Tastes

Nose - definitely unique and different from any bourbon I’ve tried, toasted nut (hazelnut maybe) and oak, dry dusty spice, maple, caramel, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - sweet baking spice, nutmeg, toasted oak, dusty, chalky, sweet corn, toffee, rye spice comes through, finishing dry and spicy/sweet. Solid sipper (extremely good for ~$30). I bet this would make a good old fashioned.

Nose - strong banana, creamy vanilla, Nilla wafer, peanut, buttercream, sweet bread, caramel, ash and a hint of smoke, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - strong vanilla, caramel, burnt brown sugar, slight banana, finishing with a sugary vanilla flavor and a stronger alcohol bite than the proof would suggest. Overall, I really like the nose on the bourbon, but feel the taste and finish are a bit underwhelming. Adding more than a few drops of water helps it to open up a bit, but doesn’t change change it too much.

Nose - cherry, vanilla, light oak, caramel, buttercream, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - honey, sweet vanilla, brown sugar, light red fruit, mild spice (less than I imagined for the high rye percentage), finishing quickly with sweetness and spice. Overall, a solid budget supper, but WT101 is better and cheaper.

Nose - cherry, vanilla, oak (very strong, almost cedar smell, like the inside of a chest), citrus fruit (maybe orange), almond, definite ethanol burn. Taste - dusty sweet corn, spice, very wood-forward, orange zest, cherry, finishing moderately spicy with lingering vanilla. Fairly simple bourbon with not many surprises. A bit spicier than most around the same proof, likely due the the higher rye allocation. Solid sipper, but nothing special.

Nose - brown sugar, honey, light cinnamon, butterscotch, corn, mild oak, cherry, maybe some chocolate undertones. Taste - sweet cinnamon, brown sugar, corn, vanilla, a bit of pepper, finishing oaky and mildly sweet. Classic bourbon flavor. Excellent budget bourbon.

Nose - huge banana, vanilla, Nilla wafer, honey, sweet cream, pudding, cereal, corn, no ethanol burn. Taste - corn, nondescript sweetness, ash, light oak, banana and vanilla comes through a little with no alcohol burn(very watered down tasting), finishing quick and slightly sweet. Overall, I like the nose but the flavors don’t come through. I’m interested in trying some of the higher proof JD offerings.

Nose - very similar to a quality, high rye bourbon nose, lots of cherry, grape, licorice, clove, cinnamon, sweet tobacco, leather, light vanilla, caramel, cocoa, oak notes, moderate alcohol burn. Taste - cherry, vanilla, pepper, licorice, clove, tobacco, cinnamon, chocolate, leather, spicy oak notes, high alcohol bite, finishing fairly long with lingering rye spice, licorice, and caramel flavors. This is a very nice example of a barely legal rye. It drinks similarly to Rittenhouse BiB, but this is definitely a step up in quality. It makes for a delightful sipper and a solid (if a bit expensive) backbone for your Manhattans or Old Fashioneds.

Nose - so many different fruits, orange, apricot, grape, cherry, a bit floral, vanilla, muted chocolate, sweet cinnamon, very little alcohol for being 110+ proof. Taste - mouth watering juicy fruit flavors, sweet shortbread, candied orange slices dipped in chocolate, soda effervescence, very little burn (disguises itself as sweet cinnamon), finishing with rich dark chocolate and fruit on the tongue.

Nose - classic bourbon nose underneath decadent dessert sweetness, vanilla, caramel, cherry pie, plum, mild oak, sweet tobacco, yogurt covered raisin, creme brûlée with little to no alcohol burn. Taste - rich chocolate, sweet dark fruit, cinnamon, peanut, chili pepper, traditional bourbon flavors but smoothed over and sweetened with no burn, finishing quick with lingering taste of fruit and chocolate. Very tasty bourbon, but I feel that it’s too docile and smooth. I would be interested in trying the cask strength release.

Nose - distinct but gentle, refreshing, rounded peat smoke, giving way to green earthy, over-ripe fruity, caramel sweetness with musty, briny undertones. Taste - waves of smoke, oily tobacco, salted caramel/butterscotch, grassy, finishing mildly sweet and minty. Complex and beautiful.