I don’t drink a lot of Irish whiskey but when I do it’s usually Green or Red Spot.

Green Spot

Age: NAS

Proof: 80

Neat

Notes: Sweet and bright with honey and malt notes and hints of apple. Watery mouthfeel. Short clean finish with a touch of spice. The anemic proof underperforms at the price point and the nice, if simple, flavors carry this.

Stars: 1 - Good whiskey: I would choose to drink this over readily available whiskies

Red Spot

Age: 15 years

Proof: 92 - also NCF

Neat

Notes: The nose is rich with harvest notes of apple, cinnamon, holiday spices and oak. Palate dark dried fruit, apple pie and baking spices plus more oak. The finish is medium length with lingering oak and spice with subtle dried fruit notes. Solid mouthfeel for the proof and great proof integration. It tastes bigger than 92 proof and has no heat or sting.

Stars: 2 - Very good whiskey: I would want to have a bottle

TL;DR: Green Spot is nice but hard to justify the price. Red Spot is a winner.

I finally got to try the new Parker’s at Moonshine and I am very glad I did!

Parker’s Heritage Double Barreled

Age: Blend of 13 and 15 year

Proof: 132.2

Neat

Notes: The nose was amazing with rich sweet wood and brown sugar. The palate brought brown sugar, rye spice, leather and delicious rich wood. Shockingly this was not dry at all. It also very nice proof integration that let you know it was big and high proof without burning and a thick mouthfeel.

Stars: 4 - Extraordinary whiskey: An all time favorite

Conclusion

Well it’s time to hunt one down.

TL;DR: The best Parker’s I’ve had and an all time standout

I finally got a chance to try the Old Fitz 19 at Moonshine and I’m very glad I did.

Old Fitzgerald 19 Fall 2022

Age: 19 years

Proof: 100

Neat

Notes: Right away it is super oaky with an almost menthol quality on the palate. There is also some subtle sweetness and baking spice. The finish was long and surprisingly spicy.

2 - Very good whiskey: I would want to have a bottle

TL;DR: V good but I’ll take the 17 and FOMO cured

Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Batch 37

Age: NAS

Proof: 115.2

Neat

Notes: Brown sugar, oak and heat on the nose. The palate is spice forward with rye and baking spice balanced by rich oak and vanilla frosting. The finish is long spicy and slightly dry with baking spice and oak notes.

Stars: 2 - Very good whiskey: I would want to have a bottle

TL;DR: One of the spicier batches for me. Quite good.

Last night we tasted a little EHT BP Flight. Given that we didn’t have any particular biases we just tasted these in proof order.

Batch 10 was the lowest proof at 127.3. It was my winner and was the most complex of the bunch even if it wasn’t as sweet. It also had the best finish.

Next up was Batch 6 at 128.1 proof. This was the clear last place (literally everyone had it last). It started off nice and was thick and viscous but there was a weird bitterness toward the end and it stood out as hot even in this lineup. That said it was still good.

The 3rd one we tasted was also my third place with the new Batch 11 weighing in at 129 proof. It had a really nice nose and good flavors. The finish was fine but didn’t impress compared to other batches in the lineup.

Finally we have Batch 8 at 129.3 proof. This was my second place. It was well balanced on the sweet side with cherry and spice but not too much oak. It was a tough call between this and Batch 10.

TLDR: B10 > B8 > B11 > B6

Pinhook Collaboration Series Edition 1

Age: 10 Years

Proof: 115.3

Neat

Notes: The nose is sharp and earthy with wet wood and acidic notes. The palate brings in some caramel sweetness but tastes heavily of charred wood. The long finish is more charred oak and more caramel but is quite nice if a bit simple. The mouthfeel was very nice and viscous and the proof was well integrated with a bit of heat but not enough to detract.

Stars: 0 - Fine: I would not specifically choose to drink this over other readily available options

TL;DR: A fine whiskey but I expected more. Not something to hunt.

This is a Camp Nelson A sample I got a while back that I am finally getting around to tasting.

Russell’s Reserve 4 On the Floor

Age: ??

Proof: 110

Neat

Notes: Sweet and funky. Reminds me of WB Saffell. The nose has a lot of caramel and a hint of salinity. The palate brings more caramel, oak, Turkey funk and a good bit of spice. The finish is long and warm with fading oak then lingering spice and vanilla. The proof integration and mouthfeel are solidly what I would expect from a Rusell’s pick.

Stars: 2 - Very good whiskey: I would want to have a bottle

TL;DR: A solid, funky Russell’s pick

Age: 10 years

Proof: 90

Neat

Notes: Earthy cherry notes dominate the nose. The palate is sweet and earthy with candied cherry, vanilla and rick oak. The mouthfeel is great for the proof and this is an easy sipper. The finish is short to medium length with a bit of vanilla and oak.

Stars: 1 - Good whiskey: I would choose to drink this over readily available whiskies

TL;DR: Easy sipper with plenty of flavor, especially cherry

Age: NAS

Proof: 113.8

Neat

Notes: The nose is big and bold with brown sugar and rye spice notes. The palate brings caramel sweetness balanced by rich oak and more rye spice. The mouthfeel is excellent and very viscous. The proof is well integrated and is strong enough to let you know it is there without overwhelming. The finish is medium to long with a sticky caramel balanced by that same rye spice.

Stars: 2 - Very good whiskey: I would want to have a bottle

Conclusion

This was a great batch of UCUF and it will be missed. Thankfully Smoke Wagon keeps releasing tasty whiskies.

When Bourbon Enthusiast announced he was releasing his own brand I was excited to try it and grabbed the first batch. It’s almost gone so it’s time for a review.

Union Trail 5 Year

Age: 5 years

Proof: 100

Neat

Notes: The nose is simple and sweet vanilla, grain and brown sugar notes. The palate brings more of the same with some cherry and spice as well. The finish is medium length with fading sweetness and lingering spice. The mouthfeel and proof integration were competent and what I would expect at 100 proof.

Stars: 0 - Fine: I would not specifically choose to drink this over other readily available options

Conclusion

Overall this is a solid bourbon but the midrange high rye bourbon space is very crowded and this bottle doesn’t stand out from the crowd. I’ve enjoyed it neat, on the rocks and in cocktails and don’t regret snagging it but I am not going to be tracking down another one.

TL;DR: Solid but nothing to hunt down