whiskeyfortheages, Author at Whiskey for the Ages

Michter’s US-1 Review

Posted on 04-December-201925-March-2025 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Michter’s US-1 Review

written on 17-April-2018

MICHTER’S US-1 REVIEW:

The nectar in this bottle has a pleasant blend of fruit and chocolate along with some nice rye spice and pepper. Michter’s Bourbon may be a bit hard to find but if you see a bottle on the store shelf at MSRP take it home.

MICHTER’S BOURBON VITAL STATS:

Category: Small Batch
Region: Louisville, KY, USA
Distillery: Michter’s Distillery
Mash Bill: 79% corn, 11% rye, 10% malted barley
Barrel Char: #3
Barrel entry proof: 103
Age: nas
ABV: 45.7% (91.4 Proof)
Batch No. 17J1373
Price: $47.95 (Idaho 2025, $41.95 in 2018*)
Availability: Found in well stocked liquor stores … Allocated in 2018

Learn more at https://michters.com/

*This bottle of Michter’s Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon was purchased after my entry was drawn from the April 2018 Idaho State Rare Bourbon Lottery.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I drank this spirit neat, from a Mason jelly jar with daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Hannah.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

NOSE:

Faint hints of ripe banana are hidden behind chocolate covered maraschino cherries. I detected no spice of any kind on the nose.

PALATE:

A sweet warming oily mouth feel blends nicely with simple syrup, light chocolate and cherries. There is subtle rye spice, and a pepperiness, mixed with cinnamon red hot candy. The chocolate and cherry flavors fade quickly.

Balance, Body, Feel, and Look
This is a smooth, well blended bourbon with a nice burnt amber color. In the mouth the juice is warming and has an oily mouthfeel.

FINISH:

The warming bourbon feel in the mouth and on the tongue lingers like honey as the flavors fade away.

FINISHING STRENGTH:

Long

MY RATING: 89/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 89/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this distillery, click Michter’s.

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Little Book Batch #2 – Noe Simple Task Review

Posted on 04-December-201927-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Little Book Batch #2 – Noe Simple Task Review

written on 08-June-2019

LITTLE BOOK BATCH #2 – NOE SIMPLE TASK REVIEW:

Just because Little Book Batch #2: Noe Simple Task is born of the skills of Master Distiller Fred Noe and Beam’s Booker distillery, check your bourbon expectations. This is a rye forward whiskey with an appley nose and palate. I found the finish to linger with a leathery, old oak earthiness.

LITTLE BOOK BATCH #2 VITAL STATS:

Category: Blended Whiskey
Produced by Beam-Suntory
Blender: Jim Beam’s Fred Noe
Distillery: Jim Beam and Canadian Club
Whiskey Mash Bills: Unknown malted barley
Components of the blend:
• 8 Year Old, Kentucky 119.8 proof straight rye whiskey
   Cask: New Charred Oak (KY rye)
• 13 Year Old, 111.9 proof Canadian rye whisky
   Cask: Recharred barrel (CAN rye)
• 40 Year Old, 137.8 proof Canadian whisky
   Cask: Ex-Bourbon (CAN blended)
Age: 8 Years
ABV: 59.4% (118.8 Proof)
Unfiltered
Price: $119.95 USD in Idaho
Availability: Allocated, and difficult to find

Learn more at https://beamsuntory.com/

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I drank this spirit neat, from a Glencairn glass.

NOSE:

To the nose, Little Book Batch #2 (LBB2) presents with subtle wine tannins and little alcohol burn. Continued nosing brings an herbalness and fresh picked red apples with plenty of rye spice blending into rye bread. There is only a hint of light vanilla and it is not overly sweet on the nose. The assuredly small percentage of 40 year old Canadian whisky adds a pleasant oldness which couples nicely with the nutty sweetness of roasted peanuts and dry oak sawdust.

PALATE:

The mouth is greeted with a little bite and then a nice warmness takes over. I detected an unusual Citronella candle flavor … but it works. As on the nose, LBB2 wine tannins entertain the palate which expand nicely into wintergreen herbalness. While definitely not a sweet juice, spices of cinnamon, cloves, and rye enhance flavours of red apples and dried figs. There is also a nice rye breadiness which goes well with earthy raw peanuts and subtle barrel char.

Balance, Body, Look, and Feel:
In the Glencairn, small clinging droplets give way to medium wide legs which drop into an auburn and polished mahogany colored bowl. There is a good balance to its medium body and warmness. LBB2 is both light and clean and smooth and pleasant. In the mouth, the whiskey is at once crisp, oily, rich and full.

FINISH:

Little Book Batch #2: Noe Simple Task has a long and lingering, warm finish and the satisfyingly spicy aftertaste of black pepper and rye. The aged Canadian whisky and re-char of barrels give a certain roundness as the earthy leather, old oak and dark honey fade away.

MY RATING: 88/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

For other whiskies with this score, click 88/100.
Click Little Book to read my thoughts on other whiskies in the series from Freddy Noe.

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Noah’s Mill Genuine Bourbon Review

Posted on 04-December-201928-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Noah’s Mill Genuine Bourbon Review

written on 27-December-2018

NOAH’S MILL GENUINE BOURBON REVIEW:

Noah’s Mill is a disjointed bourbon of citrus, baked goods and other flavors not normally associated with a fine bourbon. So much so, this was a challenging bourbon to review. I am sad to report there is something amiss with this juice.

NOAH’S MILL GENUINE BOURBON VITAL STATS:

– Category: Small Batch Bourbon
– Region: Kentucky, USA
– Distillery: Various and unpublished; made from sourced barrels (Bottle Notes indicate: KBD/Noah’s Mill Distilling Company)
– Mash Bill: undisclosed (sourced bourbon)
– Barrel Char: undisclosed
– Barrel entry proof: undisclosed
– Age: nas (Since 2012 the age statement is no longer reported)
– Batch No. 18-8
– ABV: 57.15% (114.3 Proof)
– Price: $49.95 USD in Idaho

Operating as a non-distilling producer, Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD) purchases bourbon from other distilleries, ages it in their warehouses, and bottles it from their extensive family of labels (Rowan’s Creek, Kentucky Vintage and Willett Distilling Company to name a few.) Noah’s Mill Distilling Company is a KBD company.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I drank this spirit neat, from a Glencairn glass.

NOSE:

Alcohol hits the nose first on this release and is so strong it masks all other flavors. After a short time in the glass, I was able to discern orange peel followed by a unusual cacophony of fruit: banana, prune and raisin. Subsequent sniffs coaxed caramel and vanilla, then yeast, baking spice, and cinnamon filled baked goods. Nut meat or wood of any sort was never detected throughout the four ounce tasting.

PALATE:

Because of the initial alcohol on the nose, I expected more of the same however the first sip was warming and mellow but with a grassy, citrus bite. More sips brought out acidic orange marmalade and ginger spice. There is a hint of bitter walnuts, and as on the nose, no woodiness whatsoever. This iteration of Noah’s Mill tastes unfinished, weak, and is quite disappointing.

Balance, Body, Feel, and Look;
I wanted to like this bourbon as I enjoyed the Willet Pot Still Reserve and looked for the good in this one as well; I can report impressive legs in the glass and a creamy mouthfeel, but in the end this bottle of Noah’s Mill, Batch No. 18-8 is unbalanced and unrewarding.

Note: Sold in a light green glass bottle. Light in color … Tawny; The light color may be an indication of minimal barrel time.

FINISH:

Short with only a little lingering warmth and an unpleasant green vegetabley aftertaste.

MY RATING: 60/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? No
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 60/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this distillery, click Willett.

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