Looking to do a day trip during the holidays to Louisville. Which distillry would you visit Angles Envy or Pearless? I'll be honest, I haven't had either but I find by doing distillry tours I stumble on hidden gems that I wouldn't normally try.

Green River full proof might be the best $50 bottle out there

As I’ve entered the dusty world further I’ve found it difficult to find reviews of old whiskey before I commit to buying them. Considering the substantial cost of full size bottles I decided to go ahead and pick of a couple of 1/10th pints to give a try. They may not be a perfect representation of the distillate after 50 years in a mini, but I’ve focused on purchasing ones that have been wax dipped by someone along the line to preserve fill levels, and ideally the juice quality.

Does this actually work or help? I have no idea from a scientific standpoint. It does virtue signal to me that someone along the ownership chain cared about preserving it which may provide a higher chance that it’s been stored in a dark whiskey friendly location.

Without further ado:

Proof: 90 proof Distillate: wheated stitzel weller Age: 6 years

Nose: have had it pinned against me while writing the intro letting it rest and can smell it from a foot away. It’s exceptionally intense for a 90 proofer and would rivals or beats the intensity of most modern barrel proof entries I have on my shelf. Very deep leathery wood note which has developed an umami/soy sauce/celery type of vegetal scent to it after 5 minutes. I looked around to make sure the people I’m with weren’t eating Chinese food because I thought that it couldn’t be the whiskey for a second. Maybe the old version of grassy scents I get from more recent makers marks that’s caused by wheat? The oak scent is strong but spicier than most oak I’ve encountered, approaching what I remember sandalwood smelling like. Deeply nosing it reveals scents of black pepper, clove, caramel that smells lightly dipped in Sherry, vague honey. Plum and dried fig are the fruit notes here which I haven’t personally found in a wheated bourbon before.

That’s a complex nose, possibly the most complex I’ve ever encountered. Granted I’m spending far more time focusing on this whiskey than my average pour.

Score for nose: 9.2/10, very complex and versatile.

Palate: Insanely viscous and oiley mouthfeel. The legs are stuck to the side of the glencairn and aren’t moving. Dusties are a recent adventure of mine but this is leaps and bounds ahead of anything I’ve encountered remotely close to 90 proof before on that front. Spiced oak is primary flavor. Sherry caramel is second fiddle but very pronounced. The oak is less spicy than it was on the nose and the honey hits after the caramel, then the pepper afterwards leading towards the finish. Vanilla makes a brief and light appearance in addition to light eucalyptus. This is not a fruity whiskey on the palate to me. This tastes significantly older than 6 years old to me. 2-3 years at least.

Pallet score: 9.1, phenomenal, just not as complex as nose, highlight is viscosity and mouthfeel

Finish: Light oak has become sweeter than on both palate and nose. Fruit returns as the finish begins to fade, dried fig/apricot return. Strong flavors of vanilla and caramel dominate beneath the light oak primary. I haven’t been able to put this down for long enough between sips for the finish to lapse, but when I’ve made it a couple of minutes it dries my mouth.

Finish score: 8.6, it’s great but a bit to drying for me.

Overall: 9.3/10, higher than any individual component above because it’s hard to find a whiskey that puts it all together well. This dusty is seriously complex and will make you second guess whether you’re just throwing crap at a wall on what you’re smelling. The ethanol in all parts of the experience is different than anything I’ve tasted. It reminds me of the sweet part of gasoline smell, but just that sweet undertone and most present in the finish. It drinks far above proof flavor wise and slightly under proof on the burn. Incredible dram and I’ll be replacing this immediately.

Conclusion: old whiskeys are awesome and I try to force myself to have restraint while writing these reviews to try and document the less encountered items for other people to use to guide future purchase/drink decisions. Unfortunately even with attempted restraint I am excited at each opportunity I have to review dusties and frankly haven’t found significant evidence to squash my excitement even when I try search for flaws. A part of me truly wishes this wasn’t as good as it is because it’s a bit depressing that 50 years ago this was common enough to be sold as a mini and today a W107 (which let’s be clear I think is above average at least) flies off the shelf instantly and gets hoarded.

Thanks for reading my rambles!

Another auction steal at $10. Couldn’t pass anything other than maybe Malort up at that price.

