (though if you look at number of private barrels sitting on the shelves at Binny's lately, it doesn't exactly scream discriminating).  So, what's another cask strength, single barrel MGP rye?? At least I know going in I'm going to to enjoy it!

And yet, when I first popped the cork, poured my glass and took a big whiff, I wasn't much of a fan of the nose. I got notes of dark chocolate and cherry cola. Good so far. But, what followed that were notes of bitter oak, and a healthy amount of pine-scented household cleaner. At first I thought it was just the typical pine note and I was blowing it out of proportion, but I definitely got that Pine-Sol note off of every single pour. 

Luckily, though, that note did not carry over to the flavor. It made for a bit of a weird experience getting something so strong on the nose but not in the flavor, but that was a good thing. Rather, I got a great, strong cinnamon spice. There was a bit of a bitter note, but it came across as more of a coffee note. And this all seemed to mix with a cherry and dark chocolate note that just really worked.

There was a light pine resin note, but nothing even close to approaching that cleaner note. Rather, it was a welcome note of pine, one that came across as natural and complementary to everything else going on. And all in all, this was a rich, sweet and spicy pour. In fact, the last few pours of the bottle were even sweeter and incredibly enjoyable.

This rye also had a great oily texture, which made for an incredibly long finish full of that same, bold cinnamon spice I got up front as well as the rich dark chocolate notes. 

If I could have gotten past the nose, this would have been one of the best MGP ryes I could recall. But that nose was really off-putting, despite how good the whiskey actually tasted.

Grade: B

Blaum Bros. Old Fangled Knotter Bourbon Cask Strength Straight Bourbon - Batch 9

VITALS:

- $80

- 105.7 Proof

- 12 Years

- Batch 9

- Indiana

This is one of those products that has come and gone, but while it was here, it was amazing! It was one of those whiskeys where people didn't realize what they had at first, and then when people started drinking these bottles, suddenly they were flying off the shelves. And for good reason! I've had the benefit of trying multiple batches, and every one of them has been absolutely amazing.

So, I guess it's no surprise that I milked the last bit of this bottle for quite some time. I didn't want to let it go. This is one of those where once it's gone, it's gone for good. I'm sure a bottle could be found on secondary, but not for any price that I'm willing to pay. So, this post is very much a goodbye to one of my favorite bottles.

This bottle really hit all the highlights of MGP goodness. Right up front I got rich, sweet notes of caramel and chocolate. It had a bit of cinnamon spice to it as well, along with a sort of sweet crackery note, like pretzels coated in milk chocolate. There was also a nutty note, kind of like sweet pecans.

As to flavor, this was a cinnamon and toffee bomb! It was full of that rich, dark caramelized sugar flavor, balanced out, particularly at the end, by a great cinnamon spice to counter the rich sweetness. This bourbon absolutely packed a punch of flavor right up front that never seemed to let up through the finish.

In addition to the huge toffee note, I also got that pecan note I got on the nose. Not surprisingly, it was like candied pecans, with a good amount of sweetness to balance out the earthy, nutty notes. But it was absolutely delicious. At one point I also got a distinct amaretto note, and even a light cherry note.

On the finish, a light black pepper spice came through, working well with the rich toffee notes. It added just a little bit of heat to not only counter the sweet notes, but to make me dive back into my glass for the next sip. The amaretto seemed to really come through on the finish as well, and lingered for a long time as the great, oily texture of this bourbon really coated my mouth. 

As I mentioned, this bourbon really showcased everything I love about MGP whiskey. It was a prime example. I sat on this bottle for four years before finishing it, and now as I write this, I see why. I'll never get a bottle like this again at that price, and now that it's gone, it's gone for good.

Grade: A+

Ezra Brooks 99 Proof Straight Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $23

- 99 Proof

- 2 Years

- Kentucky

While I do enjoy picking up many of the nice bottles that I've been fortunate enough to try and review on this blog, I do still make an effort to buy whiskeys I've never tried. That's particularly the case when it comes to new labels hitting the market.  Especially those that go straight to the shelf and aren't allocated or limited or somehow treated as "special."

So, when I saw a new Ezra Brooks product in the rye section, it caught my eye as something I hadn't seen before. Of course, it has the obligatory green label that all ryes apparently must have. But otherwise it looks a lot like the Ezra Brooks bourbons, and I've had some decent bottles of that, at least with respect to store picks. So I decided to give this one a go, even if it is only 2 years and is MGP rye bottled for Lux Row.  At least the price was nice.

The nose came across as soft and subtle or delicate, rather than punchy like so many other ryes, particularly young ones. It had a light cinnamon note to it, but also a grain forward or cereal note to it. It was kind of like toasted Cheerios.  There was a light sweetness to it, but no discernable spiciness on the nose, which had me hoping for better on the palate.

When I took my first sip, the first thing I noticed was that it was surprisingly syrupy, both in flavor and texture. It had a distinct sweetness that leaned a bit towards maple syrup. However, it did have some spice to it, with a touch of clove and even a slight anise note. It had the sharp notes of youth to it, though, with something biting and offensive lingering in the background.

