After my tasting with Booker's 2021-02 Tagalong Batch went as well as it did... I thought I'd try to compare it against one of my favorite batches of all time: Country Ham (2019-03). Let's see if it can hang! Tagalong Batch Company on Label: James B. Beam Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Barley Proof: 127.9° Age: 6 years Further identification: 2021-02 Tagalong Batch comes bearing a light green label in a wooden box with a batch information card Country Ham Company on Label: James B. Beam Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Barley Proof: 124.7° Age: 6 years Further identification: 2019-03 Country Ham comes bearing a light gray label in a wooden box with a batch information card Tagalong Nose: - Vanilla/marshmallow forward - Cinnamon - Oak - Citrus/mint - Chocolate - Fruity Country Ham Nose: - Caramel forward - Brown sugar - Pepper - Cinnamon - Big citrus/woody/Pinesol note Tagalong Palate: - Apricot syrup - Tannic - Vanilla - Dry oak - Big, thick mouth coating Country Ham Palate: - Cinnamon - Molasses - Maple syrup - Oak - Tannic - Peach Final Ranking: Country Ham > Tagalong Batch The old staple is hard to beat. I do think the Tagalong Batch is a return to a classic profile, but doesn’t have the same potent brown sugar ‘wow’ factor. I still thoroughly enjoy both pours.

The @SpiritAnimalSociety is back at it again! This pick is awesome. We had a great time getting together with some of our top friends and fans to taste through a handful of Ry3 offerings that Karthik sent us from Phenomenal Spirits. Brett @saxybourbon and Abby, @_LostNemo_ were joined by @luckytimmy13, @trywhiskeywithfitzy716, @bourbonchick_6, @ra1nmannn, and @bourbonman81. We collaborated with a great Massachusetts retailer in Liquor Junction who has picked an awesome Ry3 before as well. Not many people get to experience barrel picks; they are often extremely limited and exclusive... Well, that's not how we do things with the Spirit Animal Society. We've always tried to involve as many people as we possibly can on any barrel picking experience. This is still extremely challenging for us as there is usually only so much liquid that can be sent around for tasting before the barrels would all just run dry from thirsty barrel societies! We did the best we could with a few small flasks of the liquid gold that Phenomenal Spirits sent along. Thank you Karthik! You can read a little bit about his history in rum here. If you'd like to hear about the tasting experiences / nuances read on below! Ry3 Whiskey Rum Cask Finish Private Reserve - Spirit Animal Society Barrel Pick Company on Label: Phenomenal Spirits Whiskey Type: Finished Rye Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed proportions of 3 mash bills: 95% Rye / 5% Malted Barley (MGP), 100% Rye (Alberta), and presumably a 99% Corn / 1% Malted Barley (presumably MGP) Proof: Varies per cask, all around 120 proof Age: Undisclosed proportions of 3.5 year MGP rye, 4 year Alberta rye, and 15 year Light Whiskey Further identification: These all come from batch PR#005 and are finished for a bit longer than usual due to it being Winter in the US; they spent 13.5 weeks in Ron Izalco rum casks (which are also ex-bourbon #4 char) that come from Independent Stave Company which supplies most of the big Kentucky distilleries Rum Cask #49 - 121 Proof Nose: Salt water taffy leads the way with soft metallic notes following. There's a rich black pepper note that's quite apparent here. There's quite a bit of lemon zest trying to escape the glass but a level dustiness seems to be holding it down for now. Swirling doesn't change much in the way that the troves of oak continue to bombard my nostrils. There's definitely some apparent heat to this and the back end of a big inhale exhibits a touch of bright banana. Vanilla swings back in and presents very mellow and enjoyable compared to #41. Oooh the citrus zest is the one I remember enjoying from this release; it almost tastes similar to the note I get out of Willett 4 year rye. The metallic note is back again with a slight oily nose-feel like a copper-pot distilled spirit often will have. Vanilla continues to be the most prominent note. The empty glass smells of very little, which is quite surprising. Palate: This leads punchy with tart, figgy jam. There's a prevalent cinnamon spice in every corner and a soft herbal undertone. Muddled, dark fruit presents quite mixed up and jumbled. Vanilla frosting and a faint coffee bean slide under the overall feel of citrus zest and light grassiness. My last sip is a lovely sweetness of creamy caramel, pear, fresh earth, and hints of chocolate. Rum Cask #20 - 119 Proof Nose: This glass immediately feels softer than #49 with sugar cookie jumping out first for me. White linen and vanilla are there and the aromas remind me of a clean, warm towel after a cold jump in a Maine lake. Wow! The fruit just showed up for the main event now. Candied cherry, raisin and lemon gumdrops show off nicely. A bit of cinnamon spiced pineapple can be found on the back end of deep inhales. The softness yet subtle complexity of this one makes me like it the most on the nose alone. There's a deep, herbal complexity to this that I can't quite place, but I know I enjoy it. I still firmly believe this one has the best nose. The empty glass smells of cranberry, raisin, funky fig and sweet cinnamon candy. Palate: Much more sweetness to this one compared to #49. Plum, peach preserves, and grape juice. This also carries a nice mouth coating and it lingers quite long. The lemon peel feeling of this is bright, breezy and floral. Yum yum yum. There's vanilla, silky Early Gray tea, a back end hint of pepper and all of it is neatly tied together in a sweet, creamy white wine bow. My last sip is punchy with the sweetest lemon squeeze of any of the samples. It lingers softly with tiny flashes of bubblegum, mint, tarragon, hints of sweet cilantro and the ever present sugary vanilla sweetness that ties this all in together. Rum Cask #41 - 120.2 Proof Nose: Lemon tea starts this glass off; I'm incredibly surprised at how varied these 3 are, all starting off on a different foot. This one is a nice medley of sweet and spice, but is the most non-descript for me. Quite hot on the nose after resting. This smells