Bernheim Original 7yo Small Batch

Bernheim Original 7yo Small Batch

Official bottling 
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber brown 
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, brown paper, caramel, chocolate, golden syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, slippery, expands, loosens. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Brown paper, caramel, desiccated coconut, walnut skins, cola nuts, milk. 
Finish: Medium. Milk, golden syrup, walnut skins, brown paper. 

Comments: 

Easy drinking, session bourbon, with some interesting lactic notes. It’s creamy and rich, pleasant to drink and at a reasonable strength too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Elijah Craig Straight Rye

Elijah Craig Straight Rye

Official bottling 
Single rye - Heaven Hill
Amber copper
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rye bread, vanilla, black pepper, silicone rubber, pencil erasers, strawberry jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, mouth coating, hot, astringent.
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Black tea, black pepper, pencil erasers, strawberry jam, honey, damson jam. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, strawberry jam, damson jam, black pepper. 

Comments: 

Bready, slightly sulphurous rye from Heaven Hill, with fruity notes atop the sulphur and pepperiness. I’ve had more complex ryes, but this is easy drinking.

Verdict:

I like this.

Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 17yo

Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 17yo 

Official bottling 
Single bourbon - Kentucky 
Red
59.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cinnamon, quinine, raisins, ginseng, golden syrup, vanilla, orange peel, hints of brown paper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, hot, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Vanilla custard, eggnog, orange peel, ginseng, golden syrup, blackcurrant cordial, buttered toast. 
Finish: Long. Buttered toast, vanilla custard, quinine, orange peel, hints of eggnog. 

Comments: 

Sweet and intense, but also buttery (always the sign of a bourbon I will enjoy). There’s also a fruity note, offset somehow by a bitter herbal note. This is the sort of complexity I enjoy, and that I rarely find in bourbon.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Bernheim Original Straight Wheat Whiskey

Bernheim Original Straight Wheat Whiskey

Official bottling 
Single bourbon - Kentucky 
Amber, hints of red
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, vanilla, bananas, fresh baked bread, oats, orange peel, cornflakes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, static. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Walnut skins, bananas, fresh baked bread, orange peel, black pepper, hints of cloves. 
Finish: Short. Black pepper, fresh baked bread, walnut skins, oats, hints of honey. 

Comments: 

Something that has been formulated to recapture an old expression. I’m unable to say whether it was successful, but on its own merits it’s rather decent. Lots of cereal notes, with a hint of spiciness and lovely mouth feel.

Verdict:

I like this.

Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon

Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemons, peanuts, fresh cut grass, vanilla, hints of chocolate, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slightly syrupy, loosens, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Peanuts, vanilla, bananas, apricots, fresh cut grass, lemon zest, oak. 
Finish: Medium. Raisins, vanilla, bananas, oak, hints of desiccated coconut. 

Comments: 

Apparently, around 8 years old. This replaces the previous 12yo expression. I like the saltiness here, it’s not really a note one finds in bourbon. Plenty of dried fruit too, not just one dimensional bananas.

Verdict:

I like this.

Heaven Hill 16yo 2001/2017

Heaven Hill 16yo 2001/2017

Malts of Scotland
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber rose
46.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, honey, strawberries, plums, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slightly astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Black tea, strawberries, bananas, plums, cinnamon, honey. 
Finish: Long. Brown paper, black tea, honey, cinnamon, plums. 

Comments: 

Cask 17024, bottle 95/199. This is rather sweet, but the long aging has added complexity to the bourbon. There's plenty of cinnamon and tannic notes, with the usual bourbony flavours of bananas and brown paper quite attenuated.

Verdict:

I like this.

Evan Williams Single Barrel 10 yo 2004/2014

Evan Williams Single Barrel 10 yo 2004/2014

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
43.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, liquorice, toast, honey, bananas, maple syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, oily, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Brown paper, condensed milk, desiccated coconut, plums, honey, hints of roast pork. 
Finish: Medium. Honey, condensed milk, roast pork, liquorice. 

Comments: 

I had the 2013 sister release a while back. This one is saltier and sweeter compared to its sister, but has the same savoury roast pork notes. Also plenty of liquorice and fruit, along with sweet notes of condensed milk. I like this better than the 2013 one actually.

