Four Roses Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley Proof: 100 I've previously had 2 other bottles of a 100 proof single barrel and have always regarded it as a strong

It's no secret I love Russell's reserve picks. Rapid Liquors 2020 Russell's Reserve single barrel stole my heart and managed to compete with an incredible 13 year release as well. I own their 2021 Russell's pick barrel and am currently storing/aging my infinity barrel in it! Well, I've got 4 fresh ones for you tonight. I know local picks don't always help the general population, but I have been seeing some people crazing over particular warehouses and floors on these Russell's picks, so why not for the greater good? I'll give you a sneak peak at 4 that are on my shelf as of today. You can tell a few of these won't be long for this world after tonight. One is a local staple that flew well under the radar of most folks. One is a road trip pick up I am nursing my last sips of. One is a gifted couple pours from a great Bourbon Thieves friend, @egilbert09. One is a pick from a store that I've been enjoying plenty of other picks from. I'm interested to hear if you have tried any of these picks, and if not, if you have a favorite warehouse or floor! Drop a comment and let me know. Now let's get into this flight! Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Private Barrel Select Bourbon Company on Label: The Wild Turkey Distilling Co. Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, and 12% Malted Barley Proof: 110° Age: 8 years (All of these happen to be 8 based on their distilled and dumped dates) Further identification: All of these bottles are store picks from various locations; Georgio's Liquor: Warehouse A, Floor 4, Barrel #20-0341 Liquor Depot (in CT): "Barrel #4" Warehouse K, Floor 4, Barrel #21-0103 Liquor at the Lake (LAKE HA-HA!): Warehouse CNA, Floor 4, Barrel #21-324 Kappy's 1940 Barrel Society: Warehouse K, Floor 4, Barrel #21-0063 Georgio's Liquors A/4 Russell's Review Maple and brown sugar to start on the nose, followed by dry oak, vanilla and a hint of peanut brittle. Good dusty oak characteristic all through this glass as well. On the palate I get a muddled cherry, a soft dash of bitters, vanilla bean and coffee creamer sweetness. This is the most 'chill' of all the glasses if you were just looking for a simple sipper that is completely inoffensive. Hell, this could definitely be someone's favorite bottle, but in this flight it's not doing much to shine for me. Liquor Depot K/4 Russell's Review Salted caramel, crème brûlée, sweet lemon pledge, and a rich toffee jump out of this glass in intriguing waves. Very well put together nose. So far the best nosing experience of all the glasses. Upon going for a sip there is sweet fruit abound. Cherry, plum, orange peel and mulled wine coat the palate. Yum! Decently long linger that presents a more than satisfying finish. Wow, the nose opened up fabulously with a sip as well. Just a solid pour. There's just a hint of a note of savory vinegar in the glass that might seem like an odd smell for a whiskey, but somehow it fits in to the overall experience just fine. Oh my, returning to this glass is a treat every time. The nose is delectable, vibrant and bright with tangerine, sultanas and flashes of pine syrup. The palate is easy going but packed with flavors like nutmeg, allspice, maraschino cherry juice and a bouquet of floral, candied sweets. This is what I dream about when I am thinking about my favorite bourbon profiles. I think this one could stand up to Rapid's legendary pick I linked in the intro above. Liquor at the Lake CNA/4 Russell's Review Light in aroma and intensity on the first nosing. There's just subtle hints of chocolate, peanut shells, woah - then suddenly a wave of birch bark, white paper and funky oak. This has that classic Turkey, older feeling profile. So far the most prominently different of the four. This also has somewhat of that savory smell the Liquor Depot barrel had. The palate is really surprising compared to the nose. Cinnamon hots that come off soft, vanilla bean and amaretto sweetness present well. The linger is slightly tannic with red grape skins and dry prune. Interesting mouth feel that comes off a bit synthetic. There's a touch of leather in the linger, but otherwise it's a mellow oak bomb that rolls all over your tongue. Kappy's 1940 Barrel Society K/4 Russell's Review Creamy nose feel to start with a soft caramel, bright oak and dusty molasses profile. Oh wow, a really yummy vanilla frosting has formed in this glass. There's a soft angel food cake feel to the nose as well. The nose feel is syrupy and moist, really inviting me for a sip. Upon doing so I'm greeted with a sweet coffee bean, cinnamon sprinkled maple syrup and a rich mouth coating of caramel and stout. This one really wins out in the uniqueness category for a powerful mouth feel that is quite hard to describe. Coming back to this glass I get that amazing maple syrup feel on the nose, coupled with soft confectioners sugar, key lime pie, and a return to that earthy molasses the glass started with. Sipping this following the other K/4 pick shows off that this barrel packs a bit more spice to it, but not in an herbal way. It's like sharp fruit sweets, almost like when you have a really sugary candy and it almost causes a stinging sensation on your tongue. This is a sweet tooth's delight, but it comes off in a different way I'm again struggling to describe. It's a fun pour that certainly keeps you guessing. Big points for complexity here. Really, really close 2nd to the Liquor Depot K/4 I think. Might get better with time. Final Ranking: Liquor Depot K/4 > Kappy's K/4 > Liquor at the Lake CNA/4 > Georgio's A/4 I've been through enough pours of these Russell's bottles that I was able to confirm what I already might have suspected. I suspended any of my preconceived notions tonight in an effort to re-evaluate these pours but the winners really showed themselves on this one. I will say that the Kappy's being the highest fill level was a little bit unfairly treated, as I actually find that I tend to enjoy Russell's picks once they get below half full and a little oxidized. It softens some of those spicer characteristics and I always find myself absolutely savoring the last drops of a bottle in small portions as I feel that's where these really shine. Fun tasting regardless; cheers and thank you to all these stores for picking great barrels! Consider that Liquor Depot pick killed. Someone PLEASE find me a backup of that!

