Keags Bourbon Talk

Keags Bourbon Talk Just a regular Northern Wisconsin guy, drinking some damn fine whisky!

“Shorty got those apple raspberry donut jeans, barrels with the funk (with the funk)”Aroma: Apple donuts and Smuckers un...
07/21/2023

“Shorty got those apple raspberry donut jeans, barrels with the funk (with the funk)”

Aroma: Apple donuts and Smuckers uncrustables, dipped in raspberry jam. Almost getting that apple brandy note, mixed with that fruity wheat note that 60 has. Just. a Fall Grocery store of smells; You got apple cider, fresh red fruit, cinnamon, spices, and jelly-filled donuts.

Taste: Take apple cider and bite into a jelly roll. That’s exactly what this is. Just another magical blend I did with these Barrel King whiskies 🔥 🔥

  Knighted Batch 55 116 PROOFBlend - 99% 7yr and 1% and 5 ½ yr Heavy Char 21% MGP BourbonsFinished in Rare Ex-Bourbon Ba...
06/24/2023



Knighted Batch 55

116 PROOF

Blend - 99% 7yr and 1% and 5 ½ yr Heavy Char 21% MGP Bourbons

Finished in Rare Ex-Bourbon Barrels

Aroma: Pecan Pie Filling, rich almond butter, grilled pineapple, and a little bit of a Christmas Danish Kringle on the nose. It’s got sweet oak, velvety vanilla, and nutmeg notes. Classic descriptions with this ex-rare bourbon finish. A little bit of honey-glazed bacon donuts, following that Kringle note.

Taste: A box of classic pastries; cinnamon donut, glazed honey bun, chocolate eclairs, and raspberry-filled donuts, all in a 1 oz pour. So many pastry qualities, followed by Nesquick chocolate milk, almond butter, and buttery oak. Pastry in a pour.

 Batch 54 6 1/2 year SiB Wheated 114 proof/ 57% ABVFinally, get to try Barrel Kings' first Wheated offering, and I hear ...
06/22/2023



Batch 54

6 1/2 year SiB Wheated

114 proof/ 57% ABV

Finally, get to try Barrel Kings' first Wheated offering, and I hear it does not disappoint. Many fun things are coming out from Barrel King, and this is the first of many!

Aroma: Batch 54 is a Gingerbread cookie, followed by caramel nougat and almond candy. There is this funky note that I enjoy with really well-made wheaters. Brandy-soaked cherries, a slight fruity note of strawberry, and a little banana, which is very odd for a wheater. Subtle minerality on the nose.

Taste: I’m getting funky barnyard hay on a hot summer day, like a real Belgian wheat beer would have with the fermentation. Almost getting more of the quad ale aspects of plum, darker fruits, and cherry. Old school salt water taffy I get with those flavors mentioned, the more it develops. Their is a slight peppered venison stew with mushroom and yellow onion flavor on the mid palate. Velvety towards the back and the finish is near a minute long.

Verdict: One of the better wheated products I have had in a very long time. Barrel King, yet again, doing amazing things.

  Batch GD1 or Smokeshow bottle 2 A Griff and Dave pick finished in Stagg Jr and WFE Purple Top Barrels 119 proof59.5% B...
05/25/2023



Batch GD1 or Smokeshow bottle 2

A Griff and Dave pick finished in Stagg Jr and WFE Purple Top Barrels

119 proof
59.5%
Bottle #64

Aroma: The SJ is huge in this whisky. Not only deep cherry flavors are bursting through the glass, but the first 5 minutes opened, I got a whiff of this stroganoff gravy, which is a note I have never gotten from other whiskies before. I’m wondering if the base whisky before finishing was an umami bomb. A mushroom/beef gravy was underneath the cherry. Developing in the glass, GD1 is bursting with grape jelly, cherry pie, and vanilla taffy. The Willett influence plays a role with some strawberry and baking spices. The Stroganoff presence is still here, though, which I enjoy pretty well. A little bit of a sweet bbq note too. Incredible.

