William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon - 2022

VITALS:

- $120

- 124.7 Proof

- 12 years, 8 months

- 2022

- Kentucky

It's always weird writing reviews of products like the Pappy or BTAC lines. After all, it's not as though someone presented with the opportunity to purchase a bottle from either line at retails is going to say, "Hold on, let me check out reviews first." For the most part, anyone is going to simply buy.  So, writing a review doesn't make a whole lot of sense, as people are just going to come to their own conclusion anyway.

But, I've always maintained that I don't write these blog posts for that purpose. Rather, this has very much been my own personal journal of my whiskey journey for the past ten years (it's crazy that I've been doing this for ten years now!!).  So, while it's a foregone conclusion that yes, of course this good, and while nobody is consulting this page before making the decision to buy a 2022 William Larue Weller, I'm writing this up nonetheless for no other reason than that I finally finished my bottle!

On the nose the most immediate note I got was oak. The barrel certainly had a significant influence here. However, behind that I got all the traditional notes I've come to expect, with a good amount of rich caramel and vanilla, as well as a surprising amount of cinnamon spice. I don't typically get that much spice off a wheater, but I certainly did here. There was also a sort of a graham cracker or even a shortbread note that seemed to lurk in the background.

The flavor, again, was more spice forward than I expected. But that certainly wasn't a bad thing in my book. In fact, it provided a great blend of sweet and spice, as the caramel and vanilla notes were right up front, followed almost immediately by a cinnamon spice that seemed to coat the tongue and mouth. 

As that subsided, though, it gave way to many of the sweeter notes you'd expect. I definitely got a cherry note, like a maraschino cherry that gave off Old Fashioned vibes. At times that rich, dark fruit note leaned more towards chocolate covered raisins, and even seemed to bounce back and forth between the flavors.

As I got to the finish, the cinnamon note remained, though it wasn't strong. The cherry note continued, and the oak I was getting on the nose finally made its way through. But what really seemed to press forward on the finish was the rich vanilla note, which started small and by the time I swallowed each sip seemed to get big. That finish of vanilla, oak, cinnamon and cherry had me wanting more and more after each sip.

Again, you knew this would be good coming in, so the grade is no surprise. The only reason it didn't get the "A+" grade is I've had other W.L. Weller's that I feel like really knocked my socks off, moreso than this one. But make no mistake, I absolutely loved this bottle.

Grade: A

Larceny Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon - Batch No. C920

VITALS:

- $55

- 122.4 Proof

- NAS

- Batch No. C920

- Kentucky

Although it's a wheated bourbon that packs a punch, for whatever reason Larceny Barrel Proof just doesn't get the love that other wheated bourbons from other distilleries of a bovine nature. It doesn't seem to even get the amount of love that Elijah Craig Barrel Proof gets, though that I understand a bit more. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a well established brand, and, of course, it comes with a 12 year age statement.

Admittedly, I haven't even found myself reaching for these bottles when I've seen them. I know I've passed on them a couple times in the last six months or so, but that was due in part to the fact that I had two sitting on my shelves at home that I had yet to finish. It might be time to start picking these off the shelves, though.

The nose was like being in a bakery. I got a ton of chocolate to start, along with some cinnamon and pastry notes. It wasn't quite like cinnamon roles, though. That pastry note was more like a pie crust or even a shortbread note. I also got a rich sweetness, almost like molasses.

I was surprised at how little burn I got off this bourbon given its proof. I was also surprised, given how bold the nose was, at how soft the flavor was. Right up front I got sweet caramel, like Werther's, and brown sugar cookie. Kind of like a chocolate chip cookie but without the chocolate chips. It also had a bit of a graham cracker note. But, the caramel was certainly dominant.

It didn't lean entirely sweet, though. There was a light cinnamon spice as well as a bit of a black pepper spice to it as well. I also got a sweet oak note, adding wood flavor but not the bitterness. There was even a bit of a tangy amaretto note to this that seemed to show up in later pours.

The finish started primarily with the caramel, but as that faded, that amaretto note and the black pepper were what seemed to stick around. It was like a rich, liqueur-based dessert but with the added pepper spice that lingered at the back of my throat. 

This was a really good bottle, and I'm an idiot for passing on these when I've seen them. That won't be happening any more.

