Tastes

I do not wish to deceive anyone: I am not a fan the regular gigantic-small-batch vanilla-explosion that is Woodford Reserve, so if you are indeed a fan, this may be the bourbon for you! Alas, where I think the original has an excessive burst orangey-vanilla, this one is as equally--if not more--enthusiastic about its wood. But, my friend, this is not a good wood--it seems as though they used oak which, in another life, served as a pallet carried on an open bed trailer used primarily for manure distribution. I would gladly suffer my way through a glass of the younger cousin of this monstrosity than face it once again. In addition, I'd be remised if I failed to mention how exceedingly disturbing it is that this scored the same as the fall '14 release of George T. Stagg. I'm going to have nightmares about this for awhile.

I love peat. I love bourbon. I also love rye. What a world we live in where I can combine three of my loves into one bottle. I wanted to like this, I really did, but it was like throwing steak, avacado, and Cheerios in a blender and expecting the whole to taste three times more delicious than the parts. Yet, not unlike Chuck Palahniuk novels, the pieces are better than the whole. I won't knock High West for their bravery, on the contrary, I keep giving them more of my money each time I see one of their new delightfully monstrous creations, but this one just didn't quite add up. I'm still crossing my fingers for a peated bourbon, another chance to enthusiastically sponsor those magnificent loose cannons over at High West.

While the well-versed may turn up their nose at this for being overpriced mystery whiskey and the uninitiated may fall head over heals for "20yo" I find myself somewhere in between. The bottle is gorgeous, the taste--on my dense palate--is delicious, full, and woody, the price is...well, we won't talk about that. This is a great bourbon. I went to three different states before I found it and am quite pleased. Don't buy it for its age statement, don't discount it for its sales pitch, enjoy it for what it is--and buy it because the bottle is pretty. Edit: If you think the proof is too low or that it's over filtered, vat a 1:1 with Stagg Jr. Batch 3 or 4 and thank me later.