The sweetness seemed to start to take on more of a brown sugar note, reminding me of chocolate chip cookies, but without the chocolate chips. At times it was more of a molasses note, and it came across as a bit resinous, particularly with the hint of pine that came from the rye.

It was that piney, resiny, molasses note that seemed to linger. It wasn't very sweet nor was it very spicy on the finish, and this is really where this whiskey lost me. It really fell flat at the end, leaving me with the sense that perhaps I had licked the bottom of a boot rather than just finished a sip of whiskey.  I didn't have super high expectations with this one, but I don't think I'll be reaching out for it again, at least not until Lux Row and MGP put some age on it.

Grade: C-

Coppercraft Distillery Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Whiskey

VITALS:

- $70

- 113.58 Proof

- NAS

- Indiana

I've said it before, repeatedly. But, it's worth saying yet again.  I love free whiskey!!  This bottle was a gift from a very good friend of mine who traveled to my place from California via Michigan for the 4th of July. On his way through that mitten-shaped state, he stopped by Coppercraft distillery and picked this bottle up for me, one I had never had before. 

In fact, I don't know that I have had anything from Coppercraft prior to this bottle. But, it's cask strength MGP bourbon, and I was told it was 6 years old (though that remains unverified). In any event, I figured it had to, at the very least, be decent whiskey, and was in all likelihood very good.

On the nose I got a lot of those characteristics I've come to expect from MGP. It had a more spice-forward profile, rather than being sweet.  I got cinnamon and toffee, as well as a bit of vanilla undertone. Despite its youth, I also got a bit of oak, but no bitterness to accompany it. Rather, just a bit of an earthy, woody aroma. It also had a bit of an orange peel note to it, adding just a slight twist to things.

The flavor was pretty on point with the nose. The toffee note seemed to be more up front, however. I expected the cinnamon note to carry the day, but it leaned toward the sweeter end of the spectrum right up front. The vanilla seemed to come forward more than on the nose as well.

However, it didn't take long for that cinnamon spice to come through. As those sweet caramel and vanilla notes subsided, the spicy cinnamon shone through. There was also a rich, dark fruit note, kind of like a mix between cherry and blackberry. But it didn't have any sort of jammy fruit notes to it. Rather, it was just the richness and flavor of the hybrid berry that I was getting.

On the finish the toffee and cinnamon prevailed. None of those rich fruit notes really seemed to linger. Quite frankly, the sweet and spicy notes didn't linger as long as I'd have liked either, as it was a relatively short-lived finish, despite the higher proof.

I think I need to give more Coppercraft products a try. I realize this is sourced, but there's something to be said about a good, sourced whiskey, and this fits the bill.  

Grade: B+

Smoke Wagon Rare and Limited Single Vintage Blend 8 Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch #1

VITALS:

- $99

- 118.9 Proof

- 8 Yrs.

- Batch #1

- Indiana

This is one of those bottles where I didn't realize how lucky I was to get my hands on it at the time. This came out at a time when Smoke Wagon was just starting to hit its peak. Only the early releases of Uncut Unfiltered had come out, and the limited release Desert Jewel, which was amazing by the way, had only just come and gone. 

In fact, when my local guy brought this bottle out of the back for me, I wasn't even aware that it was a thing. But, I was immediately drawn to the age, the proof, and of course the jingly blue medal draped around the bottle's neck (actually, it's more annoying than anything, but it didn't make me NOT want to buy it). This was one of those bottles that I held onto for longer than necessary, as it had been open for almost a full three years. But it was one that I didn't want to see go away--one of those once-it's-gone-it's-gone-for-good whiskeys.

The nose was rich and sweet, full of notes of toffee and semi sweet chocolate. It was like a Heath bar, but not quite as sweet. It also had a decent amount of oak on the nose, particularly for only an 8 year old whiskey. There was a slight cinnamon note to spice it up, as well as a maraschino note to add just a little bit of pop of rich cherry in the aroma.

The palate didn't quite match. I went in expecting something rich and boozy, like you might get at one of those fancy chocolatiers. Instead up front it was more earthy, with notes of damp pine and leather. It was, dare I say, funky. It also had a decent amount of oak up front to add to the profile. I was really thrown off by this.

Once past that initial flavor, though, there were some of those sweet notes I was expecting, like the rich toffee notes. The chocolate note came through as well, but more like a rich brownie batter than a bitter dark chocolate. There was even a black licorice note that, quite frankly, worked really well with the earthy notes.

The finish on this bourbon absolutely won me over, though. It coated my mouth in this sweet candy caramel that seemed to last forever. Mix that with the rich brownie note that stuck around, and it was just an incredible dessert of a finish. I did find myself going right back for another sip just to keep enjoying that finish.

This was a weird one to grade, because the nose didn't match the palate, it was funky but not bad up front, but the finish was absolutely incredible. But, I often judge a whiskey, at least in part, by how badly I want that next pour or sip, and this one was up there on that scale. 

