Tastes

A very fruity and sherry influenced nose, some vanilla and spice as well, making for a lighter and fresher profile than I’d expect from a sherry finished whiskey. The palate is surprisingly sweet and almost tropical fruit flavored. It really reminds me of some flavors I’d get from a Capri Sun or some other sugary kids drink. The finish is dry with mostly vanilla twinges. Not too complex but well done and enjoyable.

Lots of sherry influence in the nose: raisins, dark fruits, almonds, some fall spices like cloves and cinnamon. The sherry influence dominates the taste as well with a mostly fruity sweetness with a touch of spice that transforms into a dry nutty finish. I’m normally all in on sherry bombs and this is pretty good, especially with that nutty note that I find in Westland offerings that feature chocolate malted barley. It’s interesting but not something I’d reach for all the time.

The nose is beautiful and unique to a lot of bourbons, I get honeyed dark fruits like blueberries and red grapes or raisins, the brown sugar is there too but as a compliment to the sweet fruit. On deeper nosings I can get a black tea that is really pleasant. The taste is almost like a port or sherry with the dark fruit and dry finish, but with a very sweet honey undertone that is really striking, only the hint of barrel spice on the finish is in line with the classic bourbon notes I would expect at 100 proof. I really enjoy this a lot, especially at list price, it’s worth tracking down. That being said I wouldn’t drop what the secondary market is asking for.

Very sweet nose, all I can pick out is brown sugar, vanilla, and corn dust, hardly any burn at all. The taste is much more full bodied than the nose, adding some barrel spice or cinnamon and maybe the tiniest hint of cherry. The finish lasts a good while even though it drinks lighter than the proof would suggest, mostly with a lingering vanilla. Returning back to the nose yields the hint of cherry from the taste. This is really good, way better than the Reserve and worth tracking down for retail. The flavors are all well rounded and approachable but a step below some of the more readily available cask strength offerings from Elijah Craig or Knob Creek.

The nose is floral with honey, apple, and a tiny bit of malt in the background. The taste leads with the honey and the apple takes more of a back seat. There’s a little flourish of black pepper that doesn’t stick around too long, fading away to a sweet floral finish. Really good with a lot of subtlety.

Rich cherry and honey with maybe a little bit of peanut and some plastic toy or play dough on the nose. The taste mirrors the nose as cherry candy leads the way with a nutty and plastic toy undercurrent that lingers for a bit until all that’s left is a sweet and dry brown sugar finish. A really good bourbon if not a tad overpriced.