Reviewing single barrels is a little tricky. Single barrel is just about the smallest commercially viable bottling method for a whiskey. There are smaller examples, but they aren't commonplace on liquor store shelves where most people shop. It consists of bottling the contents of an entire typically 53 gallon barrel made out of wooden staves. This is in contrast to things like batches and blends where there may be hundreds, thousands, or more gallons of whiskey mixed up together - typically for consistency for a shelf brand like Buffalo Trace. Many folks in the whiskey world know that despite all things equal, there is pretty drastic variation barrel to barrel. It will depend on things like the cooperage practices, where the barrels were stored, what style of warehouse storage, local weather and any other externalities that don't have to do with any of the precursor distillation that happens before barreling. The reason I call reviewing single barrels tricky, is there's an incredibly finite audience. Typical whiskey barrel yields after aging result in something like 180 (750mL) bottles available under that 'single barrel' designation. I've picked a barrel that had as low as 46 bottles in it. To me, this is the ultimate 'insiders club' style whiskey. If it's unbelievable, great, but only a small subsection of our broader whiskey community is going to be able to enjoy it. Despite that, single barrel is certainly here to stay, and I do think there is value in discussing what I find out of a whiskey such as this. While it may not be your same experience that you can sip to, hum along with, or gawk at - it does highlight a whiskey distillery data point. Review enough single barrels, cross-reference those findings, and you can paint the picture of the master distiller's work. In the late 1800's, hardworking families farming the hills of Southern Indiana grew accustomed to a flickering light in the window of a local general store. Named by a local priest who compared it to the brightest star in the sky, the small town came to be known as STARLIGHT. Starlight Distillery has been producing great spirits since 2000 and nuanced whiskey styles since 2013. Their 80 gallon Christian Carl pot still has been hard at work through the years producing bourbon, rye, vodka, gin and blackberry whiskey. I've had the pleasure of visiting their farm several times and am always thrilled to spend time with the Huber family and their distillery team. I have picked more barrels from this distillery than anywhere else, if that means anything to you. I was not present for this single barrel pick, but this bottle was sent to me by my good friend Matt (@rarewhiskeynomad), who is an absolute champion of generosity, comradery and community. Let's dive into another example of Starlight straight bourbon picked by some of the community's best. Company on Label: Starlight Distillery Whiskey Type: Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: Typically a blend of Starlight's 3 & 4 grain mash (51% Corn, 20% Rye, 9% Wheat, 20% Malted Barley) and (60% Corn, 20% rye, 20% Malted Barley) Proof: 114° Age: 4 (and a half) years Further identification: Barrel 19-0010 was selected by a collaborative team from Pleasant Valley Bourbon Club and The Whiskey Coalition dubbed "The Devils Advocates" collectively Nose: Chocolate tones could be made out from a distance as the glass lay resting on my desk. On first joining my nose to the rim of my glencairn I find sweet cornflakes, Pirouline sticks and brown sugar. There's funky savory tones on the surface that can be wafted away with a little swirl, which releases black pepper and caramel. As I move into a sip I notice cherry skins hitting my nostrils. Coming back I find more goopy caramel tones, pecan and walnut oil. It continues to be savory and sweet in the glass. Deep inhales show off a sugary vanilla base and cool, fresh raspberries. Late in the glass I find hints of red velvet cake alongside good barrel funk. Dark grenadine, molasses and a hint of smoke give this an older air. The empty glass smells of dark chocolate and cherry skins. Palate: Ooh, punchy raspberry hits the palate initially before maraschino cherry and chocolate covered raisins swing in after. Another sip layers in zesty orange peel, creamed corn and angostura bitters. The linger carries a medicinal cherry cough syrup that is super interesting. There's a cereal grain medley that dances on the tongue a bit, reminding me of the farm from whence it came. A longer sip and swish adds in cool strawberries and crêpes. My goodness... Late in the glass all of the rouge-hued fruits come out. More strawberry, plum, red raspberry and cherry just dance in the mouth. My last sip is a treat with creamy iced coffee, vanilla bean ice cream and a cherry on top. The finish is on the shorter side, only leaning the observer towards reaching for another glass. TL;DR: Sweet, punchy bourbon with its own character unlike any other Rating: 4/5 (Really good; I want one of these on my shelf.) The strawberry and crêpe tones here fondly remind me of a straight bourbon pick I did early last year. I really dig Starlight straight bourbon. I know they are becoming well known for all of their crazy finishes, but the base whiskey is pretty damn good. There are some 'craft' grain notes to be found on these, but it's not in the least bit off-putting. In general, my only complaint would be that I wish I could taste this at an older age statement in the 6-8 year range.