Grade: B+

O.K.I. Reserve Blended Bourbon Whiskey - Batch 01

VITALS:

- $90

- 100 Proof

- Batch 01

- Indiana

It seems forever ago that I enjoyed a bottle of O.K.I. Reserve Bourbon. That's the brand that New Riff released its sourced whiskey under when it was a fledgling distillery and was waiting for its own whiskey to age. I'm still astonished that at the time we could get a bottle of 10 Year MGP bourbon for only $50!  Of course, that was back in 2017, and a lot has changed since then.

When New Riff started putting out its own whiskey under its own name, it no longer released whiskey under the "O.K.I. Reserve" name, and eventually the last of it disappeared from the shelves. That is, until recently when a new company bought the rights (presumably) and resurrected the brand. Admittedly, I knew very little about the whiskey itself before purchasing my bottle, but some quick research told me it had been received pretty favorably. So, I was willing to give this new iteration a try.

The nose gave off rich notes of cinnamon spice and chocolate. It also had this sweet, caramel-type cola note.  All of this blended together into a rich and delicious combination that immediately made my mouth water. There was also a great nutty note, like a candied pecan, that at times even leaned towards a delicious-smelling pecan pie note.

The flavor followed suit, to some extent. It led with rich and sweet notes of toffee and caramel. It also had that cola note that I got from the nose. Those rich toffee notes were accompanied by a sweet and spicy cinnamon note, kind of a mix between cinnamon sticks and cinnamon candy. Right away this one seemed to be right in my wheelhouse.  

At times the cola note seemed to lean more towards a root beer note, and I even got a light oak note from time to time, showing some of the age of the whiskeys that were mixed into this blend. There was also a nice undercurrent of vanilla to complement everything else going on.

On the finish, the wood notes seemed a bit more prevalent, along with the rich toffee. While the cinnamon spice didn't linger too much, the vanilla notes were a bit more prevalent, and very welcome. I certainly found myself quickly going in for that next sip.

Overall, I really enjoyed this bourbon. I think the proof, despite being lower, was quite right. It had a great viscosity and a great balance of flavor and sweetness.  

Grade: A-

Remus Gatsby Reserve 15 Year Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey

VITALS:

- $250

- 97.8 Proof

- 15 years

- Kentucky

I never did get my hands on the Volstead Reserve that MGP (now Ross & Squibb) had released, its entry in to the super-premium bourbon market. But, I heard some really good things about it. And when I was offered a bottle of Remus Gatsby Reserve, I was really excited . . . and then I saw the price tag. $250 is a hefty price to pay for any whiskey to be sure.  And this was one I hadn't tried yet.  But, I had the benefit of a recent bonus from work, and I decided to splurge.  I was too intrigued by not only the age, but the fact that it was cask strength at only 97.8 proof. So not a heater, but not watered down in any way.

This came in some fancy package with a box that kind of splits open from the top. It's a nice hefty bottle and it came with a solid, really heavy stopper. I normally don't give a shit about packaging, but I tell you all this because, as I was carrying it into my house, I grabbed it by the top of the box, which separated from the base, and the bottle went tumbling, bouncing off a shelf, then my step into my house, and ultimately on to the cement floor of my garage. My stomach sank as this happened! But, the only damage was that the heavy, paperweight of a stopper separated from the cork. While I hate that box, the sturdy bottle held up and prevented what would otherwise have been a costly disaster!!

But, on to the whiskey!  Unfortunately for this bottle, my first couple pours were enjoyed with some other, high-end whiskeys, some very good whiskeys, and this one got lost in the shuffle. However, I did make it a point to give this a go on its own, and it really is a damn good bourbon! The nose was full of brown sugar and caramel, rich and sweet. It also had some delicious cherry notes. But the spice was the most interesting part. I got some black pepper that tickled my noes, but also rich clove spice and even root beer notes.  The nose was very complex and smelled great!

The flavor really seemed to grab ahold of those root beer notes I was getting on the nose. In fact, the first notes that I jotted down were that it tasted like root beer candy. It reminded me of root beer flavored Dum Dums, and certainly brought back some childhood memories. It also had a bit of a butterscotch note to it, which isn't too far of a divergence from root beer, but nonetheless added to that hard candy sweetness.

As the bottle opened up, and as I enjoyed more pours of this, I found that the sweetness did subside a bit, allowing the spice to shine through much more. I got that black pepper spice, particularly on the finish. But the cloves note seemed to eventually make its way through as well, to the point that by the end it was taking more of a center stage.

There were some oak notes, but only in flavor, never in bitterness. And I found that those oak notes lingered most on the finish, along with a rich caramel note and a bit of that clove spice. Despite the low proof, each sip seemed to really coat my mouth in all of these flavors, and the finish was quite enjoyable!

I still hate the price tag on this (and while I try not to let price factor into my final rating, sometimes you just can't help it). I certainly don't see myself spending that on a similar product in the future.  But, this was still a really good whiskey, albeit an expensive one, and I'd certainly urge you to try a pour if you get the chance!

