My Wandering Eye: J. Carver Barrel Gin

My Wandering Eye is an ongoing series reacting to the rising prices in the bourbon world. We’ve reached a place where even average products have hit the range where they compete price-wise with other types of aged spirits. If I’m going to be asked to drop $40 to $70 on a mid-range bourbon, I might as well see what else I can get for that money. I hope to see if another spirits category offers something downright tasty in that price range. The goal isn’t to find cheap spirits but to maximize the quality I’m getting at a particular price point. The reviews in this series will all be written through a bourbon drinker’s lens.

We are going wandering through the liquor store again for this one. This is another of the late December purchases and tastings from pre-Dry January. This time, I decided to wander into the Gin section to see if something there struck my fancy that could be had for a reasonable price. In this case, I decided on a locally distilled gin from craft distiller J. Carver. And this one is very local. The distillery is just over a half-hour’s drive from my house.

I’ve found that there are times when I really like gin, especially in cocktails. In those times, I’ll reach for a cocktail made with gin over one made with whiskey. I think of it this way: sometimes I want Diet 7-up, and other times I want coffee. Both are calorie-free, but I have completely different mindsets when I reach for each of them.

This particular gin, though, blurs the line between coffee and Diet 7up…err…gin and whiskey. This gin has spent some time in the barrel, you see. Here is what the producer has to say about it:

Yes!  It's gold in color!  Yet this "whiskey-lover's gin" has become the darling spirit of top mixologists across Minnesota.  Dynamic and complex, this gin is distilled with eleven botanicals including orange and cinnamon and finished in new charred oak barrels coopered in Minnesota.  This hearty, 96-proof gin adds something special to gin and whiskey-based cocktails, and begs to be sipped neat or on ice. 96 proof

So, let’s dig in!

J. Carver Barrel Gin

Purchase Info: $37.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.53

Details: 48% ABV.

Nose: Juniper, lemon, white pepper, and coriander.

Mouth: Sweet barrel notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak hit first with notes of juniper, cinnamon, lemon zest, orange, and mint.

Finish: Medium to long and tingly with lingering notes of juniper, lemon, and mint.

Thoughts: While I don't think I would ever sip gin neat, this one comes close. I'm enjoying the tasting quite a bit. But since gin is used for cocktails in my house, I need to see how it tastes in those before I pass judgment. First, I did a gin rickey, my favorite deck drink. It works ok in a rickey. It's not my favorite, but it's ok. It makes the rickey a little sweeter than I'd prefer. My favorite winter gin drink is a Negroni (not that it has to be winter to enjoy it, that’s just when I seem to want one.) Now here is where this one shines. The cinnamon notes I noticed in the mouth come through and play very nicely with the vermouth and the bitterness of the Campari. Very nice cocktail. And also a very nice gin. I like it.

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Tempus Fugit Spirits and the Wisconsin Grasshopper Cocktail

I think that my appreciation for alcohol started early in my life. In Wisconsin, it is legal for your parents to serve you alcohol, so I was very young when I had my first sip of “Grandpa’s Pop.” I apparently liked it because, well, there is a photo of me as a baby where I was trying to steal a swig from Grandpa’s returnable bottle of Old Milwaukee. I only know this because there was a county directory that was printed shortly after I arrived in this world, and that photo ended up being printed there.

The 1970s were a weird time. Not that I remember much of them. (Because I was young, not because I was drunk…geez.)

My family has never shied away from alcohol at family gatherings. To this day, my stepmother will mix up an ice-cream pail-sized batch of “Grasshoppers” for the family to have as we exchange gifts. Now, unless you are from Wisconsin or deal with folks from there a lot, you might have the wrong idea about what I am talking about.

In most of the country, a Grasshopper cocktail is an after-dinner cocktail made from equal parts Crème de Cacao, Crème de Menthe, and cream. In Wisconsin, they have their own spin on it. Theirs uses ice cream instead of the cream and is basically a boozy milkshake. How boozy is up to the person making it. The “official” Supper Club recipe is a half ounce each of green Crème de Menthe and clear Crème de Cacao mixed with three scoops of ice cream and blended well. While I don’t know for sure what my stepmother’s recipe entails, I do know that she includes vodka if not serving it to the kids.

Rural northern Wisconsin is also super weird.

