Tastes

BACKGROUND: Of all the varieties in the W.L. Weller line - the others being Weller 10 Year, Weller Antique 107, Weller Full Proof, Weller C.Y.P.B., and William Larue Weller - the Special Reserve is perhaps the most common and least sought, although it, too, is highly allocated and difficult to find in most places. At 90 proof and retailing less than $20 (although secondary market prices are exponentially higher), it is considered the entry-level bourbon in the Weller lineup. Like the other offerings, Special Reserve is a wheated bourbon that replaces the traditional rye mash bill with one this is wheat-based. Because it shares the same mash bill as Pappy Van Winkle and is also produced by Buffalo Trace, Special Reserve and other Weller products (with the exception of the BTAC William Larue Weller) carry a higher cache’ among consumers than they would if there was no perceived association with a holy grail bourbon brand. NOSE: The nose possesses pleasant aromas of caramel apples, leather, and some corn dust that you would smell when opening a grain bin. PALATE: Cinnamon and sweet apple flavors are reminiscent of apple pie filling. Oak, caramel, and some generic spice notes round out the palate. Perhaps the most apparent critique is a decidedly thin and watery mouth feel FINISH: The cinnamon and caramel flavor linger much longer than expected, but the 90 proofer offers no noticeable Kentucky hug or lasting warmth. FINAL ASSESSMENT: Some bourbons are complex and offering waves of changing flavors from the front of the palate to the finish. Weller Special Reserve, however, is largely one-dimensional, and remains constant in nose, flavor, and finish. That one dimension, though, is a nice one. I would never find myself tempted to pay secondary prices for Special Reserve, but I will grab every bottle available at standard retail. Weller Special Reserve receives a three cork pops out of five.

BACKGROUND: Jack Daniel’s pulls barrels from the upper levels of the rickhouse for their single barrel bottlings, with the barrel proof version being released in varying proofs ranging from 125 to 140. The bottle I sampled was 131 proof, or 65.5% ABV. I was prompted to purchase this bottle while reading the excellent book “Blood and Whiskey: The Life and Times of Jack Daniel,” which contains many interesting details about the Tennessee whiskey’s namesake. Among those fact about Jack Daniel and his product were: Though many of the Brown/Forman-produced statues and likenesses of him depict Jack Daniel as a tall, long-legged, skinny man, he stood only 5-foot 2-inches tall at his tallest and was demonstrably overweight in his later years. Jack Daniel was taught to make whiskey at age 16 by a freed slave known as “Uncle Nearis,” not “Nearest.” Apparently the marketers of the new whiskey changed his name because “Nearest” sounds more appealing and looks better on the shelf. Jack Daniel started his first distillery at age 25 with a $1,000 inheritance from his father’s estate. Upon receiving the inheritance, the previously destitute Daniel briefly left Lynchburg and later returned dressed in a formal knee-length frock coat, a fawn-colored vest lined with silk, a broad tie, and a broad-brimmed planter’s hat. He would wear the same outfit every day for the rest of his life. Jack Daniel drank his whiskey in a cocktail known as a “Tansy Julep,” which is made with whiskey, sugar or simple syrup, and tansy, a herbaceous flower that is toxic if ingested in sufficient quantity. Jack Daniel’s whiskey became famous after he entered in an international competition at the St. Louis World’s Fair, also known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, in 1904. The bottle he entered was awarded the Gold Medal for “World’s Finest Whiskey” Tour guides at the Jack Daniel’s distillery claim that its founder once kicked a large safe out of frustration when the combination would not work, and the foot injury he sustained led to his death. While it is true that Daniel did famously kick the safe in 1906, he did not die until1911, and his death at age 62 was related to diabetes. Daniel’s leg was amputated at the thigh the year before his death as a result of his diabetes. If asked, tour guides at the Jack Daniel distillery claim that no one knows exactly why the phrase “Old No. 7” appears on the bottle. Perhaps the reason they claim ignorance is because the story is neither simple nor sexy. During the time that Jack Daniel founded his distillery, alcohol taxes comprised roughly 70% of the federal government’s total revenues. To facilitate collecting those taxes, the IRS divided Tennessee into five tax districts and also assigned a number to each individual