Townie Regular Bourbon, Townie Fine Rye, & Townie First Class Bourbon

I’d like to thank the folks at Bluebird Distilling and their PR partner for sending these samples with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Three bottles of Townie Whiskey on a wooden surface outdoors: Regular Bourbon (84 proof), Fine Rye Whiskey (86 proof), and First Class Bourbon (100 proof).

It has been a rough week since we last spoke. My wife’s grandmother passed at the age of 99, and one of my dogs may or may not have had a stroke. I’m pretty sure those two things are unrelated, as they never met each other. But there has been a lot of stress in the household as we worked through grief on two fronts.

The good news is that my pup seems to be getting better, even if she does currently need to be hand-fed like a baby. But the vet thinks it should be a temporary thing, so I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep my pup living a good life, even if that good life now seems like it will be shorter than it did at this time last week. So since I am not in a great headspace at the moment and because we have a lot to cover, let’s jump straight into the whiskeys, shall we?

Townie Whiskey is a brand of “procured” whiskey put out by Bluebird Distilling in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. The line is not distilled in-house—at least not entirely—but are instead a line of less expensive offerings that are intended to be…they don’t explicitly say “well bourbon,” but that’s the vibe I’m getting from their marketing. Here is what the brand has to say for themselves:

The brainchild of Jared Adkins, founder and owner of Bluebird Distilling, Townie Whiskey is an approachable and economic counterpart to his scratch-made craft spirits. An unpretentious whiskey line made to be enjoyed straight up or paired with a light beer in a boiler maker. Adkins and his distillers hand selected barrels and blended each expression (with their own scratch-made juice) in order to deliver a high quality yet affordable product.

So, now onto the important part, how do they taste?

Townie Regular Bourbon

Purchase Info: This was sent by the producer for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $34.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.33

Details: 42% ABV.

Nose: Green apple, dried grain, and fresh cut hay.

Mouth: Baking spice, apple and dried grain.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Lingering notes of green apple and fresh cut hay.

IMAGE: A neutral face because this isn't bad, but it isn't for me.

Thoughts: Not a fan of this one when poured neat. That said it does ok in a highball or an Old-fashioned. It's a little more expensive than I'd want my cocktail-only pour to be (almost 1.5 bottles of Wild Turkey 101) but pricing tolerance is a personal issue. I'm giving this one a neutral rating. It's not for me, but it isn't like there is anything objectively wrong with it.

Townie Fine Rye

Purchase Info: This was sent by the producer for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $34.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.33

Details: 43% ABV.

Nose: Cedar, wintergreen, and cinnamon

Mouth: Cedar, molasses, caramel, and a subdued cinnamon spice.

Finish: Bright and of medium length- Notes of cedar, molasses, cinnamon, and caramel.

IMAGE: A neutral face. This one isn't for me, but others may like it.

Thoughts: Neutral on this one too. I think the lack of proof on this dilutes it a little too much. It doesn't have the spicy burn I expect from a rye. This is not to say that it is bad; it is just that it isn't for me.

Townie First Class Bourbon

Purchase Info: This was sent by the producer for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $39.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.67

Details: 50% ABV.

Nose: Caramel, baking spice, and dried grain.

Mouth: Caramel, vanilla, baking spice, and green apple.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Lingering notes of floral vanilla, green apple, baking spice, and dried corn.

IMAGE: This is a smiley face. Because I like it.

Thoughts: This is much better than the 84° proof version of their bourbon. The online description says it is made from their favorite barrels. Which makes sense based on the increase in quality. I do think the added proof helps too. It has a nice burn throughout the tasting process. Just a touch more green apple and corn than I'd like on the finish, but this isn't bad. Much like all of these, I will probably set it aside for cocktail use, but this one especially would also be ok if it were just poured neat and served to me that way.

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Woodinville Bourbon Sauternes Finish & Woodinville Founder’s Find Whiskey from a Bourbon Mash

I’d like to thank Woodinville Whiskey Company for providing these review samples with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Two limited-edition Woodinville whiskey bottles side by side: Founder’s Find 12-Year Whiskey (107 proof) and Sauternes Cask Finished Bourbon (105 proof), both set against a fall foliage background.