Verdict:

I like this.

Rittenhouse Straight Rye

Rittenhouse Straight Rye

Official bottling
Single rye - Heaven Hill
Amber red
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, nutmeg, bananas, black pepper, hints of chillies. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slightly fizzy, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cream, caramel, black pepper, mace, chillies, orange peel. 
Finish: Short. Caramel, black pepper, butterscotch, hints of bananas. 

Comments: 

Wow, this is pure rye spiciness. Spicy, fruity, plenty of mouth-warming pepperiness, laced with oodles of dried fruit. I don't know much about rye, but I do know that I like it and that I want to find out more.

Verdict:

I like this.

Evan Williams Extra Aged

Evan Williams Extra Aged

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, pears, yoghurt, cream, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. White pepper, lemon zest, bananas, hay, hints of butterscotch. 
Finish: Long. White pepper, hay, lemon zest, bananas. 

Comments: 

A creamy, spicy bourbon, replete with bananas, lemon zest and a tinge of grassiness on the finish. I really enjoyed this, even though it's rather one-dimensional. Sometimes it's better to do a few things really well rather than many things adequately.

Verdict:

I like this.

Rebel Yell

Rebel Yell

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber orange
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, thyme, grass, photocopy paper, hints of pears. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, watery around the edges. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Thyme, bananas, photocopy paper, black pepper, hints of yoghurt. 
Finish: Medium. Yoghurt, black pepper, bananas, hints of black tea. 

Comments: 

A grassy, herbal bourbon, with the usual bananas replaced by pears and thyme. While I normally relish surprises and complexity, I'm afraid this combination leaves me slightly cold. It just doesn't go together, and the yoghurty notes didn't help.

Verdict:

Not bad.

Evan Williams Single Barrel 10 yo 2003/2013

Evan Williams Single Barrel 10 yo 2003/2013

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
43.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, yoghurt, grilled pork, cola nut, vanilla custard, hints of pears.
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, fizzy, expands.
Tasting: Sour. Limes, white grapes, vanilla custard, cola nut, pears, hints of lemon zest.
Finish: Long. Limes, lemon zest, white grapes, pears.

Comments:

Something nice and meaty on the nose, that disappears on the tongue. In fact once left to stand a little while, that meatiness disappears, to be replaced by fizzy cola, limes, pears and vanilla. Quite a sour whisky too, reminds me of a verjuice cocktail. Shame about the disappearing barbecue at the beginning.

Verdict:

I like this.

Heaven Hill 10 yo

Heaven Hill 10 yo

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Pale red gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Banana, coca cola, cookie dough, raisins, strawberries.
Mouthfeel: Light body, quite loose, static.
Tasting: Sweet. Strawberries, coca cola, bananas, hints of chocolate, hints of black tea.
Finish: Short. Sweet, caramel, coca cola.

Comments:

Slightly medicinal, which is good for this, because it brings to mind coca cola, and maybe black tea. Very sweet, with great notes of strawberries and something milky which could be chocolate, or maybe chocolate chip cookies. Tasty, but a little weak. Somehow though, I think this wouldn't be as good at a higher strength.

Verdict:

I like this.

Fighting Cock 6 yo

Fighting Cock 6 yo

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Amber
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Banana, grilled meat, pear, ginseng, raisins, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, thickens slightly.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Pear, grilled meat, bitter gourd, orange peel, hints of peat.
Finish: Medium. Bitter, oak, pear.

Comments:

Now this is real bourbon! It's even got a great redneck name... but, more importantly, excellent meaty, slightly bitter notes that complement the sweet fruity bourbon flavours (from the rye in the mash, perhaps?). And bottled at a good strength too. Seriously good whisk(e)y.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Elijah Craig 12 yo

Elijah Craig 12 yo

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Kentucky
Red amber
47% ABV
Dram

Nose: Banana, cherry, corn bread, vanilla, melon, hints of mint.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, slightly watery around the edges.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Bananas, vanilla, black tea, cherry, oak, hints of leather.
Finish: Short. Black tea, vanilla, apricot.

Comments:

Quite delicious! Usual banana and corn bread notes, but hedged all around with cherry, some leathery, almost peaty flavours, and strong black tea. Not bad at all.

Verdict:

I like this.