u/JTREST23

OLD FITZGERALD VVS 11 (2025)
Proof: 100 proof / 50% abv - bottled in bond
Age: 11yrs age stated
Paid - $170.00
Msrp - $170.00
Drank - neat
Rested - 10mins
Glass - final touch tasting glass

Unprofessional - as always!

Nose-
First and foremost greeted by a huge surge if Butterscotch and werthers original hard candy mixed together, some creme bru lee, and artificial vanilla extract. Diving in there is a mix of baking spices via Cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper showing itself. There is also some light charred oak serving as the back bone to the aromatics.

Palate -
First sip hits heavy with Butterscotch, caramel hard candy, and fresh cut red apples dusted with cinnamon. The second sip leans in with light holiday spice pie crust, charred oak, some more baking spices with nutmeg and clove. The final sip shows flashes of vanilla extract lying underneath more flavors from sips 1 and 2. This ties itself all together as a "fresh baked apple pie" - a very "fall" profile.

Mouthfeel -
Buttery, but not "dense". More Creamy if i had to nail it down with one word.
It Hangs on and "swishes". It does cling to the teeth and palate nicely. It also Creates some salivation through the mid and front palate and leaves an "effervescent" feeling like fizzy soda.

Finish -
Cinnamon stick, vanilla extract, red apples, and matured oak are dominant here and easily found. Continuing down the flavor turns more "caramel/toffee" in the palate. Very short but does have a small "hug".

Overall -
85/100 - very solid but not "very very special".

Elijah Craig Single Barrel
Proof / ABV - 139.7 proof / 69.85%
Age - 9 years
Source - Heaven Hill
Pick from - Deb's - "High Pr007"
Glass - Glencairn
Drank - Neat
Rest - 15 minutes
fresh cracked open bottle
100 point scale for accuracy
Paid $99 from a friend. Unsure of retail cost. Pretty sure this store is in Austin, TX - so definitely not local to me at all lol. Thankful a friend offered to grab one for me.

Unbiased, unpaid, and unprofessional as always!

Nose -
Immediately hit in the face with a box of a sweet berry blend of maraschino cherries in syrup + blackberry jam and along with that there is a creme bru lee with burnt brown sugar note. Toasted oak and a light spice mix of Nutmeg and pepper underlay the sweeter notes of the nose to provide a more balanced - yet still fruity sweet and cakey dessert experience. This is my kinda profile right here.

Palate -
Black cherry and fresh black berry jam immediately hits upon first sip, followed with toffee, dark (bakers) chocolate, charred oak, and baking spices made up of clove and nutmeg.
After the first sip and into the second sip, the oak char moves up in line behind the dark fruit notes. The baking spices are still there- but more tamed and interlaced into the other flavors. I had to take a 3rd sip to really detail these nuances - and with this final sip creme bru lee shows its head back up along with maraschino cherry, the rest stays in place. This is a nice ever evolving "baled ice cream sundae pie" profile with plenty of fruit going on! This also drinks well below 139.7 and "feels" more like 119.7 to me honestly. DANGEROUS.

Mouth feel -
Fairly Above average oiliness and viscosity. The sip has weight to it but never reaches that "oily" status. Saturation is there and it does hang on.

Finish -
Long finish - building into a warming hug that situates down into the upper abdomen. But this never comes across as "hot" or "punchy". Flavors here are dominated by maraschino cherries, black berry, creme bru lee, and baking spices. Very Very sweet finish here that is super enjoyable and keeps ya coming back! Excellent!

Overall - 90/100 an exceptional pick!

Elijah Craig barrel proof rye Y725

132.0 proof / 66% ABV

NAS: but confirmed to be a blend of 8-9yr KY Straight Rye Whiskey using Heaven Hill's traditional rye whiskey mashbill.

Cost: $79 at the gift-shop as apart of the YDB experience.

Batch - Y725

Drank - Neat as always!

Glass - glencairn

Rested - 10 min

* disclaimer / Edit: this review is from a fresh crack, the photo is from last weekend (it is a crusher)

Nose -
The nose starts off with some dark Maple, punchy Rye spice, and toasted oak. There lying in wait is a vanilla creme bru lee/toasted vanilla note paired with heavy dark brown sugar. There is a slight light fresh mint leaf, black tea and and a sweet caramel candy best described as Werther's that rounds out the nose for me. Very inviting and well balanced.

Palate -
The First sip is a wave of Maple, charred oak, and a spice combo made up of cinnamon sticks and black pepper. The second sip reveals the black tea from the nose, dark toffee, and toasted vanilla. Picking out some nuances on my 3rd sip lead me to find cardamom, artificial vanilla extract, browned biscuit butter. Fantastic all the way around here. This should have been a Parker's lol.

Mouthfeel -
Oily as you would expect in a 10-12yr + old barrel proof whiskey. This coats and saturates nicely over the entire palate with out coming off as syrupy or extra oily. It does create extra salivation. Slippery.

Finish -
Dominating flavors on the finish are creme bru lee, charred oak, and rye spice. This combo of sweet/spice/savory Creates a great finish that hugs and builds each sip. This is fantastic. It seems to just hang on forever.

Overall - 96/100

Phenomenal. Thats all i can say. This definitely should have been an LE from Heaven Hill but i dont make those decisions, i just drink em. Cheers!

This is a group pick by "Bourbon Together" and was the first double oaked striped pig to ever be selected for one - per my understanding. This is OZ Tyler sourced distillate aged in the carolinas at Striped Pig Distillery. This is My personal review and take on this offering - never endorsed, never asked to, never professional.

Now let's get into it!

Striped Pig 9 year Single Barrel Double Oaked
131.9 proof
9 years old
Kelvin 4 & ISC 3 Barrel used to double oak
Drank - NEAT
Rested - 15 minutes
Glass - Glencairn
**FRESH CRACK
100 point scale!

Nose -
Sweet oak, Candied red grapes, and burnt brown sugar greet me upon the first pass, diving in further i find notes of tanned leather, cigar wrapper, and toffee. Wrapping up the nosing, the last nuanced aroma i find is toasted vanilla extract, fresh coffee beans, and baking chocolate. This is very dark, rich, and everything you want out of a great double oaked! This is gold!

Palate-
Initial sip brings forth cognac grapes, barrel char, and worn leather with a bit of Rick house funk! Starting off "cigar-ish"! Second sip reveals some notes of baking spice in the form of nutmeg and clove spice, browned butter, and brown sugar. The third and final sip shows underlying notes consisting of toasted vanilla bean, fresh brewed coffee, and dark chocolate.

Mouthfeel-
Very oily and dense - heavy. Saturation station in every area! Really lingering but also has a semi drying effect as well from the double oaking process. Still. Killer!

Finish-
Baking spice, black cherry, cognac grapes, and cigar wrapper greet me immediately. This follows with a little baking spice punch and charred oak!
This bad boy HUGS and keeps huggin'! Warming without being "hot". And stays with you. This is great and can be paired with a cigar of choice for a well rounded "cigar blend" experience!

Overall - 90