The Whisky Agency Tennessee Bourbon 2003

$211.49

This 13 year old Tennessee Bourbon was distilled in 2003 and bottled in 2017 at 52.6% ABV.

Evan's Tasting Note:

Nose: Buttery, creamy, wood spice and vanilla. Graham Cracker, cherry wood, orange peel, tangerenes, salted caramel, butter ripple ice cream, cedar planks and angel food cake.

Palate: Buttery and round. Peach pit, marmalade, Mackintosh Toffees, slightly bitter wood tones, butter cream icing, vanilla and hints of cherry syrup. 

Finish: Great length with hints of bitter mingling with the sweetness of it all. There is some tannin but it all stays quite buttery and juicy as a whole.

Comments: Wow. This is an awesome single barrel bourbon. Incredibly well-rounded. It has that hard to achieve balance of complexity and approachability that other bottles strive for.

88pts Whisky Base: "Nose: much more caramel aromas now, with waxed furniture. The polished aspect of oak, rather than the spicy, plankish notes. Very round. Sweet corn. Coconut cream, hints of Mexican chocolate. The most liqueur-like of the three. Almonds and pecans, almost sherried in a way. Mouth: very much on the coconut flakes again. Hints of pomegranates, then the eucalyptus and herbal tea. Cloves. Somehow smoother than you'd expect from a 13 years old bourbon. Finish: long, on polished oak, char and spices." 

James E Pepper 1776 Barrel Proof Rye

$74.99

Bottled at 57.3%, This is the more potent version of the regular Rye Whiskey from James E Pepper. This Straight Whisky was likely sourced from Indiana's MGP Distillery given the 95% Rye 5% Malted Barley mash bill.

James E Pepper 1776 Rye

$64.99

MGP in Indiana is responsible for many very good bottles of Rye available from different bottlers, including this James E Pepper Barrel Proof Rye.

57.3% ABV.

Oppidan Solera Aged Bourbon

$79.99

Oppidan Solera Aged Bourbon is created from a unique five-grain mash bill of corn, malted rye, chocolate malted rye, crystal malt, and 2-row barley.

It is aged using a style of Solera system across 3 different wood types:

• 30 Gal American Oak for 20 months
• 53 Gal French Oak for 9 months 
• 53 Gal Oloroso Sherry Casks for 4 months

The French Oak & Oloroso casks are never fully emptied, instead being topped up with new whisky after a portion is removed for bottling.

46% ABV

Oppidan Spirits is located in Wheeling, Illinois which is just north of Chicago. It started production in 2015.

Wyoming Outryder American Whiskey

$109.99

This curious American Whiskey from Wyoming is a blend to mash bills:

1. 48% winter rye, 40% corn, and 12% malted barley
2. 68% corn, 20% winter rye, and 12% malted barley

Even more curious is that it is Bottled in Bond. This means:

• All whiskey in the bottle must be produced by one distillery and by one distiller over the course of one distillation season.
• The whiskey must be aged in bonded warehouses under United States federal supervision. 
• The whiskey must be at least four years old. - It must be bottled at 100 proof / 50% ABV.
• The label on the bottle has to state which distillery it comes from and also where it was bottled.

Evan's Tasting Note

Nose: Corn, menthol, mint candies, new leather, hay bales and grass with hints of damp earth, cinnamon, Mackintosh's Toffee, Lucky Elephant Pink Candy Popcorn, orange marmalade, grilled lemons and spicy rye.

Palate: Spicy and sweet with kettle corn, sweet chili sauce, a touch of black liquorice, strawberry jam, sour peach candies, light peppermint and a touch of citrus tang, oak and rye spices.

Finish: Spicy and minty rye meets smooth and sweet corn.

Comment: Adding a rye component the typically sweet and juicy Wyoming Distillery style lends earthy nuance plus a mint and menthol edge. This is a fun and out of the ordinary Bonded Whiskey.

From the Producer:

"It’s crafted from two distinct mash bills distilled in November of 2011.  The first mash bill contains 48% winter rye, 40% corn, and 12% malted barley and the second reflects a traditional bourbon mash bill of 68% corn, 20% winter rye, and 12% malted barley.  In keeping with Wyoming Whiskey’s tradition, these grains are all non-GMO and grown in Byron, Wyoming by Rageth Farms."

Michter's 25 Year

$1,399.99

While the Michter’s name has a long and storied history, the Michter’s Distillery of Louisville, KY has only been in operation since 2015. Any whiskey bottled that is older than that was sourced from other distilleries, typically within Kentucky. Luckily, the quality of anything bottled with the Michter’s label on it is typically high, regardless of their original provenance.

Other than their single barrel products, Michter’s typically bottles their whiskey from selected small batches of 20 barrels or less.

WLW

$199.99

Wyoming Wild Rose Single Barrel Bourbon

$94.99

The 2nd "Wild Rose Country" (Alberta) single barrel of Bourbon from Wyoming Whiskey in Kirby Wyoming is excellent. The entire staff have been blown away. Barrel 1514 has been bottled 53.3%. Less than 240 bottles are coming in to the Province.

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose:  big, rich and nutty; pecan pie and warm butter tarts; Morrocan marmalade and cultured butter or corse bread.

Palate: still big, massive in-fact; syrupy, toasty and fruity; more pecan pie and butter tarts right out of the oven; beer nuts and maple walnuts; spicy with a prominent oily, spicy, rye base. 

Finish: long, coating, spicy and nutty with more syrupy sugars and toasted oak.

Comment: this is better by a Wyoming mile than the previous cask; it shouldn't last long, and won't if we have anything to say about that! 

New York Distilling Ragtime Rye

$61.99

A New York Rye whiskey made with grain grown in the State and matured in full sized barrels, no cutting corners here. The whiskey is an homage to the whiskey and cocktail culture of the pre-Prohibition era.

Producer Description: "At the dawn of a new century, before the turbulence of Prohibition, the stalwarts of saloons and brothels alike were Ragtime and Rye. The syncopated rhythms of a uniquely American music were punctuated by well-built melody and shades of harmony; to ask for a whiskey cocktail meant a hearty Rye in hand – bold, slightly spicy and full of warm flavor. From Lincoln to the Dust Bowl, the wrath of battle to the backyard barbecue, Rye Whiskey has waxed and waned like amber waves of grain, its popularity, only recently, reclaimed as a resolute American spirit.

"Distilled from rye proudly grown in New York State, this uncompromising whiskey is aged exclusively in full-size barrels to ensure robust flavor and nuanced finish. If the destiny of nations depends on cultural nourishment then ours may rest, in fulfillment, with Ragtime and Rye."