Grade: B+

Smoke Wagon Malted Straight Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $90

- 119.54 Proof

- NAS

- Batch No. 26

- Indiana

I have certainly been a fan of Smoke Wagon ever since they came onto the scene.  It started with the Desert Jewel release, which was absolutely fantastic. From there I tried the Uncut & Unfiltered Bourbon as well as the Small Batch Bourbon, and I really enjoyed those as well.  Generally speaking, their bourbons have been fantastic and I've encouraged many a drinker to give them a try.

Being the rye guy that I am, I was naturally excited when Nevada Distilling began releasing Smoke Wagon ryes. They released some experimental ryes, but I wasn't willing to pay the price that those were commanding (just south of $300 if I can recall correctly).  But, the Bottled-in-Bond Rye and this Malted Straight Rye were at least a bit more approachable in price, though, admittedly, even the $90 price tag on this one is a bit steep.  But, I really wanted to give it a try, so in my cart it went.

The very first note that I jotted down in my Notes app when I brought this to my nose was "weird smell." Right up front I got pine nuts and black pepper. But, there was something mossy to it, almost damp smelling, like walking through a forest after a few days of rain. That wouldn't be so bad, but I also got a bit of a nail polish remover smell that really put me off.  I was not a fan of the nose on this one at all.

As to flavor, luckily that nail polish remover note wasn't there at all. There was, however, that pine note, along with a bit of a malt note, almost like there was a some Scotch blended in.  I guess that's not too surprising given the mashbill of 51% rye and 49% malted barley. That pine and malt, however, was mixed with something sweet, kind of like a maple syrup but not quite as sugary. This, again, was weird in that it kind of worked and kind of didn't.

On the finish I got a spicy and sweet cinnamon note, kind of like a cinnamon schnapps (taking me back to the days when it was fun to drink Goldschlager--I shudder at the thought now).  The maple syrup persisted as well, giving it that sweet and spicy profile.  In a weird way (apparently weird is the theme here), I kind of liked the finish.  The damp, mossy note went away, and even the pine notes faded letting the rye notes finally shine through. 

But, by the time I got to the finish, it was a bit too late. While it did get progressively better from nose to finish, in the end this just came across as, you guessed it, weird, and I certainly didn't feel it warranted the $90 price point.

Grade: C-

Heaven's Door Warehouse Liquors Select Cask Strength Single Barrel Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $75

- 123.8 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel #49

- Indiana

Who here loves free whiskey???  I sure do!!! This was a bottle that was given to me after it was brought over to my house by a friend for a small whiskey gathering/tasting. Of course we opened it, drank it, and enjoyed it, and when he left the bottle remained behind. So, hooray for free whiskey!

What's interesting about this, though (at least interesting to me), is that this is MGP bourbon bottled by Heaven's Door.  I don't know what of its own juice, if any, Heaven's Door is bottling. But, I've seen a lot of their private selection single barrels on shelves lately, and nearly all of them have been sourced whiskey from Tennessee. In fact, while I'm sure there are others, this is the only one I've come across that was sourced from Indiana, and I do love me some MGP whiskey!

On the nose I immediately got great candy bar-esque notes, with cinnamon, caramel and milk chocolate taking center stage. There was also a candied walnut note as well as a citrus orange note behind everything. I even got a popcorn note off of it at times. I have no clue what candy bar that all could possibly remind me of, but it certainly came across as rich, sweet and delicious.

As to flavor, this is unquestionably MGP goodness.  I have no idea on the age, but it's certainly not young MGP.  My guess would be 6-7 years. Right up front it's loaded with rich dark caramel and a great cinnamon spice. It's warm and sweet and spicy right away on the tongue.  

It did have a bit of a twist to it, though, as it had this almond extract note that added a layer or richness as well as a bit of bite or tanginess or, I don't know, something to make it a bit more interesting. There was also a bit of an orange bitter to help balance out all the sweetness, and which seemed to work perfectly with everything else going on. It also had this nutty, walnut note that likewise helped keep the sweet notes at bay a bit. 

On the finish, I got a light coffee note, like a sweetened coffee. In fact, it reminded me of an amaretto cream coffee, and once I pinpointed that note, it was all I could notice and I really enjoyed it, so much so that I would dive back into my glass just to experience that finish again. 

I have no clue how good the Tennessee-sourced store picks are from Heaven's Door, but I certainly wouldn't hesitate to grab any MGP-sourced picks if I were to run into them again.  And, it's worth saying, once again Warehouse Liquors did an amazing job with this pick.  It was not only really good, but also interesting and different in a good way!

Grade: A-

Copper & Cask SavWay Fine Wine & Spirits Single Barrel Selection Straight Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $45

- 109.2 Proof

- 6 Years

- Indiana

Prior to buying this bottle, I hadn't had anything from Copper & Cask out of Rhode Island. A few buddies of mine have picked up bottles and, while they might not necessarily have raved about them, certainly indicated it was good stuff, at least the rye anyway.  Admittedly, I haven't heard much about their bourbons.

And when I say "their" rye, I mean their sourced rye. This is, of course, MGP rye, with the traditional 95/5 rye mashbill.  What made this an easy buy, though, was the fact that this is cask strength, single barrel 6 year MGP rye. Other distilleries are bottling this stuff and putting it on the shelves for close to twice the price. So, this was an easy grab for me off the shelf.

