Stopped and picked up Clear Water Distilling Co’s latest offering of Alfred’s Vault. This batch is a 4 yr bourbon finished in port barrels bottled at 118 proof.

Color of the whiskey is a gorgeous mahogany amber.

Nose brings the port barrel through the whiskey. Essence of a berry compote initially on the nose with the expected caramel and vanilla undertones.

Palate brings a little heat with it along with very strong port barrel influence. Not a lot of extra complexity to the whiskey besides the port influence.

Finish is medium in length with the port finish enticing me to go back for more.

Discussion: The first batch of Alfred’s Vault was finished in amburana. This finish can be very polarizing and unfortunately for me is not my favorite finish. The port finish on this second batch of Alfred’s Vault is something I enjoy much more than the amburana. While at the distillery I was told that the next iteration will be a 9 yr high rye bourbon finished with Spanish Cedar wood. It is currently tanked with the cedar wood spirals. I’ve never had a cedar wood finish so I am very intrigued and do not know what to expect.

Overall: 6.7/10

I've been reading many praises for TC lately but I've been reluctant to spring $100+ for one of their new bottles. We were out of town and I found this bottle collecting dust on the bottom shelf of a small unrenowned liquor store with a $34.99 price tag so I figured wth. I was eager to open it this afternoon as soon as we returned home. There are many reviews for this bottle so I'll offer cursory opinions below but I'll lead with how much I am enjoying this pour.

BOTTLE: Thirteenth Colony Southern Rye Whiskey Small Batch finished in French Oak. 95Proof. Distilled in Indiana. Aged and bottled by Thirteenth Colony Distillery Georgia. This is a 2024 release. 95Rye 5MB. No Age statement but believed to be between 4-6 years.

POUR: Neat in a snifter and rested for 5 mins. The legs are incredible coating the glass with thick syrup.

NOSE: Also incredible. I identified orange marmalade but the bottle mentions apricot which may be more close but as preserves combined with fresh rye grains.

PALATE: Orange peel, dried oranges with the peels, the bitterness of peel with the spice of the rye grain and the thick syrup produces a delicious complexity.

FINISH: The rye spice lingers with the distinctive dried fruit for a brief spell.

GRADE: 7/10.

SUMMARY: I feel fortunate to have made this bottle my first TC experience and at such a value. My profile preference is high rye so this appeals to me even if only 95P. Im eager and have no reservations about splurging on their current highly rated bottles.

{Note: You can find me on instagram @whiskeyincontext}

Four Grain is Cured Oak's sibling in this year's pair of E.H. Taylor revivals, although it's taking a different path going forward: while Cured Oak came back as a one-time, rare re-release, Buffalo Trace says that Four Grain will be a permanent annual release from here on out.

As with Cured Oak, age is a major difference between the original and the revival. The 2017 and 2018 releases of Four Grain – built from 2005 distillate – carried 12- and 13-year age statements, respectively, while the 2026 expression comes in at just 10 years of age. Buffalo Trace's own explanation is that this mash bill was never intended to chase a specific age statement in the first place, so the age drop isn't necessarily a step down in quality, just a different target.

What actually sets E.H. Taylor Four Grain apart, though, is what’s in the whiskey. Instead of the standard low-rye Mash Bill #1 that anchors most of the Taylor lineup, this one uses corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley together. As with all four-grain bourbons, the idea here seems to be that combining them builds a layered experience that standard three-grain bourbons don’t enjoy.

Let’s see how this one is!

From the Distillery: This special edition Four Grain bourbon is crafted just as Taylor would have wanted. The use of the highest quality grains and a distinct combination of corn, rye, wheat and malted barley, creates a flavor that is sweet with hints of caramel and vanilla, yet spicy with notes of clove and pepper. This impeccably balanced bourbon embodies the character of the man that would expect no less.

Mash bill: Undisclosed amounts of corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley

Proof: 100

Price: $79.99

Appearance: An orange-ish shade of amber, with decent legs on the glass.