like it could be hazmat proof at times. I wondered if this was because my glasses were getting quite warm, but decreasing the temperature externally with ice around the glencairn really only mutes the spirit. Later in the glass I get an angostura bitters note. The empty glass smells of honey, tart wildflowers, and sawdust. Palate: Funky at first then it blooms into a really deep oak spice. This one has very little in the way of sweetness that I can find, but the linger eventually fades into a lemon hard candy which tastes lovely. Another sip is very herbal tea forward. While this is certainly the easiest to sip on of the 3, I find it doesn't do much outside of the normal profile. I taste much of the same of what I am finding in the other two glasses, but just in plainer clothes. My last sip is the best of the glass with orange peel and a slight mint note. Control Group: Liquor Junction Private Reserve Batch 003 - 122.8 Proof Nose: Honey sweetness leads the way. Slight chocolate tones flash up at times. Pepper and gingersnaps are similarly punchy to the samples we were provided. The empty glass smells of prunes, pineapple, and soft linen. Palate: Waves of lemongrass and honey pulse softly over the palate. This one is dangerously soft in every sense. The rum finish feels a bit more apparent on this one with that creamy characteristic really shining. Very cherry forward and a bit of barbecue grill smoke on the back end. My last sip is quite punchy, which makes me believe this would go absolutely fantastic in an old fashioned, which I think I'll also try tonight. Ranking: Unanimous #20 > #49 > #41 I was incredibly impressed that everyone was in complete agreement on which sample was the best. I reserved my opinion all the way until the end and was very pleased to see it agreed with the entire tasting group. Final bottling point of the cask #20 selection ended up at 119.4 proof! We believe this is a must-have for any whiskey enthusiast - even those who don't usually think they would like a rye... This is not your typical rye! If you'd like to potentially be a part of the next Spirit Animal Society pick - get involved with us on Instagram or join our Patreon! We have a couple other incredible offerings available in our store as well. Any of our other links can be found on the SAS linktree. Cheers folks! Hope to see you all and share some sips of this RY3 soon!

It's another Mass Bourbon Alliance pick coming at you hot! It's a blessing and a curse that this one took so long to make its way over to MA from CO that it arrived in close proximity to the NEBCo barrels. This is a brand and a pour that's been slept on for a while until some really good picks have started hitting shelves and groups last year. I think people are finally catching on to just how good this stuff is. This single barrel select is Mass Bourbon Alliance's third release. Derek Laverriere and I tasted through 3 samples and easily settled on this sweets factory. My notebook from the tasting night was testament to the quality of this sample above the others. We collaborated with Liquor Junction as our retail partner for this pick and are always grateful for their continued support of our barrel dreams! Let me know what you think of the bottle sticker and if you recognize any of the Easter eggs... Now, let's dive into the bottled product! Company on Label: Old Elk Whiskey Type: Wheated Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 51% Corn, 45% Wheat, 4% Malted Barley Proof: 112.4° Age: 6 years Further identification: This is the 'Prohibition' barrel pick from Mass Bourbon Alliance in collaboration with Liquor Junction (@LJWhiskeyFamily) out of Reading, MA; the pick can be purchased here (no shipping) Nose: The first thing that leaps out of the glass is a silky milk chocolate which smells delicious. It's creamy and sweet with cherry skin undertones. Bright vanilla greets me well. A yummy sweet tart aroma pops up early into the glass now. More chocolate shows itself but this time a bit more malt-forward while maintaining a confectionary sweetness. There's something like a bready waffle I really dig on the nose. There's also a nice vanilla forward linen note that flashes up in intense waves while a decent dusty oak shows off this whiskeys age. It smells like a vintage cabinet... and that reminds me of bygone traditions of actually making things by hand for some reason. There's a hint of smoke on the back end of deep inhales. After a brief lull back into sweet sugary vanilla, a big pepper note pops up in the center of the glass. The pre-sip nose finishes up with a splash of white lily florals. Caramel completes the overall aroma experience well. Time for a sip! After a sip the nose opens up to hints of leather, chocolate-laced oak and creamy stone fruit. Later in the glass the nose opens up wonderfully to a big bouquet of floral tones that feel like sitting next to an open window on a cool Spring day. Palate: My first sip starts with all candy sweets. The same sweet tarts from the nose transfers well. There's a tart pear, green apple and lovely caramel creaminess. Another sip builds in cherry hots, grape skins, plum pudding, and a soft banana bread. The palate is soft and easy to sip with smarties, lemon frosting, sweet plum, and apricot brandy tea. There's a long linger of smoldering cherry hots. Sipping further produces floral tones all while fruit builds strongly. I get a calm sugar cookie tone that doesn't quite say 'Irish whiskey' but certainly leans in that direction. As the glass weathers on there's more fruit that shows its slight tannic side - it reminds me of crushed grapes a bit. My last sip is very unique with how it presents the silky cherry flavors. The long, smoldering finish is satisfying and sweet! The real highlight of this pour is it's sweet cherry characteristic with a hint of orange peel on the back end; it presents like an old fashioned in all the right ways. Rating: 4/5 I am definitely a big fan of these wheated bourbons coming out of Old Elk these days... The highlight of this pour is really how easy it is to sip. Much like the Spirit Animal Society Old Elk bourbon single barrel pick, I'd call this one 'supremely crushable'. Savor this one neat or your bottle will disappear before you know it... Cheers MBA!

