Castle & Key Restoration Batch 3

Castle & Key’s Restoration Batch 3 Review

Castle & Key Distillery is a place that seems out of a fairy tale for those not into whiskey. For those that are it is almost hallowed ground where Colonial Edmund Haynes (E.H.) Taylor Jr. literally started whiskey tourism. Obviously, his name sake whiskey’s produced by Buffalo Trace are much revered but now we will see if this place has some magic left as I review the 2021 Restoration Rye Batch 3 whiskey.

 

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NAME – Restoration Kentucky Rye Whiskey 2021 Batch 3

 

PROOF – 105

 

AGE – 3.5 years

 

COLOR – Harvest gold (1.3 russet muscat on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Sugary cereal like Captain Crunch, lemon zest, slightly floral and maltiness

 

TASTE – A lemon herbal tea with honey is immediately what I think of. There is a fair amount of rye spice bite in the back of the throat and the maltiness is weaved throughout.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. I might even be stretching a bit to call this a medium finish. The rye spice and maltiness stays and whiffs of lemon zest at the very end.

 

REVIEW – This rye whiskey is summer in a glass. The lemon zest makes it bright and vibrant without be obnoxious. There is just enough sweetness, rye spice and malt to balance out the citrus. I absolutely could see me sitting out on a late July evening and having a pour of this. Maybe even putting it in some 7-Up or ginger ale. Really a pleasant pour that doesn’t even drink at the 105 proof. If I didn’t know I would guess it more in the 90 proof range.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – I am an unapologetic E.H. Taylor fan boy. If he would be alive today, he would absolutely be THE rockstar in this whiskey craze. He was 100 years ahead of his time as he was thinking distilleries should be more than a barn with a still in it. Back when the distillery where Castle & Key is now attracted tourist and people would come to picnic where they were given complimentary “tenth pint” bottles of Old Taylor. This was in the late 1800’s and he was already doing what almost every distillery on the bourbon trail and off of it (for that matter) is doing. Distilleries today are shrines to their brand and they realize that the distillery can add to the attraction of the whiskey. Today, people have their weddings there as I personally saw one time when I was there.

 

If you are ever in Frankfort area, it is an absolute must stop even if the people you are with aren’t into whiskey, they will respect and be awed by the whiskey castle.

To find out more check it out here – Castle & Key

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

Whiskey War Double Oaked Batch 3 Review

SUNDAY EVENING REVIEW

 

I love it when I start seeing double…double oaked that is. Ever sense Woodford popularized the concept of double oaking whiskey, it has been done by many. High Bank’s master distiller Adam Hines also is a big fan of the process and the results that come from it. Hines has now come out with his 3rd batch of Whiskey War Double Oaked and I am fortunate enough to get to review it before it goes on sale this coming Friday. Let’s see if Batch 3 is like one of the first 2 (which were very different) or will it have its own profile.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Whiskey War Double Oaked Batch 3

 

PROOF – 100

 

AGE – non-age stated but I do know that it spent 18 months in the 2nd barrel, and this is still from the early batches of Whiskey War that were aged at 2 ½ year or so. So, this is about 4 years old.

 

COLOR – new tanned leather (1.5 auburn, polished mahogany on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Honey, vanilla, anise, canned pears, sweet oak, and ginger

 

TASTE – Caramel, browned butter, rye spice, charred oak, white pepper, and some slight ginger

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. The charred oak, white pepper and ginger stick around along with some tobacco comes out in the end.

 

REVIEW – I am fortunate enough to still have Batch 1 and Batch 2 of Whiskey War Double Oaked and to best describe this in a nutshell is this Batch 3 is like the first 2 batches had a baby. There is the caramel and butter notes from Batch 1 and the spicey rye and peppery notes from Batch 2. This is interesting and not overly sweet as some double oaks can get. The only thing missing in the palate that was in the nose was fruit notes. The canned pears on the nose didn’t come out in the palate.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – First, I want to thank High Bank for allowing me to sample this before the release. This is another very good double oak by High Bank. It is sure to be a very quick seller when it is released this Friday. You can tell when someone has a passion for something and double oaked whiskey is that for Hines. It is why it is some of his very best releases and highly sought after. I would set an alarm for Friday or you will most likely be out of luck.

You can purchase Whiskey War Double Oaked Batch 3 on Friday, February 25th at 11AM ET at https://www.highbankco.com/double-oaked. There will be a limit of 1 bottle per customer in an attempt to allow as many people as possible to get a bottle.

