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Kentucky Owl The Wiseman Review

Posted on 24-January-202209-May-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Kentucky Owl The Wiseman Review

Original review written January 18, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

This is a fun pour with a lot to dissect and find, both on the nose and on the palate. It’s warm and soft, and accessible to any level of bourbon sipper. 92/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Bardstown, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Kentucky Owl, Bardstown Bourbon Co./other Kentucky distilleries
– Classification: Blend of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys
– Age: nas (blend of a 4 yr., 5.5 yr., and 8.5 yr.)
– Mash Bill: unpublished
– Casks: unknown char
– Barrel Entry Proof: unpublished
– ABV: 45.4% (90.8 proof)
– Price: $49.95 USD in Idaho 2021

Visit kentuckyowlbourbon.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the spirit neat from a Glencairn with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

The savory quality of The Wiseman makes this bourbon want to be enjoyed in a steakhouse, right alongside your favorite cut, cooked your favorite way. It’s rich, and the mouth feel will pair nicely with the intensity of the steak. Everything is warm, rustic, and cozy, and wonderfully stunning.

Photo by Emerson Vieira on Unsplash

NOSE:

Dusty and savory grain meets dark fruits for a sweet component even on the first inhale. The savory-ness seems almost salty, much like the kind you’d find on some sweet maple wood bacon, complete with smokiness. The dark fruit is reminiscent of plums – not too strong in flavor, but there is just enough concentration to be noticed. There is also some toffee, with peanuts standing out amidst the sweet and salty bite. I cannot identify a strong alcohol essence in this at all – even large inhales do little to sting.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: This is most certainly soft, but there is a weight to it also. It sits heavy and initially dry, becoming more viscous the longer my salivary glands have at it.
– Balance: Solid. Salt blends with sweet and makes for a definitive bourbon palate, but with an interesting profile all the same.
– Visual: Carrot in color, this leaves an irregular crown and fast dropping, thick legs with occasional clinging droplets.

– Taste: This is very soft across the palate, carrying notes of pine, plum, honey and pie crust. I can detect some wheat, contributing to the softness, followed quick by golden delicious apples that do little to add any significant punch of flavor. There’s a hint of bitterness that seems nutty in origin – perhaps walnuts.

When I let the bourbon sit on my palate, a stronger fruit flavor appears, but it dissipates quickly after the sip is gone. It’s a bit like baked cherries (working well with the aforementioned pie crust, I must say), with some tartness that melts into sweetness quickly. Along with this fruit is a growing saltiness, much like the one found on the nose. All this does, is make the mouth water more and look for the next sip. I don’t think there is any distinct flavor with the salt, but it is an enjoyable aspect, nonetheless.

The alcohol continues to be virtually nonexistent. If anything, I would say that the alcohol acts more as a foundation for other flavors to build off of, contributing to the profile, instead of being a side effect of being bourbon. When I partake in a Kentucky chew, white pepper emerges to mix with some of the bitter walnuts. Very little sweetness found here.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. There is little to no flavor here in the finish, but the warmth does sit surprisingly heavy in the throat and in the chest. I’m impressed.
– Between Sips: Dry grains are about all I can detect between sips. It adds to the overall softness of this bourbon and leaves it without a single harsh edge.

– No More: There are more fruits to find the further into the glass I get. Suddenly there are fresh cherries to accompany the baked, and even a bit of caramel. It certainly takes this bourbon to another level of enjoyment for someone (me) who enjoys the taste of cherries in a whiskey.

The empty Glencairn is straight up sawdust shavings with some of the savory smokiness from the initial nose. It’s reminiscent of a steakhouse, and I’m absolutely now craving a baked potato.

WORTH THE PRICE?

I’d say that this does meet the standard I have for a $50 bottle of bourbon. It’s warm; it’s unique; and I think it’s accessible in a fun way to both novices and more knowledgeable sippers. There’s plenty to find in the palate, and nothing sticks out awkwardly. It’s a bottle I think is worthy of keeping around in the bunker when I find it, most certainly.