Have you seen my infinity barrel project on Instagram? I've posted quite a few bottle dump videos to my reels, but haven't done much in the way of updating the progress here. I thought I'd review how the barrel is tasting as of now - I've tasted it many times before, as that is how we are determining what goes in. I'm doing everything by taste, much like I have done my infinity bottle, just on a larger scale. I do have some co-founders that helped me get this project off the ground and have contributed a significant volume of whiskey to this 53 gallon barrel. If you would like to contribute to the barrel and get a taste for yourself please fill out the form on the Infinity Barrel tab of the website! The latest additions came from @barrettimbibes who sent along some Penelope Bourbon and Still Austin for the barrel. Thank you Barrett! Company on Label: Not Applicable! Whiskey Type: Four Grain Bourbon Blend Mash Bill Percentages: 72.18% Corn, 3.25% Wheat, 13.10% Rye, and 11.56% Malted Barley Proof: Average Theoretical Proof: 102.65° Measured Proof: 107° Age: Minimum age: 2 Years Average age: 9.29 Years Average age with barrel time added: 9.65 Years Further identification: This is a once-used Russell's Reserve single barrel store pick from Rapid Liquors that is being re-filled as an infinity barrel; the whiskey at the time of review is current to the bottle list up to 4/10/2022 Nose: Rich, lovely caramel greets my nose as I first raise the glass. There's a candy sweetness that is quite prevalent in the slowly warming glass. Really, really sweet forward here on the nose - I'm in love. It reminds me of a warm pool of skittles candy. There's cherry, candied apple, strawberry and a nice undercurrent of sweet florals. Penelope might be onto something with their four grain blends as this is reminding me of their barrel strength releases a lot. The oak aromas almost feel tied into the sweet cherry notes; I get very little in the way of the traditional dustiness, vanilla, or tannin that oak can typically impart; it all seems to be fruit forward thus far. Digging deeper I find a nice black pepper note. Ooh, now the proof of the barrel is starting to show a bit. I really am trying to keep this right around 107 so it's approachable no matter the circumstance and the proof point is definitely doing it for me so far. A deep inhale to my left nostril shows off buttercream frosting and a distinct tobacco aroma. My right nostril gives way to bright vanilla, angel food cake, and a light cinnamon spice. Time for a sip! Coming back to the nose I find an awesome return to a big cherry hots profile like I typically find on the higher proof Weller releases (which makes sense, there's a handful in there!). The sugary sweets I'm getting now remind me more of the airheads candy, specifically the cherry, which is making my mouth water remembering the flavors from years and years ago. Ahh - now we just transitioned into a creamy profile again with a Nikka coffee bean smell coming off the glass. I'm really quite thoroughly impressed with the quality and depth this pour is showing off. Coming back to the glass after a rest I am pleased to find a rich butterscotch, light pecan and creamy caramel once again. Nearing the end of the glass some dark, funky earth can be dug up if you really focus but it's quite faint in the background. The empty glass smells of honey, chocolate, Belgian waffles, and neat oak. Palate: Right off the bat this presents a lovely mellow caramel, toffee and light fruit parfait profile. I'm most impressed by the linger that carries bright maraschino cherry through and plops down for a long visit in the center of my tongue. Another sip allows me to explore further as I find great layers of chocolate, plum, cinnamon raisin bread, and a creamy pie crust. The mouth coating is viscous, creamy and buttery; it reminds me a lot of some really good MGP barrels that I have tried. A sip and swish releases the candied fruit sweetness I was experiencing on the nose. At times the floral sweetness and the cherry hots profiles clash and almost negate each other - which is a definite hallmark of what whiskey blends tend to do. The end result is still an incredibly easy sipping experience and I haven't found a single offensive note in this glass yet. Coming back from a short rest reveals more peppery oak tones alongside strawberry shortbread. My last sip is incredibly pleasant with cherry juice, candied plum, and strawberry marmalade dancing on the tongue. The linger is long with a vanilla-forward tea making my gums tingle lightly. The pour finishes with a long, simmering array of sweet patisserie ingredients. Rating: 4/5 This barrel is tasting really damn good. I think I'd like to see it a little higher in proof/intensity before I'd consider upgrading it to a 5. There's plenty of headspace left in the barrel though - let's add some good stuff in so we can get really good stuff out!