To find out more check it out here – High Bank Distillery

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

 

Chattanooga Whiskey 91 Review

Sunday Evening Review

 

The Bengals today head into the Super Bowl “ahead of schedule.” No one before the season thought they had enough on the team to even get to the playoffs. Same can be said for Chattanooga Whiskey. Next month they will celebrate their 7th year producing their own whiskey but in that short time they have shaken up the whiskey industry leaning heavily into a high malt mash bill they call Tennessee High Malt. Today I will review their 91 proof variety. Let’s see if it is ready for the big time.

 

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NAME – Chattanooga Whiskey 91

 

PROOF – 91

 

AGE – non-age stated but website says aged at least 2 years

 

COLOR – new copper penny (1.4 tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Malty pilsner beer, cream of wheat, amber honey, cherry pie, sweet oak

 

TASTE – Dark honey and malted grains grab you at the front. There is some sweet black tea, tobacco, leather, toast oak and decent amount of vanilla

 

FINISH – I would call this a short to medium to long finish. The toast oak, leather and vanilla find their way until the end but the ending comes a little quick.

 

REVIEW – This whiskey I think lends itself to someone that wants to get into American whiskey and is coming from being a beer drinker. The maltiness is very evident and the lower proof point makes it very approachable. There is almost no hint of ethanol anywhere. That being said if you are proof hound that requires a oily mouth feel and a finish that last a day and half, this won’t be your pour. I would high suggest grabbing their 111 and you will be much happier. Its why they make both.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – What I feel is so interesting about Chattanooga Whiskey is the rebellious nature that they have come at it. They have fought the government, traditional whiskey making and just about anywhere they can go against the grain. They always feel like they are just this side of bootlegging.

 

Some interesting facts of the whiskey, a month-by-month release of 10 single barrels, selected from the first 100 produced at the Experimental Distillery – culminating with Barrel #91, the future flagship recipe. That recipe consists of Yellow Corn, Malted Rye, Caramel Malted Barley & Honey Malted Barley (now you know where all that maltiness comes from). After aging more than 2 years in both toasted and charred barrels, Chattanooga Whiskey 91 utilizes their version of the Solera finishing process.  They bring together nearly 100 barrels into a 4000-gallon, charred, white oak Solera finishing barrel, which never goes empty.

 

See what I mean. They just do it different.

 

To find out more check it out here – Chattanooga Whiskey 91

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

Pinhook Bourbon Vertical Series 6 Year Review

SUNDAY EVENING REVIEW

What does time taste like? It is part of why many like whiskey and swear by different ages of different types of whiskey that makes it the perfect aging to make the perfect whiskey. There is one whiskey brand that is going to let you taste time. Pinhook has a vertical series where they will release the same distillate where it started at 4 years and will go to 12 years. Today I will review and taste the third release and aged at 6 years. Let’s see if time has been kind so far.

 

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NAME – Pinhook Straight Bourbon Whiskey Vertical Series

 

PROOF – 107

 

AGE – 6 years

 

COLOR – browned butter (1.3 russet muscat on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Butterscotch, vanilla bean, strawberry taffy, cinnamon graham crackers

 

TASTE – Vanilla ice cream and heavy rye spice is up front when you first sip. Caramel ice cream topping, cinnamon and some sweet oak

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. The rye spice lingers until the end, but you also get the oak and a bit of sweet leather

 

REVIEW – One of the things that pops out at you for a 6 year bourbon at 107 proof is how oily of a mouth feel that this has. It really coats the palate nice. This is interesting in the fact that some aspects of this pour would make you to believe that it is more mature than 6 years and other things that it is younger. The vanilla ice cream and the syrupy caramel makes you think older but the sharp rye notes make you think that it isn’t as old. I am really excited though as this vertical series continues and to one day sit down with all of them, taste time and the journey it takes.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – I can’t tell you enough how cool I think this idea of a vertical series is. What Pinhook has done is grabbed 1,350 MGP bourbon barrels and will release 150 barrels every year until it reaches 12 years. What they are also doing is upping the proof each year. The 4 year was 98 proof, 5 year 104 proof and then this 6 year at 107.

 

I think this is something that I am a bit surprised one of the big distilleries hasn’t already done. I could easily see Heaven Hill doing this with Elijah Craig or the Evan Williams brand. People, including Fred Minnick, have been clambering for Maker’s Mark to release higher aged whiskey. Getting more local, I would absolutely love to see Middle West do a vertical series.

 

Who would you like to see do a vertical series like this? Comment below and let me know.

