Tastes

Overall: Classic bourbon flavors, and a great deal at $28. I wish it had a heavier mouthfeel, but it is by no means light. Its a glass that definitely leaves me wanting another. Nose: Bright. Honey, a bit of citrus as well. Palate: Salted caramel, and milk chocolate. Pleasant clove and cinnamon spice throughout the duration of the sip. Finish: Medium in length with pralines and black cherry coming through.

Overall: In the $30- 35 price range this guy stands up to competition well. Its not overly complex, but what it does it excels at. Nose: Sweetened version of fresh cut grass, like someone drenched those clippings in white Karo syrup. A beautiful smell really. Palate: Drinks like a good rye whiskey. No insane heat, but a great mouthfeel, and a sugary pink bubblegum note comes through. This still presents honey, and other grainy notes, but the bubble gum really helps this stand apart. Finish: Medium Long, the confectionary note carries through with a nice chest burn. A warm KY hug.

Overall: Let it breathe. Not just the glass, but the bottle. Leave some headspace in there and let it be for a week or two. Out of the gate this tasted like someone smashed altoids into a block of oak with a mallet, then proceeded to drench that wood in kerosene and light it on fire. Once sufficiently charred, the piece of wood was then extinguished into water that was then bottled and sold as Knob Creek 9... Fortunately this got better with some oxidization, and that is where my review comes from. For the price I'd rather have a 1.75L of EW BiB, a bottle of Russells 10, Larceny, Makers, Buffalo Trace, etc. etc. You get the point. Its alright, but really underdelivers at 35ish bucks. Nose: Wet Oak, maple syrup, grass Palate: spices and syrup. Nothing distinct, they kinda just bleh together with a decent enough mouth feel. Finish: Medium in length, buttery honey rolls. Definitely the star of the show here.

Overall: Very similar to Redemption bourbon. The bottle has been sitting with an 1/8th left for some time now, so some of these tastes have morphed throughout its life. At the price of $35 it didn't really impress me then, and I don't think I'll buy it again. It was always quite light in flavors and quick in the finish, and while I don't mind that sometimes I prefer something more robust when I get above $30. Nose: Butterscotch, and syrup Palate: That package of mandarin oranges you'd find in a kids lunchbox, with a touch of vanilla, and a numbing clove spice. Finish: Light and short, the mandarin orange carries through along with a white syrup.

Overall: Classic bourbon flavors in my eyes. If someone was just getting into bourbon (or already is), and wanted a benchmark, I'd recommend this very affordable/available option. I'd love to do a blind tasting of this with JTS BiB, OGD, Old Tub, and Early Times BiB and see where they all stack up. Nose: Caramel popcorn, buttered corn. Very corn forward (who woulda thought a bourbon would would be corn forward?). Butterscotch with some time Palate: A well frosted Cinnabon, nothing unbalanced, but well frosted. With some time the flavors separate, and develop more honey and buttery hazelnut notes. Finish: Medium short. I got faint hazelnut, but it disappeared along with the classic bourbon 'iron infused cherry'.

Overall: I grabbed this at a bargain of $20, but regularly see this at $27. It is an easy sipper, and offers some bright citrus notes that are welcome against common malty/dessert flavors. *It may be because the bottle has been half open for some time allowing more oxidization to occur, but this orange flavor was a welcome surprise* For the money I'm happy, but I don't think I'd regularly pay 28 bucks to keep this on hand. Nose: Inviting caramel, and toffee smells with a bit of vanilla. Faint lemon with some time Palate: A bright mandarin orange comes on from the beginning, and is like a flash of light that outshines everything else. With some more time it is subdued by more traditional caramel, but it is missed. I wish it would be there through out the sip more Finish: Short. That syrupy orange flavor carries on with a touch of spice, some more malty flavors poke their heads through but only briefly.

Overall: I was really surprised at how good this is, the fruit forward taste, and the low perceived heat (despite the 99 proof) makes this a great choice for summer days. I would also recommend it to those tired of the more dessert side of things, or people new to bourbon who like fruitier flavors. At $25/bottle I think this is a refreshing addition to my collection and plan on having a bottle around for some time. Nose: Woody, with bright green apples, and pears. Palate: the apples turn red quickly, probably because they are enveloped in a comforting spice. A nuttiness comes through towards the end that really makes this an easy drink. Finish: medium short. The once red apples turn green again and a tart, slightly dry flavor is left in the mouth.

Overall: I received this as a gift, so for once value isn't taken into account in a real way (Thanks @Jonathan-Young1 !!) This is good. Really good if you're looking for full body, sweeter drink that is still balanced. If you're looking for more floral/fruity things, this may not be your thing, but I really enjoyed the full dessert flavors, and plan on squirreling it away for special sips. Nose: Sweet caramel, and bread, grapey almost cognac overtones Palate: A very nice full bodied sweetness up front; brown sugar coated honey down the middle, confectionary sugar around the tongue. With time the oaky spice comes through more, and the sweet flavors begin to meld with them well. Finish: Medium long. Sweet caramel and toffee infused with a pleasant numbing spice proceed the classic bourbon finish. One might describe this as candied cherry, or a very sweet, iron-rich blood taste (not a bad flavor, but a distinct one) that hangs out for a while with each exhale.

Overall: This is a good drink. The 110 proof was not overwhelming, but added a little more spice as expected. There was a bit of disappointment as I worked through the glass though - the flavor never changed and presented that depth that I search for in bourbons. The flavor that it did present was sweet and enjoyable, but kinda like a friend who never goes out on a limb to make a good joke, or bring a conversation forward, it became predictable and boring. (Batch 22-02) Nose: Maraschino cherries, a bit of woodiness, very little ethanol (I always let the glass breathe for 10 minutes) Palate: Honey, and cherries coalesce to a woody spice. On some sips the cherry can get quite medicinal, but the sweetness from the grains do a good job of rectifying this. Finish: A short to medium length characterized by sweet bakery notes, spice, and hints of pumpkin. The cherries that were there from the nose carry through the longest.

Overall: Bang for the buck. If you have 30 dollars and want a complex bourbon, this is the ticket. Nose: Sweet corn, candied fruits, and a faint amount of leather Palate: Full flavored, a milky vanilla with dark fruits present themselves up front and blend into a pleasant oaky spice. Finish: medium in length, but comes on in waves of strawberry milk and oak.