Well, @bourbon_paddy made me do it. We were chatting not too long ago and some of his most excitable whiskey descriptors were used to portray the quality of this Larceny batch, so I had to give it a go myself. I historically have not been crazy for these Larceny barrel proof releases, finding batch A120 to be quite lackluster. Check out his review here! I'll be going into this glass without having read into it too closely so I can form my own opinions here now, but definitely check out his thorough reviews for yourself. Here goes... This is Larceny's last chance to wow me before I might go all in on team Elijah Craig... Let's get to it! Company on Label: Old Fitzgerald Distillery (Heaven Hill) Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 68% Corn, 20% Wheat, and 12% Malted Barley Proof: 122.6° Age: 6 years (a blend of 6 to 8 year barrels) Further identification: Batch C921 is the 3rd and final release from 2021 Nose: A very traditional bourbon caramel immediately rises off the surface of the glass. Pepper dances around the edges of the glass as an incredibly soft leather greets me as well. There's a hint of a bright copper metallic note early on in the glass that fades into a nice base of cashew and peanut brittle as time goes on. The nose is quite light in intensity with no big evidence of any proof to be found. Molasses, dark earth, and hints of dark chocolate are really great layers to find now as this opens up. I find this nose to be quite moody and brooding with the dark earth tones really presenting the most intently. Time for a sip to see if things open up differently on the palate. Coming back after a few sips to explore the nose further I find that the nutty aromas of cashew and peanut have jumped back into the foreground and combined with the sugary sweet pecan note I was getting on the palate. Digging deeper I'm able to find a nice baking-sweet vanilla. The darkness of the early glass seems far away as funky malt, level oak, and a touch of barbecue smoke have transitioned this glass into something quite enjoyable. There's definitely some savory notes coming off the glass that made me think of barbecue smoke in particular. As the glass weathers on the sweetness from the palate starts to drift in. For the most part I actually enjoyed the contrast between nose and palate here where the overall complexity of the pour benefited from that crossover. The empty glass smells of confectioners sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup soaked oak. Palate: My first sip is really a complete surprise as delicious cherry hots flash up, sizzle on the tip of my tongue and then settles into a nutty cherry pie linger. I also taste a lovely maple-roasted candied pecan dessert as my first sip trails off slowly. Another sip is much more manageable from a flashy proof perspective, but the same lovely cherry persists. There's orange peel, grape jelly and a soft tingle of herbal tea sticking in my gums. I had no idea I was going to enjoy this pour this much on the palate based on the aromas I was finding on the nose. The mouth coating is just the right weight for any occasion; it's not so heavy you find yourself reaching for a glass of water after every sip, nor is it fleeting in any sense of that word. The entirety of my mouth is coated with a caramel nut tart and I'm here for it as the flavors hangs on clearly for the better part of a full minute. Yum; another sip builds in more fruit sweetness with plum, blackberry and flashes of pomegranate. A custard sweetness sits atop fig tart. This batch of Larceny actually really reminds me of a good Booker's batch - something that I haven't revisited in a long while. A bigger sip and swish reminds you of the proof point you are working with as black pepper, cinnamon and a flashy brandy sweetness sting the tongue. Nearing the end of the glass a faint bit of salted molasses struck through in a surprising departure from the rest of the experience. There's a fair bit of buttery toffee in the linger. My last sip has built up an array of baking spices that excite the palate with ginger, brown sugar, cookie dough, and nutmeg coming through strongly. Rating: 4/5 Bonus head to head review! Immediately after finishing the C921 review I decided to briefly revisit my A120 batch as I never actually formally reviewed that pour. It's been fairly low and should have experienced some changes due to oxidation by this point in the bottle, but I wanted to explore if this batch is truly a cut above the rest. The A120 presents distinctly hotter without the vibrant sweet fruit that the C921 delivered. The A120 nose presents with much more of that white-washed, bright paper quality that some Heaven Hill oak tends to do. The A120 is distinctly more tannic and bitter, but I find still find myself liking it more than I recall. There's a funny captain crunch cereal note I hadn't experienced before, but the proof imbalance continues to make me feel as though this A120 batch isn't as refined as it could be (like C921 delivered above). So I'll definitely be giving C921 the nod here in this brief head to head. Let me know if you have had either batch and what you thought of them! Larceny, you can definitely stay Amongst the Whiskey still. Trying this batch was certainly eye opening. Cheers to another great week up ahead of us here!

Quick review here! Only having 2 ounces of something I like to not put too much weight on one experience, but thought this one was worth writing a few things for. This sample comes to me courtesy of Ian aka @barrelproofnerd. I'm always grateful to try the crazy pours we swap! Company on Label: Mayor Pingree Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed (likely an MGP mash bill) Proof: 114.2° Age: 10 year Further identification: This is a single barrel pick from a few years ago from Otis Supply (a restaurant) in Michigan; it comes with a blue label and is labeled as coming from barrel J14 Potent sweets immediately greet me on the glass. I get a sugary rush to the head on a deep inhale. Really big oak comes off the glass; it has a lot of really bright and dusty characteristics that sting the nose slightly. The fruit sweetness on the palate is lovely. I get maraschino cherry, orange peel, dark red grape juice, and a powerhouse of creamy lemon frosting - it was right here when I realized this is a beautiful MGP barrel. Coming back to the nose is a treat. There's the perfect caramel note you hope for in every bourbon alongside a toasted marshmallow, and a touch of salted molasses cookies. My last sip is sweet again with sweet rope candy, plum, and a light, figgy jam. The linger is beautifully long with a tingly sweet mouth coating. I actually feel like I need to brush my teeth after this pour because of how sugary sweet it was. Delicious! Rating: Thumbs up! Well, you can't beat shared pours! This one started a little slow but built into an absolute sweets factory. If you enjoy the sweeter side of things this one will not let you down.

