Lock Stock & Barrel Vatted Rye - Review

Stats

Lock Stock & Barrel

Vatted Straight Rye Whiskey

Produced and Bottled by R.J. Cooper & Son

Scobeyville, NJ

NAS

100 Proof

Mash Bill: Various / Blended

Origin: Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Alberta

Retail Price: $80-90

Poured Neat in a Glencairn

Color: Deep Gold

Nose: Sweet with White Pepper tones. Complex, yet subtle.

Palate: A warm pepper spice which fades to a very smooth and viscous sweetness.

Finish: Long, Warm and Viscous.

Overall: I am quite impressed by this expression My only other experience with Lock Stock & Barrel was their 20 Year, which was phenomenal. I know I went from an extreme to a lesser known offering, but like I mentioned, I am impressed with this bottle. What's inside this gorgeous blacked-out bottle is a blend of delicious Rye from the US and Canada. The marriage is blended perfectly. At around $85, this is a well recommended pick-up if you see it. A great porch sipper!

Library Rating: 8.4 / 10

The Prideful Goat - 15 Year Cask Strength - Review

Stats

The Prideful Goat

Unfiltered Cask Strength

Kentucky Straight Bourbon

15 Year

Lot No. 3 / Bottle 1961

Bottled by Gulf Coast Distillers - Houston, Texas

114.1 Proof

Mash Bill: 78.5% Corn, 13% Rye, 8.5% Malted Barley

Retail Price: $125

Poured Neat in a Snüte Tumbler

Color: Dark Amber

Nose: Baking Spices, Oak, Leather, Tobacco and Toffee

Palate: Brown Sugar, Snickerdoodle Cookies (Butter, Cinnamon and Sugar), Flakey layer of Toasted Caramel

Finish: Warm and Powerful. A Long Linger and a very Viscous Coating.

Overall: I saw a photo of this bottle a few months ago on social media and after some research based off the name and age alone, I knew I needed to locate a bottle and get this in my belly. The color in the bottle alone is so inviting. You can almost taste the oaky pleasure you're about to dive into. The Nose is very familiar and one I'm sure you'd be able to pick out of a lineup with ease. The Palate on this bottle is where I became hooked. As I mentioned, I'm reminded of warm fresh baked Snickerdoodle cookies from the first taste. But that's not all, add a flakey layer of caramel on the bottom edges of that cookie and you have an incredible dessert in a glass. There's still plenty of that toasted char influence (Level 3.5) and all 15 years of oak dancing around my glass to keep things well rounded and complex. It's tough to stop at only a couple sips, so consider yourself warned.

Library Rating: 9.1 / 10

Wild Turkey Master's Keep One - Review

Stats

Wild Turkey Master's Keep "One"

Toasted Oak Finish

Kentucky Straight Bourbon

NAS (9-14 Years)

Wild Turkey Distilling Co. - Lawrenceburg, Kentucky

101 Proof

Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley

Retail Price: $175

Poured Neat in a Rocks Glass

Color: Amber

Nose: Vanilla, Toasted Caramel, Brown Sugar, Burnt Sugar

Palate: S'mores. Chocolate, Marshmallows, Honey Grahams, Toasted Oak and a slight touch of Tobacco

Finish: A Warm, Medium-Linger Oak Spice

Overall: Let me tell you, this one ranks up there in my Top-5 of Toasted Barrel offerings without question. Some may think bourbon loses its complexity when finished in secondary casks, well, let those folks think what they want. This guy right here (me), is blown away by how well everything works from start to finish. I honestly don't believe Wild Turkey would have added this to the Master's Keep Collection if they didn't think the same. I can picture the commercial for "One". A group of friends hanging outdoors around a campfire with tin cups and probably too much flannel, passing around this bottle and getting the s'mores started on the fire. Laughter fills the scene along with the clanking of tin on tin as they cheers to the good life and the outdoors. Can you picture it?

As I mentioned, this one ranks pretty high on my list of Toasted Barrel Finishes and I stand behind my assessment. I could sip this all day long. A hefty price tag, but some bottles are just worth it. I'd gladly pick up another at retail if I were to come across "One".

Library Rating: 8.8 / 10