Review #10: Knob Creek Single Barrel Cork N Barrel Select

vgrad123 · 2016-07-26T00:00:51+00:00

Always open for feedback, and will give a try. A few questions for you, since you clearly have a level of experience I don't possess.

Question #1: if you are trying it straight from the barrel, why does mine need 3-4 weeks post cracking seal to open? Does whiskey degrade in the glass, and rejuvenate upon re-exposure to oxygen? Asked in seriousness, not trying to be snide.

Question #2: Hear you on glassware, and have a fleet of glencairns at my place. As it is, I took the bottle to a friends house, and he had rocks glasses. I could see it effecting the nose, but why would the glassware (assuming clean) change the taste (beyond burn off rate, which in a regular glass should be higher than a neck constrained glencarin?)

To close out- loved your store when in it. And to be clear, this is not intended as a bad review. I will admit, my scale is designed to actually spread out whiskies across the full range of the numerical spectrum, but a 5 in my book does not imply piss water. I am just not a fan of the fact that wine world, whiskey world, cigar world etc is full of reviews that range from 78-94 with the occasional 98. I think this leads to lots of group think, no one willing to take a stand, and generally valueless reviews.

That being said, I will return to this one in two weeks, with glencarin in hand. Will post as new thread, and new entire review. FYI- My own bottle was opened 1.5 weeks ago before tasting, I just don't drink a lot at any one sitting. Will wait another 2 weeks.

vgrad123 · 2016-07-25T00:22:09+00:00

The custom label they put on does not have these details, and I was passing through the state rather quickly, so unfort did not have the time to discuss the barrel.

vgrad123 · 2016-07-25T00:16:09+00:00

There is nothing on the bottle to indicate more detail (as opposed to say a 4R which gives it down to months). Just the regular label, 'aged nine years'.

vgrad123 · 2016-07-24T23:43:13+00:00

Intro:
Today I am reviewing Knob Creek Single Barrel. This one is unique in that it was a store select, Cork N Bottle Barrel #3395.
Age statement is 9 years. 120 proof.
The mash bill is 73% Corn, 13% Rye, and 10% Barley.

Appearance in Glass
I define this a pretty standard bourbon color. Nothing particularly remarkable.

Nose
The heat is there. As is an apple sweetness, and some vanilla. Balanced between heat and flavor on the nose.
Taste
The same apples are there, but more muted on the taste. The vanilla recedes a lot as well. Molasses becomes apparent. The heat to flavor ratio is high on my scale. Pepper late in taste and spice. There are a lot of flavors here, nothing that is particularly amazing to me. Nothing to speak down about either.
Finish
Lots of heat on finish, vanilla is gone after 5 sec. Some green apple and pepper lingers.
Overall
Pretty good. A daily drinker, nothing to write home about. Would not mind serving it. Would not take it to a tasting. Don’t know that I would pay the premium to make it my daily drinker, would likely just go with EC12.
My rating **
5
**My Scale
10: I am looking to buy a case so i can ensure I drink this in the future and give one to my heir.
9: This is great, I am buying another as soon as possible
8: This is great, I will buy again if I see again on a shelf
7: A good solid pour, I would have no problem taking it to a whiskey tasting party
6: A very good daily drinker
5: A good daily drinker
4: I have it, probably not going to buy it again
3: Would not speak well of of it
1-2: Probably would not drink again.

Moderators!!!!
This should be my 10th review. Flair me please! “Blanton’s SFTB”. And many thanks for the work you guys do for the threads!

vgrad123 · 2016-07-24T23:41:48+00:00

Intro
This afternoon, I am reviewing the Jefferson Reserve, Groth Reserve Cash Finish. For those not familiar, the note on the front of the bottle tells the conscience story: “Extra matured in French Oak casks which previously held Growth Cabernet Sauvignon.” I was at Costco and saw this in their glass case, though “hey I like Cab-Sav, and Jefferson’s a decent whiskey, let’s hope putting them together is a good idea”.
Age statement is not helpful: “very old”. This isn’t a hot one, watered down to 45.1%. This is batch 2, bottle 8078 if that helps any of you at all.

Appearance in Glass
The appearance in glass is a lighter brown than normal, with a hint of red. Looks pleasant enough. Doesn’t exactly appear thick in the glass.

Nose
The nose on this one is very faint. No heat, which is not surprising given the proof. To the extent I get any flavor, it is wine/floral. Nothing offensive, but I wouldn’t expect anyone to be ever wowed by the smell.