Another quick review here! Brett, @SaxyBourbon, one of my favorite humans and fellow @SpiritAnimalSociety founders sent me a sample of a single barrel (one of the oldest I am told!) from his local distillery Marlin & Barrel out of Florida. It clocks in at a high proof and carries the name 'Shoreline' which is very fitting for the Fernandina Beach locale. I'm excited to give this one a try as Brett and I have tasted a barrel pick from this same place before which was wicked fun, but wasn't their own distillate. Company on Label: Marlin & Barrel Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed 4 grain mash bill comprised of corn, rye, wheat, and barley Proof: 132.8° Age: NAS Further identification: This is a single barrel release from Marlin & Barrel out of Fernandina Beach, Florida; it is a limited release of their own distillate that was picked for one of their employees' birthday (Shannon); it was celebrated and released on January 8th, 2022 The nose immediately presents creamy molasses, whipped cream, dark baking spices, and a lovely graham cracker aroma. It's bright and easy for it's high proof. There's a verdant aroma that is quite pleasant; I hesitate to call it floral as it has some bigger, bolder smells than that. Taking a sip shows off what this whiskey is really about... big, bold birthday cake! There's a smoldering, sweet smoke to the linger that I love. The initial sip shows a touch of youth, but it's quickly washed over with waves of malt, caramel, and a dark bread note. Another sip builds in big waves of big spice that never seem to crash too hard into my tongue but do give off a ton of great flavor. This pour reminds me of an elegant restaurant. It feels like I'm trying a new food for the first time. This pour really balances the familiar flavors with some unique ones really well. It's a touch more heavy on the malt side than I will typically lean, but the presentation is really pretty impressive for its proof. My last sip is a perfect conglomeration of confectioners sugar, caramel, mild oak, and brown sugar. Pretty darn impressive, Florida! Rating: Thumbs up! Okay, by the last sip I was convinced. That's some really good stuff! I went in pretty skeptical but I've left a believer. Good whiskey finds good people - always. Cheers!

Barrell Craft Spirits has been doing wonderous and remarkable things with their blends from the get-go. From my most recent experience with Barrell Seagrass, to Dovetail, to the amazing single barrels that I've tried, there hasn't been anything from them that I've been able to turn down a pour of yet. I even won a signed bottle from Joe Beatrice in a blind tasting competition! That said, I go into every pour with a challenging and inquisitive mind. I generally try to disregard label and price once the liquor hits the glass and just evaluate on my reception to the experience. My puppy Fern enjoyed seeing me pop open this sample but she kept her distance from the 115.34 proof heat the best she could! 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 Proof: 115.34° Age: 5 years (likely blended with older product than that) Further identification: This is batch 032 which is releasing across the country in early 2022 Nose: Funky oak forward on the first nosing with a distinct chocolate background. This reminds me a bit of some Wild Turkey or Beam funk right upfront and I'm definitely here for it. A rich, powerful vanilla follows with more dusty oak, black pepper and shiny metallics. I have to re-highlight the fun black pepper characteristic here which smells like so many of my favorite whiskies. The nose-feel is quite a bit on the dry side with powdered cacao and dark sawdust really keeping things tamped down and under wraps. I get the whole dang woodshed on this one. It's incredibly oak prevalent but it's not quite like anything I'm used to experiencing which is quite interesting. There's a touch of a savory sensation. A few deep inhales later and that heavy oak blanket seems to be lifting off the glass now and a bit of lemon zest emerges like the first signs of Spring. There's a nice background fruit and floral sweetness that isn't very prevalent but leaves a nice feeling in the nose. Much lighter now which tells me the glass is about ready for a sip. After a sip the funk from the early nose returns alongside a rich caramel. Light florals keep this delicate at other times. There definitely seems to be the hallmark experience of a blend of whiskies where distinctly different flavors tend to phase in and out of the glass. A wave of vanilla bean washed over the glass as I finished that thought. The empty glass smells lovely with a chocolate, soft red grape, plum, and a sweet honeysuckle. It highlights a nosing experience that reminds me of some of the earliest bourbons that I got into which is vaguely nostalgic for me. When I inhale through my nose while sipping I get some really distinct linen notes. The empty glass smells of light peanut, salty & savory bologna, and a truly lovely maple sugar / vanilla mix right on the tail end. Palate: Woah, the plum pop on the first sip is exhilarating, but it finishes a touch hot for only 115 proof. There's a nice texture to this that reminds me of an extra-bubbly seltzer. A subsequent sip is again fruit forward with cherry juice. A freight train of tannic oak spice rockets in behind the fruit and washes away any of the sweet linger that started out on the tongue. The mouth feel is a thick viscosity with molasses, cacao nibs, papaya seeds and capers lingering longest. Another sip is full of sweet, chalky candy like sweet tarts and smarties. Something in here feels slightly musty like there's a really highly aged bourbon mixed in on the back end. If you are a fan of old age statements and a lot of oak this release is certainly for you. As I swish a bit of the remaining whiskey in the glass I find a distinct vanilla, loads of the black pepper from the early nose, and a long, smoldering spiced finish. I may be getting soft with my whiskey these days but I have certainly been leaning towards more sweet rather than spicy pours. This one almost delivers a cayenne pop without too much heat. My last sip is a smaller one and that results in a brief flash of dried cherries, chalky sweet tart, plum, and dusty raisin flavor profile that I find to run right down the middle of the road in terms of quality for me. The linger is quite long with the same vague fruit and floral medley I mentioned earlier not really delivering anything descript - a hallmark of blends I've noticed for sure. Rating: 3/5 Batch 032 certainly did not disappoint me - that's the beauty of my 3 score: it's a pour I could go either way on; a pour that really runs right down the middle on the quality scale. If my ratings were a bell curve (which they probably are given enough whiskies reviewed) I'd imagine a significant portion of things should fall near the 3 mark. The scales where all the whiskies in the world are fighting for a 0.1 point difference against each other along the 90-100 range just doesn't make sense to me, so I like to do things this way. I hope you can interpret my scale properly and the tasting notes above help you out in your decision to try this whiskey! All this said, I've definitely personally had much more incredible releases from Barrell Craft Spirits than this. Cheers gang!