On the nose I got a light oak note along with some sweet caramel notes right away. That gave way to vanilla, with a black pepper spice to follow.  I did get a bit of a dill note, as well as a touch of mint, both of which I've come to expect from MGP ryes. But, they certainly weren't strong notes, and it was that vanilla and black pepper that took center stage.

When I took my first sip, though, it seemed the first things I noticed were that dill and mint. There was no question that this was MGP rye right away. It also had a spicy cinnamon note, rather than black pepper.  And the caramel note seemed a bit darker and richer, more like a toffee note.

This rye had something odd to it, however. There was a distinct coppery note to it. Kind of like that flavor left over after having pennies in your mouth.  I'm pretty sure this is more relatable than it sounds, right?  I also got a lot of vanilla coinciding with that copper note, and there was also something funky, almost like pine resin. This whiskey got a little weird in the middle.

The finish was dominated by a long-lasting vanilla note, as well as a bit of spearmint. This was particularly pronounced in the last few pours I enjoyed, and both flavors stuck around for quite a while. Meanwhile, that coppery note was luckily nowhere to be found on the finish.

All in all a decent whiskey, but it just had something weird going on with that copper note, and it was one of those things that once you noticed it, it was all you could notice.

Grade: B-

Fox & Oden Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch 3

VITALS:
- $80

- 99 Proof

- 8-15 years

- Batch No. 3

- Indiana

I knew nothing about this bottle when it hit the shelves around here, and I hadn't even heard of Fox & Oden. Perhaps that's because the first two batches were Michigan-only releases.  I'm not sure if that's due to distribution issues or by choice, but it is what it is. Not only was this a new product on the shelves, but it's a 8-15 year blend of MGP bourbon. While the bottle does not indicate the percentages of the blend, I was still intrigued at the age on this whiskey.

I did some preliminary research, and the reviews all seemed positive, so, my interest piqued, I decided to go ahead and grab a bottle and give it a try. On the first sip, I knew it was a good bottle and I was satisfied with my purchase. After a few weeks, though, this bottle really opened up and turned into something fantastic, something that I couldn't keep my paws off of!

The nose carried all of those traditional bourbon notes, with rich vanilla and sweet caramel. It had a bit of a dark cherry note as well, though it was subtle. There was also an herbal note that stood out. I couldn't quite place my finger on what it is I was getting, but it was almost like thyme. It sounds weird, but I actually really enjoyed that note.

The flavor was a great combination of sweet and spice. The sweet came in the form of salted caramel and vanilla bean. That vanilla been really seemed to come forward more and more the longer this bottle remained open. I even got notes of milk chocolate, again which became more noticeable the longer this bottle was open.

The spice was very much a cinnamon stick type of spice. It wasn't sweet like cinnamon candy, and it didn't have that peppery spice that I get. Rather, it was more of a woody type of cinnamon spice that went perfectly with those sweet notes. There was even a peanut note to it, giving this all the makings of a great candy bar.

The finish seemed to re-focus on that vanilla bean note. It was a rich and almost velvety note that seemed to stick around in my mouth and the back of my throat forever. The cinnamon was there, but it was more subtle, and towards the end of the bottle the sweet caramel seemed to stick around for a bit more at the back of my throat.

If I graded this whiskey based on the first few pours, it probably would have been around a B+.  But, this is one of those bottles where it just kept getting better and better. The last half of this bottle was gone before I knew it, because I found myself just not wanting to drink anything else. This was an absolute surprise of a bottle, and I'm glad I decided to give it a go!

Grade: A

Doc Swinson's Exploratory Cask L'esprit Straight Bourbon Finished in Cognac Casks

VITALS:

- $70

- 114 Proof

- NAS

- Release No. 21-003

- Indiana

I wasn't sure when the next time I picked up a bottle of Doc Swinson's would be. I'm not casting aspersions or anything. I've only had one of their products before, their Triple Cask Bourbon Finished in Sherry & Cognac Casks. That was a somewhat weird experience, though, as I really enjoyed that bourbon up until the finish, at which point I didn't. That one literally and figuratively left a bad taste in my mouth.

But, when I saw this Cognac finished bourbon sitting on the shelf, I once again considered it, and in my cart it went.  What can I say, I'm a sucker for those Cognac and Armagnac finishes. As an added note, I looked at the back label and it had this note set off in red text: "Easy-Cracking Wax, Simply Twist to Open."  Had I not already made the decision to buy this bottle, that alone might have persuaded me. My interest was even further piqued!

I cracked this bottle open (yes, with just a simple twist of the wax top--why don't more brands have this?!?!), I got notes of raisin and brown sugar. It was like a rich dessert, perhaps even like baklava.  The nose was soft, but buried in there were also notes of orange and burnt sugar. On later pours I could swear I was getting waffle batter. 

