Review - Barlow Trail Port Cask Finish American Whiskey

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Rating 2.5 Glasses

• Distillery: Big Bottom Distillery
• Years Aged: N/A
  • Proof: 91
    • Local Price (USD): $39.75
      • Availability: Widespread

 

Tasting Notes

• Color & Consistency: Rich mahogany & fat sticky legs 
• Nose: A lumber mill wet with morning dew. The port comes through like the Kool-Aid man through concrete.

• Taste: Thick bitter woodiness and heavy oak tannins. Cherry cough syrup.
  • Finish: Marred by a lingering bitterness much like an overdose of NyQuil™
• Conclusion: Batch No. 10. Good well rounded whiskey for beginners that lends itself to the sweeter side of life thanks to finishing off in port wine casks. It's price is slightly reaching in this category but would be a great stocking stuffer for Christmas.

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Review - Highspire Whiskey Batch No. 003

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Rating 2.5 Glasses

• Distillery: Kindred Distilled Spirits, LLC
  • Years Aged: N/A
  • Proof: 80
    • Local Price (USD): $44.99
      • Availability: Uncommon

 

Tasting Notes

• Color & Consistency: Amber with quick legs
• Nose: Rye. A floral shop where all the flowers are past their prime. Reminiscent of a young tequila or freshly cut grain field.
• Taste: Light and savory. Caramel, grains and citrus notes.
  • Finish: Play-dough & candy wax (Apparently some of the sidekicks had a play-dough eating problem as a child) 
• Conclusion: 100% Pure Rye mash bill. Aged 4 months in oak wine barrels from California. We wouldn't buy it again but if you are a Rye fan and want to try something unique within the same family we'd say give it a go. Very, very young. The uniqueness keeps it a 1/2 glass above 2. Not currently available in Oregon.

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Review - Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2016 Barrel Strength

I was fortunate to enjoy this dram over at the Multnomah Whisk{e}y Library. Check out our experience by clicking here...

Rating 4 Glasses

• Distillery: Four Roses Distillery LLC
• Years Aged: NAS
• Proof: 111.2 (55.6% Abv)
• Local Price (USD): $65.00
  • Availability: Widespread

 

Tasting Notes

• Color: Light amber
• Nose: Vanilla, Maple & Citrus
  • Taste: Orange rind, iodine & heavy on the alcohol
  • Finish: Bitter wood (insert joke here)
• Conclusion: 

  Josh made a comment to the fact that it was like mixing a bottle of Mrs. Butterworth's and rubbing alcohol. This particular selection doesn't hide its origins and contains all of the characteristics you would expect from Four Roses. Another great iteration of their yearly release, 2016 is definitely more complex than 2014 (we still have to review 2015) but looks to be on par with the legendary 2013 release. Bravo.

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Review - Rebel Yell 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon

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Rating 3 Glasses

• Distillery: Rebel Yell Distillery
• Years Aged: 10
• Proof: 100
• Price (USD): $49.95
• Availability: Widespread

Tasting Notes

• Color & Consistency: If Oak trees could bleed. Finally understand what AC/DC meant when they sang "Knocking me out with those American thighs"
• Nose: Imagine a carpenter covered in sugar wating to be seen in the ER at the local hospital
  • Taste: Marginally smooth but akin to a random coctail with Irish whiskey and a hint of Fireball
  • Finish: Tangy, perfume & short
• Conclusion: We would call this your Triple B... Bread & Butter Bourbon. Liken it to a better version of Port Chilkoot with all of the oakiness. Definitely makes a good mixer but none of us shed a tear when Josh accidentally knocked his glass over. Jeff initially wanted to mix it with pop rocks for whatever reason and after what seemed an eternity of silence apparently mulling over his thoughts on the matter simply stated, "Tastes like Bourbon."

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Review - Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition 2014

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Rating 3.5 Glasses

• Distillery: Four Roses Distillery LLC
  • Years Aged: NAS
• Proof: 111.8
• Price (USD): $85.00
• Availability: Uncommon
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Tasting Notes

• Color: Dark Caramel
• Nose: Spice, cherry & strong hit of alcohol
• Taste: Cherry cough medicine
• Finish: Long, warm & sumptuous
• Conclusion: 2014 Release. Master distiller Jim Rutledge retired in September of 2015. Read more here about his departure. 
• This one will definitely put some hair on your chest. Could be sipped on indefinitely but would benefit from a couple drops of water to bring out the flavors above the alcohol. Smells like a maraschino cherry stumbled into a bar and got drunk on everclear..... Josh then proceeds to make a comment regarding broken pitted fruits and such. As peculiar as this release is, its unique characteristics & oddities make it an enjoyable dram. We would buy it again. (If you can find it)

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