New England Barrel Company... By now you've heard of them. James Saunders has been making big waves in the whiskey world by bringing a really great palate to the whiskey sourcing table. James does all the hard work of filtering in good barrels to his brand and then passes the easiest next job over to groups like Mass Bourbon Alliance which I co-founded with my good friend Derek Laverriere (@bourbondipity_ on IG) to pick great barrels of whiskey and bring them to Massachusetts folks. Well - this is one such barrel! You might have seen we also have a Stouted Bourbon coming if you are following our Facebook page (locals only please). We had an absolute blast picking this barrel and really feel like James put out some of his best stuff for us to taste through. I'd love to live in his barrel room; if you get the chance to go up and see it, it's worth the trip. Now - let's see why we picked this barrel! Company on Label: New England Barrel Company Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley Proof: 114.2° Age: 6 years Further identification: This is a single barrel select that I helped pick onsite at NEBCo in New Hampshire; it comes from Barrel # 16-13 and we are thrilled to be working with Liquor Junction as our retail partner for Massachusetts distribution coming soon Nose: Lovely vanilla sweetness from the first nosing; it smells lightly sugary like a candy cigarette. Hefty, creamy caramel wafts off the surface of the glass which immediately shapes my lips closer to a smile than I was intending. I normally get more of this creamy feeling from the 36% rye mash bill from MGP, but this one is doing it incredibly well at 21% just the same. Cherry skins pop brightly in the background as this continues to push forth wave after wave of confectioners sugar, light maple syrup and a great level oak. Now it's time for a sip. Coming back the oak intensifies nicely, but not to a point of contention. Baking spice and more confectionary concoctions float off the glass. I get a rich creaminess that is reminiscent of a rum barrel finish but shows off more like a delicious homemade vanilla pudding smell. Oooh, when you really inhale deeply to dig deep in the glass the oak spices are on full display which is really interesting because they are otherwise quite subdued by the surface sweets. Overall the nose feels fairly complex for the age which is always refreshing. I do think this is a point that James is trying to make in a lot of his barrels and blends - good whiskey does not need high age statements! The liquid here really does speak for itself in that regard. Overall I mainly get that perfect blend of cherry, oak and caramel that reminds me of everything that I expect a good bourbon profile to be. As the glass gets closer to empty I get one of my all-time favorite bourbon notes: marshmallow! As it intertwines with the fruit sweetness I get the impression of a orange creamsicle, or perhaps a strawberry rum cake. The empty glass smells of peach cobbler, milk chocolate, dry oak, and vanilla custard cake. Palate: Immediate flashes of cherry syrup, grenadine, plum and raisin from the get go. I'm impressed by the combination of the intensity of the flavorful sweetness and the overall approachability of this sip. The linger is long and there's a rich coating of lemon tea, orange sherbert, and a soft linger of dark chocolate. Another sip builds in sweet tarts, a soft expressed twist of orange peel, and angostura bitters. Coming back after some time I get a nice flourish of cinnamon that almost attempts to be hot, but ends up just coming across as sweet again as strawberry lemon blondies sit delectably in the middle of my tongue. A larger sip and swish shows off the sweets once again without ever getting too hot for the palate; this proof point is hitting the spot tonight. Overall I'm quite satisfied with a balanced and complex sip that does all of your traditional bourbon notes and then some. I'm most impressed with the fruit and vanilla balance; the notes feel incredibly intertwined that experiencing them together feels like watching a well choreographed dance. My last sip is orange peel zesty with really distinct sweet tea characteristics. The linger is a long roaring wave of buttercream frosting, marmalade, and lovely maraschino cherries. Bonus review from Brittany! Nose: Light on the nose. Caramel toffee. Bright citrus. Mildly floral if you dig deep. Palate: More of that caramel toffee (candy-like) from the nose with a back end spice; there's a really nice linger. As it sits on my tongue the more citrus and floral notes arise. Now tasting a bit of chocolatey, oaky leather as I inhale. It would be delightful to enjoy on a warm Spring day. It's light and bright - really pleasant to drink. Rating: Two thumbs way up! That was some really high praise from Brittany up there who doesn't go crazy for many bourbons! As for my review, only having done one tasting, and having a lot of personal hype and bias keeps me from scoring this in my traditional way (1-5, check out the review page for what the scores mean to me) but I really do think that this is some exceptional whiskey. You are really going to want to grab at least one of these alongside the Stouted Bourbon! I'm going to be revisiting a glass of that Stouted tonight too to see if anything has changed for me from my last review. Keep your eyes peeled for release information from @MassBourbonAlliance and @liquorjunction. Cheers folks!

