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Undisclosed (likely an MGP mash bill) Proof: 114.2° Age: 10 year Further identification: This is a single perfect caramel note you hope for in every bourbon alongside a toasted marshmallow, and a touch of salted

days of this bracket, I’ll be diving deep on all things Four Roses barrel strength single barrel. Roses Distillery Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: "B" mash bill: 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley "E" mash bill: 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley Proof: Varies by barrel, and typically by Plum pie swings in with a good bit of cinnamon spice that tingles in the chest. Very funky and malty with black treacle. Troves of oak present well aged.

Company on Label: Pernod Ricard (Distilled at Midleton Distillery) Whiskey Type: Irish Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: 100% Malted and Unmalted Barley Proof: 101° Age: NAS Further identification: This new release from Redbreast is a higher proof than normally seen on Irish whiskeys and is nuanced by its extra finishing This feels notably different to the traditional creamy Irish whiskey mouthfeel one might come to expect strength I tried; it toes the line well between trying too hard to be closer to a bourbon and keeping some Irish

Rating: 4/5 With any single barrel or individual store pick offerings, the notes and rating in this review

: Wilderness Trail Whiskey Type: Straight Rye Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: 33% Corn, 56% Rye, 11% Malted

Rating: 3/5 With any single barrel or individual store pick offerings, the notes and rating in this review

known to typically run in the 4-6 year range) Further identification: This is a Warehouse I, Floor 1 single