KENTUCKY OWL THE WISEMAN REVIEW RATING: 92/100

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Hillrock Solera Bourbon Review

Posted on 07-June-202109-May-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Hillrock Solera Bourbon Review

Original review written June 1, 2021

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

This bourbon surprised me in many ways, and while I don’t think I’d keep it on hand in my bunker, I’d certainly splurge occasionally for this warm, fruity treat! 92/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Hudson Valley, New York
– Distiller: Hillrock Estate Distillery; blend of sourced bourbon (undisclosed source) and Hillrock Estate distilled bourbon
– Classification: Special Finish/Blended Bourbon Whiskey (finished in sherry casks)
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: unpublished
– Casks: unknown char
– Barrel Entry Proof: unpublished
– ABV: 46.3% (92.6 proof)
– Bottle reviewed is from Barrel No. 45
– Price: $79.95 USD in Idaho

Find more information at hillrockdistillery.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn with my sister as well as my father/fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

Carry Hillrock Solera in a flask while trudging through a snowy wood, with pine trees towering over you. While this bourbon may not be the warmest or richest bourbon to enjoy while you’re cold, the flavors are unique enough to distract from the cold. It’s soft, like the snow beneath your feet, and it could certainly bring back a bit of summery fruits to you in the middle of winter.

Photo by Laura Lauch on Unsplash

NOSE:

Soft grains, particularly wheat (maybe even the winter wheat you taste in a Maker’s Mark product) come across the nose first. But there is a lot of flavors to be found here, all dark but I don’t know if I would necessarily say rich. There is a dusting of dark brown sugar, but there is more of a chocolate-covered orange or maybe an acidic berry. But they have definitely been frozen first, as the milk chocolate coating isn’t very strong. I get a wood, but I don’t think that it’s oak. I think it is more pine in origin, and I’d say further that it is a wet pine. There is a smattering of white pepper, dates, and even molasses.

All of these flavors sound like they would lend themselves to a rich aroma, but I think because of the pine, it remains just at dark, as pine is a rather gentle wood. The alcohol isn’t strong per say, but deep inhales can give you a little zing every now and then.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Very, very soft. A bit of a rasp comes at the back of the palate, but otherwise, it’s gentle and welcoming.
– Balance: The wheat flavor evens out the rest of the palate quite well, making all of the sweetness meld together and pair great with the wood and hint of spice.
– Visual: Auburn in color, there is a very defined inverted crown. The droplets fall quickly, but there are many.

– Taste: That chocolate-covered berry from the nose (decidedly not orange) is what I taste first, and there might be a bit of cherry here too. I think the wheat is still here also, contributing a softness that makes it slightly challenging for many other flavors to emerge. I find graham cracker crust, vanilla, a simple syrup, and on top of that a fruit syrup that you could add to a club soda. Meaning, it’s a touch artificial, but I will say that the sweetness is not obnoxious or overpowering. In fact, I quite like it.

The pine is still here from the nose also, but I do think there is more oak here on the palate too! It adds a richness that perhaps the nose was lacking, and with all of these flavors, it is certainly welcome. The alcohol is mild throughout, save perhaps for a slight raspy tickle just at the back of the palate that lifts the other flavors. Doing a Kentucky chew awakens some white pepper, caramel, and a hint of peach juice. It isn’t dangerous, and at just over 92 proof, I wouldn’t expect it to be. With this bourbon, doing a Kentucky chew is fun, and I highly recommend it.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. It’s there in warmth and a bit of flavor, but it truly is quite mild.
– Between Sips: I think a bit of blueberry and milk chocolate linger between the sips, with the wheat surrounding both and making everything very soft.

– No More: The fruit syrup/club soda addition flavor I noted in the palate evolves the further I get into the glass, becoming almost like a port wine – light-hearted, but still deep and flavorful.