So, Frozen Grasshopper Cocktails make me think of Christmas. And when I saw a Crème de Cacao and a Crème de Menthe, each for over $30 per bottle, I decided to make some for my own Christmas celebration, even if it is just going to be my wife and I and a bunch of dogs. I’ll be honest as far as I know, I’ve never had a Grasshopper made with anything but Phillips or DeKuyper brand liqueurs. The bottommost-shelf of bottom-shelf brands. I had to know what one using booze that cost more than $12 per bottle tasted like. Hell, I needed to know what the liqueurs themselves, at triple the cost, would taste like. Could I actually drink them on their own? Would I be disappointed? Enraged? Excited? No idea. But it’s Christmas, and I was on a mission to try and make a better version than the one I grew up with.

OK, before we get into the meat of this, let’s take a moment to look at the purveyors of these upscale liqueurs. According to their website, Tempus Fugit Spirits is a California company that started out importing European Absinthes when they became legal in the US again in 2007. Along the way, they expanded…you know what? Let’s just let them tell it:

Along with the world’s finest absinthes, Tempus Fugit Spirits was determined to seek out fine rare liquors that were once staples in classic pre-prohibition cocktails, but have been lost in time. In most cases, we re-create these liquors ourselves, using historic 19th century protocols, many cross-referenced in several languages, to arrive as close in taste to these forgotten spirits as is possible, or surpass them – rare fruit, flower and plant liqueurs, bitters, amari, vermouths and chinati – we pride ourselves in finding out what’s missing from the back-bar that our cocktailian friends are searching for.

Our focus is on what is often called a cocktail ‘modifier’; those spirit-based ingredients used to transform whisky, gin, rum, etc. into a cocktail. We find today this category abused by industrial methods of production, artificial flavors and colors. We know these liqueurs were created in the past to be drunk alone, as aperitifs or digestifs, and were made with great pride and care by the best distilleries and liquorists.

So yeah. That sounds exactly like what I was hoping for when I picked up the bottles for my Christmas Grasshoppers. Here are the tasting notes, and then I’ll get to my own recipe.

Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao

Purchase Info: $37.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.53

Details: 24% ABV.

Nose: Nutty and chocolatey. Think of the best gourmet chocolate bar you've had.

Mouth: Thick and sweet with a wonderful taste of cocoa nibs.

Finish: Sweet and gentle with the lingering flavor of a good candy bar. Notes of milk chocolate, caramel, and vanilla.

Thoughts: This is the best Crème de Cacao I've ever had. It's nutty like Cacao nibs, obviously chocolatey and sweet. Much better than the cheap stuff I used to buy. If it weren’t so sweet, I’d drink this on its own.

Tempus Fugit Crème de Menthe

Purchase Info: $46.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Curiada.com

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.13

Details: 28% ABV.

Nose: Straight candy cane peppermint

Mouth: Liquid candy cane.

Finish: Long, very minty, and cool.

Thoughts: Very sweet and minty, just like you'd want from a mint liqueur. It is very tasty even if it is less complicated on the palate than the Crème de Cacao. I’m very happy with this as well. Both of these taste like what you’d want them to taste like, not like there are a bunch of artificial flavors in there.

Ok, now, after all that, here is my base recipe for a Frozen Grasshopper. This is just a base. You can adjust all of the ingredients as you wish and even leave some out, or be like my stepmother and add even more booze to it. This is the most forgiving cocktail recipe you’ll make.

Arok’s Frozen Wisconsin-Style Grasshopper

• 3 small scoops of a good vanilla bean ice cream (about 150-200 grams total)

• 1 fluid ounce Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao

• 1 fluid ounce Tempus Fugit Crème de Menthe

• a splash of coffee or coffee liqueur

• green food coloring (optional, if you want the traditional Grasshopper color that would usually come from the green-colored Crème de Menthe. I tend to leave it out, but I wanted the picture to be accurate)

Blend the ingredients on low to medium-low to mix well but not melt the ice cream. Pour into a suitably vintage glass. Garnish with a mint sprig and/or a crushed-up York Peppermint Patty. And enjoy!

I’ll be taking next week off to enjoy Christmas with my family, so I hope each and every one of you has a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

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Smoke Wagon Blender’s Select Straight Rye Whiskey

Have you noticed that as we get closer to Christmas and New Years, people get a little less, oh, I don’t know, dedicated to doing what they should be doing and a little more open to taking it a little easier? When I worked in an office, the week before Christmas was always a bit more laid back than normal. The week between the holidays was dead since both co-workers and clients tended to be off doing a little merry-making. And then you’d hit the inevitable cliff of coming back to work on the second, and everyone would be cranky. The cold seemed a little colder. The magic was just…gone until spring.

