Tastes

This cost me $24 for a pour at whiskey cake by a very aggressive waiter named AJ. Was it worth that much? Nah. But solid bourbon. See their website for tasting notes. It actually matches that super well. It gains a half star after water, holy cow. Super solid. Strong.

Solid, solid bourbon. I’m not great at subtle flavor notes but more of the overall feel: Hits a little hard at first, but a single, small ice cube smoothed out the rough edges and unlocked a whole variety of flavors. Easily drinkable, full-bodied, delicious finish, heat, but not overpowering. Just enough buttery taste to make you want “just one more half pour” after every glass. If it wasn’t one of the more expensive bottles in my cabinet, this would automatically be the go-to. My only con: I typically add one or two cubes of ice, kind of just whatever I’m feeling, and I don’t have to worry about killing the glass that much. For Voyage 22, I had to balance the ice VERY carefully. One ice cube was perfect. Two, suddenly was overwatered, flavors were dulled quickly, the complexity and those kind of intangibles that make this stand out were *completely* gone. So if you add ice, add very slowly. I had probably half of my first pour left and actually re-poured a second glass to try again. Well, well worth it. If you can, try this one out.

So I’ve read a few reviews of this particular run online, and the current theory is that the first batch was so well-received, they rushed the second batch, but it’s not as good: the flavor lacks the complexity, depth, and overall balance. I think I got a second batch bottle, as I bought in late 2020. It hits hard up front with spice, the flavor is...pretty good, honestly, but the thing that spoils it is the finish. It’s very dry, it burns, and it’s just...a lingering heat. But not necessarily a pleasant one. The best analogy I can draw is that it’s like how some hot sauces sacrifice flavor for spice. There are sauces out there that are just BONKERS hot, but still have good flavor. And then there are some that are basically “well, we just kind of dumped in some extra capsaicin into some okay-ish peppers, and now it’s extra spicy but the flavor is lacking.” That is the finish on this bourbon. The 6.5/10 flavor entirely disappears, leaving with just the burn, and it lingers for a while. I bought this with high hopes of being a relatively decent sipping bourbon, but it’s getting banished to the cabinet of “to be used in old fashioneds”.