Bushwood Spirits Stillwater Rye - Review

The Details

Bushwood Spirits Stillwater Rye

Premium Straight Rye Whiskey

Batch 1

Black Label

Single Barrel

NAS (No Age Statement)

Bushwood Spirits - Stanford, Kentucky

95 Proof

Mashbill: Undisclosed

Price: ~$90

Poured Neat in a Copita nosing glass - Click Here to order

Appearance: Amber

Nose: Cherries, Bakers Chocolate, Black Pepper and Tobacco

Palate: Dark Fruits forward mellowed by Milk Chocolate, Coffee and Black Tea

Finish: Sweet to a White Pepper Spice. Medium Linger with a medium coating

Overall: Setting up for a slight draw on the tee-box, I didn't know what to expect with this offering from Bushwood Spirits. This one landed in a very safe spot in the center of the green. It's been a while since I've had a pepper tone change from white to dark, but this works quite well. The chocolates and dark fruits also compliment this rye quite well on the palate.

I can see this rye being quite versatile. Neat, on a rock, in a cocktail, you name it. At 95 proof, this one goes down quite easily and may just be the perfect birdie juice for the fall golf season.

As I mentioned in a previous Bushwood Spirits review, this bottle design is top-shelf. From the crystal golf ball topper to the label, it's just too difficult not to reach for this one.

Thank you once again to the great folks at Bushwood Spirits for providing this bottle and keeping the fun in this hobby. Give their website a look by clicking here

Library Rating: 7.9 / 10

Castle & Key Small Batch Bourbon (Batch 5) - Review

The Details

Castle & Key

Small Batch Straight Bourbon

Batch 5 - Bottle 01034

Castle & Key Distillery - Frankfort, Kentucky

Aged 4 Years

100 Proof

Mash Bill: 73% White Corn, 10% Rye, 17% Malted Barley

Retail Price: ~$50

Poured Neat in a Copita Nosing Glass - Click Here to order.

Color: Deep Gold

Nose: Ripe Pear, Frosted Flakes Cereal, Tres Leches Cake, Toasted Almonds and light Floral notes

Palate: Creamy Caramel, Nougat, Peanut Butter, Hints of Light Fruits and Honey

Finish: Warm Medium Linger with a slight White Pepper Spice

Overall: I constantly preach that each bottle tells a story. Well, this bottle is no exception. Let's call this a happy little surprise.

Batch 5 demonstrates exactly what consumers want to see with variety and continuous improvement. I hope you don't mind some honesty. I have the first two batches and while they were quite unique, the overall flavor profile missed the mark for my palate. I haven't seen or tried Batches 3 or 4 but I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time for Batch 5. That place was the Wisconsin Whiskey Fest just a couple weeks ago. Wilson and Sheila, representing Castle & Key, were quick to not only greet me a big hug, but to also pour me some of the newest Batch 5. Talk about a complete 180* from the initial batches. I immediately pulled ripe pear notes which turned quickly to a creamy cake on the nose. The palate brought a memory of eating an Abba Zabba candy bar. Nougat and peanut butter followed by some light fruits made for an exceptional mouthfeel. The flavors and overall composition of Batch 5 won me over.

A great big THANK YOU to Wilson and Sheila for being amazing people in this whiskey community and for the very unexpected surprise. K

Library Rating: 8.3 / 10

Oak & Eden Wheat & Honey - Review

The Details

Oak & Eden

Bourbon Whiskey Finished with a

Honey Soaked American Oak Spiral

Batch B001 - Bottle 0065

NAS

Distilled in Indiana

Bottled by Oak & Eden - Bridgeport, Texas

90 Proof

Mashbill: 51% Corn, 45% Wheat, 4% Malted Barley

Price: $59.99

Poured Neat in a Copita nosing glass - Click Here to order

Appearance: Golden Amber

Nose: Honey, Oak, Cream, Frosted Flakes Cereal

Palate: Vanilla, Honeycomb, Toasted Oak and Sweet Cream

Finish: Easy Finish with a slight, warm linger

Overall: I'm not going to lie, this is my first time trying anything from Oak & Eden. I kept an open mind and wanted to embrace the unique approach of dropping a Honey Soaked Spire into the Bourbon to "In-Bottle Finish". The honey and oak flavors all seem to mesh quite well. The end result isn't too sweet or too oaky. The honey is subtle enough to not come across as a medicinal cough drop, but it still coats the throat very nicely. The linger is a little short but the drinkability is very impressive. With honey finishes quickly becoming a popular option for many whiskies, I feel this takes the perfect approach to uniqueness and drinkability.

"Oak & Eden is built on the foundation of innovation, believing whiskey should be constantly fresh and distinct, never the same. This pursuit leads the brand to constantly create new and unique whiskies that could only be achieved by its patented process of In-Bottle Finishing. Oak & Eden follows traditional distillation and aging to the letter, aging their whiskeys for at least two years in American Oak barrels. They then break tradition in the finishing (or double barrel) process, where instead of putting the fully aged whiskey in a second barrel to add more flavor coming naturally from the wood, they place in the bottle a Spire; a 5” long spiral-cut piece of oak fashioned from the same species and treatment as barrel oak."

- Oak & Eden Press Release

I'd like to personally thank the folks at Oak & Eden for providing this bottle to try without any strings attached. The presentation of the box it arrived in was fantastic and the color of the bourbon had me salivating. I look forward to future releases taking this same approach. You can order and find out more about Oak & Eden by clicking here .

Library Rating: 8.1 / 10