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Starting my blind tasting journal


b1gcountry

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Aroma was pretty weak with a decent medicinal cherry note and a few other things that were too weak to describe.

 

Taste was much better than the nose with a lot of back end clove and baking spice and a random note that reminds me of sassafras wood shavings. The medicinal cherry was present but understated, and the subtle flavors were overpowered by the funky spiciness. Overall flavorful, robust and thick. Not super well balanced but it still comes together well.

 

The finish is baking spice that builds nicely. The spice could have easily become overbearing, but it manages to keep in check enough that it remains enjoyable even if it takes center stage. 

 

76++ / 100

Spoiler

Maker's Mark cask strength 111.3p

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Maker's has a pretty distinct profile, but this adds a lot of new flavors on top of the basic bourbon. 

 

I have enjoyed a few of these and although different, all have been pleasant. I also really like how easy they are to find in 375ml bottles since I don't drink these a ton and it let's me get through the whole bottle without getting bored with it.

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I'm catching up to my latest blinds here...from July 3:

 

Pleasant stewed apple note, but not strong.

 

Taste was overall slightly above average. Decent boldness,  balance, and body. Flavor profile was on the bright side with spicy sweet, rye and mint. The stewed apple flavor did not really carry through, but the crisp sweetness of apple was there (just without the apple flavor).

 

Very drinkable and unique. It tasted like a bour- rye.

 

Finish was a lasting, warming clove. 

 

69+ / 100

Spoiler

Knob Creek NAS 100p

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This was before they added the 9y age statement. I really enjoyed it! This is one of the better basic intro bourbons, and scored similarly to Jack Daniels.

 

I've always thought of KC as a rougher style of bourbon with some unfinished/rough edges. This definitely didn't come across as rough, which is one of the reasons I love these blinds.

 

I've always enjoyed single barrel store picks, but I've been staying away from them since the ages dropped from ~13 years, and that may actually be a mistake. I'll have to pick up a KCSB for my high proof blinds.

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I'm finally caught up to this weekend...

 

The aroma on this was terribly weak. At one point, I thought I smelled honey crisp apples, but my wife had started frying some onions, and when I went to another room, the apple smell sadly disappeared. The only aroma left was a super weak bready vanilla.

 

The taste was predominantly oaky and one-note, but it was noticeable. There was some tanin bite and some deeper vanilla in play, but there really wasn't even a hint of other flavors. Despite the oak dominating the flavor, it didn't overpower or dry out my mouth, and the body was surprisingly thick. Overall this was unique for the lack of other flavors, which I held against it.

 

The finish was all oak and build a tannic hit over time. It gave a spicy flavor that never crossed the line into "too much".

 

I really had no clue what this was, it definitely felt like cheap bourbon that wasn't given enough time to develop much complexity, but I had no clue what it actually was. 

 

51+ / 100

Spoiler

Old Fitzgerald BIB NAS

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Forgive the decanted bottle, this is the old OldFitz you used to get for $18 in KY for a half-gallon. I hate keeping the handles around in my cabinet, so I decant them into 750ml bottles.

 

After tasting this, I don't think we are missing out on much not being able to get this, and I'm frankly surprised they chose to make this a premium offering considering how bottom-shelf this was in the past.

 

I will say I was very surprised this was a wheater. I didn't get any of the wheat frunk that sometimes shows up for me. 

 

All in all, this definitely didn't cross over into "bad bourbon" territory for me, but it still isn't a re-buy (even if I could).20240703_191538.thumb.jpg.ac959fca38d7dc1c783a740c07b0f0f1.jpg

 

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