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Another edition of Un-Gnome Whiskey is here! @_amongsttheferns picked me another sample from the ever growing drawer of 2oz goodness. What’s in the glass tonight? Could you guess it before the end? Bottle information will be posted after the glass reveal at the end. Scroll slow if you don't want spoilers! Nose: Some immediate unique fruit to my nose. Like peach? Citrus. Grapefruit kind of zesty twang. Caramel and something that wants to be vanilla but isn't comes out after that fruit bouquet. Honey sweetness. Nose has settled into a dusty, dry oak. Definitely smells like there is a barrel finish going on here. Maybe a wine? It's a unique one if so. Really unique pepper note. Feels like it is encrusted in some sweet cornbread. From here I can't find much more in the way of complexity; it's a nice profile, but doesn't have layers after hours. Palate: Spicy first sip on the tip of the tongue. That immediately melts into a cup of syrupy peaches. Surprising earthy rye spices compared to the fruity nose. Very herbal profile which says it is probably a rye. Big sour fruit note that falls out of a ball of sweet ethanol. This one is a nice change of pace from a traditional profile; it's uniqueness not a qualm by me. Good fruity, citrusy pour that has very manageable heat for me, but this feels like it might drink above it's proof. Fine by me, but may be a deal breaker for others. Slight chocolate on the finish. For those that like a proofy but sweet, rising finish: this will be a hit! I am truly stumped on what this might be today. Rating: 4/5 Guess: George Dickel Rye? Reveal: Alberta Premium Cask Strength Welp, I knew I was off on this one. I think I overthought it; but I also expect to get more of these wrong than right. I should have known this was a high proof offering by how I felt at the end of one glass! Company on Label: Alberta Distillers Limited Whiskey Type: Canadian Rye Whisky Mash Bill Percentages: 100% Rye Proof: 132° Age: 5 years Further identification: Early 2021 Limited Release

Time to pass the torch. Tonight we say goodbye to a great @russellsreservebourbon store pick and welcome the next. I went into these pours blinded/randomized for fairness. Will I be able to recognize my old flame? Will the new taste steal the show? Let’s find out! Left Glass Review: Nose: Delicious peanut and cherry forward. I could be smelling a Booker's batch here. Spice cut with a nice marshmallow. Rich syrupy plum and some herbal funk. Sweet confectionery sugar. Chocolate. Perfect puffy campfire marshmallow note in the back. Yum! Palate: Syrupy cherry with a big whiplash of citrus and spice. Cinnamon hots at the back of my mouth. Nice mouth feel of vanilla where some of that peanut profile can shine on the palate without being overpowering. Nice citrus proof rising well again here. A good balance somewhere between peanut and vanilla where everyone just gets along! Right Glass Review: Nose: More mellow than the left glass. Caramel and vanilla perfectly blended. Light dusty earth and oak. Citrusy proof that leaves a light sting in the nostrils. Nice clear raisin coming through. I'm reminded here of the smell of a cotton bed sheet, flapping on the clothes line on a breezy summer day. Caramel ties well to the herbal molasses blend. You never have to dig long for some nice notes here. Slight peanut late in the glass; maybe a wave hello from the left glass. A similar marshmallow says this bottle is ready to be kicked! Palate: Wow, rich citrus bite on the tongue. Beautiful caramel and molasses herbs work over much like the nose. Slightly metallic mouth coating; maybe attributed to a unique mix of citrus and anise. Definitely the easier sipper of the two, but that may be due in some part to oxidation. Final Ranking: Right Glass > Left Glass, but both are fantastic offerings Reveal: Left Glass = Liquor Junction Right Glass = Rapid Liquors Left Glass Company on Label: Wild Turkey Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Barley Proof: 110° Age: 8 years Further identification: Liquor Junction store pick Barrel 20-0213. Distilled 11/22/11, dumped 04/02/20, bottled 04/29/20 from Warehouse G, Floor 4. Right Glass Company on Label: Wild Turkey Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Barley Proof: 110° Age: 8 years Further identification: Rapid Liquors store pick Barrel 20-0164. Distilled 09/19/11, dumped 03/31/20, bottled 05/21/20 from Warehouse E, Floor 4.

