Whiskey for the Ages Review Archives – Page 9 of 15

James E Pepper Single Barrel Rye BWE Pick

Posted on 30-May-202230-May-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s James E Pepper Single Barrel Rye BWE Pick

Original review written May 24, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

A great rye with plenty of complexity and intrigue from several different flavor profile characteristics – from fruit to spice to earth, this has it all. Happy to have it open in the collection. 95/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Indiana and Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Ross & Squibb Distillery/MGP/Old Pepper Distillery DSP-KY-5
– Classification: Single Barrel Straight Rye; Prive Select Barrel
– Age: 4yrs
– Mash Bill: Rye=100% (both raw and malted)
– Casks: 12-month air seasoned Kentucky Oak; Char #3
– Cask #: 1239
– Selected by BWE (Boise Whiskey Enthusiast’s Facebook Group)
– ABV: 55% (110 proof)
– Price: $54.95 USD in Idaho 2022

Visit jamesepepper.distilleryspirits.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

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

Check out his review for this rye here!

SETTING:

I imagine James E Pepper Single Barrel Rye would taste that much more phenomenal with a light and fresh cake to coax even more of the sweetness that this rye has. The cake may have honey, vanilla, and floral tones and that would pair well here. It exacerbates the summery brightness of both rye and cake and makes everything warm and the sipper quick to reach for another taste.

Photo by Hayley Maxwell on Unsplash

NOSE:

Malt and rye grain wash across the palate with hazelnut and light vanilla following close behind. Despite being so rye forward, there is already a noticeable complexity to this, with other sweet flavors like honey and flaky pastry with sugar crystals dusted on top. And there are deeper, earthier tones to match this sweetness like leather and caramelized/charred oak. I can’t find much for fruit sweetness aside perhaps from a dark fruit/berry nectar or a cherry jam preserve.

This rye may be 110 proof, however, the alcohol is incredibly mild and doesn’t sting at the nose at all. It’s a rye that invites deep draws and falling into the flavors offered.

PALATE:

James E Pepper Single Barrel Rye BWE Pick

– Mouth Feel: Viscous with a bit of grit to it, making the flavor linger and linger.
– Balance: Complex. I don’t know if it’s the proof influence but more and more seems to emerge, all in balance.
– Visual: Flame in color, this falls in long, thick legs from an irregular ring.

– Taste: Sweet vanilla with freshness trailing is the immediate impression. It’s floral yet buttery like a summery cake batter with even some tropical fruit kick like pineapple. Rye spice and grain mixes with a woody caramel that is just shy of being burnt – at the peak of its sugary performance. Accompanying this rye is more of the powdered ginger from the nose, and a pinch of white pepper. Cherries exist at the back of the palate, mixed with a syrup that deepens and enrichens the other existing flavors all the more.

The complexity abounds, and all the while, the alcohol offers just the right amount of kick for the flavors to play off of. This certainly does have a bite to it, and I can tell that it does want to give me a Kentucky Hug if I’d let it. (I like that.) When I give it a Kentucky chew, a brininess comes forward with a subtle fruit leather and light caramel to soothe the burn.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Long. The heat lingers at the back of the throat along with a good aftertaste.
– Between Sips: Warm caramel, cherries with a raspy rye – yum, yum, and yum.

– No More: This grows more complex and enjoyable the further into the glass I get, with the balance showing more and more maturity. I am thoroughly enjoying this rye, and I’m quite glad to have it in the collection.

The empty Glencairn is buttery oak and pecan and simple syrup/light caramel. It’s a different kind of empty glass that I’m used to, but it is entirely delicious.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Absolutely. This has complexity, depth, and heat, and it’s everything I could hope for in a rye. If you get the chance to buy any Single Barrel Rye, give this a try. You won’t be disappointed. And even if you’re only a bourbon drinker and trying to get into ryes, this may be a good gateway into doing so.

