Age: NAS
Proof: 133.4
Notes: Cherry cola, plenty of spice, a nice oak note that makes it taste a little older, some vanilla on the long spicy finish
Stars: 3 - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle
TL;DR: Amazing bottle, I will miss it but not as much as I’ll miss Bob’s
Thanks to the folks at Bardstown for the samples! No star rating since I didn’t buy these.
Blend Components: 43% 9 year rye/20% 8 year rye/17% 14 year bourbon/15% 10 year bourbon/5% 11 year bourbon
Proof: 110
Notes: Leads with plenty of spice with cinnamon, rye spice and something else I can’t quite place (they said ginger). The pear and honey from the single malt come through nicely on the mid palate. Some dark fruit, caramel and a slight nuttiness as well. Long warm finish with more spice, some oak and a bit of sweetness.
Age: NAS
Proof: 92
Notes: Pear, honey, faint spice, sublte oak that is more present on the finish.
TL;DR: Another great collaboration release from Bardstown! Definitely going to grab a bottle of this one if/when they hit Texas.
Age: 15 years
Abv: 130.8 proof
Nose: Heat! Dry oak, brown sugar, chocolate, spice
Taste: Starts hot then dives into chocolate, caramel, rich oak, cinnamon and vanilla. Great mouthfeel.
Finish: Medium length with a burst of heat then lingering caramel and spice
Nose: Tamed but not muted with brown sugar and oak notes.
Taste: Brighter and easier to drink with caramel, chocolate, oak and warm spice notes. Very viscous mouthfeel
Finish: Medium length finish with sweet caramel and hints of spice.
2 - Very good whiskey: I would want to have a bottle
TL;DR: Hot, great notes under the heat though, current prices are too crazy though
Age: 6 years
Proof: 117 proof
Barrel No: 3266
Price: $130
Nose: Fruit jam, honey wheat bread, vanilla cream, faint baking spices
Taste: Butterscotch, honey, sweet cream, wheat bread and faint spice with very little oak. Great mouthfeel.
Finish: A bit of young grain and oak come through on the finish but otherwise it is more of the same.
3 - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle
The nose on this is fantastic but unfortunately the nose is the best part of the dram and it sort of fell off from there. The taste was very, on par with many a solid Weller Antique pick, and the finish reminded me how young this bottle was. If I had to pick I’d go with an underwhelming nose building up to an excellent finish instead of the other way around.
When I had a chance to get a backup on one of these I went with its brother Highway Kind without a second thought.
TL;DR: Fantastic nose that winds down from there. Overall great dram but the price and scarcity make it not worth hunting.
Age: 33 years
Proof: 92.4 (cask strength)
Notes: Sweet and rich up front with pear, dried fruit and sweet vanilla. Spice and oak come in towards the end and especially on the finish. It makes you want to take the next sip. The mouthfeel is excellent, especially given the proof.
Stars: 3 - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle
Everything I want scotch to be (well aged, NCF, cask strength). This is the best North Star release I’ve had so far!
Age: 17 years
Proof: 100 proof
Notes: Rich oak, sweet peanut brittle, leather, a long warm finish with spice and oak balanced with vanilla.
Stars: 3 - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle
TL;DR: This was excellent can’t wait for the next older Heaven Hill release.
I was curious about these sleek black Binder’s Stash bottles and decided to pull the trigger with Barrel #1012 and then grabbed 1011 as well. They are both solidly aged, higher proof and distilled in Bardstown, KY. There aren’t that many options for distilled in Bardstown which was fueled speculation that at least some of these were sourced from Willett.
Age: 10 years
Proof: 119.7 proof
Notes: Sticky caramel, lots of spice and oak, brown sugar drank hotter than the other, subtler fruit notes, a bit of leather
Stars: 2 - Very good whiskey: I would want to have a bottle
Age: 9.7 years
Proof: 124 proof
Notes: Dried fruit, mint, bubblegum, warm spice, caramel and oak on the finish
Stars: 3 - Excellent whiskey: I would be willing to hunt down a bottle
1012 was the clear winner for me and I ended up grabbing a backup. It was definitely on profile for Willett and putting it up against some WFE Single Barrels blind it was close (if not quite at that level). Given the crazy prices on Willett these days the ~250 felt fine on this one for me. The 1011 was also quite good but not at the same level. I enjoyed every drop and while I am not looking for a backup there I will certainly be looking for the next releases.
TL;DR: 1011 was good but 1012 was something else and definitely reminded me of Willett.
The folks with Samuel Maverick were kind enough to send me 2 bottles of their whiskey to enjoy. They just released a 4 year old Private Reserve which I was excited to taste and since I enjoyed my entire first bottle of the Barrel Strength I was happy to have a replacement. As with anything where I didn’t buy the bottle I won’t be assigning star rating.
Age: 4 years
Proof: 90
Notes: Honey, cornbread, buttercream frosting, slightly bitter dark chocolate, warm finish with clove and holiday spice notes.
This was nice but a little underproofed for my taste especially when drinking it alongside the barrel proof. That said the extra age definitely comes through in a good way. A bottled in bond take might also be a an interesting way to get the proof up without going all the way to barrel proof.
Age: 2 years
Proof: 114
Notes: The nose is powerful with charred oak and sweet caramel notes. The palate is layered with sticky caramel, corn bread, rich oak and baking spice notes. It’s got a great mouthfeel. The finish is long and warm with lingering oak and spice.
While I’ve enjoyed it neat this whiskey shines in a cocktail like many other young high proof whiskeys. This one is big enough that its core flavors still shine through in an old fashioned or boulevardier and it’s my current go to for old fashioneds at home.
TL;DR: Overall I enjoyed both of these and would love to see a barrel proof take on the 4 year!
Thanks to the folks at Bardstown for the bottle! Since I was gifted the bottle I will not be assigning a score.
Age: 4-12 year blend
Proof: 98
Notes: Raisins, fresh cut wood, slightly bitter herbs, caramel, holiday spice
TL;DR: Big upgrade from Route 1. The GA bourbon does great work like it does in Discovery Series 9
Age: NAS
Proof: 90
Notes: Smells and tastes a lot like Eagle Rare. Nose is sweet and earthy with cherry and live oak notes. The palate brings the cherry and oak plus vanilla and a hint of spice. The finish is long and woody. The taste evokes eating a cherry candy in the woods.
Stars: 1 - Good whiskey: I would choose to drink this over readily available whiskies
TL;DR: A small upgrade to Eagle Rare but harder to get and more expensive