Tastings

Welcome to the AmericanWhiskey Magazine tasting pages. We guide you through a plethora of whiskeys so you are equipped to make your next purchase, whether something new or an old favorite. Whiskeys are tasted blind, with only proof and style information given to the experts. In this edition, Peggy Noe Stevens and Susan Reigler give their palates a workout.

Peggy Noe Stevens

Peggy Noe Stevens became the world's first female master Bourbon taster and can trace her lineage back to some of the great Bourbon making families in Kentucky. In 2011, she created the Bourbon Women Association.

Susan Reigler

Susan Reigler is the author of several Bourbon books, including Kentucky Bourbon Country: The Essential Travel Guide, and is a former restaurant critic and beverage columnist for the Louisville Courier-Journal. She is the immediate past president of the Bourbon Women Association.

THE PROCESS

• All samples are blind tasted, with proof and style the only information disclosed.
• Samples are tasted individually over a two week period.
• Tasters are provided tasting and scoring guidelines for consistency.
• The top scorer is awarded Editor’s Choice.
• Scores of 17+ qualify for our top 5 Recommended whiskeys award.

Angel's Envy

Cask Strength 2020

BACARDI LIMITED

Peggy

Nose: Beautiful caramel and oriental spice notes. Soft cocoa and coconut with almond nougat. Oak presence with an underlay of smoke.

Palate: Big and bold with spice out front – cayenne, paprika and cinnamon. Oak tannins for days, creamy vanilla and tweaks of marshmallow and smoke with dark raisin.

Finish: Spice cascades slowly into a rich and subtle caramel finish. Comments: Adore the blast of spice at the get go and has staying power until the final breath.

Proof: 120.4

ABV: 60.2%

Style: Bourbon

State: KY

Price: $$$

Susan

Nose: Orange peel, orange blossom, and light cinnamon present before an aroma of vanilla custard. Second nosing finds caramel and prominent citrus.

Palate: Rich caramel segues into chocolate, with lots of orange peel and cinnamon. Roasted nuts and white pepper round it out.

Finish: Long, warm, and dry. Sweeter aromatics fade, leaving the oak to mark the ending.

Comments: Be generous with water and be rewarded with milk chocolate and allspice.

Barrell

Armida

BARRELL CRAFT SPIRITS

Peggy

Nose: Crushed walnuts with some grassy and earthy notes. Perfumed rose water and white cherry blossom.

Blackcurrants and tea.

Palate: A sugary mix of honey and cane sugar spirals into an elevated spice of cinnamon and paprika. Not a