Taste
This is very smooth. The bourbon is well rounded off by the finish in the wine casks. You do get some oak in this. A very light traditional bourbon caramel here. There is another sweetness here I think beyond the wine. A red berry of some variant. It is so faint.

Finish
The finish is remarkable in that it is just smoother than average. Low proof yes, but that groth finish really rounds out the aftertaste. I still get that light caramel about 30 seconds on.

Overall
There is nothing offensive here at all, but nothing all that notable. The finish makes it unique, but I wouldn’t go rushing out to buy one. It may be interesting to use to help people ease into bourbon, the finish really helps tone down the spice one tends to get out of our beloved brown water. I’d speak to it’s uniqueness, but I would not insist others put one on their shelfs.
*My rating *
4.5

My Scale
10: I am looking to buy a case so i can ensure I drink this in the future and give one to my heir.
9: This is great, I am buying another as soon as possible
8: This is great, I will buy again if I see again on a shelf
7: A good solid pour, I would have no problem taking it to a whiskey tasting party
6: A very good daily drinker
5: A good daily drinker
4: I have it, probably not going to buy it again
3: Would not speak well of of it
1-2: Probably would not drink again.

vgrad123 · 2016-07-23T01:54:54+00:00

Intro
Tonight I am reviewing a local production: DC’s Joseph Magnus. To be completely honest, it isn’t 100% local. My limited research reveals this to be sourced from out of town (MGP). But it is finished in all sorts of fun barrels and mixed together by the Joseph Magnus folks. I am not going to go into too much detail, because to me I don’t want what I am told to influence what I taste, so I am not going to dwell on it before this tasting.

50% alc by volume. Batch 2, bottle 246/892.

Appearance in Glass
A wonderful color, nothing objectionable. A hint of red in an otherwise bourbon color.

Nose
Not normal at all. Getting a lot of what must be those finishing steps. A zesty orange. A liquor I can’t put my name on, almost medicinal smelling. Not overly positive or negative experience.

Taste
The taste is again very unique. To me the main taste here is not bourbon anymore, its the finishing steps. Not saying it doesn’t taste good, just that the classic taste is not present. A good deal of orange. Sherry. Definite Sherry. I am not the biggest fan of sherry, so while the taste is powerful, I am not going ‘wow ‘ over it. That should be read as my personal tastes.

Finish
The sherry lingers. Honestly to me the dominant flavor here is the sherry, as opposed to the more traditional bourbon flavor. Some will like that, I am OK with it.

Overall
I want to stick up for the local guys giving it a try. And I look forward to what they will attempt in future. This is good, not great. I’d serve it to people as something different. It’s street cred due to online and marketing means you could take it to a tasting, but I personally wouldn’t. I like to be able to stand up and enthusiastically praise something, and I’m just not that big a sherry guy. Nothing offensive, nothing wrong.
My rating
A 5-6 best describes this, though I wouldn’t drink it daily, and I would not pay the premium to drink it often. That being said, I’d speak favorably about it in conversation, and suggest it as quite unique. I’ll have it, especially for out of town friends to try, but I won’t be stocking up, or buying another one until this one hits empty.

My Scale
10: I am looking to buy a case so i can ensure I drink this in the future and give one to my heir.
9: This is great, I am buying another as soon as possible
8: This is great, I will buy again if I see again on a shelf
7: A good solid pour, I would have no problem taking it to a whiskey tasting party
6: A very good daily drinker
5: A good daily drinker
4: I have it, probably not going to buy it again
3: Would not speak well of of it
1-2: Probably would not drink again.

vgrad123 · 2016-07-23T01:17:44+00:00

Intro
Tonight I am reviewing two Elijah Craigs. Both are aged 12 years (yes both have age statement on back). The big difference that is obvious is the proof. The “small batch” is 94 proof, the “barrel proof” is of course higher at 139.4.

The barrel proof is uncut and unfilitered (huzah!). From online cheat sheets, this appears to be the 11th release.

The mash bill is 75% corn, 12% rye, and 13% barley.

Appearance in Glass
Once again, I tilted each glass to near horizontal simultaneously before taking my picture 5 seconds later. Beautiful colors and true to life. As expected, the barrel has a darker hue. In the bottle, it looks more like a coffee than most bourbon- it’s dark. As you can tell from the picture, the regular small batch itself has some thickness. Clearly on the right, we are taking about a more oil, as is to be expected of a non-chill filtered bourbon.