It's finally time for another new batch of the consistently good blends that Barrell bourbon puts out. For our ease of tracking this release amongst all of their other epic releases, this one proudly bears its incremented batch number. This is typically a great offering for the traditionalist who maybe steers away from some of the more complex finishing techniques Barrell is employing on their famed Seagrass and Dovetail releases. You will see the picture above is backdropped by one of their most delicious single barrel bourbon releases they chose to offer up to the whiskey community. I thoroughly enjoyed that pick! Now, back to batch 033 land... Their website states that this batch is: a marriage of high-rye barrels and high-corn barrels ranging in age from 5 to 9 years old This sample was provided to me from Barrell Craft Spirits at no cost and I thank them for giving me the opportunity to review this pour with no strings attached. Company on Label: Barrell Craft Spirits Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed blend of TN, KY, and IN mash bills (high rye and high corn bourbons) Proof: 116.6° Age: 5 years (a blend of 5-9 year bourbons) Further identification: This is batch 033 which is releasing across the country in July/August 2022 Nose: Funky barrel influence is the first thing that jumps out of the glass at me from a distance. I definitely get a lot of that heavy malted corn and molasses that I've found on other high corn releases. A lemon hard candy is sitting pretty in the center of the glass. Light pepper, vanilla pound cake, apricot and anjou pears tantalize the senses. There's a lightness here that is inviting; the aromas are a sweet Siren song luring me to take a sip. Deeper inhales show off a linen characteristic before bursting forth into a wave of proof I hadn't noticed as of yet. Wow on a swirl I find a really potent flash of a fruit smoothie consisting of plum, peach and rich strawberry. Overall the nose has turned quite punchy now with some good cinnamon spice almost leaning towards an Amburana oak. Time for a sip. Afterwards there is a distinct increase in that linen characteristic that almost leans towards a white paper note now. The overall feel is that of a well-aged bourbon highlighting your typical toasted vanilla and caramel charm. The intensity on the nose-feel is quite thin and light which makes it very approachable to experience what a medium aged bourbon should really smell like. The empty glass smells of dark chocolate, Spring flowers, light dirt, and '90s arcades. Palate: A nice cherry forward profile greets me immediately. It's laced with black pepper, molasses and just a hint of anise. Another sip builds in more tart fruit with raspberry and peach showing up upfront while a buzzing begins to vibrate towards the back of my tongue. It's almost like an effervescence that delivers more like the old crackle of a TV stuck on static. The linger highlights a soft, sweet raisin. This glass is distinctly less spicy than the first time I tried it, so I think this release will benefit from a little air time in general. Where the first glass was spicy, this one is quite floral. I get a fun blueberry poptart vibe at times. A bigger sip and swish does elicit some of that aforementioned spice but in a manageable wave that carries brown sugar, mustard seed and a savory characteristic like salted meat. My last sip is again amaretto cherry forward with a soft kiss of mint, tarragon, nutmeg, and fennel. Yum! The finish does rise up in a way that sticks in the nose which is typically a bit more sensitive to spice and proof, but it feels well under wraps here with English toffee settling everything down. Rating: 4/5 (Really good; I want one of these on my shelf.) There were big improvements from batch 032 to batch 033 for me personally! This feels very well crafted and would be a good gateway pour to some higher age statements for whiskey enthusiasts and rookies alike. I really dig this pour and will be looking forward to finding a bottle soon. Nice job with this one BCS team!

The sweetest @_lostnemo_ has gifted me another amazing release from the Valentine Distilling cocktail lounge for review. Abby is one of the realest people on earth and I'm so thankful for her indefatigable friendship. Mayor Pingree is a whiskey label used by their Detroit, Michigan distillery. I've enjoyed their whiskey many times before. All preconceived notions aside, I'm ready to go into this with my usual open mind. Let's dive into a quick Monday review! Company on Label: Mayor Pingree (Valentine Distilling) Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed Indiana bourbon mash bill (either 21% or 36% rye) Proof: 139.4° Age: 16 years Further identification: This single barrel was distilled in Indiana, it comes from barrel J06-02 Nose: Holy hazmat nose batman! I know this didn't quite crest 140, but the hallmarks are all there from first whiff. Rich caramel, cola and leather aromas invade the nostrils on light inhales. Oak bark, cinnamon stick and rich soil build as further air is drawn off the surface of the glass. Deep inhales off a well rested glass build in graham cracker, brown sugar and creamy white pepper tones. If you were to ask me what kind of nosing experience could beat out George T. Stagg - this would be it. What a gloriously rich and viscous nose-feel. I can't wait to dive in on a sip here. Returning from a sip offers more deep, rich elegance throughout; the aromas force me to envision a leather saddle hanging off a fence post on a tobacco farm. The sun is bright and a waft of elegant vanilla perfume from under a light cotton dress causes me to fall in love. As I stare off into the distance in this heavenly moment, I eventually walk into a tree. Heavy oak tones come in rich and moist, rather than dry and dusty as some extra-aged whiskeys can do. I'm still swooning. In some ways this aroma is what I imagine dying smells like, the oncoming soggy ground once again becoming full of enough nutrients to rearrange your existence into new beauty - the endless battle against entropy. This glass, like our time on earth, is finite - and as the remainders of the whiskey that was once in my glencairn slowly evaporate, I smell soft maple bread, vanilla saltwater taffy and an unadorned scone. Palate: As the whiskey hits my tongue here a solid burst of cherry plants itself right in the center of the mouth. It smolders there a moment with cinnamon, allspice and fig demonstrating great restraint. The cherry profile pops and slowly oozes down the sides of my tongue before melting off slowly like a bite of Garcia ice cream. Another sip increases the depth of this pour as orange peel, plum, and creamy chocolate ganache crest and arc like a full feature film. The evolution of this glass is nothing short of astounding. I find juicy red grapes, creamy caramel wafers and Rote Grutze in unending twists of sweet delights. My last sip is powerful with notes of cherry hots, maple sugar, crème brûlée, and smoldering spiced fruit cake. Rating: 5/5 (Just wow. One of my favorites.) This is pinnacle whiskey for me. It transcends time, space, memory and the meaningless order of words. Every once in a while, the experience of enjoying a glass of good whiskey is truly ephemeral. This level of quality & meaning often moves me to tears. This is one of those glasses. I'm truly grateful to have experienced it. Thank you again Abby!