Taste: Way different than the aroma. The flavors are bursting with strawberry ice cream that is soft served, classic bourbon flavors that you would see in an excellent BT product like Stagg batch 12 or even GTS 2017 with massive cherry cola vibes. Still, the flavors continue with frosting, cookie dough, and sugar cane. The stroganoff note is not present in the taste, but when you take a sip, you can notice it.

Overall I want to say this is another contender for WOTY and will have to be savored. I can’t wait to pair the ci**rs for GD1. Well done again, Jarrod.

 Cask Strength Rye WhiskySingle barrel finished in PX Sherry 19year old rye, 12-year-old rye, and 21-year-old corn whisk...
05/24/2023


Cask Strength Rye Whisky
Single barrel finished in PX Sherry
19year old rye, 12-year-old rye, and 21-year-old corn whisky

Aroma: A burst of that lovely sherry, followed by citrus oils, sweet oak, and vanilla. Lovely baking spices followed by apples layered with caramel.

Taste: The PX Sherry balances the whole whisky nicely with Apple cake, a fruit bowl of flavors of grape, orange, and kiwi. The mouthfeel is well-rounded.

Found North is becoming up there with whiskies that you must buy every time a product releases.

Special blind tonightTonight are 3 of the best bottles I have currently in terms of BourbonBETA, 2017 George T Stagg (20...
05/20/2023

Special blind tonight

Tonight are 3 of the best bottles I have currently in terms of Bourbon

BETA, 2017 George T Stagg (2017) and Sassy Patty

Aroma: First glass, starting left to right, was huge notes of cherry, damp soil, and vast amounts of butterscotch ice cream and strawberry. Oak is there too.

The second glass was a deeply toasted marshmallow, vanilla, and fudge brownie.

The third glass is enormous amounts of cherry, brown sugar, and oak.

Taste: Glass one is just pure heaven. Sweet oak, apple/cherry pie, brown sugar cookie, and damp earth. The finish is long and coats the whole palate, and changes into this strawberry jam mixed with some chocolate pudding.

Glass two is Cocoa Puffs cereal with marshmallows. A fantastic amount of oak and flavors going on that linger on the palate for a long time.

The third glass is a massive burst of cherry cola and chocolate. A hint of rye as well.

Verdict: BETA won by surprise. Sassy was second, and George T Stagg 2017 was third. Sassy was close to winning the whole thing, but BETA is such a well-crafted bourbon. Stagg was outstanding as well. BETA is still king!

Barrel King Old Road Craft Spirits St. Louis Bourbon SocietyYou’ll Shoot Your Rye Out!Christmas of 2022 111 proofStraigh...
05/09/2023

Barrel King Old Road Craft Spirits St. Louis Bourbon Society

You’ll Shoot Your Rye Out!
Christmas of 2022
111 proof
Straight Rye Whisky.

I was very excited to purchase this on-site at Barrel King. If you have not had this rye, don’t miss your shot!

Aroma: Initially, it is wintergreen bubble gum, followed by a long stride of pipe to***co. After a while, it becomes a chocolate candy cane paired with country ham. Developing in the glass, the wintergreen subsides slightly, becoming fresh mint and chocolate chips. Mint ice cream.
Very complex rye.

Taste: Mint chocolate chip ice cream, pipe to***co, country ham, and maple syrup. The more ryes from Barrel King I try, there are many flavors of these umami notes: spring grass, mushroom, and damp soil. Barrel King has some fantastic rye barrels right now, and they will only get better.

I would not let the Bumpus hounds ruin my holiday if this rye existed back in the day!

Jeff Henley and SLBS. Great job!

 Batch 45 - AKA Little Willett Won't Go Home or WWS Seven-year 21% MGP Bourbon finished in Willett Wheated (purple top a...
05/02/2023



Batch 45 - AKA Little Willett Won't Go Home or WWS

Seven-year 21% MGP Bourbon finished in Willett Wheated (purple top and dark bottle), then finished in another Willett Wheated, and then briefly finished in a Stagg Barrel

Aroma: Hot chocolate powder, chocolate peanuts, orange marmalade, and buttered pecan pie. Some tannic oak but gets a lot of Mexican churro and vanilla on the peak aroma.

