Pooler Bourbon Syndicate

Had the pleasure of trying both of these great offerings tonight.

Head to Head
HH18 vs HH 90th Anniversary

HH18 Heritage Collection

Color: Amber

Nose: Grassy barn funk and Allspice, also a subtle sweetness honey, brownsugar - Back of the nose (smells like rain and/or Hippy Girls from High school who wear too much Patchouli)

Palate: Rich sweetness like a brown sugar thats been in a smoker. Also a bery prominent funk to it. Peppery all spice in the backround.

Finish - Pretty aggressive finish to include a very nice warmth that builds after a couple sips. Creamy mouthfeel that is always present with a full bodied offering.

Summary: unique and funky and peppery as hell.

7.1 out of 10

HH 90th Anniversary

Color: Dark Amber

Nose: Dried sticky dark fruit, caramel and barrel char

Palate: Thick creamy dark sticky prune, perhaps some raisen and some wonderful sweet maple sugar and caramel. Light delicate baking spices that are sweet and warm such as nutmeg and cinnamon. Complex and delicious.

Finish: Amazing creamy/oily mouthfeel that is surprisingly easy to sip at 107 proof. Just the right amount of barrel char gives the sip sole pleasant medium heat that finishes in the chest.

Summary: Wonderful HH offering as usual. This one seems special to me. Its all the flavors and feels that I want in a bourbon. Exquisite.

8.8 out of 10

So if you live in the Savannah/Richmond Hill Area, Id like to bring your attention to a new Distillery that will break ground in about a month or so. Land was closed on yesterday.

Longwood Distillery will be owned/and operated by Mark Feldman who is a combat veteran and also a fierce and unstoppable force.
Mark is looking for some help with social media and some other projects from within our local area!
I have known about this venture for quite some time and have kept it under wraps until the time is right.

You can expect a first class operation that will include a tasting room, a bar and some beautifully crafted spirits to include American Whiskey, Bourbon, Molasses based barrel aged rum, Gin, Agave Spirit etc….
Plans for an exclusive club with ultra premium allocated offerings are also in the works for this Richmond Hill location.

For more info, please contact Mark using the picture attached. This will be the first ever distillery in Bryan County and Im telling you, this place is going to be special……Stay tuned and if anyone wants to know more PM is open or you can contact Mark directly.

I have wanted to try this ever since I saw it on the shelves. New product from the owner of Whistlepig. Half Bourbon/Half Armagnac….Didnt really know what to expect as this is a low proofer at 95.8 proof…So here is my honest opinion:

Color - Dark Rich Chocolate hued amber. Beautiful Color

Nose - Tannic, leathery and minty. The Armagnac is definitely in the drivers seat as the nose smells like a minty leather shoe….Almost zero ethanol and a hint of sweetness (perhaps honey).

Palate - Leathery, And minimally minty. Tastes like licking a dry leatherbound old library book. Interesting though, is its a very creamy and oily mouthfeel - Surprisingly fullbodied but Dry!!! Sweetness in Non existent but small amount of perhaps wintergreen way in the backround.

Finish - Again surprisingly fullbodied. No real finish of heat, but it leaves you with a leathery dry mouthfeel that actually may be some peoples Jam! Me, not so much…Just too leathery and dry for me and no punch to this. I know Armagnac is not for everyone but I feel like this is just leather and no taste.

Summary: I think the blends of 4 year bourbon that makes up the whiskey would taste 100 percent better if there was some sweetness and some heat. This just fell flat for me. Glad I only paid 50 bucks for it.

3.8 out of 10

I have been wanting to do the Mighty ETL for a while now……

Elmer T Lee 90 Proof Sour Mash Single Barrel

Nose - Perfectly balanced caramel, butterscotch and aged oak (perhaps some chocolate notes underneath, maybe even a little to***co) - Nothing fancy, nothing dramatic….

Just a damn fine balanced nose!

Palate - Again no surprises. Palate is an absolute pleasure to sip. Surprisingly oily for its proof. Caramel, Brown Sugar, a tad of Allspice, nutmeg. Warm flavors that are perfectly melded together.

Finish - No real finish to speak of. This is an easy to drink offering from the evil empire that is Buffalo Trace that leaves you with a surprisingly oily, mouthfeel. Not many better endings than what ETL offers if you’re sipping neat!

Summary - this bottle is actually most people’s unicorns, and honestly for good reason. There are not many bourbons out there in our world that are as well melded together and balanced as Elmer T Lee.

8.8 out of 10

Just in case someone opted for a nice read instead of my video review.

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Doc Swinson - Cask Strength Exploratory “Funky Drummer”
Rye finished in Jamaican Rum Casks
NAS (Likely Very Young)

Color - Very light yellow

Nose - Tropical Fruit Explosion on the nose along with some sweeter notes - Perhaps Honey. Vibrant Nose!

Palate - Evergreen Trees, Very Pine forward with a hint of some lighter sweetness (Powdered Sugar) but VERY Piney! Disappointed in how it wasnt very sweet at all!

Finish - Finish was light and almost forgettable. Pine left me with a bitter aftertaste that I didnt enjoy. I was super letdown after the vibrant nose on this whiskey.
�Summary - All of Doc Swinsons stuff tastes young and this was no exception. Im hating the fact that I paid almost 80 bucks for this. Its not worth 25 IMO. Avoid!

4.1 out of 10

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Castle and Key CS Wheated 7 year Bourbon (Cask Strength)

Color - Rich Amber

Nose - Smoked Honey, Earthy and grassy or haylike notes. Sweet with a strong ethanol signature (Was just opened)

Palate: Honey, Brown sugar and some nice charred oak flavor. Was expecting the minty grassy note on the palate - But that wasn’t present. Very sippable with almost zero burn. A real mellow whiskey that if youre not careful, youll drink 1/2 the bottle in one setting!

Finish - Pleasant mouthfeel, oily but not fullbodied. Sweet guves way to a short medium heat in your chest along with a dryness that actually welcoming. Nothing unique about this, but its going to appeal to tye sweet whiskey drinker a lot!

Summary - This is a great 50 dollar bottle. Delivers exactly what youd expect from a cask strength wheater. No surprises, goes down easy!

6.5 out of 10

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Redwood Empire Cask Strength

Color - Amber

Nose - Grassy, Hay, Allspice Dark Fruits

Palate - Warm full bodied, creamy notes of cocoa, bakers chocolate and some warm baking spices, Allspice, Nutmeg. Very well balanced. Flavors meld well together. No real peppery taste…Very mild sippable rye.

Finish - Medium heat in your upper chest, Cocoa nibs leave your mouth with a slightly bitter aftertaste - But the creamy mouthfeel more than makes up for it. Enjoyable.

Summary: the cast strength version of this offering is much better than the small batch. I loved the creamy mouth feel and full body nature of this whiskey, and even though it was pretty too dimensional I just love the chocolatey notes that weren’t sweet but enjoyable anyway.

6.7 out of 10