confirming if this indeed came from Willett, but my palate is about 95% confident it is... and I'm 100%

Label: Buffalo Trace Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 (Low Rye < 10% ) Proof: 90° Age: 10 years Further identification: Standard offering, ~2020 purchase Nose: That wonderful

Label: Buffalo Trace Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 (Low Rye < 10%

single barrel is produced, bottled and aged by Valentine Distilling; the whiskey comes from barrel TR-10

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.

Label: Buffalo Trace Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 (Low Rye < 10%

Percentages: Undisclosed blend of TN, KY, and IN mash bills Proof: 112.86° Age: A blend of 25% 5 year, 30% 10 year, 35% 14 year, and 10% 16 year bourbons, therefore it's a '5 year' bourbon Further identification

question in my mind tonight, so I had @amongstthefernsco set me up a blind sample flight of batch 9, 10 I purchased and recently freshly opened both batch 10 and 11. (Buffalo Trace) Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #1 (Low Rye < 10% Batch 10: The brightest and fruitiest of the three glasses on the nose. Ranking: Batch 9 > Batch 10 > Batch 11 I'm glad I dove in on this blind tonight.

These Barrell single barrel picks have been discussed rather thoroughly in MA circles. My previous review put the Kappy Endings pick solidly into Willett distillate territory based on my palate experiences. Some fine folks were persuasive and adamant they thought it was Barton though. In the name of science, I asked some further questions and was told the 1792 Full Proof picks would be my best bet at tasting something close. I unfortunately only had one pick on hand, but I threw it into this blind line up to see if I could draw any parallels between each of the glasses. Included in this line is: A Willett distillate purple top sample from Alan Starr: 7 year wheated bourbon, cask 3247 A Willett distillate purple top sample also from Alan Starr: 7 year high corn bourbon, cask 2071 A Willett distillate 6 year rye I won in a raffle in 2020 A 1792 Full Proof store pick from Julio's (The Loch & K(e)y Society) A Barrell Single Barrel 7 year bourbon pick from Gordon's, barrel # Z1D7 A Barrell Single Barrel 7 year bourbon pick from Kappy's, barrel # Z1F4 I have had more than 1 pour of all these bottles prior to this review. @AmongstTheFerns helped pour and blinded me to what was in each glass. I have to thank Alan for giving me the samples in order to broaden my horizons in this space. His kindness is what truly makes the whiskey community great. Now let's get tasting! I wonder if you would find the same things as me below? Scroll slow if you don't want spoilers, but I will try to also make this as concise and digestible as possible. Cheers! Glass 1 Amongst the Whiskey Glencairn Review: Nose: Dusty cherry. Musty, deeply buried citrus pine. Approachable proof. Copper metallic. Slightly funky. Hmm, still very interesting back at the other end; some bitter raisin notes evolving. Warm, chocolatey oak aromas dance well. Faint WFE-esque vibes. I think I'll know more on the palate. White pepper. More intensity to the pepper post-sip. Hmm - kind of subtle all around on the nose late in the glass (and compared to this lineup). Empty glass smells like raisins. Palate: Yum! Cherry bomb with huge citrus zest behind it. While I let my first sip settle, vanilla and oak are the longest lingering notes. Caramel and airy high flying pine are really attacking my palate here; very robust, intense flavors throughout. A thinner mouth feel than I expected, but all the right flavors. Very molasses and metallic (dark copper) forward on the linger. Intense on the palate, even after a lot of air; cherry & cinnamon being the dominant