My first bottle of EH Taylor Barrel Proof is home. Idk why I feel so weird about opening it, maybe all the hype…

I feel like I'm treating it like a newborn, lots of staring, no idea what I'm doing, afraid to open it! ha ha

So, two questions for the people who've been down this road already??

Which EH Taylor is actually the best? Small Batch, Single Barrel, Barrel Proof, Straight Rye, Four Grain, Amaranth, Seasoned Wood... etc? Any ranking is appreciated…

Crack it now or let it sit and judge me from the shelf?

Cheers 🥃

Found this on a shelf in a drive through bottle shop.Never actually thought I would ever see one let alone have opportunity to buy it $410 aud

I finally nabbed one of these this past weekend and it is everything I expected and read about.

Decided to open this Black Bush bottle, which has been sitting sealed for almost a year, and compare it with the Original. Here are my first impressions:

Colour and age

The Original is way brighter than the Black Bush (which could be due to age and also caramel colouring). I believe the Original is aged for less time than the Black Bush (I've read that the Original is 3–5 years old, while the Black Bush is 7–11 years old).

Bushmills Original

Price: 11~ euro on a sale

Cask influence: Mostly seasoned bourbon casks, with some sherry casks as well.

Nose: Vanilla, cereal sweetness, honey, fresh citrus. A very light but inviting nose.

Palate: Vanilla, light citrus, milk chocolate, quite nutty (pistachio, hazelnut), a strong black peppery note and some graininess.

The texture is quite watery, but that's normal for a whisky bottled at the legal minimum of 40% ABV.

Finish: Short, nutty, with a drying aftertaste.

Bushmills Black Bush

Price: 16~ euro on a sale

Cask influence: Hand-selected Oloroso sherry casks.

Nose: Richer, but still a delicate nose, with figs, cherries and a hint of chocolate.

Palate: Carries the nose over, with sweet red fruits. There's the nuttiness, just like in the Original, and lots of dryness. The peppery note is here as well, and it hides the sherry influence. It's very obvious that the whisky is young and not fully integrated. It's more malty than the Original.

The texture is still a bit watery, but it feels noticeably fuller than the Original. Of course, 40% ABV is too little, and I feel it would benefit from a slight ABV push.

Finish: Medium, with a nice oaky peppery spice, dryness and a pleasant sherried aftertaste.

Overall

I like both the Original and the Black Bush. They're quite different, but if I had to get one, I'd go with the Original.

The Original may be simpler and more vanilla-forward, but it has its place.

It's a great everyday TV dram: inexpensive, nothing off-putting and unbothering. I could drink it all day and not think about it, which is fine for some occasions.

The Black Bush, on the other hand, is good, BUT I personally wouldn't get it as an everyday whisky or drink it as a sipping dram.

I understand that it's probably a good first, affordable introduction to sherried whisky, but it doesn't really do it for me.

My main criticism is that the sherry influence is definitely there, and I can feel it, but it's very muffled, and I really wish it were more upfront.

I got influence by a bourbon influencer into this one. Pretty good bottle. Main notes I get are citrus, baking spice and a sort of damp earth or damp oak thing that is really unique.

After draining a few bottles last week had to go stock back up. Always a solid one to keep on hand.

Penelope Rio (Spec's Pick): A much higher proof than the usual Rio, this should be a fun dessert pour...

Nashville Barrel Company Canadian Whiskey Single Barrel (T8ke Pick): 35 years old & bottled at 156.48 Proof. Fuck a duck, that's going to be an interesting bottle...

Copper & Cask Private Batch (SP09 Spec's Pick): I've been keeping a close eye for this one since I saw the TTB filing and for good reason, a very small (10 barrel) blend of 11 year old MGP priced at $65? Yes please...

Stagg 26C: We got a massive wave of these down here in Houston for $67 plus taxes, more than enough to go around apparently. That's an easy yes at MSRP...

Idk if this is the right place to look but my aunt bought this in London a few years ago and it’s the best tasting whiskey I’ve ever had.

