Tastes

Neat: nose-mild, burnt sugar, vanilla, alcohol Flavor-fairly hot, mild flavors, Carmel, corn With 1 cube: Nose- ice washed out the nose, just a bit of vanilla Flavor- improved with ice. Carmel, vanilla, alcohol, with a tiny bit of green apple, less bite. Nothing offensive about this bourbon and a good price point. Seems weak to me, especially considering the proof.

Nose is a blast of dried fruits and oak. Mouthfeel is full and a little oily with dried red fruits, vanilla, toasted sugar and wood. Worth every penny.

Gorgeous nose of green apple, barley and wood. Flavor is green apple, nuts, grain with a creamy mouthfeel. Amazing.

Neat— nutty and leathery, oak, hints of pear, apple, and bay leaf on the nose. Palate gives menthol, dried cherries, oak. With a small cube the nose sweetens somewhat, Carmel syrup and cashews with a little saddle leather remaining. The leather really comes out in the palate with sugared, toasted nuts and some char. I like this one better with the cube, and it’s quite good, but I prefer the 9 yr reserve single barrel at barrel proof to this bottle.

Neat, the nose is pretty heavy with alcohol, but also Carmel apple, vanilla and spice. The palate is pretty hot with heavy oak and is quite spicy. Adding 1 small cube opens it up. Nose retains Carmel apple and vanilla but the alcohol disappears. There’s a bit of smokiness as well. The palate smooths. alcohol is tamed. Carmel, vanilla and spice are present as is some nuttiness and cinnamon. I get a hint of dates in there too, but can’t seem to find the dark fruits many other reviewers are picking up. Mouthfeel is oily and smooth. A very nice pour.

There is nothing objectionable about this pour, but it just doesn’t have enough time In The barrel to develop those wonderful bourbon flavors. It’s more akin to the Carolina Whiskey or white whiskey. Nose was mostly wood chips and wheat with a touch of pine resin. Palate was sweet and wheaty with some corn. A bit of ice opened the nose slightly and helped bring out a slight tinge of Carmel but did nothing for the palate. It’s good for a white corn liquor, but underpowered for a bourbon and the price is high.

This is a really nice bourbon. There are 3 Paragon bourbons and this is the middle priced on, Bottled in Bond (4yr). Nose neat has honey, oak and dill with that wheat sweetness. Palate offers oak, honey and chocolate. Adding a cube of ice brings out vanilla and Carmel in both the nose and palate but does make the whiskey taste thinner. Finish is long. The problem is this whiskey is just too expensive. It’s a local for me and I really like it, but it’s significantly overpriced. I’d really like to try the cask strength version, which is $10 more, but I’d have to think about it. There are a lot of excellent bourbons for less than $70. Still, this is a really solid bourbon.

Here we go, Neat: Nose: wow, red licorice, cranberries, menthol, dill, Palate: a bit hot, oak, cherries, alcohol. With a bit of ice: Nose: Cherries and menthol hold, creme brûlée, vanilla Palate: smoother, oaky, burnt sugar, alcohol. Upon initial impression, I like this one the least of the three I bought. It’s quite good though, but not worth the cost ($89). But it’s really unique with the cherry, menthol, dill, creme brûlée nose and oak cherries and burnt sugar palate. Too much $$ though.

Neat: Nose: Carmel, confectioners sugar, vanilla, light char Palate: honey, vanilla, oak. Initial: seems less complex than Legent, but really nice flavors and an easy drinker. See what happens with ice. Second taste-with a bit of ice Nose really opens up, Carmel and vanilla bomb, a bit of allspice. Palate: smooth and sweet. Carmel front and center, honey, rich, with a little pepper on the tail end. This is much more traditional than Legent, and better with a bit of ice. Really nice.

This is first try—neat Nose: lots of dried fruit (apricots, cherries), some oak and vanilla, a touch of burnt sugar, peanut brittle. Palate: a bit hot, oak, peanuts, vanilla, baking spices, long finish. Initial impression: I really like this bottle. It’s quite different from most of my whiskeys. Less sweet and heavier on spice, vanilla nuts and dried fruit. Second try—with a little ice Nose seems sweeter with the ice. Maybe a little marshmallow. Fruits are more subdued. Palate: also sweeter, honey comes forward, still nutty and Oaky, vanilla. milder. Overall: I really like it. This is better neat for me. I usually like a cube or two of ice, but the uniqueness of this come out better neat. Price is good and it’s something with its own character. I’d get it again for sure.