The empty Glencairn is rich and oaky, but still with that pine that has remained insistent throughout the entire pour. It’s warm with lingering sweetness, and a great finish to a pretty great bourbon.

WORTH THE PRICE?

$80 is a big ask, certainly, but this is not a bourbon you come across very often (at least we don’t here in Idaho). While maybe too much to seek out consistently to keep in the bunker, I think it is well worth the price, and for a splurge moment, I would definitely reach for Hillrock Solera.

HILLROCK SOLERATE BOURBON REVIEW RATING: 92/100

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Tincup American Whiskey Review

Posted on 19-January-202009-May-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Tincup American Whiskey Review

Original review written January 16, 2020

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

I underestimated this one majorly. For around $30, it’s a steal if you like fresh and clean whiskies. Even though it’s not my favorite flavor profile, I will be repurchasing. Read my full Tincup American Whiskey Review here! 87/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Denver, Colorado, USA
– Distiller: Tincup founder, Jess Graber
– Classification: Blended whiskey; using sourced high rye bourbon distilled and aged in Indiana, USA as well as a single malt whiskey from Colorado with water from the Rocky Mountains*
– Age: Minimum 4 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Undisclosed
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: Undisclosed
– ABV: 42% (84 proof)
– Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho

*Visit tincupwhiskey.com/ for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this whiskey here!

SETTING:

This one has the classic vibe of a 1920’s speakeasy, renovated with industrial light bulbs hung from the ceiling to cast the hidden space in a warm, yellow glow. The air vibrates with booming laughs and mellow jazz as you sip this nostalgic spirit.

Photo by Martin Adams on Unsplash

NOSE:

Pleasantly surprised with this nose, which consists of both spice and sweet. I detect white pepper and a light, but somehow musky vanilla tang along with a hint of leather. I also smell ripe peach fuzz/skin, corn, mellow oak and maybe a twinge of something herbal or floral in nature. The flavors seems easy to tease apart, but that isn’t a bad thing. No alcohol burn whatsoever.

All in all, I’m impressed with the variety I find here in the nose from several classic flavor profiles.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Very soft, like velvet. It has grit when rubbed the “wrong” way, but either way is enjoyable.
– Balance: Fair. Sweetness reigns supreme, but it’s light and easy to like.
– Visual: This whiskey is chestnut sherry in color (meaning to say, middle range), with a nice crown with clinging droplets. Not much for legs.

– Taste: Wow, I was not ready to be as instantly drawn to this one as I am. Still very little alcohol to speak of, but I can say that the herb and flower from the nose is mint and rose. The whiskey is exceptionally fresh and clean.

I still find peaches, decidedly white fleshed ones as opposed to yellow. There’s a mandarin orange quality here as well – not fresh, rather from a fruit cup and bathed in that simply fruit syrup.

I’ve lost the corn from the nose, but I can find sweet wheat instead. The spice is gone too, the mint carrying the seasoning burden alone. The oak is present, but my gosh, it’s subdued.

A Kentucky chew makes the flavors crisp, but the rose, peach, fruit syrup and some unexpected honeycomb kick in to make the mouth water.

I’d love to test this one out on a Mint Julep, but it’s pleasing neat too.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. Not much warmth lingers long, but some of the other flavors remain.
– Between Sips: The rose petals stick to my tongue, and this leaves me with a fibrous sweetness. It’s not my favorite, but this fits with the feel of this whiskey, so I’m not upset or disappointed.

– No More: Some cherries peek out a bit more as I get further into the glass, but the freshness and cleanliness are still dominate. I’ve gotten used to the rose petals here in the finish, and I even like them.

The empty Glencairn is a syrupy oak, sweet and with minimal age detectable.

WORTH THE PRICE?

I will absolutely be buying this one again at the $30 and keeping it on the shelf in the bunker for when I’m in the mood for something light.

RATING: 87/100

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