Tastes

Rich, fruity and woody with some cinnamon and vanilla. The burn is fairly tame. The mouthfeel is neither thick nor thin...its comfortably in the middle. It’s a well balanced bourbon that definitely doesn’t need any water. This is great, but not quite up to par with Old Fitzgerald, BTAC bottles or any of the intense oil-monsters I’ve sampled. 4.2.

Golden in color. A sweet, fresh smoky bandaid on the nose. An intense first sip of sweet liquid smoke with a fine nuance of sea salt. Some nice fruit comes through on later sips. The mouthfeel is almost oily with a very pleasant, even burn across the full tongue and throat. Oak comes through when a sip is held and allowed to coat the entire mouth. Some nuttiness appears much later. This is a very nice, complex pour when you’re in the mood for some peat. 4.15.

Pickling spices, sawdust and cinnamon on the nose. Thick mouthfeel with light pickling spices, cola and oak in the flavor profile. Lightly sweet, unlike the sweeter High West variants I’ve sampled. A little bit of bitterness in the aftertaste. Probably my least favorite bottle of one of the most consistent labels out there. 3.7.

Light copper color. A hint of apple cider on the nose. Smooth, moderately rich and oaky. A pleasant burn on the throat. Creamy vanilla and butterscotch on later tastes. A really classy, well-balanced bourbon. 4.05.

Very dark copper color. Considerable heat, cinnamon, corn oil and subtle brown sugar on the nose. An explosion of intense flavor and heat on first sip. Some wood starts to come through on second sip. Sweet, oily and flavorful in general. Definitely needs a few drops of water to cut the heat down to an enjoyable level. Fruit and wood come to the forefront. 4.18.

Nice light copper color. Rich nose with lots of pear. Zesty and full of flavor. Light peat with some salt and spice. Getting more heat than the 43% would lead me to believe, but it’s a pleasant heat. Nice smooth, creamy mouthfeel with abundant wood notes on the backend. 3.89.

Rusty copper color with a spicy vanilla nose. Creamy and marginally hot with a nice delicate sweetness. Definitely has some wood on the aftertaste, but it’s not overwhelming. Nicely balanced bourbon. 4.03.

Dark copper in color. Hot corn and some dark fruits hiding in the background on the nose. Sweet, buttery corn and wood with plenty of heat on first taste. Light cinnamon and spice show up later. A drop of water takes away the bite but doesn’t seem to do much for the mouthfeel. Getting some moldy wood (the good kind😁) and even some Fruit Stripes gum as it evaporates at the back of my tongue. This is a solid American Whiskey (not a Bourbon) because of the unique blend.

This one tells me it’s going to be oily, sweet and decadent just from the nose. Over-ripe cherry with strong vanilla undertones. So good. Rich, sweet and creamy with just enough heat to make it captivating. I don’t recommend the addition of water as it doesn’t add enough to merit diluting the sumptuousness of the base bourbon. 4.4.