There aren't many better times in the whiskey world than getting to try something completely new. The lovely Brittany (@bourbonchick_6) from the Spirit Animal Society crew sent me along a special surprise... I opened a box from her to find a note saying that the bottle was wrapped up good (in order to blind me to the label) and to crack it open for a blind taste before unwrapping any further. Well... I obliged and got on a quick video call with her and some other SAS members and gave a few quick hot takes that I'll try to summarize from memory here: Before getting into it I asked one question and that was if this was a store pick from somewhere, which it was - a pick from Maisano's which I've been hearing great things about I immediately smelled grapes and asked if this was a brandy upon first smelling it There was a ton of red fruit but really the grape was most distinct on the nose before going in for a sip My first sip was an absolute explosion of all the red fruit you can think of Sticky raspberry jam, plum, raisin, you name it! Powerful.. I guessed near 130 proof I asked if this was finished in something which turned out to be true We started exploring what mash bill it might be and four grain came up I first said Penelope and then second guessed Lee Sinclair which Brittany told me was spot on! I loved my first tasting of this so much I wanted to come back and sit down with another glass and give it some deeper thought. See what Founder Jonathan Maisano had to say about this pick on Instagram: After two weekends of doing inventory in my shop I have finally found the time to sit down and give my Hand Select Spirits Of French Lick The Whiskey Witch the proper tasting time and sensory evaluation it deserves! I have tasted about 1,400 different Whiskey barrels straight from the barrel and this is the most unique one I have ever tried. I will try to put this incredibly layered Whiskey into words; First I get orange cream soda followed by sweet notes of smoke immediately followed by mint oil and star anise then touches of roast coffee (brought out by the cigar) the finish is oily and ever lasting! The 127.3 proof is never detected on the nose or tongue. If you want to enjoy a non Bourbon that will absolutely blow your mind this is it. Below is the abbreviated description given by the brilliant creator Alan Bishop @thealchemistcabinet The mash bill is composed of 51% Red Wheat, 24% Oats, and 25% Peat Smoked Malt. While oats and wheat aren’t often seen in modern Irish and Scottish expressions, both were once very common, and often used to this day by the handful of true “small pot” illicit distillers in Ireland, eager to preserve their distilling legacy. The Hoosier spin on this legacy is the use of peat harvested from bogs in Northern Indiana to smoke a small proportion of the Ye Olde Pale ale malt from Sugar Creek malt company. This peat brings a light fruitiness to the distillate and botanical like flavors as opposed to the typical phenolics of Scottish peat. The barrels originally held Bourbon then were last filled with 135+ proof grape brandy. The resulting whiskies when selected as single barrels became night and day expressions, the used oak presenting bright, citrus forward, and botanical like notes and the New American Oak presenting round, supple, sweet, and more restrained citrus and botanical like elements with a nudge towards more traditional American style whiskies. This Whiskey is beautiful paired with a @davidoffcigars Winston Churchill 2021 Limited Edition. I chose to mainly skim over the summary provided above before going into my tasting to try not to have any flavor bias, but I will definitely will be digging into this brand much more once I'm done with my tasting below! Read on to see what I thought of this pour. Company on Label: Spirits of French Lick (distilled and bottled by them in West Baden Springs, Indiana) Whiskey Type: American Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: 51% Red Wheat, 24% Oats, and 25% Indiana Peat Smoked Malt Proof: 127.3° Age: 4 years (labeled as aged 4.5 years) Further identification: This unique whiskey is a single barrel selection (barrel 2558) from Maisano's Fine Wine & Spirits from the Gulf Coast; the bottle was sent to me by the awesome Spirit Animal Society member @bourbonchick_6. The whiskey was aged in barrels that originally held bourbon then were finished in 135+ proof grape brandy casks. Nose: Distinct grape sweetness is definitely prevalent on the nose - so syrupy it almost becomes a full blown grape juice that I'm smelling. I love that brandy influence that's clearly all over this. Orange peel zest jumps off the glass on deeper inhales. The nose feel is incredibly soft and silky for being nearly 130 proof. I get a nice dry oak aroma that doesn't come across too dusty or barren for the nose. Cherry juice and black pepper develop softly in the background. A swirl of the glass definitely brings on a bit more spice to the nose; I find clove, nutmeg and a tarragon mixed with a lovely citrus zest. Time to go in for a sip! Coming back to the nose I get more of the creamy citrus zest like a freshly made cream cheese lemon bar... that's lovely. Oh wow, there's that brandy sweetness again on the nose too. There are tiny flashes of a warm tobacco note nestled into the oak. Oh now the rich chocolate tones are seeping in. I find it splitting time between a raspberry jam, dark chocolate and a coffee bean aroma as I work through the air atop this whiskey. Silky vanilla can be found on the back end of most inhales. Hints of old school leather remind me of a local rollerblade skating rink in my hometown. I think on the nose we've pretty much come full circle as I return to a silky, syrupy grape (brandy) profile that is fairly delicate, but delicious. The empty glass smells of funky cranberry, creamy chocolate, the remnants of frothed espresso, and a lovely soft oak. Palate: This one is punchy and it's not shy about it at all! My first sip is an intense wave of plum, apricot, a distinct rolled oat characteristic, and a toasted smoky oak characteristic. The linger is incredibly soft compared to that first flash of flavor and any evidence of the 127.3 proof is completely hidden. Another sip builds in the orange peel flavor I was getting on the nose and adds a ton of creamy layers. I'm again intrigued experiencing this oat flavor that I haven't really experienced on any other whiskey before, likely a neat byproduct of the oats that were used in the unique mash bill. There are some great bergamot tea notes and the mouth coating is something thick and fierce. I find my saliva trending towards the consistency of honey the more I sip on this as nutmeg, blackberry and grenadine bombard my senses. A longer sip and swish with some air introduction really shows off a nice, dark red grape influence that sticks to the surface of the tongue well. I wish it was a little more forgiving in the way of the mouth coating holding on so tightly, but if you are looking for something you can sip slowly on a relaxing evening without getting too intoxicated - one sip of this gives you flavor that can certainly go the distance. I'm still finding new notes as I take a sip near the bottom of the glass and a yummy graham cracker flavor comes roaring into the center of my palate. I think that's how I'd best describe most of the delivery of this pour - it's a bit of a roaring rollercoaster that slow builds in some sections and then rockets you off at the speed of light at other times. My last sip is a beautiful bouquet of sweet fruit as cherry skins, raisin and hot tamales. The finish is a touch hot, but once that bit of shock passes I'm left with a honey, blackcurrant, and angostura bitters profile that sits with me like a long hug. Rating: 4/5 I'm pleased to say this pour made the "Keep Amongst the Whiskey" list; something not many other pours have done in a long time. Click the image above to see some other whiskeys that have made that list. This was something super unique and I am thankful for both Brittany sending me this and Maisano's for picking such an incredibly layered whiskey experience. This bottle will certainly be savored and shared with more folks who need to try this awesome spirit. I do think I want to try that cigar pairing that I read about above! Cheers!

