Being from the South, I am excited to hear that some southern, older traditions of the past are peaking through the bourbon world.  When I think of older southern generations and traditions in the south, I do tend to think of the illegal producers of this great spirit, but it all had to start from somewhere.  FEW has taken it upon themselves to combine the best of the North and the South in their Bourbon with traditions and ingredients.

FEW Bourbon uses three grains that are infused together, a corn, a malted barley and they combined that with a Northern Rye to give it a spicy kick. This is a fairly young bourbon since it is ages for one year in a charred oak barrel but it does have some interesting characteristics to it.

On the nose I found a sweet floral scent that would round out into an apricot.  No spice was detected at the nosing stage.  The first thing I noticed in the taste is how smooth the bourbon felt as I took my first sip.  The second sip reminded me of a werther's hard original candy that smooth creaminess of caramel, vanilla and a nutty flavor that is a cross between a peanut and toffee.  Towards the end of the taste the spicy from the rye reminds you that it is in there and can probably be diluted with a drop of water if you are not into the spiciness of rye.  Please keep in mind that when tasting this bourbon they do produce it in small batches, so there may be some differences within each batch. 

Definitely a sipping bourbon that will warm you up on a cold day if you choose to drink it neat, like I do!  Nice job FEW, I am looking forward to trying the Rye next.

Over this Thanksgiving Day Holiday thought it would be best to try some of the Wild Turkey Rare Breed with the family.  This barrel 112 proof whiskey bourbon is definitely a Rare Breed.  One of the many characteristics that I enjoy is when you nose the whiskey to sense the flavors that your taste buds might be getting ready to enjoy only to taste a little surprise in the end.  This Rare Breed will have you smelling molasses and maple syrup with a dry oak finish.  The taste brings out the fig, dates, oak and finishes with a mild pepper flavor that will linger on for a little bit.  A friend of my father's, who was experience this tasking with me, told me that when she nosed the whiskey she could remember the smell of her grandmother's fruit cake, when they would soak it in bourbon and apples while it set.  So tis the season for Fruit Cake (dark fruit cake not light) so pair this whiskey bourbon with your families favorite recipe to see if you get the same experience.

Love the story behind Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea.  Two barrels are strapped to a boat and transported down river from Louisville, KY to New Orleans, LA.  Then they go up to coast from Key West to New York.  Along the way the boat stops for breaks and photo ops for tourists to see the barrels on their journey.

The bottle above is the 3rd Voyage.  The nose on this whiskey will remind you of a Sandalwood Candle which has hints of vanilla and oak.  With a hint of bacon, caramel and well yes some whiskey I definitely think we have a new candle that many would purchase.

The taste reminds me of candied bacon and sea salt caramel bites.  The black pepper and crystallized brown sugar on the bacon and the silky smooth taste and texture of melted down caramel with bits of salt is a perfect description of this whiskey.  In fact I think these items would definitely enhance the flavors.

Thanks to Rich & Rare for sending me this great bottle of whiskey to sample and this is definitely the time of year to sample it. With a nose of vanilla and cream with a slight pepper smell it gets you in the mood to bake a pumpkin pie. The taste of this whisky will not disappoint you with what you were able to smell. Definitely a vanilla, oak flavor in the beginning ending with a cinnamon, peppery finish.

I think this whisky would go great with a nice fall baked good. So pull out your recipes and sip this whisky with your pumpkin or apple flavored baked goods.

This 90 proof whisky is of a high rye content (95% to be exact).  The nose gives you an aroma of oak from the barrel and you can almost smell the sugar maples that are burnt to produce the charcoal for their filtration process. The taste in my humble opinion is smooth for a high rye content but you will still get the spice in the end.  This whisky is definitely one that can be sipped and I would not recommend putting into a mixed drink. 

What is different about this whisky versus the Jack Daniel coal filtration is that George knew the best time of year to make whisky was in the Winter, and he couldn't wait all year to produce whiskey so he created a cold coal filtration process.  This way he could make great whisky all year long.  Thank you George!

While visiting my favorite Marriott in Salt Lake City, which by the way has the best Goat Cheese and Fig Appetizer, I was able to try this interesting Rye Whiskey. 

Nose: Smells sweet, almost too sweet for a Rye Whiskey.  (Wondering if the goat cheese fig app, played a part in that). 

Taste:  Bit of spice in the beginning and black licorice in flavor towards the middle.  The finish is sweet and savory.  Definitely has a full rye flavor and mellows out nicely.  I find that it is a great sipping whiskey and a great rye to mix in your Old Fashion or other Rye Whiskey cocktails.

The first time I tried this whiskey I was at the Principal's Office in Colorado Springs.  I was very surprised on how smooth this rye whiskey tasted. This particular rye whiskey is distilled and bottled by the Heaven Hill Distillery in Louisville, KY.  It has notes of a Pennsylvania style rye whiskey that has a mild peppery finish.  You would not expect this when you nose the whiskey.  The smell is of vanillas and oak, almost sweet in nature.  The taste is more of a toasted vanilla, charred oak flavor with a mild pepper finish.  For one who really enjoys rye whiskeys, like myself, this will definitely be one that I will keep on my shelf.