distillery. Originally, Jack Daniel’s distillery was Distillery No. 7 in tax district 4. After he had already built a reputation for producing quality whiskey, Daniel’s county was moved to tax district 5, and he was reassigned as Distillery No. 16. Distillers sold their product in barrels and pottery jugs with their distillery number stamped on the outside, so those numbers became the identifier that wholesalers used. To let them know that the whiskey was the same that Daniel had always produced, he placed “Old No. 7” underneath “Distillery No. 16” on his jugs and barrels. While Frank Sinatra’s public enjoyment of the product helped make Jack Daniel’s popular in the modern era, other celebrities made no secret of their love for it. Among them were U.S. Vice President John Nance Garner, Nobel Prize-winning novelist William Faulkner, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and President Harry Truman, who sent a case to Winston Churchill. NOSE: The nose smells strongly of banana and dusty corn though there is a bit of oak present, as well. For a 131 proof whiskey, however, there is decidedly little ethanol presence on the nose. PALATE: The delightfully thick and syrupy mouth feel of this whiskey is the first detail I noticed, and it was followed by a flood of flavors that included sweet corn, oak, toffee and banana. The palate is all at once sweet and savory. At this point, the strong alcohol presence made itself known with a noticeable tingle on my lips and tongue. FINISH: This barrel proof whiskey has a significantly long finish, and the initial tingle on the lips and tongue spreads to the roof of the mouth. The finish is a decidedly sweet one. A pleasant warming in the throat and chest appear, but there is no real burn despite the high alcohol content. FINAL ASSESSMENT: Retailing for less than $60, the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof is one of the best buys I have ever discovered. The combined sensation of sweetness and savory flavor is unique to this whiskey, and one of the most pleasant experiences I have had. This bottle now ranks in my top five all-time favorite whiskies.

BACKGROUND: The 1920 expression was the third of four releases in the Old Forester Whiskey Row series of bourbons, which highlights various periods in the Brown-Forman company’s history. The other Whiskey Row releases include the 1870, which symbolically evokes the original batching process of the first Old Forester bourbon, the 1897, which celebrates the passage of the Bottled In Bond Act, and the 1910, a heavily-oaked bourbon representing a bottling line fire that occurred at the distillery in the early 20th Century. The 1920 is a “Prohibition Style” whiskey reminiscent of the bourbon being produced at the time the federal Volstead Act was enacted by Congress. Brown-Forman, the maker of Old Forester, was one of six distilleries licensed to manufacture “medicinal whiskey” that could be purchased with a doctor’s prescription throughout Prohibition. At 115 Proof, the 1920 has the highest alcohol content of all the offerings in the Whiskey Row series, and that particular proof point is significant in the telling this particular bourbon’s story. During Prohibition, whiskey was required to be bottled at 100 proof, but to keep from adding too much water to the aged whiskey to proof it down, distillers also barreled whiskey around 100 proof. Brown-Forman estimates that, with “angel’s share” factored in, an aged bourbon of the era would have been about 115 proof out of the barrel. NOSE: The nose smells strongly of banana, which is typically of many Brown-Forman products, but oak and an underlying scent of citrus are present, as well. PALATE: The palate tastes completely and EXACTLY like the cordial juice inside a chocolate covered cherry. The cordial flavor is so dominant that it supersedes anything else. The oak and caramel, for example, that are typical in most bourbons are rendered completely mute in this one. It is a sweet and exceptionally tasty palate. FINISH: Rye spice and chocolate finally make an appearance on the finish. The heat from the 115 proof and the palate flavor combine to form a cherry flambe’ that subsides into a distinct after dinner mint flavor. FINAL ASSESSMENT: I consider myself a student of history, and one of the reasons I jumped feet first into the bourbon hobby was the fascinating stories that abound within its past. The Whiskey Row series allows me to not only study the history of Brown-Forman and various eras of bourbon production, but to directly experience and taste them, as well. While all of the expressions in the Whiskey Row series are enjoyable offerings, the 1920 is a standout that I highly recommend.

