Tastes

Nose: Brown sugar, caramel, dark cherry, oak Palate: A short splash of vanilla but quickly transitions to baking spices Finish: Medium ASW's Fiddler Toasted Bourbon takes their Heartwood wheated bourbon (51% Corn/45% Wheat/4% Fotaged Malted Barley) and finishes it in a variety of new toasted white oak barrels. Mixing in different levels of toasted barrels for finishing mirrors their approach of using various levels of char barrels in their aging. For me the nose is classic and sweet, I was surprised to learn this is a wheated mash bill as the spice on the back palate and finish is long-lasting and lives up to its cask strength bottling (the one I had was 115 proof but it varies by batch.) This is one of the more enjoyable toasted bourbons I've had in awhile.

Nose: Soft oak, caramel chews Palate: Sweetness in the form of vanilla and spice in the form of pepper and baking spices Finish: Short Upon a repeat visit, my initial take is the pretty much the same. This is an easy sipping whiskey, pretty thin but offers your basic sweet and spice notes with a basic finish. At 93 proof you could do worse than this.

Nose: Fragrant, oak, peanuts Palate: Vanilla, marzipan (oh god have I become Fred Minnick?) that transitions into a... Finish: ...sweet, spicey, short finish This wheater is my favorite of Wilderness Trail's core line-up. It has all the sweeter and softer elements that a wheated bourbon has but also has a nice finish for a 100 proof BiB expression.

Nose: Caramel, Brown Sugar, a hint of wood Palate: Clove, pepper, peanuts, leather and tobacco with an aura of sweetness Finish: Short The nose of this bourbon is familiar however the palate gives way to a different experience. There is a sweetness on the profile however it's not your typical caramel or vanilla. Instead, you get an herbal experience full of spices like clove and pepper alongside more wood-oriented notes. It's a fine sipper for those that are a fan of sweet oak, and spices outside of cinnamon.

Nose: Freshly stewed apples, hints of caramel and cinnamon as well Palate: Cinnamon with vanilla rushing in shortly after. A little tannic bitterness as it transitions to the... Finish: Long and lingering with tones of vanilla and baking spices The 5th batch of Watershed's Fall Finishing Series, this six-year-old bourbon was finished in apple brandy barrels for 10-12 months and then bottled at barrel strength. The stats are impressive with the proof clocking in at 129.2 and a barrel char of #5 (I didn't know it went that high!) I've had Watershed barrel strength before and I can see the clear effects of the apple brandy barrel finish. The result is a strong bourbon with classic apple pie notes. Perfect for fall. This limited release is only available via a lottery system to purchase.

Kentucky Bourbon Festival Capsule Review: Nose: Peanuts Palate: Grain, corn, oak Finish: Short

Kentucky Bourbon Festival Capsule Review: Nose: Faint vanilla Palate: Grain, fragrant (almost soapy) Finish: Medium As I experience the Grain to Glass pours on my travels, I would be in general agreement that the Bourbon ranks last of the three.

Kentucky Bourbon Festival Capsule Review: Nose: Cherry, vanilla, and the classic grape notes that come with Buffalo Trace products Palate: Oak, barrel char, some spice Finish: Short For me the best part of this is the nose, it's a fine sipper but on this occasion, I wish I had more of what I liked on the nose on the palate.

Kentucky Bourbon Festival Capsule Review: Nose: Apple Palate: Light sweetness, thin Finish: Short with baking spices This is barely a pour you'd want neat- but that's the point. This 1-liter, low-price point bottle was designed to be in bar wells and rails. Something versatile for cocktails that won't break the bank yet a true bourbon. This fits that bill to a T.

Nose: Light vanilla, oak, some astringency Palate: Soft caramel and a quick transition to a... Finish: Short finish, with some lingering bitterness with some pepper The proof is in the pudding: this 80-proofer is thin, simple, but knows what bourbon is supposed to be. While this will get some notice because of the actors behind the brand and unlike other celebrity spirits, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley claim to be more hands-on in the process. For what this is there's nothing wrong with it, however for the celebrity premium you'll pay there are more affordable options that will give you a similar experience.