Grade: A-

Lux Row Distiller's Collection Binny's Private Select Rebel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

VITALS:

- $35

- 113 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel No. 6819639

- Kentucky

Binny's got quite a run of Lux Row single barrel store picks a while back, having gotten multiple barrels from Rebel, Ezra Brooks and Yellowstone. The best part about it was that they were at pretty good prices (a 113 proof single barrel pick for $35 is pretty impossible to pass up), and there were plenty of bottles to go around, so seemingly nobody missed out.

Despite that I'm not a wheated bourbon junkie as some people are, when I saw the row of these picks lining the shelf, I immediately grabbed one. Looking back on this and on the Ezra Brooks pick that I previously enjoyed, I really should have grabbed a few more of these. All single barrels means each one is going to be unique, and have I mentioned the price?!?  For that price, my feeling was that even if I get something good but not great, still a value.

On the nose I got a soft, pillowy nougat note, like the inside of a 3 Musketeers bar. I also got a certain sweet but nutty note, like honey roasted peanuts. It had traditional toffee and brown sugar notes as well, along with a bit of burnt sugar to it. It smelled good, but nothing that really stood out to me.

On my first sip, it was immediately clear that this was a very toffee-forward bourbon, with a pronounced sweetness to it. However, kind of like the nose, it had a certain salt element to it as well that provided a bit of balance. It came across a bit like salted caramel, but with some of that burnt sugar that I was getting from the nose.

Part way through it developed a little bit of spice, but it was sort of a tangy spice, like a light anise note along with some amaretto flavors. That nuttiness still stuck around, but any peanut notes came more in the form of rich almond flavors. It even had a bit of an old fashioned flavor to it, with a nice mix of that cherry and muddled orange peel to it.

The finish on this was pretty long and flavorful, and honestly my favorite part of this whiskey. I got that almond flavor, but it came across as more of a toasted almond, and that was all in a layer of toffee that just refused to go away.

This was a really good bourbon. I prefer a spicier versus a sweeter bourbon, but nonetheless I really liked this, especially for the price! Wheated bourbon lovers should be jumping all over these when they see them, because it has a good mix of sweet and heat.

Grade: B+

Larceny Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon - Batch No. A120

VITALS:

- $55

- 123.2 Proof

- NAS

- Batch No. A120

- Kentucky

This is one of those releases that I was keeping an eye out for and actively asking for to make sure I got a bottle. I'm not necessarily a wheater-head. I like Maker's just fine, same with Weller. As for Larceny, I like it a lot for its price point, and whenever I find a private selection of Larceny, I pick up a bottle -- again, going back to the price. Larceny has proven time and time again to provide good flavor that doesn't hurt the wallet.

So, when a barrel strength version was announce, to be released periodically (I think three times a year like the Elijah Craig Barrel Strength), I wanted to make sure I got my hands on a bottle right away. The price is still really good, and if I like regular Larceny, I figured I'd be sure to like the barrel proof version.

Luckily, from my first pour, my assumptions were confirmed! The nose was very pungent, loaded with cinnamon, oak and even some honey. It really came across as sweet and woody. I also got a tangy, almond liqueur type flavor as well, along with some brown sugar, and it reminded me of a biscotti. Later on it seemed as though all I could notice was the brown sugar, as it really took over the nose. All in all, though, it smelled sweet and rich with a whole lot of depth.

As to flavor, this bourbon really had a sweet and spicy profile. As with the nose, brown sugar really took the forefront, giving it a rich tone. The thick, oily texture gave it a brown sugar and melted butter quality, kind of like chocolate chip cookie dough before you add the chocolate chips.

The light cinnamon spice was there as well, to add just a light amount of heat, as well as a bit of a tannic, oaky flavor to help offset the sweetness.  It also had an oatmeal flavor to it, which reminded me of oatmeal cookies, with brown sugar and molasses notes mixing in.

On later pours I got almost all brown sugar and molasses (much like the way I got all brown sugar on the nose after a while). It really dominated the oatmeal cookie note, making it seem a bit more like a molasses cookie at times. Despite that dark sugariness, the oak flavors also came through fairly well.  The finish was long and sweet, mixed with just the lightest cinnamon bite that had me wanting more and more.

I found I was a pretty big fan of this. While the notes seem a bit simplistic (brown sugar, wood, cinnamon, etc.), each of those flavors was rich and bold, and they were also well balanced such that it wasn't overly sweet or overly woody. It was rich and flavorful, and I just kept wanting more and more. It didn't take long to polish this bottle off once it was opened.