Writing this in the morning is a weird feeling. I look outside, and the fog is deep as the sun comes up. There’s coffee in my cup. I’ve finished feeding the dogs but haven’t fed myself yet. I’ve read the news, checked my email, and gotten a good start to the day. But here I am, trying to write about whiskey at a time of day when I’m normally not even thinking of it.

And why? Because I have plans. Like, outside-the-house plans. It’s okay, you can be shocked that the hermit is leaving his cave. It’s very strange for me, too. But the tattoo artist I like is in a different state, so I need to leave the house if I’m going to get more work done. So here we are: talking about two different whiskeys when I usually think about coffee.

That’s right, we’ve got another two-fer on our hands. These two whiskeys were both sent to me by the Woodinville Whiskey Company to help promote their upcoming release. If you are a Woodinville fan who was at their distillery a couple of weeks ago, you might already have tried/purchased them at their annual Harvest Release party. But if you aren’t, here is a little background info on them.

These are both limited releases. You can preorder them now on the Woodinville website. Both are over 100 proof, and both have deviated from the standard aging process in various ways. The Sauternes Cask Finish is pretty self-explanatory. Woodinville took the bourbon that they make and finished it in casks that previously held a sweet dessert wine from France. We’ve covered a few whiskeys that have used casks from this wine as a barrel finish in the past.

The Founder’s Find, though, is a little more complicated. First off, they did not distill this one; it was sourced from a distillery in Tennessee. Secondly, it isn’t a bourbon—well, at least not entirely. This is what is known as a “Whiskey from a Bourbon Mash,” which means that if it had been poured into a new, charred oak barrel, it would have been a bourbon. But in this case, the barrels weren’t new; they were reconditioned. This means that the previously used barrel was scraped clean of the char and burned again to make a new char layer. Some of the flavor of the barrel would have already been pulled from it due to the first use. The other unusual thing about this whiskey is that it’s a blend that happened partway through the aging process. About six years in, a small amount of 15-year-old bourbon that had been distilled in Indiana was added to it before it finished the last six years of its rest. Quoting the press release now:

Years ago, a group of renowned distillers proposed the use of these [reconditioned] barrels and began experimenting, only to be rebuffed by lawmakers. Which is how [Woodinville founder] Orlin uncovered this forgotten barrel in the back corner of a legendary rickhouse, patiently waiting for someone to notice and appreciate it.

So now that we’ve learned a bit about them, let’s jump into the tasting notes and see if these are any good, shall we?

Woodinville Bourbon Sauternes Finish

Purchase Info: This sample was sent for review purposes at no cost. The suggested retail price is $69.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.67

Details: 52.5% ABV. Finished in Sauternes wine casks.

Nose: Dried grains lead off, with notes of brown sugar, molasses, and red fruit following.

Mouth: Nice, thick mouthfeel with notes of cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla, pear, and dried grains.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth, with notes of dried grains, vanilla, caramel, and a touch of both dried red fruits and fresh pears.

IMAGE: Not bad, but not for me. So it gets a neutral face.

Thoughts: I’m neutral on this one. I'd love a touch less dried grain on all aspects of this. That said, this is not a flaw but a personal preference, and by no means do I think this should keep anyone from trying it—especially since there are a lot of people who enjoy the grain-forward style of bourbon. I do find it fun, though, that the final notes to fade are "wine" notes of pear and red fruit. Thematically, that’s just about perfect for a wine-cask-finished bourbon.

Woodinville Founder's Find Whiskey from a Bourbon Mash

Purchase Info: This sample was sent for review purposes at no cost. The suggested retail price is $129.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $8.67

Details: 96% Tennessee whiskey aged for 12 years in reconditioned barrels (used and recharred) and 4% 15-year-old Indiana bourbon. 53.5% ABV.

Nose: Cinnamon, Flintstone Vitamins, and a touch of red fruit and oak.

Mouth: Caramel, cinnamon, red fruit, and oak notes follow a rich, thick mouthfeel.

Finish: Warm and long with notes of oak, leather, cinnamon, caramel, and red fruit.

