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Quite rare are the opportunities to pick a barrel of Willett Family Estate. As far as I know, this is actually the only non-distributor pick that a store was allowed to do in the great state of Massachusetts this year. Liquor Junction got the nod as one of the best liquor stores to come pick a barrel and I'm beyond thrilled that they let me come along to help taste through samples. When I later learned that my good friend Frank Dobbins, one of the best palates in whiskey, had never done a Willett pick I immediately extended the invite. It was such a pleasure getting to know him better and watching him work through our tasting. We tasted through somewhere north of a dozen barrels with Josh before settling on the sample that I said "smelled like the inside of a battleship". Hilariously, this comment was met with a "what the f%$& are you talking about?" from Josh. To my credit, he has never experienced that smell before, so the aroma-induced memory wasn't there for him. We laughed for hours, but always stayed focused on picking the best whiskey. The year prior, it was a 9 year OG mash bourbon we named "LJ Engine #9" after the legendary Roger Miller song. This year, a 10 year rye stood out so we went back in for round 2 with Roger Miller on the vintage hit Chug-a-lug. Now let's get into if this whiskey is worth your time and attention. Keep in mind that since I picked this barrel, I will not be giving it a numerical score at the end, so you'll have to read between the lines more than usual here. In general, I would only endorse a whiskey I am absolutely thrilled with as I consider my own opinion to be thoroughly honest. On with the notes! Company on Label: The Willett Distillery Whiskey Type: Straight Rye Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: 74% Rye, 11% Corn, 15% Malted Barley Proof: 118.6° Age: 10 years Further identification: This is a barrel select that I did with @BourbYourEnthusiasm and @LiquorJunction back in April of 2023; this barrel came from Warehouse A, Floor 4, Rick 12N, and are currently available through Liquor Junction's punch program Nose: Sweet lemon frosting & gunmetal jump out at me first. Barrel funk seeps into every corner of the glass showing off its age. This is vintage style, low proof rye at its finest. Sweet caramel and low, rumbling, thick raspberry jam tones with all the seeds and bits. Aromas of leather, clay and a shoebox full of sepia-toned memories give this a consistent feeling of being vintage & old. Hints of seared shishito peppers give off great depth before the glass returns to a creamy dream. The nose on this is just divine. Late in the glass cherry juice, prune and Angostura bitters can be pulled from the depths while marshmallow barrel char tones provide a comforting backdrop. The empty glass smells of parsley, butter and raspberry. Palate: At first sip I find fits of fruit. Lemon rind, blood orange, pineapple and plum create a head-scratching incredibly unique profile for any whiskey. Another sip is incredibly zesty with more lemon peel, clove and allspice dancing on the tongue. The linger that follows is immediately creamy with soft, buttery croissant notes. A longer sip and swish reveals cinnamon raisin bread and a wide array of things tumbling out of the spice cabinet. I love how this works all around my mouth from the tangy fruit up front to the spice along the edges of the tongue and then the creamy finish from center to back. Mmm. Sipping late in the glass reveals rolling sweet tones of rum cake and grape skins. The last sip is layered and juicy with pear, pie crust, whipped cream and a cascade of nutmeg across the long finish. TL;DR: Vintage funk, creamy and sweet Rating: Crushworthy This is one of my favorite ryes in the whiskey study right now and I'm finding that this bottle is likely not long for the world. Let me know down in the comments what your experience with Willett rye has been.

I've heard this called "Blanton's Jr" or something akin to that, and all my experiences with it have lived up to that stereotype so far. For one pour I attempted to put aside my preconceived notions on this bottle and give it a fair shake. Company on Label: Buffalo Trace Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #2 (Higher Rye 12-15%) Proof: 88.9° Age: NAS (Rumored ~8 years) Further identification: 2020 'Buffalo Trace Allocation Season' purchase Dry nose; slight apple. Hint of vanilla is present and surprising amount of ethanol for the proof. Palate improves markedly with creamy thin vanilla mouth coating soaking in a light cherry. Rye spices (black pepper) are tamped down by much sweeter notes like a light fruity oak. Not overly complex... with a short, forgettable finish. Rating: 3/5 I think this one is getting too low in proof for me to enjoy regularly. But some days when you are tired and just need an easy sipper, this could definitely be it, if you can somehow find it for below MSRP.

Red Spot Single Pot Still Company on Label: Midleton Distillery Whiskey Type: Irish Whiskey finished

Mayor Pingree 5 Year Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey Company on Label: Valentine Distilling Percentages: Undisclosed Valentine Mash Bill Proof: 117.8° Age: 5 years Further identification: This single There's a thick and leathery nose feel that certainly tingles a bit on the way through.