This Un-Gnome Whiskey challenge came from an Instagram giveaway that @saxybourbon ran with @_lostnemo_. You can find the challenge post here, a list of the people who participated here, and the results of the giveaway here (spoilers). The goal of the challenge was to have 10 people taste the sample blind and try to identify the brand, and in the event of a brand tie, the person who guesses the proof closest to the real bottle proof would win a full bottle of the sample in question. This will go down as Un-Gnome Whiskey Blind Review #2! The sample in this review was provided to me at no cost. Bottle information will be posted after the glass reveal at the end. Scroll slow if you don't want spoilers! Color is dark; a dense caramel, almost turning mahogany. Nose: Big caramel. Pepper. So dank, dark and rich. Soft nose with no burn. Digging up a nice vanilla. Herbal, but light thanks to that thick caramel and molasses. Slight meatiness I definitely feel like I recognize from somewhere. Ooh yes, perfection of a pepper note; feel like I'm at a nice restaurant with this one! Smoothness that says maybe Smoke Wagon, but not Small Batch. I don't smell a barrel finish which rules out a lot of things. Floral funk that might be bringing me back to a Four Roses offering. Very little fruit which is interesting. A little smoke in this older oak; maybe 10-12 years. No rich leather to suggest it made it to 15 and beyond. Still a dusty, oldness is apparent. Coming back we now have a rich, rising cherry. This noses towards an ECBP batch, but not specifically like any I have. Slight anise. Back to creamy vanilla; graduates just barely into a smooth marshmallow. Palate: Lower proof than the nose suggested. Dusty, creamy caramel transferred well. Some great stinging florals on the tip of my tongue. Pepper is definitely still apparent. Chocolate. Smooth, long vanilla cream. Candy dessert flavors I adore! Palate is getting a little weathered here. Now things are turning herbal/floral like I got on the nose. High flying airy oak that wants to be citrusy, but is actually more like a proofy cotton ball. Ugh, this is something I haven't tried. It's good! But I have definitely not figured it out by the end of the glass. Thoroughly enjoyable pour. A unique citrus greets me and the creamy vanilla finish gives me a long hug goodbye. Rating: 4/5 Final Guess: Barrell Bourbon, 118 Proof Reveal: Correct, AND closest proof guess! I was floored to have won this giveaway. I actually found it quite challenging. In the end, the next day I had some morning clarity and realized that this definitely felt like a blended type of thing, and even the thought of it being a specific store pick crossed my mind - which it ended up being. I am going to enjoy the signed bottle that was sent to me for a long time Amongst the Whiskey! Company on Label: Barrell Craft Spirits Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed Proof: 112.86° Age: 5 years (Blend of: 25% 5 year, 30% 10 year, 35% 14 year, and 10% 16 year... which would produce a weighted average of 10.75 years) Further identification: This Private Release B24A blend comes from Amelia Liquors, and was even signed by Joe Beatrice himself!

Company on Label: Nevada H&C Distilling Co Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley Proof: 100° Age: NAS Further identification: Purchased early 2021 Nose: Spicy caramel and cherry come forth first pass. Great sign: there's a bourbon in this glass. Shiny vanilla that is slightly perfume-like. Ooh, plums & baking spice are next. Definitely some welcome complexity from the higher rye content in this mash bill. This really settles into a very mellow citrus and caramel that is easy on the senses. A little bit of black pepper here. Slight clove. The wood influence is light, which I enjoy. This definitely noses like a roller-coaster, slow building in the mellow ramp sections and then a spice bomb down hill can surprise you at any moment. Late in the glass things stay in the mellow out phase which is relaxing; a similar relief to when the sun finally goes down on a hot day. Palate: Immediate citrus and cherry punch that spreads out, leaving a nice caramel mouth coating. Spice on the second sip, reminiscent of some kind of lemon meringue dessert with a bit of bite to it. Something also a little like fresh sappy pine wood here too. Oh my the finish just had cinnamon hot candy written all over it. I could have definitely missed that; it was a very quick flash. Citrus notes could almost convert over to the dill/mint category here but I think the caramel creaminess is the glue that holds this glass together. The end result is a really enjoyable sipper of a pour. Rating: 4/5

Company on Label: Old Evan Williams Distillery Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Barley Proof: 86.6° Age: 7 years Further identification: Barreled 11/21/12 in barrel no. 1484 and bottled on 9/15/20; it was put into my glass on 7/7/2021 Nose: Nice cherry forward start. Caramel with some slightly metallic spice. Sort of a copper pot kind of smell similar to an Irish whiskey presentation. Nice rye spice going on. Dry paper & vanilla. A very suppressed lemonade sweetness is really trying to escape the glass, but it's held down by the heavy salted caramel & molasses. Hmm, strange (very quick) soap note just came out, maybe an artifact of a unique mix of citrus, mint & that dry paper note from before. A few hints of chocolate throughout; like a floral, candy perfumed chocolate though. Kind of reminds me of a Valentine's day heart shaped assortment kind of smell. The final array of smells as the glass settles is both unremarkable and enjoyable. The empty glass is a thin salted caramel. Palate: Thin to start, but led by citrus & cherry. Mouth coating is sparse, but up around the gums a dry, sour molasses sticks around. Very drying with a paper and oak flavor being dominant. Hints of the citrus and mint are fleeting on the edges. The copper pot aromatics of the nose also factor into the molasses delivery. It does not have the oily/creamy texture of an actual copper pot whiskey however. Very mellow at its exceptionally low presentation proof, this is a pour many could relax to. Rating: 3/5 I think if I was really tired from a long day of exertion, this pour would be more of a hit. For my palate tonight however, I think I will use this as a hiking / camping / backpacking bring-along rather than a regular sipper.