JAMES E PEPPER SINGLE BARREL RYE BWE PICK RATING: 95/100

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Daviess County Cabernet Sauvignon Finish Review

Posted on 23-May-202228-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Daviess County Cabernet Sauvignon Finish Review

Original review written May 17, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Dry wine, wood, and occasional dark fruit, this is unlike any bourbon I’ve had before – finish or no. It’s decent, and I remain intrigued by the line. Would I buy this particular special finish again? Perhaps not, but I won’t struggle to finish this bottle. 86/100

VITALS:

Daviess County Cabernet Sauvignon Finish Review

– Made In: Bardstown, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Lux Row Distillers (specific distiller undisclosed)
– Classification: Special Finish Blended Bourbon
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: blend of ryed and wheated mash bills (specific volume ratios undisclosed)
Ryed: Corn=78%; Rye=10%; Malted Barley=12% (for spice)
Wheated: Corn=68%; Wheat=20%; Malted Barley=12% (for smoothness)
– Casks: undisclosed char; finished for six months in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon barrels
– Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
– ABV: 48% (96 proof)
– Price: $49.95 USD in Idaho in 2022

Visit daviesscountybourbon.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

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

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

This bourbon is reminiscent of drought, where each sip makes you want more – not necessarily ever feeling entirely quenched. Instead of choosing a setting to balance this dryness, I wonder if finding someplace perhaps even drier would push this bourbon to perform with the potential I know it is capable of. Find dry earth with dusty air and let this bourbon stretch its legs with depth, fruit and richness – I know it can do it.

Photo by Micaela Parente on Unsplash

NOSE:

Despite this being a special finish, this is immediately recognized a bourbon even on the first inhale. It smells sweet with corn and deep with age. There are plenty of dark, dried fruits – like dry raisins, fig, prunes, currants, and a hint of ripe plum as well. These are coupled with a mixture of cinnamon and ginger that brightens the tone of this bourbon. There is earth here also with leather, and of course, the aforementioned grain. Caramelized oak and waffle cone round out the complex nose, absorbing any kind of alcohol burn right along with it. It’s a nose that’s right up my alley with fruity darkness, and I’m looking forward to taking a sip. This doesn’t necessarily smell like wine, but the wine influence is certainly there.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: There is a bit of raspiness, but it doesn’t cling to the palate at all.
– Balance: It’s on the simpler side with the notes it provides, but the flavors are unique to our bunker, all the same.
– Visual: Honey in color, there are many long legs that fall from a well-defined ring. They don’t cling much, but they are thick.

– Taste: There is little to no alcohol to be found on the palate, and I can sit with it for some time before feeling any kind of urge to aggravate it at all. When I do, I am met with a staunch black bread heavy with dark bittersweet molasses. The wine barrel tannins are more pronounced here on the palate than they were on the nose, and that depth is backed by sharp currants and a type of sweet custard spread, like what you’d find in a Boston Cream Pie. Additional richness comes from a nutty essence, like unsalted, chopped peanuts.

The fruitiness of wine influence isn’t as apparent as it was on the nose; however, the dryness coupled with oak, yeast, and earth is very strong. None of this affects the alcohol, which is inoffensive and gentle. At its most aggressive with a Kentucky chew, wood dominates and very little else comes through.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. I find a little remaining warmth at the back of the throat, and minor aftertaste.
– Between Sips: Yeast and wood are the most pronounced between sips, and it does feel a little like a one-note wonder, but it’s decent enough.

– No More: This grows a bit simpler and drier the further into the glass I get, with the pre-existing, minimal fruit becoming even more faint. It’s disappointing, as I was hoping for the fruit to be more intense.

The empty Glencairn smells like a pure bourbon with heavy rye, and spicy oak. I wish a bit more of that bite was in the pour itself, as this smells heavenly.

WORTH THE PRICE?

While this is decent, and while I also appreciate that each of the Daviess County offerings received by our stores hover at $50, I would say this is not their strongest pour. If you like dryness with oak and bread, this is beyond worth the price, but if you’re buying this, thinking that you’ll find a great deal of fruit, prepare to be a little let down. I won’t have any difficulty finishing this bottle, and despite this being unique to our collection, I’m not entirely convinced I’ll need another. That being said, I would be intrigued to try the French Oak Finish of this line just to know what it offers. $50 isn’t an offensive price (to me), and it’s an experimental price I don’t usually mind paying.

