Rocktown Four Grain Sour Mash

Rocktown Four Grain Sour Mash

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Arkansas
Amber brown
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear drops, acetone, malted grains, ink, lemon zest, black pepper, hints of cotton sheets. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, expands, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour. Black pepper, cornflakes, malted grains, acetone, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, hints of cotton sheets.
Finish: Short. Acetone, black pepper, pear drops, fresh cut grass, hints of cotton sheets. 

Comments: 

Quite fruity and plenty of the black pepper note that is characteristic of the. Plenty of grassy and herbal notes too, especially on the tongue. The finish is quite short, but with the same estery notes.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS B3.10 (Rocktown 5yo 2015/2021)

SMWS B3.10 (Rocktown 5yo 2015/2021)

2021, SMWS
Single bourbon - Arkansas
Amber, hints of green
59.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, raisins, toffee, cocoa nibs, vanilla, honey, hints of camphor. With water, raisins, dark chocolate, strawberries, damson jam. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, hot, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Damson jam, strawberries, camphor, vanilla, honey, cocoa nibs. With ginseng, toffee, damson jam, hints of dark chocolate. 
Finish: Long. Ginseng, cocoa nibs, damson jam, brown paper. 

Comments: 

Sweet and raisiny bourbon. I could be drinking PX sherry if I closed my eyes. It’s got herb and spice undertones and builds to a lovely long spicy finish.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

SMWS B3.3 (Rocktown 2 yo 2012/2015)

SMWS B3.3 (Rocktown 2 yo 2012/2015)

2015, SMWS
Single bourbon - Arkansas
Mahogany
54.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oak, cinnamon, vanilla, treacle, bananas, hints of apricots. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, fizzy, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Bananas, apricot jam, brown paper, treacle, cinnamon, hints of vanilla. 
Finish: Long. Green apples, cranberries, apricot jam. 

Comments: 

You wait a long time for a single cask bourbon, and suddenly a couple come along like buses. This one is sweet and jammy, but never overpowering. Then the sweetness slips away in the finish, to be replaced by fragrant appley sour notes. Good stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS B3.2 (Rocktown 3 yo 2012/2015)

SMWS B3.2 (Rocktown 3 yo 2012/2015)

2015, SMWS
Single bourbon - Arkansas
Tea
55.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, red grapes, pomegranate molasses, hints of bananas. With water, black tea, toast more bananas. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, loose, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Black tea, pomegranate molasses, vanilla, orange blossom honey, hints of red grapes. With water, lemons, bananas, green tea.
Finish: Short. Red grapes, maple syrup, black tea, bananas. 

Comments: 

I feel that people view bourbon as one-dimensional because it's often bottled at 40%, and diluted to the point of boredom. Not many cask strength ones available. This is a rare opportunity to sample such a one, and it's not disappointing at all. Loads of pomegranate molasses and cinnamon, opening up to tangy lemon and green tea upon adding water. Yummy.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Rocktown Batch 1

Rocktown Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single bourbon - Rocktown
Amber rose
52.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Blood oranges, bananas, toast, ink, straw, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, sticky, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Blood oranges, sandalwood, bananas, toast, strawberries, orange blossom, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Long. Orange blossom, pomeloes, lemon zest, black tea. 

Comments: 

A most unbourbony bourbon. There's plenty of the usual bananas, but it's overlaid by floral delicate notes, like orange blossom and sandalwood. Plenty of black tea too, and in the finish, pomeloes, a wonderful surprise!

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Rocktown Young Bourbon

Rocktown Young Bourbon

Official bottling
Single bourbon - Arkansas
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, honey, toast, rope, coconut, milk, hints of cream.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, astringent, viscous.
Tasting: Sweet sour . Honey, toast, pineapples, coconut, milk, hints of rubber bands.
Finish: Medium. Toast, rubber bands, pineapples, milk.

Comments:

Boy, they weren't kidding when they said this one was young. It's only been aged about 8 months apparently, which barely qualifies it to be whisky. But my guess is that the warmer climate made it age a bit faster, and take on some more colour. It's simple and fruity, with something sulphury and rubbery at the finish (rubber bands - yes, I chewed rubber bands when I was a child...). For all that it's not unpleasant. No, in fact it's quite pleasant indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS B3.1 (Rocktown 3 yo 2011/2014)

SMWS B3.1 (Rocktown 3 yo 2011/2014)

2014, SMWS 
Single bourbon - Arkansas
Chestnut
53.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, cherries, orange juice, cream, pumpkin pie, nutmeg, hints of bananas. With water, raisins, honey, Dr Pepper.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, airy, watery.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Cherries, bananas, orange juice, meringue, pumpkins, cloves, hints of egg white. With water, nutmeg, blackberries, hints of papaya.
Finish: Long. Nutmeg, pumpkins, meringue, blackberries. With water, more nutmeg, papayas, hints of guava.

Comments:

Interesting bourbon. I normally find a lot of banana, and maybe brown paper notes in bourbon, but this one is nothing like that. It's very creamy and spicy, reminds me of pumpkin pie and baked meringue. With water it opens up and loses some of that spiciness, becoming very fruity. The third great whisky of the night, I was very lucky indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.