The flavor was where this whisky shone. The texture was nice and viscous, really coating the mouth in flavor. More significantly, though, was that the alcohol burn was nowhere to be found. This was dangerously easy to drink, and it was all flavor. Right away I got rich candied pear and brown sugar, all on top of a healthy amount of vanilla.  Again, it was like a rich dessert in many ways, but it managed to never get too sweet.

It always kept some of those more savory qualities, at times reminding me of fig newtons or candied pecans, pairing a bit of earthiness with the sweetness.  It also had a slight oakiness to it as well that help keep the sweetness from taking over. The one thing I'd say was missing was any real spice, but given how well everything else worked, I certainly didn't miss it.

The finish was long and just carried forward those rich dessert notes, but perhaps with the pecan notes taking more of a center stage. If anything it finished with less sweetness which kind of made me love it even more. It also had a bit of tea note that lingered and just the slightest amount of cinnamon spice was left on my tongue.

This bottle certainly renewed my interest in other things Doc Swinson's may be doing. I loved this bottle and I'm glad I took a chance on it. And that easy-crack was still impresses me!

Grade: A

Traverse City Whiskey Co. Binny's Private Select Single Barrel 8 Year Straight Rye

VITALS:

- $80

- 115.4 Proof

- 8 years

- Indiana/Michigan

I really haven't had much experience with Traverse City Whiskey. In fact, including this bottle, all I've had have been MGP-sourced store picks. Just over a year ago I was able to get my hands on a 10-year single barrel selected by Pride Stores. And more recently, I made sure to get a bottle of this 8-year single barrel rye picked by Binny's.

The price seemed to be right in line with what I've been seeing recently for cask strength, single barrel MGP rye in the 6-9 year range. Of course some bottles are a bit pricier, and they get passed on for that reason. But this one at 8 years and 115.4 proof seemed right in my wheelhouse. Sure, it's more than I'd like to pay, but at this point it seems the market is what it is.

The aroma is soft, but very cinnamon and vanilla forward. In fact, it was so sweet and soft and delicious smelling, I noted that I would love to make a candle out of this. There was also a light saw dust note and a touch of that pickle note I sometimes get from MGP rye. There was also something herbal, but I couldn't quite place it. Perhaps something between basil and mint.

The flavor was likewise soft and sweet and spicy. Despite being cask strength, this wasn't one of those slap you in the face with spice ryes. Rather, it was more nuanced and subtle, and it leaned a bit more on the sweeter side. Notes of caramel, vanilla and cinnamon were prevalent from start to finish, providing for an absolutely delicious base.

On top of that I got interesting notes of honey and sweet tobacco leaf. There was also something nutty and woody, perhaps like a walnut. In addition to the cinnamon spice, I also got a bit of black pepper spice. There was even a light smokiness to it that I loved, perhaps a flavor picked up from the time with the barrel.

The finish was almost all cinnamon and caramel, but the cinnamon spice seemed to really come forward. In fact, it left a taste in my mouth not unlike a good Manhattan. That sweet and heat at the end just made me want that next sip right away. While not necessarily unexpected, this bottle turned out to be very delicious, and I couldn't help but keep pouring it into my glass.

Grade: A-

Remus Repeal Reserve Straight Bourbon Batch V

VITALS:

- $90

- 100 Proof

- Blend of 13-16 years

- Indiana

The last few Remus Repeal Reserves that I've had the pleasure of tasting have been absolutely fantastic. I bought a bottle of Batch III and loved it! And I've had the pleasure of getting to try Batches I and IV.  To me, this release seems to get better with each year, so when Batch V hit the shelves, I knew I was going to be grabbing a bottle.

As with previously releases, this is a blend of older whiskeys, and I love that they put the details of the blend right on the front label.  For this release, it's a blend of a 16 year 21% rye bourbon, a 15 year 36% rye bourbon, a 15 year 21% rye bourbon, a 13 year 36% rye bourbon and a 13 year 21% rye bourbon, the last of which comprises 54% of the blend. Given today's market, and given my love for MGP, even at $90, this seemed like a great price for a well-aged, decently proofed bourbon, and its track record certainly boosts that feeling.

The nose provided some all-too familiar notes that I love in my bourbon. I got a nice amount of spice, with cinnamon and even a little bit of black pepper. There was also this pastry note, kind of like a sweeter pie crust. I also got some dark chocolate with a little bit of toffee thrown in the mix. It wasn't a very strong aroma off my glass, but what was there was delicious.

The flavor was, quite frankly, very much what I expected. It started with a sweet but hot cinnamon note. It was kind of like cinnamon candy, but without that artificial flavor, if that makes sense. Right up front I also got notes of caramel and brown sugar, which certainly had this bourbon leaning toward the sweeter end of the spectrum.

After it opened up a bit, I was able to get some of those richer notes that I got on the nose. That pastry note came through, as did the chocolate note, but, of course, it was sweeter, more like a milk chocolate than a dark chocolate. Any bitter notes I got on the nose were not present here. In a way it kind of reminded me of a chocolate croissant.

The finish was somewhat thin and short-lived. I wish it lasted a bit longer, as it was full of cinnamon and salted caramel, a combination that really worked here. While it remained sweet, the cinnamon heat and that touch of salinity seemed to provide balance to that sweetness. The finish was my favorite part of what was already a really damn good whiskey.