Thoughts: The bottle says that the whiskey that the Woodinville founder discovered in Tennessee was "too extraordinary not to share." I agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly. This may not technically be a bourbon, but it has all the notes and characteristics that you would want in one. So much so that, even though I poured a glass after receiving the sample, I didn't notice that it was a "whiskey from a bourbon mash" until I went to record the details in my tasting notes. It's damn good. Lots of "dark" flavor notes and a rich mouthfeel. Really liking it.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Penelope Bourbon: Architect Build 10, Barrel Strength Batch 18, and Toasted Bourbon Batch 24-301

I’d like to thank the folks at Penelope Bourbon and their PR team for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

A couple of weeks ago, I got a fun package from the founders of Penelope Bourbon sharing the newest batches of three of their four core expressions. Two of which, we’ve never looked at before. And since we’ve got a lot to cover tonight, let’s skip the usual blathering and jump right into the bourbons, shall we?

Penelope Toasted Series Batch 24-301

Description from the Producer: Our Toasted Series is a testament to the power of serendipity. When we began to explore toasted finishes, we weren’t expecting each barrel to be so different — so we decided to embrace this variety of chars and toasts that make every bottle in our Toasted Series truly one-of-a-kind. After full maturation in charred new American oak barrels, Penelope Bourbon is finished in a new, hand-toasted barrel. While it can be hard to predict the flavor profile of each bottle in our Toasted Series, the deep notes of vanilla imbued by the toasting process add another dimension to our signature flavor profile. Whether you’re into a Heavy Toast or Medium, our Toasted Series truly offers something for everyone.

Purchase Info: This sample was sent by the producer for review purposes. The retail price on their website is $69.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.67

Details: Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley, 50% ABV. Char Level: 5. Toast Level: Heavy. 4 years old.

Nose: Bubblegum, honey, and a faint note of nutmeg.

Mouth: Cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, and bubblegum.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth with sweet notes of honey, bubble gum, and cardamom.

Thoughts: If you are a fan of bourbons that are bubblegum/almond forward you will love this one. I'm reading it as bubble gum and honey with various baking spices. It isn't hot but has a nice flavor. I like this one.

Penelope Barrel Strength Batch 18

Description from the Producer: Penelope Barrel Strength is bourbon in its purest form. Completely uncut and non-chill- filtered, our barrel strength bourbon is just as delicious and even more powerful than our signature Four Grain blend. Each batch of our Barrel Strength is blended from three bourbon mash bills and aged in hand-selected new American oak barrels, imparting notes of caramel syrup and subtle barrel char and pushing the boundaries of our Four Grain’s balanced flavor profile.

Purchase Info: This sample was sent by the producer for review purposes. The retail price on their website is $65.00 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Details: Mash Bill: 80% Corn, 8% Rye, 9% Wheat, and 3% Malted Barley. Blend of three straight bourbon mash bills distilled in Indiana. 57% ABV. Aged 4 to 6 years.

Nose: Strong caramel notes start you off. Followed by notes of oak, vanilla, red fruit, and cinnamon.

Mouth: Whoo that's warm! Follows the nose though the emphasis is different. This starts with hot cinnamon candies followed by sweet caramel, vanilla, and oak.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium with notes of cinnamon red hots and honey.

Thoughts: This is a nice, hot bourbon. Though not nearly as hot as you'd expect a 114° proof bourbon to be. You could drink this neat with little trouble if you are comfortable with triple digit proofs. I really like it. When we looked at this last year, it was batch 14. I was a big fan then and I still am. I’d buy a bottle of this without hesitation.

Penelope Architect Build 18

Description from the Producer: Architecture is defined as the the art or practice of designing and constructing buildings. Using those same principles, we wanted to build new and distinct flavor profiles that same way an Architect creates new innovative structures. Working in collaboration with Tonnellerie Radoux of France, the market leader in oak barrel manufacturing and innovation, we use French oak staves and their their state-of-the-art OakScan® process to build a truly precise flavor profile within every bottle. After all, the best architecture leaves no room for error. (Editorial note: OakScan is a process used to measure the tannin level of a particular piece of wood that was developed by Tonnellerie Radoux.)

Purchase Info: This sample was sent by the producer for review purposes. The retail price on their website is $65.00 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.33

Details: 75% Corn, 15% Wheat, 7% Rye, and 3% Malted Barley. Straight bourbon whiskey finished with two different types of French Oak Staves. Delicate Stave (low tannin content) and Intense Stave (medium tannin). 52% ABV. Aged 5 years with 6 weeks of finishing.

Nose: Dried grains, toffee, bubble gum.

Mouth: 1980's Baseball card bubblegum, floral vanilla, allspice, and oak tannins.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of baking spice, toffee, vanilla, and oak.

