As The Spirit Moves Me

  Nose: Vanilla, corn, orange starburst candies, candle wax, acetone Palate: Vanilla, tangelo, mandarin orange, sweet corn, cream corn, fresh grass Finish: Short. Vanilla, cake frosting, orange skittles, orange pith Final Thoughts:  'Like shitty commercial moonshine and orange starburst vodka had a love child' Would I buy this: I would not. Would I order this in a bar: I can't imagine anywhere but Still Austin would serve this. But people order Fireball all over the world, so who knows. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Negatory good buddy. Verdict: Please no. Thumbs down.

  Blind again, from Santa Pent0x. Nose: Banana. Bubblegum. Warm yeast. A little Clove. This screams young to me.  Palate: Wow, that's thin and very soft. Sweet, a little malty. Hints of banana, and some malty breadiness. Astringent wood, and cotton candy. A little tropical fruit for a moment.  Finish: Fruit cocktail and hints of cinnamon. Sweet but somehow not, like the tannic nature is just in balance.  There's not a ton going on here. This is malt to me, there's too many malt notes for it to be rum. And it comes across with a lot of bright uncharted new oak flavours. It also screams youth, and the body is very strange.  My guess: 40% ish, American craft malt aged in virgin oak (French?) and then finished in rum casks for half a year, maybe? Young, 4 to 6 years. Would I buy this: That's a no. Would I order this in a bar: Also nope. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Maybe? Do I like them? honestly it's not that bad, but I don't really care for it. V...

Nose: Warm honey. Clotted cream. Ripe pear, bitter orange peel, apple, a little fennel seed. Palate: The honey sweetness continues. Fresh crushed malt, sweet cream, pear, dried orange, lemon, a little pineapple. Hints of oak and vanilla. Finish: Medium. Sweet oak and a dusting of cinnamon. Verdict: It's a fine whiskey. But it's not a great one. Comparing this to the 16 year, though, this falls far, far short of it. The 16 was my favorite warm summer day scotch. This is...boring. Would I buy this: At the price they want for it, not a chance. Would I order this in a bar: Probably not. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Sure! It's certainly not bad. It's just not memorable or exciting in any way. Rating:★★

Nose: Candied orange peel, sultanas, plums, cocoa, figs. Palate: Raw barley, plum, citron, sloes, allspice. A hint of chocolate. Finish: Long. Baking spices, milk chocolate, oak. Verdict: Not quite as complex as the 18 Allardice, but still damned good. I'd love a bottle of this. Quite nice. Would I buy this: I would! I wonder if the newer releases are this good. Would I order this in a bar: Definitely, if I wanted a nice sherried dram. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Please, and thank you! Rating: ★★★★

Nose: Figs and dates. Bovril. Hazelnuts. Cocoa. Light molasses. Palate: Christmas cake. Rum. Milk chocolate. Allspice. Finish: Medium in length. Blackcurrants. Clotted Cream. Resinous wood. Black tea. Cocoa powder. Verdict: Pretty complex. All the sherry notes are there, but it's balanced by wood and the malt as well. A fantastic dram. I wish it had just a little something more going on. Would I buy this: I would! I wish it were a bit cheaper here in the US, though. Would I order this in a bar: Definitely, if I wanted a nice sherried dram. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Please, and thank you! Rating: ★★★★

Nose: Acetone, vanilla, baking spices, slightly herbal, a hint of Virginia tobacco and leather. Palate: Cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla mint. A little bit of peanuts and popcorn with caramel. Surprisingly light on the palate. Finish: Medium. Lots of baking spice. A little mint again. Some pepper. There's something just acidic in the finish. Verdict: It's certainly not bad stuff. Pretty middle of the road bourbon, not a ton of complex things here but not much for flaws either. I'd solidly put this at 2/5 stars, same spot I put things like Evan Williams BiB and Jim Beam BiB. Would I buy this: At the price they're charging? No. It should be half that. Would I order this in a bar: If they had no other BiB Bourbon? Otherwise Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Sure! There's nothing especially bad about it at all. Rating: ★★

This dram was a mystery included in my 2018 Secret Santa swap. It was tasted and reviewed blind. Nose: Stewed plums, cocoa, toasted nuts, clove, Virginia pipe tobacco, honey, vanilla, raspberries. Palate: Sweet red berries, vanilla, oak, rich cocoa, figs, dark cherries, caramel, black pepper, honey. Finish: Finish is long. Dry and tannic, but with a little caramel and clove at the tail. Verdict: Definitely some heat. Like 100-110 proof, maybe? It's very rich. I think it's port finished, based on what I'm tasting. Would I buy this: Depending on price, I would. Given it's from Astor, maybe not. But it's awfully good. Would I order this in a bar: I would, definitely. Delicious dram. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Oh, yes please! Rating: ★★★★

