Tastes

Oh yeah. That's a bourbon barrel, all right. Yes, you're getting the usual heathered peat notes that you'll get whenever you drink any Highland Park product - only instead of being balanced out by those fruity notes that you get in some of their other offerings (12 year, for example,) you're hit by the oaky vanilla-and-spice notes that you'd expect. The effect can be surprising when you first go in for a taste - though halfway through the glass, it's no longer a "why is this a thing," and is more of a "why wasn't this a thing sooner" reaction.

Caramel. Lots of caramel on the nose right away, and all throughout the taste and finish. Yes, you'll get the vanilla and oak notes that are right out of the barrel, but it's pretty clear that this is a 'no age statement bourbon.' Now, is that a bad thing? No. Sure, it's clearly their entry level bourbon, yet it's more than capable of standing on its own. I feel like that this is Willett's answer to Buffalo Trace - though it's up to the individual drinker if they nailed it or not.