Barrell Bourbon Batch 029

Another one from my recent visit to Oak and Steel in KCMO area. I have mentioned this place in serval of my other tasting notes so please check those out if you plan to be in the area. Its a whisky lovers haven! Nose: Amber, cream, vanilla, butter, smoke, I am so in love with the aroma of this! It reminds me of a renaissance festival with the aromas of all things amazing. Sweet decadent foods, smoked meats, incense, wooded lands, everything I love and live for. This bourbon just calls out to be enjoyed outside by a fire pit, swaddled up in a cozy blanket, while listening to great tunes! Flavor: Full creamy mouth feel and taste with just the right amount of cinnamon. Actually the flavor is just like the aroma and I have never quite had a bourbon like it before. It is so unique and special I absolutely MUST get my hands on it asap! Such a lovely creamy vanilla flavor but there is so much more, clove, orange peel, woods, smoke, butter but not butterscotch which I find quite excellent! For me its that Amber scent and flavor that grab me and make me go OH YES! No idea where the amber scent or flavor comes from but it is something I love. It is just simply decadent. A rare 5 stars! Ratings have nothing to do with cost - just my impressions.

This is one I wish I hadn’t passed on. Brought over by a friend to go through different batches side by side. My 019 was decidedly nutty and almost pecan pie-like. I would be amazed if that KT/TN blend didn’t contain a fair amount of Beam mixed with older Dickel. This one was a very different beast. Rather fragrant but with toffee, candy cigarettes, red apples, clove, leather and oak. The palate had a nice weight to it, kind of like an Irish pot still. This was decidedly MGP with a robust array of sage, cedar, clove and other baking spices folded into toffee and oak. There is a bit of Dickel minerality but no Beam nuttiness. I don’t think I’ll pin down the KY component but suspect it’s bringing in the toffee and oak. Warm and oily, this is a winner.

Crisp dark sawdust nose with a hint of rye. Further sniffing reveals hay, raisin, butterscotch, caramel, vanilla and orange…or is it apple…or peach. The fruit is a moving target. Palate follows up with an added creamy egg custard sweetness that deserves the invocation of creme brûlée right down to the burnt sugar…more than other brûlée-like bourbons I’ve tasted. There’s leather and tobacco lurking too, maybe even candied apple. Long, sweet, baking spices and toffee finish with a hint of pepper. So good. Re: the expert review, either her olfactory system was broken that day or mine is. Deserves a comp with High West Prairie Bourbon barrel select.

Aroma - sweet cream like aroma… burnt marshmallow.. oak and vanilla. some floral notes and tropical fruit presence.. very complex and enjoyable. Seems like something new comes forward with each sniff. Taste- love it when the smell coincides with the taste…. massive vanilla and slight orange citrus. Getting quite a bit of a creaminess to it. Completely different than any bourbon I’ve tried. Reminds me of a Orange creamsicle. Caramel and oak provide an amazing long lasting finish. There’s enough heat here that lingers reminding you to savor this one. Outstanding.

A wild ride for a whiskey tasting! Peppery on the nose, strangely warmed my tongue on the palate and finished with a tobacco flavor. As I sit with it, memories of smoking cigars on special occasions with friends flood my mind. Not an easy drinkier, but certainly fascinating.

Nothing extraordinary stands out on the nose, just a hint of spice. On the tongue, wow! This bourbon is full and rich with strong notes of spices. A long finish ensures this bourbon is a sipper. Not a bourbon for a novice, but one to be enjoyed by a sophisticate.