Taste: As Jarrod would call “dank earth” flavors, but tons of Mexican desserts, churro, tres leches cake, and Mexican fried ice cream, with orange marmalade. The Willett influence and Stagg marriage so well together with the seven year + MGP. Full of flavor!

  Re-Visit Rocco Hill Farms Batch117. 2 proof58.6 %Bottle 145Batch USCARocco is the name of a Raccoon that was popular i...
05/01/2023


Re-Visit
Rocco Hill Farms Batch
117. 2 proof
58.6 %
Bottle 145
Batch USCA

Rocco is the name of a Raccoon that was popular in this team selection and was owned by a member of this selection. Sadly, Rocco passed away.

Aroma: This has opened to cordial chocolate cherry; vanilla is finally coming in after two months. Getting a sugar cane soda note, maybe cherry Dr. Thunder (off-brand DP). Overall, the aroma has gotten way better and has opened up well.

Taste: This whisky now coats mid-palate instead of all up-front and has a long finish—a lovely spice note of star anise and nutmeg, followed by brown sugar. Vanilla is coming out more with some milk chocolate and getting some buttercream ice cream, too, like a Cold Stone buttercream ice cream, with some chocolate chips added. This has improved well over time with air.

Again, give your bottles time to develop flavors. Sometimes I miss out on the full potential (because BK is so fricken good). Let your bottles develop!

Friday night Flight Night BattleHigh West Distillery - A Midwinters Night Dram Act 10 Straight Rye finished in Port V.S....
04/29/2023

Friday night Flight Night Battle
High West Distillery - A Midwinters Night Dram Act 10 Straight Rye finished in Port V.S. Starlight Distillery - An Indianas Nights Dram, Rye Whisky finished in Port by Mash and Journey.

Aromas: Midnight's Dram has candied prunes, dried fig, and ruby grapefruit. I am getting a white grape note followed by French toast.

The Starlight Dram has darker fruits, and prune is more pronounced. Richer fig, verging on a raisin. Not as complex as Midwinter's Night.

Taste: Midwinters has rich and velvety flavors of wine, ice cream with grapes, dried cherry, and molasses. Indiana's night is much like the aroma. This has darker fruits and a longer-lasting raisin note; not getting the wine aspect as much as I would like, but still very good. The finishes are both unique. Indiana's dram lasts a few seconds longer than Midnight's Winter.

Verdict: I am going to say Midnight's Winter Dram wins this round, for the fact it has a bit more wine flavors and more dessert notes for me.

Thanks, Mike, again! And great job Scott on this pick too!

Thanks Mike Walling for the samples. Reviews coming soon!
04/25/2023

Thanks Mike Walling for the samples. Reviews coming soon!

Circle City Five-year, 3 Month MGP whisky Finished in French Oak Syrah Barrels Aroma: Right up front, vast amounts of ra...
04/17/2023

Circle City
Five-year, 3 Month MGP whisky
Finished in French Oak Syrah Barrels

Aroma: Right up front, vast amounts of raspberry/blueberry parfait, Cream savers strawberry, and a nice piece of oak. French oak vibes with the to***co and cocoa, but the star of the show is the Syrah grape with that giant Blueberry you get from Syrah. Almost like a vintage or Justine Syrah wine I had a while back. A very wine-forward finished whisky.

Taste: Grape HubaBuba gum, blueberry skin, blackberry, and to***co. This whisky has a mouthfeel surrounding the palate with that cocoa and caramel. This whisky also has a little bit of cured meat and a leather note coming in toward the finish.

Verdict: This is one of Drew’s best whiskies to date with the finishing process he did. Drew has told me that this whisky is one of his passion projects because of his love for Syrah wines, and I think he nailed it!

