Tastes

Nose: very light nose. Only thing I get is caramel from this. Maybe some coffee cake too. Palate: light but very spicy for 80 proof. Lots of caramel and decent flavor for being $12. Finish: vanilla on the finish and very short. Overall: not bad. I can definitely see the Blantons/buffalo trace feel to it. But much like AAA10 it’s just very watered down and plain. Yes, a great ~$10 bottle but not worth buying again for myself. There are too many other bottles that are amazing to me to have this one take up room in the cabinet.

Nose: booming with cherries and vanilla. Mouthwatering with some cinnamon notes on the second go. Palate: so full and rich and sweet and oily. I get a little bit of oak to be honest. Not overly sweet like some bourbons I’ve had recently. Finish: cherries. Just tons and tons of cherries Overall: did someone check the proof on this?? Is it actually 130 proof? Man is this great.

Nose: fruit and alcohol. Honestly didn’t expect as much fruit on the nose, pleasant though. Some vanilla too. Nothing complex Palate: lots of rye immediately but incredibly smooth at first. It’s a little sweet but honestly tastes more like a rye than a bourbon. Very thin too. Finish: alcohol and nothing more really Overall: for $10 it’s honestly average to me. Wouldn’t buy again even for the price

Nose: very fruit forward. Get some caramel on the second go but it smells wonderful! Palate: very very sweet. Lots of dark fruit and it’s very thick. Finish: a little spice to finish but nothing crazy. Medium to long finish. Overall: it’s like someone took Blanton’s and added a bit of sugar to it. This bourbon is very very sweet. I’d say $50 is about right for this but I wouldn’t rush to get a back up.

Nose: pretty sweet off the bat with a bit of rye spice. Super faint but my nose is a bit stuffy. Palate: pretty sweet. Caramel but very bold and full of flavor. Not too hot Finish: medium short finish but solid for such a base bourbon. Overall: for what it is (an entry bourbon) it’s amazing. Everything you want in the category. Nothing complex but very good. So happy with this.

I love the old fitz bib bottles I’ve had so let’s give this one a try! Nose: fruity and caramel but super faint. Palate: sweet up front with some rye spice coming through. Definitely a bit hot for being 80 proof. Finish: very very short and sweet. It’s like someone took an old fitz bib and only aged it for a couple years. Overall: not much too on this one. Didn’t expect much but there’s also not much there! $10 and I’d say better than its price but not much haha.

Nose: spicy nose but also very unique. Not sure honestly if it’s the glass or the whiskey but I’ve never had this smell before and I cannot figure out what it is. Almost butterscotch but a little different. Palate: very sweet overall. A little rye coming through. Really shocked that this is a rye whiskey. Incredibly smooth palate with little to no burn. Finish: lots of caramel and a little vanilla. Medium finish Overall: dang I’m very impressed by this rye. This was a sample from a friend but now I’ll be grabbing this bottle. Definitely worth well beyond it’s price.

Nose: very fruit forward on the first go. Lots of dark berries and a little chocolate. So maybe chocolate covered strawberries (for the fancy people who smell 800 notes). Palate: very pleasant. Incredibly balanced between sweet and spice. Finish: hot finish that turns into peanuts. Very strong peanuts. Overall: very solid bottle for 5 years age. Store pick from Merchants wine & spirits in Knoxville, TN. Great price as well, I believe around $40.

Had to purchase this as I’ve passed up a couple times before. Nose: sweet pear and Granny Smith apples immediately. Doesn’t smell like a true bourbon to me. Not super strong on the nose either. Maybe a tiny bit of vanilla but I may be trying too hard for some classic bourbon notes. Palate: super hot initially. Tons and tons of spice. As it settles I get some walnuts and of course a bit of apple. Finish: spice comes back through and lingers forever and ever on this. At the very end I get an unexpected overly ripe apple, kind of when it’s just too sweet and brown color. Overall: not worth the $99 price tag to me. It’s good and incredibly unique but not much depth. I think the spice that was so prevalent was mostly ethanol. But not awful!

Alright alright alright let’s review this bottle. 😂 Nose: light spice and caramel, honestly not much else. I tried several times for somethin more but nope. Palate: very very smooth. The rye shines brightly through with no burn or anything. Reminds me of my 1792 ridgemont reserve days before I knew what bourbon really was. Also a little JTS Brown-ish. Obviously 3x the price though. Finish: the spice is still in the forefront. Everything else dies quickly. A medium finish length. Overall: this was given to me as a bday present and surprisingly I hadn’t had it so I was stoked. I wouldn’t buy it at $40 personally but I’m glad to have tried it. There are many many more bourbons that are better than this at $40.