Tasting Notes

Willett Family Estate Bottled Single Barrel 4 years old; proof varies $44.99/750ml I recently visited Willett Distillery, just outside Bardstown, Ky., for the first time (see below) and purchased a bottle of their 4-year-old Single Barrel. This one was 113…

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof 134.2 proof; 12 years old $39.99/750ml This limited-edition, non-chill-filtered bourbon was released by Heaven Hill in late March and capitalizes on the recent trend toward higher-proof offerings. Aroma: Lots of vanilla, caramel and oak; sweet, but with a…

Russell’s Reserve Small Batch Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon 110 proof; no age statement $49.99/750ml This new expression from Wild Turkey’s Jimmy and Eddie Russell is bottled at a higher proof than Russell’s Reserve (110 vs. 90) and is “non-chill-filtered,” meaning the distillery isn’t chilling…

Early Times 354 bourbon Aged 4 years, 80 proof Suggested retail price: $15/750ml People are always asking me to recommend bourbons – particularly bargain bourbons. Today we’ll taste a great bargain: Early Times 354. The Early Times name has been…

Jacob’s Ghost from Jim Beam Aged at least one year; 80 proof Suggested retail: $21.99/750ml Jim Beam joins the white whiskey trend with Jacob’s Ghost, named for founding father Jacob Beam. Unlike unaged white dog, this is aged for at…

Johnny Drum Private Stock 101 proof Aroma: Very sweet. Caramel, light oak – and banana. Yes, banana. Taste: Nice complexity. Sweetness at first, then a wave of spice – cinnamon and nutmeg – along with a minty fire that will…

Jefferson’s Presidential Select, 18 Years Old 94 proof Aroma: Sweet, lots of corn, caramel, some fruit (raisins), vanilla. Taste: Your lips will tingle, but it’s not a burn – more like a glow. This bourbon is complex and smooth, sweet and very buttery, with hints…

Angel’s Envy Cask Strength 121 proof (estimated) Louisville Distilling Company and its master distiller, Lincoln Henderson, first gave us Angel’s Envy, a super-premium bourbon finished in port casks for three to six months. Now, just in time for the holidays,…

Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection: Four Wood 94.4 proof The 2012 Master’s Collection entry by Chris Morris, the seventh in the series, batches Woodford Reserve fully aged in white oak and then finished in maple barrels, sherry barrels and ruby port barrels….

Larceny Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Very Special Small Batch 92 proof Larceny, a new bourbon from Heaven Hill’s Parker and Craig Beam, is being marketed under the tagline, “A taste made famous by an infamous act.” As I reported previously, that’s a reference…