 17-26 Year Old WhiskiesAged in New Hungarian, New American, and Ex-Bourbon Barrels64.1% ABV | 128.2 Proof87% Corn | 12%...
04/15/2023



17-26 Year Old Whiskies
Aged in New Hungarian, New American, and Ex-Bourbon Barrels
64.1% ABV | 128.2 Proof
87% Corn | 12% Rye | 1% Malted Barley
Non-Chill Filtered
No Additives
Natural Color

Distilled in Canada, bottled by Found North in New Hampshire

Aroma: Maple syrup danishes filled with whipped chocolate. A lot of sugar, almost like sugar cane. From what I had read about the Hungarian oak, it has the Demerara (sugar cane) quality, so it is present. Brown buttered pancakes, followed by fig jam and strawberry stuffed French toast with a drop of water. At 128 proof, you do not get any harsh ethanol vapors. Great nose.

Taste: Like eating stuffed French toast with some coffee. Tons of maple syrup, maybe a blackberry syrup too. Strawberry jam, leather, and sugar cane. Like classic Coca-Cola vibes. Some stone fruit, mango, and kiwi are coming out more, maybe 20 min rest. A drop of water changes this to parfait of fruit and fresh pistachio ice cream. For whiskies aged this long without being over-oaked, I am impressed immensely with these Canadian whiskies blended.

Verdict: I will say it’s the Canadian version of Barrel King. Getting some resemblance of flavors, I would get from some of the best batches of Barrel King like Sassy Patty, BETA, and even Heavy Char. I will grab some more collections of these before they sell out! An example of this absolute must-buy. Seek it out

Circle City/Pennington Distillery The Bottle Cartel Sweet Heat124.4 proofSix years seven months 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% ba...
04/15/2023

Circle City/Pennington Distillery
The Bottle Cartel
Sweet Heat
124.4 proof
Six years seven months
60% corn, 35% rye, 5% barley
Distilled in Tennesee, bottled by Circle City

Aroma: Sweet corn, candy corn, and rye spice are what I get on the initial nose. Sweet Heat turns more on funky fermented corn, which I’m digging.

Taste: Sweet cornbread, funky brown butter, and caramel. Rye bread follows through towards the mid-palate. The mouthfeel is quite lovely and medium full-bodied. The finish is long, and the heat is smooth.

Verdict: Sweet Heat is an interesting whisky.
I do enjoy it, but I do think it needs some time to develop more flavors in the coming weeks with the introduction to oxygen. A solid offering. Thanks, Drew, again for the bottle and the cool swag!

  Watershed 5-year Toasted Barrel pick. 125 proofThis is a sample and not available yet to the public, but this will be ...
04/14/2023



Watershed 5-year Toasted Barrel pick.
125 proof

This is a sample and not available yet to the public, but this will be available in a few weeks through Circle City and Rural Inn (who chose the barrel)

Aroma: Sugared donuts, almost turning into a beignet. Maple syrup frosting, brown sugar, cinnamon cereal, and nutmeg. A little bit of vanilla bean and s’mores from the Toasted barrel, but the aromatics are incredible.

Taste: Full-bodied, with many rich flavors of danishes, maple syrup icing, beignet, s’more, and s’more cereal. Lots of heat with the toasted barrel as well.

Verdict: A must-buy for all you toasted barrel fans. You get what you want from the toasted notes, but get the classic maple syrup and sweetness from the Watershed barrels. Overall, a must-

04/02/2023



Smoke Show batch 1
Bottle Number 1
57%/114 proof

Barrel King Knighted. Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in Rare Ex-Bourbon Barrels (Willett Family Estate edition)

I will do another review with the ci**rs from Leatherwood Handmade Ci**rs that will pair with this whiskey.

