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

This review comes from a mountain top in Maine! I hiked up a glencairn and this sample bottle so I could enjoy a nice break at the top of a 3,700 foot mountain. It was a beautiful day for the 3.4 mile there and back trip and a little liquid courage got me going back down pretty quickly. We saw a few moose and nearly got attacked by a mother grouse who was trying to protect her young. All in all, fun day! Company on Label: Litchfield Whiskey Type: Finished Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Barley Proof: 86° Age: 4 years Further identification: Sample provided to me from @bourbon_fiend_and_finder in a sample swap 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

I love Elijah picks. I have a ridiculous number of them and they all have fun variations between them. This bottle comes from Gordon's which is a great set of stores from MA. This bottle was released at their grand opening of a new store in Arsenal Yards. Company on Label: Elijah Craig (Heaven Hill) Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Barley Proof: 94° Age: 8 years Further identification: Gordon's Arsenal Yards-2021 store pick; Barrel Serial No 6224901 from Rickhouse LL, Floor 5 Nose: Early on some peppery cinnamon & allspice, surprising for an Elijah pick to be more rich than sweet. Citrusy oak. As things settle into the glass and finally meet some fresh air, more of those sweet candy fruits I would expect start to sneak out of their slumber. The spicy oak is doing well to keep this interesting where a more traditional caramel note might usually lie as the base background note. This must be an artifact of the higher floor and older age. Dusty oak and a yummy citrus cleaner note I love. Vanilla squeaks out past the darker flavors eventually. Nice rye spice coming through despite the low (10%) rye content, which is enjoyable to me. That nice dry paper smell I usually get from Heaven Hill. This is an impressive showing of one of my favorite single barrel offerings. Palate: Thin syrupy cherry and again that allspice and pepper bite. I get that molasses that presents light and airy, not overpowering. A tiny bit metallic, but in a beneficial way to the overall experience. Vanilla starts to develop very well later in the pour; it gets chased by lighter spices and a thorough mouth coating that sticks best to the roof of my mouth. This almost drinks like a HH BiB, but with extra spice. Really impressed with the complexity on what is normally a very straightforward bottle. I think I like where Ken's palate leans towards. Rating: 4/5

I am a big Booker's fan in general. I have every batch from 2017-02 up 'til present review date available to me. I really like tasting them next to each other to find the nuances of each batch. I'm excited to keep learning about previous batches as well as new. Company on Label: James B. Beam Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Barley Proof: 125.3° Age: 6 years Further identification: 2021-01 Donohoe's Batch comes bearing a light blue label in a wooden box with a batch information card Nose: White chocolate and white pepper are the first greeting. A light marshmallow toast is nestled in the oak. Much lighter than previous Booker's batches I've experienced. Bright linen. Light, fruity herbs. Something like an old spice cologne sits in a well-aged oak. A hint of dry hot chocolate mix and a bit of smoke lightly stings the nose. Definitely still dominated by the linen profile all through. A deep inhale brings one last enjoyable whiff of smooth pepper. Empty glass is a dry, yummy cocoa all the way through. Nose: Hot cherry gets dropped into a spicy pool of allspice, lemongrass and caramel. Dried herbs and anise linger. This delivers a fair amount of proof without the usual flavors that follow it. There are hints of the peanut profile that flash out in the background but never fully materialize. More of the spices do show up alongside a dark, metallic note; cloves and caramel. A rising rush of thick caramel carries a hint of orange peel in the finish. Otherwise a rather low complexity Booker's batch, I still find it quite enjoyable. Definitely one for the spice fans; this one drinks much like a barrel proof rye with an air of unique linen draped over it. Rating: 4/5

