A milder rye bourbon than Wild Turkey 101 Rye. The initial punch is heavy heat, spice, wood, a touch a sweetness, cinnamon, ginger, but overall, fairly mellow, more like a punchier bourbon. The serious rye spice comes in at the end, the real showcase, uninhibited and not distracted by other flavors. A very drinkable rye whiskey.
Buttery and warm up front, a bit gin-like but more cereal-y rather than herbal or botanical. Hot finish with some acetone, But what do you expect at 125 proof.
I picked this up in Nashville since I the availability up here was questionable. George Dickel seems to be about the only major competitor to Jack Daniel's for Tennessee whiskies. It's been a long time since I've had JD though so the only standard of comparison I have right now are various bourbons.
For me, both the nose and palate are intensely wood-y and supple leather. I think I got a little banana on the finish of one sip.
It definitely doesn't have the same sweet vanilla of Knob Creek nor its bite. All in all, George Dickel is exceptionally smooth and much thinner in body than harder bourbons. The overall mouthfeel is very round.
While it's supposed to be a good sipping whiskey, I don't see myself ever reaching for this with any frequency over a solid bourbon or even a rye. Sorry, bud.
The resident expert at the store told me rye whiskey is a different animal. My friend said it was "disgusting!" I picked it up anyway because I didn't want to gamble on the Bluecoat gin which sounded uneventful from the other resident expert's description (though after reading about it, I might try it eventually anyway).
Potent rye, spicy, I get kind of blown out by the 101. The finish has a weird bready taste. It's different, and I like the change of pace, but it's not something I'd reach for regularly. There doesn't seem to be many rye whiskey drinks, but I might have to try a rye and ginger soon.
Randomly read about its release and looked around and found it here. Normally priced at around $12 (half the price of American Honey), Evan Williams has a rebate going to help move and establish its product. After rebate, a 750mL bottle comes to $3. Hot.
And the thing is, Honey Reserve is just as good as American Honey. It's a little less viscous, a touch lower ABV, and little generically sweeter, but I can't justify paying the retail for American Honey when there's such a comparable product at half the price.
Picked this up as a suggestion since no one had any opinions on the JB Distillers' Series.
Smells much hotter than Knob Creek. Smoother at the beginning but seems a little rougher around the edges. Less vanilla, but much sweeter, really long finish. I don't have a very sophisticated tongue for bourbon yet.
I love it when experts have spot on descriptions. I talked to a guy at the store about getting into Irish whiskey, and he recommended Black Bush as a good introduction as it's also distinct from Jameson and the like.
As announced, a bit sweeter and with a sherry finish, in contrast to Knob Creek's toasted caramel, oak, and vanilla. It's also considerably smoother and lighter in the mouth which was a surprising sensation. I like.
I had the opportunity to taste this at a new liquor store that opened up back home. And was immediately taken and bought the last bottle in the store (for the next 20 minutes. It was opening night and another truck was due soon.) Having thought out that purchase poorly, I decided I didn't want to risk the hassle of trying to ship it, tried to return it and failed, and ended up selling it to a friend at my own loss of a couple dollars.
Having been all whiskey'd out in my last year of college, that was actually the first time I had had whiskey in quite some time. I will say my whiskey experience hasn't been very high tier. I've had Jim Beam, Jim Beam Black (4 bottles was enough for me), Southern Comfort (not really whiskey), Jack Daniels (not much whoop), and Old Crow (cheapest pint in a time of need).
I found American Honey to be quite good at room temperature. I imagine it would only get better on the rocks. A 71 proof liqueur, it spills on the tongue like velvet. It's more like drinking whiskey-flavored nectar rather than honey-infused whiskey.
