Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Binny's Private Select Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $60

- 101 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel #19-0118

- Kentucky

It's been a while since I've had a Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel store pick. It seems that typically these hit the shelves at the same time Russell's Reserve picks are hitting the shelves, and I always go for the latter. After all, those come with a higher proof, not to mention they usually carry an age statement. 

That said, I've always been a Turkey fan, and I've really enjoyed the Kentucky Spirit picks I've had in the past. Those picks came in the old-style bottle with the shape of the fanned out turkey feathers. I always dug that bottle, and I really wish they hadn't changed it. I'm sure it was costly, but comparatively, this new bottle and label design is fairly drab and boring. Luckily, though, that will have absolutely zero effect on how it tastes!

The nose was exactly what I'd expect from a Wild Turkey product. I got a healthy amount of unsweetened cinnamon layered over a light oak note. There was a sweetness to it, but it came from a sort of burnt sugar note. There was also a nice hazelnut note that I really enjoyed, and I found myself keeping my nose to my glass just to keep getting whiffs of that hazelnut.

The flavor was rich and spicy, and seemed to have the kind of depth I'd expect from a much higher proof whiskey. It had a nice heat right up front, not from alcohol, but rather from black pepper and cinnamon spice. There was a nice, rich dark chocolate note that really helped balance that heat, along with a pecan-type nuttiness to add some additional flavor and depth.

As the heat died away, a sweet cola note seemed to take over, along with a nice dark caramel note. While the initial heat seemed to die away, some lingering spice remained throughout, working well with the sweetness. There was also a slight char note that seemed to come in from time to time, just to make things a bit more interesting.

On the finish the spice really came back, leaving a lingering black pepper spice to tickle my tongue and the back of my throat. Here is where the burnt sugar and hazelnut from the nose really came through, leaving a long-lasting sweet hazelnut note coating my mouth.

I don't know why I automatically reach for the Russell's Reserve aside from the reasons noted above. Every time I've had a Kentucky Spirit store pick, I've thoroughly enjoyed it, and this one was no different.  I'm going to have to change my mindset, I think.

Grade: B+

Old Soul 15 Year Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey

VITALS:

- $125

- 102 Proof

- 15 Years

- Kentucky

On my last trip to Louisville, I of course made it a point to hit up the closest Liquor Barn to find whatever store picks I could find, or just any bottle that I couldn't get by me. After immediately grabbing a Russell's Reserve pick off the shelf, I eventually found my way to the "rare spirits" cabinet. In perusing the selection, there were mostly high-priced bourbons of questionable origin, and I wasn't really blown away.  But, I wanted to come back with something.

I saw this Old Soul there, and I know I had seen Old Soul 14 in Illinois, but not the 15 year.  I did some quick Googling on my phone, and the rumors were that the 15 year was sourced from Jim Beam (from what I understood, the 14 year that was available in Illinois was Barton, but don't quote me on that).  So, while this bottle carried a hefty price tag, the idea of 15 year Beam bourbon at cask strength for $125 really isn't that out of whack.

The nose was excellent on this. I got sweet, creamy caramel and dark chocolate. That was topped with a sort of caramelized banana. The Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chao does a baked banana that is incredible, and this reminded me of that. There was also a woody nutty note that likened to walnut.

On the flavor, I was immediately hit with those traditional notes of caramel and brown sugar. There was also a layer of unsweetened vanilla, kind of like vanilla extract. There was also a rich, almost tangy note that was kind of like an amaretto liqueur.

I also got this sort of sour candied cherry note. It was sweet but tart all at once. It also had that liqueur quality to it, like the cherry found in the middle of a cherry cordial. The dark chocolate from the nose also came through, and this seemed to fit perfectly with that cherry note. 

The finish was almost all cinnamon and brown sugar. But, I also got the dark chocolate and the type of nutty note that I associate with Jim Beam bourbons. It wasn't totally peanuts like some bottles I've had. It leaned more towards a walnut note. But, if I were tasting this blind, I'd like to think that I'd have pegged this as a Beam product.

