Tastes

This is quite a good value bourbon right off the top, average nose and subdued flavor characteristics are inoffensive to nearly any whiskey drinker and still offering some tartness and hints of carmels and other sweet flavors. No memorable "special" flavoring in the profile just a good stock character that lets you enjoy it. Finish leaves a slight tart(green apple) and mild warmth. Totally drinkable for the average occasion. Typically found in the 20$ range in cities, give it 2.5 for flavor and another .5 for price point value.

As many have pointed out, the "woodyness" is extremely in your face with this pouring, which comes as no surprise at all when you read how it was produced. My personal observations are the aforementioned oak, some traditional Beam spice qualities with the full proof heat. It's not bad its just not what a lot of experienced bourbon connoisseurs are out looking to find in a traditional style bourbon. A lot of people seem to have love-hate with this one in they either find the extreme earthy wood notes desireable or not much at all, I've seen a few people begging for this in smaller bottes than the standard 750. One thing is the uniqueness of the process and blend that makes it a "must try" for any adventourous bourbon enthusiest to try what we all imagine is still "hiding" in the barrel after pourings. After all, most drinkers won't be offended by oak and are going to notice some unique hints in the engrained barrel flavorings, though some of that additional flavor is on the rougher side, still, at such a nice price point there just is no reason to not to take this girl out for a spin on the dance floor.

I like this a lot. It's a good addition to the J.D. lineup and really better than old #7 in many ways. A moderate floral nose with hints of the spiced rye overtones about to be embibed. Mild rye body as expected, nothing strong or harsh, just smooth rye flavors and with powerful banana nut and toasted oat hints as well as spicey proof spirits. There are any number of mixable combos for this one and clear or club soda w/ lemon as the folks at Lynchburg suggest, certianly has merit. This just works really well and is a great if unexpected offering from JD. Update: (reflecting the half star rating) this is a great rye for someone looking for a NON-traditional rye, a sweeter almost bourbon-rye cross, which is something like what Old Forester managed with it's rye offering. Just something to note for those interested in a less than traditional, but interesting rye flavor profile.

One thing Crown has always been is the benchmark for a "spiced" smooth whiskey if from north of the border,, as far back as I can remember(over 40 years) we always looked at CR as the special SPICEYwhiskey you could count on for a great drink and not make you vomit from some syrupy additive. The folks at Crown Royal have made their cognac cask finish whiskey a dram that lives up to the name in a distinctly spicey but honest flavor, the fact this bottle is often found at the same price as "old blue bags" itself,, given its fine drinking it could easily take a spot in anybodies DAILY drinker row. Great CR traditional taste with the always smooth and easy finish you expect and a hint of congac notes just to add some fun to life. Its just slightly better Crown at the same price as standard so this one gets 4.6 stars for being a magnificent value. If you don't like Crown Royals already nice spicey flavor w/ a tad more complexity and always smooth finish then go drink some "fiarball" swill and leave the good stuff to those with the good sense to appreciate it!

+ .5 for 2.5 stars Nose: understated corn and hints of smoke, the nose may be the least exceptional thing about this blend. Taste: Not sweet or bitter, starts warm and tappers off smoothly. Theres nothing to get overly excited about here yet there is nothing to offend the pallate either. The rye/corn ratio works to make it a mildly interesting flavor but offers no real cumultive boldness. I could certianly imagine the ginger and toffee would be a great addition and work well inside this base blend. As Mary noted it's really quite a smooth product and entirely approachable for the average drinker. Certianly recommended to try along w/ the flavor variants. These Cask & Crew (not including the standard) are FLAVORED whiskeys and should be considered as such.

This is a rich, hearty bourbon whose full flavor keeps pace w/ it's 100 proof barrel strength bite. It yields mildly complex spicyness with much of the relevant wood/caramel/leather notes of any typical good bourbon category. Maybe not as complex as a top bottle but entirely acceptable vs the price point being had for under 30 a bottle in some areas. Think BT(eaglerare), Larceny and EW single in rich sweetness with a slightly varied spectrum of notes and in the same shelf category. With a superior nose of sweet rich caramel and oak, great mid palate bite of sweet heat and no notable burn and slight spices, smoke and cinnamon on the finish, this is a tempting all around bourbon. Let it roll back on the tongue and enjoy a bit of dank brown sugar and dried red fruit in the mids to complement the oaky earthiness, there is so much here on any bourbon drinkers list of "needs" to make a good rich drinking dram and all for a price barely above Jim Beam White Label. Another great offering from a well respected distillery. Did I mention this is out of Clearmont KY? This may be a "newish" bottle but is from a distiller that knows what the hell they are doing and have been doing it for some while. Highly recommended for the average drinking occasion and good enough to bring out on special occasions as well. 4 stars for great traditional flavor array at a respectably low price.

This bottle has not lived up to the expectations of the Heaven Hill reputation. Somewhat thin and lacking in the mids, NOT rich with only a mild bourbon sweetness. Heavy carmel and wood notes and not much else with it, mild peppers and tiny bits of cinnamon. Perhaps just a disappointing batch but this reminded more of the thin Evan Williams bond(white) label far more than the better HH offerings in this range like McKenna or Larceny. Mildly spicey, warm with some pepperness left on the palate and a bit hot on the finish, better with a cube than neat. Found the bottle in the low 20's making it an easy buy. 3 stars

excellent bang for buck bourbon, a traditional label from a well respected distiller and often found at a great price as well. The distiller.com profile seems accurate with richness and spicy sweet notes as the primary character. Very round full flavor while not quite as big in the flavor spectrum as Larceny still far "fatter" than the thin middle you get from Elijah Craig small batch. Finishes smooth and easy with little or no harshness, bottle and bond proof makes adding a cube a very acceptable alternative though the proof strength is surprisingly light in manor. This would be Heaven Hill's "best buy" if not for the fact they already have that trophy wrapped up with the Larceny label which takes the overall top prize in that category. Bardstown comes through again with this old favorite that earns 4 stars for its combination of value and taste.