 

To find out more check it out here – Pinhook Vertical Series

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parker’s Heritage Collection: Orange Curacao Finished Review

Last night it was time for me to pay up on my private tasting that was raffled off at our December meeting that raised money for the Huckleberry House. It gave me the opportunity to crack open a bottle that I had been saving for the situation. So now that it is open, I figured it was as good a time as any to review it for you. The bottle is a Parker’s Heritage Collection: Barrel Finished in Orange Curacao barrels. Let’s get into this!

 

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NAME – Parker’s Heritage Barrel Finished

 

PROOF – 110

 

AGE – non-age stated (rumored to be between 7-8 years – 4 months in orange curacao barrels)

 

COLOR – deep amber (1.4 tawny on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Navel orange citrus pops right off the top, light brown sugar, toasted almonds, vanilla crème, slight sweet leather and toasted oak

 

TASTE – Vanilla custard right in the front and then it transitions with orange creamsicle, roasted peanuts, charred oak, dusty tobacco

 

FINISH – I would call this a long finish. The orange notes transition into a dry charred oak and dusty peanut shell finish.

 

REVIEW – Orange curacao finished bourbon is not something I normally seek out but when I had the chance I had to pull the trigger on a Parker’s Heritage Collection. The interesting part of this pour is that there is no doubt the orange curacao finish gave the intended effect of adding an orange note but at the core of this is still a Heaven Hill profile with big nuttiness and oak notes that still reminds you it is still the base of this whiskey. I think the more often you drink it the better you get to understand the pour. I will say today I felt it was better than the first pour out of the bottle last night. It also probably has been improved by letting air hit for a little bit also.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – It was great to be able to share this bottle with some great people last night. One of the things that I did last night was use different food items to show the dramatic changes that can make with whiskey in general but with one like this it really showed. I really encourage you with any whiskey to try this exercise. I used parmesan cheese, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, dark chocolate and a dark maple syrup. The dried cranberries really made the orange burst alive and then the dark chocolate brought out the dry oak and nuttiness. All of the items gave you many twist and turns. Let me know if you do this and what you think.

To find out more check it out here – Parker’s Heritage Collection

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

1792 Full Proof Review

Old Man Winter has certainly come to central Ohio and when he makes a visit, I like to crank up the heat on my whiskey. So with that in mind I thought what better time to review 1792 Full Proof. I was a bit shocked as I looked through all my reviews that I had not done a review of this bottle yet. Let’s put an end to that right now and get into it.

 

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NAME – 1792 Full Proof

 

PROOF – 125

 

AGE – non-age stated (rumored to be between 7 and 9 years)

 

COLOR – cinnamon streusel (1.6 mahogany, henna notes on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Buttered French toast, cooked cinnamon apples, vanilla whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and smoky oak

 

TASTE – Rye spice and ethanol welcome you right away on the first sip. After your palate calms down you get vanilla, red delicious apples, cinnamon, some citrus, smoky oak and small hint of caramel. Far less caramel than what you would expect. Good mouth feel with this whiskey.

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium to long finish. The smoky oak and cinnamon run until the very end.

 

REVIEW – This is a power punch of flavor and ethanol. This is not for the faint of heart or someone that enjoys “smooth” whiskies that are below the 90 proof mark. Even though it has a good mouth feel there is plenty of heat and sharp edges from the rye that is rumored at 18% in the mash along with the 125 proof. This variety of 1792 does dial back the sweetness that is usually found in their small batch, bottled-in-bond and single barrel varieties. Though it does have sweetness, it doesn’t lead the show and instead the cinnamon, vanilla and smoky oak are more prominent versus caramels, brown sugars or toffee.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – Though this is hard to find in Ohio, outside of Ohio it is not that difficult to find and many good store picks are out there too. Many times, you are able to find it for $60 or even less. At that price it is an absolute steal. After it won whiskey of the year in 2020 by the Whiskey Bible, prices went nuts and availability went in the tank but now it has got back to more of a regular footing (at least in these whiskey crazed times we are in).

 

On the back of the bottle is says, “Bourbon insiders have long acknowledged that full proof bourbon has a distinctively rich flavor. This bourbon has been bottled at its original 125 barrel entry proof, just as it was years ago, when the barrels were first filled.” That is a distinction to be made. Some get confused between barrel proof and full proof. Barrel proof is the proof of the whiskey after it has aged which most of the time is higher than the entry proof due to evaporation of water during the aging. Full proof on the other hand is the proof at which the whiskey went into the barrel. For 1792 that is 125 proof. If Maker’s Mark ever wanted to do a full proof it would be 110 proof as their entry level of their new make is 110 proof.