Back in May of 2022 we had the great pleasure of visiting Starlight Distillery as part of a collaboration between the group that @bourbondipity_ and I run for our local community in Massachusetts called Mass Bourbon Alliance. We collaborated with a great local store that is expanding and thriving here in MA: Liquor Junction. We went in with low/no expectations and left amazed with 4 barrels - the first barrels to ever hit MA! I'll drop a synopsis of each here, but wouldn't feel comfortable honestly reviewing these without some level of bias being at play, so I won't be attaching a score to these. I hope you find the notes helpful! "Mass #1 - Sweet Tart" Starlight Bourbon Barrel No. 18-0247 114.4 Proof - Aged 4 Years This is one of their flagship bourbons that will certainly satisfy your sweet tooth. We picked this one for its rich candied fruit, vanilla and baking spice profile coming from a great Spirit Premium barrel by Canton cooperage. The unfinished bourbons have seriously been growing on me lately. I have a bottle from Liquor Depot in CT that I was incredibly impressed by as well. Our barrel definitely brings a bit more fruit complexity to an already delicious, viscous, oily, rich mouth coating whiskey. Nose: Goodness that's delectable - prominent vanilla, tiramisu, cherry syrup and rich chocolate present bold & complete. Continuously soft and delectable to inhale throughout the glass, it finishes with notes of crème brûlée and woodshop aromas. Palate: Big bready tones flash up first followed by that signature fruity sweet tart profile. I find cherry skins, plum and thick raspberry jam. It's oily, jammy and altogether a crushable explosion of rich flavors. Another sip produces more pot still oily tones as well as buttercream frosting and rich oak. The linger is thoroughly satisfying with flavors of strawberries and crêpes. My last sip is just as delicious as the first with a trove of fruit notes bombarding the palate. This glass is sweet beyond measure without becoming cloying. Yum. "Starry Night" Starlight Double Oaked Bourbon Batch 22-2080-1 112.6 Proof - Aged 4.5 Years This double oaked bourbon whiskey was an absolute must-have for Derek who frequently reminded the pick team that the 2nd half of this sip truly has 'something special' He's so damn right too! It comes from a Spirit Legacy by Canton cooperage featuring 5 year American staves with 4 year Hungarian heads. The barrel was air seasoned 60 months. We tasted a lot of things this day, but this one clearly stood out with the other Canton barrels, producing marvelous toasted vanilla notes. Sip this one while you relax to some Don McLean. Nose: Banana foster jumps out on the nose followed by rich toasted marshmallow. Plenty of charred oak aromas are here as well giving this the illusion of age beyond its statement. It's creamy in the nose which is definite treat. The end of the glass smells of molasses, troves of oak, and Pillsbury dinner rolls. Palate: Punchier than the straight bourbon - this release throws orange peel, plum, apricot and hefty molasses at the palate with both elegance and vigor. The linger is impossibly long and full of confectioners sugar, caramel, dark chocolate and wave after wave of sweet amaretto. My last sip is loaded with beautiful coffee bean flavors that shimmer long into a creamy delight. "Lakeside" Starlight VDN Finished Rye Barrel No. 21-2298-2 106.2 Proof - Aged 4.5 Years One sip of this and you will know what the name means! This VDN (Vino de Naranja) finished rye brings just a squeeze of that orange wine to the table, building on a lovely sweet mash rye that has no equal. This zesty citrus forward rye is what all Summer whiskeys try to be - refreshing, bright and deliciously sweet. It reminds me a lot of the kind of profile that Willett rye blends give off. Given how distinct & unique this barrel finish is - this may not be a crowd pleaser, but it is unforgettable to the whiskey curious. Get this one on hand for the best enjoyment you'll find this Summer! Nose: Fruity florals burst out of this glass. Lemon tea and orange sherbet merge wonderfully. Cardamom, pine boughs, dusty oak and clay give this great depth. Chocolate undertones complete the well layered nose. Palate: Oh. My. Goodness! If you thought the Sweet Tart bourbon was sweet - this is an orange creamsicle embodied perfectly. It's sweet like a big bite of a juicy orange plus it has the vanilla forward profile that provides a creamy blanket over everything. The undertones are fun with herbal and floral subtleties that most will miss but aficionados will rejoice in. Lindt Intense Orange chocolate bars produce rather proofy, but it's a welcome zest. Marbled rye bread sits in the medium linger. My last sip is fruity with a few late surprises of sweet skittles. "Fireside" Starlight Port Finished Rye Barrel No. 21-2126-3 This one is a dreamy sister barrel to Lakeside, but it would serve best enjoyed in the opposite season. A port finished wine has been done a few times by now, but not all are created equal. The port wine cask used and the final product are often really dependent on the quality of the wine. We're well covered here as the Hubers actually started in wine before whiskey, so they have an incredible supply of plenty of great casks. If you're bummed about not being able to find A Midwinter Night's Dram bottle, or just want to sip on a similar profile for a good bit cheaper - this bottle is for you. The beautiful port sweetness adds just enough to an already exceptional rye without going overboard into the tannic wine territory. You'll love this as your new snow shoveling whiskey for any blustery Winter month. Nose: My my, the sheer volume of chocolate and sweet port aromas is mind bending. Plum and rich, dark grape aromas fill my nose with the warmth of a warm mulled wine. Fig, amaretto and rich raspberry aromas really push this into the exceptional category. It smells just like some of the best Midwinter Night's Dram releases I've tried. The volume somehow surpasses the 11 setting that the double oaked release achieved, and I'm left dumbfounded in fruit heaven. This glass is incredibly consistent, and I find it doesn't slouch, amplify nor undulate. It's just solid straight through and has shown no signs of being affected by oxidation on my way through the bottle. The empty glass smells of chocolate covered raisins and beautiful plum pudding. Palate: Creamy tiramisu hits first with beautiful espresso soaked ladyfingers. This creamy punch is followed by beautiful coffee bean flavors mixed with subtle fruit tones. This glass is a touch bready, but in a way that reminds me of Pirouline wafers. As the snow falls outside my window, I find this to be the perfect glass for today, though I know holistically - having tried this release many times now - that it falls just behind my general personal preference towards the unfinished bourbon. My last sip is like a carnival ferris wheel - a solid experience from start to finish with grandiose views without any real inherent risk. Any sip produces about as much happiness as your first kiss when you think nobody can see you at the top of the ride... In two words: Just. Delicious. My last sip is like a milky way with pure class, delicious creaminess and a finish that keeps you wishing for more. Just fantastic. Rating: Two Thumbs Way Up In an effort to continuously bring Amongst the Whiskey readers honest reviews, I don't feel comfortable doing numerical ratings on picks I was involved with. For further clarity - I don't get anything (except for great experiences) as part of my involvement with picking barrels with this store. My normal rating scale can be found here. My Personal Ranking: Sweet Tart > Fireside = Lakeside > Starry Night (Straight Bourbon > Port Finished Rye = VDN Finished Rye > Double Oaked Bourbon) Starlight Distillery is making some of the best whiskeys out there - evidenced by their latest Ascot Awards achievement, being recognized as the 2022 craft distillery of the year. Within this lineup there are no losers, though they are very different whiskeys individually. I'd urge anyone trying all 4 of these to savor them each on their own, as attempting to compare and contrast will leave you with a really wild array of flavors stuck on your palate. The double oaked in particular can be a little overpowering for the other releases & as such tends to be most people's favorite when they do try all 4 together. I think this is more of a factor of total flavor volume rather than a difference in quality personally, but everyone drinks differently. The Fireside will surely drink better if you happen to sample in the Winter and the Lakeside is a perfect Summer sipper - so those are a bit situational. If any of these releases sound like hits to you - I'd urge you to pop into any Liquor Junction store in MA and grab as many as you can carry!