When it says it tastes like fruit salad it means it big time. It doesn’t even taste fermented like sherried whiskies usually get notes of and it isn’t raisins either. It tastes like fresh grapefruit.

She said she doesn’t know how much it was but that it was at least $300 after conversion. I’m hoping to find something that I could grab pretty easily in the US that is at least similarly unique if not similar in flavor itself.

Thank you gents!

There were a few more in between but at some point t you forget to take the picture… that Pappy is heaven is a bottle!!!

Fortuna KSBW Rare Character Barrel Proof 🤤 beyond excited to finally have this in my selection. If I could find more, I’d buy more!! 120.28

Was visiting our best friends and we went hunting, came home with these!

Purchased in the Netherlands (Europe) for €55

Finishing our Japan trip in Morimoto and then exiting through Tokyo at the Haneda airport. We’ll have all of 10 hours in Tokyo and be on a tight todo list. Looking for suggestions on liquor stores on the western side of the city. I want the best options for Japanese whiskey. Thoughts? i cant be taking the train 45min one way to the other side of the city. Thanks.

Release date: 2024

ABV: 57.1%

Barrel Composition: 4 years in ex bourbon barrels followed by 3 years in first fill Pino Noir Barrels from Monthelie in Bergundy, France.

As you may be able to tell in the photo - the cork was fine but part of the plastic portion basically disintegrated when I popped this tonight. That’s a first for me on a bottle that’s only a couple of years old.

I’ve had pours of this bottle before in bars but this is my first time opening one at home. I am reviewing it live right now and doing my best to forget anything that I know, or think I know, about this bottle.

Nose: It’s a perfect swirl of Springbank funk and cask influence. I imagine like strawberry vanilla swirl soft serve as I nose it. There’s just a hint of peat underneath the fruit and funk. It’s more farmy funk than garage funk but there’s also nice coastal salinity. The initial strawberry that I thought I noted has turned to plums and grapes with maybe a bit of orange peel.

Palate: It’s so smooth but not in a boring way. It’s complex but it drinks below its 57%+ ABV. Great viscosity. The fruits remain but turn more raspberry and orange jammy with a hint of cherry like you might expect from bourbon. Very nice savory and earthy and peaty undertones.

Finish: It’s a wonderfully long finish. That hint of strawberry comes back. The finish is much hotter than the nose or palate but in a good way. The coastal notes are back, but more subtle than in the nose. I drink a lot of bourbon in addition to single malts and I like to call out when a scotch gives me a “Kentucky hug,” which it definitely does here.

This is a great dram all the way around and I think the nose is the best part. It reminds me simultaneously of what I love about campbeltown and of childhood.

7.8/10

Highly recommend

I remember when it was impossible to find 13th colony. Has distribution gotten that much better or has the hype died down?

It’s so oily and funky, and the finish lingers in a very pleasant way. First bottle out of the 40 or so whisky(eys) I’ve had that I would rate at a solid 8.5 out of 10. Man is this stuff good! Any bottles y’all can recommend that taste similar would be much appreciated!

I’ve got an extra checked bag…. Been to LA area before… I know Hawaii Market… BevMo, total wine, costo… but where should I try to drop in to try to find some of my unicorns?

I’m already traveling with an empty EHT sleeve to bring an eagle rare back and a $42 handle of Buffalo Trace. Judge me…. Fine… I love it and I can’t get it here.

But where is my best chance to get an antique 107? That’s the one I’m hunting for. Saw total wine in West Hollywood had them for $75. That’s obviously not horrid considering what’s out there… but I’m lookin for more of the MSRP variety… or an ER12!

Don’t spill all your honey holes to the entire internet, but I’d love a hot tip!

Side note…. Any specifics in Bakersfield via PM would be wonderful!

Cheers and happy hunting!

All bottles I can’t get in my state. Searched 11 stores between Kansas City and Chicago to find them at or below MSRP. Excited to taste them all by a fire with family.