Proof: 90

Age: 3 years

Grain bill: 100% white wheat

Nose: toffee and burnt sugar. Not much else going on here. Not even the slightest hint of ethanol.

Palate: I can’t feel the ethanol heat, but aside from a little bit of black pepper and a subtle sweetness, I’m not getting much on the palate. It’s pretty bland.

Finish: an nice lingering warmth, but again, not much going on here.

Overall: bland and boring. But what could I really expect for $10? And at a $35 MSRP, meh. It’s not bad by any means. There’s no astringent off flavors. It seems to be technically well crafted. There’s just not much going on.

Experience- 4.5/10 Value- 4/10

Continuing on from my previous review, let’s move on to the next oat whiskey of the day. As you can tell, I’ve been enjoying this bottle for a minute.

Proof: 80

Age: NAS

Grain bill- 100%oat

Nose: same kind of sweet/earthiness as the bickering bros, but not nearly as pronounced.

Palate: milk chocolate and caramel leading in to a pleasant nuttiness. Very soft and delicate on the flavors while being fairly creamy on the mouthfeel.

Finish: vanilla and coconut. It lingers for a second, but is relatively quick.

Overall: another very easy drinking pour. Again, I’d love to see a higher proof to bring those flavors out a bit more. I think this one clock in a little more disappointing on the palate. It’s a little softer and more muted. But I believe it has a higher upside in flavor profile if they were to start doing barrel proofing or extended aging. At $49 MSRP, its value might be slightly better for a slightly less enjoyable pour.

Experience- 6/10 Value- 5.5/10

If any of you have followed me, you’ll know a little of my background dabbling in distillation. If you’re not, feel free to reach out if you find it that interesting. But anyway, I’ve found that I am a big fan of oats in the grain bill. They seem to bring sweet earthiness that you just don’t get out of other grains. So when I saw an oat whiskey pop up for auction, i definitely had to go after it! This is the second commercial all oat whiskey I’ve tried. (That review coming next!)

Age: 5 years

Proof: 80

Grain bill- couldn’t find it for certain but from a distillery source but found elsewhere that it is 100% oats.

Nose: I don’t know how to really describe it. It’s just earthy, almost like the Forrest floor with caramel and crème brûlée.

Taste: that sweet crème brûlée leads off tailing into milk chocolate and almonds. Kind of a woodsy pine taste on the back. It drinks thick and creamy.

Finish: short and sweet. It leaves you with some vanilla and caramel. Soft, but pleasant.

Overall: This really brings out everything I love about using oats. The mouthfeel, the sweet earthiness. It’s very well done. I think I’d like to see it at a higher proof point to bring those flavors out a bit more, but this is an incredibly easy sipping pour that’s going to be different than virtually everything you have at your bar. But, at a $60 MSRP, it’s not pulling the proof and strong flavors you’d hope for to be a great value buy.

Experience rating- 6.5/10 Value rating- 5/10

I'm going to come out of the gate and say I probably can't answer many questions about this bottle. I had to do a fair bit of research on this, even so most seems to be speculation. This was a limited release back in 2018 with 8376 being made. I found mine early last year or the year before.

Distillery: Heaven Hill (Rumored)

Company: Boutique-y Whisky Company

Proof: 96 (48% ABV)

Age: 24 Years (12 at Heaven Hill 12 In the UK)

Cost: $170 USD ($235 CAD)

Mashbill: Undisclosed

Colour: Dark Copper

Nose: Oak, Leather, Cherry, Peach, Baked Goods, Chocolate

Palate: Cherry, Dark Chocolate, Hazel Nuts, Peanut Brittle, Vanilla, Espresso

Finish: Oak, Leather, Tabbaco, Cherry, Stone Fruits, Baking Chocolate. It gives that "dusty" note from old bourbons we all love

Rating: 8.5 T8ke Scale (Excellent/Incredible)

Conclusion: This was fantastic, I also really can't complain with the price at paying $10.50ish a year when converted into a 750ml bottle. The some what reminds me of a 2023 10 year old michter's bourbon I own. It's has that fantastic dusty note on it.

I would assume not many of these exist anymore but if you do stumble across one, I highly recommend picking it.

Private barrel pick by a local store. NAS, 132.9 proof.