In the widening world of whiskey, not many brands can achieve true market differentiation. Two of the biggest ones of the last few years that come to mind would be Blue Run and Rare Character. With the team behind the butterfly broadening through those years, the title of Master Blender for this release is now being championed by Shaylyn Gammon, Director of Whiskey. Since their foundation in 2020, Blue Run has experimented with unique blends and single barrels in an attempt to "sneakerize" the whiskey industry. They've done a wonderful job so far, and I've been a fan of their offerings since the first 13 year ever graced my lips... but as with any new release in the ephemeral whiskey world, I like to continue to test my belief of broad statements such as this. For a little backstory on this release, I'll reach into Blue Run's description which reads: Blue Run Trifecta Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a small-batch whiskey that demonstrates the delicate balancing act required when blending a high-quality base whiskey with the vivid flavors and aromas from older “wood heat” whiskeys. Trifecta starts with a base of finely crafted six-year-old whiskey, which makes up less than half of the composition of the total liquid. To add additional depth and character, Blue Run Whiskey Director Shaylyn Gammon blends that with two whiskeys aged in the upper reaches of their respective rickhouses, giving them what she calls “wood heat.” 189 barrels were used for this blend which rendered out a 117.1 proof bourbon whiskey that Shaylyn is proud to put her name on. I've heard some other funny stories about some of the source whiskey for this blend, but let's get into what's in the bottle before we get too carried away. Company on Label: Blue Run Spirits Whiskey Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: A blend of the following mash bills 6 year component: 78% corn, 12% rye, 10% malted barley (46% of the blend) 8 year component: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley (22% of the blend) 9 year component: 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley (32% of the blend) Proof: 117.1° Age: 6 years (a blend of 46% 6 year, 22% 8 year, and 32% 9 year bourbon) Further identification: This release was announced in August of 2023 and is continuing to expand into new markets at the time of writing at an MSRP of $180 Nose: Sweet tarts, confectioners sugar and mild baking spice introduce a remarkably unique profile on first diving in. Light white pepper and prevalent oak suggest high age before a hint of aspen swings in behind. Oodles of toffee undulate in waves all throughout this glass. Late in the glass I find the most clear raspberry note I’ve ever smelled on a whiskey - yum! Molasses and barrel funk are dominant on a well rested glass. There is wood spice galore that just sings here. The dominant nose trifecta I find is: Sweet tarts, toffee and white pepper. The empty glass (if you’re into that kind of thing) smells of marbled rye and molasses. Palate: Cherry dominates the first sip that comes across a touch hot. Diving back in illustrates vanilla bean ice cream and gobs of whipped cream that land first before praline, clove and cinnamon dance on the tongue. The linger is creamy and long filled with Necco wafers and vanilla salt water taffy. A larger sip and swish reveals deep, dark, cool tones of oiled leather, open floor rick house earth and a surprise raspberry popsicle. Sipping near the bottom of the glass shows off a jagged profile trying to do a little too much all at once. My last sip palate trifecta consists of confectioners sugar, clove and leather. TL;DR: Unique spice-forward Kentucky bourbon that jumps around a lot Rating: 3/5 (Decent. I can go either way on it.) Shaylyn has managed to take well understood Kentucky bourbon stocks and blended them in a way that creates subtle new nuances for even the most veteran palates. This is a great dram that drinks above its age statement, but doesn’t quite deliver enough wow factor for me to run out and buy a bottle for myself personally. It will undoubtedly be a treat to continue to watch this brand grow into their plans to build their own distillery. With a palate as exceptional as Shaylyn's, the future is surely bright. I’d like to thank Blue Run for sending me this sample so I could give it an honest review with no strings attached.

I recently started a discussion about perceived differences on the legendary port finished rye release from High West, A Midwinter Night's Dram. It seems to be fairly common knowledge that is passed around now that they are likely expected to be very similar within any given Act - Act referring to the sequential year in which it was blended. 2022's release, Act 10, dropped around Massachusetts in the latter part of the year in preparation for some great sips in the colder months. I was lucky enough to score not one, but two bottles of this release. I first received Act 10, Scene 2 and immediately opened it to begin learning about this years profile. I wasn't overly crazy for it on my first sip, but the 2nd time I tried it - it was phenomenal. Creamy port like you dream about, layered in gracefully to an already outstanding rye. So when I eventually got my hands on Act 10, Scene 1... I wondered if it might feature the same evolution from glass 1 to glass 2. Surprisingly, it did not... All this got me to wondering... What are the real differences between the two? Are there any, or is this all just perceived differences in the bottle based on actual differences in my palate day-to-day? I know full well that my palate (and yours, oh faithful reader) varies based on many contributing factors. It's for this reason I try to never review a bottle in-depth upon only tasting it once. Normally I shoot for a minimum of three tastings before I like to offer my thoughts both here and on my Instagram where I share most of my content. My first endeavor, after a deep google dive didn't turn up anything concrete from High West themselves, was to ask them directly! It just so happens that some of the distillers were manning the Instagram account on the day in which I posed this question & they got back to me with some incredibly insightful information I will share below. For context, I asked a few questions: Are the scenes in fact indicative of bottling day? Would you expect any differences in flavors between the scenes of the same act? Are you able to mix everything in a homogenous way such that your mixing tanks are large enough to satisfy the demand yield for this product? High West blending expert Tara Lindley says in response: We are blending and bottling in such large batches that we do not see flavor drift across the Scenes - which yes, are different bottling days. All of the spirit lots are dumped to large tanks and homogenized prior to blending, so we see great consistency across the MWND bottling. The team also cheerfully added: Happy Sipping! To which I raise my glass to you! Now, me being the skeptical engineer who would rather arm wrestle with some data rather than take anything at face value, I decided this answer (while undoubtedly honest, thorough and thoughtful) didn't quite settle things in my mind. I had to prove it to myself. So here I am - on a bone-chilling cold midwinter night - settled in with two glasses for a double-header review of two pours which are supposed to be the same! Am I just drinking a small sip twice for fun? Will my nose lead me towards one or the other? I'm going to do my best to keep an open mind here and try to throw out any hypothesis that may lead to input bias, but admittedly we're all a little susceptible to that regardless of cognizant effort. In one effort to remove preconceived notions and bias - I had my lovely assistant @amongstthefernsco put each of these in a different glass without me seeing which is which. Both bottles have similar fill levels (each was sipped from exactly 2 times prior to this) and they are both going into a glencairn glass that will be filled to equal levels at the same time. So now that I'm blind to the input, let's analyze the output and see how each of these glasses turn out! For the sake of clarity to you, I will reveal which Scene is which below after I have finished my review. So join us good ladies and gents. Gather 'mongst thy family and friends, and raise thy glass to winters that are "Swift as a shadow, short as any dream; Brief as the lightning in the collied night." - Lysander, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 1, Scene 1, Wm. Shakespeare Company on Label: High West Whiskey Type: A Blend of Straight Rye Whiskeys Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed proportions of 95% Rye, 5% Barley and 80% Rye, 20% Malted Rye Proof: 98.6° Age: NAS Further identification: A Midwinter Night's Dram & its 'Acts' are a limited yearly release of High West Rendezvous Rye finished in French oak port barrels; this release in particular is the 2022 edition where Scene 1 was bottled on day 1 of bottling and Scene 2 on day 2 Act 10 - Scene 2 Nose: Upon first raising the glass I smell creamy plum. The nose-feel is distinctly syrupy, thick and sweet. Hints of lemon peel, hibiscus and grenadine burst from the liquid below. Similar to how the other glass started I begin to find more dry notes of linen and wax paper. Sea salt encrusted caramel chews begin to pervade my senses. Undulations between dry baking spices like black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon and clove are perfectly reminiscent of a Christmas dinner spent with family. Let's jump in for a sip. Deep inhales back and forth between both glasses likely make me look rather insane, but they also reveal that this glass has just a bit more bite, effervescence and creamy clout. 