Huge, big nose.
Can't contain itself to the glass.
For the high proof, surprisingly little alcohol. I find I have to be careful with most
whiskies not to just blow my nose away with the alcohol and sneak up to get the
hidden vapors. Not this guy, smells like
there is a big ball of caramel taffy sitting on top of the liquid. Caramel,
taffy, cotton candy, vanilla, honey... Name your sugar and it is sitting right
there. I'm not a huge nose guy, but just
sniffing this stuff is almost enough to leave you happy. On drinking, all those big sugar flavors take
a full frontal assault on your tongue.
Straight over the front and top it engages everything. And it is hot. Tingly through the whole mouth, even with the
tiniest of sip. Here is the odd part for
me... I experience zero burn from it.
All that heat does not translate into a burn. Just a rich peppery-ness to pair with the
abundance of sweet richness in all of those caramel and vanilla flavors. Either by itself would be way too much and
would make you want to gag. But together, man they are locked arm in arm and
taking full command of your mouth. You
will have no other tastes before them.
Nor after them. The finish is
long. Like get your stopwatch out and
amuse yourself for just how long it lasts. It is truly ridiculous.
How I'm drinking: tiny pours, savoring every last drop.
Heck, I'll be licking my glass now.
Value? Ha. Yeah right.
Would I buy it again? Yup. Bought the first and only bottle I was
offered at my local haunt. I've
purchased BTAC from them before, but usually the Handy. I like the Handy, it is tasty. But this is in another world, man. I'm on the
in now with my local place. I hope to
stay there. This is probably the best
bottle I've ever purchased. Over the Van Winkles that I used to get before the
crazy increase, above the Handy or Sazerac.
My all-time favorite is probably either the PHC promise of Hope or a
W.L. Weller from a few years back. I've had some Stagg before during a sampling
and at a WhiskyFest, but this is my first bottle. Granted, I don't hunt. I didn't even ask for this when it was
offered. I was however, buying another
bottle of the PHC wheat, mainly because they still had it and it is darned
good, but you might already know that.
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