Delicate and pretty on the nose, with tropical notes of lime and lemon, warm baklava on a tray; syrupy, with cinnamon almond and walnut nuttiness. Silky and honeyed on an equally delicate palate of dark chocolate, cinnamon baked apple, vanilla frosting, and honeyed malted barley. A superbly long finish offers even more flavors—raspberry jam, blueberry muffin, and that marvelous maltiness—with water enhancing it all. Graceful, balanced, and sustained.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2021)

Don’t be fooled by the gentle honeysuckle aroma coming from this whiskey—it’s a powerhouse. From the first sip there’s a sensory overload of bold, zingy flavor. There’s a caramel core buried deep inside, with layers of oak, bracing licorice, chile oil, and a long spicy finish. This is a lip-smacking dram, one best suited as the final one of the night, a memorable toast to a day well spent.

Reviewed by: David Savona (Fall 2021)

Looking into a glass of this dark bourbon can be mesmerizing, especially when combined with its alluringly sweet aroma, which urges you to take a sip. There’s a charry wood influence to this whiskey, which offers flavor-laden notes of rich coffee bean and jammy dark fruit, buttressed by tannins of leather and cigar box cedar. A delicious, enticing drink that more than lives up to its handsome appearance. (Distillery only)

Reviewed by: David Savona (Fall 2021)

Oily on the nose, with hints of dried peanut shells, Grape-Nuts, mint leaves, fragrant oak, and earthy spice. A smooth palate of dried herbs and spice leads to sweeter notes of ripe banana, vanilla cream, and lashings of milk chocolate, all dusted with oak. The finish offers cocoa powder, black coffee, dark chocolate, and cooked red fruits. Once this fresh, spiced whiskey settles down in the glass, it becomes very sippable indeed.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2021)

Alluringly dark and fragrant, sending forth aromas of grape jelly, dried strawberries, and apricots. The rich palate is loaded with blackberry tart, cooked prunes, buttered popcorn, malt, and vanilla cake. More berries and luscious dark fruit on a finish that kicks in with rich chocolate and spiced oak, all tinged with char and aged barrel notes. This is Texas bourbon’s answer to a top-flight jammy California cabernet.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2021)

Small batch whisky with a pleasant nose exhibiting good balance and an excellent combination of complementary flavors: crisp barley aromas with blossom honey, graham crackers, toffee, pistachio nut, sesame oil, and gentle dusty spices. This builds a lip-smacking flavor profile around vanilla fudge, with a buttery texture supported by apple, pepper, caramelized sugar, and baked fruits.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2021)

From the minds at Barrell Craft Spirits. The nose is fruity, with notes of mixed-berry preserves, cherries, blackberries, and Smarties, with additional dessert-like aromas of tiramisu and milk chocolate-covered caramel. A velvety mouthfeel showcases more caramel, plus orange and berry flavors, while also providing a good deal of spice that carries over to a slightly underwhelming finish. Enough complexity and proof to handle water well.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Fall 2021)

Just 5 years old and matured in oloroso sherry butts for the duration, this has a rich, lush nose of sherry wood, baked orange, pepper, ground ginger, orange bitters, new brogues, and tobacco leaf. Extremely nutty on the palate, with marmalade, walnuts, spicy gingerbread, bitter orange, clove, pepper, chile flakes, and Seville orange notes to finish; this has plenty of flare amid its fiery temperament.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2021)

The nose is dry, with scents of cherry liqueur, madeira, menthol, clove, York Peppermint Pattie, herbal notes, rich fruitcake, and polished wood. A glossy palate of russet apples, malt, baked orange, cherry, creamy milk pudding, black currant cassis, cloves, raisins, prunes, and vanilla pod. Gracious and stately. (235 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2021)

A classic nose, equally enticing and reassuringly traditional, with aromas of cinnamon and toasted oats wrapped in rich vanilla toffee, whole spices, crisp cereal notes, millionaire’s shortbread, and hints of malt and drying tobacco.  The palate is fruity and juicy, with ripe stone fruits, orange, caramel, and peppery spice, with bright flashes of lime zest, ending with an irrepressible rolling spicy finish flecked with grapefruit peels.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2021)

A summer carnival of toffee, honeyed peanuts, and Sugar Daddy on the nose, along with lemon iced tea and a musty note of old books. Spiced and perfumed on the palate, with pronounced but balanced heat, bitter espresso, chocolate, and light caramel, accented by notes of eucalyptus and lemon zest. More spice on a finish of milk chocolate, coffee, toasted almonds, orange tart, and cooked blueberries. Lively, flavorful, mature, and balanced.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2021)

Milk chocolate, vanilla custard, peanut brittle, toffee, gentle spice, and hints of banana bread on the nose. Brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, chocolate, and bitter espresso on a palate that benefits from water, giving way to notes of blueberry pie and old library books. Good length on the finish which is dessert-like with balanced spice. A lot to offer with lush textures and flavors. (42,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Fall 2021)

Apple slices caramelized in butter and brown sugar, with a tart cranberry note, baked orange, fruity aromatic smoke, gingernuts, and background spices, suggesting the cognac cask casting greater influence than the port. Waves of fruit break over the palate, with baked apple, peppery spice, clove, and ginger, backed by malt and a gentle smokiness in the aftertaste. Comforting as a neat pour, with shortbread and caramel emerging with a splash of water. (576 bottles for the U.S.)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2021)

Dry notes of bitter herbs merge with grape jelly, cooked blueberries, candied oranges, vanilla custard, and tobacco pouch, all gently muffled by fragrant oak and antique shop maturity. The palate is powerful and hot but creamy, and filled with orange, cherries, and spice, while water brings out softer oak, caramel, and baking spice. More of the smooth texture on the finish, which highlights fudge, honeyed almonds, and chile peppers.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2021)

Speyside fragrance—floral notes of lavender and lilac—a citrusy hint of dried orange peel, heather, minerality, and fresh-cut grass. Lean and dry on the palate, with the barrel eliciting light hints of vanilla. A gentle citrus influence swathes the palate, complementing a touch of cherry pastry, both balanced against pleasant soapiness and pepper spice. A bone-dry refinement that at times is almost too restrained, and not singing as loudly as it might.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2021)

The red wine barrel elicits maraschino cherries and sweet pipe tobacco, leading to a smooth palate of chocolate fudge, spice cake, bitter espresso, charred pecans, strawberry ice cream, and more cherries. A lively finish offers nutty notes of almond, sweet coffee ice cream, honeyed berries, spice, well-integrated barrel char, and dusty earth. Great texture and more berries on the finish, with balanced oak influence and complexity throughout.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2021)

Licorice, root beer, and ripe dark fruit aromas, with dried tobacco leaf, savory musty oak, and cedar wood. The palate is closed at first, but then lets fly with a peanut blast—peanut oil and peanut butter, with peppery spice and bitter espresso. Water releases fresh grapes and red apples, with the spice lingering. The finish offers roasted peanuts and pleasant earthiness. Unusual, but appealing.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2021)

All the colors of the rainbow: a vibrant citrus nose with early herbal notes that quickly yields to scents of fresh gooseberries, key lime pie, and orange peel. Initial vanilla and caramel suggest new American oak on the palate, before a surge of sharp citrus acidity with grapefruit, lime juice, green plum, taffy, and sherbet, transitioning to vanilla and toasted oak, then ripening into blueberry and black currant at the end.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2021)