As The Spirit Moves Me

  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...

This sample was a gift from a friend. Hi Travis! I went into it knowing only that it was Bourbon from Still Austin. Nose: Corn, vanilla, lemon, caramel, oak, light nutmeg, old varnish, gun oil, shoe polish. Palate: Sweet corn, popcorn, caramel, burnt peanut, pepper, bitter clove, flamed orange peel, vanilla. Finish: Corn, vanilla, a little pepper. Sweet mostly. Long but simple. Verdict: Tastes young, I'd bet 12-18 months? Maybe 95-100 proof? Has a lot of harsh notes right in the middle of the palate. The nose has some weird unpleasantness, but the base Bourbon notes underly all of it. Might be fine with more time, but as is, I don't care for it. Would I buy this: I'm betting this is craft priced, so 35-50 a bottle. In which case, nuh-uh. Would I order this in a bar: Probably not. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: I would, but mostly so I could discuss what I do and don't like abut it with them. Final notes: Looking this up I see it is 100...

This was a collaboration between Old Sugar Distillery and Capital Brewery and Bier Garten in Middleton, WI. They used the same mash bill as their Schwarzbier, called Fishin' in the Dark. Nose: Vanilla, sour wood, under ripe pear, musty, sour cherries. Tiny touches of something smoky, and a little floral. Palate: Thin, lightly sweet. Apples, plums, a moment of wildflower honey spread on malted toast. Finish: Honey and a little sour. The honey is gone in moments, the touch of tannic sourness remains. Verdict: Overall, not great. I've sure had worse, but this is thin and lightly sweet and not much else. There's a tiny moment in the nose that hints at the black malt, otherwise I'm not getting it. Would I buy this: I would not. Would I order this in a bar: Negative. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Yes. But I'd take my time at it. It's not great, but it's not the worst thing. Rating: ★