Well, Irish week is coming to an end and today we announce the winners of the giveaway that received a ton of entries both here and on my Instagram. The first winner will have a choice between a bottle of Green Spot Irish whiskey or 4x 2oz samples of 4 bottles of your choosing that I drink this week! I was joined last night by @amongstthefernsco as usual, and a good friend Brendan Winch also showed up for the grand finale which ended up being a bracket head to head competition of 12 bottles! This means everything in the bracket is open for samples for the winner... We did blind head to heads at every bracket meeting point... Brittany knew what we were drinking but Brendan and I were only given two glasses and a choice on who moves on to the next round. You'll see some big surprises and some unfortunate first round matchups below. I was quite surprised to see Redbreast 12 year not do as well as it did last year. Also can you believe Red Spot was out in the first round for me? It was my winner of last years bracket (we didn't document, nor did we blind), but it's unsurprising that the bottle that could knock out Red Spot ended up being the top pour overall. Honorable mentions from the brackets that Brendan and @amongstthefernsco did... Brendan ended up in a really close battle between Blue Spot and Red Spot. He ended up leaning for the Blue Spot as the winner and foolishly wrote "go buy Blue Spot" in the footnotes of his bracket sheet like it was going to be sitting on the shelf in the New Hampshire Liquor Outlet tomorrow. He had never really had Irish whiskey before, so it's great to know he's got expensive tastes from the get-go! Brittany ended up neck and neck between two Redbreast releases: the Lustau and the PX sherry release. She ended up picking her same favorite from last year in the Lustau. It was a hell of a fun night and a good way to show off that every palate is different! Last but not least... The giveaway winners! First place... Benefitting greatly from the bonus entries that being a website subscriber and comment contributor... is Isaac! Congrats @sipnngrilln you will get first dibs on deciding between the bottle of Green Spot and the 4x sample set! Second place came in on an Instagram comment... This person tagged @johnsliquorfalmouth of all people (love that store!) and came up big with a win on just a few entries... Congrats to @capeterps - looking forward to sharing some Irish whiskey with you! I'll be in your DMs soon. Cheers folks!

New England Barrel Company is an awesome new start up rapidly gaining steam across the country; they are based out of New England and are taking a new spin on sourcing great whiskey. This is a fresh off the truck release from the New Hampshire Liquor Outlet - it is a single barrel picked by the New Hampshire Bourbon Club. The tasting group consisted of Wayne Charron, Ryan McCabe, Sarah Maillet, Justin Fillip and his wife. The group went and met with James Saunders to select this MGP barrel which is identified as barrel #18 and comes to us at 113.9 proof. This is a 5 year bourbon I am excited to get into for the first time so I will only be providing some quick, preliminary first-thought notes tonight. Company on Label: New England Barrel Company Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley Proof: 113.9° Age: 5 years Further identification: This is a single barrel select from the New Hampshire Bourbon Club Nose: A nice spice and savory meatiness to this - it reminds me of a Booker's batch a bit with that ~6ish year old oak aroma I actually really dig. Deep, dusty caramel comes off really soft in the nose. There's a tinge of metal on the back end but it blends in well. I'm really surprised how savory this is coming across to me tonight, but that might have something to do with the steak dinner I had not long ago. Really nice on the nose. I'm digging this. The oak is right at my sweet spot with this. With bourbons around this age I actually usually prefer things to get capped at around 7 years before I think things start to shine again at 12-15 for my palate. The empty glass smells of funky plum, a rich dark bread and level oak. Palate: My first sip is a lovely pop of cherry. Wow, no - this is more than a pop of cherry this is a full blown cherry pie that just keeps on pushing forward. Mm. I get a nice tingly bit of bitters along my gums. This is a sweet delight. There's a traditional creamy caramel I normally attribute more towards the 36% rye mash bill from MGP but this 21% is doing it so well. There's a hint of citrus and chamomile that gives this a lovely complexity. The glass leans towards a floral sweetness. My last sip is oak forward with hints of chocolate, marula fruit sweetness and a long linger of orange creamsicle and manageable spice. Yum. Rating: Two thumbs up! Hopefully you can get your hands on one of these! I know these are starting to go fast and it was only the first day of the release. If you strike out keep your eyes peeled for a @MassBourbonAlliance NEBCo set of picks we have in the pipeline! Cheers folks!