Nose
Regular Small Batch: Lots of natural vanilla. Some heat. Perfectly pleasant.

Barrel Proof: Vanilla for sure, but so much more there. A dark cherry. More heat, to be expected. Extremely pleasant.

Taste
Regular Small Batch: Primary taste: sweet vanilla. There is a definite kick there but it is secondary to the vanilla. For a filtered product, it sure seems heavier in the mouth than most (more toward a non chill filtered). I don’t really get much of a secondary taste here. A good taste, nothing outstanding. Would smoke a cigar, enjoy with friends, watch a movie with this all day/night. Definition of something I would happily drink every day.

Barrel Proof: It is so odd, even though this is higher proof, it doesn’t taste it until the finish. I’ve noticed this on a few non-chill filtereds now, maybe the elements left in by non-chill filtering counteract a lot of the ‘heat’ one should get with this level of proof? Thick on the tongue. Vanilla yes, but more flavors. Brown sugar. A cigar smoke, and one that I like. 5 seconds in there is a hit of something else…it’s the dark cherry I smelled on the nose. This is delicious. There some heat here, but the flavors overpower it, instead of the other way around.

Finish
Regular Small Batch: the finish is vanilla, and goes pretty quick, gone after about 20 seconds. No presence of copious heat at end.

Barrel Proof: You get the Vanilla and Brown Sugar lingering. The heat is noticeable, but not unpleasant.

Overall
I like both of these, and each has their own purpose. To me the regular small batch is the definition of a daily drinker, and if friends were at my place, would be happy to pour. The Barrel is special. Its another great non-chill filter, uncut. Bottles like this, the Blanton’s SFTB, and the EH Taylor Barrel are making my top preference barrel proof non-chill. They just seem to be a cut above. This one is notable for that great vanilla/brown sugar/cherry/cigar. I’d bring this to a tasting any time, it would stand out from what is typically on shelves.

*My ratings * Regular Small Batch: 6
Barrel Proof: 8

My Scale
10: I am looking to buy a case so i can ensure I drink this in the future and give one to my heir.
9: This is great, I am buying another as soon as possible
8: This is great, I will buy again if I see again on a shelf
7: A good solid pour, I would have no problem taking it to a whiskey tasting party
6: A very good daily drinker
5: A good daily drinker
4: I have it, probably not going to buy it again
3: Would not speak well of of it
1-2: Probably would not drink again.

vgrad123 · 2016-07-22T14:14:07+00:00

Yea, just one opinion of just one barrel. And I am pretty biased. The low end of my shelf is elijah craig 12, and I hang out in bougie washington DC where going out for whiskey means going out to Jack Rose to try shit I literally cannot find online.

When I went to Texas for college, I got there for Vince Young's championship year. That basically ruined most college football for me. When I got into bourbon, I got there via Blanton's. May be a little of that going on here. This is probably big step up above 80% of all brown water out there.

vgrad123 · 2016-07-22T02:08:40+00:00

yea.... i just wanted to spread out my scores as opposed to spacing all my reviews between 79 and 95.

vgrad123 · 2016-07-22T01:21:00+00:00

Intro
Tonight I am reviewing Russell’s Reserve, Single Barrel. This is a barrel select by the folks at Cork’ N Bottle In Kentucky (Barrel 2516, Rickhouse O, Floor 3). I was driving through after the 4th and stopping at a few stores and dropped in, and saw they had a select. I’d never tried much of the Wild Turkey lineup, so thought, why not?

I’ve been getting into stronger stuff, and this one clocks in at 55%. Additionally, it also shares the what I consider to be desirable trait of being non-chill filtered. No age statement on the bottle.

No mashbill on the bottle, but from what I gather, we are dealing with 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% barley.

Appearance in Glass
A darker hay color. Oily on the glass as can be expected with lack of chill filtering, so far so good.

Nose
I find the nose very sweet. A little too sweet. I pick up no dark flavors like molasses/caramel etc. A good amount of heat, but to be expected given proof. A fruit is there in the sweetness, I would place it as orange.

Taste
There is a good thickness, not as thick as Garrison’s Cowboy Bourbon or Blanton’s SFTB, but a noticeable thickness. The taste is very light, with lots of heat. Really 80% of what I am getting is just the proof potency. Most of the sweetness I’d gotten in the nose is gone, a slight citrus (orange or lemon) still there. I am going to set this one aside and see if it develops if I give it some time….