Grade: A-

Larceny Binny's Private Selection No. 2 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $25
- 92 Proof
- Approx 6 1/2 years
- Barrel Serial No. 6515632
- Kentucky

I was pretty excited when I heard that Larceny was going to be put into Heaven Hill's barrel select program. The fact of the matter is, I get excited for any product that gets added to the various distilleries' private barrel programs.  So, of course when Binny's got their first two picks in, I snatched one up immediately . . . and how could I not at the price.

In fact, for what it's worth, I initially purchased Barrel No. 1. However, I was then offered samples of both, and I decided I liked No. 2 better on initial tastes, and I had to make the exchange. I think that's the first time I've ever returned a bottle of whiskey.

On the first pour, the aroma was full of sweet cinnamon and burnt sugar. There was also somewhat of a peanut brittle quality to it, with that cooked sugar and peanut smell.  It had a light peppery spice as well as a bit of black cherry, and underneath it all was a constant bread note. It was kind of a hodge podge of aromas, and the nose really gave no indication of what I was going to taste.

The one thing that certainly carried through to the palate, though, was the sweetness.  This came across as very sweet, with healthy doses of vanilla and caramel throughout.  Various other flavors made their way into the mix, and I felt like I was noticing something different with each pour. In early pours I got a black cherry note, but it was more of a cough syrup type black cherry flavor, rather than the fresh black cherry I got on the nose.

On later pours, I was getting nougat notes, along with the peanut brittle I got on the nose, and it really reminded me of a Snickers bar. In fact, the closer I got to the bottom of the bottle, the more prominent this flavor got, and all I was tasting was a less sweet Snickers bar.

The finish, however, was significantly longer than I would have expected given the proof. It had a graham crackery note, as well as cinnamon and pecan, and it reminded me a bit of pecan pie, particularly with the sweetness of it all.

Overall, there were some off notes (that cough syrup flavor) and it at times seemed a bit schizophrenic, but all in all I liked it better than standard Larceny. So, it was certainly worth it, and I doubt that I'd hesitate to grab another Larceny private pick the next time I see one, especially given the minimal hit to my wallet.

Grade: B

Smooth Ambler Big Level Wheated Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $59
- 100 Proof
- NAS
- Batch No. 11
- West Virginia

Smooth Ambler has been able to develop quite the cult following around its Old Scout line, sourcing delicious bourbons for years. They've bottled some of their own stuff as well, though those offerings haven't quite garnered the attention that the Old Scout line has. Recently, Smooth Ambler released Big Level, a wheated bourbon that is all their own.

Although no age is stated on the bottle, the interwebs tell me that it's 5+ years old.  What I take from that is that, while that is certainly still on the younger end, it's not as though they rushed this product out early for the sake of generating revenues. Rather, somebody felt it was aged well enough to bottle it under Smooth Ambler's name and release it to market.

The nose on this was interesting. I got some alcohol off of it, but oddly got a bit of a charcoal flavor. I know it was distilled in Virginia, but that alone should not have imparted such a note. I also got a bit of overripe apple, which I've always associated with young, craft whiskies.

My first impression upon taking a sip was that this is very sweet, like sugar cookie sweet. It had a bit of a baked goods flavor to it, but with a whole bunch of sugar to it. Unfortunately, it also had that craft-ish flavor to it, that familiar over-ripe apple flavor that is just so off-putting. Granted, the sweetness was something that other craft whiskies haven't been able to accomplish, but it was still hard to get past.

On the finish I got a certain amount of tartness that just didn't work for me either. I like a good cherry tart note. However, this was more of a "bad blackberry" type note. It had that dark berry note, but it just wasn't quite right, and it certainly wasn't enjoyable.

I don't know if it was the wheat or what, but I also got a distinct wood note, like chewing on a twig. It was earthy and dry. That with the tartness gave a bit of an orange peal, and even some amaretto flavor. Don't get me wrong, though, this did not approach the flavor of an old fashioned or anything like that. Rather, these were just more the bitter aspects of these flavors, and they just didn't work to make this much more enjoyable.

I had high hopes for this whiskey, and as I made my way through the bottle I wanted very badly for it to improve over time and with a little oxidation. But, in the end, it came across as unbalanced and unrefined, and I just didn't find it that enjoyable.

Grade: C-