Tastes

Nose: Oak, light apple, baking spices Palate: A quick hit of sweet vanilla that transitions to cinnamon, fruit, and a hint of cocoa Finish: Short to medium with lingering spice and sweetness Compared to the Nelson Bros Classic, the Reserve packs more of a punch for the Bourbon enthusiast. However, for me, the real comparison is how this compares to Belle Meade Reserve, the previous iteration in the Green Brier Portfolio. To me, this one is much closer to Belle Meade Reserve than comparing Belle Meade vs. Nelson Bros. Classic.

Nose: Oak, leather, pepper Palate: Caramel, vanilla, quickly transitions to baking spices and pepper Finish: Short, baking spices lingers on The new core offering from Green Brier Distillery is called "Classic" and is aptly named. A classic bourbon profile that's very approachable. Compared to the previous Belle Meade, this pour leans more on spice and wood vs. sweetness. There is a quick reminder of bourbon sweetness up front but this pour has a little bit more body and boldness.

Nose: Caramel, light oak and spice Palate: Vanilla frosting a hint of spice Finish: Short, lingering sweetness A brand to relaunch a dead distillery is now itself deceased. When Nelson's Green Brier Distillery was relaunched, Belle Meade Bourbon was front and center. The bourbon is sourced from our favorite distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. A proprietary blend of different mash bills and yeast strains. What used to be available nationwide has been replaced with the rebranded Nelson Bros. brand. Besides the nostalgia and the history, this pour is a good sipper: light, simple, and sweet. The rye content gives it a little bit of spice, but overall, this one is all about sweetness.

Nose: Soft sweetness, cinnamon roll, Palate: Vanilla, sugar, a hint of apple, upfront with a transition to cinnamon and a touch of oak Finish: A short finish but lingers longer than expected as those baking spices in the back of the palate linger before fading away clean At 91 proof, this is an easy sipper but the combination of a wheated mash bill and the Lincoln County process makes this Tennessee Whiskey softer, and more approachable than your more well-known Tennessee Whiskies.

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