'Chugging' through the air in the glass I find that the profile averages out to a light medley of aromas characterized by non-descript citrus, linen or paper, and a light tannic red wine backbone. Palate: The warming mouthfeel of my first sip fits like a glove as I alternate between the glass below and this one. Plum, blackberry, raspberry and creamy chocolate cake dance in the mouth gently. The citrus characteristics of the rye rise up in a tingling wave of lemon squeezed into a glass of tea in preparation for a classic hot toddy. The linger is such a treat with all the Thanksgiving desserts stopping by for a brief kiss of flavor. Sipping back and forth reveals just how much of a dingus I am, because these whiskeys are damn near identical. The notes above summarize this pour well - it's also damn delicious by the way if that wasn't clear. My last sip is a headshaking treat of orange sherbet, caramel cookie and gingerbread. Act 10 - Scene 1 Nose: Upon first lifting this glass to my nose I find light linen. The nose-feel here is slightly drying and slower to build aromas than the other glass. After a little digging I begin to find rich chocolate, raisin, plum and charred oak. The creamy characteristics begin to build up speed and heft as the flywheel of the port finish begins to make itself known. More of the dry spices keep pulling the sweet factors back down, burying them in waves of clove, black pepper and a medley of dried fruits. Ah - deep inhales begin to layer in more creaminess here as vanilla knocks over the baking spice rack. Both glasses feel elegant at times and ebb through different waves of experience and memory. It's time for a taste. Returning to this glass reveals a distinctly more dry experience which smells of clay and Crayola crayons. Now this is getting interesting... Where the palates appear to be converging to the same profile, the noses are actively diverging. Is this just the fickle nature of whiskey? Are temperatures or airflow exchanges across the 1 foot distance that separates these glasses along my desk different enough to be evolving the pours into two silos? Let's keep digging. Okay, as I dig and dig through and exchange absolutely all the air from the rapidly aerosolizing whiskey, I do settle in on a normalized profile of faint lemon peel, linen and grape skins. Palate: Wow - that is a solid delivery of mulled wine with incredible citrus depth. Mmm. Black forest cake, raspberry jam and all the figgy, jammy pies you can imagine are on full display. This tastes almost identical to the other glass, but the chronology is interestingly a bit jumbled. Oily, viscous buttercream frosting hits first followed by lemon cake that I feel absolutely completes this pour. The finish is long for this slightly lower proof and I'm left with a satisfying simmer of all the dark fruit of this world. My last sip is a sumptuous delicacy of brown sugar, sweet rum and orange cream soda. Results: Nose: I had to battle through this, but ultimately they proved equivalent Palate: This was more obvious than the dubious nose, but I'd rate them equivalent The best way I can describe how I arrived at this finding is that all the same puzzle pieces were there in both glasses - they just fit together in different ways and at different times. It's really a beautiful metaphor for how there's no true 'right' way to experience whiskey. I liken it to how one might imagine Norse mythology evolved over time through verbal storytelling, some of the characters getting misplaced at times, but the core of the lore maintaining its roots and values. I admittedly did experience both glasses differently, but taken holistically they do seem to be built of the same parts. If you really made me choose, I liked the how the first glass was put together better (Scene 2), which interestingly (or perhaps more astutely, anecdotally) does agree with my preconceived notion of which Scene I liked better. So perhaps there are subtle effects of bottling days on the output, but ultimately anyone who is sipping on either of these Scenes is a winner in my book. There were such interesting nuances to both of these experiences that really puts into perspective how fleeting, fickle and fun exploring whiskey can be. There are almost no hard truths in this world and it gives me a exciting moment (or several hours) to put down math and science (my day job) to just explore the magic of it all. I can definitely see why there might be notions that there are variations where there are not when exploring whiskey because the measurement instrument (you and your palate) are in fact not calibrated for consistency. The blending team over at High West definitely are doing their best work though, often spending weeks at a time tweaking volumes to get things just right. This release is a shining example of that hard work resulting in a delicious product for us enthusiasts to sip on as an "an indispensable part of making it through the long cold winter". I'll be keeping this one Amongst the Whiskey.

There's some new Redbreast hitting the scene in 2023! A tawny port cask finish Irish whiskey is not unheard of, with Irish whiskey often utilizing any barrels they can get their hands on as they don't have their own reliable source for suitable oak for fresh cooperage. Bourbon barrels, sherry barrels and port barrels continue to be the powerhouse aging medium for Irish whiskey. Redbreast does have some other port finished releases, namely the ruby port finish that is used on their 27 year release which I have also reviewed. Redbreast describes the process for creating this whiskey, saying: Redbreast Tawny Port Cask Edition is a single pot still Irish whiskey initially matured in a combination of bourbon and oloroso sherry casks. The whiskey was then finished in Tawny Port casks for a number of years, adding a new dimension to the profile used in the expression. All of the whiskeys then completed their maturation journey by marrying in freshly seasoned tawny port hogsheads for a final maturation period of 14-25 months. Well as with every new release hitting the shelves near you, my dear reader, you're probably wondering if this one is worth picking up. Let's dive into a review of Redbreast Tawny Port Cask Edition from the Iberian Series to find out. Company on Label: Pernod Ricard (Distilled at Midleton Distillery) Whiskey Type: Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: 100% Malted and Unmalted Barley Proof: 92° Age: NAS Further identification: This Tawny Port Cask Edition is the first of this style in the Iberian Series that released in 2023 at an MSRP of $100 Nose: On first whiff I find the arts and crafts department in the glass. Drying paint, linen and burlap can be dug up. Another inhale shows off sweet, thin tones of salted butter. Late in the glass I have to dig really deep to find anything worth talking about; touches of plum, vinegar and raisin can be found in tiny pockets. The empty glass carries hints of chlorine, salt water and dry rocks. Palate: My first sip is electric with zesty orange peel and peach rings. Another taste rings in a nondescript fruit basket. Nothing has been cut, scraped, zested or expressed - just plain fruit sitting at a distance. The main item I can identify is the skin of an orange. A larger sip and swish shows off hints of peanut brittle and vanilla. Overall this drinks fine, but really quite boring in comparison to the rest of the Redbreast lineup. My last sip follows suit in a dram worthy only of nodding off. TL;DR: Thin whiskey with light flavor for easy sipping Rating: 3/5 (Decent. I can go either way on it.) Perhaps this one could have done better at a higher proof, but unfortunately at 92 proof this ends up drinking quite... watery. Unremarkable flavor and a surprisingly thin mouthfeel tell me that this is ultimately not their best work. This completely pales in comparison to the Ruby Port finished Redbreast 27 year release and also doesn't hold a candle to the PX editions.

