Certainly one for the oak lover, the nose is dominated by fresh lumber, dusty floorboard, and toasty wood notes, with sweet vanilla, hazelnut, cedar, and dark berry buried beneath. The palate is similarly oak-driven, with grape skins, tea leaves, and robust wood tannins leading to a finish that is dry and somewhat austere, with bitter chocolate and modest spice flavors.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2020)

Not a whiskey: FEW Spirits cut its bourbon with cold-brew coffee instead of water, but the effect is subtle and surprising. There’s sweet green tea, spearmint gum, marzipan, coconut, caraway, and toasted oak on the nose. Mint-chocolate candy, licorice, blueberry, and black pepper vie with oak on the palate; adding water, a juicy, fruity strain of raspberry and pomegranate emerges. The finish is dry, peppery, and herbal; water brings out fruit to balance.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2020)

Cherry, raisin, aniseed, ground pepper, and fruitcake on the nose. The taste experience builds to a spicy clove and pepper fistfight, and while there are glimpses of red apple, it takes time for the spiciness to subside and the other flavors don’t ever really get a chance. Even the chocolate notes on the finish are harried by the spices. Dilution delivers much more enjoyable flavors. (252 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2020)

The nose is light, floral, and hoppy; sweet on top, with hints of licorice, stone fruit, bubble gum, and honeydew. The palate is also light, with a silky texture that offers notes of chocolate-covered marshmallows, plums, nectarines, and hot cocoa with whipped cream. Smooth and balanced on the finish, if perhaps a bit light, with lingering hoppiness, toasted grain, and cigar wrapper, sweetened by vanilla and tropical fruit notes. (3,300 bottles)

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Spring 2020)

Initially, the nose is herbal, with emerging notes of new oak, baked apple, sassafras, spice, and old leather. The palate is earthy and herbal, with pulling oak tannins, while water smooths out the heat and coaxes out more spice. The finish offers some classic bourbon notes, but is somewhat lacking in balance. There are some youthful notes in the blend that don’t seem to offer much depth and complexity. (12,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Spring 2020)

This blend of straight ryes is fruit-forward on the nose, with red berries, grape Pixy Stix, sweet orange, canned pineapple, and shredded coconut, along with almond extract, baking spice, and herbs. There’s more fruit on the palate—strawberry, orange, lemon, pomegranate—and a full panoply of baking spices and black pepper. Fragrant nuttiness extends into the somewhat short finish, supported by oak and bitter chocolate.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2020)

Cooked malt, roasted chestnuts, and cigar box aromas mingle with caramel-nut clusters, brown sugar, grilled fruit, and new oak. It’s rich and roasty, with a velvety texture on the palate; the malt takes center stage, highlighted by bright citrus and herbaceous pine, as well as cooked fruit and hints of tobacco, with prominent oak flavors. Chocolate-covered candied orange peel and roasted nuts mingle with cigar on the finish.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2020)

A rather innocuous bourbon, it shows some of the pep that its namesake racehorse surely shares, with aromas of banana pudding, banana peel, lemon, vanilla, cloves, licorice, cherry hard candy, and cornbread. There’s zingy lemon and orange, rose oil, vanilla, cherry, and some herbal flavors on the palate, with more banana peel, candied fruit, and lemon oil on the finish.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2020)

Herbal and medicinal aromas—eucalyptus, menthol, licorice, Pine-Sol—intertwine with kiwi, green banana, and blackberries on the nose. It remains consistent on the palate, with mint, bay leaf, eucalyptus, Szechuan peppercorn, licorice, dark berries, and dry oak; with water, lemon oil and hints of tropical fruit emerge. The finish is oak-driven and peppery, with the sweet medicinal quality of cherry cough syrup.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2020)

The nose is a medley of bananas and cream, cinnamon-covered apples, and saltwater taffy, with an undernote of new wood. A rich, creamy palate offers dried orange slices, marmalade, dried figs, mince pie, and vanilla cream. The finish has notes of baking spice, vanilla, more dried fruit, and a peppery back note. Delightfully sweet and with good texture following through nicely on the finish. Youthful, but balanced and enjoyable.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Spring 2020)

Partial maturation in barrels that held Rogue’s Rolling Thunder imperial stout lends this whiskey aromas of hops, dry coffee grounds, cocoa powder, and vegetal earthiness; there’s also mesquite barbecue chips, vanilla, and amaretto. More beer-forward flavors on the palate, along with spice and chocolate, some dry nuttiness, and citrus oil. It’s consistent from start to finish, ending with piney hops, oily citrus, drying oak, white pepper, and roasted nuts.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2020)

Earthy, phenolic, and herbaceous with a wisp of smoke and seaweed, this is certainly characterful. The flavor marries malty sweetness, red fruits, and a peculiar smoke, like a distant burning leaf pile or smoldering smoked jalapeños. While it tastes a bit young, and it’s certainly unconventional, this is a very intriguing whiskey, with an ashy finish delivering cocoa and nutty notes. (9,600 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2020)

The age is readily apparent on the nose, which offers notes of chamomile tea, spice cabinet, antique store, grape jam, candied orange, and balanced oak. The palate is spicy, with bright citrus flavors, orange peel, pepper, and tingly spice. Water brings out guava, lemon iced tea, and mocha. The finish offers loads of spice, with drying oak tannin and more orange peel, contrasting with a hint of vanilla sweetness. (10,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Spring 2020)

Appealing notes of sweet mesquite, barbecue, butterscotch, candied nuts, warm cookies, and a very pleasant Southwest smokiness. The palate is light in body, offering notes of bitter chocolate, herbs, and spice, with the mesquite note lingering. There’s more sweetness and chocolate on the finish; a tasty profile but somewhat light-bodied. The nose is the best part. The palate and finish are balanced, but it’s a bit light and lacking in depth.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Spring 2020)

Banana peel, pencil shavings, florist’s shop, and rose garden lined with herb beds on the nose. Oak takes the lead on the palate, but is tempered by lemon and orange zest, sweet black licorice, chocolate, peanuts, and popcorn. Crushed peanuts, milk chocolate, and pencil shavings persist on the finish, although it’s fairly short.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2020)

Primary grain flavors of Cheerios and spirit notes of rubber tire suggest some youth here. The palate is very sweet, surprisingly sweet in fact, with cloying malt extract, honey, pear nectar, and a bit of lemon oil. There are some redeeming flavors, but this generally feels disjointed.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2020)

Youthful and fresh, with piney and grassy aromas, Lemon Pledge, fennel seed, and orange candy. The palate is thin and spiky; orange and lemon oils mingle with fresh herbs and tobacco leaf, but the effect falls short of cohesion. It finishes hot, with more tobacco, oak, and a hint of lemongrass.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2020)