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I found a bottle of the Tokaji finish Rye from Penelope and I am not disappointed. Nice balanced rye spice but rich and funky fruit flavors from the Tokaji cask. A little on the sweeter side, but with the spice from the rye, it is nice and not too much. I enjoyed this rye. Rating 8.5/10

Interesting. I feel that way, not about finishes usually, but about peat. I feel some overly peated scotch's are covering up inferior whiskey. Finishes can hide some imperfections, and I am sure it happens sometimes with whiskey that is less than ideal, but in general, I do not think that is the case. Many good whiskey has finishes that enhance or at least differentiate the whiskey. I guess it depends. I would argue that Glendronach and Macallan are good scotch's that are enhanced by a sherry finish. I can think of many others, including some peated expressions (Springbank comes to mind). I find the cask finishes help balance the scotch and make it more enjoyable for me. There is no absolute and the Oban CS could have been a bad batch or a bad pairing in terms of finish and scotch. Maybe it wasn't a good or the right sherry for that scotch. I do agree that if it's not good to begin with, throwing a cask finish at it won't help. Part of the fun of it, these discussions and comparisons, and trying different things. Thank you or the feedback.

Love Campbeltown Scotch. Springbank, Longrow, and Hazelburn are all amazing. The latter being unpeated and the first two having the right amount and the Peat I like. Less medicinal than the Islay Scotch's in my opinion. More smokey and rich. They also have used some cool finishes in the past. Please let us know what you think of it.

I've tired of my emptying of low-fill bottles (actually I only have a couple that are much below half now). It became something of a duty, and seemed to limit my choices unnecessarily. Not really, I guess; but, I digress. I also have decided to take a break from draining the 'sample bottles' of "spectacular" pours from years gone by, though I still probably have 2-or-3-dozen remaining; maybe more, If I cared to search 'em out. Anyway, yesterday, I pulled down my last (a small tear fell just then) family sized jug of Old Forester Signature. I really liked this brand, and have been nearly universally disappointed by the several efforts by BF to replace it over the last few (what? 9) years. I'll have none left whenever I drain the last of this big bottle. I never "bunkered" much of it, and should have. I did grab a few 'extra' bottles at the end, before the brand disappeared from shelves; and I had snagged a few here and there whenever I was in a state that offered discount pricing (The Mitten State forbids that). It was always a very regular pour for me, and not building up a 'stock' was short-sighted, I now see. It was never a high-cost pour to begin with! I was a fool! There, I said it.

Just for my own personal take on AE, I never quite warmed up to it. It was never a sought-after pour for me, though whenever I did pour it, I wasn't disappointed. Their 'finish' was always among the better approaches to that category IMO. ...Not overwhelming; but, identifiable and pleasant, though finished Bourbons aren't really my thing. Also my "Scottish" genes (rather few, I grant) always made it hard for me to justify a purchase when other brands stood on nearby shelves at lower asking prices, and frequently offered the likelihood of greater (or at least as great) satisfaction. I do occasionally pour it for it's easy drinkability, and reliably consistent profile. Not sure I'll replace the open bottle I have; but, I may.

That’s juicy. Sounds like the bank moved to receivership instead of letting the distillery declare bankruptcy or reorganize. I guess that’s what that post from Fawn meant? You would think they’ve been negotiating throughout the year. If those allegations are true that’s going to be very hard to overcome. We’ve all talked about how the whiskey economics are very different today versus 2017 when they launched their business. Those barrels valued at x but sold at lower values multiplied by millions. I hope they got some good use out of the MV home.

https://mcobserver.news/news/nearest-green-distillery-faces-100m-lawsuit/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwL7AldleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHiWWsAnhOv2Qk4ytvxNsuh7XkFbGiMiNdGHAcF2XXoJtiyXjNN5udcrm6-gQ_aem_DSLJ_nLsxJ_mgL95PyUqzA