Is Irish whiskey set up for a renaissance, or are they riding the coattails of bourbonism? As I was diving through some new Redbreast releases recently, this thought jumped into my head. I've long drank Irish whiskey. Far before I ever discovered the magic of bourbon, rye and other malt whiskies - Irish was my only love. It speaks my language and connects me with memories of people that have come and gone from my life through the years, so I continue to honor and explore the spirit category today in my reviews. Seeing new finishes and label differentiations flourish in Irish whiskey makes me believe that rather than attempting to continue to just produce great, consistent whiskey for everyone, some level of corporate greed is beginning to seep into the incredible legacy of Redbreast. The early editions of the PX Edition was an instant hit with me. It's been a staple whiskey for me that I attempted to shout from the rooftops since its inception in 2021. As of 2023, there was a double drop of a new rendition of the PX Edition as well as a Tawny Port release that unfortunately just fell flat on its face. It's just not their best work, and ultimately feels rushed. I have reviews of both available if you're interested, but let's get into the subject at hand - understanding from when and where your bottle of Redbreast comes from! Since whiskey can vary drastically from barrel to barrel, the bottling date is important information to know as an informed consumer. Much like American whiskey employs laser codes on their whiskey bottles, Redbreast has decided to make this information much more readable. While the glass is still laser etched, Redbreast has dedicated a portion of their back label to reproducing this same code. This code tells the story of the whiskey's source. Let's dive in and find out what each of these cryptic characters represents. If you look on the back of your bottle there is a lot code you can use to determine when it was bottled (which is approximately when it was released). Near the bottom of the back label you will see a brown section with the letter "L" and some numbers. The "L" just stands for lot and the numbers indicate the year and date of bottling. There's always good tidbits of information on back labels, so I implore you to check it out the next time you are shopping for a new bottle. For our primary goal here, you'll want to pay extra attention to the first 4 digits after the L. The first digit after the L is the last number of the bottling year, so if your code reads L3XXXXXXXX, you have a 2023 bottling. If your code reads L2XXXXXXXX you have a 2022 bottling, and so on. The next 3 digits after the first year indicator is the Julian date. If you don't have the mind of a supercomputer, you can use a Julian date converter like this one here in order to determine what day it was bottled. So if your code reads L3165XXXXX like mine does, you would plug in "23165" to the converter and it would tell you it was bottled on 14-JUN-2023. The laser etching on the bottle, which is very faint, confirms this information with the date being printed below the replicate code in the European format "14/06/23". The 5th digit in the sequence L21653XXXX distinguishes the bottling plant. You'll have to reach out to Redbreast via email on this one, but I do know that plant 3 is their location in Waterford. I have not seen any other numbers in recent times. Moving onto the 6th digit shows the bottling line within the plant, so on our code L316531XXX, we learn this came off bottling line #1. This helps them trace back to the source of problems if there are ever any defects identified. The last 3 digits is the number of batches that have been run through the holding/blending vat that was used on that line that year. So on our code L316531415 we learn that the blending vat that formed this release has now held 415 whiskey releases - a testament to the demand for great whiskey these days. I'd love to know how many gallons (or liters - sorry Ireland) this vat holds so the inner nerd in me can estimate how much yearly volume of whiskey goes through this facility. You can see when we try to find the laser code for this sample bottling, it is significantly harder to read; I had to catch this in just the perfect light to get a clear picture. Got it? Still confused? Let's use another example with this 2021 Redbreast PX Edition to really drive this home. I see the code L119431475. I can instantly tell it's the 2021 release because of the 1 after the L. Looking up Julian "194" from 2021 brings up 13-JUL-2021 & this is once again confirmed with the laser etch stating 13/07/21. This bottle comes from plant 3, bottling line 1, and it came from the 475th run in the blending vat for this year. There you have it - all the information you need to dissect your own lot code! What release will you be hunting with this information? I'd like to thank the unnamed "WhiskeyDad" from a 2014 forum post that helped me to pull together this information. If you find any inaccuracies with the information here, feel free to drop a comment or send me an email.

