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I'm just about at capacity in the whiskey study and therefore continuing with operation bottle kill in the Amongst household. This one is looking prime to be up next for the cause, so I figured I'd give it a proper tasting during it's send off. Keep in mind this bottle may be much more oxidized at time of review than a fresh pour. Anecdotally, this is where I think Old Ezra shines. I finished off my previous bottle of this around April 2021, so this bottle shouldn't be too bad. Let's get into it! Company on Label: Lux Row Distillers Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, and 12% Malted Barley Proof: 117° Age: 7 years Further identification: The back label says distilled and aged in Kentucky (by an undisclosed distillery that's presumed to be Heaven Hill), and bottled for Lux Row Distillers Nose: Sweet toffee forward, leading into indulgent caramel chews on first lifting the glass to my nose. Tobacco, herbal tea and pepper jump out immediately after. Dried pear is pretty unique here. Chocolate and peanut brittle build in some lovely complexity with aromas I thoroughly enjoy. It feels like a Beam product at it's heart. Building in spice as well as funky fruit now, I'm definitely starting to notice the proof creeping up in intensity. Raisin and cinnamon start to tingle and singe my nostrils as I yearn for a sip. After going for one, buttery pecan pie fills the glass. There's a dry paper note that really reminds me of many Heaven Hill releases now. The nose is almost whiskey-nostalgic for me, reminding me of many of my first whiskey tasting and nosing experiences. Pecan pie really is the absolute best way to describe the overall experience of the nose on this glass. There's a touch of sandalwood at times. I'm impressed by how many layers this glass has, but many of them are a bit fleeting. The empty glass smells absolutely incredible with hot fudge drizzle, vanilla bean ice cream, graham cracker and a touch of honey. Where on earth were these aromas earlier?! Palate: Yum! Immediately a rich caramel coats the tongue and then a wave of dark cherries and bitters undulates at a decent pace. Soft on the mouth feel, but with certain herbal and spice tones that threaten like they might bite yet they never do. Definitely a fruit forward profile that comes off low in intensity. It's like a sangria that's a little too watered down by ice to be really potent any longer. Plum, apricot and pecan drive the major profile of another sip. At times the cherry sweets can turn a little medicinal and spicy which is a bit harsh on the palate. This has a lot going on; it never really feels like this glass is sitting still. It's quite a high energy pour that I think I'd much rather enjoy with company than sipping solo for a review. I'm finding this a little too spicy, which is quite surprising for the fill level. The profile levels off by the end of the glass revealing pear, raw sugar and many layers of nutty cherry. Rating: 3/5 This is a really decent 3 for me, but the flashes of spice are a bit much for most occasions I'd say. I've had great tastings of this and I've had just-decent tastings of this. Overall, I'm not sore having a bottle on hand, but it's not one I reach for regularly. When I do enjoy it I like to have a couple glasses. I actually think this would do wonders in my infinity bottle tonight, as I have been looking for a little bit of that spice kick in my blend. I think I'll add a pour next time I make room off the top!

staves, they stand by their motto: "premium grain, premium stills, premium barrels." Thanks to Two Souls Spirits for providing this sample. Company on Label:  Two Souls Spirits featuring Blackfork Farms Whiskey Type:  Straight Bourbon Whiskey After a taste, I am pleased to find barrel funk. A good thing, in my opinion, to smell the craft in craft whiskey.

In looking for the barrel details I also discovered that the venerable Frank (@bourbyourenthusiasm) has also reviewed this barrel for Malt! 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 I will say this pick is significantly better than 1 of the previous Cigar Batch barrels that I've tried

