Tastes

Bubbles KCMO store pick. Medium caramel color. Somewhat thin, but leaves narrow legs on the glass that linger after a swirl. The nose is clean and minty. Some raw sugar cane and sweet white cake or frosted sugar cookies. Creamy cherry-vanilla cola on the palate. It tastes like a 50-50 blend between the gentle caramel sweetness of Buffalo Trace and spiced cherry flavor of Old Forester Signature (but without the young burn). A gentle peppered spice lingers quite a while on the finish, with residual sweetness on the tongue. Truly this is head and shoulders above Old Forester Signature, which is still quite the respectable value. Not sure how this particular store pick varies from the generic single barrel selections, but it’s a surefire winner for $30. I have typically seen the single barrel for upwards of $40 in the past.

Whoa. Really really incredible stuff. Love this and it will not be my last bottle. Herbal, slightly medicinal nose. Marjarom, mint, and vanilla. Little to no ethanol, a surprise at 110 proof. Pleasant and clean. Medium body with noticeable legs. A rich, reddish amber. Gently sweet on the tongue, then cherries, peppercorn, and mint flash across the palate. Classic herbal rye notes prevail with a long, gently spicy finish. Quite well balanced and smooth, it gives no hint of the proof. Approachable and wonderful neat.

Medium-light amber with a reddish hue. Watery with thin legs. Cherry syrup and citrus peel on the nose. A hint of unripened pear. Cinnamon and cherries dominate the palate. Thin body. A gentle spice lingers on the finish. Hints of nutmeg and allspice. A bit astringent like a less sweet mulled cider or wine. Uniquely flavored for a bourbon. Don’t love it, don’t hate it.

2.3/5.0. Light and sweet but a bit rougher than expected. Primarily minty notes. Light honey water coloring and very thin... like simple syrup made with raw sugar. On the nose is minty ethanol, with a hint of vanilla cookie sweetness. The palate immediately offers candied peanuts, transitioning quickly to mint julep flavors, then to some vanilla hard candies. Very very thin body with a quick and sweet but astringent finish.

Revisiting vs different competition. Succinctly, an affordable dessert drink. Very sweet and inoffensive. Traditional caramel color. Thin. Butterscotch and light oak on the nose, with vanilla pudding. Definitely some lactose/creaminess. Taste is smooth, creamy vanilla pudding on the palate. Sweet butterscotch. Only a gentle idoine in the front of the mouth. Very thin body, with a fleeting creme brûlée finish.

Man do I like this stuff... and it’s affordable. I prefer the blended recipes of the small batch vs the single barrel. They compliment each other so well - better than the sum of the parts. Light honey color. Honey/mead on the nose with some cotton candy and Frosted Flakes with milk. Immediately sweet butter cake on the first taste. Very sweet, in a good way. White grape must and kettle corn, and a dominant floral note that many bourbons don’t have. Maybe Cinnamon Toast Crunch/horchata. Medium-thin body, but very creamy without being thick. Finishes with a gentle lingering spice in the back of the throat. Rose water on the tongue that lingers.

Light, creamy, and sweet enjoyable nose - toffee and vanilla pudding. A hint of sweet cereal grain, but overall almost no flavor. No burn or spice. Criminally thin. Fleeting essence of toast on the finish. I get why people like this - it’s inoffensive but nobody’s home. Super drinkable, not memorable.

2.9/5.0 Peanuts and kettle corn nose - not sweet - with a hint of mint. All buttery peanuts on the tongue with some sweetness. Oily and moderately thick. Still peanuts on the finish with a flash of heat, barrel char and lingering cinnamon. Peanut dominated, but interesting. I can get why people could get turned off - it’s distinctive. On a different day could have rated below 2.5.

New bottle/barrel vs previous tasting notes. Soft, sweet nose with a hint of roasted pineapple and a bit of ethanol. Immediate flash of burn fading to classic toffee and vanilla flavors with a subtle green apple. Thin. Gentle heat on the finish with a long, lingering iodine astringency. Not a bad whiskey but would have trouble choosing over others at the price. Actually, enjoy it more drinking a bit faster and not trying to suss the detail out of every sip. Much more smooth caramel.