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!

Company on Label: Jack Daniel Whiskey Type: Tennessee Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: 80% Corn, 8% Rye, 12% Barley Proof: 132.1° Age: 4 years Further identification: Stony Brook Wine & Spirits store pick Nose: Roasted peanut and chocolate. A mellow smoke mixed with raisins. Slight meatiness to it, like a steak tip marinade. Nice marshmallow char jumped clean out of the glass as I let it rest in my lap which was impressive. Palate: Instant attack of sweet cherry, caramel, pepper and peanut. The mouth coating is slightly drying early on but folds over into molasses decadence. A rising spice keeps the fire under the caramel burning and it singes and sears the creaminess away as it develops into a spicy raisin. Depending on the day these can drink really hot, but today I am staying cool and relaxed thanks to the thick molasses mouth coating. The caramel is strangely intertwined with a figgy nuttiness I can't quite place. Maybe this is the staple note of the barrel proof select offerings? I like it when it isn't singeing my eyebrows off like the first time I opened this bottle! It has mellowed into a very enjoyable range after some air. Chewing on this one produces much of the same notes. I'd be willing to bet this would improve in complexity with the addition of a little water. Let's try it. With water: The caramel is more pronounced, sweeter and smoother. Pepper spice subsides, but is replaced with a citrus cinnamon mix which is awkward in theory, but decent in execution. Rating: 3/5

Company on Label: Buffalo Trace Whiskey Type: Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: Buffalo Trace Rye Mash Bill Proof: 94° Age: 7 years Further identification: Early 2020 purchase Nose: Citrus and vanilla that presents itself almost like a faint Pinesol note. A touch of copper. Typical rye spices, but they're light and more in the background. The oak is faint and sweet. There is a creamy note that is almost rum-like. Oh the vanilla has evolved nicely. This is definitely not the Pinesol experience it started out as. Some stewed stone fruits coming up now. This glass totally woke up after 15 minutes. Palate: So very mellow & sweet for a heavier rye content. The copper note of the nose is also here, but balanced well by a shiny, metallic cherry and lemon zest. Caramel works in delicately. The mouth coating is thin, but present and very toffee forward. A little bit of honey sweetness. A hint of tannic red grape as well. This took a long time to set up; I'd highly suggest letting this one sit because the beginning of the glass had nothing compared to this. The rye spices become much more prominent late. I'd definitely recommend this to someone maybe looking to dip a toe into the rye category. Rating: 3/5

Company on Label: Reservoir Distillery Whiskey Type: Wheated Bourbon Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 20% Wheat, 5% Barley Proof: 90° Age: 1.5 year Further identification: Batch 27, Bottle 64. Nose: Young oak and plum are first on the nose. A wetted down wood sort of smell texture. Raisin funkiness. Slightly metallic; like iron. Rye grain and a unique wheat that I have not experienced. It smells more like it should be going into a bread or bakery dessert than a whiskey. Palate: Grains again have not worked their way into and through the wood yet. Not what you are hoping for on a sip. Looking past that though I do taste some caramel starting to form on the surface of the dry, young wood. There is the linger of the plum that is actually more enjoyable than the sip itself. Some citrus can be swished out of the depths but it kisses your gums and then darts away. I almost could get a cherry note to kickstart itself in the back of the palate but a lack of proof made it vanish before it could be appreciated. There is a bit of tent canvas and mint that give off a pine forest summer camp vibe to me, which gets brownie points with me. Rating: 2/5 I like where this bottle could get to, but I have to say it is definitely not ready for bottling at 1.5 years. Maybe there is some older stuff available now?

Here to kick off something new and challenging! An interesting way to get back into bottles I may have put to the side... I’d like to introduce Un-Gnome Whiskey! Every once in a while, when I can’t figure out what to pour, I have my lovely assistant @amongstthefernsco pour me a glass completely blinded for a review. Some of these things are samples I’ve saved off from bottles I’ve put into backup storage locations, some are samples I have swapped with other whiskey friends, and some are provided by kind souls who just want an honest review. See if you can guess the whiskey from the notes below before you swipe to the other images above... Bottle information will be posted after the glass reveal at the end. Scroll slow if you don't want spoilers! Color is noticeably darker than most; just a bit past caramel. Nose: Big, flavorful, fruity and slightly proofy to start. Can smell it from across the table. Fruity like something with a barrel finish. Nose is sort of similar to Old Forester 1920. Anise, dark plum. Oak is just barely dipped into a light citrus. Sweet and easy. Still pretty dark. Maple syrup, vanilla, pepper. No leather comes with those scents which makes me believe this is on the younger side; maybe around 5-6 years. It's all fruit from here! Very well flavored stone fruit. Definitely a little mossy/earthy funk happening here. Maybe a higher malt content. Vanilla comes back to save this from becoming something weird. Palate: Woah, pretty well crafted. Earthy undertones like a good Irish whiskey. Sweet fruit forms a thin mouth coating that lingers forever. Definitely have a wine barrel finish in mind here. Creamy in texture. Scotch-like... Proof is low, probably around 90. Definitely feels like a sherry finish. Creamy floating sweetness. Profile loses out on complexity, but makes up for it in high quality sweetness that lingers long. Rating: 3/5 Guess: Stranahan's Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Whiskey Reveal: Correct! I knew this was something from my collection I had tasted. The sherry finish was unmistakable by the end and I only have a few that would fit this bill. I was split between Stranahan’s and Town Branch for a while but finally went with a final guess of Stranahan’s which was correct! Company on Label: Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey Whiskey Type: Finished Single Malt Whiskey Mash Bill Percentages: 100% Malted Barley Proof: 94° Age: 4 years Further identification: That sweet maroon label and the shot glass on top is a sure identifier; I purchased this sometime mid-2020