BACKGROUND: Elijah Craig bourbon is named for a Baptist minister from Virginia who moved to Kentucky and opened a distillery in 1789. Legend claims, though absolutely no proof exists, that Craig accidentally invented the process of aging whiskey in charred barrels after his barn caught fire. Despite the fact that the fire, according to lore, charred barrels that were stored inside the barn, Craig decided to use them to ship his whiskey. Customers who received the barrels were supposedly delighted with the effect that barrel char had upon its contents, and a new method of aging was born…or not. Before his death in 1809, Craig’s distillery and farm would encompass roughly 4,000 acres, which were tended by several of his slaves, and he also operated a retail store in Frankfort, Kentucky to sell his bourbon product. One of Craig’s contemporaries wrote at the time, “His preaching was of the most solemn style; his appearance as of a man who had just come from the dead; of a delicate habit, a thin visage, large eyes and mouth; the sweet melody of his voice, both in preaching and singing, bore all down before it.” Though one would assume that a bourbon named after an 18th Century distiller would have a long and storied history, the first bottle of Elijah Craig was produced by Heaven Hill distillery only in 1986, and it used the same 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley age statement as today. Once carrying a 12-year age statement, it has since been dropped, and the bourbon is made from a blend of younger whiskies. A single barrel Elijah Craig with an 18-year age statement is still available, however. The 94-proof, NAS bottle I sampled is a pick by the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control agency. NOSE: The nose is reminiscent of a gentlemen’s club - not the strip club kind but the formal and elite kind with monocle-wearing dudes sporting smoking jackets - and offers a great combination of pipe tobacco, leather, and maple syrup.. PALATE: Despite the fact that it has no age statement, Elijah Craig has the same significant amount of oak as most well-aged bourbons. Caramel and brown sugar are present, and a strong hint of cherries develops on the back of the palate. FINISH: Oak and barrel char dominate the medium-to-long finish, but it is not at all drying. A pleasant heat rises but stops and simmers at just the right level. FINAL ASSESSMENT: The ABC Select Spirits Elijah Craig barrel pick is a good, but not great, bourbon. Though not complex, it is perfectly pleasant and does its job. For the price of $24.99, it’s a satisfying daily drinker.

BACKGROUND: Spirits giant Diageo markets its Blade and Bow bourbon brand by blending current sourced bourbon with some of the last stocks remaining from the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery, which was operated by Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle, Sr. and produced W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Pappy Van Winkle, and other well-known brands before ceasing production in 1992. Using a solera blending process of barrels that are arranged in a pyramid and constantly rearranged and replaced as they empty, Diageo claims that every bottle of Blade and Bow contains at least some portion of vintage Stitzel-Weller bourbon, although the amount is likely minuscule. The bourbon’s name references the parts of a skeleton key - the blade shaft and the ornate bow at the top - and its label pays tribute to the five keys that once decorated the door of the Stitzel-Weller distillery and represented the five components of bourbon distilling - grains, yeast, fermentation, distillation, and aging. Much like Blanton’s, which rewards customers who collect all eight of their different horse and jockey toppers, Blade and Bow sends a loyalty gift to consumers who collect all five of the keys that hang on their bottles. Collectors of the full set are also offered a VIP tour of the Stitzel-Weller distillery, where Blade and Bow is blended and bottled today. In addition to the no-age-stated bourbon, Blade and Bow also offers a version that is aged 22 years. NOSE: The nose, which is somewhat ethanol-heavy, smells like the dust in a corn crib or grain bin. Oak is prominent, as well, along with the scent of bread dough. It is unusually difficult to pick out the individual parts of the nose. PALATE: A medley of fruits opens the initial palate, and oak soon makes an appearance, as well. There are waves of subsequent flavors that, much like the nose, are difficult to pick out and identify. The mouth feel is a bit on the thin side. FINISH: Barrel char dominates the finish, and chocolate and leather are present, as well. A wave of heat and spice rises quickly but dissipates even quicker. FINAL ASSESSMENT: By marketing its supposed ties to Stitzel-Weller and by mimicking Blanton’s reward program for loyal consumers, Blade and Bow seeks to be considered an elite bourbon, but the product does not live up to the hype. It is a perfectly fine whiskey with an acceptable nose, pleasant palate, and subtle finish, but there is absolutely nothing special or outstanding about Blade and Bow that sets it above countless other bourbons. Its retail price of $47.99 seems a bit overvalued for the experience you get, although the bottle is quite nice.

