This will be a partial Un-Gnome whiskey challenge, blinded by @amongstthefernsco as usual! I've received a ton of samples from many amazing people - it takes me a long time to get to these things because of that, but it certainly does not make me appreciate them any less! Thank you to all I have swapped with and to all who give great gifts in tastes of whiskey. I have a sample from each of the following friends of AmongstTheWhiskey: @_lostnemo_, @barrelproofnerd (and @femalewhiskeysociety is guilty by association!), @bourbondipity_, and @whiskeybythefire. Each of these great folks also supplied me with a photo of their bottle, so photo cred where photo cred is due! Let me tell you right off the bat - this flight of glasses smells FANTASTIC from 2 feet away. I can't wait to get into these! I will keep track of which glass is which and my guesses by the color of the @SpiritAnimalSociety glencairn they are resting in. I will be swishing and drinking some water in between sips of each glass.
Nose:
Malty, salty
Caramel forward
Rich chocolate
Lovely vanilla char
Corn chips
Slightly nutty
Honey sweetness
Slight sawdust sits right behind a solid, standard bourbon profile
Empty glass smells of pecans and a banana split sundae atop a heap of vanilla ice cream
Palate:
High flying, intense vanilla
Dried plums, raisins and cherry dance well on the tongue
A cool, melting fade-away is an enjoyable lingering experience with this
Lovely punchiness with floral orange peel zest and tart guava fruit
Starting to turn into a heavy hitter later in the glass
Hefty molasses
Subtle fruit undertones flash up in bursts
Oaky maple syrup / sorghum
Baking spice builds near the last sip
Nose:
Sweet, fruity
Silky, soft
Light vanilla
Slightly metallic
Oh my lanta the floral fruit on this is intense and delicious!
Roasted, honey-drenched pineapple
Coconut
Plum
Beautiful, creamy coffee bean note comes back time and time again
Oak that reminds me of a bowling alley; a slight cardboard in there as well
There's something 'craft whiskey' about this i can't quite pinpoint; it doesn't feel young, but it has me really curious - it just feels like a re-barrel
Empty glass smells like Home Depot
Palate:
Really unique start to this; it's like a coffee bean got ground into a piece of oak
Cacao forward and quite malty
Obscure flavors are quite hard to pin down, but it's an enjoyable medley
Heavy, creamy vanilla
Apricot
Slight smokiness
Mellow and enjoyable, a great sit and sip that doesn't need your undivided attention
The coffee bean note transfers well between nose and palate
More of the lovely cacao returning; not many nuances to this one tonight
Lovely profile, but doesn't stand up to the complexity of two of the other glasses
Minty... wait it just finally hit me that this is the rye!
Nose:
Funky, earthy, tomato paste
Light spice, a bit rye forward
Floral, decadent texture
Extra oaky
Holy hot chocolate powder in this glass!
Marshmallow with subtle stone fruit sweetness
Lovely balance to this glass
Creamy citrus fruit
Amazing evolution
Feels really high energy - like this is a pre-gaming pour
Empty glass smells like chocolate fondue, sweet tarts, and unicorn tears
Palate:
Light citrus zest
Creamy sweet tarts
Drinks like pure silk
Vanilla bean
Cherry hots
Lemon frosting turns around into a minerality that keeps reminding me of sweet tarts or smarties; it's a very candied profile
Tart dried stone fruit later in the glass
Background is heavy in the chocolate realm
Unlike anything else I have tasted; I don't normally score things during flights, but this one is a 5
Please don't let this sample end - I really hope a bottle of whatever this is is available to me!
The delivery is just a whammy every time; it strikes a big strum and it just reverberates intensely forever with irreproducible creamy sweetness
Last sip is a vanilla bean ice cream smoothie with honey drizzle, bananas, chocolate sauce, and just a hint of lemon zest
Rating: 5/5
Nose:
Lightest in nose intensity
Pungent, sharp vanilla
Meaty and herbal spiced like a sausage lasagna
Very rye forward
Feels on the younger side of things
Earthy tones and a slight dried dill
Mellow and subtle now that it has opened some
Sawdust
Very muted in this lineup
Empty glass smells like wet pavement in Virginia Beach, vanilla and light grain
Palate:
Sour blood orange
Spicy first sip
Heavy feeling; thick and syrupy mouth feel
Intense spice and some pretty significant ethanol burn
Funky, but very little flavor coming through
Linger is just tingly spice and a chest hug of ethanol
Later on things have mellowed some, fig now presenting itself
Heavy oak leaves this quite drying on the tongue
Pepper and ginger spice now late in the glass
I finished this glass first of any, probably only due to how troublesome it was to taste; I'll have to revisit the last 1oz of this
Guesses:
Blue Fish: Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Batch #41
Red Antlers: Sagamore Rye Cognac Finish
Green Peacock: Belle Meade Black Belle
Black Paw: Four Roses OBSO
Reveals:
Blue Fish: Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Batch #41
Red Antlers: Sagamore Rye Cognac Finish
Green Peacock: Belle Meade Black Belle
Black Paw: Four Roses OBSO
Final Ranking: 1. Belle Meade Black Belle
2. Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Batch #41
3. Sagamore Rye Cognac Finish
4. Four Roses OBSO
Unbelievable tasting tonight! Very thankful again for all the samples that end up coming my way. These kind of tastings are some of the most rewarding for me. A self-challenge and a way to remove bias are always welcome by me. If you have any questions about the bottles and their information (I know I didn't post it) feel free to reach out! Cheers
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