Michter's is back with another toasted barrel rendition, this time opting for another rye release. The toasted barrel rye product has previously been released in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021. This takes their traditional US1 single barrel straight rye which which is aged in charred new American white oak barrels and adds a second barrel maturation of a 24 month air-dried wood barrel that has been toasted rather than charred. Michter's is quite unique in the fact that the barrel was filled at a fairly low entry proof of 103. Knowing this, we can see that it only marginally climbed in proof during its maturation. Since this isn't the first time this has come around, I do have some experience with previous offerings. I was a fickle fan of the 2020 release, but early indications suggest I'm a fan of this one. From distant memory, I recall chasing after the marshmallow tones that the 2020 release would put off some nights, but not others. I was always chasing that flavor in the bottle and it seemed to only ever come up 50% of the time. I'll give a quick comparison to 2020 at the end of the review for those who tried that and are wondering about the new release. Michter's describes this release on their website by saying: While our Michter’s team distills according to tried and true Kentucky practices, it continually experiments as it pursues Michter’s goal of making the greatest American whiskeys. Following years of research on different barrel finishes for rye whiskey, we are proud to offer this release of our Michter’s US1 Toasted Barrel Rye. To make it we take our US1 Kentucky Straight Rye at barrel strength and then age it for an additional period in a second custom barrel. This second barrel is assembled from 24 month air-dried wood and then toasted to our specifications. The result is a unique rye whiskey that we take pride in offering to you. The average strength of the barrels in the September 2023 release is 108.9 proof. Interestingly enough the back label of this bottle still says "Bottled by Michter's Distillery LLC" which would, I suppose, give them the creative freedom to be able to be blending with sourced whiskey still, despite being solidly old enough to have this release be all their own distillate given they resumed distillation in 2014/2015. This brand is coming off some serious highs with the 2023 10 year bourbon release cracking into my upper echelon of whiskey quality with the coveted 5/5 score. Let's see where this one lands! Company on Label: Michter's Distillery LLC Whiskey Type: Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed Proof: 108° Age: NAS, but a minimum of 4 years based on labeling requirements Further identification: Barrel No 23G2494 Nose: Plenty of baking spice greets my nose on a surprisingly cold glencairn; I'll do my best to warm it up with my hands to a more realistic temperature than I keep my New England home at this time of year. Diving back in shows off big molasses tones up front before more subtle berry tones seep in. I find raisin, plum, raspberry, and fig aromas that all cool and calm in the nostrils. If you told me this was port finished, I might believe you. Graham cracker and funky, earthy oak creeps in on long inhales. Overall the nose is quite light in intensity, but subtly nuanced with something worth finding. The nose-feel carries a slightly oily texture but is overall quite thin and fleeting. As the glass begins to approach a room temperature that a sane person might call livable I find the glass forms a neat balance between sweet and spice. I think I'll have a taste before continuing on from here. Wow. After a sip I find so many parallels to a good glass of red wine, particularly cabernet sauvignon. Creamier tones of vanilla and caramel proliferate now as well. Ah - there's all that repressed oak. The red fruits from before are now struggling to escape the oak and linen blanket pile that have moved over the surface of the glass. Deep inhales late in the glass show off a nicely layered whiskey that exudes the class of an upscale dinner, the poise of a ballet dancer, and the wisdom of a tenured, graying professor. As we near empty, sweet butterscotch and black pepper tones build well. The liquidless glass smells of orange marmalade, stainless steel and a hint of salty ocean air. Palate: My first sip dances softly on the palate with almost no evidence of proof. Cherry skins, plum, raspberry and red grape flavors land without too much sweetness. There's definitely a good bit of tannin to be found here, so fans of oakier whiskey or well-aged red wines will find that comforting. To me it tastes just like having a nice cabernet sauvignon around Thanksgiving. A longer sip and swish adds in coffee bean, dark chocolate and brown sugar. The linger is quite ladened with oak tones - a bit too much for my usual comfort zone - though it remains quite drinkable. While I occasionally find flaws, there's still much to celebrate. Late in the glass the red berries turn sweeter, bordering on candied. I find sweet tart textures dancing between raspberry and blackberry before caraway seeds create a head turning shock. I thought I had this one well characterized before that box of chocolate surprise. My last sip is enjoyable with raspberry parfait, chocolate, rosemary, lemon zest, and light cracked black pepper. The finish is medium with plenty of barrel influence to go around. TL;DR: Dark, silky red fruit tones all throughout for fans of red wine Rating: 3/5 (Decent. I can go either way on it.) I enjoy this a lot, but I'm struggling to find a deep excitement that I would normally have for a really high quality whiskey. My biggest personal qualm with this one is just how tannic the overall profile is. This one probably could have used a little longer of a dry aging duration than 2 years - perhaps 3 years like the Bomberger's release. Open air seasoning of cooperage wood prior to being formed into staves is known to be responsible for seasoning tannins out of oak. I know that Michter's knows their ryes. Perhaps rye just wasn't meant to be finished in a toasted barrel. Having tasted this one on four separate occasions (an upgrade from my usual 3 minimum before reviewing), I can say that it's less fickle than my memories of the 2020 release, though still potentially susceptible. Having a well-oxidized bottle of the 2020 release next to me, I'll briefly give you my thoughts on the comparison between the two. Bonus Round - 2020 Michter's Toasted Barrel Rye Comparisons Nose: Everything about this glass screams "clean" tones, whereas the 2023 is darker, more tannic and clearly carried more red berry tones. It manages to be even lighter on the nose than the 2023, but that could have more to do with the amount of oxidation that has definitely occurred on this bottle. Woah... No, that definitely has a different base character. I almost get Willett kind of vibes from this one (barrel 20G1711 for the record). Cinnamon and cherry really grow on me as this one warms and opens up. Ugh - I get that wonderful marshmallow note that I know and love. Goodness, the oak tones are so silky and creamy in the nose-feel, but a one note moment does not make a whiskey great overall unfortunately. Looking back on the 2023 notes, I am realizing these are actually pretty close - only perhaps a shade away from each other, and probably in the same score on my scale. Much like the 2023 this ends up with a bunch of baking spice, a touch of herbal notes, and plenty of oak. Palate: Oh yeah - I didn't know how good I had it with this sitting on my shelf still. That's wonderful whiskey with marshmallow, graham cracker and lemon zest dominating my first sip. Mmm. Much like the nose I find a good punch of cherry and cinnamon on this one. It's quite funky with plenty of oak, much like the 2023 release. If I thought the 2023 had all the fruits.. I was wrong. The 2020 also has them and even some more subtleties in between those. I am now realizing just how close these two bottles are though, with most of the difference likely coming from a lot of air time. Sipping through this I find a tingling dichotomy between what I know is true and what I painfully want to enjoy more. I still think this is a fickle pour. I like it one moment and I don't the next. If I were in a more susceptible to bias headspace, I can see myself being wooed by this. In my analytical setting, I have to trust my process. These just aren't my favorite release that Michter's puts out, and that's okay. They have a wonderful team that is putting out great product after great product. I am sure they won't change any recipe or process on my account given the glowing feedback this release gets whenever I post about it. Overall I think I enjoyed the 2020 just a touch more.

