Tastes

Its not *good*, precisely, but absolutely punches above its weight. Light but hot; peanuts, charred corn, faint fruit juice. Vegetal, green grass. For $13/litre, not the worst as a table whiskey--I'm currently nursing a glass in a hotel room on a work trip.

Incredibly light. Unbelievably light. Light to the point of ontological uncertainty. Not bad, per se, but you could almost convince me this a Canadian whiskymaker's version of bourbon-lite. Green, sawdust, a bit of vanilla and woodsmoke (especially on the finish), char and spice, but all presented as if i pre-watered down with a melted ice cube. Green apple and burnt citrus on the finish. At $12, you are certainly not going to do better (and it appears to be one of the last of these bottom-bottom shelfers to retain its minimum four year age statement), but to say the standard Henry McKenna is full-on "good" would be charitable. Even with our family's current attempts to save a few bucks, I'm still willing to spring the extra $1 for Evan Williams Black or (even better still) the extra $3 for Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond.

Tasting notes feel pretentious and unnecessary in this context, and I worry that the producer will realize the good thing they have going and jack the price. Nevertheless--J.W. Dant is the best whiskey you can buy in America for under $20. Full stop. Is it perfect? No. But it sips well neat with some time to breathe, holds up super well to ice on a hot day, and makes for a fabulous spirit forward cocktail. Tastes of . . . what bourbon should taste of. The nearest store to me that stocks it is 1.5 hours away and I grab 2-3 bottles any time I pass through, just to keep as my "well" whiskey.