Or maybe it was just me. I do tend toward depression, after all.

In any case, I’ve always found the holidays to be a little magical. People who are normally grumpy turn out to be the type of folks who put up lights and decorations, even if it does raise the electric bill. People tend to be just a little nicer (unless you are in a store, then watch out). Even the snow seems less of an obstacle and more of a decoration. Yep, the time from Halloween to New Years is probably my favorite time of the year. However, I look forward to fewer emails informing me that it is my last chance to buy something.

Speaking of spending money, let’s turn our attention to tonight’s whiskey. Tonight, we are looking at the final installment in the Smoke Wagon trilogy, as suggested by reader David. This time, we turn our attention away from bourbon and over to rye whiskey. I love rye whiskey, maybe even more than bourbon. If RyeGuy hadn’t sounded so much like a McDonaldland Character, I might have considered it as a name for the site. Of course, in 2011, when I was planning this thing out, there wasn’t nearly as much rye whiskey on the market, so I wouldn’t have had a whole lot to write about.

Like the other Smoke Wagon whiskeys that we’ve looked at, this is sourced from MGP in Indiana. This one is made from a blend of their 51% rye, 45% corn, 4% malted barley recipe and their 51% rye, 49% malted barley recipe. The latter of which is the basis for this year’s 2023 Rossville Union Bottle in Bond limited edition. I liked it alone for that one, so let’s see how it stacks up when blended with another rye mash bill. But first we will let the producer have their say:

We selected barrels of the sweet, delicate 51% rye, 45% corn, and 4% barley traditional straight rye and blended it with barrels of the big and bold 51% rye, 49% malted barley straight rye. The end result is an upfront flavor profile that's beautifully sweet and rich with a luxurious mouthfeel. The finish has just enough cinnamon and rye spice to get your tongue tingling while the flavors from the malted barley, such as smoke and malt are still present, but softer and more subtle. 

Alright, let’s dig in.

Smoke Wagon Blender’s Select Straight Rye Whiskey

Purchase Info: $72.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.87

Details: Bottled Oct. 21, 2023. Batch 6. 56.89% ABV.

Nose: Cedar, mint, and cinnamon sugar.

Mouth: Cedar, cinnamon, brown sugar, cherry, and mint.

Finish: Medium to long and warm with mint, cherry, and cinnamon notes.

Thoughts: This is delicious. Even my rye-adverse wife enjoys it. It's dangerously drinkable neat. Yet it also takes a splash of water well. Water brings out more malty "nougat" notes. I think this is my favorite of the three Smoke Wason Whiskeys we've explored. As with the other two, though, it’s just too expensive for me to purchase on a regular basis. Not when I can usually get MGP whiskey much cheaper from other bottlers or even from MGP itself. But if I were in Vegas and saw it behind the bar or on a menu, I’d probably have no qualms about supporting a local business by buying a glass.

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Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon

Hello my friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful day. I know I am. Today I got to enjoy 50 degree weather. In Minnesota. In December! Days like this make it hard to get anything accomplished. So instead of working, I spent the day outside taking photos for some upcoming items that I’m going to be putting up on the Etsy store sometime next month. So I guess I was working, but it didn’t feel like it. I’m really excited for these as I am back to playing with barrel wood. This time I took portions of barrel head, planed the front down to a nice clean surface, and then engraved a design on the front before finishing them with a clear polyurethane. They look great! I just am not quite sure how to get them to people yet. I need to find boxes to ship them in.

But that isn’t why you are here (though if you are interested in those you can go to BourbonGuyGifts.com and favorite the shop. I think that will give you a notification when I put up new items.) No you are here to find out about the next entry in our Smoke Wagon series. Tonight’s bourbon is the barrel-proof Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon. As you might guess, this is a barrel-proof version of the Smoke Wagon Small Batch that we looked at on Tuesday. I don’t have much to add to what I wrote then so we will hear what the producer has to say and then jump into what I thought of the whiskey.

It’s nice out. I want to keep this short and sweet so I can enjoy a bourbon near the fire pit tonight.