To be a bourbon, a whiskey can spend its pre-bottling life only in new charred oak barrels. This is much more restrictive than essentially all other forms of non-American whiskey, which are often aged in various used barrels from other spirits and wines (and I guess anything else people can think of). Accordingly, finished bourbons are a more recent fad (if not invention) as distillers looked for ways to innovate during the American whiskey boom of the last two decades or so. The first major brand to dip its toe into finished bourbon was Jim Beam, which released its first Distiller’s Masterpiece expression in 1999 for the, at the time, absolutely outrageous price of $250. It was 18-years old and consisted of bourbon finished in barrels that had previously held cognac (French brandy). The following year they released a second version of 20-year old; bourbon finished in barrels that formerly held port (Portuguese fortified wine) this time. It is worth noting that because these are technically no longer bourbons, the age statement may be the combined time in the new charred oak barrel and the finishing barrel. I’m not completely sure if the age statements for these are the original barrel time or combined time. These releases languished on shelves, mostly due to the extremely high price for the time, but finished bourbons were also unfamiliar to the American consumer. Later NAS versions of Distiller’s Masterpiece finished in PX sherry barrels followed in 2013 and 2014. Now turning to Angel’s Envy, Lincoln Henderson (Bourbon Hall of Fame Class of 2001) retired in 2004 as master distiller at Old Forester and Woodford Reserve. He is credited with the development of Woodford Reserve and Gentleman Jack and was already an industry giant. But I guess the allure of the whiskey business was too strong to stay retired, so in 2010 he founded Angel’s Envy with his son Wes Henderson (Bourbon Hall of Fame Class of 2019). Lincoln passed away in 2013 and, while Angel’s Envy was acquired by Bacardi in 2015, Wes stayed until his retirement from Angel’s Envy in 2022. Wes’ four sons continued their involvement with Angel’s Envy as a third generation takes hold. Wes himself is now involved with a new bourbon and rye brand named True Story (see: truestorywhiskey.com). The Angel’s Envy distillery in downtown Louisville opened in 2016 and I would assume most of the distillate in Angel’s Envy bourbon comes from this facility, but the last I saw of the bottle, it does not identify any particular source for its Kentucky straight bourbon that then goes into port barrels. This suggests that they are still combining bourbon from other Kentucky distilleries with their own. Early reports also indicated that they combined unfinished bourbon with port finished bourbon to create the final product, further diluting the port influence. But again, it is unclear if that practice continues today. The Basics Distillery: one or more unidentified Kentucky distilleries Brand Owner: Bacardi Mash Bill: 72% corn / 18% rye / 10% malted barley (see: angelsenvy.com/us/en/guide/whiskey-content/the-story-behind-bourbons-traditional-mash-bill/) [the same mash bill used at Old Forester and Woodford Reserve, where Lincoln previously worked] Proof: 86.6 Age: NAS MSRP: $50 Expression introduced: 2010 Last time as BotM: October, 2011 Distillery Tasting Notes Aroma/Nose: Subtle vanilla, raisins, maple syrup and toasted nuts Taste/Palate: Vanilla, ripe fruit, maple syrup, toast and bitter chocolate Finish: Clean and lingering sweetness with a hint of Madeira that slowly fades My Thoughts Even I have to admit that the first section of this post was a bit long, so I’ll keep my additional thoughts short. Angel’s Envy is a fairly traditional and mild bourbon with an extra kick of sweetness in the finish from the port barrels. It is an easy drinker and seems to do well with newer whiskey drinkers, but I also know of experienced whiskey enthusiasts who turn to it often as an old favorite. For me personally, finished whiskeys are not my favorite and this one does not break the mold enough to overcome that (although I guess they kind of created the mold in the first place). So, Straight Bourbon, what do you have to say about Angel’s Envy bourbon?

Cracked open a new Sagamore store pick tonight to replace a different one that I just emptied. This pick is "only" 95 proof. I say only because all the other Sagamore barrel picks I've ever seen are 110 proof. I'm interested to see how this one stacks up. Edit: P.S. Happy fRYEday! ... (can't believe I almost forgot fRYEday)

They’re very unique for Beam but I think they’re great.

Found a Dickel 18 at a random, middle of nowhere store that had dust on it. The store owner said it had been sitting a while and let it go for near his cost. Had to bring it home. Thought the dark arts would be an interesting try….

I was looking for an existing thread to post this. I guess this one is as good as any. I almost posted it in the "Bourbon Memes" thread just because I find this hilarious The 7 Types of People You’ll Meet in a Bourbon Facebook Group (And Which One You Are)

Recent pickup

Sagamore PS man down and man up. Happy fRYEday!

Remus 6. Always enjoyable. I love when brands indicate the blending percentages. Just a skosh of 14 year!

Wow I'm coming drinking at your place

Glad to see FRyeday arrive. Beast of a week, now behind me. Found this Bowman BP Rye in my tertiary bunker a couple weeks ago, and it will kick off the weekend for me now.

I'd value some recommendations on Double Oaked Rye's. I enjoy the Sagamore and Peerless. Which others would the group recommend?

I'm the only bourbon, Whiskey drinker in the house. So if I don't like a bottle, it gets used as a mixer, or for guests. These things happen from time to time

Mrs. Clueby did! I thought it had a "toasted barrel" note to it..which I always seem to pick up as a sour kind of wet cardboard. I have had a few Blue Note bottles that I did really enjoy

I enjoy the Blue Note. Picked it up a few months back. Seems you also enjoyed it

Another one bites the dust!

I got that summertime, summertime sazerac.

The 11 year in the glass....

Yep, this bottle can last literally years for me.