flavors now. Very close to glass 5 (blank). Glass 2 Saxy Bourbon Glencairn Review: Nose: Boom. Pinesol. High flying citrus zest. Oaky with an old antique paper smell. Slightly chocolatey, but the rich oak & paper make me feel like I'm in a library. Creamy yoghurt and pie crust now on a swirl. A slight rubber note is also present now, not in a bad way as I might otherwise describe, but definitely sets this one apart a bit. Peppery. Post sip vanilla bean tries to level things off. Mellow late in the glass with a light Cow Tale caramel & cream. Empty glass has sweet perfume florals. Palate: Very vanilla forward on first sip, with rich pine wood inlayed with oak. Citrusy lemon lingers dark in the corners of my mouth. Again heavy vanilla with cloves tying in the lemon peel zest well. Ohh, there's the cinnamon wave... Solid! Molasses linger. Mellow creamy caramel with some herbal spices subtly lingering on the back end. Glass 3 Lost Nemo Glencairn Review: Nose: Syrupy nose-feel. Mellow, not much going on compared to the other 2 prior at this point. On a deep dig there is a rich plum revealed. Bits of clove & allspice bubble to the surface. Rich marmalade sweetness. Wow, very peppery on a swirl. Intensely spiced now. Feels like the highest proof. A bit smoky late in the glass. Empty glass smells like intense chocolate covered cherries. Palate: Explosive. Light pine settles into a super creamy base. I thought more was coming but it kind of fell flat on the palate here. Vanilla is a nice intense wave followed by eddy currents of intensely spiced pepper, clove and parsley. Dark tea notes on the linger. Late in the glass things are finally very level, but still presents with a very heavy rye profile. Hot & spicy. Glass 4 Bourbon Thieves Glencairn Review: Nose: Ehh.. Something really musty and dry just entered my nose on the first inhale & it was not pleasant. Chalky smells. Dried red fruit now coming together. Very dry herbals that feel like they belong in a soup. Standout difference than the previous 3 glasses. Swirl still keeps this pour very different from the rest, some kind of wheat pasta going on here. This is the strangest thing I've nosed in a while. Muted plum is trying to break through. Wow post-sip the nose just burned my sinus and eyes out. Hot! Potpourri spices mingle subtly now; I'd definitely rank this "most improved" nose. Still kind of chalky at times, but turning more malty late in the glass. Apples. Empty glass was not reached/achieved on this pour for evaluation. Palate: Hmm, caramel forward; much more traditional bourbon profile than the rest. Slightly nutty with cherry. Spearmint and menthol tobacco suddenly evolving all over each other. That was a completely unique experience to me. Approachable proof, until the wave of heat rolls over with a tiny bit of the chalkiness of the nose. I can't say I'm crazy for the mouth feel or the linger on this. There's a bit too much malt here for me. Glass 5 Blank/Plain Glencairn Review: Nose: Yum, smells like what I love from Willett family estate here. Rich cherry and Pinesol citrus candy. Yummy nose. Swirl makes things kind of muted, with too much light, bright oak taking over. Post-sip still very traditional WFE unique citrus that I couldn't mistake anywhere. Dusty & chocolatey now; some hot chocolate vibes building. Caramel and saw dust late in the glass. Empty glass smells like a wool sweater. Palate: Sweetness; powerful candied cherry with some cereal undertones. Like corn flakes now with a lemon peel zest on top. Thick, syrupy mouth coating that just screams WFE. Soo zesty. Just that awesome punchy flavor I've never better described than a Pinesol you're allowed to drink! Might be the sweetest & easiest of them all. Glass 6 Stellum Glencairn Review: Nose: Hmm oakiest... but also still