We took the same vintage blending philosophy that we used to create Small Batch, except this time the goal was to create high proof bourbon that tasted its best neat. Uncut is so rich and sweet with an unbelievably thick mouth feel, the heat and rye spice finish are a welcome addition. It's like milk with cookies!

Let’s dig in!

Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon

Purchase Info: $79.99 for a 750 mL bottle at South Lyndale Liquors, Minneapolis, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.33

Details: Batch #192A. Bottled Oct 9, 2023. Distilled in Indiana. 57.98% ABV.

Nose: Cinnamon, spearmint, toffee, and dusty oak.

Mouth: Cinnamon, spearmint, maple, citrus zest, and oak.

Finish: Long and warm with notes of cinnamon, chocolate, and toffee.

Thoughts: This is very good. Much better than the Small Batch Bourbon. It is rich with a wonderful mouthfeel. It's much sweeter than I would have expected and I think that works very well for this particular flavor profile. Overall $80 is still more than I like to spend for bourbon but it's still cheaper than a lot of the barrel-proof bourbons on the shelf (unless you compare it to the one's from Lux Row who happen to be owned by MGP, this brand's presumed supplier) so if I see it again, and am looking for a barrel-proof bourbon, I’ll be sure to give it another look. I like it more than the Small Batch so if the choice was between he two, I’d choose this one.

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Smoke Wagon Small Batch Bourbon

Way back in April, reader David reached out to me to see if I’d ever had Smoke Wagon Bourbon from Nevada H&C Distilling and to request that I give it a try and give my thoughts on it. Unfortunately at that time I hadn’t had it. In fact I really didn’t have much of a way to get my hands on it that didn’t involve traveling to another state. And so I tucked the suggestion away for the next time I traveled.

Well, I didn’t travel much to see family this summer and I honestly forgot to look during our September vacation. But not to worry, by October it was on shelves. And not only was the small batch that David had requested, but also a barrel proof bourbon and a straight rye as well. I picked them all up and could put them all in one post, but instead I will be milking them for content this week and next.

You’re welcome.

So who is this newcomer to Minnesota? Well, as far as I can tell, they are a small producer out of Las Vegas, Nevada. The products that I have picked up say that they are “Distilled in Indiana” and “Bottled and Aged by Nevada H&C Distilling Company, Las Vegas, Nevada.” Which means they are sourcing the whiskeys though it looks as if they are distilling their own vodka, so maybe they are also distilling and aging their own whiskey for future release. If not, MGP is a great source for high-quality bourbon.

Here is what the producer has to say about the Small Batch Bourbon:

Released in 2016, our goal was to create a unique great tasting high rye content bourbon. The problem is that rye ages much faster than corn. So while our younger vintages had a big rye spice flavor (which we love) the mouth feel was too thin and it lacked the sweet, delicate complexity of a well aged spirit.  Our older vintages had the  smoothness and sweet notes that can only be achieved  by moving in and out of #4 char and caramelized oak for many, many years, but the nice rye spice had been aged out! So what to do? Find the perfect blend. We combined the two. The younger vintages maintain the bold spiciness of the rye, cut down on the tannins and keep it fruit forward.  The older vintage brings in a creamy mouth feel with sweet aromas and taste notes that only appear over time from aging in a barrel. We hope you enjoy drinking it as much as we enjoy making it.

One last thing I will say is that the retailers in Minnesota don’t seem to have a lot of product on hand. Almost every place I’ve see it has a “limit one” sticker on the bottle. And since they are currently only listing about 23 states that they distribute to on their website, you may or may not be able to get your hands on this one. But it came well recommended by David so let’s see if we agree here in the BourbonGuy household. And whether we think you should try to search it out.

Smoke Wagon Small Batch Bourbon

Purchase Info: $59.99 for a 750 mL bottle at South Lyndale Liquors, Minneapolis, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.00

Details: 50% ABV. Distilled in Indiana

Nose: Cinnamon candy, orange peel, and just a touch of oak.

Mouth: Vibrant cinnamon candy and ginger rounded off with notes of caramel, vanilla, and a touch of oak.

Finish: Medium length and spicy. Notes of ginger, cinnamon candy, black tea, orange zest and dried grains.

Thoughts: I've tried this twice now. One time was the day I bought it. It was the second bourbon of the night. That night I found it so delicate that I was convinced that someone had accidentally put a light whiskey in the bottle. The second time I tried this was as I did these tasting notes. This time it was the first item I tasted and it was very vibrant. Though I'm still getting the "light whiskey" notes, they are further down the palate. In fact, if you'd have blindly handed me a glass and told me it was a very good Canadian whisky, I'd have believed you. That said, I like it. I probably wouldn’t spend $60 on it again, but I'd happily drink it if you were buying.

