A Salute to Samples! 9 Sample Mega Review

Background

Going to keep it short and sweet for the background, but I want to express some quick gratitude to what an incredible community whiskey can provide. The recent Jack Rose tasting (reviews here and here), doubled as a lovely community sample swap -thanks to u/thebourbonhunter and u/mothlight64 for these. What better way to salute their friendship than to review them all!

1985 Old Fitzgerald Prime (NAS, 86 Proof)

Nose: Lovely cherry leathery dusty funk. Honestly one of the best things about dusty whiskey is it just tends to nose SO different.

Palate: Cherry, honestly a fair bit of cherry, leather, it’s a little thin and simple but the cherry note is pretty nice.

Finish: Again I’m getting a fair bit of cherry, maraschino cherry syrup, some oak and again a leathery quality to it.

Good to Very Good (5.5/10)

Overall: This is nice, though it’s obviously hard not to fantasize what it would be like at ~100 proof. You can tell there’s an excellent base whiskey here, it’s just a little toned down.

1990s IW Harper Bottled in Bond (NAS, 100 Proof)

Nose: Leather, dusty cherry, coconut? That’s a weird note I know but there’s a semi-fruity funk to this I can't quite isolate.

Palate: Cherry cordial, stewed peaches, butterscotch and hazelnut.

Finish: Cola, baking spices, peanut brittle. A late arriving oak and heat.

Very Good (7/10)

Overall: It’s a pretty sweet pour and I mean that as a compliment, not that I mind some of the spicier notes. There’s a subtle nuttiness too that’s pretty fun. A real pleasant pour.

Copper Sky Experimental Series - Wheat Whiskey Honey Barrel Finish (5.5 Years, 107.5 Proof)

Nose: Floral honey, mixed berries, straw.

Palate: Honey forward, unsurprisingly, caramel as well but also a little grainy.

Finish: Bit-o-honey candies, wood, a little bit of pepper.

Good (5/10)

Overall: It’s not bad, definitely a good whiskey… but having just reviewed a pair of honey whiskeys this one is definitely a slight step behind given the graininess on the palate.

Prideful Goat 15 Year Bourbon Batch 2 (15 Years, 113.8 Proof)

Nose: Orange peel, tobacco, baking spices- pretty spice forward on the nose!

Palate: Orange marmalade, a panoply of baking spices, oak, caramel… again, pretty spice and oak driven but there’s enough sweetness to cut it well.

Finish: Oak and spices - it’s nothing if not consistent! Again, some underlying caramel and orange peel here to balance it out.

Very Good to Great (6.5/10)

Overall: You can probably divine what my gripes are, I could use a slightlllyyyy better balance towards some of the sweeter notes. All in all though, still tasty, you get a great sense of the age without totally tilting into over-oaked territory.

Four Gate Majestic Wood Series "Japanese Mizunara Oak" (7.5 Years, 117.4 Proof)

Nose: Raisin bread, burnt wood, cinnamon sugar.

Palate: There’s that Mizunara flavor. Sandalwood, toasted coconut, vanilla bean.

Finish: Cinnamon coffee cake, gentle wood influence, creme brulee.

Great to Excellent (7.5/10)

Overall: Through three releases, I’m a fan of what Four Gate is doing. The price point is obviously tough, but at least from what I have tasted they are putting alot of tender love and care into crafting unique releases. This is an eloquent release, showcasing Mizunara flavors without tilting too far into overcooking the finish.

Boone County 8 Year Wheated Whiskey (8 Years, 119.5 Proof)

Nose: Hellllooooo caramel. Berry compote and gentle oak notes.

Palate: More caramel, blackberries, creme brulee. Jammy and sweet.

Finish: Cola, dark chocolate, still some berries, tobacco and a touch of cinnamon.

Great (7/10)

Overall: A wonderfully layered pour, fruit and caramel mesh nicely from start to finish.

Frank August Single Barrel 005 (8 Years, 123.3 Proof)

Nose: Cinnamon coffee cake, honey butter, vanilla and black grape.

Palate: Lots o' caramel, black cherry, candied orange.

Finish: Red pepper, orange marmalade, caramel.

Great to Excellent (7.5/10)

Overall: Well, Frank August is now two for two in my book. There’s a wonderful viscosity to this pour that coats the palate with orange/caramel flavor.

Nashtucky 8 Year Bourbon (8 Years, 123.28 Proof)

Nose: Snickerdoodle cookies, orange peel, mint, cinnamon. Complex and inviting.

Palate: Raisins, charred oak, burnt caramel, cinnamon sugar, some citrus carries over from the nose.

Finish: Cola, brown sugar, tobacco, nutmeg and other baking spices, more oak, black pepper- spicyyyyy! But it’s honestly a pretty welcome and long lasting heat.

Great (7/10)

Overall: This is a punch you in the palate with flavor pour, and it’s better for it. Would I probably need to be in a particular mood to pour it? Sure! But this could definitely cut through a cigar and the heat and flavor certainly allows it to pop in comparison to some of these others.

Old Kirk #6814 (6 Years,132.6 Proof)

Nose: Dark grape, burnt caramel, maple and some ethanol.

Palate: Juicy and sweet, fruit pie, cola syrup and a gentle oak note.

Finish: More cola syrup, barrel spice, juicy… it makes you want to come back to it.

Excellent (8/10)

Overall: Per my buddy who supplied this and is much more of an Old Kirk expert than I am, this is strongly suspected to be sourced from Willett. It’s just RICH. Rich with flavor, a rich syrupy viscosity, a long rich finish. No complaints here.