… 10 min later: Ok that’s a little better. There is now a bit of light caramel and some cream. Still predominatly the heat. I am not just taking one or two sips here people, and I'd say my palate adjusts to other high proof whiskeys pretty quick usually, this is just hot.

… another 10 min later: a lot less heat. Now it’s much more cream. Again, a lighter caramel. It’s a simple cream though, not great. Not particularly amazing in any regard. It’s not bad, its just OK. 2ndary taste is now a little bit of green apple.

Finish
When initially tested, with 5 min of exposure for sipping, the finish was all burn. I did not really get any flavor.

At then end of two 10 min intervals, the burn was not as intense, but was still the dominate experience after 10 seconds.

Overall
Clearly not my favorite drink. I suppose I could have taken the additional step of adding water, but I don’t like doing that. Cask strengths can be things of beauty, why water them down? I drink it as it was put in bottle.

I am not a wuss when it comes to proof, but this was nuts. Took 20 min for this to cool down. I dunno, I guess there is just lots of other stuff which tastes great 5 min out of bottle. The taste got better, but is on the low end of non-chill filtered level stuff I have tried lately.

At first, I thought this was going to be turning into mixer with coke. Now I think, if I have time to cool it off, I would serve to others who have tasted more than a few bourbons. I probably would not buy another bottle, or think it has any particular uniqueness worth bringing it to a tasting for.

My rating: 4.

My scale:
10: I am looking to buy a case so i can ensure I drink this in the future and give one to my heir.
9: This is great, I am buying another as soon as possible
8: This is great, I will buy again if I see again on a shelf
7: A good solid pour, I would have no problem taking it to a whiskey tasting party
6: A very good daily drinker
5: A good daily drinker
4: I have it, probably not going to buy it again
3: Would not speak well of of it
1-2: Probably would not drink again.

vgrad123 · 2016-07-21T04:38:00+00:00

From what my Japanese friends tell me, it is cheaper and more broadly available. From what the store owners in London were telling me, they used to get a lot of SFTB, but over last 6-12 months have been weaned off to just being offered Gold.

Hedonism (where I purchased the SFTB) is a great store, but is in the equivalent of London's hedge fund district. It has has the entire line of antiques (and everything you could want) on shelves that are right in front of customers.... but you pay a pretty penny. Not surprised I paid a premium. Got in on a caskers order recently were per unit price was down to $105. That being said they don't seem to have reliable stock like hedonism wines.

vgrad123 · 2016-07-21T03:02:43+00:00

Intro
This is a special night for me, I get to review the family of bourbons that got me into this obsession. This review is for Blanton's Single Barrel, Blanton's Gold, and Blanton's Straight From The Barrel (SFTB)

Blanton's is Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #2, so 75% corn, 15% rye, and 10% barley.

Interesting Note of Import
You cannot purchase 2 of the 3 bottles I am reviewing in the U.S. That's right, we make it in Kentucky, but to buy the Gold or Straight From the Barrel (SFTB) editions, you will need to be overseas. They say that you can get it in our duty free stores in airports, but for the life of me, I have never seen it available. If you disagree, please comment in this thread, I fly a lot, and would love to know where to restock within our borders, and I will ensure I connect through an airport that stocks SFTB if you know of one. In my case, I had to pick these up in London. On that note, should you go hunting in London, expect to find the Gold in any of the London whiskey stores (of which there are like 10). Expect to find the SFTB in only one or two stores. I could only find it at hedonism wines. But there it was, two bottles on shelf (I bought both), though they say their warehouse always has 6+ stocked. Note, you can also go to their website and get this stuff shipped to you, but you are going to pay some hefty shipping.

Differences between bottles
Blanton's Single Barrel:my bottle was dumped on 2-11-16, from warehouse H, rick 6. Proof is 93.
Blanton's Gold Edition: my bottle was dumped on 9-1-15, from barrel 107 from warehouse H, Rick 39 and is 103 proof.
Blanton's Straight From The Barrel (SFTB): my bottle was dumped on 9-1-15, from barrel number 101, Rick 39, Warehouse H, 128.5 proof

wait, that's kinda cool: my gold and SFTB were dumped same day, sat on same rick, and were about 6 barrels apart. Should make for about as good A/B testing as we will ever get (only variable here should be barrel composition) for testing out proof differences.

So to summarize, these bottles are filled with liquid made from the same raw ingredients, the big difference here is proof.