BACKGROUND: William Larue Weller was one of the early whiskey pioneers in Kentucky and is often credited as the first to use a “wheated” bourbon recipe, which replaces rye with wheat in the mashbill. The result is a sweeter and less spicy bourbon. In addition to the Weller 12-Year, the other wheated bourbons within the line are Special Reserve, Antique 107, Full Proof, C.Y.P.B. (Create Your Perfect Bourbon), and William Larue Weller, which is an unfiltered, barrel proof offering in the annual Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. The line also included two discontinued varieties - the 90 proof W.L. Weller 19 Year that ended in 2002 and the 100 proof W.L. Weller Centennial, which was aged for 10 years and ceased production in 2009. Though all of the Weller products are highly allocated and often the subject of predatory markups by retailers, the 12 Year is particularly difficult to find because it shares the same mash bill as the highly-desired Pappy Van Winkle line and is aged the same amount of time as the Van Winkle Lot B and almost as long as the Pappy 15 Year. The Van Winkle barrels, however, are aged in the “sweet spot” of the warehouse. NOSE: The nose presents a delightful marriage of citrus notes and the rickhouse small of oak, age, and undisturbed dust. Though a bit ethanol heavy, it likely ranks in my personal Top Ten of bourbon noses. PALATE: As you would expect from a bourbon aged twelve year, oak is the dominant flavor on the palate. An abundance of fruit sweetness followed and even a bit of nuttiness that brings candied pecans to mind. FINISH: The finish is a long one, but also very drying, which is common for bourbons this well-aged. And when I say it is drying, I mean it seems to absorb every bit of moisture in your mouth. The sweetness that was present on the palate develops into a burst of spice that lingers on the finish. FINAL ASSESSMENT: Weller 12 Year is an extremely balanced bourbon that transforms from sweet to spicy as it travels from the front of the palate to the back of the throat. It is almost as if the nose, flavor, and finish combine to tell the bourbon’s story without the need for words. Retailing for roughly $25.00 for a 750 ml bottle, it is one of the best bargains in the bourbon world, which adds to its extreme scarcity.

BACKGROUND: Larceny is a wheated bourbon that is produced at 92 proof by Heaven Hill Distillery. Though the mash bill has not been released, the distillery has said that it contains “one-third more wheat than other competitors.” The bourbon won a Double Gold Medal designation at the 2014 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Larceny is one of two bourbons whose named is supposedly derived from the life of John E. Fitzgerald, a Treasury agent who never produced a single drop of whiskey or owned a distillery. As an agent, Fitzgerald was the only person allowed by law to hold the keys to bonded barrel storage rickhouses at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Late at night, though, Fitzgerald would use his keys to illegally enter the warehouses and help himself to the best bourbon barrels, which was the crime of “larceny.” The other bourbon associated with him is “Old Fitzgerald,” which legend says Pappy Van Winkle himself named in honor of the crooked Treasury agent once his illicit entries were discovered. NOSE: The nose carries strong notes of bananas and nuts, which, when coupled with the bread-like scent often associated with wheated bourbons, evoke the unmistakable smell of banana bread. I kid you not, it smells EXACTLY like banana bread. PALATE: While oak is non-existent on the nose, it is the dominant flavor on the palate. I did not pick up the caramel and vanilla flavors most common to bourbon, but there was a significant citrus-like sweetness. The consistency of the bourbon was quite buttery, as well. FINISH: The finish is a short one with just a small bit of warmth that never really gets started. A delayed spice on the finish does replace the sweetness on the palate. FINAL ASSESSMENT: Larceny is a solid wheated bourbon that is good as a daily sipper at less than $20. While wholly unremarkable, it is satisfying enough to keep on a shelf. Though experienced bourbon connoisseurs will find it quite middle-of-the-road, it is ideal for introducing inexperienced drinkers to the hobby.

