This is a dark fruit bomb of currant jam and a compote of cherries, blackberries and peaches that finishes with black pepper and black jelly bean. Vibrant and full bodied for sure, but heat is negligible.
If you’ve got the expendable skrilla to pour this for your good friends, do it. It’s as good as Maker’s Mark gets, so get ya some if you want to see experience that.
In year 7, big spice, chocolate depth and rich fruit rule the palate. Its transformation from the 6 year release is comparable to teens leaving home for freshman year in college, and returning for summer break noticeably more mature.
Sometimes I introduce newcomers to great tequila, but it’s often wiser to start off with affordable quality pours they can find locally, turn into cocktails without regret or sip slowly.
The aromatics are loaded with chocolate and nuts–think Baby Ruth candy bar–followed by freshly ground baking spices, hard cherry and orange candies and toasted oak. Mizunara oak sweetens and polishes the bourbon.
We all know the song, “Sugar Sugar” well, this nose is all honey, honey. The underlying bourbon is present, but it doesn’t stand up to the big dose of good quality bee nectar.
Loads of caramel envelop vanilla, cinnamon, charred marshmallow and dried roses. Subsequent sniffs deliver spice that hints at a more powerful presentation than claimed in its 109 proof.
Here we have two rums that, despite aging 15 years and 25 years in oak, remain incredibly fruity, nicely funky and bargains at $90 and $199, respectively.
This is super approachable with light caramel, summer fruits and lightly toasted oak bringing up the rear. Let this pour roam every nook and cranny of your mouth to pick up subtle cinnamon and buttery pound cake.
This bonded bourbon dazzles with fruit and spice and honey and a little pepper. It’s also surprisingly weighty and rich for only 100 proof, and it’s well balanced. Its complexity outdoes many of its peers’ and would shame many older bourbons.