I have struggled to get this far through this bottle after receiving it as a gift. To say I was reluctant to give it a full review is an understatement. I shook off all my preconceived notions and tried to give this a final fair shake before tossing the empty bottle out. Company on Label: Maker's Mark Whiskey Type: Wheated Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 70% Corn, 16% Wheat, 14% Barley Proof: 101° Age: NAS (~6 Years) Further identification: 2020 Release Nose: Overly proofy dry spice that stings the nose. Dark caramel / funk that makes this rather unapproachable. Amazing how the 109.6 cask strength can nose way lighter than this. Metallic, herbal and spicy; quite the departure from a sweet wheat profile. Some light paper, oak and copper that has formed a patina. Nose really starts to develop late, but I've never been floored by a pour of this. Some vanilla laced stone fruit finally starts to come together around ~40 minutes into the pour. A bit of citrus zest continues to add to the spice/sting factor. Palate: Oh! Way sweeter than the nose suggested. Starts like an allspice coated walnut, but immediately evolves into a molasses and cinnamon spice. Completely lacking in sweetness, but also in dark complexity, this feels forced & un-ready. Well into the tasting experience, the metallic spice is still the dominant profile, really disallowing anything else to shine. I've loved a lot of Maker's offerings, but I'm just not a fan of this particular one. Good news is @AmongstTheFernsCo likes it and is going to be finishing the bottle for me! Maybe this is one for someone new to bourbon and/or the bigger proofs. Rating: 2/5

A bit of a change of pace for me, I’m ready to present my first bulk review! I will occasionally have tasted a few too many things all at once and not taken the time to do full tasting notes on pours I’ve tasted in passing. Expect lower quality notes in reviews of this style, but wanted to share my quick thoughts! I will not be giving ratings on these given the limited time spent with each. The bar pictured is @thequietfew_eastie who had some great offerings. @amongstthefernsco and I got to meet the owner who gave us a few recommendations. We ate, then we sipped some good stuff! I paid for all of these pours, but was sent home with a sample of the bar's Old Forester Single Barrel pick to review at a later date. Buffalo Trace - Rock Hill Farms 100° Flash Review Nose: Nice cherry. Maple syrup and brown sugar. Palate: Beautiful syrupy grape & cherry. Unbelievable candy pop. Vanilla just amplifies the yum factor. Really enjoyable. Medium long finish that leaves nerds candy lingering. A little bit of dry summer canvas. Still a lot of sweetness blasting over the caramel undertone. Cherry comes back so strong for the last finish. Favorite! Heaven Hill - Old Fitzgerald 15 year 100° Flash Review Nose: Oaky caramel. A little brown sugar. Palate: Best citrusy caramel note. Shining bright is a syrupy cherry. What is producing this crazy cinnamon spice? It's not at all what I was expecting out of my first pour of these. It comes and goes. The finish does not! Nice rising nuttiness like some Booker's batches. Like Beaten Biscuits maybe? Heaven Hill - Old Fitzgerald 13 year 100° Flash Review Nose: Ooooh marshmallow. Vanilla & quite a bit of smooth char. Rich maple syrup. Best nose of the 3. Palate: Proofy caramel. Spicy baking spices. Oaky and really stinging on the palate. Cherry/cinnamon hots. Caramel finish lingers super long. Opening up well after first sips. Mellowed out well into a silky charred sipper. Heaven Hill - Old Fitzgerald 14 year 100° Flash Review Nose: Way more mellow than 13. More bright metallics here. The caramel is almost greasy. Slight meatiness to it. Palate: Way smoother than 13. Good chocolate and vanilla crème brûlée. Definitely a good dessert pour. Only slightly shorter finish than 13. Cherry, pepper, and a cinnamon swinging back around the back end. Easy on the palate. Might be best balanced. Great citrus mouth coating. Yum! Buffalo Trace - Elmer T. Lee 90° One Sip Flash Review Similar to Buffalo Trace candied apple, but with more earthiness and vegetal notes. Sour mash gives it a good bit of marshmallow sweetness. This was primarily @amongstthefernsco glass to enjoy, which she thoroughly did! I was really surprised by how much Rock Hill Farms stole the show at the end of this tasting. I did struggle quite a bit trying to nose the Old Fitz offerings out of rocks glasses. I really wish I brought a Glencairn glass with me! Do you have a favorite of this line? Let me know in the comments, or drop me a line through email / Instagram!