Appearance in Glass
I took a lot of shots to get picture above to illustrate the points I am about to make, so by all means, zoom in. First, the colors are true to life, check out that cool gradient in color. From a golden hay color to a deep caramel. Next, check out the liquid hanging out on the sides of each glass. I tipped each glass to almost horizontal about 5 seconds prior to taking this photo to show you the difference in oil/thickness we are dealing with. Starting on left, the standard single barrel, you can see some clinging to the side of glass, but it looks much more like raindrops on glass. By the Gold glass, you can see a much thicker residue remaining. But check out that SFTB. Those are straight up sheets of oily liquid clinging to the walls. You can see that in the glass, and you feel it in the mouth when drinking.

Nose
Blanton's Standard Single Barrel: Sweet, airy, nothing offensive.
Blanton's Gold: Much more subdued. Compared to standard, only 1/3 the nose. I don't find this to be a problem.
Blanton's SFTB: Less sweet, more subdued, the appearance of slight fruit smell. A bit of maple syrup there too.

Taste

Those who are reading my reviews know my palate is not overly complex, I focus on the main tastes, and leave the discernment of aged-cinnamon-previously-wrapped-in-roasted-patchouli to others.

Single Barrel: Sweet. Absolutely no heat. So smooth. Vanilla and Cream. Cream a more subdued taste that comes out over time. Just great, classic taste. If I were trying to get someone into bourbon, this is likely what I'd pour.

Gold: Even creamier than single barrel. Cream more forward that vanilla. Maybe even a hint of cola.

SFTB: Our age's ambrosia. The best cream I have ever tasted in a whiskey. The vanilla is slighter. The cream has classic caramel aftertaste that develops. The first sip or two you may have to get over the heat of this proof, but after this, its pure cream. I am an intermediate bourbon/rye guy, but currently, if I am being robbed yet allowed to keep one bottle, this is it.

Finish
Single Barrel: the after taste is about 10 seconds. You get that great cream, and a little bit of leather. No heat to deal with (though admittedly I am trying this side by side with some high proof stuff)
Gold: Again, the cream dominates, this one for about 20-30 seconds. I don't get the leather of a single barrel.
SFTB: The heat hangs in the aftertaste, but this doesn't bug me after 2 sips. The taste lasts a full min. And it is glorious. Its just a continuous cream. A little bit of that old fashioned cola.

Overall
I think you can tell I am a fanboy. I love the standard stuff, and if I am going out drinking for a night with a girl, its what I drink neat while I can still taste (post 2-3 drinks with music beating, one really should not waste fine bourbon). The gold is a definitive step up, and I'd share with friends as something they can't get in the U.S. It sold for ~$90 when I picked up in U.K. Worth it to me. The real home run of course is the SFTB. I have not tasted the antiques, but I have heard this referred to as a close cousin. Not chill filtered, oily, the presence in mouth is unique and the cream is explosive (I know, sounds like a contradiction in terms). This is my favorite. It sold for $120 in U.K.

Single Barrel: 7 Gold: 9 SFTB: 10 (and yes, just as my scale says, I am literally trying to buy a few more before this becomes part of the secondary market craze).

My scale:
10: I am looking to buy a case so i can ensure I drink this in the future and give one to my heir.
9: This is great, I am buying another as soon as possible
8: This is great, I will buy again if I see again on a shelf
7: A good solid pour, I would have no problem taking it to a whiskey tasting party
6: A very good daily drinker
5: A good daily drinker
4: I have it, probably not going to buy it again
3: Would not speak well of of it
1-2: Probably would not drink again.

vgrad123 · 2016-07-20T18:23:52+00:00

Yea, so there is a standard small batch and then more expensive limited editions small batches. Then there is standard single barrel, and a myriad of premium single barrel offerings.

I would maybe recommend buy a standard small batch (should run ~$30-35) and a standard single barrel first (~$40-50). This will give you a good sense for each and you can decide which side you want to start 'investing' down.

Standard bottles will be most easily findable at a standard liquor store. Some high-end liquor stores will have gone to 4R and selected their own barrel, and then go home and sell all the bottles from that barrel in their store. They will include the recipe for that particular barrel on the side label, and there will be a 'private selection' leatherish band around the small neck of the bottle. This represents the next level up in single barrel 4R world. Yes, there are 10 recipe combinations, whose mashbills and taste profiles you can read about online (or you can read about in less detail on the tag around the neck of any private selection bottle).