All in all, this was a very good bourbon. I'm not mad at the price, as it's probably in line with the age and proof, if not on the low end.  It held up with solid, traditional flavors, and gave a nice sweet, but not too sweet, profile.

Grade: B

Weller Full Proof Binny's Single Barrel Select Barrel #323 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $60

- 114 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel #323

- Kentucky

I have never been a Weller "fanboy." While I certainly do enjoy Weller products, I've never been one to chase after the 12 year, or even the Single Barrel or CYPB, for that matter. That said, for some reason I have loved Full Proof from day one. Perhaps that proof just does make that much of a different. Before Full Proof was a thing, I did prefer the Antique at 107 proof, so it does kind of make sense.

Binny's has had a number of private picks since the Weller Full Proof private barrel program started. I think they may be up to Batch #4 or #5 by now. But, that's just it.  Up until this bottle was released, they had all ben "Small Batch Select" bottlings.  This was the first "Single Barrel Select" Binny's pick, so I was very eager to try to get my hands on a bottle. Plus, I heard that this particular bottle was phenomenal, so the FOMO hit me hard on this one. Luckily for me that was a fear I never realized.  

On the nose I got a great combination of cinnamon liqueur, cherry and dark chocolate. It was sweet but not sweet all at once. In that sense it kind of reminded me of a cherry cordial, where any sweetness is balanced by the booziness of the liqueur and the bitterness of the dark chocolate.  There was also a distinct oak note on the nose, something I don't necessarily recall getting from a Weller Full Proof before. But, it was a sweet oak note, not the kind of tannic note you get from an over-aged bourbon.

The flavor, interestingly, seemed to go a slightly different direction. There I was immediately met with a rich caramel or toffee note that was paired with lush, dark fruit notes. I was getting blackberry and raisin, along with a sweet but lightly tart cherry note. It almost had a Cabernet to it (but did not at all taste like a wine-finished bourbon).

It also had a pastry like quality to it, bready and sweet. Perhaps like a sweet cinnamon roll or perhaps a cinnamon and chocolate chip muffin, but more just the top where it's sweeter. It had that slight yeast note to it, but it paired so well with the toffee and dark fruits as well as that cinnamon. So well, in fact, I would love to have it for breakfast.

The oak did show up on the finish, but again it was a sort of sweet, nutty oak, and not the tannic, drying oak that you sometimes get in old bourbons. The toffee and cinnamon, however, were the main event on the finish, and those flavors remained on my tongue and at the back of my throat seemingly forever.

I didn't want to finish this bottle, because I know once it was gone it was gone for good.  But, once I got down to just a few pours left, I just couldn't help myself, and next thing I knew it was gone. The early reviews on this bottle were dead on. This was a fantastic bourbon!

Grade: A

I.W. Harper Cabernet Cask Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Cabernet Sauvignon Casks

VITALS:

- $40

- 90 Proof

- NAS

- Kentucky

I.W. Harper is one of those brands that occasionally I have to be reminded that I like. I think that's more due to their limited line-up than anything. Their standard Kentucky Straight Bourbon is one of my favorite lower shelf bourbons, something I was surprised to learn in a blind tasting.  Of course they have their 15-year bourbon that comes in the fancy decanter as well, but that's a limited release and certainly somewhat pricy.

So, when a new "standard" made its way to the shelves, I figured I had to at least give it a try. The price was certainly approachable at $40, though I wish it could have had a bit more proof. But, you throw a wine finish on it, and I'm going to at least give it a go.  

The nose is, quite frankly, exactly what you'd expect from a wine-finished bourbon. It was brown sugar and caramel layered over red wine notes. The fruity notes from the finish added raisin and plum, even some dates to the aroma.  It even had an oatmeal raisin cookie at times. It was sweet, but it was as soft sweetness that didn't offend.

