Rating 6/ 10
Killowen Cuige Poitin Lutty
Nose: Grosielle, cedar.
Palate: Sour red fruits.
Rating: 6 / 10
Tasting Notes Rated: 6
Rating 6/ 10
New Riff #17/1462 Bourbon 52%
Nose: Milk chocolate, caramel rice crispy treat, subtle orange peel, warm leather
Palate: Tootsie roll, strong spirit but gentle flavor profile, nice wood integration, black/green peppercorn or hint of green bell pepper, black tea, whisps of apricot, hint of wintergreen.
Rating: 5 (Ryan) 6 (Shane) / 10 – high rye, 65 corn, 5% malted barley, 30% rye.
Rating 6/ 10
New Riff Rye #3402 55.75%
Nose: Guava & lemon grass, coriander, lime leaf, hint of cured meats – maybe cecina.
Palate: Sweet pillows, catnip, sage, hints of chocolate
Rating: 6 / 10 – nice but more minty than I usually like
Rating 6/ 10
New Riff Bourbon #8135 N10 SB Pick 52.85%
Nose: Red plums, grapefruit peel
Palate: Juicy and minty and chocolatey
Rating: 6 / 10 – fine these notes are loosing steam but its a lot of new riff in one night.. and they are all tasty.
Rating 6/ 10
Killowen FOB Barantuil 3 Years KD219 59.4%
Nose: Caramel, twinkies, sultanas.
Palate: Peated, maritime, dates, dark brown bread, gingerbread, ham, dried pineapple, fruit tobacco
Rating: 6 / 10 – intense. Peated. Quarter 120L PX cask.
Rating 6/ 10
L’encantada Pouy 1998/2024 Cask Sample #83
Nose: A cinnamon diesel explosion. Nutmeg. Cedar planks in the oven. Turned pineapple and mango gone the way of fermentation. Pencil shavings.
Palate: Rubber. Yellow peaches and canned lychee juice. I remember the first time they made me a retainer. A bubblegum flavored goop was put into a mold and pushed into my mouth. Don’t move or we will have to do this again, she said after the second failed attempt. I can still taste it 31 years later. The diesel note really pops in the finish.
Rating: 6 / 10 – Definitely going to appeal to the rum crowd.
Rating 6/ 10
The Singleton of Auchroisk 1981/1992 43%
Nose: Fresh coconut, pears, lemon pith, ginger
Palate: Boiled sweets, orange marmalade, hints of milk chocolate and leather, very rounded and soft on the palate
Rating: 6 / 10 – clearly a well blended older sherry style. Mature and mellow. 8 years in bourbon / 2 in sherry?
Rating 6/ 10
Balcones Texas Single Malt 2021 66.1%
Nose: Cranberry orange relish, nice sweetness, sourdough, stargazer lilies
Palate: Big wood with strong floral note and whallop of sweetness, with water strong orange peel citrus vibe surfaces. Resin pine vibe.
Rating: 6 / 10
Rating 6/ 10
Balcones Texas Single Malt 2021 60%
Nose: male cologne vibe
Palate: Shoe polish, leather, chocolate
Rating: 6 / 10
Rating 6/ 10
Balcones Texas Rye 61% (European Oak)
Nose: Green papaya, packing tape, green peppercorn, varnish
Palate: Stronnng wood, cardboard and tape, grapefruit peel, slightly astringent, earl grey tea.
Rating: 5 (Ryan) 6 (Shane) / 10
Rating 6/ 10
Balcones Texas Rye BIB 50%
Nose: Coriander, verbena / mintyness you get with rye, white pepper, pine, pumpernickel, vanilla, chestnuts, a strange avian quality I get from wild birds… is it fowl? And an herbal tea vibe, hints of mulled wine – lemon peel.
Palate: There is a really nice toasted quality that comes across in the rye, lemon notes, varnish, pomegranate. Cardboard. Finish is super milk chocolate.
Rating: 6 (Ryan) 5 (Shane) / 10 – this is really weird and complex and uncomfortable. I would never buy a bottle (Shane) but it’s an adventure.
Rating 6/ 10
Lost Lantern Balcones 2020 63.5%
Nose: Corn, grainy, dinner rolls, dried grapefruit peel.
Palate: Big rounded oak, celery, leather, very velvety.
Rating: 6 / 10 – more elegant than many, more rounded
Rating 6/ 10
Balcones High Plains 64.5%
Nose: Caramel, nutty, bread pudding, caramelized banana, lotus biscoff cookie spread
Palate: Everything on the nose and then an intense bitterness. It works but a bummer.. Finish is just the biscoff cookie vibe
Rating: 6 / 10
Rating 6/ 10
Balcones SMWS 140.2 Shotgun Whirligig 58.9%
Nose: Orange peel, shop dust, cherry, sugary frosting, vanilla bean, almond biscotti.
Palate: Orange bitters, big oak bites, celery, cedar, cigar tobacco.
Rating: 6 / 10
Rating 6/ 10
Balcones Texas Bock 50% 2020
Nose: Boiled peanuts, barley sweets, caramel cream puddings sojourn has before judo, charred matches after they burn out, subtle elderflower
Palate: Salinity of good salted roasted peanuts, rich mouthfeel, barley sweeties, strong oak.
Rating: 7 (Shane) 6 (Ryan) / 10 – this is quite nice. I’d drink it again with bells on. Its too much oak for Ryan.