Fahrenheit 173 - Whisky Ratings
| Whisky | Age/ Vintage | Origin | Richness | Peat/ smoke | Sherry influence | Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 53.5% |  | 15 | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 7 | 0 | 0 | 92 | Wonderful, fragrant nose with notes of vanilla, caramel, almonds; rich, sweet, a little spicy and very nice palate (purchased 2003) |
| A H Hirsch Reserve 45.8% | | 1974 16 | Bourbon/ PA/USA | 5 | 0 | 0 | 91 | Subtle, very nice nose with oak and dried fruits (like a Spanish brandy). Also vanilla, gingerbread, marzipan and a note of mint. The palate is sweet, smooth and balanced. Very nice and (for a bourbon) very mild. Drying, develops oak. Dry, spicy, quite oaky finish but the oak is very nice. All in all a unique, fascinating bourbon. |
| Blanton's Straight From The Barrel 65.45% * | | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 7 | 0 | 0 | 90 | Big, fragrant, fruity nose with apricot, peach, vanilla, oak shavings and a note of rye. Water brings out crème brûlée, more oak, black tea and gingerbread. Very nice! Powerful palate with notes of vanilla, mint, citrus, oak and marzipan. Nice balance between sweet corn and dry oak. The finish is oaky and fairly dry, peppery, almost fiery. Needs less water than expected: I found it best at ~50% (thankfully, I own a hydrometer) | |
| Eagle Rare Single Barrel 45% | | 10 | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 6 | 0 | 0 | 89 | Fragrant nose with vanilla, oak, ginger, apricot and orange. Fruity iced tea. Nice! The palate is fairly rich and sweet with notes of vanilla, oak and caramelized sugar. Develops nice fruity notes of orange and peach, also mint. Drying, develops oak and a note of lemon. The finish is oaky, peppery and fairly hot. Warming. All in all balanced and very nice. (Doesn't need water but a drop won't hurt.) |
| Woodford Reserve batch 8 45.2% | | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 7 | 1 | 0 | 89 | Wonderful nose with vanilla and peppermint, also bitter notes from the rye; very nice, rich, complex palate with marzipan and a hint of smoke | |
| Heaven Hill (Cad) 63.5% | | 1999 10 | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 88 | Very nice, fragrant nose with notes of vanilla, orange, apricot and oak; the palate is sweet, fruity and surprisingly mild | |||
| Van Winkle Family Reserve 53.5% | | 15 | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 7 | 0 | 0 | 88 | Nice, fragrant nose with vanilla and a note of gingerbread but also a slightly disturbing note of solvent; rich, sweet, quite nice palate; not as nice as Van Winkle's 15 y.o. "Handmade Bourbon", however |
| Van Winkle Special Reserve 'Lot B' 45.2% | 12 | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 6 | 0 | 0 | 88 | Nice nose with vanilla, caramelized sugar and mint; very nice palate with fresh notes of lemon and lime; balanced, fairly rich and a little spicy | |
| W L Weller Special Reserve Wheated Bourbon 45% | 7 | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 7 | 0 | 0 | 88 | Fragrant, very nice nose with vanilla, arrack, oak shavings and orange peel; rich, sweet palate with vanilla, mint and citrus, quite mild at first then develops spices and a little fire; hot, peppery finish | |
| Woodford Reserve batch 70 43.2% | | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 7 | 0 | 0 | 88 | Huge nose with oak and linseed oil but also surprisingly complex with nice notes of vanilla, marzipan, allspice and orange marmalade. Nice but a bit rough around the edges. The palate is quite oaky but surprisingly smooth. Rich with notes of mint and vanilla. Nice heat. Oaky, dry finish (disappointing). All in all powerful yet complex, rather nice but uneven. | |
| Jack Daniel's Single Barrel 45% * | | Bourbon/ TN/USA | 6 | 0 | 0 | 87 | Big, fragrant nose with marzipan and apricot. Also spicy oak and white pepper (from the rye, I presume). Very nice and well aged. The palate is clean but hot without water. With water it's light, sweet and very nice with notes of orange and lemon. Nice finish with spicy oak and vanilla. All in all impressive and very nicely balanced. Needs a drop of water to soften the heat. | |
