World Whiskey Society Reserve Collection - Oloroso Sherry Finish - Review

The Details

World Whiskey Society

Reserve Collection

Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks

Edition No. 3

Aged 12 Years

Non-Chill Filtered

Distilled at Heaven Hill Distillery, Kentucky

Bottled by World Whiskey Society - Pendergrass, GA

96 Proof

Mash Bill: 74% Corn, 18% Rye, 8% Malted Barley

Bottle 85 of 580

Price: ~$210 - Soon to be released - Check HERE for more info

Poured Neat in a Stölzle Nosing Glass

Appearance: Deep Gold

Nose: Caramel, Light Dried Fruits, Oak, Vanilla Bean, Brown Sugar

Palate: Dried Apples and Prunes, Toasted Oak, Yeast Rolls, Milk Chocolate

Finish: Medium linger with a medium viscous coating. Sweet finish.

Overall: Another big bottle coming out of World Whiskey Society. I fell in love with this bottle design with their First Edition Armagnac Finished 12 Year and continue to be in awe of the detail and the pewter gargoyle topper. But it's not only the amazing bottle, they follow up the elegance with some incredibly finished whiskey. Heaven Hill. 12 Years Old. Do I really need to say more? Oh wait, finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks. This is my love language.

The marriage of the Oloroso Sherry and the Bourbon plays into my palate perfectly. The only thing left to try was a cigar with this offering. Yeah, I did that too. A Medium-Bodied Dominican smoke helped push the emphasis of the fruits and sweetness on each sip. In turn, the whiskey helped mellow the smoke and create a wonderful and unforgettable experience.

Another huge thank you to World Whiskey Society for getting this bottle to me and giving me the opportunity to give my honest review and to grace the library shelf with this fascinating decanter.

Library Rating: 8.7 / 10

Milam & Greene Very Small Batch Bourbon - Review

The Details

Milam & Greene

Very Small Batch

Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Finished with Charred French Oak Staves

Batch No. 1.2

NAS (No Age Statement)

75 Barrel Batch

Distilled in Kentucky and Tennessee

Aged, Finished and Bottled by Provision Spirits, LLC

Blanco, Texas

54% Alc/Vol / 108 Proof

Kentucky Mashbill (20%): 70% Corn, 22% Malted Rye, 8% Malted Barley

Tennessee Mashbill (80%): 80% Corn, 10% Rye, 10% Malted Barley

Price: $70

Poured Neat in a Stölzle 1610031T Nosing Glass

Appearance: Deep Copper / Tawny

Nose: Vanilla, Caramel, Toasted Marshmallows

Palate: S'mores (Chocolate, Grahams, Marshmallows), Buttercream, Hints of Dark Cherry and Plums

Finish: Warm and Lingering with a Peppery Spice

Overall: When brands take the time to finish blended whiskies, it keeps me quite curious and excited to try them. Milam & Greene's Very Small Batch combines two mash bills, one from Kentucky and one from Tennessee. Those were blended and then finished with sundried and house-Charred French Oak Staves in Texas. If you are not familiar with what the Texas climate does to whiskey, it really is incredible. Charred and Toasted French Oak almost always gives me the feeling of a campout. Sitting around a fire, enjoying stories, laughs and most of all, s'mores. Combine those s'mores with hints of Dark Fruits, mainly Cherry and Plums, and you have yourself a winning finished blend that lingers and coats the throat beautifully. The 108 Proof is just right, in my opinion. A well rounded and balanced experience from sip to sip.

Check out Milam & Greene for more information where to find distribution.

This was a treat and I'm grateful to the folks at Milam & Greene and Big Thirst Marketing for thinking of me to review the newest product in the core lineup.

Library Rating: 8.0 / 10

Wolves - The Malted Barley Series Lot 1 - Review

The Details

Wolves

The Malted Barley Series

California Single Malt Whiskey

Lot No. 1

7 Years Aged (Distilled in 2015)

11 Barrel Batch

Distilled, Produced and Bottled by Wolves

Ukiah, California

55% Alc/Vol / 110 Proof

Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley

Price: $260

Poured Neat in a Stölzle 1610031T Nosing Glass

Appearance: Deep Gold

Nose: Stone Fruits, Honey, Vanilla, Dark Chocolate

Palate: Cocoa, Dark Fruits, Honey, Vanilla Bean, Lager Beer

Finish: Medium Linger with a Lengthy, Warm Progression

Overall: This caught me by surprise. I started much of my whiskey journey with Single Malts, but none quite like this. There is a certain beer influence that I continue to pull from sip to sip. I feel I'm drinking whiskey from the start, but a lot of the back end falls very much in line with a blonde lager. The marriage of profiles is delicious and welcomed. Warm and lingering honey, dark fruits and even chocolate are co-stars throughout this expression from Wolves.

Not only did the taste surprise me, the luxurious bottle also stands out. "Each bottle is wrapped by hand with auto-grade vinyl and finally with Italian sheepskin. The glass is heavy and French-Cut, allowing the sheepskin label to lay flush against the glass. The cork top is made of maple wood." Truly a gorgeous design and very elegant to the touch.

But let's get back to the whiskey, shall we? This particular release was Wolves' first Single Malt release. 12 Barrels were distilled in 2015 in an antique alembic brandy still, from two-row pale malted barley and fermented with California Ale yeast. This explains much of that undisputed beer influence I was pulling from each sip. I do enjoy reading the stats on particular releases AFTER I try them so my palate isn't influenced. Like I mentioned, this was a great surprise to find that I wasn't going crazy. Various oak treatments were also utilized ranging from light toast to Char level 3 along with alternating Hungarian and American Barrel Heads. Of the 12 Barrels, 11 of those were used in this Lot (Batch). The other was for a specialty Single Barrel Selection. The 110 Proof stretches perfectly across the palate and to the back-end. So much of my gripe with most Single Malts is how flat they tend to fall at 80-86 Proof. Now, I don't consider myself someone who seeks only high-proof / high-alcohol pours, but there is a time and a place. This is certainly that place and the result is exquisite.

"The price of being a sheep is boredom.

The price of being a wolf is loneliness.

Choose one or the other with great care."

I urge you to give a look to what Wolves is doing in California. Check out their website HERE One of their previous releases took my Number 1 spot in the Rye Category last year (2022). An incredible collaboration with Willett Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky.

I'd love to take a moment to thank the folks at Wolves for providing this bottle. As most are aware, all of my reviews are unbiased and I take great pride in being able to try so many different variations on whiskey.

Library Rating: 8.7 / 10