At 90 proof, I didn't expect this to be a heater or anything. But, it came across as more watered down and thin than expected. And I'm not just talking about the texture. Unfortunately, there was just no boldness in flavor. Nothing really stuck out.  Certainly nothing smacked me in the face with flavor. And with a wine cask finish, that's kind of the point--to add flavor.

Here I did get notes of vanilla mixed with slight notes of dark fruit, again plum and raisin like on the nose. There was a slight cherry note at times, which was really enjoyable. But, I almost had to go searching for it. 

There was a light earthiness in there somewhere as well, kind of like a tea note, and at times more like a sweet tobacco leaf note.  I really enjoyed these notes as well, but everything was just so soft and watered down, I really just couldn't pinpoint anything that particularly stood out.

It may be that going forward I avoid any wine-finished bourbons that are under 100 proof. Perhaps this one is an anomaly, but it seemed to really not benefit from the wine finish, not because it didn't complement the bourbon well, but rather because it wasn't allowed to. I wanted to like this more, and I think a bit more viscosity and heat could have accomplished that.

Grade: C

Blanton's Straight From the Barrel Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $150

- 127 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel No. 538

- Dumped on 6-15-18

- Kentucky

This bottle represents a "first" for me.  Perhaps that's why it took me so long to actually finish it.  This was the first bottle I purchased on the much maligned secondary market. Back in 2018, when there was a prolific Facebook group that since got shut down, I got my first taste of access to bottles that I could never get my hands on otherwise. Granted this bottle is now available in the United States. But, back then it was only available in other countries, and not being much of an international traveler, the secondary market was my way of obtaining one.

I actually purchased this along with a gold version.  I subsequently purchased a black and a red version available in Japan only, and my work friends and I did a complete vertical of Blanton's, with the regular single barrel, two different store picks, black, gold, red and two Straight From the Barrel bottles, including this one. That was a hell of a tasting, and this particular bottle was the near-unanimous favorite among the group.

The nose was rich, sweet and spicy, with everything I've come to love about Buffalo Trace's Mashbill #2. There was a sweet and crackery graham cracker note, along with a light chocolate note. That paired perfectly with a nice cinnamon spice and even a touch of red pepper flake. I also got a slight tea leaf note off the nose that added the slightest bit of earthiness to it.

As to flavor, the cinnamon was front and center. It offered both that sweet cinnamon flavor I associate with cinnamon rolls, but also that spicy cinnamon I associate with cinnamon flavored candy. Up front I got a light black pepper spice on the tip of my tongue as well. There was also a light layer of anise that was just the right amount that I found it enjoyable.

The anise and black pepper seemed to fade pretty quickly and made way for the real star of the show. I got an incredible buttery caramel flavor that seemed to coat my mouth and worked to drown out everything else, and for good reason. That note had me wanting more and more and more of this bourbon, and I didn't want it to leave.

Luckily, it did hang around for a really long time. This bourbon had a nice, viscous quality that made for a really long finish, and it was that buttery caramel note that seemed to invade every nook and cranny of my mouth. It also had a slight cinnamon spice on the finish as well, just hanging around at the back of my throat.

This was far and away better than any other Blanton's bottle I've had. It was fun, it was interesting, it was delicious, and it had me constantly wanting more.  I'm salivating as I type this just thinking of that butter and caramel flavor.

Grade: A+

Jack Daniel's 10 Year Tennessee Whiskey

VITALS:

- $80

- 97 Proof

- 10 Years

- Batch No. 10-001

- Tennessee

While it may have occurred in the past (I didn't bother to research, so feel free to Google it for yourself), I have never seen an age-stated Jack Daniel's. So, given that their single barrels and their limited releases have all been hitting home runs the last few years, when this release was announced, I put my feelers out everywhere to make sure I got my hands on a bottle.

