Old Weller Antique

So, if you haven't noticed, I'm posting reviews of items that I drank the night before.  Often, the notes are ones that I have written before, but I'm now just posting.  That is going to be my plan for this, but we'll see how well that works out.

A staple round these parts.  This one was a store bottling by Tippins Market in AA/Saline MI.  Nose is of a pretty sharp bourbon.  Maybe a touch of acetone, it isn't the most pleasant nose in the stable right now, but it is cheer by half than most of them.  It isn't unpleasant, I just need a way to differentiate it here.  It still has plenty of spice, more pepper and cardamom than vanilla I think, but still enough of the caramel types so that you know this is an aged bourbon.

On the palate it is hot.  Maybe a touch too hot, but when one gets used to the feel it is delightful.  If one isn't expecting it, this is a stiff drink that will make the novice cringe a little.  The feel is very prickly on the sides and top of the tongue.  Additionally, you can feel where it has touched throughout your mouth.  It isn't exactly subtle.  As with the nose, the taste has some notes of that acetone profile, just enough to notice that it is there and you wish it wasn't.  Not enough to really focus on, but an undercurrent.  Finish is pepper and wood that fades and twists with a little bitter tang.  The bitterness is minor, but much like the acetone notes above, just noticeable enough that you wish it wasn't there.  However, it is a darned good whisky.  The value is hard to beat for $26.  I'm also a little afraid to taste this blind with the Four Roses 2013 LE Small Batch.  I'd be concerned that I'd choose incorrectly and I know that I couldn't stop myself from calculating the number of bottles that I could have had instead.  But alas, I'll probably do that sometime soon. I can't avoid it forever.

Out on a limb, I don't remember as much acetone in the regular off the shelf OWA that I usually have handy. The heat is a constant, however.  It is always a soft heat, and if you know it is there, it isn't a problem.  You can also cut it with a little water or an ice cube and that will take the edge off of it nicely.  With the ice, it is more toffee and raisin spices on the pallet and less bitterness and acetone on the finish.  

In summary, this is good. Value is fantastic.  It is one of three 'daily drinkers' that I'm always going to have handy.  Heck, you can't spend outrageous sums on everything you drink.  That's a way to the poor house.  I would prefer both to not be in the poor house AND have a tasty drink.  That's why this is one of my daily drinkers.