similar to glass 5, 3, 2 & 1. Very dusty and more of the citrus sweetness, but this one doesn't come with the piney note of the others. Candied lemon & oak. Swirling my way back down the line now, this stays mellow with just some new vanilla and proofier apricot & raisin. Yum. Minty. More dusty later in the glass. Still intense citrus zest forward. End of glass is super floral. Empty glass is an earthy raspberry. Palate: Powww! Maybe most intense citrus pop of all these glasses. That was a wild sip; almost too powerful & a bit drying. This citrus is tinged with quite a bit of ethanol on the back end and some nice subtle stone fruit throughout as well. Tough, but lovely. Final Ranking: Tie Between Glass 1, 2, 5 & 6 (Amongst, Saxy, Blank & Stellum) Glass 3 (Lost Nemo) Glass 4 (Bourbon Thieves) Reveal: Glass 1 (Amongst the Whiskey Glencairn): Barrell Bourbon "Kappy Endings" (Guessed correct) Glass 2 (Saxy Bourbon): Willett 7 Year Wheated Bourbon (Guessed incorrect, guessed Gordon's) Glass 3 (Lost Nemo): Willett 7 Year High Corn Bourbon (Guessed incorrect, guessed 6 year rye) Glass 4 (Bourbon Thieves): 1792 Full Proof SP (Guessed correct) Glass 5 (Blank): Barrell Bourbon Gordon's Pick (Guessed incorrect, guessed Willett high corn) Glass 6 (Stellum): Willett 6 Year Rye (Guessed incorrect, guessed Willett wheated) Clarified Ranking: #1 (Tie): Barrell Bourbon "Kappy Endings" Pick #1 (Tie): Willett 7 Year Wheated Bourbon #1 (Tie): Barrell Bourbon Gordon's Pick #1 (Tie): Willett 6 Year Rye #2: Willett 7 Year High Corn Bourbon #3: 1792 Full Proof L&K Store Pick I think I learned everything I needed to learn here. The Barton 1792 stood out as completely different compared to the rest. My notes really started to feel like a broken record on 5 different glasses, but they really all had very similar profiles with only just slight nuances between them. I was really surprised I mis-guessed the rye out of all these pours; looking back at the notes it seems that was my own foolish folly, as all the tell-tale signs were there! Also the high corn standing out as what I thought was the rye was strange... Altogether an incredible fun tasting that took me far too long to type up. Hope it helps you! Barrell Single Barrel Bourbon Company on Label: Barrell Craft Spirits Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed Proof: 119.54° Age: 7 years Further identification: Barrel Z1F4, Bottle 161; this single barrel is a store pick from Kappy's, the 1940 Barrel Society "Kappy Endings" Willett Wheated Bourbon Company on Label: Willett Whiskey Type: Wheated Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 65% Corn, 20% Wheat, 15% Barley Proof: 123.2° Age: 7 years Further identification: Cask 3247; "Purple Foil 147" Willett High Corn Bourbon Company on Label: Willett Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 79% Corn, 7% Rye, 14% Barley Proof: 124.8° Age: 7 years Further identification: Cask 2071; "Purple Foil 167"; this high corn mash bill also goes in with a high barrel entry proof 1792 Full Proof Single Barrel Company on Label: Barton 1792 Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 74% Corn, 18% Rye, 8% Barley Proof: 125° Age: 7 years Further identification: This single barrel is a store pick from Julio's Liquors, the Loch & K(e)y Society; it was purchased in 2021 Barrell Single Barrel Bourbon Company on Label: Barrell Craft Spirits Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed Proof: 121.58° Age: 7 years Further identification: Barrel Z1D7, Bottle 094; this single barrel is a store pick from Gordon's Willett 6 Year Rye Company on Label: Willett Whiskey Type: Straight Rye Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: 11% Corn, 74% Rye, 15% Barley Proof: 126.6° Age: 6 years Further identification: Barrel 6061, 115/182