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Border Bourbon-Port Barrel Finished, South Lyndale Liquors Selection

I fucking had to shovel the driveway today! I know that I shouldn’t be complaining about snow…in December…in Minnesota. Especially not when this is the first time I’ve actually had to shovel this year. But damn it, I am a spoiled brat who doesn’t like being uncomfortable. And I hate snow with a passion. You might ask, “Eric, if you hate winter so much, why do you continue to live in Minnesota?” Which is a good question.

And one I ask myself every time I shovel the driveway.

But I guess there are problems everywhere. We don’t get earthquakes, or tsunamis, or religious zealots trying to take away people’s rights, or wildfires. Or at least not enough that we need to worry about them too much. Minnesota gets snow, which is fine, I guess. It’s not like I have to drive in it as a self-employed designer. That, however, doesn’t mean I can’t whine about it.

Now that that is out of the way, let’s get onto more important things. Bourbon. You know, the thing I use to make myself forget the white shit falling from the sky. I kid…mostly.

Tonight’s bourbon is a store pick from my favorite liquor store in the Twin Cities. South Lyndale Liquors was always a very well-stocked liquor store with old, creaky floors and a tiny parking lot. It had a lot of charm, mostly brought in by wondering if the shelves were going to fall on you if you stepped too heavily while in their vicinity. Well, they recently moved into a much larger and very beautiful space, and I needed to check it out.

What I like about the store, and what makes it my favorite place to shop for liquor when I venture out, is that I always find something fun there. It might be a little out of my way, but it is well worth the detour for me. Plus, they seldom miss on their barrel picks. They are almost always delicious. So when I saw a barrel pick from a local distillery and noticed it was barrel-finished in a way that I hadn’t tried from them before, I knew I needed to pick it up…along with a box full of other fun things.

So let’s dig in.

Border Bourbon Port Barrel Finished, South Lyndale Liquors Selection

Purchase Info: $74.99 for a 750 mL bottle at South Lyndale Liquors, Minneapolis, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.00

Details: 50.5% ABV. Port Barrel Finished. Barrel #250

Nose: Dusty oak, plum, almond, honey, and allspice.

Mouth: Follows the nose with oak, stone fruit, almond, honey, and cinnamon spice that builds the longer you hold it in your mouth.

Finish: Medium to long with a warmth that blossoms up after a moment. Notes of oak, plum jelly, honey, and baking spice.

Thoughts: I really like this one. My wife is less enthusiastic but admits that might be just because she isn't enjoying the fruity port finish as much as I am. I'm finding this sweet and fruity, with a nice bit of oak to round out the experience. Quite tasty. Though as I said, I would have been surprised if it hadn’t been. Store picks from South Lyndale Liquors rarely disappoint.

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Wyoming Whiskey National Parks No.3 – Snake River, Grand Teton National Park

I’d like to thank the folks at Wyoming Whiskey for providing this sample with no strings attached.

It is no secret that I love our National Parks. Every vacation these days includes a trip to at least one. And so when I got an email announcing Wyoming Whiskey’s latest National Park Limited Edition, I reached out to make sure that I was on the list. In the past, these have been good whiskey and the fact that it also benefits a cause near to my heart is an added bonus.

In years past, the annual release has helped to support both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. And this year is the same. Quoting the press release now:

For Wyoming Whiskey co-founders, Brad & Kate Mead and David DeFazio, Grand Teton National Park plays a pivotal role in their lives. The Meads historically used parts of Grand Teton National Park land for their annual cattle drive, a vital part of their ranching business based in Jackson, WY. DeFazio is also an avid outdoorsman, and visits the park year-round for fishing, hiking, skiing and more. All to say, Grand Teton is part of the Wyoming Whiskey identity which makes this year’s partnership with GTNPF so meaningful.

“My attachment to Grand Teton National Park is deep and visceral, as I have enjoyed some of the finest days of my ranch life in the park,” said Kate Mead who is also a founding member of the GTNPF board of directors. “Supporting the Foundation is a simple way to show our appreciation for all that the park has meant to our family, and to Wyoming Whiskey.”