Nose: Very fruit-forward: cherry pie filling and sweet grape, along with some graham cracker, confectionery sugar, and the slightest grassy note. Once the glass is empty, what’s left is maple, toffee, and some pipe tobacco.

Palate: Sweet and fruity right off the bat, with some oak and caramel coming into play on the mid-palate. There’s also some spice – rye and pepper – but they’re definitely supporting players. It’s smooth despite that spice, probably because of the wheat component. While the flavor is very nice, though, there’s not a lot of complexity here.

Finish: Pretty short, and made up of cinnamon, a good bit of oak, and the remnants of some sweet cherry. The aftertaste mostly features oak tannins at first, before some caramel finds its way in there after a while.

Thoughts: This strikes me as being more Eagle Rare-ish than E.H. Taylor-like, with cherry pie filling and almost medicinal grape hitting you right at the front of the palate. (Then again, I did get a lot of fruit like this off of E.H. Taylor’s Single Barrel expression, so maybe I’m wrong here). The overall experience is a very good one, although the finish leaves something to be desired. Overall, this is a largely enjoyable pour, if not an overly complex one. In my opinion it’s worth trying, but it’s not worth paying what some stores and secondary sellers are asking for it.

Rating: E.H. Taylor Four Grain is a solid pour, if not a life-changing one. I give it a 7.4 (“Great – Well Above Average”).

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Previous Ratings (all reviews are available in my archive, but there may be some discrepancies in numeric rating, as these are updated to include decimals and adjusted for blinds & re-reviews)

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
Maker’s Mark staved private selection (2.5)
Penelope Architect custom build (2.5)

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
Willett Pot Still (3)

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists
Found North SiB Oloroso finish (4.5)
Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat (4.5)
Augusta Buckner’s 10yr (4.6)
Shortbarrel Sapsquatch (4.8)

5 | Good | Good, just fine
Jack Daniel’s SBBP Rye (5)
Jack Daniel’s Heritage (5)
Four Roses SBBP OESO (5)
New Riff 4yr SBBP (5)
Four Roses SBBP OBSV (5.3)
Evan Williams America250 SiB (5.3)
New Riff Balboa Rye (5.4)
Blanton’s (5.5)
Old Forester 1924 (5.7)
Elijah Craig Toasted (5.8)
Lasso Motel 18yr ALW (5.8)

6 | Very Good | A cut above
Buffalo Trace Single Oak (6)
Barrell Cigar Blend (6)
Buffalo Trace (6)
1792 BiB SiB (6)
Copper & Cask Boston Rum Party (6)
Penelope Wheated (6)
Redwood Empire Emerald Giant (6)
Peerless DO (6.1)
Copper & Cask #16 (6.3)
Stagg 25B (6.3)
Augusta Buckner’s 13yr (6.5)
Green River Honey (6.5)
Pursuit United DO (6.5)
Sagamore 9yr SiB Rye (6.5)
Sazerac FP (6.5)
Green River Wheated (6.5)
Elmer T. Lee (6.5)
Copper & Cask #14 DO (6.6)
Shortbarrel Bees Knees V (6.8)
Penelope Marshmallow Toast (6.8)
Willett 4yr Rye (6.8)
Ampersand Opimus (6.9)

7 | Great | Well above average
Blanton’s Gold (7)
John J. Bowman SiB (7)
Found North 012 (7)
Rock Hill Farms (7)
Peerless Toasted (7.1)
E.H. Taylor SiB (7.2)
E.H. Taylor 4 Grain (7.4)
Eagle Rare 10yr (7.5)
Weller 107 (7.5)
Old Forester 1910 (7.5)
Penelope Estate 10yr SiB (7.5)
Blanton’s LMDW (7.5)
E.H. Taylor BP 16 (7.6)
E.H. Taylor SmB (7.6)
Woodford DO SBBP (7.7)
Old Fitzgerald 7yr (7.7)
Eagle Rare 12yr (7.8)
E.H. Taylor Cured Oak (7.8)
Willett 8yr SiB Rye (7.9)

