Tastes

$48; Bottle open three weeks; Tasted neat in a Glencairn; Rested 10 minutes; Soft nose of sweet caramel and brown raw sugar with just a hint of wood lurking in the background -- with minimal ethanol matching it's lower proof (83.4%). Taste provides a creamy mouthfeel coating at the onset with a flavor profile that follows the nose...with lovely vanilla and sugary caramel notes ending with just the faintest level of heat on a sweet fading finish of vanilla oak. Makes for a lovely easy everyday dram...smooth with a nice, sweet (not overly, but in a good way) flavor profile with minimal heat. Perhaps a longer finish and a tad of added spice would bump this higher. But it excels at what it does. A very good go to bottle for unpretentious drinking.

$48; Bottle open three weeks; Tasted neat in a Glencairn; Rested 10 mins; Scents of red wine port and light red fruits, perhaps subtle cherries, and faintly sweet vanilla nuts and oak. Tastes are a lovely melange of Ruby red port with a hint of sweet vanilla wafers covered in a (dark) cherry or plum drizzle. Finishes with slightly dry red port tannins that fade away into a darker (plum) fruit profile. A lovely pour.

$45; LL/EK bottle; 116.8 Proof transitional label bottle; Tasted neat in a Glencairn; Neck pour; rested for 5 minutes;...Nose has vanilla and caramel scents with faint oak and hints of spice with a little ethanol. Slightly oily mouth feel but not overly viscous; but enough to coat the tongue. Initial hit of sweet vanilla sugar, then on to a spicey note flowing into dry oak as the heat shows itself. Long finish with tingling heat, but as that burn finally fades a fresh vanilla, (maybe a touch of mint there?) and sweet spice note is what remains. A solid quality pour for near $50 a bottle.

$60; Bottle open 2 weeks; Tasted neat in a Glencairn; Rested 10 mins; Dessert in a bottle but not cloyingly - toes the line. Not what you start out with, but one that makes for a happy ending after dinner. A crowd pleasing pour (especially for the non- or novice bourbon drinker). Not for a person seeking a purist bourbon experience, however instead opens a new world of sweet sherry flavors that marry with the traditional bourbon taste profile. A very good example of a finished bourbon succeeding on what it sets out to do. Highly recommend for those looking for a change up and different "bourbon" experience -- one that adds a little more sweetness and fruitiness to your life. Minimal to no burn; perhaps a bump in proof would help make for a longer finish.

$60; Batch 14; 113.6 Proof; Bottle 361...bottle was opened two weeks ago...tasted neat in a Glencairn...this is damn good MGP juice. Sweet brown sugar, creme brulee, caramel, cherries and perhaps a fleeting touch of mint on the palate....with nice sweet vanilla oak and then lastly, the faintest bit of dryness (maybe char) as the medium to long finish fades away. Makes for an excellent dram.