Tastes

Nose: Smells younger with corn and grain notes Palate: Subtle typical notes of Carmel but spice comes in quick Finish: Spice and stone fruit, a quick finish Overall an ok sipper that shows a bit of it’s youth.

Nose: Corn, sweet spice, Palate: Sweet corn, with some vanilla, rye and spice come win quick, thin bodied Finish: a very short finish with heat but little else. Overall a low proof, starter Bourbon with hints of classic Bourbon profile on the palate but the nose and finish to me is a lot left to be desired with its simplicity.

Nose: Brown sugar and spices but in a soda kinda way like Dr. Pepper, a hint of apple. Palate: Caramel and toffee quickly followed with baking spices Finish: Medium with some spice cinnamon, and clove at the end that lingers on the tongue. Spicy and Sweet is indeed the bottom line here, the wood-stave finish and extra aging add a spicy kick to the approachable sweetness of regular Maker's Mark.

Nose: Sweet with traditional vanilla and caramel but also some apple, orange, and cinnamon. Palate: Vanilla sweetness, apple, Finish: Short finish with some more vanilla but some dark chocolate as well. This is my standard of what a wheated bourbon should be. It's also one of the most accessible bourbons with a lower proof and sweet profile. Not just an easy sipper but a very "crushable" pour.

Borough bourbon comes from Republic Restoratives Distillery located in Washington, DC. Borough is their flagship bourbon and is made from a mashbill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. The straight bourbon whiskey is aged six years: five in American oak then finished one more year in Armagnac barrels. Nose: Warm apricots or peaches, toffee Palate: Baking spices followed with a creamy sweetness Finish: Short to medium, body is a bit thin Overall a serviceable high rye sipper but nothing to write home about in terms of complexity.

Nose: Wood, vanilla, carmel Palate: Spice, cinnamon, and corn that quickly gives way to sweet vanilla frosting midway. Finish: A medium finish with a lingering heat from that 100 proof. Lots of comparisons to another single barrel bourbon in the same distillery family A. Smith Bowman belongs to. I don't think the two compare- they are both fine sippers on their own accord. This one brings sweetness but has a good amount of spice as well.

Nose: Brown sugar, stone fruit Palate: Orange, butterscotch, vanilla, followed by baking spices Finish: Medium to short, the baking spices linger after with a good buttery mouthfeel Bomberger's Declaration is sweet enough to have as a digestif but strong enough to provide a nice complex flavor profile.

Nose: Rye, vanilla, and fruit Palate: A very rich cinnamon spice, followed by vanilla ice cream, and stone fruits Finish: Herbal mint with a nice medium-long finish that goes up into the top of my mouth into my nostrils A fantastic rye that really benefits from the ruby port finish as it gains some fruity, vanilla notes that makes this a very approachable dram even for those like me that typically don't drink rye. Indeed it's perfect for a cold winter night indoors.

On the nose: Spice and vanilla Palate: A hint of that sweet vanilla at the start but it's a rye- it's punches pretty quickly with that spice mid/late palate with a hint of apple or stone fruit. Finish: A longer than expected finish of spice that lingers on the tongue. Overall a really approachable rye, it has the strength to stand up in a cocktail.

Nose: Carmel, a little bit of butterscotch. Palate: Carmel, vanilla, corn. Finish: Lingering sweetness with spice, a little chocolate. If you want a good value bourbon with some kick- this is it. Benchmark Full Proof delivers with the strength while staying true to its middle-of-the-road profile.