I absolutely love finding some Willett distillate, especially when it's incognito. The Old Kirk sample is courtesy of @BarrelProofNerd and the Hirsch pick is a barrel select from Kappy's for the 1940 Barrel Society. I have no clue which I will like better as of yet as I haven't reviewed either of them previously. This should be an exciting match up! Old Kirk Barrel # 6938 Company on Label: A.P. Hotaling & Co Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 72% Corn, 13% Rye and 15% Barley Proof: 130.1° Age: 6 years (9 months) Further identification: This was the Frugal MacDoogal pick; Bottle 156 of 171. Hirsch Selected Whiskeys Pick - Barrel KY-012 Company on Label: A.H. Hirsch (Bottled by Strong Spirits; Distilled in Bardstown, KY) Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 72% Corn, 13% Rye, 15% Malted Barley Proof: 135.3° Age: 7 years (9 months) Further identification: Barrel No KY-012, Bottle 145 of 147, Barrel entry 62.5%, aged 7 years 9 months; Batch No on the neck is AHH0821. Old Kirk Barrel # 6938 Review Pre-Sip Nose: Musty and herbal forward on the first nosing. Distinct citrus. Something really funky going on here... I can't quite place it. Sharp clove note nestled deep into a thoroughly rich oak. Dark stone fruit feel trapped in the bottom of this glass - I have a feeling they will come out but this glass hasn't quite opened up just yet. Coming back to it I get the smell of wet woodchips that reminds me of my elementary school playground. My left nostril picks up faint smells of fall leaves, allspice, and tree bark - all of these things are incredibly muted still at this time. My right nostril picks up a lot of oak and something akin to wetland field full of cattail. Malty at times and rather uninviting and underwhelming on the early nose. Spicy pepper now with an aggressive swirl, suddenly quite intense in the ethanol department with only a faint citrus beginning to rise and poke through. Wow, this glass just completely awoke right before I was about to take a sip. Now there is a great leather note, molasses and smoky, dried cherries. There is still something almost like a skunked beer note that is lingering all throughout this glass that is making it hard to smell past it. Blood orange and cardboard now. I think it's time for a sip as this nose is just torturing me! Palate: Immediately an intense medicinal cherry slides across my tongue. It's on the thinner side, but incredibly punchy. Cherry hots burn in a wave through my chest. That big spicy pop is something I normally like on a pour (i.e. Stagg Jr batch 14, older ECBP batches). Here it's mingled with a lot of black pepper, lemon zest, black tea, weathered oak, and clove. Subsequent sips build out the plum and raisin flavors. Later in the glass there's a solid caramel formed with some walnut dryness and malty, thick bread notes. My last sip is cherry forward with a short linger of molasses, pepper and oak. The mouth coating stays with you for quite some time but is mainly oaky in character. Late nose: After a sip a synthetic strawberry and much more oak is apparent. Oh, a lovely transition to a smooth marshmallow now. What an incredibly fickle pour! Lovely sweet perfume scent now with Spring flowers just coming into bloom. There's the slightly sweeter, good-enough-to-drink Pinesol note now finally as well. Coming back to this there's something that reminds me of an arts and crafts bin - maybe it's crayons or paint, but it's there. Such a strange experience through and