Nose: Walnut, vanilla, cardamom, honeysuckle, leather Palate: Wood, baking spices, vanilla, chamomile Finish:  Long and oaky. Walnut, baking spices, mildly sweet. Verdict: This whole thing is a bit hot. The herbaceous notes are not fantastic. I feel like it's unbalanced a little over woodsy. I don't love this. It's not terrible by any means, but if I'd sampled this I would not have bought it. Would I buy this: No. Would I order this in a bar: Probably not. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Sure, it's not terrible stuff. Rating: ★★

I received this as a blind review sample from LCBThrowaway. Let's see what he has for me! Nose: Walnuts, red currants, sour cherries, dried leaves, Virginia pipe tobacco, vanilla. Palate: More than a bit hot. Leather, dried plums, vanilla, sweet hay, oak. Finish: Fairly long. Musty oak, nutmeg, pomegranate, vanilla, toffee. Drying more than sweet. Verdict: I have no idea what this is. It comes across as fairly hot to me. Lots of complexity, it's sweet and tannic, dry and fruity, all at the same time. High proof Bourbon of some stripe? There's far more wood here than I usually get, I'm feeling like it must have some age on it. Would I buy this: No, I wouldn't. It's interesting. But nto great. Would I order this in a bar: Maybe? It's a bit weird. I could see a mood that might call for this. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Sure! It's not amazing, but there's nothing wrong with it. Rating: ★★

Nose : Light grain, butter, toffee, brown sugar, a bit of oak. Palate : Toasted Barley, brown bread, floral honey, a touch of salt. Hints of dry mineral earth, black pepper, orange peel, and the lightest kiss of something smoky. Finish : Medium long. White pepper and fresh cut hay. Verdict : I've had Ledaig before, but realized I'd never had Tobermory, the same distillery's unpeated whisky. Thankfully a friend gave me a mini for Christmas this year, so I made it my Christmas night dram! How tasty! Lots of little subtle notes, they all come together in harmony. I like this, quite a bit. Would I buy this: I would! There's a lot of nice things going on here. None of them crank the volume up, but they're balanced in a great way. Would I order this in a bar: Definitely. If I wanted a nicely balanced dram at the bar I could see myself going for this. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Absolutely. Rating : ★★★★

Nose: Far off wood smoke. Faint seaweed. Dried cereal grains. Grainy sweetness predominates. Palate: Very malt forward. Lots of grains, a little citrus. Touches of smoke. A bit of salt and tar. Finish: Middling length. Malty and fruity, with some light spiciness. A graininess runs along as a backbone to the whole thing. Verdict: I like Oban 14. The malt shows through well, it's got some complexity, but not as much as I'd like. It's easy to drink, I just feel that the amount they charge for it is too much. A scotch at this price should have more going on. Would I buy this: No, not unless it was on sale. Would I order this in a bar: Maybe? If they have Talisker 10 available, that's a negative. And they likely do. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: I would! There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's a nice dram. Rating: ★★★

A thank you to my friend Kevin for this sample! Nose : Vanilla, cherry cough syrup, ethanol, mustiness, fresh cut oak, copper pennies, cola, cream corn. Palate : Metallic and bright, vanilla, sharp woodiness like licking a board covered in sap. Finish : Baking spices, metallic, vanilla, allspice, sweetness. Light and dry finish. Verdict : This stuff is weird. It's like someone heard Bourbon described to them and used that description to make Bourbon. It's thin on the Palate, all bright things that are sharp. Not rich and delicious. The finish was the best part. I did not especially enjoy this. Well, keep experimenting, Jefferson! Would I buy this: I would not. Would I order this in a bar: Certainly not. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Am I being polite? Like, really polite? Rating : ★

Thanks to my friend Steve for this sample! Nose : Vanilla, Caramel, brown sugar, oak, a hint of cherry. Palate : Quite rich mouthfeel. Thick caramel, nutmeg, allspice, toasted oak, dark cherries. Finish : Long. Baking spice and caramel dipped cherries throughout. A bit of bitter oak and vanilla show themselves just for a moment at the end. It's quite nice. Verdict : Tasty stuff. It's like someone put ECBP in a mixer and played with the dials. It's the exact same flavor set, just certain things are stronger, and other things are weaker. No surprise given that it's sourced by Luxco from Heaven Hill. Would I buy this: At retail, I would. This is quite good for the price. It's up there with your Stagg Jr. and Elijah Craig Barrel proof. A little younger, and honestly that's not a bad thing. It might be a little more balanced for it. Would I order this in a bar: I would! It's tasty. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: I did, and I wou...