This blend is very much in my wheelhouse of flavors I love in a bourbon. There's nothing crazy different about it, or any unique flavors thrown in the mix. Rather, it's just a well-made and well-blended bourbon full of rich, dessert-like notes throughout.  My only real knock is that it leans sweet, but that didn't stop me from loving it!

Grade: A-

Templeton 10 Year Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $80

- 104 Proof

- 10 Years

- Barrel No. 2779

- Indiana

I knew it had been quite a while since I've had Templeton Rye. In fact, I had to look back at my blog archives to see when the last time was, and it was back in 2015. Without looking back at that, I couldn't have told you now whether or not I liked it (turns out I was somewhat ambivalent).  I think part of the reason I haven't gone back to the Templeton products was the issue from years ago involving their adding a flavoring to their whiskey. That kind of stuff turns me off, and, whether consciously or subconsciously, I'm sure is part of the reason I haven't given it another go.

But then there came the promise of a higher proof, 10 year, single barrel MGP rye packaged under the Templeton label, and that was enough to get me to try it again. I've certainly seen lesser-aged MGP ryes command much higher prices, so for $80, this one seemed fairly reasonable.

The nose was actually softer than what I expected. Given the proof, the age and the provenance, I expected something punch and full of spice.  This, however, leaned more towards notes of sweet wheat bread and honey. It did have a decent amount of wood notes to it, even getting a bit tannic. The one bright spot, though, was the delicious blackberry jam note that seemed to work really well with the honey and bread notes. 

Surprisingly, though, the flavor was much more in line with my expectations. Right up front I got bold notes of pine and cinnamon, with a strong vanilla undercurrent. In fact, that vanilla was more than I've ever noticed in an MGP rye before, dominating the stage right up front all the way through the finish. It wasn't a sweet vanilla, but rather more of a natural vanilla extract note.

I did get some spearmint and even a bit of black pepper spice. I think it's these flavors, mixed with the strong vanilla note, that reminded me at times of a root beer float. It just had that mix of vanilla and spices.  In fact, the spearmint note seemed to get more and more prominent as I made my way through this bottle.

The finish is where the spice in this rye really came through. I certainly got that same black pepper that I was getting up front, but I was also getting something hot. It was almost like a cayenne pepper type spice. There was some cinnamon and even a little bit of nutmeg sprinkled in. 

With that punch on the finish, though, I came to the conclusion that this was one of the spicier whiskeys I've had in a long time, and I found myself reaching for this bottle in particular to scratch that itch when I got it.  It wasn't my favorite rye of all time by any stretch, but it certainly fit a certain mood that I find myself in from time to time, and for that reason alone it was worth having on my shelf.

Grade: B

Doc Swinson's Alter Ego Triple Cask Straight Bourbon Finished in Sherry & Cognac Casks

VITALS:

- $65

- 95.8 Proof

- NAS

- Release No. 21-004

- Indiana/Washington

This is another one of those brands that keeps popping up in my Facebook feed--at least it did for a while.  I'm honestly not sure exactly which bottles were garnering all the attention a short while back, but what I noticed was that while I was seeing this Doc Swinson's brand in my Facebook feed, I wasn't seeing it anywhere on my stores' shelves . . . until one day I did. Apparently I just had to be patient.

I had the choice of this Sherry and Cognac finished bourbon or a rum finished rye. Given that I have found very few rum finished whiskeys I've actually enjoyed, it really was an easy choice for me. Plus, this one sounded really good! It's MGP bourbon (though the age is unknown) that was then finished in Oloroso Sherry casks, Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks and Cognac casks. I have no idea how long, but either way, this resulting blend of those three finishes was bound to, at the very least, pack a lot of flavor.

The nose was full of rich jammy notes of raspberry and strawberry, certainly the result of the two Sherry cask finishes. There was also something rich to it, kind of like a fig note. What I loved, though, was that the bourbon itself wasn't completely buried by the finishing, allowing a great vanilla bean note to come through, as well as a sweet butterscotch note.

As to flavor, as expected, this was a very fruit-forward bourbon. But, I got the influence from both the sherry and the Cognac barrels. Right away I got a bright and sweet raspberry note, and right along side that was a sort of plum and baked pear note, likely from the Cognac influence. All of this seemed to be blended with a rich vanilla undercurrent that all worked very well together.

Rich is really the common theme with this whiskey. On top of those fruit and vanilla notes, there was a  light woodiness to it--not tannic, but rather just the oak flavor. There were also some rich chocolate notes that met well with the raspberry and vanilla.

The finish really highlighted those chocolate notes, which were rich and not overly sweet. There was also a sort of amaretto note to it, something tangy like that to make it a bit interesting. I also noticed the wine notes really coming through, kind of like the aftertaste of an oaked Chardonnay, and this is where the tannins came in.  

I really loved everything about this whiskey, except for that finish. Even that finish had promise with the chocolate and amaretto, but the lingering wine note was a bit off-putting. It literally left a bad taste in my mouth. If it weren't for that, I'd have given this much higher marks.