Aroma: I love what I smell—deep rich pipe to***co. Pipe to***co is an aroma that always brings me back to my grandfather Don, who has passed; going into his basement and hanging out and watching golf videos with him. He always had his pipe to***co, Whoppers chocolate, and chocolate peanuts. When I visit my grandmother, to this day, if I need to go to the basement for anything, it’s the smell of pipe to***co, vanilla, and firewood that is mostly oak that lingers in my nostrils and strikes the memory of all those smells and memories of the past. These memories of smells go in hand with the aromas of this. Huge to***co, rich chocolate, strawberry danish, marzipan, and charred oak. It’s like Memaw (batch 40 )with more complexity and to***co. I love this aroma.

Taste: Strawberry toaster strudel, toasted marshmallow, and crème savers. Maple syrup with a lot of berries going on. The pipe to***co thing makes this one of my favorites from Barrel King—a little funk from the Willett, like a wet hay/barnyard note. The finish is long, with more oak and dark chocolate coming out with vanilla and fresh to***co. Mouthfeel is incredible and coats the whole palate.

This may be my new favorite “finished” whisky to date from Barrel King. The flavors symbiotically all work together in a harmonious flavor bomb that brings you back to the past, at least for my case.

Cigar notes with this will be next week!

Just a regular Northern Wisconsin guy, drinking some damn fine whisky!

Whiskey Tangos’ King of the Bourbon vs. IYNYN from Watering Hole.Both are world-class whiskies on their own, but who wil...
03/30/2023

Whiskey Tangos’ King of the Bourbon vs. IYNYN from Watering Hole.

Both are world-class whiskies on their own, but who will be king? Both profiles are rich in dark chocolate, Vanilla bean, and salted peanuts.

Aroma: KOTB has a lot of vanilla beans, a small latte, a peanut butter cookie, and some snickerdoodles—getting a baby Sassy vibe with this. IYNYN has more dark caramel, 60% dark chocolate, sugar cane, and a rootbeer. Barq’s rootbeer and some peanut butter ice cream. Very rich!

Tastes: Both are almost the same, but Noe has more body and complexity with the flavors of rootbeer, vanilla cake, and peanut butter ice cream. Loving both, but Noe is the clear winner in taste.

Verdict: Noe edges KOTB with a more rounded-out body and a better finish. It’s a monster of a pick!

Well, it’s the review many have been waiting for on my thoughts on BETABarrel King/Old Road Craft SpiritsBETA - 1st-anni...
03/25/2023

Well, it’s the review many have been waiting for on my thoughts on BETA

Barrel King/Old Road Craft Spirits

BETA - 1st-anniversary release
122 proof
61%
Bottle 9
Batch 42

Aroma: I had this last night, and I discussed with Jarrod and friends how this may be one of the best aromas in terms of complexity and layers I have ever smelled. Apple pie that has been baked outside in the natural elements, white oak smoke, and some birch smoke, it’s slight, but it’s there. My parents own cabins with abundant birch trees and pine, and yes, it’s a different smell from each wood.

A deeper dive in, there is a lot of red fruit blanked by rich oak and vanilla. It was getting some darker fruits like cherry, a little blackberry, and some cranberry, maybe. It reminds me of a Fall limited release you would get. If you let this sit just long enough and air, it does become this hybrid to 2 very highly sought-after whiskies. BETA has notes of abundant cherry and some cow pie that you would get from Sassy Patty. BETA is an aroma so few will experience, and all of us, a part of this, are so lucky and grateful we have the chance to be trying some of the best whisky in America right now.

Taste: It is a punch of flavors; Apple pie again, followed by substantial red fruits, sweetness, some honeydew Mellon, and strawberry and raspberry gummies. Some smoke and earthy notes come in with some portobello mushroom caps and chicken of the woods. Fricken wild! It is very subtle, but that earthy quality and funk is what I fricken love. The finish is medium to long but coats the whole back of the throat with maple syrup and Little Debbie’s. BETA is like the Zeppathon of whiskies. You start with the Blues; then it’s foreign, then it just turns into its own thing. It’s a journey that I am glad to be a part of. The flavors and the complexity of BETA are some of the best I have had, if not ever had.

Thank you, Jarrod Record, Rachael Record, and the fantastic team at Barrel King, for all you do for the members and family.

Prost!

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