Thoughts: Are you too young to know the wonderful flavor of baseball card bubblegum from the 1980s? Think hard bubblegum mixed with a little wax and cardboard. Sounds terrible, right? But weirdly I always enjoyed it. I've gotten this note on other whiskeys before but in this case, I'm not sure it is working for me. There is nothing wrong with the bourbon. It just isn't hitting right for me. I'm going to give this a neutral rating.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Rolling Rooster Bourbon

I’d like to thank Shore Fire Media for sending over this sample with no strings attached.

St. Augustine of Hippo is one of the last big Roman Religious Philosophers of a united Roman Empire. During his lifetime, the Western Roman Empire collapsed during the so-called Fall of Rome. He was extremely influential in the development of Western Catholic Christianity and its many, many offspring. As both a Catholic (and Eastern Orthodox) saint, he has a Feast Day in his honor each year. For the oh-so-Catholic Spanish explorers, that would be on the 28th of August each year (the date is different for those who follow Eastern Orthodoxy).

None of that has more than a passing relationship to tonight’s bourbon except as an origin of the name of the distillery that produced tonight’s Bourbon. But since I am a Roman history buff (and, more specifically, an Eastern Roman/Byzantine history buff), I take all the opportunities I can to bring it up. I am literally the recent meme about how often a man thinks of the Roman Empire.

St. Augustine Distillery is located in St. Augustine, Florida, the second oldest city of European origin in a United States territory (the oldest being San Juan, PR). It was named because the Spanish explorer who founded the city did so shortly after sighting the land that would become Florida on St. Augustine’s Feast Day in 1565.

I’ve driven through St. Augustine on my first, and probably last, road trip to the Florida Keys. That is a very long drive from Minnesota. It was a lovely city that I never saw much of as I was having a massive anxiety attack and could not bring myself to stop. I know that I drove past a beautiful old Spanish fort/United States National Monument while in the city. This means I could have possibly driven right past the building where the distillery is currently. It was a while ago, so I really don’t remember much, especially with the anxiety attack.

St. Augustine Distillery makes bourbon, rum, gin and vodka. They made tonight’s bourbon as a collaboration with musical artist J.J. Grey of Jacksonville, Florida. Quoting from the press release:

Inspired by Grey's deep-rooted connection to the South and his love for the soulful flavors of home, Rolling Rooster is a bourbon that personifies the spirit of Southern comfort. "Warm and fuzzy at the top, with a tiny hint of cocoa before it spreads out wide across the palate," Grey described, "No matter how far I travel, it always brings me back home." Richard deMontmollin, VP of Production at St. Augustine Distillery, echoed Grey's sentiments, stating, "When I was asked if we could create a bourbon with JJ Grey, I was over the moon. JJ brought the soul, we brought the juice, and it's all in perfect harmony." 

Let’s dig in, shall we?

Rolling Rooster Bourbon

Purchase Info: This bottle was sent to me at no charge by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $100 per bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.67

Details: 51% ABV. Release number 1. Bottle 0526. According to the PR Agency, all of the bourbon used in this project was at least four years old.

Nose: Dried grains, orange zest, black tea, and smoky oak.

Mouth: Cinnamon, black tea, and oak.

Finish: Medium length and warm. Notes of cinnamon, mint, dried grains, and black tea.

Thoughts: Have you ever noticed how sometimes you taste a really great wine or bourbon in the tasting room, and once you get it home, you are less happy with it? The ambiance of the tasting room affects your perception and enjoyment of what you are tasting. The same goes for great conversation with friends. Well, I have a feeling that this bourbon would be one of those that I really like at the distillery. However, at home with my wife, doing a structured tasting, I’m neutral on it. There are no obvious flaws, but it just doesn’t align with my palate. There is a lot going on in here. It is full of flavor and has a lot of things to like, but the flavor profile just isn't for me. I'm not a fan of strong, unsweetened black tea, which this has in spades. I also don’t prefer grain-forward bourbons, and this is one. That said, I couldn’t fault anyone else for absolutely loving it if that is a flavor profile that works for them. Hence, the neutral rating: this bourbon’s not for me, but it might be for you.