As you can tell from the bottle fill level left at the time of review, this was a staple pour of mine for quite some time before sitting down for a formal review. Company on Label: Wild Turkey Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Barley Proof: 110° Age: 8 years Further identification: Rapid Liquors store pick Barrel 20-0164. Distilled 09/19/11, dumped 03/31/20, bottled 05/21/20 from Warehouse E, Floor 4. Nose: One of my favorite caramel specific note noses to date. Touched with pepper and funky oak. Oily goodness provides a rich, thick base. Cherry sits into a leather couch, not getting up for anyone. Sweet bakery confection, but also heavy like brown sugar sticky buns. Vanilla glaze definitely helps sell this experience. Explosive in the scents that jump out of the glass without any ethanol punch. Noses more like a 12 year old barrel at closer to 10 years aged in actuality. Such creamy goodness, noses up there with some really heavy hitters. Vanilla turning lighter than the beginning glaze texture now, making way for a hint of bright florals. Lemongrass citrus note is also an unbelievable addition late; where did this complexity come from? A linen note I've only specifically experienced in George T Stagg before. Yuuuum. Ugh. I have maybe two pours left of this and the nose is just exceptional. It smells like everything a bourbon should be, and what made me fall for this brand of spirit in the first place. Palate: Much of the same expressiveness on the palate; cherry and a lovely menthol lead the way. Way more herbal here on palate without the creamy caramel and brown sugar holding down the lighter notes. There is still a sweet & spicy brown sugar on the tip of the tongue but its effect is reduced on the overall blend of flavor. Perfect mouth feel, not too drying. The nose rising experience of a good sip and chew is lovely. No sting but linen & molasses rise strongly. Later in the pour things definitely transition to that sweet citrus side of things. Enjoyable oakiness where I would normally prefer other flavors works very well here. This one is definitely staying on my shelf as long as I can keep it there. May be one of the best Russell's picks out of MA. I am truly sad this is the only bottle that I have. Rating: 5/5

aged to perfection in the Hudson Valley, New York" Further identification: Bottled on 7/27/2021; This single

The experience tasting through several barrel proof single barrels with Lexie Phillips was a delicious This single barrel coming to the @ljwhiskeyfamily barrel program is a thoroughly complex, delicious whiskey The JD single barrel program is incredible - out of the hundreds of thousands of barrels that go through release well saying: From grain to barrel and straight to the bottle, our barrel proof Jack Daniel's single Dark walnuts, tingling vanilla and black pepper all mix cohesively.

Barrell Craft Spirits has been doing wonderous and remarkable things. From my most recent experience with Barrell Seagrass, to Dovetail, to the fun batches of bourbon & rye, there hasn't been anything from them that I've been able to turn down a pour of yet. I even won a signed bottle from Joe Beatrice in a blind tasting competition! That said, I go into every pour with a challenging and inquisitive mind. I generally try to disregard label and price once the liquor hits the glass and just evaluate on my reception to the experience. Company on Label: Barrell Craft Spirits Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed Proof: 119.54° Age: 7 years Further identification: Distilled in Kentucky, USA is listed on the back of this bottle; Barrel # Z2F4, bottle # 161. This is a store pick from Kappy's in MA for the 1940 Barrel Society called "Kappy Endings". I purchased this bottle in June of 2021 Nose: Wow, lovely spicy cherry; not hot in the sense of pepper spicy... not herbal... but a zesty hot tamale candy cherry. Really nice introduction smell. Caramel funk and citrus tied marvelously to the oak. It has that hallmark Pinesol note I've come to know very well. This has the makings of something that really reminds me of Willett distillate. Lightly dusty but mainly that sweet cinnamon is shining through on the nose pre-sip. Now some herbal chocolate mixes in. A bite of pepper. This has to be fairly high in rye content with what I'm smelling so far. I love it, but it definitely does not nose like a bourbon at the start! Introducing some air on a swirl brings out some light vanilla, white pepper and more of that funky citrus. The pre-sip nose seems to have run it's course, so let's give this a taste. Post sip, some of the intensity of the spice has mellowed which is a nice reprieve for the nostrils. It's more of a cardamom spice now with a slightly burnt oak. Caramelized sugar totally decimates the spice and now there is just a silky base of sweetness. A touch of mint can be found now that the aromas have turned more delicate late in the glass. A bit of dark, bready graham cracker can be found on deep inhales. I have zero complaints about this nose. Empty glass is a bit of floral vanilla and light molasses. Palate: Woah! That cherry explosion! It instantly fades into the cinnamon hot tamale candy profile I was also getting on the nose. The delivery of this is intense on a fresh palate. The linger is ridiculous. Alcohol soaked oak carries the same funky Pinesol-esque citrus forward. Molasses and chocolate are found left on my tongue on an exhale. The citrus feel has transitioned a bit to something that resembles a cooked or poached orange. Spearmint presents late as if the glass just turned over a new page. Some light chamomile tea flavors dance along late in the pour, as some lemon juice and honey drizzle their way into the finish. Some extra dark fruit and brown sugar is incredibly subtle but there. The last sip leaves me yearning for another glass, which is pretty rare for me. The light sting of lemon zest is so enjoyable to me at this proof. Rating: 5/5 This flavor is exactly why I love Willett family estate offerings. I obviously have no way of confirming if this indeed came from Willett, but my palate is about 95% confident it is... and I'm 100% confident that I love this bourbon. Thinking through this a bit more, it is definitely capable of being from Willett, given distillation resumed in 2012 and this is a 7 year age statement; it also shares a similar cask strength proof to some other Willett 7 year offerings I found online near 120°... Now does this mean Willett thought this wasn't good enough to be bottled under their label, or was Kappy's just lucky enough to select a fantastic barrel before it could go into the un-obtain-o-sphere? Thanks to Blake over at Bourbonr for some of the information that led me to this conclusion. I claim no accuracy to the information in this post, this is just my humble opinion on what I am tasting tonight. Let me know if you have tried this and what you think of it. Am I crazy? Definitely possible. Cheers!