Four Roses is back at it again with another bold age-statement of 14-20 year bourbons from 4 different mash bills. This blend runs 'E' heavy on the mash bill for those who prefer the lower rye content. You can see the recipes used below, and if you have trouble deciphering the code words shown you can use this chart from Four Roses here. The 2021 edition of this release had an exceptional nose and a delicious palate, but ultimately fell short of my top mark: the illustrious 5/5. With the age creeping higher on this release, and more of the E mash bill taking center stage, this one might have the opportunity to soar to new heights. We won't know until we try it though will we? I have tasted this twice now before today as I also managed to score one of my good friends a bottle, which we shared together. My prior experiences have both been fairly amazing, though that can often happen in more of a social setting where expectations tend to manifest into reality. Regardless of the outcome of today's review, I'm always grateful for memorable experiences sharing whiskey in good company, and Four Roses often elevates those kinds of experiences. Now let's switch into analytical mode and pick apart this glass. Strap in; this is going to be a fun one for sure. Company on Label: Four Roses Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: A blend of both the B and E mash bills; B being 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley & E being 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley Proof: 109° Age: NAS on the bottle (but it is listed as a blend of 14-20 year bourbons) Further identification: The 2022 limited edition blend consists of 20 year old OBSV, 15 year old OESK, 14 year old OESF, and 14 year old OESV bourbon; I am enjoying bottle 3,952/15,600 Nose: Lifting the glass to my nose I find funky molasses, butterscotch and praline. Another whiff wafts out heavy bread and dark, damp lumberyard aromas. It's immediately apparent that this has some serious age to it as potent oak tingles in the nose and chest. Allspice, soft black pepper cooled by vanilla frosting, and Adventurefuls Girl Scout cookies deepen the complexity of the aromatic experience. Flashes of well oiled leather, bright metal and general cleanliness remind me of a car showroom here. Overall the nose presents like a dulled down ultra-aged armagnac finished bourbon. There are hints of dark chocolate and linen. Ah, wow! Suddenly on a long inhale sweet plum begins to shine through. What a lovely transition that was. Cardamom, lavender and bright, earthy moss create a pleasant aura of an early Spring. The excitement fades as the glass returns to a simple wood forward array. Let's jump into a sip from here. Returning from a sip there is a glorious unleashing of sweet aromas that were hidden previously. Honeysuckle dominates now as the delicate sweetness of a strawberry purée slides like silk into the nose. Where this glass was soft and funky to begin with it is now bold & proudly producing beautiful fruit and floral tones only slightly jarred by a hint of cinnamon. On the empty glass I find notes of smoked chocolate bread pudding, raspberry scones, and a hint of crème brûlée. Palate: Mmm, where the beginning of the nose was lacking in fruit, the palate does not miss. Strawberry, cherry and raisin sit lazily on the tongue. There's incredible approachability here with zero evidence of any of the 109 proof points amid the sweet fruit parfait. Prune and plum can be found in the delicate linger, softened by a chewy vanilla cookie. The first sip emanates elegance like an exquisite bakery delight. Another sip offers more promising flavors: the strawberry punch is present again, followed by orange blossom, rhum agricole sweetness, and delicious lychee. There is a faint hint of coconut shavings sitting in the long linger noticeable during an exhale. Color me impressed thus far; these are some of the most delicious flavors I've had on a whiskey in a long time. A larger sip and swish poses the possibility of a sharp spice punch which instead fizzles out into a soft citrus zest. Flashes of creamy tea can be found between the more prominent fruit notes. Nerds rope is a fun surprise later in the glass as candied cherry and raspberry come together. As we work towards the bottom of my pour, I begin to find myself yearning to slow down even slower than my typical snail's pace and savor every drop of this. The cherry note is so crystal clear and delicious; I can feel myself biting through the skin, a juicy pop of sweetness hitting my tongue, and the pit being captured between my teeth in order to not get swallowed up with rest of the succulent fruit. It's just perfect. My last sip is indulgent and bittersweet. I find chocolate covered raisins, maraschino cherry, angostura bitters and black forest cake. The linger is impossibly long with strawberry sherbet, Earl gray tea, and expressed orange peel. Rating: 5/5 (Just wow. One of my favorites.) This is an incredible whiskey I am not soon to forget. Brent Elliott and the Four Roses team hit an absolute home run with this blend in my opinion. Comparing it head to head with the 2021 release, I definitely prefer the 2022 release personally. This years blend managed to take what was an already amazing whiskey and crank up the volume without getting too messy. Both batches have exceptional qualities that whiskey enthusiasts near and far can enjoy. I know I am going to be going back for more of this soon. Let me know if you agree with the 2021 vs 2022 comparisons down in the comments. Cheers!

I may have said I go for Kentucky Spirit before I reach for a Rare Breed. As such, my penchant for barrel proof bourbon seems to also have come back and I found myself looking : 4/5 Yeah, this is a solid pour too - but definitely in a different way than last night's Kentucky Spirit

Barrel 47 really had its own characteristics that set it apart from its sister barrel, but I'll defer most of the details to my last post on barrel 54 if you're itching for more information. Perhaps some of the barrels that were originally filled found a market fit prior to this. If these bottles or their original barrels could talk... Do with this information as you will, but this barrel is already getting a lot of buzz!

Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Barley Proof: 110° Age: 8 years Further identification: Liquor Junction store pick Barrel Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Barley Proof: 110° Age: 8 years Further identification: Rapid Liquors store pick Barrel

Trace Mash Bill #1 (Low Rye < 10%) Proof: 90° Age: 8 years Further identification: NHLO store pick - Barrel

With a clever sticker and sleek bottle design, Two Souls Spirits certainly has a way of capturing my With independent bottlers like Two Souls Spirits, lesser-known craft distilleries have the unique opportunity Carver Distillery (Bottled by Two Souls Spirits) Whiskey Type:  Wheated Bourbon Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages released by Two Souls Spirits to date featuring J. in a single barrel of whiskey.

Trace "Wheated Mash Bill" Proof: 114° Age: NAS Further identification: 2020 release from Kappy's - Barrel

I’m so glad we have access to so many barrel selections in MA. Rating: 4/5

110° Age: 14 years Further identification: This is the Fall 2021 release of Haystack Needle Double Barrel The finish feels really subtle upfront, likely only getting slight nuances from the secondary barrel He mentioned they usually only spend a few short weeks in an extra barrel to really let the base whiskey keep on shining, because they have some really great barrels from MGP to work with.