| Wild Turkey Rare Breed 54.2% | | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 7 | 0 | 0 | 87 | Nice nose with vanilla and oak, also herbal and earthy notes; the palate is rich and fruity with a note of marzipan, oaky, a bit dry, also fiery and a little musty (needs very little water) (batch W-T-01-99) | |
| Blanton's Special Reserve 40% | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 5 | 0 | 0 | 86 | Very nice fragrant nose with vanilla, passion fruit, orange and oak shavings. Also notes of cereal and linseed oil. Rich, sweet palate with orange and vanilla. Fairly dry yet nice finish with citrus, vanilla and oak, also a little musty. All in all nice but rather mild (perhaps a little weak at 40%). | ||
| Jack Daniel's Gentleman Jack | Bourbon/ TN/USA | 4 | 0 | 0 | 86 | Fragrant, rather nice nose with vanilla, marzipan, apricot and oak shavings. Also a cereal note. Light, sweet, fruity palate with a note of peppermint. Drying, develops oak and a little heat. Rather nice. Fruits, oak and vanilla on the finish. Also a little peppery. All in all smooth, nicely balanced and very drinkable. (Much milder and decidedly nicer than the standard Jack Daniel's.) | ||
| Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 45% * | 10 | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 6 | 1-2 | 0 | 86 | Faint nose yet nice and complex with vanilla, oak and a note of mint, also a little musty and smoky (burned oak shavings); sweet, spicy, rather nice palate with notes of vanilla, mint and orange, also herbal with a hint of basil | |
| Wild Turkey 50.5% | | 8 | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 7 | 0 | 0 | 86 | Fragrant, very nice nose with vanilla, citrus fruits and oak; rich, full-flavoured palate with vanilla, also sweet and fairly spicy, develops notes of citrus and mint; nice! |
| Willett Straight Rye 55% | 4 | Rye/ IN/USA | 8 | 0 | 0 | 86 | Fragrant, rather nice nose with notes of vanilla, black pepper, oak shavings and marzipan. Sweet palate with vanilla and caramelized sugar. It's also oaky, peppery and powerful. Oaky, herbal, slightly flowery finish with notes of orange and honey. (Unusually balanced and complex for a rye whisky. From the Lawrenceburg distillery.) | |
| Blanton's Single Barrel 46.5% | | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 7 | 0 | 0 | 85 | Fragrant nose with vanilla but it's also dry and kind of "dusty"; rich, a bit fiery palate with a note of mint; quite nice but I had expected more from this one (maybe it's a below average cask?) | |
| Wild Turkey Straight Rye 50.5% | | Rye/ KY/USA | 8 | 0 | 0 | 85 | Quite nice nose with vanilla, fruits and a cereal note. Intense, powerful palate. Dry and bitter at first but softens, turns sweeter and develops notes of apricot, vanilla and oak. Very nice finish with notes of orange-flavoured candy and vanilla. All in all powerful, unusual and entertaining. (Needs just a drop of water.) | |
| Buffalo Trace 45% | | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 6 | 0 | 0 | 84 | Rather nice fragrant nose with vanilla and tropical fruits; the palate is spicy and fiery yet complex, also quite dry and oaky; quite nice but earlier bottlings (ca 2003) were milder and nicer | |
| Maker's Mark 45% * | | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 6 | 0 | 0 | 84 | Fragrant nose with nice notes of vanilla, apricot, peach, almonds and oak. Fairly prickly however, but mellows with a little water. Powerful, fruity, zesty palate. Also oaky, fairly dry and slightly earthy. With water it's milder, sweeter and richer. Nice, oaky, spicy finish with a note of mint. A bit hot at 45% but with a drop of water it's an easy drinking session bourbon. | |
| Ancient Age | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 0 | 0 | 83 | Sweet, fairly rich and fairly fiery with vanilla and nice fruity notes, also spicy | |||
| Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel 45% | | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 8 | 0 | 0 | 83 | Nice, fragrant, slightly bitter nose with vanilla; full, rich, a bit spicy palate that also has a slightly disturbing dry and bitter character (best without water) | |
| Rebel Yell | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 5 | 0 | 0 | 83 | Vanilla, marzipan and apricot on the nose. Also a dusty cereal note (signifies rye in the mash bill). Restrained but nice. The palate is fairly light and mild, sweet and fruity with apricot and orange, also a little oaky. Nice but short finish with notes of vanilla and oak. Also spicy with a note of marzipan at the end. All in all mild and balanced. An uncomplicated, easy-drinking bourbon. Distilled at Heaven Hill. | ||
| Seagram's Seven Crown | Blend/ USA | 4 | 0 | 0 | 83 | Nice, interesting nose with citrus fruit, oak, almonds, black pepper and a note of rye; light, mild palate with sweet corn and dry rye in a nice balance, also notes of caramelized sugar and black pepper; dry, oaky finish but with a nice note of citrus (a nice, easy drinking session whisky!) | ||
| Jack Daniel's | | Bourbon/ TN/USA | 8 | 0 | 0 | 82 | Huge, fragrant, in-your-face nose with apricot, almond, caramel, peppermint, vanilla and oak. Complex and quite nice yet a little spirity. Intense, powerful yet clean palate with a nice sweetness as well as notes of citrus, mint and vanilla. Oaky, spicy finish. All in all nice but very powerful (sometimes I like it, sometimes I find it too intense). | |
| Knob Creek 50% * | | 9 | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 8 | 0 | 0 | 82 | Rather nice nose: fragrant and fruity with vanilla and a bitter note of rye; the palate is dry, rather oaky and a bit bitter, peppery and fairly fiery yet quite nice (needs just a little water, with too much it loses its interesting character) |
| Four Roses | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 6 | 0 | 0 | 81 | Fragrant, fruity nose with vanilla, marzipan and rye. Not bad (but a little vulgar). The palate is light and sweet at first but grows more powerful and develops notes of rye, spices and oak. A little too sweet and not quite balanced. Like the nose it's a bit vulgar. Oaky, spicy, warming finish. | ||
| Jim Beam Black Label | | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 7 | 0 | 0 | 81 | The nose has nice notes of oak, vanilla and a hint of fennel. Unfortunately it's also a little earthy. Rich, sweet palate but a little "dirty" and unbalanced. Develops nice notes of oak and fruits, however. Also some heat. The finish is hot, spicy and quite dry. Disappointing. | |
| Jim Beam White Label | | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 6 | 0 | 0 | 80 | Vanilla, apricot, orange, white pepper and oak on the nose. Also a note of rye. Nice and complex yet slightly spirity. The palate is fairly light with sweet corn and orange at first, then drying, develops dry rye notes and oak. It's fairly thin in flavour but at the same time spicy with some alcohol burn. Disappointing finish: oaky with herbal notes that don't work with the oak. It also has a cloying sweetness. | |
| Jim Beam Yellow Label | | Rye/ KY/USA | 8 | 0 | 0 | 80 | Unusual nose with a dusty, earthy rye note, also cereally and a little spirity with a note of solvent. Powerful, oaky, spicy palate. Dry and a bit harsh but develops nice notes of vanilla and orange. Spicy, fiery yet nice finish. All in all entertaining with lots of character but lacks balance. | |
| Heaven Hill Old Style Bourbon | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 6 | 0 | 0 | 79 | Fairly nice nose with notes of vanilla, apples, pears and oak shavings, also spicy with an earthy note of rye; sweet, fruity palate with a spicy note of black pepper; the finish is fiery, spicy and herbal (almost like an akvavit) | ||
| McAfee's Benchmark | 4 | Bourbon/ KY/USA | 5 | 78 | Weird nose, musty, dusty (from the rye, I presume), also fruity with a note of avocado; sweet, fruity palate with green fruits and cucumber but - again - musty; rather disappointing but the finish is fairly nice |
Last modified on 20-Jun-2014. 1695707 accesses since 16-Nov-2000.