The week goes on! Tough days require light pours. Tonight I am once again reaching for the tucked away things. Another shameless shelfer if you will. Company on Label: James Pepper Distilling Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Barley Proof: 100° Age: 3 years Further identification: 2019 purchase - most evident by the very dry cork I nearly lost opening this bottle again Nose: Without thinking much on it, first nose is a peppery caramel. Thick feeling in the nose, I get some burlap and a few light fruits like an overripe strawberry and plum. Citrus and quite a bit of herbal spice settling in now. This made we wonder if this is an MGP mash bill, which the back of the bottle confirms it is. It's like steak spices: peppercorn, some rosemary and parsley. Mint blasts out of the depths eventually. Pre-sip nose is pretty nice. Post sip nose is rather meaty which may be an artifact of the recently consumed pork chop that passed over my plate. If there is any evidence of oak, I can't find it. The only wood I smell is something that more resembles dry, broken off pine bark. Very light. After a long rest there is a strong butterscotch. This fades after a few strong pulls and it's back to the slightly lacking base of citrus mint and dry pepper. Palate: Orange peel zest forward, then a sweeping dry vanilla spice. It's over in an instant & I'm left with a very thin after taste that exhibits some if the grain youth, but very little is left. They may have just been on the cusp of 'aged enough' on this one. Caramel is there, but hot & syrupy with a spicy cherry dashing into rye grains. It is pretty fun for a younger 100 proof offering. I think it definitely outclasses a few of the other things in my 3 star category. This was a bit of a pleasant surprise I think a newer drinker would certainly enjoy. Looking back at the pour I actually think this is pretty solid. I enjoyed enough to give it another pour, which I immediately regretted. No aspirations of a 4/5 in my book, this is a solid 3. Rating: 3/5 I think there is good reason bourbons require an age statement below 4 years; it really feels like that is my quality cutoff for building complex and potent enough flavors to cover up the starting grains.

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

I had tasted this a few times in some pretty heavy hitting rye blind flights and it never rose to the top. This time I gave it a chance to shine on it own in a neat pour against a fresh palate. Let's see how it tastes! Company on Label: Old Fashioned Copper (Buffalo Trace) Whiskey Type: Straight Rye Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: Buffalo Trace High Rye Mash Bill Proof: 100° Age: NAS (4+ years) Further identification: 2020 purchase Sweet fruit nose. Delicious candy scents. Willett-esque profile in the citrus/wood department. Yummy medicinal cherry, creamy palate. Sinking finish stays in back of mouth; nice coating. Oak nose. Floral/herbal, creamy citrus. Immensely long wave of fruit finish across tongue. Empty glass highlights a smell like opening a humidor; like putting a fresh unlit cigar right up to your nose. Really interesting pour! Rating: 4/5

Another day, another mountain conquered! Rewarded myself with another stashed sample upon returning. This time the very unique @kentuckypeerless small batch bourbon is due for review; let’s see what’s in the glass. Company on Label: Peerless Distilling Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed Proof: 110.1° Age: 4 years Further identification: The bottle states this is NCF; I likely purchased this some time in 2020 Nose: Sweet nuttiness on the first greeting. Backdrop of smooth lemon frosting. Vanilla extract with a slight sting on the nose. Dusty, nice older oak is present. Chocolate covered peanuts is so enjoyable to smell. Cherry is more hot than sweet, perhaps mixed with a bit of dry cinnamon stick. Nice dry stack of fresh printer paper is coming through now. Citrus zest and spice bridge the gap between the paper note and a fresh tobacco funk that is fairly impressive. Definitely very laced with spice and caramel throughout. While this has a few notes of things I would attribute to other brands (nutty profile of Beam or the paper note of Heaven Hill), this is altogether something very unique. Someone who is a fan of tobacco flavors would certainly adore nosing this for a long time. Palate: Explosive cinnamon and oak. Nuttiness is strangely tied into the cherry flavor... an unlikely pairing. Citrus zest and rye spice rise quickly through the mouth, followed by a drying old oak. A touch of leather, but predominantly that funky, fresh/moist tobacco profile continues to shine. Orange peel zested into a spicy herb sauce floats around the palate long after a sip. This one drinks better and better towards the end of the glass as the proof mellows out into citrusy goodness. If this is the bourbon... I'm very interested to see how spicy/zesty the rye might be! Rating: 3/5