Though it isn’t supposed to be released until late May, the first batch of this product has already sold out during pre-order. One thing music fans and craft distillery fans have in common is that they are both great at supporting those they love. So, if you’d like to sign up for information on the release of a second batch, you can do so here: www.jjgrey.com/rollingrooster.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

My Wandering Eye: St-Rémy VSOP French Brandy

My Wandering Eye is an ongoing series reacting to the rising prices in the bourbon world. We’ve reached a place where even average products have hit the range where they compete price-wise with other types of aged spirits. If I’m going to be asked to drop $40 to $70 on a mid-range bourbon, I might as well see what else I can get for that money. I hope to see if another spirits category offers something downright tasty in that price range. The goal isn’t to find cheap spirits but to maximize the quality I’m getting at a particular price point. The reviews in this series will all be written through a bourbon drinker’s lens.

Last month, my wife and I decided that we were going to participate in Dry January this year. Not for any real reason. It just seemed like something to kick us out of our rut. Because of that, I needed to look ahead and see what I could find that I could taste ahead of time. I had a couple of things hanging around that I hadn’t gotten around to writing about yet, but that wasn’t enough for an entire month. So I went to the liquor store, set myself a price limit of $150, and bought everything I was going to taste for the coming month. What follows is one of those purchases.

I’m in my local liquor store a lot, which is one reason I am participating in Dry January this year. I just buy way too much bourbon. Most of it is for reviews, but I also have stuff on hand outside of that. And since I buy way too much bourbon, that probably means I consume too much as well…as my ever-expanding waistline can attest to.

So, as I spend a lot of time at my local liquor store, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise anymore when I hear the familiar refrain “Anything I can help you find in Bourbon?” from one particular salesperson. If he’s working, he asks me that question every time I go in. And usually, I just politely decline the offer of help. He’s a helpful guy, but I know a thing or two about bourbon already. Really, the only thing he might be able to tell me that I don’t already know is if people are buying a product or not.

This is why when he asked me his usual question in late December, I didn’t decline the offer of help. Instead, I asked him a question. I told him that I write about spirits and am looking for something non-bourbon to write about. “So, what are people buying?” He told me that people have been really liking an inexpensive brandy from St. Rémy.

And so folks, we are wandering tonight. I’m not going to lie. I know nothing about this brandy. I only have it because the salesperson walked up to me and recommended it when I asked. And to be honest, I didn’t have high hopes once I got home. Minnesotans are known for their bland tastes in food. And every time I’ve seen something advertised as “Minnesota’s Favorite” it has lived up to that stereotype. Plus I found this description of it on the liquor store’s website:

St-Rémy VSOP embodies the iconic and historical taste of St-Rémy It is a translation of the original recipe that made St-Rémy renowned around the Globe. The right choice for a great authentic taste. St-Rémy VSOP conveys the taste of small, freshly-picked red berries, while bringing out the sweet vanilla flavor of oak. It is a round, balanced spirit that is easy to drink. With its light and subtle nose, St-Rémy VSOP is excellent neat, on ice or with a simple mixer.

So St-Rémy VSOP tastes like St-Rémy. Helpful. Well, let’s dig in and see if it is any good, shall we?

St-Rémy VSOP French Brandy

Purchase Info: $12.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor, Prior Lake, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $0.87

Details: 40% ABV.

Nose: Green apple, brown sugar, honey, and cinnamon.

Mouth: Not much going on here. Very delicate. Faint notes of floral apple and honey.

Finish: Gentle and short with apple, honey, and cinnamon notes.

Thoughts: This is possibly the most delicate brandy I've ever tasted. At the same time, it doesn't taste of ethanol, like so many cheap spirits do, so it's not terrible either. If you take the time to tease out the notes, they aren't bad. The salesperson I talked to said my fellow patrons were really enjoying it. Which, since Minnesotans have a reputation for loving bland foods, makes sense. This one is very bland. It’s not for me but it isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination. This one gets a neutral face rating.

Did you enjoy this post? If you want to support the work going on here at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com.

Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey & Square 6 Wheated Bourbon

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing these review samples with no strings attached.

Hey, we’re back with the two newest releases in the Square 6 lineup. I’m not going to lie to you. I found the High-Rye Bourbon that we reviewed in the last post to be very disappointing. As far as I’m aware, I’ve seldom, if ever, disliked a Heaven Hill product, especially when it was something that was selling for almost $100.

