Tastes

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.

I once observed that standard Old Overholt was the platonic "beer and a shot" whiskey--flavourful with a bit of youthful bite, but reasonably balanced and well-made, its flaws compensated for by a sip of crisp lager. If that's true (and I believe it is), then Old Overholt's new-ish bonded sibling is the whiskey on the rocks you sip slowly and sorrowfully in some out-of-the-way dive bar. Which isn't necessarily a criticism. I'd never drink this straight (it's fairly fiery at full proof, and the youth is evident), but over ice, it's genuinely enjoyable, no beer needed: grassy, sweet, caramel, caraway and pepper. Slight Beam nuttiness and faint citrus. Long lingering vanilla. Punches well above its weight-class, but doesn't have any pretensions about what it is at heart.

On the last pour of a bottle procured a couple of months ago in San Francisco duty free, and the absence of notes until now probably reflects my feeling that this bourbon is merely . . . fine. Enjoyable, certainly, but without anything to set it apart as a higher-priced limited edition. Nose of cake batter, vanilla, red fruits, some faint hay or grassiness, grape drink. An initial searing heat when the bottle was first opened has been tamed a bit--but there's still a fair bit of fire. Heat and musty wood on the taste, followed by vanilla, char, black tea, bitter cherry, and something reminiscent of an herbal, bitter liqueur. Finish is hot but swift, warming the throat (with the heat persisting), but not a lot of lingering flavour. At $20 and consistent availability, I'd make this a go-to (like some of the other bottled-in-bonds that punch above their weight-class--think Evan Williams, Old Grand Dad); at $50, you're asking a lot.

On the plus side, it *is* at least better than the standard Beam (which has always reminded me of corn and peanuts soaked in grain alcohol). But I don't want to oversell it, either. It's . . . not great. Nose is heavily mineral and heavy on the paint thinner fumes. A hint of citrus, some slight vanilla and oaky sweetness. Taste is actually nicely oily if still a bit thin (thanks no-chill-filtering), with vanilla, citrus, and some light, sweet wood char and peanuts. A bit hot with a faint touch of nail polish remover--but then the finish is there (nuts, fumes, burnt lemon)-and-gone, so it's (almost) hardly a weakness. Better than standard Beam White Label? One hundred per cent! Worth the investment in a world where Beam Rye, Beam Distiller's Cut, and Beam Bottled-in-Bond are all within $5-10 in price? Not a chance. (And that's saying nothing of Evan Williams Black Label, which is pretty much the platonic cheap bourbon and available for $5 *less* locally.)