I've never really considered myself a Jack Daniel's fan. I've certainly never drank it with any sort of regularity. Heck, I've never even tried the Gold or the Sinatra's Select releases. But, those annual limited edition cask strength releases, both the bourbon and the rye, have been phenomenal. I've also had some amazing store picks. So, while I don't proclaim to be a Jack Daniel's fan, I think deep down inside I just might be. 

I absolutely loved the nose on this. It was very dessert-like.  I immediately got notes of rich toffee and chocolate, along with a sweet nutty note, perhaps like cashews. It wasn't just a nutty Heath bar, though. There was this other aroma there, and the note I wrote down was "kind of a liqueur-soaked yellow cake note."  I don't know if I've had liqueur soaked cake before, but if I did, I'd imagine this is what it would smell like!

As for the flavor, it seemed to go a bit of a different direction. Right away I got sweet wood notes. It didn't have that tannic quality you sometimes get with older whiskeys. This was just the oak influence, but it paired with notes of sweet vanilla and rich caramel.

I thought this actually drank at a higher proof than is stated on the bottle. It had a healthy alcohol burn, even on the final few pours. I found myself double-checking the proof on the label more than once. That said, that heat dissipated quickly and the flavors made themselves noticed.

After having this open for not even a week, it developed an ice cream dessert like flavor. One of my favorite milkshake flavors is chocolate-banana. This reminded me of just that. It, of course, had notes of chocolate and banana (not an uncommon tasting note in a Jack product), but with the vanilla notes and even a bit of a cherry syrup note, this reminded me of a banana split.

In fact, that milkshake/banana split note was all that lingered on the finish as well.  And, while the proof on this didn't break 100, the finish still lasted much like a higher proof whiskey.  

This bottle simply took Jack Daniel's and made it better . . . way better.  While it is certainly on the sweeter end and, in my personal preference, could have used a bit more spice, it is nonetheless one of the better Jack Daniel's products I've had.

Grade: A

Longrow Red Malbec Cask Matured 13 Year Peated Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch

VITALS:
- $150

- 102.6 Proof

- 13 Years

- Campbeltown

The "Red" series from Longrow is hands down my favorite series among whiskeys.  Every single one has been absolutely fantastic, finding a great balance between the salty smoke of the peat and the rich fruit-forward notes provided by the cask finish. 

This particular one, released in 2017, was matured in Malbec casks. I don't drink wine any more, but when I did, I gave Malbecs a try a few different times. I just did not enjoy them, for whatever reason. So, while I, of course, grabbed this one nonetheless, figuring how bad could it be, I went into it thinking this might be the first one that didn't blow me away. I couldn't have been more wrong, though. This was an incredible dram!

On the nose, the wine notes do seem to overpower the peat smoke, making the smokiness of it almost secondary. The aroma is dominated by rich blackberry and dark cherry, along with a good amount of oak offering a balancing bitterness. The peat is there, but comes across as more of a char note.

The flavor, though, was everything I could have hoped for. This bottle was all sweet, fruity smoke, and I loved it. Cherry and fig dominated the fruity notes, providing a dark and rich sweetness.  And yet, it was never a super-sweet whisky. There was a lot of balance to it, as it also had a cranberry note that added some tartness, and that same oak from the nose to add a bit of earthiness and a touch of bitterness.

What stood out with this bottle, though, was something rich and almost meaty. It reminded me of cherry wood smoked barbecue, or perhaps a reduced cherry barbecue sauce. It had smoke, it had sweet cherry, it had sweet brown sugar and it had barbecue spice. I've never had something like this before, and I wonder how much of that was the Malbec influence. I certainly don't get notes like this from the sweeter Port or Sherry finishes.

This might just be one of my favorite whiskeys I've ever had. The nose was just good, but whatever. It's the nose. The flavor absolutely floored me, with an incredible balance of rich sweetness, peat smoke and spice that made everything go perfectly, like each note had a purpose, even down to the cranberry.  I saved the last pour for quite some time, not wanting to finish the bottle, but now I just may have to track another one of these down.

Grade: A+