Tastes

Butterscotch nose. Semi-oily, moderately sweet and a decent amount of wood. Sophisticated and a bit fruity. Honestly, this is unique and exquisite. 4.3.

Sweet, dark fruit nose. Perfectly sweet with moderate wood and heat. Mouthfeel is not oily and thick, but not thin either. Part of me wonders how well I’d do trying to pick this one out in a blind tasting vs. the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection bottles. I suppose that says a lot.

Butterscotch and light wood on nose. Thick, soft and lightly sweet with minimal heat. This is definitely a “mild” bourbon, but for me, the smooth mouthfeel more than makes up for any flavor profile shortcomings. A very pleasant sipper. 3.85.

Had to do it for whiskey education, if nothing else. 90% corn. Obviously, there’s not a lot of complexity here. Sweet-ish, creamy corn oil with more than a little heat. Honestly, I don’t hate it.

Golden in color. Pretty intense notes of pear/apple cider on the nose. Nice, smooth mouthfeel with just a tinge of heat. Traditional Scotch flavor profile with moderate wood coming through on the backend. A couple drops of water lessens the creamy mouthfeel, but adds some fruitiness. Solid Scotch, especially for an Oban lover. 3.85.

Hot corn and cinnamon on the nose. Thicker mouthfeel than I’d expect for a youngish 6 year bourbon. A nice blend of corn forward flavor, cinnamon spices and smoky wood. Added some water, probably too many drops, which mellowed it beyond my liking. All in all, this is a super-solid ultra-value bourbon. 3.7.

Heavy notes of brown sugar and vanilla on the nose. First taste is sharp, spicy and hot. Coats the tip, back and sides of the tongue with a “white pepper” kind of spiciness. A few drops of water does some enjoyable things: Gives the thin mouthfeel an oilier heft, takes some of the spice away and allows the sweetness to shine through. 4.05.

Sun’s 50th Anniversary Private Select cask strength. 112 proof. Sweet corn nose. Intense, sweet, and woody with some cherry notes. A couple drops of water gives it a “fluffy” mouthfeel and enhances fruit undertones. 4.1.

Venison jerky on the nose. Copper in color. Crazy amounts of smoke and some sea salt and spice on first tastes. Fairly rich and complex. Typical scotch notes come through shyly amongst the smoke. A few drops of water smooths this one out and brings out more of the scotch notes. The longer you stretch the pour, the better it seems to get. 3.9.

The sherry cask aging is very apparent on both nose and taste. Very sweet. Drinks much like a thinner, less sweet port. Very different, but also enjoyable. A nice choice for a dessert wine. 4.15.