I have previously reviewed Wheel Horse Bourbon, but have never tried the rye before... I will be going into this head to head with some help from @amongsthefernsco who will also be providing some tasting notes. Her findings will be interspersed and identified by being highlighted like this! Wheel Horse Straight Rye Whiskey - Original Sour Mash Company on Label: Bottled by Ocean State Distillers (Distilled in Kentucky @ O.Z. Tyler Distillery) Whiskey Type: Straight Rye Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley Proof: 101° Age: 2 years Further identification: Batch 1; NCF Wheel Horse Bourbon Company on Label: Bottled by Latitude Beverage Co (Distilled in Kentucky @ O.Z. Tyler Distillery) Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 70% Corn, 21% Rye, 9% Malted Barley Proof: 101° Age: 2 years Further identification: Batch 1; NCF Wheel Horse Rye Review Nose: Bright coffee bean and cereal. Sharp, but silky vanilla with lingering spice. Pungent florals, a lot of baking spice and a tough ethanol. Lemon peel now with flashes of grass. A little spicy. Some red berries and tannic red wine now. Woah, that's so minty! I've never gotten mint before, but it was very minty. Woah. Now it feels more proofy than the other... I've changed my mind. The word that keeps popping into my head is tobacco, but it's not tobacco. It's tobacco-y... Kind of smells like wood chips. Turned a little sweeter. There's definitely some of that mint here, but it leans towards something more herbaceous. Post sip there is a pepper explosion. Coming back there is a bit of anise and bubblegum subtly melting together. Singing: I can't name that smell... I know it's there but I don't know what it is! Now it kind of smells like a spiral baked honey ham. Hm... There is something that reminds me climbing rocks and just being incredibly close to stone, earth, moss and other earthy aromas. More coffee bean is showing up now which tells me this glass has just about come full circle. Palate: First sip is very mint forward, but it presents a bit synthetic. Lemon peel and black tea. There is a long linger of the dry black tea leaf. Very light flavor... Not much flavor... Not much burn. A bit bland without much character. Bubblegum abounds on the palate now. There is a tingle of something more like toothpaste than mint as well. The mouth coating is intense, but not exactly tasty. It's also not offensive in any way. A big swish definitely reminds me of similar 95/5 rye profiles. A bit like a tea, I'd agree. It's a lighter rye spice than usual. I wish it tasted as nice as it smells; it just doesn't seem to taste like anything. I find that this tastes like playdough looks; it's a bit amorphous and doesn't quite leave any mark upon you. The last sip is oily like a pot still whiskey with more coffee bean, anise, rye spice and a proofy bubblegum that sticks to your gums quite a bit. This might do better in a cocktail than a neat pour! Rating: 3/5 Wheel Horse Bourbon Review Nose: Much more mellow with creamy caramel, level oak and plum aromas sitting comfortably in the glass. Tart fruit forward. Faint white pepper and chocolate. On a swirl some milk chocolate and dusty field grains come through. Woah... what is that? Smells like a corn fritter. A little more proofy on the nose than the rye - this one tickles my nose hairs more. It transitions to a caramel apple. Smells like a Fall festival. I find this to be way more mellow, with some subtle nuttiness in the background. There's something that resembles the nose texture of sea salt and vinegar chips (Cape Cod Kettle Cooked of course). Malty, funky, salty and nutty all at once. Definitely a nice profile. Post sip the nose is even more mellowed into a subtle vanilla base. Dried dirt, popcorn and more caramel is prevalent coming back to this glass. There's definitely a big corn influence here. Some floral perfume/cologne notes late in the glass now, before returning to a nutty base. Palate: First sip is solid. There's a definite nutty base, with some malted caramel layering over and evolving into a pecan pie medley. Seriously so tasty, this pour never ceases to surprise me. Thick mouth coating and great feel too, it's like sucking on a salted caramel square or a Goetze caramel cream candy. Mmm, yummy. It's like warm, buttery caramel popcorn. It has a good mouth coating with waves of the buttery caramel coming and going. Just a yummy, easy sipper. Perfect for a Fall day. A lot more fruitiness finally coming out that I was expecting on this pour, but this is a fresh crack on both bottles. Some light honey and cherry are dancing slowly and delicately on the top of my tongue now; the linger has lengthened significantly and I really feel like this pour is coming into it's own now. Air does great things for this pour! Eugh, I don't recommend drinking bourbon while laying on your tummy... I made my contributions! The last sip of this is decadent with creamy caramel, pecans, peanuts, corn and buttery smoothness. Rating: 4/5 Final Ranking: Bourbon > Rye for both of us!

The Spring 2023 release of Old Fitzgerald brings us a return to a relatively low age statement after coming off a 17 year and 19 year release. This wheated bourbon that features the same mash bill as the Larceny line has captured the eye of many whiskey enthusiasts due to its extravagant decanter. One other thing this release routinely carries is a cork with an exceptional interference fit. Pulling the cork out of this one risks life and limb if you were to let the glass topper go flying. Once you do get into the bottle though - what does it taste like? Let's find out. Company on Label: Heaven Hill Whiskey Type: Wheated Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley Proof: 100° Age: 10 years Further identification: This is the Spring 2023 Release of Old Fitzgerald which comes in a fanciful decanter style bottle bearing a green label Nose: Immediately the nose offers up dark, nutty tones of walnut, almond and macadamia nut. Cherry skins are a highlighted note that mainly hangs around in the background while the nutty tones proliferate alongside the smell of an earthy first floor of a rick house. Hints of smoke pop up alongside a basket of plums and a distinct metallic scent. Letting this rest for a while improves the intensity some, but I'm still left with relatively little to work with. After a sip, not much changes outside of a slightly more oily nose-feel. Fried dough, french fries and barley can be dug up from the depths on long inhales. The empty glass smells of Hershey's chocolate powder and milk duds. Palate: My first sip is classic Kentucky "spicy-sweet" with cinnamon and cherry skins leading the way. Another sip layers in simple snippets of flavor, like a passing billboard on the highway. One breezes by, announcing farmstand raspberries, quarter mile on the right. The metallic din of crashing silverware at the local diner blows by at what feels like light speed. The linger is incredibly short here with little in the way of a mouth coating either. What I get from this is a fragmented memory of a long night drive spent trying to see a non-backlit GameBoy screen as each passing street light offered a momentary glimpse of information. What the unreachable depths of my memory have conjured are means to say that I am finding this a little too soft-spoken in the flavor department. Sipping further I find thin cherry juice, plum and a touch of pie crust. Hints (and I'm really talking hints here) of graham cracker, molasses and leather can be recognized in the thin, oaky remnants of a larger sip and swish. Late into the glass the nuttiness continues to play a dominant role. My last sip is consistent with the rest of the glass - unremarkable yet passable whiskey. TL;DR: Sweet, spice, but not everything nice; this is just okay bourbon in a fancy bottle Rating: 3/5 (Decent. I can go either way on it.) This is unfortunately quite thin and disappointing for me with only a few notes really coming through in a meaningful way. It certainly drinks fine, but more like a shelfer that definitely doesn't deserve to be in a fanciful decanter such as this.

