Whiskey 1:
Vanilla in the nose, with some water added a bit of a hay/wood/attic aroma.
Sweetness in the front of the tongue on the initial sip. Rye spice on the tongue with some alcohol heat. With a little water added it smooths out the alcohol heat.
Finish with char and some bitterness. Finish lingers for medium length.

Guess: Evan Williams SB--I have no idea and it's my default guess as of late.

Answer: Very Old Barton 100 proof. This is some good stuff, especially for the price. I'm not sure you could get a better bottle of bourbon for $15. Not a lot of complex flavor necessarily, but stands up well to anything else we've tried so far.

Whiskey 2:
Nose similar to the VOB, vanilla and a little hay/attic, but a little more intense in the nose with a streak of something sweeter that I can't place. Initial taste is sweet, but a lot of alcohol heat, so fairly high proof? Finish is medium length. Second drink gives some more bitterness and char/smoke in the finish. Some deeper complexity on the tongue with flavors I can't quite place since I'm not particularly advanced at this. More a sense of 'having more flavor' than the ability to pick it apart. Not picking up a lot of rye spice in this. A little water brings out some woodier flavor on the tongue and a little more sweetness in the finish.

Very good overall.

Guess: Col. Taylor Single Barrel -from the proof and my unfamiliarity with it.

Answer: EH Taylor Single Barrel BIB. Hey I got one right!