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend 420 (8)
Old Dominick Staved SiB (8)
Starlight 10yr (8)
Blanton’s SFTB (8.3)
Lasso Motel SBBP Rye (8.4)
Mister Sam Tribute 4 (8.6)
E.H. Taylor BTAC 2025 (8.7)
Thomas H. Handy 2025 (8.7)
Eagle Rare 17yr 2025 (8.9)

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

Age: 5 years, 5 months
Proof: 126.48 proof
Mash Bill: Wheat. All of the wheat.
Cost: $142

Nose. Apple, of the Granny Smith variety. The raw straw note that I’ve found common on Frey Ranch is very present.

Palate. Super dynamic, switching between dark notes of leather and brighter, fruitier notes like pears and honey. Thick viscosity. I could probably use this to lubricate windmill gears.

Finish. Pineapple. Honeydew melon, one of my least favorite melons, but it works here. An ever so slight ethanol burn at the end that gradually fades the longer the bottle is open.

Overall. I’ve had mixed experiences with 100% wheat whiskey. Some (Star Hill Farms) have been great. Others (Unbendt) have left a lot to be desired. I’m an unapologetic fan of Frey Ranch, so I was excited to try a unique expression from my favorite Nevada farmers.

This does not disappoint.

This is a barrel pick from El Cerrito, which I only know as an online retailer but they may have a brick and mortar store in California. If you like Frey Ranch, this has all the notes you would expect: it’s like eating a mouthful of soil with vanilla frosting on top. Who doesn’t like sugary fertilizer, am I right?

I normally keep around 20 bottles open at a time, and it can take anywhere from 6 months to a year before I finally finish something. It’s unusual for me to keep coming back to something so often that it’s gone in less than 90 days. I finished this bottle in under three months. Either I need an intervention or this bottle is just that good.

Would I buy another bottle? Yes.

Rating. 7.75/10 | Great, well above average

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect

A short review as this was dissapointing. I saved the end for a while i thought maybe because I didn't want to kill it then remembered its just because I was dissapointed with the bottle and the price.

Aroma is the best part but still meh. There's caramel and a touch of vanilla, but also some odd green pepper and cinnamon top herbal and just something a little off balance to off

Flavor this drinks over proof and hits with hot akd hot alcohol then a big dose of cinnamon fireball candy flavor eventually I get some fruit and baking spice but it's just wildly unbalanced and not that pleasant. Water doesn't really change the flavor

Finish some lingering heat and some light tanin.

Overall I honestly wouldnt pay 1/4 msrp for this bottle, I can drink it but im not sure ill actually finish this pour.

Score 5 (or worse of i factor price)

Background:

I.W. Harper can be a puzzling brand to navigate. It's currently owned by Diageo, who inherited it from its predecessor United Distillers in 1997. United got it in 1987, after its own forerunner Guiness acquired Schenley, who'd held I.W. Harper since 1937.

Prior to 1992, I.W. Harper bourbon was produced at what is commonly referred to as the "old" Bernheim distillery, which had been greatly expanded by Schenley after the Prohibition. That plant was demolished by United Distillers in 1992 to make way for the new one, passing along its DSP-KY-1 registration number to the current Bernheim location. It was in turn sold to Heaven Hill in 1999, following the 1996 fire that destroyed the DSP-KY-31 Old Heavenhill Springs distillery.

After selling new Bernheim, Diageo had no active Kentucky distilleries until 2017, when it opened the Bulleit distillery in Shelbyville, and another one in Lebanon in 2021. That means it still relies on sourced whiskey to supply its higher-aged expressions, like I.W. Harper 15 or Blade and Bow 12.

I.W. Harper bourbon was not available in the US from the early '90s and until 2015. However, it was still produced for export to Japan and Europe. The later 2000s versions were contract-made by Four Roses, Heaven Hill and others, but if you go back to the '90s, it could be either old Bernheim, pre-Heaven Hill new Bernheim, or a blend of both.