DAVIESS COUNTY CABERNET SAUVIGNON FINISH REVIEW RATING: 86/100

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Little Book Chapter 3: The Road Home Review

Posted on 15-May-202227-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Little Book Chapter 3: The Road Home Review

Original review written May 10, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

A complex, fruity, spicy burn that’s high proof and from one of my favorite distillers. Happy to have this pre-pandemic gem open at last. 97/100

VITALS:

Little Book Chapter 3 The Road Home Review

– Made In: Clermont, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Jim Beam Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Blend of Jim Beam Bourbons
– Blend Overview:
9-year-old Knob Creek Bourbon
9-year-old Basil Hayden’s Bourbon
11-year-old Booker’s Bourbon
12-year-old Baker’s Bourbon
– Age: 9 yrs.
– Mash Bill: Blend of Corn=77%; Rye=13%; Malted Barley=10% (Knob Creek, Baker’s, and Booker’s), and Corn=63%; Rye=27%; Malted Barley=10% (Basil Hayden’s) – Recipe 51

– Casks: Char #4
– Barrel Entry Proofs: 125
– ABV: 61.3% (122.6 proof)
– Release Date: September 2019
– Price: $124.95 USD in Idaho 2019

Visit https://beamsuntory.com/ for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

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

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

Might be a little brisk, and there might be a chilling mist keeping you from seeing far into the distance, but I imagine The Road Home would fit well on this kind of path. Old, gnarled trees keep you company and offer walls to lean on, rather than poke and jab you for coming too close. The Road Home is about the journey, after all, and while unconventional and perhaps not immediately desired, this Road Not Taken is refreshing and wild all at once.

Photo by Adarsh Kummur on Unsplash

NOSE:

This is a fruity, spicy Booker’s at first inhale. Dark fruits, like grapes and figs are everywhere, but the burn from the alcohol is rough in a way only a Jim Beam product can be. There’s a distinct toffee essence, with nuts dominating, but I can find a chewy, fudgy caramel. The spice, while definitely peppery, links up with an old, gnarly oak to offer some immediate depth and richness. Along with that wood is a musty leather and earth component. It’s old, dusty, and has just a touch of grain mixed in it. While there are those sweet aromas, it’s these darker, earthy, spicy alcohol tones that overwhelm the nose the more it continues to breathe. Complex, dark, spicy – that’s about what I’d expect from a Jim Beam nose.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Raspy and textured, this settles into the taste buds, especially at the back of the palate where it burns more potently.
– Balance: Solid. I like the spice chasing the fruit, and with a deep oaky foundation, I feel more like a bystander than an active participant. The bourbon doesn’t really need my involvement with chews, or holding it, to taste good and complex.
– Visual: Old oak in color, this leaves behind an almost perfect inverted crown, complete with clinging droplets that fall slowly in thick legs back into the glass.

– Taste: I can hold this on the palate for longer than I would have expected to originally, but that bite does settle in the more it sits. When it moves across the palate for tasting, fruits like figs, dried cherries, and partially baked, tart apples meld with an almost burnt caramel that both adds sweetness and a hint of bitter. Following the fruit, is a grassy element that eases some of the burn that comes at the back of the palate, and boy, is this necessary. The grass fights off more than just the alcohol too – locating anything pepper or rye and trying to choke it out like a fire without oxygen.

Nevertheless, the alcohol is harsh, and a Kentucky chew makes the whole mouth burn and tears come to the eyes. Knives of pepper go through the tongue like stakes covered in thorns. NOT a pleasant experience, but the spices do wake up even more, showcasing cinnamon and allspice. Oak and prunes and raisin are there on the coming-down; they don’t take away the heat, but they distract you from the pain of the chew somewhat.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Very long. The heat lingers and lingers and lingers… and lingers. A Kentucky hug is most certainly possible with this pour. Some flavor does linger, but it’s about the heat.
– Between Sips: Oak with dark vanilla and grain mix together between sips, remaining complex even here in the finish.

– No More: Sweeter flavors emerge the longer I sit with this bourbon. Simple syrup, caramel, and vanilla grow ever stronger, still backed by the alcohol warmth and emerging allspice first noted on the Kentucky chew.

The empty Glencairn is a spicy oak, with lots of harsh burn remaining and pepper. It’s warm and complex, and a great finish to a great pour.

WORTH THE PRICE?

$125 is a big ask, but if you see Little Book (I’ll go so far as to say any chapter*), it’s a fun edition to have to the bunker, and given their rarity and originality in mash bills and blends… It’s a no-brainer. If it was regularly available, perhaps I wouldn’t pay this much for it, but it’s fun to splurge every now and then, and this is a bourbon worth splurging on.

*Though you will not find it in my Whiskey Reviews section, I have had and thoroughly enjoyed Chapter 2 from Little Book. As I have equally enjoyed many Booker’s products already. Click here to read Dad’s review of Chapter 2, and remember, I LIKED IT TOO!

LITTLE BOOK CHAPTER 3 THE ROAD HOME REVIEW RATING: 97/100

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Click Little Book to read my thoughts on other whiskies in the series from Freddy Noe.

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