Another sample coming from @bourbon_fiend_and_finder, I'm always excited to try some new stuff. I've been reluctant to pick up a bottle of any of these on my own, so no better time to try something new like this than in a sample swap. Company on Label: Castle & Key Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 15% Rye, 10% Barley Proof: 95° Age: 3 years Further identification: This is the lower proof version of Bohemian Bourbon from 2020; it features an orange label/wax Nose: Hmm, light oak, and generic bourbon start. A little dry and grainy; like a fresh wine must almost. Light citrus caramel. Herbal, but tainted by young grains on deep inhales. Occasionally a nice pine scent rolls over the top. I can almost smell the hot summer sand walking in a dry pine forest. Interesting cherry note starts to settle in, faint at first, but then carried by a unique raw peppercorn. Some dry paper. Some of the dryness about this might be the high corn content on this too. Some burnt sugar briefly lingered. The nose is definitely more fun & enjoyable than the palate, but whiskey is meant to be drank so I tend to rank on palate. I am really looking forward to trying the High Proof version of this now. Palate: Thin syrupy swish to start things out produces a cloud of strawberry and the same cherry from the nose. The mouth coating is good in consistency, but not my favorite mix of flavors with the strawberry presenting a little synthetic and the caramel feeling watered down. Very corn forward, the young oak is definitely not allowing this to bloom to its fullest. Touches of clove squeak through on the finish. Maybe a good pour for someone newer to whiskey, but this is a unique offering that is just not for me. Rating: 2/5

I picked up this bottle when I was actually having some car troubles. There was a liquor store nearby when I was waiting for a ride and I stopped in and grabbed the only label I didn't have already on hand. I don't know if it just caught me at the right time, but this was an instant hit for me. Let's see how it stands up to a review! Company on Label: O.Z. Tyler Distillery Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 70% Corn, 21% Rye, 9% Barley Proof: 101° Age: 2 years Further identification: Batch 1 Nose: Stewed plum; syrupy cherry. Peppery & a light smoke. Smooth blend of caramel & molasses. Slight meatiness in the oak. Dry herbal rye spice is light and airy but with some funk deep down. Dry powdered vanilla. Now I'm starting to get that stewed plum and cinnamon this time... yum. Starting to show off some lovely earthy spice. Very dry late with a mixed bowl of copper caramel, nutmeg and brown sugar. A well mixed concoction. Empty glass is smoky. Palate: First created with a dash of caramel, but then an overwhelming wave of syrupy cherry and peppered rye spice tumble back over the tongue. Almost a true "wow" first sip; this one surprised me from the very start. Punchy vanilla legs along with an oak that really doesn't taste like a "minimum of two years" but more like 4. Maybe there is something to this sour mash recipe that does well to mask its flaws; I certainly can't find any. It doesn't have the palate complexity to last all night evolving, but this is a fantastic value sipper. Oh, some nice citrus notes worked into the palate late & finally brought along a nice mouth coating. What else could you ask for? Rating: 4/5

Music is fun! I love what Three Chord is doing with their branding here. I am not sure where I Company on Label: Steel Bending Spirits Whiskey Type: Blended Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Barley Proof: 81° Age: 4 years Further identification: Batch No 0007 Nose: Rich port wine & caramel at first glance. Cinnamon sweets, young oak and a nice candied maple sugar. Some cherry and smokiness. A little bit of earthiness and an ever present slight plastic note. A very faint hint of chocolate. There's something oily like a carnival fried dough stand. Wow this is interesting: leather... oiled with mink oil (my standard footwear year round, so a smell I know well). Light pear. This one is all over the place weird & I'm here for it. Lime citrus zest. Back to young oak and that oiled leather. Palate: Strange viscosity here. Cinnamon spicy pie crust. Ripe pear is definitely apparent. Really syrupy but thin & fruity still at the same time. While the strange nose was really fun, it's less enjoyable on the palate. Citrus and weird spoiled fruit sit into a young oak. I know Brian is a fan of the unique finishes, but this one is not for me. Time to hike back down this mountain! Rating: 2/5