I will preface this post by noting that this was probably our biggest success in that it was talked about a lot and most of the members said it was their favorite to date. However, It was so hectic and difficult to manage that I will never do it again.
The concept for this event was that we picked some foods to go with the whiskeys this month. To go with Colonel E.H. Taylor, we had a 12-hour smoked swineapple (smoked pork stuffed into a pineapple wrapped in bacon). With the I.W. Harper, we had grilled elk with all kinds of crazy little flowers and greens, potatoes, and sauce. With Eagle Rare we had a delicious dessert that my wife made, but it went so fast nobody got a picture.
I.W.Harper
Overall – 6.55/10 – burn – 4.45/10
(Specs) age N/A| 41% or 82 proof | 750 ML $34.95
(Distiller) I.W. Harper, Tullahoma, Tennesse
(Notes) This is exactly bourbon. That is to say, if you needed to demonstrate what bourbon tastes like with no fluff, this is the one to use. It has only the qualities you expect from bourbon and it’s amazing.
Every note card mentioned smoke and oak as the primary flavors. There were some mentions of light sweetness and a little peanut.
(Aftertaste) clean, not lingering
Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch
Overall – 7/10 – burn – 6/10
(Specs) age at least 4 years| 50% or 100 proof | 750 ML $44.65
(Distiller) Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, Kentucky
(Notes) This whiskey was fantastic. However, it didn’t have the range of scores I see when I usually average our notes. A whiskey that comes out as a 7 or 8 often comes with scores as low as 3 and several at 9. This one was different because just about everyone settled on 7. It didn’t wow anyone but it also didn’t disappoint anyone. It was delicious but maybe not all that memorable or different than some other great whiskeys we’ve had. Here are some flavors we noticed –
multiple mentions of smooth and spicy, copper, anise, wood, rosy, ceder, caramel
(Aftertaste) This one didn’t linger at all. It’s one of those whiskeys that is there and then just isn’t anymore.
*** My wife made homemade mini apple pies with bourbon whipped cream but we all failed to take a picture. They were gobbled up very quickly.
Eagle Rare
Overall – 7.6/10 – burn – 5/10
(Specs) age at least 10 years | 45% or 90 proof | 750 ML $31.95
(Distiller) Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, Kentucky
(Notes) This is a great dessert whiskey. If you like Buffalo Trace or Weller’s you’ll love this. It’s known to be an especially sweet whiskey, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t complex. Here are some notes –
floral, earl grey tea, sweet, cherry, syrupy, charred marshmallow, baker’s brittle