Nose: Old apples, yesterday's oatmeal, orange peel, oxidized sherry. Palate: Sherry, raisins, old fruitcake, allspice, sweetness. Finish: Glace fruit, mace, raisins, oak. Verdict: As I recall from past experience in bars, this dram always seemed like it was slightly off. This tasting bears that out. All the flavors are slightly oxidized seeming, and not just because this is from a sample bottle. I don't know if it's part of their 'solera' process, but it's simply not great. The sherry is quite forward, the malt seems tired and in the background. When the spice comes out to play it almost roars over everything, but only for a second, and then it's gone. Would I buy this: No. Would I order this in a bar: Not really. They'd have to have a fairly abysmal selection. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: I would, but just to be polite. iI's not terrible. But it's not great either. Rating: ★★

Nose: Light brown sugar, saddle leather, caramel, hu hong mao feng tea, dried orange peel. Palate: Caramel, oak, a bit of burnt cherry, black pepper. It's hot, I'm really feeling the prrof on this one. Finish: Long. Pepper, caramel, dark chocolate, burnt sugar. Verdict: This is overall quite good. It's hot, but the depth of flavor is so big. I wish it had a little less burnt and tannic flavors and a little more sweet to balance it all out, but I like this. Would I buy this: I still feel Stagg Jr. and ECBP are the best values in bourbon around. I absolutely would. Would I order this in a bar: Yes, definitely. A nice long sipper at the bar. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Absolutely! But slowly. Rating: ★★★

Nose : Cinnamon, toffee, vanilla, oak, brown sugar, cherry, toasted nuts Palate : Vanilla, hot cherries, big oak, brown sugar, baking spice, leather. Finish : Long. Rounded wood, baking spices, caramel. The heat lingers, in a good way. Verdict : This is just plain delicious. Comes together nicely, all the bourbon flavors cavorting together in a spritely jig. A good Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is always something I enjoy, and this is one of the good ones. Would I buy this: Absolutely. I still feel ECBP is one of the better values in Bourbon, and this one is quite good. Would I order this in a bar: Yes. Absolutely. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: For certain! Rating : ★★★★

Nose : Vanilla, oak, cinnamon, allspice, yeast, corn Palate : Cinnamon, sweet corn, walnuts, caramel, oak Finish : Cinnamon, mint, toffee, Burnt pecans, oak Verdict : It's not great. Maybe it's the fact I didn't have a glencairn, but this fell pretty flat. All yeasty cinnamon, like an underbaked cinnamon roll someone forgot to frost. Would I buy this: I would not. Would I order this in a bar: No, I'd much rather Wild Turkey 101 Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Sure. It's still bourbon, it's not terrible.. But I wouldn't ask for it by name. Rating: ★★

Nose : Baking spices, cocoa, peaches, honeysuckle, violets, a touch of smoke. Palate : Chocolatey. Malted milk balls, caramel, apples, burnt toast with red currant jam, sage smoke. Finish : Long. Sweetness, dried red fruit, wisps of smoke, bitter chocolate. Verdict : I like this rather a lot. I know it's disappearing, and that makes me a bit sad I didn't get a bottle before it's gone. I may keep an eye out for it. Would I buy this: If the price weren't crazy, I would! Would I order this in a bar: Yes, absolutely. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Yes, thank you! Rating : ★★★★

Nose:  Vanilla, caramel, corn pudding, sweet biscuits, burnt sugar, Virginia pipe tobacco. Palate:  Dried corn, toasty oak, vanilla, allspice, roasted peanuts. Finish:  Very long. Peppered peanut brittle, sweet hay, cinnamon sugar. Verdict: A very bourbony bourbon. This one had been sitting a while, this was nearly the end of the bottle. Nothing stands out as amazing, but it checks all the boxes. Vanila,, the Beam peanut, toasted sugar, some wood. The flavor is big, the mouthfeel is nice. Would I buy this: At $55 a bottle, yes. Now that it's up to $75ish, I'd rather have Knob Creek Single Barrel or Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. Would I order this in a bar:  If I wanted a big bourbon, it would be in contention. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Absolutely! Rating : ★★★

Nose : Honey, vanilla, oak, toasted oat, vienna malt Palate : Cocoa dusted almonds, mint, sea salt, white pepper, citron peel Finish : Salted toffee, lemon, toasted oak, nutmeg Verdict : This is simply delicious. Fantastically balanced. It's not perfect, but it's a must have to keep on the shelf, especially for the price to me. Would I buy this: I would! Would I order this in a bar: Absolutely! Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Yes, please! Rating : ★★★★