Breaking & Entering American Whiskey

There is more richness on the nose here than in Templeton 4, with additional maltiness at the fore. It smells sweet, but still young. Yet it doesn't smell bad. There's a fair amount of complexity here with the maltiness coming through in a light fashion and the sweetness staying present throughout. The sweetness and malty richness do balance in a surprisingly good manner for such a young whiskey though. There are a ton for floral flavors and plenty of vanilla, but this remains drinkable in most circumstances. It's a lightly flavored whiskeys and certainly isn't one of my favorites but it generally tastes good. The flavors usually balance nicely and the palate is light but interesting. The flavor has a decent amount of complexity at the best of times, though at other times it just tastes light. Still. This is an interesting whiskey worth trying. Sure, it lacks the richness of Evan Williams Black, but it also lacks the tart dryness and has more complexity. It's hard to place this whiskey exactly, but I'd place it above Templeton 4 and Evan Williams Black. It lacks the richness and sternness of Jim Beam Black. How does it compare with Woodford Reserve? I'm not sure that it's actually worse than Jim Beam Black, but my palate is wasted.

Nose: Candied fruit sweetness - though not Fruit Stripe levels. Honeyed, toasted cereal grains. Reminded of the smell and taste of a bowl of Cheerios with white sugar and sliced bananas, sans milk. Black tea and leather in the background. Baking spices and a touch of dried herbs. Palate: Honeyed cereal grains, vanilla, and cream. Oak. Tannin that almost has a salty layer to it. Bananas and berries. Licorice with a little mint. Medium mouthfeel. Finish: That bitterness comes forward followed by vanilla, nuts, and earth. Slightly sour/lactic tang thing shows up. Dill and licorice come forward along with some black pepper, and then everything slowly fades away. Medium short finish. Other notes: I don't remember this one being so out of left field. I have a feeling that my palate may be off tonight, but there are layers and depth here that I don't recall. Absolutely worth a go if you're looking for something approachable while still providing some interesting depth and complexity.

Nose: Vanilla and rye spice dominate. Oak, brown sugar. Fennel/herbaceous anise, cardamom, bready. Black pepper. Slight floral perfume note. The slightest suggestion of brine. Banana, red and green grape. Palate: Vanilla, oak, brown sugar, banana, strawberry, watermelon. Cream cheese frosting. Slight tannin. Bubblegum. Fennel, cardamom, clove all present, but much less than on the nose. Maybe a hint of barrel char. Finish has a slight negroni-like quality to it. Other notes: This is an unusual one. The nose presents like a decent rye, while the palate is like a decent bourbon. The balance of flavors here is mostly good, though characteristics are mostly in the low and mid palate notes. Nothing really bright and shiny. This doesn't command your attention like some other things might, though there's enough here to go exploring. Reminds me a bit of what's coming out of Splinter Group. A decent enough bottle at the price point that I might buy it again. Maybe.

Equal parts rye, corn, malted barley and wheat. A burnished, chestnut oloroso color. This took a bit to come together after opening. However, once it did, it almost felt too homogenized -- too clean. The rye element sings the most for me in the nose. It's very bright with an abundance of orange zest, orange blossom, rose water, and rye spice. There's also subtle caramel and vanilla notes that come across as the somewhat plasticky remnants of a mass-produced taffy candy. On the palate the rye stays strong with plenty of herbal zing, but there's also a malty sugar, orange peel, and an abundance of pear. The finish is sugared pears, cinnamon, maple, vanilla cream, pecans, and brown sugar. It's a very clean, well-made, and focused spirit from a producer that obviously knows a thing or two about eau de vie and maximizing fruit flavors in a spirit. I really enjoyed it, but I could see it turning off many bourbon drinkers looking for more oomf and less refinement.

The nose starts with a fruity and sour blast similar to juicy drop gummies followed by a lightly salted butter on toasted pumpernickel bread then comes fruits of pears, peaches and apples that transitions to spices of spearmint, forest floors and light oak with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with a floral and fruity mix that then quickly goes to a high chalky and bitter flavor with burnt pine cones and roasted cacao nibs that is drying and slightly astringent with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with an ashy, sour and bitter mix. When I first opened the sample and took a taste, I really disliked this one, but with each additional sip, it started to grow on me. It’s youthful with a weird sour fruit and burning forest flavor going on it, but for the $30 price, it’s a fairly enjoyable budget friendly one. A huge thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the sample.

Holy moly! This is some good stuff. I was always told crime doesn’t pay! Well son keep on stealing this stuff. It is gold. The opening flavor of spice and honey is there up front. The pepper hits you half way down the pipe, and ends will a nice fire; almost cinnamon in taste. Not quite. Maybe nutmeg. Add a tad bit of water and the butter toffee and spice explode like a cannonball in your throat. The water puts a bit of the fire out, But hey we are talking B&E here criminals need some fire to fuel the pilfering. This is good stuff and the price is a winner. Go “ swipe” you a bottle now.