Tastes

Happy to see this BIB finally released outside the distillery facilities. Saves me a trip to Beam, and at a good price too. Bought a backup bottle in the event this truly is a one-off release for mid 2020. Neat in Glencairn at home. Nose has apples, cherries, peanut shells, touch of honey, then mild pepper and oak. Nice. Taste has some baking spice, cherry cola, some heat comes on with black pepper, lingering finish brings back some of the peanut shell. Little Kentucky hug after a couple tastes, I found myself doing some odd shoulder shimmy thing. That's a new one, I think it means that I like it. Don't love it, but definitely like it quite a bit. For the price, the heritage of the bottle, and the quality, it is a snap buy decision. 7/16/20.

1.75L from VA ABC. These show up on the shelves in VA 3 or 4 times a year in limited supply, and only in the big bottle; recently customers are limited to one bottle per day. Odd for a budget bourbon, but it is pretty scarce around here. When I started really getting into bourbon a couple years ago, I had researched some articles about best budget bourbons, and best bourbons only available in Kentucky. VOB made several of these lists, and so when I saw it in the local ABC I grabbed a few bottles and have grabbed a bottle whenever I happen to see it ever since . I think I always have one handle in reserve for mixing or everyday drinking in a pinch. Surprised I have not reviewed it until now. Here goes ... Neat in Glencairn at home. Nose has oak and meadow grasses, hint of banana, mild spice. Eh. Taste is sharp on the front, with oak, red hots, crabapples, then some dried grasses and a touch of heat on the finish. VOB is fine for what it is. Here, in NOVA, it remains relatively unknown, and that makes it stand out a little from the usual Old Granddad or Evan Williams on the shelf. What makes it truly worthwhile for me is the crazy low price and its utter inoffensiveness. 7/16/20

1.75L from VA ABC. Time to check out the bottom tier of the BT lineup. Neat in Glencairn. Nose is actually pleasant, with none of the cardboard, dry hay, or ethanol I was reluctantly expecting at this price point in a giant plastic bottle. Mild apple peel, hints of baking spice, black pepper, maybe some oak poking through. Taste is also mild, with butterscotch and pepper, more sweet than bitter, a bit oily. Finish does bring some mild bitterness, but remains buttery. Decent enough, I am happy to say. The plastic jug belies the whisky within. 7/16/20

Neat in Glencairn at home. Nose roasted nuts, apple peel, caramel, orange zest, baking spice and heat. Taste has nuts and spice, some dried grains, mild citrus. Finish is bittersweet and lingers. Somewhat dry on the palate. One of the better Booker's I have had. 6/22/2020

2 oz taster bottle shared by Chris the Mad Westover, thanks! Neat in a Glencairn at home. Nose is sweet with caramel and apple, honey butter, touch of grains and heat. Very inviting. Taste is smooth and sweet, more caramel, with vanilla and apple peel, almonds. Heat comes on at the end, and lingers for a few moments, before giving a good Kentucky hug. Very drinkable. 6/6/20.

Neat in Glencairn at home. Nose is strong iodine, seashore, cigar ash, hints of apples and apricot. Taste is similar, with a lingering medicinal note offset by briny seaweed. And then the heat comes. This is a "hey, taste this" whisky, not a sipper. 4/2/2020

From Warehouse A per the bottle. OK, thanks. Neat in Glencairn at home. Nose has a grainy spice quality, mild green apple peel, peanut shells, slightly dusty at the end, with the heat starting to rear its head. Taste has an almost medicinal quality to it, with the rye spice and ethanol showing dominance over some lite grains and nuttiness. Lingering heat with some spicy notes. Like Knob Creek on steroids, which I suppose is precisely the point and to be expected. I like it, but don't love it, and frankly foresee having this bottle for a year or two, as it is far from an easy sipper. 3/27/2020

Barrel select for Virginia ABC, Barrel #85200 (WH 1, Rick D, Level 3), 109.2 proof. Neat in Glencairn at home. Nose has brite and fruity spices, some apples and apricot, even a hint of peach. Touch of alcohol comes on at the end. Interesting. Taste is similarly more brite and fruit-forward than I had expected. Some rye spice does come through the midrange, and the finish has a lingering mild and pleasant sweet spice. I quite like this. 3/27/2020.

Finally rating this after several tastes. Highland Park annoys me with the All Viking All The Time thing they now have going on, but this is legit juice here. Neat in Glencairn at home. Nose has tons of notes going on, with citrus and stone fruit predominant, with a loamy and slightly spicy base. Complex and nice. Taste adds in some leather, some clover, with some sharp chives briefly spiking followed by hints toffee and butterscotch. Lots going on, but more in waves than messy or muddled. Really good. 3/13/2020