If you are out in your travels and run into a place that has the 1792 Full Proof, I recommend the purchase. I think it has all the flavor of a Bookers without the kick in the teeth that sometimes Bookers gives you. It’s not quite as good as Stagg Jr. but a good alternative and if you think Elijah Craig is too sweet, then 1792 Full Proof might be what you want in your glass.

 

To find out more check it out here – 1792 Full Proof

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

 

 

 

 

Sagamore Double Oak Rye Review

SUNDAY EVENING REVIEW

 

During my time doing these reviews, I have reviewed many double oaked whiskies but I have never reviewed a double oaked rye. That changes today as I review the Sagamore Double Oak Rye. Let’s see what the second barrel does to this rye.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Sagamore Spirit Rye Straight Whiskey Double Oak

 

PROOF – 96.6

 

AGE – No Age Statement (back of bottle states initial age of whiskey is 4 years before going in second barrel. On the website says that it stays in the second barrel for 18 months. So at least 5 ½ years old)

 

COLOR – Dirty copper (1.6 mahogany, henna notes on the Whiskey Magazine Chart)

 

NOSE – Herbal mint, black tea, strawberry taffy, vanilla wafer, Heath candy bar and oak

 

TASTE – Toffee, vanilla, herbal mint, black tea, hint of orange, milk chocolate, some baking spices and some sweet oak

 

FINISH – I would call this medium finish. The herbal mint, black tea, some of the orange and a little bit of the milk chocolate lasted until the end.

 

REVIEW – This is a rye drinkers rye. It has all the aspects of what people that drink ryes want. The double oak process I believe added some vanilla and toffee notes that help this rye from just drinking an herbal mint tea. It rounded out the whiskey and gave it far more interest and drinkability at the same time.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – I really wonder why there isn’t more double oaked ryes. I think the additional barrel can add depth as well as additional sweetness that can help round out some of the sharpness commonly found in a straight rye.

 

On another note, I just think these angular bottles with the copper and slate grey label are just stunning. It is simple and elegant without trying too hard.  Also, each Sagamore product that  is proofed is proofed with pure, limestone-filtered water from their Spring House built in 1909. It’s why each bottle bears a special 1909 marker.

To find out more check it out here – Sagamore Double Oak Rye

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

Iron Vault Distillery Limited Bourbons Reviewed

Sunday Evening Review

 

This week if you are a fan of craft distilleries, this will be the week for you. The reason is that Iron Vault Distillery is a craft distillery in every sense of the word. Now being craft is all well and good but what they produce is far more important. Today I will review 2 of their limited-edition selections with their Star Spangled Bourbon and also the Bloody Butcher Bourbon. Let’s find out if this is going to be like fireworks in my mouth or what may be considered a crime scene. Let’s get to it.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Iron Vault Star Spangled Bourbon

 

PROOF – 90

 

AGE – non-age stated

 

COLOR – baked butternut squash (1.3 russet muscat on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Buttered corn on the cob, vanilla, clover honey, sweet oak and a slight milk chocolate

 

TASTE – Sweet corn pudding, vanilla cream, cinnamon sugar, and new oak

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. The sweet corn, vanilla and cinnamon last the entire trip.

 

NAME – Iron Vault Star Bloody Butcher

 

PROOF – 90

 

AGE – non-age stated

 

COLOR – toasted corn bread (1.3 russet muscat on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Honeysuckle, grape jelly, vanilla bean, toasted oak, and a hint of tobacco

 

TASTE – Sugar Smacks cereal, orange zest, vanilla pudding, and some Kit Kat candybar

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium finish. The vanilla and chocolate hangs around for the finish

 

REVIEW – Pretty clear that the Bloody Butcher is the more complex and interesting bourbon. It took me awhile to really figure out what I was tasting. Both have youth which was expected but not offensive as some young bourbon can be. The Star Spangled Bourbon would be good at a 4th July picnic as it is an easy drink and could be easily added to some coke at the picnic.

 

Bloody Butcher really is on the verge of being a really great bottle. It reminds me of Whiskey War when it was a 2 ½ year whiskey and then when High Bank added 2 more years to the blend, they won San Francisco. You add 2 more years to the Bloody Butcher and you would have something to write home about.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – Like I said before Iron Vault is a craft distillery in every sense of the word. They have never sourced any of their juice. The grain is all from Ohio and they are doing interesting things with 5, 10, 15 and 20 gallon barrels.

 

Both selections are using heirloom corn from Ohio. The Star Spangled uses a red, white and blue corn in its mash (see what they did there). The Bloody Butcher uses a heirloom red corn that is named the same.