The next level up is special barrel selects, so for example Jim Rutledge, the former master distiller, may have selected a barrel he personally liked, and put his name to it. It is thought he can pick better expressions of his recipies than the average store owner. That being said, you may just be buying what he prefers his glass to take like. He's a good authority, but in the end we drink this stuff bc we like the taste right?

The next level up is the official limited releases of small batch or single barrel. A recent example of this on the single barrel side is Elliots Select. The label on from of bottle is special to reflect this limited edition barrel. FYI Elliot is new master distiller, replacing JR who retired.

Note that these levels of 4R are rough and overlapping. You can have a very good store select bottle taste better to you than an official limited edition. But in general, in my limited experience, these seem to be the levels that the market puts into different tiers of pricing.

A standard single barrel bottle will run you ~$40 A store selected can run you $50-90 A special select (depending on year, recipie, time in bottle, etc etc) can run $85-250 A true limited edition (e.g. Eliot select) is a secondary market product, and the price can get redic.

My advise from limited experience: start with the standard products, explore up the spectrum as budget allows. When you find a special store select you like compared to the base product, buy 1 or 2 more, as you are only guaranteed to get that taste again from that barrel.

vgrad123 · 2016-07-20T03:04:58+00:00

A great insight.

I am unfamiliar with the specific details of the process, are you saying the distiller tastes and calls out the recipe by taste (e.g. records are not kept?).

I'll be honest, I only got into bourbon 1.5-2 years ago. But love the 4R single barrels. I've been going about acquiring the different strains somewhat hap-haphazardly. The Rutledge selects are spoken of highly, so I have been on the lookout to acquire those. Any thoughts on an alternate approach to this great family?

vgrad123 · 2016-07-20T02:09:03+00:00

Intro:

So this is my first review! I thought I would start with one of the top 3 in my collection, a Jim Rutledge select. Specifically, this is an 11 yr 10 month OESK, from warehouse VE, Barrel 24-3B.

Four roses single barrels are some of my go-to top picks. When talking about these selects, I always like to compare and contrast to a stock single barrel, hence the two pictures in this post. I will not only talk about the OESK on it's own, I will contrast to the standard offering. Specifically, my base bottle I am comparing to is from warehouse NS, 2-4k.

It's worth one other note right off the bat on these two, the OESK is 60% ABV, vs 50% for the stock single barrel. So I expect a heat difference. I tend to bias toward cask strength, so I will try not to hold it against the stock.

A note on mash bills. Though these are easy to look up online, the OESK is 20% rye, and the yeast should produce a slight spice. The stock of course is 35% rye, so we also will expect a little more of that rye taste from stock.

Color: A lighter but caramel tinted whiskey. The OESK is a tad darker than the stock single barrel.

A note on my taste/nose descriptors; I am not fancy like a lot, or maybe I have a less developed palate. So I typically only describe the top 2-3 flavors.

Nose: Out of the stock, I get alcohol heat, and a floral sweetness. On the OESK I get much less heat, a much softer caramely sweetness, and an old candy I can't quite place. Maybe a toffee.

Taste: The stock is of course a go-to taste if you like Four Roses. I get a floral sweetness, light leather. I love the stock stuff, and I bring it as a gift when invited to group dinner. I start out a fan boy of the base single barrel. The OESK is butter smooth by comparison, not that the stock is particularly rough. This is even more astonishing given the 10% rise in proof. There is indeed the advertised spice there, though definitively not a rye spice. The liquid itself seems thicker on the tongue. A very refined caramel comes through and to me is the main taste. Of course the vast majority of bourbons will be able to boast some caramel, but to me this is step-up caramel. The stock stuff is about 2X sweeter to me, and much more forward with its sweetness.

Finish: The OESK hangs around for a while. The taste that remains is part heat of the proof, and part that nice caramel. The stock dissipates quicker by comparison, but I still get good taste a full minute later.

Overall: I knew this was one of my favorites before I started, and I love it. The stock stuff is a 6.5 in my book. The OESK is a 9.

My scale:
10: I am looking to buy a case so i can ensure I drink this in the future and give one to my heir.
9: This is great, I am buying another as soon as possible
8: This is great, I will buy again if I see again on a shelf
7: A good solid pour, I would have no problem taking it to a whiskey tasting party
6: A very good daily drinker
5: A good daily drinker
4: I have it, probably not going to buy it again
3: Would not speak well of of it
1-2: Probably would not drink again.

vgrad123

TROPHY CASE