Grade: B

Old Pepper Distillery Binny's Private Selection Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $50

- 110 Proof

- 4 yrs.

- Cask 1076

- Indiana

I have never had anything from Old Pepper Distillery before.  I've certainly seen it, and I've even had bottles in my hand, contemplating bringing one home from the store, only to put it back on the shelf and move on. Having now finished this bottle, I'm wondering if that was a mistake (spoiler alert: I really liked it!!).

Binny's recently got in a number of single barrel picks from Old Pepper, and of the ones available at my local shop, two were MGP-sourced and one was Kentucky-sourced. I figured at $50 for a nearly cask-strength MGP rye, the risk of a clunker was relatively low.  While it would have been fun to perhaps compare this cask against the other MGP pick that was there, that just wasn't in the cards, or more accurately, in my budget.

The nose was good, even if not overly remarkable. I immediately noticed a certain grassiness to it, or perhaps even an herbal quality. There was even a cracker quality to it. Nothing bold, more like saltines or those relatively plain wafer crackers. Behind all of this, though, was a layer of vanilla that added a touch of sweetness, even on the nose.

I went into this expecting to get some of those usual flavors I tend to get from MGP ryes -- a bunch of cinnamon, some spearmint and even maybe a little bit of dill. However, when I took my first sip, the first thing I noticed was all the vanilla that came out. It was certainly on the sweeter side, and it was kind of like vanilla bean ice cream, though not quite that sweet.

Almost immediately following that was a healthy dose of spearmint. In fact, I would have described this as a "vanilla bomb" if it weren't for all the spearmint behind it. Paired together, this whiskey really reminded me of one of my favorite seasonal treats that has once again gone away -- a shamrock shake. It sounds weird to associate Shamrock Shakes with whiskey, but that's where my mind when when I drank this, and I absolutely loved it!

Beyond that, there was a sweet butter cookie note to it, as well as some butterscotch. Again, it was no doubt on the sweeter side, but it never got too sweet with these notes. It also had a light herbal or even grassy note to it, not unlike what I was getting on the nose. On the finish, while it remained sweeter and the vanilla lingered, the cinnamon that I was expecting did finally make its way into the picture, along with a light black pepper spice as well. 

I loved everything about this whiskey! I was practically shoving glasses of this in friends' faces when they came over, telling them they had to try it. That was perhaps more due to the fact that I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this rye. This was one of those bottles that once I opened it, it was gone within no time, because it was all I wanted to drink. I'm not sure where the credit goes here, whether to Old Pepper Distillery, to MGP, or to the folks at Binny's that picked this out, but whoever deserves the credit did an amazing job with this barrel!

Grade: A+

Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon finished in Armagnac, Sherry and Cognac Casks

VITALS:

- $150

- 127.02 Proof

- NAS

- Batch No. 33

- Indiana

The Joseph Magnus line certainly intrigues me.  They seem to get at least decently aged MGP whiskey and finish them with the types of finishes that I generally like, often with sherry or cognac. From what I've had so far, I've enjoyed those deep, rich flavors that those finishes impart. However, I've always been turned off a bit by the steep price tag. After all, their standard offering along will set you back $100.

This past year the Cigar Blend, which I've never had before, hit one of my main stores two different times. It was offered to me the first time, and I was very much on the fence given the $150 price tag. Ultimately I passed, and then, of course, I kept coming across review after review telling me how good it was. Talk about instilling FOMO! So, when it became available again just a couple months later, I didn't consider passing on it a second time. I will say, I'm glad I made that decision!

The nose, not unexpectedly, was full of rich fruits. I was getting a healthy amount of dried apricots as well as baked pears with cinnamon. It also had a bit of a blackberry note to it as well. Layered under all those fruit notes was a nice, earthy nutty note, like almonds. Yes, this smelled fruity and nutty, and it was delicious.

The flavor on this bottle really seemed to develop and change over time, and the last 5-6 pours were incredible. The first half of the bottle wasn't so bad either. I was getting super rich notes of cinnamon baked pears, almond and walnut. It was like a biscotti with pear. It also had this nougat note to it that added some sweetness as well as almost a creaminess that I really enjoyed. 

I also got some light anise notes to add a bit of punch to the flavor. The only thing that was missing was the blackberry that I was getting on the nose. The alcohol was strong (as expected given the proof), but the flavors were even stronger, to the point that the kept the high alcohol at bay, making this very drinkable. 

Towards the end of the bottle, the Armagnac and Cognac finishes really seemed to take over. While it was still nutty with notes of baked pears, it was those nutty notes that took center stage, as I was getting a rich mix of almond and walnut. I also got some sweeter notes of fig and raisin. It was almost like a minced meat pie (the kind that's not actually made with any meat). It even had a bit of a grapey sweetness to it. 

I really liked the first half of this bottle, and I absolutely LOVED the last few pours. It's been a while since I had a bottle open up this much, and it was such an enjoyable experience. I'm certainly glad I went ahead and grabbed this one, and I won't be passing on a bottle of this again.

Grade: A