through with this one. There's definitely not anything really bad going on with this pour, but I do feel like the matchup is what is not letting this pour shine. Before the last sip of this glass things are still quite mellow in the aroma intensity, but there is some faint molasses and vanilla. The empty glass smells of barbecue rub, charcoal, cherry pits, and a compost pile. Rating: 3/5 Hirsch Barrel KY-012 Review Pre-Sip Nose: Incredible creamy marshmallow up front. Syrupy cherry juice. Crème brûlée. Oh my this smells absolutely delicious. Incredibly rich vanilla and toffee forward profile that is unbelievably smooth in the nose. On deeper pulls from my left nostril I find rich cherry, plum and dark chocolate. The right nostril is higher flying butter, caramel and level oak. The creaminess continues to dominate with caramel and that unique Willett Pinesol note I would recognize absolutely anywhere. Chocolate dipped oranges smell delicious here. Mmm, the oak presents quite seasoned here. Like 3 year old split wood ready to go into the cast iron wood stove. There's a bit of ashy lingering smoke in the depths. Always prevalent throughout the glass is that marshmallow and citrus/cherry combination. Palate: My first sip was a large one which was surprisingly manageable. Rich orange peel, vanilla ice cream, a thick coating of caramel and a chocolate drizzle on the linger. Taking a sip of this takes you on a journey; it makes your mind wander and your tongue sing. Lovely depths of dark chocolate, earl gray tea, honey, and lemon. Fuck, that's good. Like really fucking good. Cherry is definitely still one of the dominant flavors on this, with a small chest hug for 135.3 proof. There is a slight nuttiness to the linger, which is incredibly long. Prunes, raisin and a slightly drying blackberry now. The tingly effervescences tingles my gums thoroughly. I love a pour that shimmers like this. It's like when light sparkles off a body of water under a bright moonlight; there's just something magical about it. Nearing the bottom of the glass this continues to have a lovely citrus medley alongside syrupy stone fruit. They balance each other quite well here. The last sip is bittersweet, but this review has taken a ridiculous amount of my time tonight as I have savored and explored both of these pours. Awesome intensity with some zesty stings on both sides of my tongues as the citrus Pinesol note waves over my tongue in incredible intensity. This is one of those shock and awe pours. It has certainly left me amazed and humbled. Honey, tangerine marmalade, a hint of tobacco, and cinnamon are a perfect send off to this pour. Late Nose: Smoky now, with honey sweetness coating the edges of the glass. The Pinesol note has subdued in citrus intensity and started to favor a more savory caramel, pepper and ground cherries. Butterscotch and that beautiful, beautiful marshmallow note returns again. Back to citrus. Kind of a 'bouncy' aroma experience, but it is going between all great notes. Trending towards some more earthy tones now, I'm getting topsoil, sawdust and something like a thick comforter. Kahlua coffee liqueur is very creamy coming back to this from the Old Kirk. Fun aromas through and through that are both comfortable and exciting. The empty glass smells of dry wheat grain, honey, match tips, balsam wood, vanilla and a light ash. Rating: 5/5 Final Ranking: Hirsch KY-012 > Old Kirk Barrel # 6938 by a long shot; this one may make a few more appearances in the future