Aroma: Super maple-y, honeycomb, with some concord grape in the background. Very rich and sweet.

Taste: Big tannic barrel char, dark chocolate, raisins and some cocktail cherry notes, and a wave of booze in the finish.

Overall: This is a bruiser and has a lot of manhattan-esque flavors. Great barrel.

Rating: 7.6 Great

https://preview.redd.it/3lksu8xygszd1.jpg?width=1501&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a2c21c6a0b83deca6d9beb5fa4b759a7c0605ff7

Makers Mark Private Selection Queen City Liquors 110 proof

Background: This is my second Makers Mark Private Selection that I have tried within the past couple years. Due to so many stave profile combinations, I am unsure if any two private selections will have the same exact taste. I don't remember on the top of my head on what the first Private Selection tasted like; however, I remember it having the classic Makers Mark profile with more candy apple-forward flavors which I thought tasted nice. Let's get into this specific Private Selection:

• Nose: caramel, vibrant fruit smells like candy apple, oak wood, spice
• Palate: spice at first, hint of cocoa, caramel sugar, oak
• Finish: spice on tip of the tongue for few seconds then disappears. You can taste the flavors but after a few seconds, it disappears. Flavors doesn’t linger very long/short finish
• Rating: At most 7/10, does not taste it’s proof which to some, that could be a good thing. It’s a good bourbon that lacks depth. Love the flavors, just wish the finish was longer. Again, I am not sure if other Private Selections with different stave profiles affect how long the finish lasts. As long as these Private Selects stay under the $80 price range, I believe it is worth drinking on occasion

For review #16 we are looking at some finished rye. Let’s dive in!

Background…

The 3 in the name of Virginia’s RY3 (I don’t know if it’s pronounced just rye, or Rye-3,) is indicative of the 3 different sourced rye whiskeys that they use. According to some sources across the web, they use 2 different rye mashbills (95/5 MGP and 100% Alberta Rye) that are about 4 years old, as well as a 12 year old light whiskey. (99/1 corn) This is then all blended together, and then finished in various ways. RY3 is headed by Matt Wizig, who was a former master distiller for Joseph Magnus. This specific bottle is blended and then given a “brief finishing period” in toasted barrels. I was given this bottle as a gift from a friend who knows I am a big fan of rye whiskey, so let’s dive in!

The Stats…

Price: MSRP is about $70

Proof: 117.8 (59.2%)

Mash bill: Blend of 95% Rye, 5% Malted barley; 100% Rye; and 99% Corn, 1% Malted Barley

Age: Rye mashbills are about 4 years old, the primarily corn/light whiskey mash bill is about 12 years old

Batch No.: PPH006

REVIEW

Nose…

Upfront the secondary barrel is evident. I get some oak and barrel char, along with a maple syrup and cooked brown sugar sweetness. There is a subtle fruitiness in the background as well.

Palate…

A caramel BOMB. Tons of pleasantly rich cooked caramel, like you melted down some caramel and mixed it with a touch of butterscotch. There is a vanilla wafer note in there as well. In the background there is some baked apricot, but the palate is primarily caramel+brown sugar. Slight dill throughout. Medium body, nice but unremarkable mouthfeel.

Finish…

Pleasantly long. This is where the pour really reveals itself as a rye. Some black tea + rye spice reveal themselves right as you swallow, then the black tea and spice take a backseat as the pour heads into more of a caramel covered brownie crust note.

Final Thoughts…

The first thing I thought of after finishing this whiskey was “Damn, this would be FANTASTIC with a cigar.” Overall, I really enjoy this pour. I see myself coming to this more as it gets colder outside. This is the first bottle i’ve owned of RY3, and i’m glad that I received it as a gift. I’ll definitely keep an eye on their stuff in the future. I see this at a lot of places marked down quite a bit from its initial retail price of 70ish to about 60-55$. I think it’s a good value for $70, but a great pickup at $55. If you enjoy caramel bombs or finished rye, this is for you.

Pros: Lots of caramel, easy drinking, just enough rye spice to make things interesting. Approachable for those who are traditionally opposed to rye. Great value, especially if on sale.

Cons: The caramel/brown sugar is so strong that it is a little difficult to pick out other notes, hurting the complexity of those pour

Overall Score: 7.95/10