The bottle I'm reviewing today, I.W. Harper 101 proof Japanese export from around 1997, is a mystery case. It's NAS, so it could potentially fit any of the Bernheim scenarios outlined above. United likely kept I.W. Harper's original low-rye mash bill of 86 corn, 6 rye and 8 barley (also shared with Old Charter) when it switched from old Bernheim to the new facility. Keep that in mind when you see Four Roses or Heaven Hill mash bills erroneously brought up to describe '80s and '90s-distilled Bernheim liquid.

The 101-proof expression was introduced in 1974 and featured a gold label. This grey label is a later, export-only version from the '90s. Tasted neat in a copita.

Nose:

Butterscotch, chocolate syrup, pear, grape, cranberry, vanilla, pie crust, honey.

Palate:

Butterscotch, gentle oak, orange cream, nut and raisin mix, grape, chocolate.

Finish:

Medium; a little oak char, citrus, brown sugar, grape must, tobacco.

Rating: (t8ke scale for reference below): 7

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have

5 | Good | Good, just fine

6 | Very Good | A cut above

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

Thoughts:

When Diageo came out with its first batch of Orphan Barrel releases in 2014, old and new (pre-Heaven Hill) Bernheim distillate was prominently featured: Old Blowhard came from old Bernheim, Barterhouse and Forged Oak from the new, and Rhetoric was a blend of the two.

Diageo still hasn't run out of it, as evidenced by the 30-year Blade and Bow (new) and 34-year I.W. Harper (old) from last year.

It was neat to taste this distillate even at a more conventional age. While I can't confidently guess the precise origin of the blend, it did have signature grape and chocolate notes I usually get on old Bernheim. It's quite sweet with few spice notes, as you'd expect from the mash bill.

It reminded me of some of the more grape-forward Eagle Rare picks, which supports the theory that Sazerac was inspired by the low-rye Harper and Old Charter bourbons, and possibly used similar Schenley-era yeast, when they created their mash bill 1 line (rumored to be 8 percent rye). I find it plausible, especially since it was engineered by Gary Gayheart, Buffalo Trace Master Distiller in the 1990s, who used to make Old Charter for Schenley at both the Bernheim and George T. Stagg plants earlier in his career.

While I'd prefer to try 101-proof Harper from the '70s or '80s, this '90s version is a very pleasant whiskey, and is cheaper and easier to find if you travel to Japan.

Thanks for reading and cheers!

Today we're taking a look at this 1792 Full Proof that was picked by Branded Barrel back in 2023! If you know me, you know I love 1792 store picks of all varieties, but the Full Proofs have always been a notch above. Especially if you're in an area that actually sells these at MSRP, one of the best values in whiskey today. Branded Barrel has done a handful of 1792 picks, but this was the first Full Proof I was able to get my hands on. This one is over 7 years old and as always, you can email Sazerac to get age and barrel info on these picks. Pretty cool. Let's see how she is.

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn, rested for 10 minutes.

Age: 7 years, 6 months

Proof: 125

Nose: Very strong cherry up front followed by brown sugar, caramel, and oak. Giving the glass a swirl makes that cherry note much stronger along with some added tobacco. Great balance between sweet and earthy tones which is what I expect, and want, with Barton whiskey.

Palate: First sip smacks you in the face with cherries, tobacco, brown sugar, baking spices, and oak with a medium viscosity. Cherries, tobacco, and baking spices remain strong after subsequent sips. It's dark and sweet initially, but that cherry starts to become very bright towards the end of the pour.

Finish: Longer side of medium finish of tobacco, vanilla, oak, and a bright cherry that starts to get a little medicinal.

1792 has always been a solid, steady, and reliable brand when it comes to their core lineup. Some of these single barrel store picks Full Proofs though can punch above their weight. This pick brings in much of what I love about Barton; those red fruits mixed with earth vibes like that tobacco note has and turns it up a notch. Great pick and one I wish I snagged more of before they sold out!

t8ke scale: 7.4/10 | Great | Well above average.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average.

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.

10 | Perfect | Perfect.