Granny's Tagalong Blend is a 50/50 mix of 2020-01 and 2021-02 batches from Booker's. I found a lot of peanut shell notes in Granny's batch, and also found a salted peanut profile to Tagalong... What does one do with those two things? Try to make a whole-ass peanut experience of course!
Company on Label: James B. Beam
Whiskey Type: Bourbon
Mash Bill Percentages: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Barley
Proof: 127.15° (blended calculation)
Age: 6 years
Further identification: Blended at a 50/50 ratio on 12-July-2021
Nose: Starts out like vanilla extract spilled on a newspaper. Dry and clear oaky influence. Much more of the peanut shells of Granny's than the peanut profile of the Tagalong is shining through. Maybe a 3:1 mix of Tagalong to Granny's next time? Wow, really interesting heavy burnt char with some light smokiness comes alongside a chocolate note. Rye spice and caramel. This might be ever so slightly better than the sum of its parts. It coalesced into something both unique and somehow comforting. The vanilla note is divine. I can't understate this. It's fantastic. It's flirting with the idea of turning into a marshmallow but I think it's quite content where it is. Citrus evolves later. Plum layers in well.
Palate: Wow, super rich cacao powder. Punchy vanilla. I'm envisioning Nilla wafers, dusted with tons of Hershey's cocoa mix (which totally takes me back to the 90s). Oh... Oh yes! It worked! It's like the whole peanut experience! The dusty shell cracks away, exposing a salted peanut underneath - ready for snacking. I know this was kind of a simple X + Y = Z experiment, but you never know with whiskey. It's actually really delicious this way too. It doesn't seem to have the same evolution of complexity as the individual pours, but if this stays like this I'm really pleased with where it ended up. It's like sitting in a warm living room with the wood stove roaring, drinking a hot chocolate and snacking on a few peanuts as the fire crackles. I will definitely be mixing up more of this for this winter. Towards the end of the glass more of the rye spice and proofy cherry return. Actually does have the layers, evolution and complexity of the underlying bottles. A solid combination I definitely think needs a side by side to fully evaluate. There is something silky & creamy about the plum/cherry finish to this. Yum. Last sip is a vanilla char explosion of impressive length. Several minutes of an almost minty throat linger is an awesome farewell.
Rating: 4/5
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