Category: Buy It Again

This single barrel of cask strength Angel’s Envy finished in Oloroso sherry cask and bottled at 115.3 proof is a fruit and leather showstopper. Cinnamon candy on the nose with subtle red fruit and toffee. On the palate, traditional bourbon notes lead with leather, vanilla, apricot and chocolate, but from mod-palate on the sherry takes over imparting a very rich raspberry wine note that pairs PERFECTLY with the whiskey. Based on the retail of cask strength AE the last several years, this is a deal!

New full time TOASTED rye from Elijah Craig! I’ve always loved the mellow middle-of-the-road style of regular EC rye. At 94 proof it’s an easy drinker but adds the perfect amount of spice to a rye Old Fashioned. Add the toasted barrel finish to it and the wood and spice really do take on a new dimension. Rye inflected fruit and grain brushed over with sweet oak. On second thought, maybe a big rock and a cigar are in order for this spicy, mellow treat.

Made from a blend of NY state heirloom corn bourbon and straight Kentucky bourbon, Baby Jane from Widow Jane distillery in NY bucks the trade of undrinkable craft whiskey, maybe because it’s only HALF craft whiskey, or they never actually say how much Kentucky whiskey is in the mix, so we’ll never know, but not that it matters, because the 91 proof is actually really delicious. Rich earthy caramel on the nose with butterscotch and a touch of soft grain emerging. On the palate really round and sweet upfront with back end spice. Very well integrated and drinkable bourbon, way better than average for craft.

Let’s take a look at Dixon Dedman’s most affordable of the 2XO (two times oak) brand, “American Oak,” a whiskey which is finished a second time in HIGHLY charred barrels. Double oak or double barrel finishes have been very popular in recent years, but often the results are mixed. So much flavor is derived from the barrel, that adding a NEW freshly charred barrel to the mix can greatly affect the flavor profile, and in some instances add too much. There’s also the issue with heavily flavored second barrels which essentially render the base liquid null and void because it transfers the whiskey into a sickly sweet version of itself. So, what’s up with Dedman’s American Oak? For starters the nose is candy corn sweet with a touch of menthol and cassis, nothing over-oaked at all, but pleasantly sweet to smell. On the palate the 92 proof spirit presents as sweet initially followed by rye spice, then oak spice. The finish is medium long, but the chewy sweet oak mid-palate is where this whiskey really shines. More than middle of the road, this really is fantastic juice that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Cask Strength Indiana Made 99% corn Old Hamer on sale for only $42.99. Take it from the Westfork brothers Blake and Julian Jones…this all Indiana whiskey is the perfect blend of sweet and strength. It’s easy to sip neat but performs really well in Old Fashioned or a long drink like Bourbon and Lemonade. Not many folks utilize the 99% corn recipe, but these guys have stuck with it, and it provides such a basic and pleasureable bourbon drinking experience, it’s really the place you should start. All corn, all the time, lots of sweet body but still classic spice to balance things out.

The first single malt release from Crown Royal this Valleyfield malt present light floral aromas with emerging cinnamon. On the palate, tropical fruit with banana, dragonfruit and pineapple. The malt sits back and lets the fruit take over with a cinnamon gum finish. At 90 proof I was most surprised by how much flavor this whiskey packed in for a Crown Release. The oak is background but there, but you can taste what surely must provide most of the weight and mouthfeel for Crown Deluxe. 

Bottled in partnership with the Pacers from Fortville’s own Moon Drops distillery this MGP rye bomb of a whiskey is a real slam dunk! 100 proof with super spice on the nose, leather, mind, orange, and apple. On the palate, buttery soft vanilla with great back end spice. This is a banger! LIMITED BOTTLES.

Wax leather, fine oak, and dark fruit bottled at 90 proof. IW Harper Reserve Cabernet Cask Finish is a vintage brand now owned by Diageo that most certainly flies under the radar, but definitely worh a try. The palate slaps with chocolate covered cherries, mint tea, and a lifted fruit core wrapped around some classic vanilla and toffee that makes this a great dessert whiskey.

I didn’t think I would love this whiskey, but boy was I wrong. This is a 12yr old Buffalo Trace aged in French oak barrels. Some other French oak whiskies tend to be overpowering, but this was just the right amount of silkiness, mouthfeel and richer vanilla and red fruit flavor that I love. It somehow manages a sweet mouthfeel without tasting sweet and also manages a fairly heavy oak profile without tasting too heavy. Nougat, caramel, vanilla and a very finely wrought and subtle oak note throughout. Label is kind of a mess, but the whiskey inside is fantastic. Very elegant.

Jim Beam’s latest innovation is a 5 year old 94 proof SINGLE MALT whiskey made with 100% barley malt, distilled in column stills in Clermont Kentucky from a jug yeast mash, and aged in new American oak, as stipulated by US law. This is one of many recently released barley-based whiskies by American distilleries, looking to push the category forward. Toasted cereal grain on the nose with dark fruit and a distinct breadiness, akin to heirloom rye bread. On the palate it’s nutty, with burley tobacco, caramel, and honey nut Cheerios.