Heaven Hill touts the Evan Williams Experience as an “Artisinal” distillery. And I can see that logic with it only being able to produce a barrel of distillate daily. And honestly, the High-Rye bourbon tasted like an early craft whiskey. Unfortunately, they priced it like one as well. We used to call that the “craft tax.” You’d pay too much for sub-par whiskey because the small guys didn’t have the economies of scale to buy enough product to get the lowest prices for their ingredients or the cash flow to let it age out to the point of smoothing off the rough edges. Heaven Hill has no such issue here. Sure, at a barrel per day, they will never have a lot of the whiskeys. But if it isn’t on the same level as your other ultra-premium whiskeys, is it worth watering down your brand by pricing it like one of them? I honestly don’t know. I just yell into the void on the internet. But from my chair, I wouldn’t have done it that way.

Anyway, I’ll start out with a spoiler. The next two do, in fact, taste better than the High-Rye Bourbon. I even liked one of them. Though even then, I certainly wouldn’t pay $90 for it.

Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey

Summary of the Press Release: On October 18, 2022, Heaven Hill Distillery introduced the Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey, the second craft product of its series launched from the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. This exclusive Rye Whiskey features a mashbill with 63% Rye, 24% Corn, and 13% Malted Barley, distinguishing it from their traditional Rye Whiskey mashbill. Bottled at 95 proof, it boasts intriguing notes of black tea, sweet honey, fig, molasses, allspice, pepper, vanilla, and cardamom. Limited in quantity, the Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey is available at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience and select Kentucky retailers for $89.99.

Purchase Info: This sample was provided at no cost by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $89.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.00

Details: 47.5% ABV. Mashbill: 63% Rye, 24% Corn, and 13% Malted Barley

Nose: Cedar, cotton candy, and cinnamon.

Mouth: Cinnamon candies, cola, mint, ginger, and vanilla.

Finish: Medium length and warm. Notes of cedar, mint, cola, and ginger.

Thoughts: Not bad. It certainly isn't my favorite rye, but I wouldn't turn down a glass, either. Overall this straddles the line between "I Like it" and "I'm neutral on this." In such cases, I usually round up. And I’m doing so again here. There are definitely interesting notes in there that help bump it up. I really like how the cola notes play with the mint and the ginger. Overall, this is an interesting take on rye, a category big Kentucky distilleries rarely innovate in.

Square 6 Wheated Bourbon

Summary of the Press Release: On June 13, 2023, Heaven Hill Distillery introduced Square 6 Wheated Bourbon. This is the third product in the Square 6 line that was developed at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in Louisville. This new bourbon is a blend of two distinct wheated mashbills, one with 74% corn, 16% wheat, and 10% malted barley, and the other with 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. Bottled at 105 proof, the Square 6 Wheated Bourbon offers rich aromas of caramel, vanilla, figs, bing cherries, and oak, with a palate featuring sweet confectioners' sugar and walnuts, and a finish highlighted by walnuts, oak tannins, baking spices, cinnamon, and cola. Artisanal Distiller Jodie Filiatreau and the team at Evan Williams Bourbon Experience craft one barrel of this unique bourbon daily, constantly refining the hand-crafted pot still process for each recipe. The limited release of Square 6 Wheated Bourbon is available at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience and select Kentucky retailers for a suggested retail price of $89.99.

Purchase Info: This sample was provided at no cost by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $89.99

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.00

Details: 52.5% ABV. Mashbill: a blend of two distinct wheated mashbills, one with 74% corn, 16% wheat, and 10% malted barley, and the other with 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley.

Nose: Strong oak notes, along with fruit and cinnamon.

Mouth: Cedar, mint, cinnamon, and fresh lumber.

Finish: Medium length and warm. Notes of fruit, mint, cinnamon, and chocolate.

Thoughts: First thoughts? Not bad, not great. Expanding a little on that thought: it is not objectively bad, but it's not for me. As usual, in such cases, I'm giving it a neutral rating. But, like I said, it just doesn’t align with my palate. However, it is not nearly as tasty as I would have expected from Heaven Hill.

And heck, there might be people who want to spend the money on something different and end up liking it. I wouldn’t look sideways at them for that. I’m not the type to yuck anyone’s yum. That said, I'd definitely see if someone is pouring it in a Louisville bar before heading over to the Evan Williams Experience to buy a bottle. That goes for all three, in fact. I can see the Square 6 line being polarizing. And it would be terrible to drop a hundred bucks on a bottle if it turns out you don’t like it.

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