“It is an honor for Wyoming Whiskey to be able to give back to the park and help to protect this beautiful land in our own backyard— a place so close to our hearts,” said Wyoming Whiskey Co-Founder David DeFazio.

"Grand Teton National Park Foundation is grateful for Wyoming Whiskey's incredible support," said Leslie Mattson, President of the Grand Teton National Park Foundation. "Their vision and commitment to national park conservation will help continue our work to steward, protect, and enhance all that is special in Grand Teton."

This bourbon is five years old. It has a mash bill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. It is bottled at 105° proof. It is available in select markets for $79.99 per 750 mL bottle.

Now let’s see how it tastes.

Wyoming Whiskey National Parks No.3 – Snake River, Grand Teton National Park

Purchase Info: This sample was provided for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $79.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.33

Details: 5 years old. 52.5% ABV. Mash bill: 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley.

Nose: Maple, cherry, allspice, and oak.

Mouth: Cinnamon, vanilla, and a touch of molasses.

Finish: Warm and on the long side of medium. Notes of cinnamon, vanilla, molasses, and oak.

Thoughts: Very tasty. I'm digging the molasses notes. Almost reminds me of a hint of "rum funk" in the way it presents itself in the mouth. And I really enjoy a funky rum. The finish is relatively long and flavorful. I'm wishing that I had a larger sample because this is really good. In fact, since I do not believe that this is distributed in Minnesota, I think that I’ll be heading over to ReserveBar when I’m done here as the the press release says it is available there.

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Union Horse Reunion Rye Barrel Proof & Union Horse Rolling Standard

I’d like to thank the producer and their PR team for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Tuesday we revisited the bourbon and rye whiskeys from Union Horse Distillery in the Kansas suburbs of Kansas City. We’d first covered those whiskeys over seven years ago, way back in 2016. Tonight, we take a look a couple of the items that they’ve released since that time.

The first is a barrel-proof version of the Reunion Rye that we looked at on Tuesday. The other is a unique mixture of their new American Single Malt and a Wheated Bourbon. It is called Rolling Standard and here is what they have to say about it:

Rolling Standard Midwestern Four-Grain Whiskey is a very interesting approach to creating a four-grain. Instead of using all four grains together in the same mash, Union Horse Distilling distilled a wheated Bourbon and distilled an American Single Malt, aged both for five years, and then blended them together. After the blending process, the whiskey is then returned to those barrels another 18 months together before being blended again as a small batch. It is non-chill filtered and bottled at 92°.

We have a lot of tasting notes to get through tonight so I’m going to jump right into those. First we will be taking a look at the Barrel Strength Reunion Rye Whiskey followed by Rolling Standard.

Union Horse Barrel-Strength Reunion Straight Rye Whiskey

Purchase Price: This review sample was provided at no cost by the producer for review purposes. The suggested price is $57.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.80

Details: 100% Rye. 60.7% ABV. 4-5 years old. Batch 12. Barreled at 110° proof

Nose: Mint, cinnamon, and cedar.

Mouth: Cedar, mint, ginger, clove, cinnamon, and chocolate.

Finish: Warm and long with mint, cedar, cinnamon, and ginger.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed the standard Reunion Rye and I like this barrel proof version even more. It’s the same, just dialed up to eleven. It is really damn good! It makes me wish it was distributed here in Minnesota (though next time I’m in Kansas City, I may see about bringing one back).

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Union Horse Rolling Standard

Purchase Price: This review sample was provided at no cost by the producer for review purposes. The suggested price is $33.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.20

Details: 46% ABV. Batch 21. 18 months old. Mash Bill: 45% corn, 20% wheat, 20% malted barley and 15% rye.

Nose: Butterscotch, cinnamon, chocolate, and roasted peanuts.

Mouth: Very malt forward with caramel and cinnamon.

Finish: Medium warmth and length. The notes remind me of a snickers bar, chocolate, caramel, malt and peanuts.

Thoughts: I like this one, but I like it a lot more as a cocktail ingredient than I do out of a tasting glass. It has a lot of good qualities, but doesn't quite align with my palate when neat. That said, I really enjoy the "Snickers Bar" finish. But the malt-forward notes in the mouth aren't quite for me. All-in-all, if you like a whiskey that has malted milk style malt notes in the mouth and a candy bar finish, you should certainly pick this up if you are in a market where it is sold. It makes a killer old-fashioned so I will be using mine for that.

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