I am bringing back the Starlight Sunday trend! I've given this one a few tastes prior to tonight and I think I'm ready to give it a rating. I am a bit shorter for time than usual tonight so this won't be as deep of a dive as I normally do. With prior experiences I remember the sherry quality being high on this one, which is no surprise as the Huber's know their wine very well. Let's see how this gift shop release tastes! Company on Label: Starlight Distillery Whiskey Type: Finished Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: The 'Carl T.' blend of Starlight's 3 & 4 grain mash (51% Corn, 20% Rye, 9% Wheat, 20% Malted Barley) and (60% Corn, 20% rye, 20% Malted Barley) Proof: 114° Age: 5 years Further identification: Barrel 21-2192 was selected by master distiller B. Huber and was a gift shop release I picked up in May 2022 Nose: Wow, big brown sugar on the front of this glass. It gives off a sweet barbecue aroma that is a nice surprise. Chocolate. Light smoke. Punchy sweet tarts and raspberry jam. The nose-feel highlights the experience of smelling a fresh jar of ground coffee. I know I said this one would be shorter, but my nose feels like it just opened a portal to a different glass. Graham cracker, hints of Amburana spice, proofy cointreau, and soft brandy tones are suddenly the profile? This has way more layers than I was expecting. Okay - we are back to the brown sugar note which feels more in line with expectations. The baseline oak here is really solid and soft with slight hints of non-descript nuttiness. I feel like I'm most surprised by the char level - it feels lovingly close to a full charcoal level. The empty glass smells of smoked honey and cherry skins. Palate: Mmm. A perfect dessert selection (which is what I chose it for) presents itself right away. The sweet red fruit you'd expect dance lightly on the tongue. A funky yet sweet earthiness persists. This perhaps leans a bit towards a Calvados profile for me tonight. The mouth feel is creamy and dreamy as oily, viscous caramel washes over me. The finish is mellow here which I always enjoy - let the base whiskey shine. There's a perfect level of spice to this that is balanced well by light fig and raisin. Mmm. Towards the end of the glass the raspberry flavors really begin to build and mix well with black forest cake that carries through to the long linger of blackberry and toffee. I am really enjoying this is as a soon-after-dinner pour (we had creamy lemon dill salmon in the Amongst household for perspective). My last sip is nuanced with blackberry, raspberry and vanilla bread pudding. The linger and finish is just the right level of sweetness as the sherry influence finally makes itself known. Rating: 5/5 (Just wow. One of my favorites.) Alright, this was harder to rate than I thought. I admittedly had to go for a pour of a great reference point that I know is already a 5/5 for me (on 3 different occasions confirming that rating) in Redbreast PX Edition to get a better perspective on how to rate this. Admittedly the Midleton Irish + PX Sherry combination just has a touch more of that magic cooperation, but it accomplished the mission in telling me that this finished bourbon comes damn close to that high bar. I think what pushed me into the 5/5 score, which is an incredibly rare score for me, was the quality of the finish. It's long, pervasive and beautiful through and through. For a gage on how rare 5's are for me... as of time of writing there are 20 pages of 4/5 reviews and only 6 pages of 5/5 reviews. I believe that exceptional whiskeys deserve to stand out. Excellent work on this one in particular - hats off to the Huber family for this one!

The 2021 release of the PX edition from Redbreast was my top Irish whiskey I tried this past St. Patrick's Day & it also earned my top review score - (Just wow. One of my favorites.)! I'd like to thank local whiskey guru Alan Starr for giving me a sample of this for review. I was excited to see the bottle being re-distributed this year as I was only able to secure one bottle of it last year. It seems to be coming out in higher volumes around me at time of writing, so I thought I'd give it a try and possibly taste it against my 2021 release I happen to still have handy. So without further ado - let's get into it! Company on Label: Pernod Ricard (Distilled at Midleton Distillery) Whiskey Type: Finished Irish Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: 100% Malted and Unmalted Barley Proof: 92° Age: NAS Further identification: This is a 2022 re-release of the Iberian Series collaboration from Redbreast that first released in late 2021; it is initially matured in both bourbon and oloroso sherry casks before spending another 12-22 months in Pedro Ximénez hogsheads seasoned at the Páez Lobato cooperage in Jerez. Nose: Pleasant confectioners sugar immediately hits my nose from the very beginning - something the first release did quite well was really deliver on that sweet dessert characteristic so this is promising. It has the traditional Midleton oily, viscous, creamy nose feel for certain. Plum, fig and a mixed berry parfait characteristic jump out at me. After a sip the oak characteristics begin to show up more pronounced, and with that brings more rich caramel. Wow, as the glass gets closer to empty the vanilla notes begin to really shine. Lovely aromas all throughout on this one. I get some delicious honey sweetness on the back end of long inhales. The empty glass smells of nutmeg, creamy caramel, damp dirt and light, floral honey. Palate: My first sip is cherry upfront which then fades into a tart orange peel and lovely vanilla frosting. Another sip shows off decadent crème brûlée and sweet toffee. Traditional Irish shortbread cookie comes across moist, rich and coating. There's a lovely, lovely mouth coating and a decent linger for the lower proof here. A larger sip and swish shows off the earthy tones I was missing here that I remembered the earlier release having. My last sip is all creamy caramel. The linger is on the shorter side with a yummy creamy vanilla and coffee bean sitting in the back of my mouth. Rating: 5/5 (Just wow. One of my favorites.) Further thoughts compared to the 2021 release: The nose is very much on par between the two with the 2022 release perhaps leaning a touch even sweeter than the 2021, which is an incredible feat in it's own right. The 2021 does feel like it has a bit more nuanced complexity going on though. On the palate I find the 2021 to be more verdant, earthy and coating than the 2022. The 2021 has the longer linger of that two, but it is very, very close and I'm being quite picky here trying to find differences. I do think these releases are about even - they just don't seem to be aligning to the same evolution timeline in the glass. I do think the 2021 release is better overall - but hopefully that is just because that bottle is 2/3rds gone and the 2022 release is something close to a fresh crack. Thank you for the chance to try this before I go grab a bottle or two for myself Alan!