It's Starlight Sunday over here in the Amongst household again! I figured I'd combo that with a shared pour - this sample comes courtesy of my friend Ian (@barrelproofnerd) in a sample swap we did not too long ago. In looking for the barrel details I also discovered that the venerable Frank (@bourbyourenthusiasm) has also reviewed this barrel for Malt! I'm thrilled to be sipping on something that we have both tried and I look forward to comparing notes once I finish up putting down my own thoughts. This will probably be a shorter one for me tonight, but let's get into it! Company on Label: Starlight Distillery Whiskey Type: Finished Bourbon Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed if it's from Starlight's 3 or 4 grain mash Proof: 114.8° Age: 4 (and a half) years Further identification: This cigar batch is finished in Brazilian Amburana barrels; it is a @bourbonfinds pick that comes from barrel # FB113-1 Nose: Right up front on the nose I find a synthetic vanilla and insanely rich toffee note that comes off the glass like a Falcon 9 at full thrust. The smell of this almost makes me hungry in the same way a really sweet desert can reinvigorate your appetite when you previously thought you were stuffed. There's a rich blackberry jam, dark fig and a very clear & robust mincemeat pie aroma here. It feels incredibly dark, heavy and viscous in the nose. It comes across like tiramisu but cranked up to 11 in intensity with some kind of strange, eclectic cinnamon twist. It's incredibly, incredibly unique, but I can't quite tell if I'm into it just yet. Let's get into a sip. After a sip the nose softens considerably as light notes of those candy dots that come on the strip of paper appear. Lighter wood aromas begin to show up and I'm greeted with more orange tones. Palate: On my first sip I find a very similar story as the nose, but it actually turns out softer here compared to the intensity of the nose which I appreciate in this scenario. Gingerbread cookie, Moroccan oranges, and an ever prevalent mincemeat pie flavor coat the mouth well without being overpowering. There's a significant smokiness hiding out in the linger after waiting a while before another sip. After going for another I find more orange peel, funky mesquite wood, and something synthetic out of the 90s that I just can't quite place. The linger is nice on this being on the lighter side with cooler fruit tones bubbling off the surface of my tongue. Oh wow. I just figured out the synthetic note... It reminds me of camping out on a brand new portable air mattress; it's that new-plastic smell that is incredibly potent, so much so that it transfers to the palate here as well. Nearing the bottom of the glass I am finding that I'm oddly accepting of some of these incredibly strange flavors that seems to be coming together in the end. My last sip is certainly on the spicier side with clove and nutmeg as well as a flash of soft cherry. The finish is drying with a medium linger of plum and rich earth tones. Rating: 2/5 (Not good... Doesn't please my palate.) Overall, I can definitely appreciate a brand trying something as unique as this. At the same time this feels so different just for the sake of being different and overall I'd definitely say the typical flavors found throughout these Amburana barrel finished releases just might not be for my palate. I know some are crazy for this stuff and by all means I'm not saying this is a bad whiskey with a 2 score here; it just doesn't agree with my flavor interests personally. I will say this pick is significantly better than 1 of the previous Cigar Batch barrels that I've tried... Maybe they just need to be paired with the right cigar to properly unlock the right flavors; who knows! I do know I love Starlight distillate, so this miss won't put me off of them by any means. Cheers!

7: 1991 Cragganmore 17 Year Manager's Dram Single Malt Scotch Whisky A unique short and flat-top still (the spirit still) used in second distillation, in addition to the use of sherry casks, is likely responsible Malt Scotch Whisky This is a Speyside distillery, running 6 traditional Speyside pot stills at its location This one stood out well for both tasters as a single malt. Explored here as single malts was nothing short of a divine experience.

Left Glass > Right Glass, but they are incredibly close Reveal: Left Glass = 13 Year Right Glass = Single to in terms of quality and will likely not represent the entirety of their line, as is expected with single Russell's 13 comes with a white top label and a blue bottom label; it is NCF stated Russell’s Reserve Single

~4 year MGP rye, ~5 year Alberta rye, and ~15 year Light Whiskey Further identification: This is a single

Bill Percentages: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley Proof: 120.36° Age: 6 years Further identification: This single

This single barrel select is Mass Bourbon Alliance's third release. Much like the Spirit Animal Society Old Elk bourbon single barrel pick, I'd call this one 'supremely

While our Single Barrel Series is focused on customization and creativity, this new series is focused It's still quite delicious all throughout and I again am keenly aware of a strong hunger brewing.

The oak level is still high regardless of what notes are on top; but there is some new white pepper and