 

Do yourself a favor sometime and make the short drive to Galion, Ohio and check them out. Make sure of their hours as they are limited to the public as like I said this is very craft and small operations, but you won’t be disappointed. Great tasting and make sure to ask to try their Aquavit. It certainly is an experience.

 

To find out more check it out here – Iron Vault Distillery

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

Peerless Double Oak Review

Sunday Evening Review

 

It’s a new year and why not double up to start…double oak that is. This week we will take a look at the Peerless Double Oak bourbon. I have had some special barrel picks that were a double oak in the past, but this will be my first taste of their new edition. We’ll find out if double the oak means double the flavor.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Peerless Double Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon

 

PROOF – 107.1

 

AGE – non-age stated

 

COLOR – pipe tobacco (1.9 brown sherry on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

 

NOSE – Dark brown sugar, bubble gum, orange peel, milk chocolate and sweet oak

 

TASTE – Milk chocolate, nougat, roasted peanut, soft leather, vanilla bean, sweet oak along with some wood spice

 

FINISH – I would call this a medium to a long finish. Chocolate, leather and tobacco runs to the end.

 

REVIEW – This didn’t disappoint. It gives you a ton of flavor with a good balance of sweetness and some of the dark notes like oak, leather and tobacco. I will say that some of the barrel picks that I have had of a Peerless Double Oak that they seemed to be slight richer but that is being nitpicky.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – Peerless has quickly grabbed anyone’s attention and a lot of it has to do with their 30 year old Master Distiller, Caleb Kilburn. They also do it the hard way using a sweet mash style but has really worked for Peerless. They are well known for their rye but I will say that their bourbons are some of the best put out by anyone.

 

A little did you know for you. Did you know that the double oak style of bourbon was born out of a fix for a problem. Sometimes barrels just leak and what happened to save the juice was to put it in another new charred oak barrel. It didn’t take long for distillers to recognized it did more than fix a problem.

 

To find out more check it out here – Peerless Double Oak

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.

Middle West Double Cask Sherry Cask-Finished Review

Sunday Evening Review

 

Now that the gifts have all been given, the cookies and chocolates have been eaten and your credit card bills are on their way, its time to take a moment and enjoy this late year release by central Ohio’s Middle West Spirits. They released the Double Cask Collection featuring three different styled spirits that came in both a lower proof and cask strength. It includes the Sherry Cask-Finished Bourbon, Oloroso Wheat Whiskey and Ported Pumpernickel Rye Whiskey. Tonight, I will be reviewing the Sherry Cask-Finished Bourbon at cask strength. Hoping the final of the review of the year will finish it off right.

 

Make sure you put in the comments any bottles that you would like me to review.

 

NAME – Middle West Spirits Double Cask Collection Sherry Cask-Finished Bourbon

 

PROOF – 115.74

 

AGE – 6 years

 

COLOR –antique mahogany desk (1.8 Old Oak on the Whiskey Magazine Chart)

 

NOSE – Ripe plum, fig newton, chocolate covered almonds, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, aged oak and cigar tobacco.

 

TASTE – The fig, chocolate, vanilla and oak leap up at first sip. The more you sip the more the nutmeg and cinnamon play a part and at the very back the almond nuttiness shows itself. A very creamy texture that coats the mouth.

 

FINISH – I would call this a long finish. The almond note, cinnamon, nutmeg, aged oak and tobacco stay until the very end.

 

REVIEW – For $125 for the bottle and from an Ohio distillery you just wonder if it can justify the price. The packaging is absolute first rate and is an absolute beauty on the shelf. The juice inside also shows a masterful craftmanship as the time spent in the sherry barrel was just enough to add subtle notes but not overpower the bourbon that went in. It stills holds onto all the traditional aspects of a Middle West bourbon and the nutmeg note that usually can always be found in their spirits. Also, at that price point you want the full experience and that can’t be achieve if the mouth feel isn’t there. It doesn’t disappoint as this whiskey is very creamy and clings to all parts of your mouth. This hits all aspects you are looking for in a great bottle and more than justifies the $125 price tag.

 

FINAL COMMENTS – I knew that Middle West has been working on these for a while. They had showed me their tube packaging designs over a year ago now. The attention to detail in the packaging is really impressive and matches what they did with the juice.

 

Some other details: The Sherry Cask-Finished Bourbon is aged a minimum of six years, first on heavy-toasted American white oak barrels crafted in Ohio, before it matures in sun-blackened Spanish Solera Sherry casks.

 

To find out more about Middle West check it out here – Middle West Spirits

You can look at all the past Sunday Evenings Reviews and I would still love to hear what your personal reviews are from each of the whiskies reviewed.