BACKGROUND: Perhaps no recent event has resulted in as much vehement anger and division among bourbon aficionados as Whisky Advocate magazine’s decision to name George Dickel 13-Year Bottled-in-Bond as its 2019 “Whisky of the Year” Almost immediately, some consumers and Dickel detractors claimed that the magazine’s decision was somehow “fixed” or intended as a reciprocal payback to spirits giant Diageo in return for the significant advertising dollars they spend within the publication’s pages. Whisky Advocate Executive Editor Jeffery Lindenmuth, though, has noted that all of the magazine’s tastings are conducted on a blind basis, and tasting coordinator Ted Simmons does not even tell participants what kind of whisky they are tasting (bourbon, scotch, Japanese, Irish, etc.), much less what brand. For a brief period following the magazine’s announcement, the Dickel 13-Year BiB was difficult to locate on store shelves in some areas, and various retailers were reported to have temporarily doubled the $35.99 retail price in response to the demand and curiosity. After conducting their own tastings, most independent Internet bloggers and YouTubers scratched their heads at the Whisky of the Year crowning and few, if any, agreed. When initially released in May of 2019, the 13-Year BiB was marketed as the first significant innovation of recently-hired Dickel distiller Nicole Austin, who said: “We wanted George Dickel Bottled in Bond to be rooted in authenticity, quality and truth, reflective of the values we feel are most important when making Tennessee’s finest whisky. The aged whisky stocks we have access to here at Cascade Hollow are absolutely beautiful, and it’s important to me that we create whisky that’s sure to be a great value for the quality you’re getting.” The bourb…er, I mean Tennessee whisky. . .has a mash bill of 84% corn, 8% rye and 8% malted barley. It is chill charcoal mellowed by filtering it through sugar-maple charcoal like the rest of the George Dickel Tennessee Whisky portfolio In addition to the "Whisky of the Year" nod, George Dickel Bottled in Bond earned a score of 95 on a scale of 100 from Wine Enthusiast Magazine and also took home a Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. NOSE: George Dickel 13-Year BiB presents a wholly unique and memorable nose that includes scents of cornbread, oak, nuts, and pipe tobacco. The smell of Flintstones chewable vitamins that is commonplace in Dickel products, and one I oddly enjoy, is firmly present, as well. (Note: Spirits writer Fred Minnick attributes the oft-mentioned Flintstones smell to the yeast strain that Dickel uses in its fermentation tanks.) PALATE: Caramel, bananas, and oak dominate the palate. Cherries and a difficult-to-classify flavor more attributable to dark rum than to bourbon are present, as well. The mouth feel is both thin and oily, if that is possible. The palate is as distinct - or perhaps “quirky” is a better word - as the nose. FINISH: The finish is quite drying and tannic, but if I had spent 13 years encased in oak, I would likely be drying and tannic, too. An abundance of vanilla is present in the finish. Oddly, the heat in the finish is somewhat delayed, but once it gets kickstarted, it keeps going for a significant period. FINAL ASSESSMENT: The George Dickel 13-Year BiB offers a memorable tasting experience. I enjoy heavily oaked bourbons, and this one certainly fits the bill, but it is significantly more drying than most. Because of its uniqueness, I would not recommend this whisky as a daily sipper, but it is certainly worthy of being kept on hand and consumed whenever the mood for something “different” strikes.

BACKGROUND: Antique 107 and the other varietals in the W.L. Weller line were first produced by the Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company, but are made by Buffalo Trace and owned by the Sazarec Company today. The other wheated bourbons within the Weller line are Special Reserve, 12 Year, Full Proof, C.Y.P.B. (Create Your Perfect Bourbon), and William Larue Weller, which is an unfiltered, barrel proof offering in the annual Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. The line also included two discontinued varieties - the 90 proof W.L. Weller 19 Year that ended in 2002 and the 100 proof W.L. Weller Centennial, which was aged for 10 years and ceased production in 2009. William Larue Weller, the brand’s namesake, is credited with being the first distiller to use wheat rather than rye as the secondary grain in producing bourbon. Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle began his career in the bourbon industry after being hired as a salesman by W.L. Weller in 1893. Many years later, and long after Weller’s death in 1899, Van Winkle would run the Stitzel-Weller Distillery after a merger with the company his mentor built. Considered a kissing cousin of the highly-sought Pappy Van Winkle bourbons because they are both produced by Buffalo Trace and share the same wheated mash bill, all of the bottles in today’s Weller line are tightly-allocated and difficult to find in most areas of the nation. Even decades prior to its current allocated status, Weller Antique 107 was difficult to obtain according to two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Caro, whose series of biographies about Lyndon Baines Johnson personify literary greatness. In his book “Working,” Caro penned a passage detailing how a young LBJ used Weller 107 to lure the support of one influential senator. Caro wrote: “Weller 107 was a very special sour mash. So few bottles were manufactured each year - each bottle was numbered by hand - that there would be only a few for sale in any one liquor store, or, indeed, in any one city. It was the favorite beverage of a powerful southern senator, Richard Brevard Russell of Georgia, whose support was vital to the career of Lyndon Johnson and the balance sheet of Brown & Root. As soon as Russell had accepted Johnson’s annual invitation to visit the Johnson Ranch, Lyndon would call George Brown of Brown & Root, and Brown would dispatch the Brown & Root lobbyist, Posh Oltorf, in the company plane from city to city until three cases - thirty-six bottles - of 107 were assembled for Lyndon to give Russell as a gift to take back to Georgia with him.” NOSE: Antique 107 provides an intensely sweet nose which includes scents of maple syrup, honey, caramel and oak. Either citrus or cherry is present, as well, but I find it difficult to definitively discern which. PALATE: This oily bourbon coats the inside of the mouth like melted butter served with a lobster dinner. Initial flavors of cherry (I guess that answers the question about the nose) and caramel make their presence first known and are followed by the strong cinnamon taste of Big Red chewing gum and oak. FINISH: The finish lasts longer than the NBA playoffs and is dominated by cinnamon, although some barrel char finally begins to make itself known. While it finishes hotter than many bourbons of comparable proof, there is no resulting chest hug. FINAL ASSESSMENT: The Weller Antique 107 is a full-bodied combination of great flavors and ideal proof. Even without the pedigree that its perceived association with Pappy Van Winkle offers, this bottle could go toe-to-toe with any other bourbon of comparable proof on its own merits.

BACKGROUND: The Colonel E.H.Taylor Jr. line is produced by Buffalo Trace Distillery and includes several varietals, which include Small Batch, Single Barrel, Barrel Proof, Straight Rye, Old Fashioned Sour Mash, Warehouse C Tornado Surviving, Cured Oak, Seasoned Wood, Four Grain and Amaranth. The entire line is produced under the guidelines of the federal Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, and the reason for that will become apparent below. The bourbon’s namesake was not a military colonel, but, like Col. Harlan Sanders and Col Tom Parker, he was, instead, an honorary Kentucky colonel as named by the governor of the Bluegrass State. Taylor could also legitimately claim that he was closely related to three presidents - James Madison, Zachary Taylor, and Jefferson Davis. E.H. Taylor is mostly remembered within the industry not as a distiller of bourbon but as a banker who financed the purchase and construction of several historically important distilleries like the Old Fire Copper (O.F.C.) and Old Taylor distilleries. He also incorporated innovations in bourbon production, such as the use of copper fermentation tanks and column stills. A four-term mayor of Frankfort and a member of the Kentucky State Senate, Taylor’s most significant contribution to bourbon was his successful lobbying for passage of the federal Bottled-in-Bond Act, which combatted sub-par whiskies being sold and marketed to the public by rectifiers. The bourbon chosen for the Small Batch variety is aged in warehouses that were constructed by E.H. Taylor well more than a century ago, and it is hand-selected for use by distillers with Buffalo Trace, which operates today in Taylor’s former O.F.C. Distillery. Though the label contains no age statement, the Bottled-in-Bond Act requires it to be at least four-years-old, and most Internet sources believe the low-rye bourbon to be aged roughly seven years. NOSE: The heavenly nose offers combined scents of buttered corn, Heath bar, caramel, and maple syrup. If Glade offered plug-ins with the scent of this nose, my entire house would smell like this. PALATE: The first taste presents a bourbon that is lusciously oily and viscous. Flavors of citrus and corn present themselves first on the palate followed by a burst of cinnamon that brings red hots candy to mind. Perhaps a dash of tobacco is present, as well. FINISH: Cinnamon lingers on the finish and oak finally makes an appearance. Citrus hangs around on the back of the tongue. The finish offers just the right amount of simmering warmth, and it keeps going and going. FINAL ASSESSMENT: This delightful bourbon possesses the perfect balance of nose, flavor, and finish. Similarly, the proof ensures it is not too hot and not too “meh.” If this were the only bourbon I could drink until my dying day, I’d be happy. Highly allocated in Alabama, I am nursing the bottles I own to make sure they last.