Drink the Bottles
Friday, December 6, 2024
Pine Bluffs Distilling Straight Rye Whiskey
Pine Bluffs Distilling Ryed Bourbon
When Chad and Theresa Brown set out to build their dream in southeast Wyoming, the distillery was a pipe dream from the creation of home distilling. The unassuming, state-of-the-art distillery "in the middle of nowhere" now supports the local community with everything from purchasing local grains to providing local jobs for people passionate about whiskey and other spirits.
The first thing I noticed about this Batch 11 Ryed Bourbon was the bottle. If you've been around here long enough, you know how I feel about the importance of smart packaging from the top to the bottom and the front to the back. The WYOMING FARM TO FLASK embossing, the weight of the bottle and the simple but effective label round out the package. But enough about that. Let's get into it.
You'll notice when you pour this into the glass that it is not necessary crystal clear. Pine Bluffs Distilling does not chill filter their spirits, so you're are likely going to get that raw haziness that comes from leaving out that process. Respectable. Dark caramel color with a sweeter nose that encourages roasted corn, vegetable garden, honeysuckle and cinnamon aromas. Incredibly smooth and full-bodied feel that coats the mouth with flavors that resemble the nose. After a couple of sips I picked up additional flavors of herbs, pumpkin, roasted sweet potatoes and the finish. If you're a lower proof fan or are just looking for something to sip neat, this bottle deserves your attention. It's delicious!
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Town Branch Overproof Kentucky Straight Whiskey
Monday, December 2, 2024
Row 94 Straight Bourbon Whiskey
2019 Hedges Family Estate La Haute Cuvée
William Larue Weller 2024 Bourbon
At just over 12 years, this bourbon aged in barrels on the lower levels of the rickhouse after entering at 114 proof before the long and important nap. Fruit basket, floral notes with oak and homemade caramel candies on the nose. "Wow" was the first thing that Mutt said and he picked up shoe leather, toffee, spice and sweet tobacco. Jeff called this a fruit bomb with caramel and a nice lingering spice along with chocolate covered candies. Honeysuckle, orange rind and chocolate nose. Both guys agreed that the orange marmalade and chocolate really shined through on the tongue. Lightly toasted marshmallow comes through on the finish and you feel the higher proof come through to give you that welcoming and warm Kentucky hug. While we wouldn't pay crazy secondary or museum prices for this bottle, we would snag this all day long if we happened to find one close to MSRP. It's lovely.
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Eagle Rare 17 Year 2024
This is the Eagle Rare 17 Year Old Bourbon, offered at 101 proof and highly allocated. Compared to the standard 10 year Eagle Rare at 90 proof, this one packs a little more punch and depth, due largely in part to the additional 7 years in the barrel. The age statement on this is actually 17 years and 4 months for the 2024 release. We tasted this from a 100 mL sample bottle neat in Glencairn glasses... multiple times. It's amazing how quickly that sample bottle will run out!
On the nose we didn't get the herbal tea that we often experience from Eagle Rare 10 Year. That's more prevalent on single barrel selections we have tasted. Sometimes with bourbon that is aged in the 15-plus timeframe, you get an overly oaky char bomb, but we were pleasantly surprised that while the whiskey showed its age in oak notes, it wasn't over the top and it added to the complexity of the flavors. Biscuit, chewy roasted marshmallow, graham cracker, stewed plum, toasty oats and cinnamon on the nose. On the palate is more of the same but adding in cherry pie filling and cherry cola at mid palate. This has the viscosity of apricot juice and it is absolutely mouth-coating. The finish is memorable and warm.
We generally don't review bourbons that are so allocated, but we are thrilled to have this opportunity. Even if you can't find this bottle to add to your whiskey library, we highly encourage you to find a bar that has it and get yourself a 2 ounce pour. It's an incredible experience!
Monday, November 25, 2024
O.H. Ingram River Aged Straight Rye Whiskey
Distillery: O.H. Ingram
Suggested retail price: $69.99
Drink The Bottles score: 96/100
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Spirit Hound Distillers Colorado Bourbon Whiskey
Due north of Boulder, Colorado sits a small town of about 2200 residents and an unsuspecting distillery, born out of the reamins of and old motorcycle repair shop. Head distiller and co-founder CraigEngelhorn (aka Hair of the Dog) had a dream to take his home-brewed beer hobby to the next level. With the help of some like-minded friends, Spirit Hound Distillers was born.
Lux Row Small Batch Rye PX Sherry Cask Finish
Tasted from sample, this is brown sugar in color. On the nose is a sweeter fruity note, fig pudding, hints of flower bouquet and grape. We dug right into this one and found that the palate was not as sweet as we had anticipated or that was hinted from the nose. Mutt got spice up front while Jeff took note of the espresso bean taste. The spice tapered off quickly and suggested cinnamon stick, fig and roasted nuts (specifically cashews) on the back end. This was literally mouth-watering.
While this is a limited release, it is available at the distillery and will be released in select markets in January 2025. Check out our YouTube video review below.
Thursday, October 24, 2024
Remus Repeal Reserve Bourbon Series VIII
Pine Bluffs Distilling Straight Rye Whiskey
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